Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special/Classic - opinions?

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  • MoltisantiMoltisanti Frets: 1131
    i had one for a while, it was very reliable and the clean sound was fantastic. I prefer a more Marshally drive and a simpler setup but if you like these sorts of amps the Lonestar is hard to beat. 
    Look how long it's stayed as a production model for Mesa compared to a lot that have come and gone over the years.

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  • imalrightjackimalrightjack Frets: 3723

    So tempted...

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  • stonevibestonevibe Frets: 7082
    I've got the 2x12 combo version of the Special and its a pretty versatile amp. Nice cleans and drive tones, but the reverb on them tends to go for some reason.

    Had two new reverb trays in my one in the last 11 years, but the distributor covered it both times.

    Win a Cort G250 SE Guitar in our Guitar Bomb Free UK Giveaway 


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  • So tempted...


    Speaking from experience and knowing some of the amps you have owned in the past, I honestly don't think you will get on with the drive channel.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    stonevibe said:
    I've got the 2x12 combo version of the Special and its a pretty versatile amp. Nice cleans and drive tones, but the reverb on them tends to go for some reason.
    Because modern Accutronics reverb tanks are shit.

    Fender has stopped using them and switched to Ruby because they had far too many warranty failures.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    edited June 2018
    I have a Special - the clean channel is great - and as long as you don’t want very high levels of gain - so is the drive channel.

    New they are upwards of £2500 - which is too much - though even a Princeton is over £1000 now. Mesa build-quality is pretty much bullet-proof, so buying used is pretty risk-free.

    I have a small Music Man which is an ideal ‘grab and go’ option - so I probably will move the LSS on at some point - but only because I can’t justify having two amps, rather than any dissatisfaction with it.
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  • imalrightjackimalrightjack Frets: 3723

    So tempted...


    Speaking from experience and knowing some of the amps you have owned in the past, I honestly don't think you will get on with the drive channel.
    @kennedydream1980 and I know each other's quite ludicrous habit of gear-rolling, so he knows as much about my tastes as anybody.  I.e. that I live to dream and I'm never happy ;)  Anyway, I got a 1 x 12 Lonestar Special and...

    I like it.  A lot.  The clean is great and the wattage switching very effective.  The drive channel also sounds good, albeit with some tweaking.  I think the second channel will take me more time to settle with but hopefully get there.  It's a mile easier to dial in than the Mark V: 25. which I just couldn't get away with.

    One question for any owners: I'm running a Fractal FX8 in the loop via 4-cable method.  Should the loop dial be at 12 o'clock or full?  With the loop and engaged and nothing connected, the amp got louder as I turned it up.  Forgive my ignorance!

    @ICBM ever done the mod the switch master/gain to reduce 'muddiness'?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    @ICBM ever done the mod the switch master/gain to reduce 'muddiness'?
    Yes, several of them. It works perfectly. I have no idea why Mesa made it the wrong way round - it has to have been a deliberate decision since the pots are intentionally different tapers.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • StefBStefB Frets: 2331

    I had a 1x12 Special combo for a short while.  It was only a short while though as I found it arguably the blandest sounding and least inspiring amp I'd ever played through.

    I desperately wanted to like it, and all Mesas I've tried, but have yet to find one I really like, apart from the Electra-Dyne which are either prohibitively heavy, crushingly loud without an attenuator, or both.

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  • imalrightjackimalrightjack Frets: 3723
    ICBM said:
    @ICBM ever done the mod the switch master/gain to reduce 'muddiness'?
    Yes, several of them. It works perfectly. I have no idea why Mesa made it the wrong way round - it has to have been a deliberate decision since the pots are intentionally different tapers.
    @ICBM one for the experts, I imagine?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    imalrightjack said:

    @ICBM one for the experts, I imagine?
    Not really - all you have to do is swap the two pots. Six solder connections...

    You need to undo and move the clean channel controls out of the way to get at them, but not unsolder them.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • imalrightjackimalrightjack Frets: 3723
    @icbm Thanks. I’ll read up. Presume you would recommend it?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    @icbm Thanks. I’ll read up. Presume you would recommend it?
    Yes, I thought it greatly improved the lead channel and made it sound almost exactly like a higher-gain version of the clean channel.

    How simply swapping two pots of the same overall value but different tapers does this, I'm not certain! But it shows that valve amps are often complex and interactive. You would think that you would get the same sound, just at different control settings - but you don't. Presumably the capacitance of the pot at different settings matters, or something...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • RiftAmpsRiftAmps Frets: 3113
    tFB Trader
    Every LSS I've had in my shop has been on fire at some point, each needing major repair work to the PCB along with a few mods. They were all earlier models, one needed a new PT also. I haven't had any later ones in at all, which I suppose is a good thing.
    *I no longer offer replacement speaker baffles*
    Rift Amplification
    Handwired Guitar Amplifiers
    Brackley, Northamptonshire
    www.riftamps.co.uk

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  • imalrightjackimalrightjack Frets: 3723
    @RiftAmps ;

    Anything I can do to prevent that?  :#
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  • RiftAmpsRiftAmps Frets: 3113
    edited June 2018 tFB Trader
    @RiftAmps ;;

    Anything I can do to prevent that? 
    Buy a later one

    Mesa released a few repair bulletins to authorised service centres to fix any issues with the early amps. They were mainly based around not stressing the 5Y3 rectifier so much and cooling down the EL84 screen-grid dissipation. I think a few other component changes were included but I can't remember and I no longer have access to the TSBs. If you want to be safe just try and find one that's post-2011.
    *I no longer offer replacement speaker baffles*
    Rift Amplification
    Handwired Guitar Amplifiers
    Brackley, Northamptonshire
    www.riftamps.co.uk

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    I must not have seen any early ones!

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • imalrightjackimalrightjack Frets: 3723
    I emailed Mesa Boogie support and got this back:

    "The Lonestar Special is my favourite amp that Boogie have ever made and with my hand on my heart, I’ve never seen one on fire. Or ever been contacted by a customer who has had this issue.

    There was a couple of updates at the beginning to squeeze a little more life out of the 5y3. If you can find you serial number I’ll try and work out what version you have.

    If it needs an update and you need help then I’m here if you need me."

    Can't complain at that!
    Trading feedback info here

    My band, Red For Dissent
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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    I emailed Mesa Boogie support and got this back:

    "The Lonestar Special is my favourite amp that Boogie have ever made and with my hand on my heart, I’ve never seen one on fire. Or ever been contacted by a customer who has had this issue.

    There was a couple of updates at the beginning to squeeze a little more life out of the 5y3. If you can find you serial number I’ll try and work out what version you have.

    If it needs an update and you need help then I’m here if you need me."

    Can't complain at that!
    My early one has so far avoided combustion too....
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  • RiftAmpsRiftAmps Frets: 3113
    tFB Trader
    I emailed Mesa Boogie support and got this back:

    "The Lonestar Special is my favourite amp that Boogie have ever made and with my hand on my heart, I’ve never seen one on fire. Or ever been contacted by a customer who has had this issue.

    There was a couple of updates at the beginning to squeeze a little more life out of the 5y3. If you can find you serial number I’ll try and work out what version you have.

    If it needs an update and you need help then I’m here if you need me."

    Can't complain at that!
    My early one has so far avoided combustion too....
    If you get a chance to open her up look for two 470ohm resistors (R101 & R103) either side of a ribbon cable on the main board, if they've been removed then your amp has had the TSB done and is probably OK.

    *I no longer offer replacement speaker baffles*
    Rift Amplification
    Handwired Guitar Amplifiers
    Brackley, Northamptonshire
    www.riftamps.co.uk

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