OK...Finally Auditioned a Lonestar...

As I said in another thread, I'm a studio guy looking for an amp that does great cleans and some overdrive...no metal. But everything from Beatles to country to jazz to pop to alternative type things. The gamut. After reading about this, and after listening to reissue Fenders, the Marshall JVM 410, a Vox AC30, etc, etc, I needed to hear this one. Harmony Central reviews on this amp went from "I don't get it...overrated".....to "best amp I've ever heard." I figured the answer was somewhere in between.

I only had about 20 minutes but went by my local shop in Boca (ARC) which had a Lonestar combo, and some Rectifier 2*12 cabs.

I spent about 3 minutes on the clean channel, then asked the guy to show me how to get some overdrive. He knew the amp well and demonstrated some variations of both clean and the overdrive. And the reverb. I then asked if he could run the combo amp out through the Mesa 2*12 Rectifier cab, which he did.

After a few more minutes of playing, here's what I thought. I've been playing most of my life, throughout the Sixties, etc. I told Chris "I really do think this could be the best amp I've ever heard."

There is no hype on this amp. It does everything it advertises wonderfully. Super cleans without being sterile, superb response to the tone controls, and the overdrive....well, I thought this was a CLEAN amp only. Boy was I wrong. PLENTY of overdrive thanks, all I'll need. Played some Chet Atkins type things in the clean, some alternative chordal type bits on the overdrive, played some country, played some Beatles.

Is the amp like Music's Hidden Secret or something? I can imagine people with special needs (metal for instance) looking for something more specialized but for someone who wants a great guitar amp that does a whole lot, I can't picture anything being better. And with the Recto cab it was awesome.

Definitely my next amp, and probably the last I'd ever need. Oh, and also, it was nice to be able to switch to different output power configurations....the 100 watt setting clearly was the superior sound, but all of them sounded nice, and the ten watt setting is very handy for bedroom addicts

So now I know why you guys love this amp.

Thanks for listening!
Tom

The 10 watt single ended mode has that 2nd harmonic "mojo" going on. With certain guitars it stands out more than others. When you get one definately try it with EL-34's, they give channel 2 some serious attitude when pushed into clipping.

Yep, after I demo'd one, I new this was the best amp for me. I demo'd a dozen or so high end amps, and a few boogies too, in the So Cal area. I asked the salesman if there was anything better in the house, he had not heard it go through its paces that I put it through and said, nope, not until now. That was when they were kind of new 4 years ago. Actually, I was disappointed in most of the boogies. The LSC stood head and shoulders above the rest. I pity the fool that thumbs his nose up at this amp. :evil:

plan-x said:

Yep, after I demo'd one, I new this was the best amp for me. I demo'd a dozen or so high end amps, and a few boogies too, in the So Cal area. I asked the salesman if there was anything better in the house, he had not heard it go through its paces that I put it through and said, nope, not until now. That was when they were kind of new 4 years ago. Actually, I was disappointed in most of the boogies. The LSC stood head and shoulders above the rest. I pity the fool that thumbs his nose up at this amp. :evil:

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Yeah I've been home now for hours and I can't get the sounds out of my head. It was like, every other amp I tried did something good...like the JCM800 was bonecrushing for rock....and the cleans were awful. The Vox did it's thing pretty well, but didn't get the crunch that I was after, etc etc. This thing did everything right. It was the first amp I've tried really stood out, way above the pack. Real hi fi in the cleans, and just amazing sustain in the crunch department absolutely no edge or brittleness. And just huge power too. I couldn't believe all that was coming out of that little combo!

Tom

Yeah, I had a similar experience when I tried my first one, but I went with an LSS. Pretty much exactly the tone I had been pursuing for a long time, straight into the amp. I did do the two Reeder mods however to help the amp cut through in a live situation. I still have other amps for specialized jobs but for 90% of my gigging, the LSS is going out the door.

Welcome to the Lonestar club I've never had so many compliments on my tone. Every time it leaves the house at least two or the people just rave about it. I see people walking up between sets to stare at it. I've also heard other guitarists talk about how a certain amp responds to pick attack but never really got it 'til I got my LSS. Two years now and the love affair is still going strong and not a single problem.

There is, however one downside to owning a Lonestar. I've stopped looking at other amps. The seemingly endless search ended and I no longer have amp GAS. I guess nothing's perfect.

ChesterBurnett said:

Welcome to the Lonestar club

There is, however one downside to owning a Lonestar. I've stopped looking at other amps. The seemingly endless search ended and I no longer have amp GAS. I guess nothing's perfect.

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Ive had the same experience. Just stopped looking at other amps. No need. Ive got what Ive been looking for.
I think everyone makes the assumption that its just a clean fender type amp. I did for a long time.

lostcause said:

ChesterBurnett said:

Welcome to the Lonestar club

There is, however one downside to owning a Lonestar. I've stopped looking at other amps. The seemingly endless search ended and I no longer have amp GAS. I guess nothing's perfect.

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Ive had the same experience. Just stopped looking at other amps. No need. Ive got what Ive been looking for.
I think everyone makes the assumption that its just a clean fender type amp. I did for a long time.

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Are most of you guys playing the combo or a head and cab, and if head and cab, what is the consensus on best cab?

Thanks
Tom

oceantracks said:

lostcause said:

ChesterBurnett said:

Are most of you guys playing the combo or a head and cab, and if head and cab, what is the consensus on best cab?

Thanks
Tom

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I have the head and use different cabs I have.
I am going to get a recto cab. I think it sounds better than any cabs I already have.

oceantracks said:

lostcause said:

ChesterBurnett said:

Welcome to the Lonestar club

There is, however one downside to owning a Lonestar. I've stopped looking at other amps. The seemingly endless search ended and I no longer have amp GAS. I guess nothing's perfect.

Click to expand...

Ive had the same experience. Just stopped looking at other amps. No need. Ive got what Ive been looking for.
I think everyone makes the assumption that its just a clean fender type amp. I did for a long time.

Click to expand...

Are most of you guys playing the combo or a head and cab, and if head and cab, what is the consensus on best cab?

Thanks
Tom

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I am using the 1x12 combo but with a 1x12 extension cab and it sounds phenomenal. That being said I regret buying the combo because it is still pretty heavy.

If I where to do it all over again I would have bought the head and cab. More versatility that way. You can experiment with different cabs and the head is MUCH lighter!

Actually I may have Mesa make me a head shell then just put the guts of my combo into it.

Get the head!!!!! THE HEAD!!!!!

Unless you don't gig very much and just want a great sounding amp that sits around the house. Then you can get the combo.

Yeah, I have the head and cab, and I'd do it again for sure. Nice and light and it is more flexible for the size of gig I am doing. I have tried/gigged with a Boogie 4x10, a Avatar closed 2x12 with Eminence Legend's, and a Lopoline open 2x12 with Celestion Blues. The best by far has been the Lopo/Blues combo. El84 amps seem to love those Blues!!

Welcome to the club, Tom/oceantracks! Obviously a player with a refined ear and taste. The amp is amazing, and if there's any justice will become an iconic instrument (like the Twin, Les Paul, Strat, etc). Best thing ever produced by Mesa, IMHO, and maybe any American amp maker.

I'd been reading about the Classic and the Special for a few months leading up to when I got mine, and only once had a chance to fool with a head for a moment at low volume; one day I got an urge to see if my local GC had one in stock, and they'd just gotten a 50/100 1x12 LSC in as a return (seems the previous buyer traded it in for some kind of Marshall), and had just rolled it back onto the floor. I told them to hold onto it for 30 minutes, while I grabbed my Gold Top and sped down there. I spent the next 2 hours in the little iso-booth turning it inside out. I'd pretty much decided I was going to buy it as soon as I played my 1st chord through it, but for a while I just got lost playing it. Finally I kind of woke up and waved the salesguy over to let him know this amp had been claimed and he might as well start writing it up.

There's really no end to the number of solid, usable sounds you can get through this amp. Close your eyes and start twisting knobs and you'll get stuff you never expected. And wait til you start futzing with tubes.

I love my combo, and my reason for getting it in the first place was as an alternative to my half-stack... and I have no regrets, but it's definitely a pig. If I did it again, I'd probably get a head.

Again, welcome!

Hey thanks for the Welcome!

It's funny when you said you had pretty much decided on it after you played your first chord....that's just about how I felt...hit a few chords on the clean and said to myself "Yep, THAT is how a clean channel should sound." I had just heard so much about the clean channel that I was praying the crunch stuff would be at least pretty good, and it was blow away to me. Huge, thundering chords ringing out with tons of crunch and just no irritating fizz at all. It was the first time I heard some thing that sounded warm...without sounding muddy (how'd they do that???). Warm but not muddy....that's a tough act to pull off and they sure did!

Will report back up after I get one here.....

Tom

My Lonestar was my main amp for over a year. I ended up selling it because I've got other amps that do similar sounds but more. IMO, the Lonestar is the ultimate for people looking for that sound. It's so smooth and the cleans are sooooo good. Especially when you get to turn up the amp.

I'm addicted to a Marshall style crunch so I typically play my Orange but that being said, the Lonestar is about 95% perfect which is a rare thing.

When I turned up to band rehearsal with my newly aquired Lonestar Special, after we played the first song I got a round of applause from the rest of the band! It's transformed our whole sound.

Mork said:

When I turned up to band rehearsal with my newly aquired Lonestar Special, after we played the first song I got a round of applause from the rest of the band! It's transformed our whole sound.

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Oh Yeah! That is such a great feeling when the whole band loves your tone and comments on it!

The LSC is the first amp that both channels sound great to me. I've always had single channel amps with very few knobs, which isn't a bad thing at all, but the amount of ground the LSC can cover is down right fun. The amp has so many sweet spots and sounds fantastic at low or flippin loud levels. The design is extremely well thought out and most importantly......usable. I'm having a blast with mine......a head and 112 cab!