Mesa Lonestar Special sample sounds

Greg Ferguson

Greg Ferguson

Legend!
Mesa has sample settings in the Lonestar Special manual. The attached archive contains presets that are based on those samples.

The Lonestar is a great amp with gorgeous cleans and can be used for 'most anything south of metal.

Things:
  • I leveled the presets using my Strat with '59-ish pickups. They're not hot but they sound really good and the guitar sounds very nice through the presets. YMMV.
  • The Lonestar has a Thick/Normal/Thicker switch but they/Mesa didn't say how those change the EQ curve of the sound, so I engaged the Fat switch in the Preamp whenever either Thick or Thicker was engaged. YMMV.
  • The Cabs use Dyna-Cabs. YMMV.
  • The presets were saved using the latest FX3 firmware v24.04. They're sized to work on an FM3 on up, but with the FM units in the process of getting the v24.04 changes the presets might not display on the other two units if you load them. Give Fractal some time to get the firmware changes to roll out on the FM3 and FM9 and they should magically appear once you load the compatible firmware versions.
  • The effect blocks have FC Per-Presets assigned for use with the Per-Preset FC layout.
  • The power amp tubes were changed to EL84, since the Special is based on those tubes. Without knowing what else is different between the Special and the 100w version I wasn't going to change anything else. Change them back to 6L6 if you're so inclined.
Since a company that won't be named bought Mesa and dropped the Lonestar from its lineup, we probably will find them harder and harder to find in the wild. Fractal's models sound really good and building these reminded me very much of its sound.

Have fun.
 

Attachments

  • Lonestar Special presets.zip
    50.4 KB · Views: 136
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Thanks in advance. When the amp was first introduced Mesa had a sound demo that really impressed me. Hopefully one of the sample settings is that.
 
I have the real thing (for sale soon, because...Fractal). I liked it for gooey, squishy lead tones, best achieved with their 5W quasi-pseudo Class A whatever mode (let's not go there). I believe that's cathode biased, a big part of the squish. You might try fooling with that kind of power amp tweak, see if you like it. I Mesa encouraged trying a 16 Ohm load as well. If you like that expressive, touch sensitive vocal thing, this was my recipe when I used the real amp. Great fun, great for recording, playing slide, etc. Have fun!
 
Just a note for FM3/FM9 users, the TX Star models on the Axe Fx III recently got an update that adds Channel Master Volume and that's not yet on the FMs.

In my opinion, the change makes a significant difference in the sound of (at least) TX Star Clean.

@Greg Ferguson - I think I'll give these a whirl tonight! Thanks for sharing.
 
allenma said:
You might try fooling with that kind of power amp tweak, see if you like it.
Click to expand...

We already have a class-A model and it's good.

In real life the Class-A mode couldn't keep up in a stage situation. 5 watts on the Special cannot keep up with a drummer and even a Blues Jr. But the full 30 watts sure can. ;-)

unix-guy said:
Just a note for FM3/FM9 users, the TX Star models on the Axe Fx III recently got an update that adds Channel Master Volume and that's not yet on the FMs.

In my opinion, the change makes a significant difference in the sound of (at least) TX Star Clean.
Click to expand...
Most definitely so. It's an important addition because the master volume/Master Volume in the amp and model is SO important.
 
I just realized you posted in the FM3 forum...

I played some on each preset and most had some usable tones.

I was surprised by how high the Bass was set in most on them, at least on the Clean model. Way higher than I ever go and I had to dial that back.

Also surprised that Middle was mostly less than 5. I guess that just depends on what you're going for.

I might steal your Cab settings, though. I think the Cab sounds very nice.

Thanks for sharing!
 
unix-guy said:
I just realized you posted in the FM3 forum...
Click to expand...
They’re actually FM3 presets from my little guy, but because we don’t have the latest releases on that unit I went with the versions in my FX3. It’ll work out fine in the end.

unix-guy said:
I played some on each preset and most had some usable tones.

I was surprised by how high the Bass was set in most on them, at least on the Clean model. Way higher than I ever go and I had to dial that back.
Click to expand...
The Lonestar’s tonestack is a bit different from other amps. I don’t know what circuit it is, but the treble sits first in the chain, and passes signal to the mid, which passes to the bass, so the bass setting can be pretty high but if the mid is low the bass is not really having that much of an effect.

It took a little while to find the settings I like on my amp, and I get pissed if someone messes with it if I put it in the backline because they won’t have a clue what they’re doing.

Mesa’s manual says:
IMG_0024.jpeg
unix-guy said:
Also surprised that Middle was mostly less than 5. I guess that just depends on what you're going for.
Click to expand...
IMG_0025.jpeg

and for completeness …

IMG_0026.jpeg

unix-guy said:
I might steal your Cab settings, though. I think the Cab sounds very nice.
Click to expand...
It was the first Dyna-Cab I tried and I was very happy with it.


PS - the manual is available at https://mesa-boogie.imgix.net/media/User Manuals/LS_Special.pdf
 
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Thanks 4 sharing, sounds great.

Just two pedal tip to ev. try and like - for 'Clean a like' pre chain I use one or both active -
first Keeleys Super AT MOD into Source Audios ZIO boost who has some good switch options

 
Greg Ferguson said:
The Lonestar’s tonestack is a bit different from other amps. I don’t know what circuit it is, but the treble sits first in the chain, and passes signal to the mid, which passes to the bass, so the bass setting can be pretty high but if the mid is low the bass is not really having that much of an effect.

It took a little while to find the settings I like on my amp, and I get pissed if someone messes with it if I put it in the backline because they won’t have a clue what they’re doing.

Mesa’s manual says:
View attachment 133584

View attachment 133585

and for completeness …

View attachment 133586


It was the first Dyna-Cab I tried and I was very happy with it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting those details. I'm going to read thru that and try and make it stick in my brain!
 
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Greg Ferguson said:
I added a link to the manual in the post above.
Click to expand...
I checked the original Lonestar manual earlier and they seem to be nearly identical. Only adding in the word "special" to the name... At least in regards to the Tone controls.

Also, it's interesting that the Channel MV is pre-effects loop on the real amp. There's a warning about overloading external devices in the manual. Of course, we don't care in the Fractalverse, but that seems like a questionable design choice.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
They’re actually FM3 presets from my little guy, but because we don’t have the latest releases on that unit I went with the versions in my FX3. It’ll work out fine in the end.


The Lonestar’s tonestack is a bit different from other amps. I don’t know what circuit it is, but the treble sits first in the chain, and passes signal to the mid, which passes to the bass, so the bass setting can be pretty high but if the mid is low the bass is not really having that much of an effect.

It took a little while to find the settings I like on my amp, and I get pissed if someone messes with it if I put it in the backline because they won’t have a clue what they’re doing.

Mesa’s manual says:
View attachment 133584

View attachment 133585

and for completeness …

View attachment 133586


It was the first Dyna-Cab I tried and I was very happy with it.


PS - the manual is available at https://mesa-boogie.imgix.net/media/User Manuals/LS_Special.pdf
Click to expand...
YUP! I had a Lonestar Classic and it took some time to wrap my head around the EQ. Great once dialed in, but it takes some time getting there.
 
JoKeR III said:
YUP! I had a Lonestar Classic and it took some time to wrap my head around the EQ. Great once dialed in, but it takes some time getting there.
Click to expand...
It was fiddly, and once I got the sound I like I took a photo of the controls. I adjust it depending on the guitar I’m using but occasionally it’s just not quite right so I pull up the photo and reset it. :)

The Fractals make so much more convenient.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
Mesa has sample settings in the Lonestar Special manual. The attached archive contains presets that are based on those samples.

The Lonestar is a great amp with gorgeous cleans and can be used for 'most anything south of metal.

Things:
  • I leveled the presets using my Strat with '59-ish pickups. They're not hot but they sound really good and the guitar sounds very nice through the presets. YMMV.
  • The Lonestar has a Thick/Normal/Thicker switch but they/Mesa didn't say how those change the EQ curve of the sound, so I engaged the Fat switch in the Preamp whenever either Thick or Thicker was engaged. YMMV.
  • The Cabs use Dyna-Cabs. YMMV.
  • The presets were saved using the latest FX3 firmware v24.04. They're sized to work on an FM3 on up, but with the FM units in the process of getting the v24.04 changes the presets might not display on the other two units if you load them. Give Fractal some time to get the firmware changes to roll out on the FM3 and FM9 and they should magically appear once you load the compatible firmware versions.
  • The effect blocks have FC Per-Presets assigned for use with the Per-Preset FC layout.
  • The power amp tubes were changed to EL84, since the Special is based on those tubes. Without knowing what else is different between the Special and the 100w version I wasn't going to change anything else. Change them back to 6L6 if you're so inclined.
Since a company that won't be named bought Mesa and dropped the Lonestar from its lineup, we probably will find them harder and harder to find in the wild. Fractal's models sound really good and building these reminded me very much of its sound.

Have fun.
Click to expand...
awsome!! thanks a lot!!!!!
 
rodolfocalera said:
awsome!! thanks a lot!!!!!
Click to expand...
No problem.

The analog version is a cool amp that I like playing but the modeler is so much more flexible that it takes away some of the fascination. Soon, enough people will never have used tubes so they’ll become thought of as “antiques” and amp repair techs will be forced out of business. Fractal keeps improving, and real tubes continue to get more expensive as will repairs. I think that’s going to be the way it is from now on for tube amps.
 
Thank you @Greg Ferguson for sharing your presets. It seems to me that since the recent firmware, a few amps have become my favorites. I now have the Lonestar as one of my go-to amps in my FM3.

Thank you once again for sharing, my World has been rocked! Or maybe not rocked but tastefully edge of break up crunched!

You, Sir, are a Fractal star!
 
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