Lonestar question

Smitty · #1 07-13-2009, 08:14 PM

I just got a Mesa Lonestar Classic 1x12 combo. I'm having trouble getting the lead sound that I want out of it, and I've heard some amazing sounds out of them before. The midrange is very...hard to explain, but "honky." It's just like "LISTEN TO ME! I'M THE MIDRANGE!" and when I turn it down, it just sounds very tinny. Not very Andy Timmons-y at all

And the high end has a very odd fuzziness...sort of like a stock Carvin V3. But, again, when I turn it down, it just sounds dead...like I turned down my guitar's tone control. It has the Black Shadow speaker in it, and I have a sneaking suspicion that that's the problem. What do you think a Vintage 30 would do? Or, for that matter, any other speakers...I just happen to physically have Vintage 30s with me. FYI, my guitar has a mahogany body, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, set neck guitar, so that could very much contribute to it. I hate ebony, and I feel like I can hear it very well with this amp.
Thanks!
Alex

Robotalk · #2 07-13-2009, 08:26 PM

Forgive me as you probably already know this, but I owned a Boogie F30 and Nomad 55 at one point, and what I've found is Boogie eq's are very touchy. Depending on where you set the treble can have a big effect on the midrange. Another idea ahead of speaker replacement is switching tubes. Eurotubes has complete retube kits, and they do make a difference.

speedy mcfeely · #3 07-13-2009, 11:05 PM

check out the boogie board!!! www.grailtone.com

I have a Lonestar special and I run the drive at 5 o'clock, gain at 2 o'clock, treb 10 o'clock, mid 10 0'clock, bass 9 0'clock, pres 11 o'clock

the drive adds trebble, and the trebble adds gain. the tone stack is different than most amps. I have found also that if you run the gain high and the drive lower then it gets dark and smooth, and if you run the drive high and the gain lower then you get more clarity and bite. run the bass low!!!! the amp has a ton of bass. this will clean it up big time in terms of clarity. the mid will add alot of bass also.

Smitty · #4 07-13-2009, 11:38 PM

Cool, thanks guys. I'll try your suggestions tomorrow.

Anyone else?
Alex

speedy mcfeely · #5 07-14-2009, 12:12 AM

You know now that I look at it. I run my mid ad treb closer to 11 than 10 o'clock.

Also check out the Timmons demos on Mesa's website. cool stuff there.

6fingers · #6 07-14-2009, 12:35 AM

I love mesa tone.
I had a triaxis and a 2.90.Superb equipments but they're too expensive here,triaxis +2.90= about 7.000 dollars !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So they aren't equipments ,they're jewels.I'd never take them out of the house to play gigs.
So ater 5 years of extreme ecstasy I sold them.
Today I dream about mark v.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

shogun · #7 07-14-2009, 01:41 AM

its all about the treble control on the lonestar. keep ur bass somewhat low, mids high, presence low, and treble high.

Smitty · #8 07-14-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shogun

its all about the treble control on the lonestar. keep ur bass somewhat low, mids high, presence low, and treble high.

Thanks man. That's very clear and simple! I'll try it.
Smitty

Smitty · #9 07-14-2009, 04:28 PM

UGH...nothing's working. I'm finding out that that it has nothing to do with the EQ. It's just a very "shallow" sound. It has this annoying upper midrange that I can't get rid of, and there's just no depth or body to it. But the clean is still amazing.
There is a really bad buzzing sound going on. It gets louder when I turn up the gain and drive knobs, and also when I mess with the send level on the back. When I bypass the effects loop, it gets louder. It sounds like really loud 60 cycle hum, or the sound when a guitar isn't plugged into an amp, with a chorus pedal and the rate knob turned up. It, of course, gets louder and more intense when I get closer to the amp. Anyone got an idea what this is?
Alex

6fingers · #10 07-14-2009, 04:43 PM

ask mesa,they can give you a better answer.

smooth55 · #11 07-14-2009, 04:57 PM

Does it buzz on both channels? Have you ruled out the guitar by trying it on a different amp? I don't know about the Lonestar tone issues, but the buzzing sounds like a sheilding or grounding issue with the guitar.

Andy43 · #12 07-14-2009, 05:44 PM

Mesa's have a rather unique mid-range quality to them. Is this your first Mesa? If so, then maybe Mesa's just aren't the amps for you.

Really go and ask for help at grailtone.com. They will have your problem figured out in no time.

Smitty · #13 07-15-2009, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smooth55

Does it buzz on both channels? Have you ruled out the guitar by trying it on a different amp? I don't know about the Lonestar tone issues, but the buzzing sounds like a sheilding or grounding issue with the guitar.

Yeah, it's really quiet on the clean channel, and much louder on the distortion channel. It's not the guitar, I'm almost positive. I've played it on my Carvin V3, which has a little buzz, but it's regular high-gain amp buzz...much different than this. I also tried my Ibanez Metheny, and it buzzed. So yeah, the amp. And the cable is a brand new Monster...literally one day old, so it's definitely not that.

speedy mcfeely · #14 07-15-2009, 02:05 AM

does it have the stock tubes? Mesa tubes are never very good. Retube with JJs. I use NOS 5751s in the v1 and v2 and Mullard reissue 12ax7s. JJ high gain matched quad of EL84s, and a NOS recto tube.

My lonestar sounds anything but shallow or thin. Especially in thick or thicker modes.

YaYoGakk · #15 07-15-2009, 09:22 AM

Could be the C90.
Can you try it through some sort of Mesa cab? I know Mesa combo's cannot always give off a very impression of what the amp really sounds like.