New member; Got LSS, GASing for Express 5:50+. Thoughts??

The Boogie Board

Help Support The Boogie Board:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Catthan

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2014
Messages
59
Reaction score
0
Hi all,

Been silently lurking around here ever since I bought my LSS 1x12 a couple of months ago.

Although I love it and appreciate it more and more, the 5:50+ has gotten me really tempted (tho you may say I need a LSC after you read my post..)
Specially after I read that they incorporated elements (or the whole channel??) of the LS clean.

There's not anything that I don't like in the LSS, maybe a bit too much chime for the funk setting I play in and I think some extra headroom would be nice to have just in case
although I know how loud the LSS can be.

I love the LSS's Texas SRV-type tone which I can easily dial in but it's not how I use the amp and therefore it doesn't justify keeping it just for that.

Assuming the clean of the MB E+ is just as good and the Blues mode in ch. 2 could do mild gain blues, how do the 2 OD modes deal with leads?

I'm after a fat, smooth and sustain-y but cutting lead tone. Eric Johnson-style but a tiny bit more punchy in the mids.
I could get this with the LSS using the mid boost from the Suhr koko. Can I get anything like that from the 2 OD modes of the MB E+ and use the EQ as a mid boost??

I also think that the MB E+ would be OK for my funk gig AND a rock band I'm putting together whereas the LSS needs pedals through the clean channel for crunch, at least the way I use it. Am I right?
I have read the Express vs LS threads and hope I managed to be a bit more specific in what I ask here.
I'd be grateful if anyone could comment.

Thanks,
T
 
I don't have any advice for you for your choice, but I owned a Lone Star Special, and the second channel is ALL about fat, chewy leads.
 
Hi Catthan,

I own an LSC and an Express 5:50, here's my opinion for your reference:

1. Clean:

In simple words, Express clean is excellent, but LSC's clean is incredible.
From 1 to 10, worst to the best:

Express: 8.5
Lonestar: 9.5

2. Blues: I think both Express and LSC are ok, but express is more versatile due to the stock muddy bass performance of the LSC.
However, if you prefer warm Blues tone such as TS808, I think LSC does it better than Express.

Express: 7.0
Lonestar: 7.5

3. Lead tone:

Burn channel of Express is my favorite, it delivers very classic hard rock tones, such as what you can hear from Solo of Stairway To Heaven or Get over it of the Eagles. And for Express, the greatest thing is you can dial in the EQ to push the Burn channel quite crutch, and that's something you can't get from LS. For LSC, you can only get that kind of tone by inserting boost pedals in the front, but you will need to deal with the big, deep bass tone carefully. Without pedal in the front, LSC can never get a crunch tone.

Express: 8.0
Lonestar: 6.5

4. Versatility :

Express is way more versatile than Lonestar, but Express did everything at a good level, while LSC did the clean at non-beatible level.
In other words, if you own both, you will always use LSC for clean at all time, since it is the best.

Express: 8.5
Lonestar: 7.5

5. Signal Path:

There are some differences in LS and Express design. For Reverb, LS inserts Reverb before FX Loop, and Express inserts Reverb after FX Loop. This is not a problem for most users. But to me, I'll sometimes use for example, Preamp section of Express, and use Express FX send to LSC's FX return, so that I can get a tone of Express preamp + LSC PowerAmp or vice versa. However, since Express has NO Reverb BEFORE the FX loop, and LSC has NO Reverb AFTER the FX loop, if I do Express pre + LSC Power, I'll end up with NO Reverb at all. And if I do LSC Pre + Express Power, I'll get Double Reverb. This is quite painful for me.

Secondly, Express has higher output on FX send, and it has no SEND Level pot to adjust the output level, it creates another problem for me.
That's part of the reason I got the LSC while having an Express.

Express: 5.5
Lonestar: 8


My 2 cents.
 
I own both a LSS head and an Express 5:25+ head. I know you're asking about a 5:50+ but just to mention.... amp tones are such a subjective thing and hard to put into words sometimes... The one thing I've noticed when comparing the two amps is the 5:25+ has much more variation in tone and distortion than the LSS. Gain and tone seem to be more flexible with the 5:25+. The Express+ has the EQ sliders which have a much greater effect on the tone than the channel knobs do.
All that being said, I'm not sure I could part with my LSS, such an awesome amp.
 
I had the LSS for about 4 years, my Tele was the best guitar that paired with it, but I'm more of a humbucker guy most of the time and I always struggled with the LSS to deliver the sounds I wanted, I eventually sold it and bought the mini rectifier, that mean SOB was really cool, but still I was not 100% sold on the sound from my les paul and PRS.....so I sold it and found a great deal for a 5:50+ head on the used items from sweetwater over eBay, bought it and then I got an even more killer deal on an over sized discontinued Mesa 1X12 cab, ones I got the two I know am 98% happy with my tone.

The thing is that there is a huge difference between EL84 tubes and 6L6 tubes, this is the main issue I found tha was lacking on the other amps, and to be really honest the 5 watt mode on the Express is the best sounding low watt setting then the other to boogie had to offer.

Now, yes the clean n the lone star is amazing, the clean on the Express is great too, it's a deeper clean thanks to the 6L6's, but the over drives are just to die for.

Put a good OD in the front section just to tight things up and you can get, with the help of the sliders EQs, into Mark and Recto hard heavy rhythms, killer leads.

And one thing to really notice is that the reverb is the best sounding one I have ever heard.

This amp is trully the next best thing from a Mark V.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top