Experience with Mesa Lonestar Classic, anybody?

[GtarLover]

I have been thinking about picking up a mainly clean amp. I know that Petrucci used the Lonestar for his cleans in one of his rigs, before the Mark V's came in. I have a Mark V and enjoy the tones of it, yet I can't stop thinking about the Lonestar Classic.

Anybody have experience with the Classic, not the Special? How do the cleans on the Mark V compare? I know they are supposed to be the same, but so is the Mark IIC channel and it isn't the same. It's good, but not the same.

Just looking for some input and experience with both if you have it.
Thanks...

 

[university81]

i had an old classic 100w for a good year or so, very nice clean channel, and the second channel boosted got some pretty good medium gain style tones

in the end i was just using the clean channel and overdrive pedals, which worked very nicely, not sure how it holds up to the Mark V, for mainly clean tones the electradyne might be worth looking into, heard some great tones from that amp

if you're happy with the mark V, i'd probably stick with it, not sure you'll gain a lot with another amp

 

[Chris6870]

I had one and hated it. Cleans were good I guess.But not good enough to make up for the horrible drive channel. Bottom end was very flubby, overall the amp is very bassy,could not get a decent sound out of it no matter how hard i tried. i dont think the cleans are that much better (if any) than a Mk IV or V. just my opinion of course.

 

[amiller]

I have a Mark-IV and a Lonestar Classic. The Lonestar Classic has a KILLER clean channel! The Mark-IV clean channel is just so-so to me. The Lonestar's dirt channel is pretty low gain...'nothing to write home about.

But...

I got the Bogner Red pedal for Christmas and use it in front of the Lonestar's clean channel ... EXCELLENT! That combination gives me killer cleans and killer gain...love it!!!

 

[GtarLover]

I have a Mark-IV and a Lonestar Classic. The Lonestar Classic has a KILLER clean channel! The Mark-IV clean channel is just so-so to me. The Lonestar's dirt channel is pretty low gain...'nothing to write home about.

But...

I got the Bogner Red pedal for Christmas and use it in front of the Lonestar's clean channel ... EXCELLENT! That combination gives me killer cleans and killer gain...love it!!!

Thanks for the ideas! I was pretty sure that the Lonestar Cleans are sweet and I will try one as soon as I can. The Bogner pedal in front sounds like a sweet idea. I have a couple pedals I would like to try with the classic's clean as well as in front of the dirty channel.

Thanks again for chiming in...anyone else?

 

[mixn4him]

What everyone else said, Loose/low gain channel but the cleans are awesome, full, clear and loud. My MKIV was tighter and brighter but the LS has that big round clean sound. Check out some of Andy Timmons older rig videos and that is what the LS sounds like, he gets a great tone with a BB preamp pushing the LS...