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Published on 01/31/11 at 21:31
The Mesa Boogie Lone Star Special is an all-tube amp, pure class A, with two fully independent channels. Power is assignable per channel, with a choice of 5, 15 or 30 Watts. The power stage is driven by four EL34 tubes, which are normally the preserve of English amps.
The power requirements are ideal for studio and home (5 Watts) and for small and medium scenes (15 and 30 watts). The regulars are familiar with the brand's history, 30 Watt All Tube in Mesa is already very powerful.
As usual in Mesa, connectivity is super full, with a switchable effects loop, reverb with adjustable per channel (plus a mini switch that lets you choose between two different stamps), a slave output for use Lone Star as a pre-amp, speakers and multiple outputs, for many different combinations.
A small fan can also cool detachable lamps, class!
Channel 2 may, via a mini switch "drive" or be a clone of Channel 1 with a tad more gain, or become a high gain channel of vintage spirit.
A final mini switch (yes options raining!) Can choose between 3 different voicings, by intervening in the mid frequency gain. We get either the natural sound of the amp, one made more "English" on Marshall (position "thick"), one made more Mesa Boogie pure juice "with its much larger position (" thick ") .
Given the very high rate, it is somewhat reassuring in noting that the finish is flawless, the receiver is also aesthetically beautiful, which of course is purely incidental.
UTILIZATION
The manual is a bible, as usual at Mesa Boogie, a sort of bedside book that can understand everything about his amp to better tame it.
Forget the docs of 4 pages of no use, there is dense and very well explained.
It gives some standard settings that allow to ring at once the engine, but it will take time and patience to find the sounds that correspond to you (depending on the particular played guitar).
The settings are super accurate, and incredibly wide sonic palettes are available, all of which is to read the manual and be a minimum of logic.
SOUNDS
It covers all styles except metal. From jazz to country through blues, classic rock, boogie rock and hard rock of the 70s and 80s, the sounds are very versatile.
Beyond, through a good distortion pedal (like the lock-in Jacques Mercer), we can send sounds much bigger and more modern metal cover records "standards" to Metallica.
Beyond this limit, we must proceed to rectify the series, the Lone Star Special is not made for that!
I play a Start 'classic player 60 and a vintage Telecaster hotrod 52 and all I get is sublime when the settings are finalized.
The sounds are difficult to describe, but I can only say they are a really incredible wealth, particularly in the midrange frequencies where complexity is indescribable.
I would add that the reverb is sublime, one of the best I have heard.
The clean sound is magical, a brightness and a balance that would cry.
Once you go up a channel gain beyond noon, the amp starts cruncher (EL34 require), which allows a wide variety of settings.
Channel 2 (without activating the drive) offers the old overdrive very hot, very "roots" that blues fans will not let go.
Drive engaged, is very "Led Zeppelinesque" with a gain level that can still be very important.
OVERALL OPINION
I leave a Mesa Boogie rectoverb, but rather playing classic rock in the register, I am separated for the Lone Star Special.
Same brand, same quality workmanship, but the opposite spirit ...
The front offers a breathtaking modern distortion that Lone Star can not obviously happen, and it is also more powerful.
For everything else, the Lone Star is on top, especially with regard to the clean (the front side has a right and a little too "rigid" for my taste).
It is a product that is far from given, but offers exceptional quality, which we take "unfortunately" taste ... I became "addicted Mesa Boogie!
The classy
The power requirements are ideal for studio and home (5 Watts) and for small and medium scenes (15 and 30 watts). The regulars are familiar with the brand's history, 30 Watt All Tube in Mesa is already very powerful.
As usual in Mesa, connectivity is super full, with a switchable effects loop, reverb with adjustable per channel (plus a mini switch that lets you choose between two different stamps), a slave output for use Lone Star as a pre-amp, speakers and multiple outputs, for many different combinations.
A small fan can also cool detachable lamps, class!
Channel 2 may, via a mini switch "drive" or be a clone of Channel 1 with a tad more gain, or become a high gain channel of vintage spirit.
A final mini switch (yes options raining!) Can choose between 3 different voicings, by intervening in the mid frequency gain. We get either the natural sound of the amp, one made more "English" on Marshall (position "thick"), one made more Mesa Boogie pure juice "with its much larger position (" thick ") .
Given the very high rate, it is somewhat reassuring in noting that the finish is flawless, the receiver is also aesthetically beautiful, which of course is purely incidental.
UTILIZATION
The manual is a bible, as usual at Mesa Boogie, a sort of bedside book that can understand everything about his amp to better tame it.
Forget the docs of 4 pages of no use, there is dense and very well explained.
It gives some standard settings that allow to ring at once the engine, but it will take time and patience to find the sounds that correspond to you (depending on the particular played guitar).
The settings are super accurate, and incredibly wide sonic palettes are available, all of which is to read the manual and be a minimum of logic.
SOUNDS
It covers all styles except metal. From jazz to country through blues, classic rock, boogie rock and hard rock of the 70s and 80s, the sounds are very versatile.
Beyond, through a good distortion pedal (like the lock-in Jacques Mercer), we can send sounds much bigger and more modern metal cover records "standards" to Metallica.
Beyond this limit, we must proceed to rectify the series, the Lone Star Special is not made for that!
I play a Start 'classic player 60 and a vintage Telecaster hotrod 52 and all I get is sublime when the settings are finalized.
The sounds are difficult to describe, but I can only say they are a really incredible wealth, particularly in the midrange frequencies where complexity is indescribable.
I would add that the reverb is sublime, one of the best I have heard.
The clean sound is magical, a brightness and a balance that would cry.
Once you go up a channel gain beyond noon, the amp starts cruncher (EL34 require), which allows a wide variety of settings.
Channel 2 (without activating the drive) offers the old overdrive very hot, very "roots" that blues fans will not let go.
Drive engaged, is very "Led Zeppelinesque" with a gain level that can still be very important.
OVERALL OPINION
I leave a Mesa Boogie rectoverb, but rather playing classic rock in the register, I am separated for the Lone Star Special.
Same brand, same quality workmanship, but the opposite spirit ...
The front offers a breathtaking modern distortion that Lone Star can not obviously happen, and it is also more powerful.
For everything else, the Lone Star is on top, especially with regard to the clean (the front side has a right and a little too "rigid" for my taste).
It is a product that is far from given, but offers exceptional quality, which we take "unfortunately" taste ... I became "addicted Mesa Boogie!
The classy