TC-50 vs Lone Star classic for clean tones?

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I have not compared the two. I did play through a lone star once. Most of the mesa amps will have the fender circuit for the clean channel in some degree. I was more interested in the character of the higher gain settings which includes the clean channel. The RA100 for instance has a very warm clean channel but can be driven into classic rock character just by increasing the gain. I bring up the RA100 as it is similar to the TC-50 in many respects but is different as well and may be closer to the Lone Star circuit, even the Electra Dyne is one step closer to the Lone star with its design but was geared more towards a British circuit than American or Fender type circuit. However, the TC-50 on the clean channel used in normal mode is almost similar to the Fender Blues Deluxe I have played in a few stores. I much prefer the TC-50 over the Fender amps. Still the clean channel is quite warm in tone which is great for blues and or country it that is your desire. Not quite as chimey as the Lone Star, perhaps better served up with 6L6 or 6V6 tubes. The 6V6 tubes would be preferred over the 6L6 even though you get half the power. The 5881 Mesa tube has a slight edge over the Mesa 6L6 as it has a different tone to it which is similar to the 6V6 tone. The Clean channel on the TC-50 is quite impressive even with EL34s in use. There does not seem to be any influence on the clean channel as you would get using EL34s in a Mark V or other amps like the Roadster as that effects the clean character of those two amps (adds a bit of dirt and midrange).

Sine I play more classic rock, I generally keep the clean channel in drive mode most of the time For pristine clarity and chime I have yet to find an amp that beats the Mark V clean (using 6L6 tubes) especially for piezo pickups. Still the TC-50 can perform quite well with piezo pickups I prefer passive or magnetics with that amp. I would recommend I you have an opportunity to actually play though one or both TC and Lone Star to do so. I know that may not be always practical and chances are if you find one you may not find the other, depends on location. Even at first trial you may prefer one over the other due to lack of understanding one amp over the other. It took me a little longer to bond with the TC-50 than most as I am more of a Mark Series person who did jump onto a Rectifier amp (took time to figure that one out too). I can say one thing is for sure, I enjoy the TC-50 the most and that includes the JP-2C (may depend on mood or style of music I want to play). So far the TC-50 has the most flexible platform I have used so far, all it is lacking is a rectifier tube for more spongy feel. The amp is tight but the louder you play it does loosen up a bit with some sag. Sounds great at any volume, and you get three tube type choices to choose from EL34, 6V6 or 6L6. Note that the EL34 will be on the harsh side for the first 20 hours of use but they really sound great after that once things smooth out. I have also tried the Mesa NOS Siemens tubes in the TC-50, they sound about the same as the standard EL34 tone wise but more fluidic or smoother in character. If you have one and thinking about the other or you are trying to decide on which one to get, I would definitely look at the other forums on this board to review any pros and cons about the amps. I cannot say there is one thing I dislike about the TC-50 but there are others that did not like it either because the did not understand the amp or just had no interests in figuring it out.
 
Hi, I haven't heard them side by side, but I did have a Lone Star Classic 50 watt 1x12 combo for a while and have the TC-50 1x 12 combo now.

My two clean tones for reference are old Fender Twins and the Heartbreaker (Turner Modded). I have had a Heartbreakers
since they were introduced.

Now these are just my opinions, and keep in mind I use a Les Paul most of the time and that makes a big difference.

I found the LSC to have a very pristine, icy clean. It seemed kind of "clinical" to me, with an emphasis on the high end that I couldn't dial out.
Nothing wrong with it, in fact i could see it being EXACTLY what a lot of people want, it was just not my favorite.

I love everything about the TC-50. The cleans are more like the Heartbreaker or a Twin, but it is more flexible. It has more of that high presence,
unlike the Heartbreaker, but it goes from that later silver face clean to thicker, warmer jazz type clean with a move of the kids knob.

The amp overall to me is like a Heartbreaker that is more mid-focused instead of low focused, or a Lone Star that is more mid focused and less high
focused. Although, you can dial it as high or as low as the other two.

Now, and this is very subjective, when I put 6L6's in it, the cleans jumped up to even more beautiful. However, and I only have done it once so far, I
did feel like live with a band the subtle loss of something in the high mids seriously impacted my ability to sit audibly in the mix (the Heartbreaker suffers from this also).

I am so infatuated with the TC that after playing about 20 gigs with it that i have ordered a custom covered head so I can use it with various cab configurations.

YMMV
 

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