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Mesa/Boogie LoneStar Amplifier User's Manual

1. LENE STAR Owner s Manual Hello from the Tone Farm You smart player and intuitive human have put your trust in us to be your amplifier company This is something we do not take lightly By choosing this instrument to be a part of your musical voice you have become part of the Mesa family WELCOME Our goal is to never let you down Your reward is that you are the new owner of an amp bred of fine all tube heritage benefiting from the many pioneering and patented Mesa circuits that led to the refinement of your new model We feel confident this amp will inspire many hours of musical satisfaction and lasting enjoyment It was built with you in mind by players who know the value of a fine musical instrument and the commitment it takes to make great music The same commitment to quality value and support we make to you our new friend LENE STAR TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW HELPFUL HINTS INSTANT GRATIFICATION FRONT PANEL CONTROLS amp FEATURES INPUT FOOTSWITCH DRIVE CHANNEL SELECT DRIVE CLEAN THICK NORMAL THICKER GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER 100 50 WATT Channel Power Select OUTPUT amp SOLO CONTROLS POWER TWEED OFF ON amp STANDBY REAR PANEL CONTROLS SWITCHES amp JACKS FUSE RECTIFIER SELECT Diodes amp Tube Rectifier Tracking FX LOOP REVERB CHANNEL amp SOLO External Switch Ports BIAS SELECT SPEAKERS amp SLAVE REVERB REMOTE
2. CH2 INPUT C ciean GAIN POWER OFF FSW x STANDBY Im Qro C LINE STAR 18 TUBE NOISE amp MICROPHONICS Vou may occasionally experience some form of tube noise or microphonics Certainly no cause for alarm this quirky behavior comes with the territory and the Tone Much like changing a light bulb you don t need a technician to cure these types of minor user serviceable annoyances and in fact you ll be amazed at how easy it is to cure tube problems by simply swapping out a pre amp or power tube First may we suggest that you set the amplifier up on something so that you can get to the tubes comfortably without having to bend down It also helps to have adequate lighting as you will need to see the tube sockets clearly to swap tubes Use caution and com mon sense when touching the tubes after the amplifier has been on as they may be extremely hot If they are hot and you don t want to wait for them to cool off try grasping them with a rag and also note that the glass down around the bulbous silvery tip is considerably less hot which makes it easier to handle Gently rock the tube back and forth as you pull it away from its socket Se eo a ey There are two main types of tube faults shorts and noise Both large and small tubes may fall prey to either of these problems but diagnosis and remedy is usually simple If a fuse blows the problem is most likely a shorted power tube and shorts can either be
3. 607303 SWITCH pt 607111 LED LENS cu pti 70330 POT pti POT pti POT pt POT 100W 9 e sw 591739 591048 5 5 591047 591047 woon soto TWEED ON bid DRIVE 4 rd icd N POT pt POT pt POWER OFF Tsi GAIN TREBLE PRESENCE MASTER 591047 591047 STANDBY POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt POT pt 59107 591047 591048 5 5 591047 581739 ON THICKER lt 7 lt 7 lt SWITCH pt 607303 aU SWITCH pt 600631 SWITCH pt 607111 JACK pt 610123 18112 P C MOUNTED LED pt 703300 SWITCH pt 607201 REAR VIEW LONE STAR JACK pt 618112 SWITCH pt 607200 uBoocrE 25 55 1010111111 2 REVERB CH1 WARNING Unplug power before replacing fuse or removing bolts mounting chassis FUSE SILICON FAN i END RETURN REVERB i97 DIODES ON First set sound with S bs CHANNEL SOLO BIAS SELECT SPEAKERS OUTPUT BRIGHT EL 34 ELM te for unit in 6 OEO SEND to match FX SLAVE TUBE FAN Use OUTPUT for HARD BYPASS REV WARM 9 sw RETURN level and OFF live volume control SEND LEVEL WHEN 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM ETTET RED ON Seane pansin oral CAUTION SWITCH MUST ceable parts ins eral a ee eS MATCH TUBES IN USE WARNING To reduce risk of fire or electric shock replace fuse with same type and rating on
4. 9 ARM sw SLAVE POWER FUSE TUBE UTPUT for D BYPASS REV Wi RECTIFIER SOHMOHM 120V 4A TRACKING FETIFN SEND LEVEL AER BED ron 60Hz SLO TUBE LOCATIONS E Me CAUTION SWITCH MUST HAND BUILTIN PETALUMA CA WZ 4A BLO pUup qus i ES MATCH TUBES IN USE FUSE This is the Alternating Current main fuse and provides protection from outside A C fluctuations as well as power tube failure damage Should the FUSE blow replace it with the same rating in a Slo Blo type package The domestic U S version requires a 4 amp Slo Blo FUSE A power tube short or failure is often the cause of a blown FUSE Follow the cold start procedure mentioned in the ON STANDBY switch section and watch the power tubes as you flip the STANDBY to the ON position If a power tube is going bad or is arcing you will see it Flip the STANDBY switch to Standby immediately and replace the faulty power tube and T the FUSE if necessary WARNING FUSE 7 DIODES O If you see nothing abnormal as you switch the STANDBY on it is possible that a power tube shorted tempo E Te U rarily and blew the FUSE If this is the case it may work again normally To be safe you might want to replace SE just the adjacent tube or all power tubes in the shotgun troubleshooting tradition and save the replaced set sa duo as spares Spare fuses are a must for the fabled cord bag along with your spare tubes Always carry
5. CHANGING TUBES TURN POWER SWITCH TO OFF AND LET COOL OR USE A RAG FOR PROTECTION ep COOLING FAN AIB AIB D AIB AIB REAR OF CHASSIS viewing chassis from its bottom side Description of Tube Functions V1 A CH2 Drive Stage V3 B FX Loop Return V1 B Input Gain Stage V4 A Reverb Return V2 A 3rd Gain Stage V4 B Reverb Drive V2 B 2nd Gain Stage V5 A Phase inv driver V3 A FX Loop Send V5 B Phase inv driver PAGE 21 BIAS ADJUSTMENT Part of a continuing series An Article written by Randall Smith that we thought you might find interesting BEAM CONFINING ELECTRODE CATHODE GRID SCREEN GRID gt PLATE Here s a question we often hear Why doesn t Mesa put bias adjustments in their amplifiers Structure of a 616 5881 Beam Power Pentode Well there s a short answer and a long answer to this question The short answer is that during my 12 years of repairing Fenders one of the most frequent problems saw was bias controls that were either set wrong or that had wandered out of adjustment due to vibration As any honest tech will tell you there s lot s of easy money to be made by sprinkling holy water on amplifiers un what meant to say is Your amp needed biasing See what mean What customer is going to argue with that It only takes a moment and a volt meter The Fender diagram shows how Adjust this trim p
6. a slightly higher gain clone of p y Channel 1 Because of this additional gain in what is otherwise a rhythm circuit Channel 2 is x an amazing solo channel for Roots style rhythm work or howling blues solo sounds Cranking the INPUT GAIN control in Channel 2 CLEAN is a wonderful alternative to the more saturated sound of the DRE oien DRIVE circuit FT SW THICK 9 You will find ample gain to get notes to sound fat and singing still retain all of the urgent dynamics of a clean sound that is driven to clip Ives AUC This 3 position mini toggle allows you to select between three different voicings It selects what frequency the Treble control will enhance By lowering the frequency of the treble capacitor additional gain in these frequencies is added This allows you to shape the sound for either sparkling clean sounds or fatten up the Treble region and thicken the sound for more voice like single note solo sounds Spend some time experimenting with this switch as it can be crucial to attain the lead sound you are searching for as well as allowing you to cop the vibe of several classic amp styles NORMAL is the best choice for clean chording and traditional blues style single note solo sounds ei In this position the highest frequencies are passed through with the best balance between the sw three tone controls gain wise In other words the gain of the Treble region is in line with that of th
7. both for they could be worth their weight in gold someday adiu ad A MeN This two position toggle selects the type of rectifier Silicon Diodes or Tube to convert the voltage from AC to DC for the power supply The LONE STAR incorporates a further improved version of our patented Switchable Rectifier feature first seen on the Dual and Triple Rectifier SOLO heads It incorporates a Rectifier Tracking feature that insures proper voltage is present at all times and improves reliability This switch operates in tandem with the individual ii T Channel Power Select 50 100 switch located on the right side of the Front Panel amp Rectifier Tracking feature monitors the Channels determines their power status and automatically selects the proper rectifier type which ultimately assures the best sound This provides optimization of the power E ES settings delivering a magical tube rectified power sag vibe for the channel set to 50 watts and a tighter A NS bolder 100 watts of diode rectified authority for the channel set to full power Selecting DIODES chooses the solid state diode rectifiers which deliver maximum power and headroom while tracking tighter and imparting a quicker transient response and bolder attack When set to DIODES both Channels will respond with this character regardless of their individual power settings on the Front Panel Selecting TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING engages the 5U4 rectifier tube a
8. in a group of frequencies that tend to soften or stiffen the way a sound feels to play Most players tend to lean in the direction of lower MID control settings 7 00 11 00 where a scoop in this region produces girth by letting the Bass become a little more dominant and a lack of punch lends a more compressed even feel to the strings and therefore less apparent resistance to the pick As the MID control is increased 11 30 1 30 4m the sound is rounded out and filled in with a focused mid attack appearing rather T 5 2 quickly As you would guess the feel starts to change becoming more resistant Above this region the MID control could be used to compensate for either weaker CLEAN GAIN TREB pick ups or for times when a specific deficiency is produced by either an extremely THICK high setting of other tone controls or a physical anomaly in the room While these NOR Q MAL e 2 MID control settings 2 00 5 00 can introduce added gain and create enhanced THICKER focus the trade off will be a stiffer more forward less compressed feel m GE The BASS control in your new LONE STAR works similarly in both channels in that it determines the amount of low fre quencies present in a sound However the style of lows it mixes in changes from channel to channel Like the MID control it falls in line signal wise afterthe TREBLE control and the same scheme applies When the TREBLE control is set high the e
9. literally meaning completely down which implies a sense of central origin like the center of the earth where Tone begins It might be said that an ecstatic audiophile experiences a positive catharsis his soul being purified when his system transports him to Audio Nirvana The only trouble with taking this positive imagery too far is that the cathode is unfortunately negative at least electrically speaking However this is easily remembered since virtually all musicians and audiophiles have also experienced the more common negative catharsis when they emerge from the emotional rebirth kicking and screaming in rage and frustration Once heated the intrinsically negative electrons are energetic little fellows of almost no mass Thus they may be accelerated al most instantaneously and will travel through a vacuum a nearly the speed of light Being of like negative charge they tend to repel one another and thus within the electron cloud surrounding the cathode there is much jostling and elbowing as each one tries to maintain his distance from all the others unless there is a strong and universal attraction from an outside influence Visualize if you will a group of sub atomic Irishmen milling about and in a repellent negative state of mind All are scowling and none wants to have anything to do with the other Now introduce a strong attraction say a public bar and you can easily picture an orderly if rapid movement of the lot in a single di
10. measure the current while adjusting the bias but no manufacturer know even STATES the desired current value Be that as it may when the original bias voltage is altered far enough it will compensate for the tube s abnormal performance and the correct amount of idle current flow may then be restored Clearly this is something most repair techs should not attempt Some newer amps have LED indicators connected to the circuit which will turn on when the right threshold of current flow has been reached This is an improvement and almost worthy if you re willing to except resistors and lights added into your amplifiers audio path which we aren t The other advantage of this system is that it allows some amp manufacturers to avoid matching their power tubes The thinking is that adjusting the bias to each tube separately eradicates the inherent differences between the tubes by insuring that the same current flows through each one PAGE 23 BIAS ADJUSTMENT Continued Again this has some merit but it s still not as good as using tubes that are matched in the first place because compensating forthe mis match causes the push pull circuit itself to become unbalanced Two wrongs don t really make a right Some of the other recommended biasing methods such as tubes running red hot increase the bias sounds harsh and runs too cool turn it down are guesswork at best Luckily one of the great things about t
11. mild or severe In a mildly shorted tube the electron flow has overcome the control grid and excess current flows to the plate You will usually hear the amp become distorted and begin to hum slightly If this occurs quickly look at the power tubes as you switch the amp to STANDBY and try to identify one as glowing red hot It is likely that two of a pair will be glowing since the shorted tube will pull down the bias for its adjacent mates but one tube may be glowing hotter and that one is the culprit The other two are often fine unless they ve been glowing bright red for several minutes Because there is no physical short inside the tube just electrons rioting out of control merely switching to STANDBY for a few mo ments then back to ON will usually cure the problem at least temporarily Watch the tubes carefully now Should the problem recur the intermittent tube will visibly start to over heat before the others and thus it can be identified It should be replaced with one from the same color batch shown on its label Call us and we will send one out to you The severe short is not nearly so benign In the worst cases a major arcing short occurs between the plate and the cathode with visible lightning inside the glass and a major noise through the speaker If this is seen to happen IMMEDIATELY turn the amp to STANDBY By this time the fuse probably will have blown Such a short is usually caused by a physical breakdown inside the t
12. switch set to TWEED will reduce the strain on EL34 tubes and 6L6 as well If you prefer the sound of this setting you will reduce the likelihood of tube problems and greatly extend their toneful life as they are basically coasting NOTE It is possible to run the smaller octal 6V6 power tubes for reduced power applications and looser bubblier sound in the TWEED AC POWER SETTING ONLY Leave the BIAS SELECT switch set to 6L6 switch down and install four 6V6 power tubes It is advisable to use both Channels set to the 100 watt setting for reliability and proper impedance matching Do not run 6V6 in the normal POWER ON setting as they cannot handle the higher AC voltage and could fail and damage internal components When using these tubes move the 8 ohm speaker to the 4 ohm SPEAKER OUTPUT jack This will reduce strain on the tubes and produce the best sonic response The LONE STAR provides 8 ohm and two 4 ohm speaker outputs and this enables you to use many different combinations of speaker setups The 1x12 combo uses an 8 ohm speaker while the 2 x 12 combo uses two 16 ohm speakers wired in parallel and this harness connects to the 8 ohm speaker output You should experiment with different loading conditions as there may be a certain impedance mismatch that produces a sound you may prefer to the correct load condi OUO tion This will not hurt the amplifier however mismatching in the higher direction will wear the power tub
13. the instrument is turned down Microphonic noise is caused by mechanical vibration and shock think of banging a microphone around and you ll understand where the word came from The best way to approach a pre amp tube problem is to see if it occurs only in one specific mode or channel This should lead you to the tube needing replacement Then all that remains is to swap the suspect tube for a known good performer If you cannot narrow down the trouble to a specific mode or channel the problem may be the small tube that drives the power tubes which is operational in all modes and channels Though rare a problem with the driver tube would show up in all aspects of performance so if you can t narrow the problem down to being mode or channel specific you may want to try replacing the driver tube Driver problems generally show themselves in the form of crackling or hum in all modes of performance and or weak overall output from the amplifier Occasion ally an anemic driver tube will cause the amplifier to sound flat and lifeless but this is somewhat uncommon as worn power tubes are a more likely suspect for this type of problem Sometimes making the diagnosis is more trouble than it s worth and it s faster and easier to merely replace the small pre amp tubes ONE AT ATIME with a replacement known to be good But MAKE SURE you keep returning the tubes to their original socket until you hit the one that cures the problem You ll notice that tubes located
14. your amplifier and Welcome to the MESA Boogie Family This hand built instrument was crafted with the finest quality components and designed to provide you with years of musical inspira tion and toneful satisfaction From a glance you can see the LONE STAR is laid out simply and logically Its clean two channel layout provides a platform for ultimate expression with a minimal learning curve Though you have probably experienced the magic of its character already this guide will help you to understand the interaction of the controls and features allowing you to find your sound more quickly and deviate from there easily in new musical environments The two channels provide the entire range of gain from sparkling clean to totally saturated and anywhere in between Channel 1 top is based on a traditional gain structure to produce angelic and warm clean sounds in its low to medium gain ranges Like most great amps this channel can be driven to clip and produces incredible solo possibilities for blues or roots chording styles Channel 2 has a split personality and can either be set to achieve a slightly gainier clone of Channel 1 or with the flick of a switch become a high gain preamp Switching in the DRIVE control adds 2 more triode stages and an additional gain control to meter in the exact blend of smooth singing saturation The bipolar nature of Channel 2 allows the LONE STAR to roam effortlessly through both vintage and modern territory with ful
15. CK 2 NOR MAL THICKER SAMPLE 8 ARMADILLO E00 DRIVE lt cce GAIN TREBLE dP OI OOOO 029 PAGE 17 TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING TWEED eS ON POWER OFF STANDBY ON OUTPUT Looron SOLO e LSONESTAR DIODES OUTPUT Looron SOLO O O LNE STAR TWEED ON POWER OFF STANDBY ON DIODES or TUBE TRACKING TWEED ON POWER OFF STANDBY OUTPUT Looron SOLO LoNESTAR Eo TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING OUTPUT LooPon SOLO TWEED ON POWER OFF STANDBY e LONE STAR ON PERSONAL SETTINGS SHEET SETTING 1 CH1 Ow C C C C C Q OUTPUT LooPon SOLO TWEED C ON INPUT pave ciem GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER C POWER OFF mE STANDBY la C QO LONE STAR Eon THICKER SETTING 2 CH1 nts C C OUTPUT SOLO TWEED O ON INPUT DRIVE lt GAIN PRESENCE MASTER POWER OFF SW STANDBY THICK a poa C LONE STAR goo THICKER SETTING 3 CH1 AO sw C OUTPUT SOLO TWEED C ON us CH2 INPUT DRIVE 4 Q cean GAIN POWER OFF STANDBY ee er Om O Eon THICKER SETTING 4 1 e AO sw C OUTPUT SOLO TWEED O ON CH2 INPUT crean GAIN POWER OFF STANDBY THICK C LSNESTAR Gon THICKER SETTING 5 CH1 e nOs O OUTPUT LooPon SOLO TWEED ON
16. ETS IMPEDANCE you have only a single speaker you just match that single speakers impedance to the amplifier and you are done In many cases you will have a number of speakers and then you must calculate the load that the ampli fier will need to support There are generally three ways to wire multiple speakers together They are as follows SERIES When you wire hook up speakers in Series the speakers resistance as measured in ohms is additive i e put ting two 8 ohm speakers in Series results in a 16 ohm load n POSITIVE f CK Ay J O 7 Speaker 8 Ohms Speaker 8 Ohms SERIES Connect the Negative side of Speaker A to the Positive side of Speaker B PAGE 25 SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING amp HOOK UP GUIDE Continued When wiring in parallel the resistance of the speakers decreases Two 8 ohm speakers wired in hooked up Parallel results in a 4 ohm load It s easy to calculate the effect of a resistive load when all the speakers are all the same resistance It is really not suggested to wire different resistive load values in Parallel 8 and 4 16 and 8 etc The formula for figuring the total impedance in Parallel is the multiplication of the two loads divided by the sum of the two loads i e putting two 8 ohm speakers in Parallel results in a 4 ohm load Connect the Positive side of Speaker A to the Positive side of Speaker B Connect the Negative side of Speak
17. HICKER is the choice for the trademark singing sustain that has long been associated with our amplifiers PAGE 5 FRONT PANEL Controls amp Features 9118 this control adjusts the predominant gain stage in each channel s circuit with the function and taper being optimized for each individual channel Remember that your LONE STAR is really two amplifiers built onto one chassis so though each channel looks identical the GAIN control for each channel comes in a different place and adjusts a different point in that channel s circuit sw powerful control in the preamp It shapes the overall style and character of the sound and INPUT E i m is responsible for whether the sound is clean overdriven or anywhere in between In your Qon LONE STAR the GAIN control is even more powerful It not only determines the amount FT SW THICK of drive but also acts as an integral part of the tone control string as well NOR MAL ae To simplify the GAIN controls role in shaping the overall tone of the sound we will look at it in two ways 1 alone and 2 in conjunction with the tone controls In most guitar amplifiers and especially in all tube circuits the GAIN control is the most 1 By itself the GAIN control has basically three tonal regions Low 7 00 11 00 provides the cleanest least saturated sounds and in this region the sound will be brighter and contain more upper harmonics lending a three dimensiona
18. JACK FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS amp PERSONAL SETTINGS SHEET TUBE MAINTENANCE amp DIAGNOSIS TUBE DESCRIPTION amp TASK CHART BIAS ADJUSTMENT A feature article by Randall Smiths SPEAKER IMPEDANCE amp POSSIBLE HOOK UP SCHEMES Amps to Speaker Cab TRIODES PENTODES amp IRISHMEN A feature article on the workings of tubes PART SHEET PRECAUTIONS amp WARNINGS Your MESA Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument Please treat it with respect and operate it properly USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS WARNING EU permission from the Supply Authority is needed before connection WARNING Vacuum tube amplifiers generate heat To insure proper ventilation always make certain there is at least four inches 100mm of space behind the rear of the amplifier cabinet Keep away from curtains or any flammable objects WARNING Do not block any ventilation openings on the rear or top of the amplifier Do not impede ventilation by placing objects on top of the amplifier which extend past the rear edge of its cabinet WARNING Do not expose the amplifier to rain moisture dripping or splashing water Do not place objects filled with liquids on or nearby the amplifier WARNING Always make certain proper load is connected before operating the amplifier Failure to do so could pose a shock hazard and may result in damage to the amplifier D
19. PUT REV WARM LAVE SEND LEVEL WHEN 6L6 8OHMOHM 4 live volume contr WARNI shi gt RED ON Mega oniy De wr ito ES CAUTION SWITCH MUST HAND BUILT IN PETALUMA CA WZ qs pus D MATCH TUBES IN USE Overview Continued The OUTPUT control is joined by our SOLO feature that provides an additional master output that you can trigger remotely for a footswitchable boost when you want to feature a part These two Front Panel controls are brought on line with the activation of the Effects Loop When the Loop is not active the individual Channel Master controls serve as final output controls When the Loop is set to HARD BYPASS all associated circuitry is removed for you purists from the signal path Since the Output and SOLO controls are wired as Loop Returns at the end of the preamp and Loop signal path they are defeated when the Loop is bypassed The Power switch is fitted with LOW and high normal ON settings to provide a built in variac so that incoming AC voltage can be reduced to produce a spongier feel and increased clip ability This ability to run everything in somewhat of a brown out state produces amazing possibilities for the clean sounds that are driven to clip As mentioned above the Effects Loop handles outboard processing with finesse The ability to HARD BYPASS the loop entirely assures the purist in you will be satisfied in the studio where every nuance of tone is crucial and you don t need the SOLO feat
20. ack this output captures the entire sound of the preamp and power section and is generated by padding down the signal at the speaker output NOTE Once you have taken a signal from the SLAVE Output do not go back in to the EFFECTS LOOP RETURN jack Doing so Will create a feedback loop and squealing will occur That covers the features of the LONE STAR so let s move on to the individual controls and how they interact so you can find your sound First though here are a few helpful hints to get you started HELPFUL HINTS 1 After unpacking your new amplifier save the packing material and box should you move or ever want to ship you amplifier 2 Remove the plastic webbing from the power tubes before connecting the A C power cable 3 Make sure the A C power cable is connected to a grounded 3 hole socket 4 Make all speaker connections with unshielded speaker cable 5 Make all external processing connections to the EFFECTS LOOP with shielded cable PAGE 2 HELPFUL HINTS Continued 6 When the Footswitch is not available or desired use the Front Panel mini toggle to select the two channels 7 The Front Panel OUTPUT and SOLO controls are not active until the Effects Loop is switched to the LOOP ACTIVE position Use the Channel MASTER controls for output volume level when the LOOP is set to HARD BYPASS 8 As with all MESA amplifiers the LONE STAR controls real
21. amplifier as a power amp alone by inserting a signal MASTER e 2 into the RETURN jack the OUTPUT control will serve as the master level control 100 W e Q PI NOTE To use the LONE STAR amplifier as a power amp use the EFFECTS RE ow DONE TURN as input The SOLO control can be used to attain a footswitchable boost if the Footswitch is connected It is wired in parallel to the OUTPUT control and therefore also controls the volume of the power section NOTE The Effects Loop RETURN jack can serve as a power amp input so that you may use the LONE STAR amplifier as a power amp for either stereo reproduction or to incorporate additional pre amps Here are a few things to remember that will help you when interfacing to the LONE STAR for use as a power amp only 1 Connect Dummy plug or loose cable to SEND jack This prevents any possible loading that could result in diminished RETURN sensitivity 2 The OUTPUT Level will be the only active control on the Front Panel the PRESENCE control of Channel 1 will be active only when that channel is engaged see 3 3 The SOLO control may be used to footswitch to a pre determined amount of boost when the footswitch is connected NOTE Therefore we recommend selecting Channel 1 when you wish to use the LONE STAR as a power amp PAGE 9 FRONT PANEL Controls amp Features continued LESS Rb SOLO This control can only be activated if the correct Footswitch is connect
22. blend of frequencies with the least compromise stylistically There are however some wonderful clipped power sounds available for both chording and single note work with the right set of EL34 s fitted Aficionados of this sound have long recognized that nothing produces the layers of soft lined up harmonics like these British style bottles and when dialed right the LONE STAR takes on a whole new personality So when you have finished exploring this side of the Atlantic for vintage magic definitely take a jump across the pond and check out some of the amazing sounds that are made possible with the inclusion of the BIAS SELECT feature and these opposite sounding tube types We recommend the 6L6 for reliability In our many tests and continued use of the currently available EL34 type power tubes on the market today we regret to say that they do not appear to be as rugged in construction or as reliable as their 6L6 counterparts This fact along with their sonic narrowing of possible styles is why the LONE STAR ships with 6L6 power tubes If you find that your signature sound relies on using EL34 power tubes then we strongly suggest keeping at least one spare set of tubes and a bag of extra fuses with you at all times when performing in the event of a tube failure A little preparation will save you a lot of frustration should one of these less rugged tubes fail PAGE 13 REAR PANEL Continued BIAS SELECT Continued NOTE Using the AC POWER
23. cific part or at very low volumes back down the TREBLE and PRESENCE controls The LONE STAR was de signed to provide amazing gain and tone at less than extreme settings removing the need for you to crank everything all the way up If you are not able to achieve the sound you want at sensible settings on any or all of the controls your problem may lie elsewhere in the signal chain i e pick ups cabinetry processing etc Keep in mind you can always call on one of our product specialist Monday through Thursday and seek some advice should you find yourself struggling to get the sound you want 2 GAIN In conjunction with the Tone Controls Basically a simple rule applies as the Gain is increased the Tone control string has less and less effect on the signal until at 5 00 the signal is so saturated that you are getting mostly Gain and very little Tone Again this is the reason we suggest using the GAIN control in its middle region Here the Tone control string is very active and provides maximum shaping power allowing you to dial virtually any sound you desire PAGE 6 FRONT PANEL Controls amp Features continued As in most tube guitar amplifiers the TREBLE control in both channels of your LONE STAR is the most powerful of the rotary controls and is next in line only to the GAIN control as a shaping tool Because it is first in the signal path of the tone controls and from here the Middle and Bass receive their signal it is by fa
24. connected to an external control unit that stores a grounding logic switch function under a midi program number thereby removing the need use the included pr LONE STAR Footswitch in larger stage rigs REVERB yi GHT oo SOLO od The EXTERNAL SWITCH jacks respond to any tip to ground latching type logic for their triggering This ES OHO type of switching logic can be found on most midi master control switching units on the market HESNA This mini toggle allows for proper biasing when swapping to EL34 type power tubes for a brighter harmonic laden response It selects a different set of bias resistors and insures that these extremely different power tubes will sound better and work much more reliably The adjacent LED indicator alerts you that the bias has been set to accommodate the EL34 s NOTE It is extremely important that the BIAS SWITCH setting match the type of tubes in use Failure to comply will result in damage to your amplifier Always check the BIAS SWITCH whenever swapping tubes e ei e e UN 2 e Q ee If you are doing mostly cleaner rhythm style playing and go for a warmer fatter 66 som somu FA lead solo voice as well as need a variety of sounds you will likely prefer the stock CAUTION SWITCH MUST BUILT IN PETALUMA CA compliment of 6L6 s They clip in a warmer way and during our R amp D process we MATCH TUBES IN USE found them to produce the best
25. control set to its lowest position 7 00 when connecting to anything and bring the level up slowly to avoid damaging gear and ears downstream of the LONE STAR NOTE Once a signal has been taken from the SLAVE Output it can not be routed back into the amplifier INPUT or EFFECTS LOOP RETURN Doing so will produce a feedback loop resulting in a high pitched squeal much like holding a microphone up to a monitor That covers the features outputs and functions of your LONE STAR now it s up to your imagination as to how best to utilize all this expressive power Whichever way you take it we wish you many years of elevated inspiration and hope you find lasting satisfaction and enjoyment from this hand crafted musical instrument If you have any questions or concerns unanswered in this guide please feel free to call our Customer Service department and ask for a Product Specialist who will be glad to help you get the answers you need Cheers and Enjoy PAGE 14 REAR PANEL Continued ERS Se The Reverb feature contains a Remote Switch jack that allows you to control the Reverb effect from a separate footswitch The 1 4 jack is located on the underside of the chassis just below where the SLAVE jack is located on the extreme right side of the Back Panel i a SPEAKERS UN Connecting any tip to ground latching type footswitch will allow you to toggle on and off the Reverb effect Use a shielded cable for this application You should be abl
26. d in the rich cathode coating as they effervesce from its heated surface But back to the electron flow If the electrons are strongly attracted to a positively charged plate then it follows that they are strongly repelled by a negatively charged plate and they are Thus if an alternating current such as comes from a transformer is applied to the plate electrons will flow only during the times when the plate is positively charged During periods of negative plate charge electron flow is stopped and the space charge of electrons remains compressed in the area around the cathode PAGE 31 Aide az S LL Thus a diode tube one with a cathode and an anode is mostly used to rectify alternating current into direct current by passing it without restriction but in one direction only This also explains why closing time is strictly enforced at Irish pubs During normal operation the traffic flow is similarly unimpeded and uni directional toward the bar and this process rectifies the work day negativity It goes without saying that no one leaves as long as the atmosphere around the bar remains positively charged This section is a continuing technical treatise on the workings of Irish Pubs but to make it easier for the layman to understand it is explained in terms of vacuum tube technology Enter the original bar free beer and no doors Well it turns out that some control over the flow can be a necessary and useful advantage This led
27. e Bass and Mid the most sparkle shimmer will appear beautiful blend will be ENS easy to achieve for all your clean work The NORMAL selection will also let the true character mck of your individual guitar shine through more than the gain enhanced character of the other two ae choices When searching for identifiable signature sounds NORMAL would be the best choice for traditional black face style clean or clipped sounds due to this lack of alteration of the classic treble frequencies THICK lowers the frequency of the Treble region while keeping the gain closer to that of the NORMAL setting This selection fattens the upper region and smears the line between Mid and Treble to achieve a more robust throatier sound THICK is the best choice when searching for classic british style response for either chording or overdriven sounds You might think of it as a plexi switch THICKER lowers the Treble frequency even further and adds considerable gain in that region It can enhance high gain solo work by saturating the sound and covering up fret buzz weak pickups or other nuances that will appear as holes in a high gain lead sound It allows you to retain focus at extreme gain settings while at the same time reducing the dreaded buzziness that can appear with certain guitars or speaker choices This setting has appeared in various clothing on virtually all MESA amplifiers through the years and is classic Boogie T
28. e to find this type of footswitch at most music stores or you can call our Customer Service department and order one for a nominal charge REMOTE FOOTSWITCH JACK REST AREA PAGE 15 SAMPLE 1 LONESTAR STATE DRIVE lt G gt CLEAN GAIN TREBLE FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS PRESENCE MASTER 9 00000 SAMPLE 2 CLEAN CLONES INPUT GAIN TREBLE prs PPE Guan THICK la WHY NOR eu THICKER SAMPLE 3 TWANG amp BANGIN 00 DRIVE lt lt GAIN TREBLE pn THICK won THICKER ee 0 D BASS PRESENCE MASTER TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING TWEED ON POWER OFF STANDBY LONE STAR ON OUTPUT LooPon SOLO DIODES TWEED ON e POWER OFF STANDBY LcNESTAFR Eon OUTPUT Loopon SOLO TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING OUTPUT LooeoN SOLO TWEED goo e POWER OFF STANDBY LNE STAR Con SAMPLE 4 PURR amp GRIND EGO DRIVE lt GAIN TREBLE THICK MAL THICKER PAGE 16 TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING OUTPUT Loopon SOLO TWEED goo e POWER OFF STANDBY LONE STAR ON FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS SAMPLE 5 PASS THE SAUCE 0000007 TREBLE MID BASS orive lt crean GAIN PRESENCE MASTER DOSO OOOO SAMPLE 6 BARBEQUE CH1 CH2 INPUT DRIVE lt CLEAN GAIN FT SW THICK AN 7 NOR MAL THICKER SAMPLE 7 AUSTIN TACEOUS Gsw C 7 DRIVE lt eean GAIN TREBLE THI
29. ed to the Footswitch DIN jack SOLO is an additional final output level control wired in parallel with the OUTPUT control It is capable Sf setting above that of the OUTPUT control and can not be set below The amount m of apparent boost also depends on that of the OUTPUT control in that if the amplifier e OUTPUT LooPON SOLO is at either the extreme low or extreme high levels of the OUTPUT its effectiveness is 50W minimized It has been optimized for live performance volume levels MASTER 100 pos If the power section is either not a part of the sound super quiet or producing all its e sig lt ated wattage super loud there is very little signal for the SOLO control to work with By using the Footswitch and selecting SOLO a pre settable boost in overall levels is possible on the fly giving you some control over your levels when it s time to step out Engineers may give you a bit of a frown the first time you use it but isn t it time you heard yourself It might even prevent them from punishing you with the dreaded monitor or sidefill version of your tone KoV This sideways 3 position toggle switch determines the status of the incoming AC power Your LONE STAR incorporates a built in VARIAC feature that enables you to reduce the line voltage to approximately 93 volts with a steady 117 at the wall This TWEED power setting produces a spongier scoopier response and allows you to power clip the amplif
30. en single note solo sounds giving them girth and focus e Some of the best lead sounds in your LONE STAR will find the PRESENCE control in its lower regions where a balanced vocal response is achieved TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE This control is the master feed from the end of the pre amp to the driver stage and the Effects Loop As you can see each Channelis fitted with its own MASTER control enabling both channels relative volumes to be matched regardless of their extremely different sound styles and gain signatures The MASTER control makes possible a wide range of sounds through its ability to use very low Gain sounds at high volumes and conversely high Gain sounds at low volumes and everywhere between Again we suggest using the MASTER control in its sensible ranges 9 00 2 00 Here the channels will be easier to match with each other and the Effects Loop will see more reasonable signal levels a 5 UI BASS PRESENCE MASTER NOTE Because the MASTER control creates the send to the Effects Loop extreme settings will cause a large signal to be sent to the Loop for that Channel Not only may this cause possible overloading of the processors Input stage but will make balancing both channel s Effect Send level difficult 245 8 NOTE When the Effects Loop is set to HARD BYPASS the individual Channel MASTER controls act as the final output controls This is a result of removing all associated Loop circuitry and since
31. er A to the Negative side of Speaker B Speaker B 8 Ohms Speaker A 8 Ohms WC NEGATIVE POSITIVE Total Load 4 Ohms N This is really just two sets of Series wired speakers connected in Parallel This is how you maintain a consistent load with multiple speakers The importance of this is more evident when you have more than one cabinet to connect to your amplifier This is when you need to figure out the loads and how to wire them up without applying too low All 4 Spkrs are 8 Ohms of a resistance on the amplifier SPEAKER Simply connect the Positive side of Speaker A to the Posi tive side of Speaker C Connect the Negative side of Speaker A to the Positive side of Speaker B Next connect the Negative side of Speaker C to the Positive side of Speaker D And lastly connect the Negative side of Speaker B to the Negative side of Speaker D SPEAKER D 4 Eight 8 Ohm speakers wired in Series Parallel a YOON Total Load of 8 Ohms SPEAKER C CELESTION POSITIVE Jl NEGATIVE PAGE 26 1 WIRING SCHEMES Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets 2 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 80hm Cabinet _ Partial back view of amplifier Partial back view of amplifier i Partial back view of some Mesa amp 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM e ee _ 8 Ohm Cabinet 4 Ohm Cabinet E Partial back view
32. es SPEAKERS faster You will find sample speaker wiring diagrams later in this manual and when you get time it would amp be a good idea to browse this section to understand more about different ways you can use your LONE STAR with alternate speaker combinations We build many different types of Extension Speaker Cabinets all with unique characteristics as well as a line of matching Classic cabinets to enhance both the sound and the appearance of your LONE STAR The SLAVE Output and its accompanying Level control provide an output for capturing the sound of both preamp and power section This feature may be used to drive additional slave power amplifiers for big venue applications or to drive a string of outboard processors when using the EFFECTS LOOP is not desirable It is not a direct recording output as it derives its signal from the speaker jacks and is much too strong a signal to connect to the input of a console Also there is no roll off of high frequencies or shaping as the speaker does this so the sound would be less than desirable for recording applications 011111 Should you need direct recording sound check out of our Rectifier Recording Preamp s which SPENCERS 3 designed specifically for this application and has the necessary circuitry to achieve this difficult task with w stunning results Vous NOTE The signal from the SLAVE Output is powerful Always start with the LEVEL
33. ffectiveness of the BASS and MID controls is reduced If the TREBLE control is set low these two controls become dominant For the most balanced sound and a balance of power between the three rotary tone controls TREBLE MID BASS try to use the TREBLE control in its middle ranges This scenario produces nearly equal repre sentation of all the frequencies on the tone controls and provides a great neutral starting point G 2 for further tweaking PAGE 7 FRONT PANEL Controls amp Features continued Note The BASS control in both channels of your LONE STAR is very powerful and though we have taken steps to ensure a balanced tone is easy to achieve it is wise to blend with subtle nuance in mind This is especially true in Channel 2 when using either the regular Channel 1 style gain circuitry cranked or the DRIVE circuitry for higher gain lead sounds A good rule to follow is this as you increase the GAIN reduce the BASS Following this scheme will retain balance and keep the attack of the notes dynamic tight and touch sensitive The PRESENCE control is a high frequency attentuator that is placed at the end of each channels pre amp stage and affects frequencies higher than those of the TREBLE control It acts independently of the other rotary tone controls and is crucial in voicing the Channel It is a powerful global tone control Lower PRESENCE control settings darken and in fact compress the signal __ which works well to fatt
34. g fairly close reappear on the market Remember we still have some of these super rugged mondo bottles available for older amps Boogies only please Until then Relax Breathe and Nourish your soul Cheers MESA Boogie Ltd PAGE 24 SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING amp HOOK UP GUIDE IMPEDANCE Wiring up speakers to provide the most effective load and making sure that all of them are in phase will help in creating the best sound possible This is not too difficult as long as you understand a few things about loading and how to connect your speakers to provide an optimal resistive load MESA Boogie amplifiers can handle 4 and 8 ohms effectively Never run below 4 ohms in a tube amplifier unless you are absolutely certain that the system can handle it properly this can cause damage to the Output transformer A few amplifiers can handle 2 ohms effectively without damaging them for example the MESA S Bass 400 You can always have a higher resistance 16 ohms for example without damaging results but too low of a resistance will likely cause problems CS When running a higher resistance for example 8 ohm output into 16 ohm cabinet a slightly different feel and response will be eminent A slight mismatch can provide a darker smoother tone with a little less output and attack This response is a result of the amplifier running a bit cooler Sometimes when using more than one cabinet a mismatch will be the only option WHAT IS MY CABIN
35. h your amp needed biasing If that doesn t appeal to you then merely plug a matched set of MESA tubes into one of our amps and you re ready for tone Guar anteed You d be amazed at the number of service calls we field every day that lead to a diagnosis of out of tolerance non spec tube problems To think these would be prevented by including a bias adjustment is something of an insult to you and us If you put the wrong size tires on your car do you think changing the pressure will make them right Please don t think this is a blanket indictment of the other guys selling tubes it isn t And their tubes aren t all bad either It just doesn t make sense to pay more of your hard earned cash for tubes that were probably made in the same Russian or Chinese fac tory and which have the possibility of being outside the performance window we select for your amp And it pains us to hear the hype and mystique built up around biasing when twenty five years of evidence affirms our decision to make bias circuits that never need adjustment How much money and trouble that has saved MESA Boogie players you couldn t estimate Our rigorously tested and hand selected tubes are available at your nearest MESA Boogie Pro Center or from us directly Nobody offers better price quality or warranty than we do so why swerve Next time we ll talk about our part in developing the great Sylvania STR 415 type 6L6 and how we re on the verge of seeing somethin
36. ier at lower overall volumes It is especially useful in achieving old school clip sounds in Channel 1 and Channel 2 with the DRIVE bypassed TWEED ON T POWER OFF These sounds are further enhanced when the TWEED power feature is used in combination with the 50 watt setting and TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING is selected Another bonus is that if you were to use the TWEED power setting often tube life would increase substantially STANDBY For maximum power normal response and the greatest headroom use the ON setting of the AC power switch SUE Perfect for set breaks this toggle switch also serves an even more important purpose In the Standby position the tubes are at idle so that during power up they may warm up before being put to use Before Power is switched on make sure the STANDBY switch is in the Standby position TWEED ON POWER OFF Wait at least 30 seconds and then flip the STANDBY switch to the ON position This prevents tube problems and increases their toneful life substantially STANDBY o Now that we have reviewed the features and controls of the Front Panel and you have a handle on how they interact to achieve the sound you want let s move to the Rear Panel and cover the features found there PAGE 10 REAR PANEL LLL 7 MUL CH2 REVERB CH1 in x NORMAL END RETURN REVERB Ded DIODES und x Y BRIGHT dini 90 7 BIAS SELECT e e AC EL 34 EL 34 E Gere e6
37. influence Once through the door however it is the rare Irishman who actually comes in personal contact with the cocktail waitress as for all intents and purposes she like the screen grid turns out to be a vanishing illusion Yet having come this far the solid influence of the bar itself now takes over and attracts the customers to congregate hav ing happily reached their destination If you re still following this and haven t lost track of the count you ll know still one element short of the five needed to make a Pentode This last part is a pair of beam confining shields which being negatively charged serve to direct the flow right toward the plate This is much the way a short entrance hall to the bar prevents wandering accidentally into the Men s room on the way Once at the bar though the circuit is complete and the process of soul nourishing works its ritual magic Biases having been over come illusory nightingales having vanished the spirits truly soar and the once surly Irishmen now are filled with warmth wit and kindred friendship enjoying the music and glowing nicely with their heaters on With appreciative thanks to the inhabitants of the Land of the Leprechaun we have now concluded our little diversion into the mechanics of proper bar lay out A feature article by Randall Smith Designer President PAGE 33 FRONT VIEW LONE STAR JACK pt 610120 SWITCH pt 600639 ALL KNOBS pt _408015 SWITCH pt
38. k the BIAS SWITCH Make sure it is set to match the tube type in use Failure to do this may cause damage to your amplifier 13 It is possible to install a quartet of 6V6 power tubes to achieve a lower overall power rating and a looser breathier power feel Make sure you set the A C POWER switch to low when using these tubes and keep the BIAS SWITCH set for 6L6 operation It is also advisable to load the amplifier with an 8 Ohm speaker load on the 4 Ohm jack This scheme provides the best response while at the same time reducing stress on the tubes Try the settings below to audition a couple of possible ways to setup the two channels SAMPLE 1 Sparkling Clean Singing Lead Instant Gratification Demo Settings CH1 FT sw OUTPUT Loopon SOLO TWEED ON 2009000 55 DRIVE cuzan GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER POWER OFF STANDBY THICK or THICKER CH1 5 909000 5 a4 CH2 ome lt gt GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER POWER OFF STANDBY TSW THICK 100 W wn amp LSNESTAR ON ud THICKER 50W M Now let s move on to understanding the individual controls and their interactive roles in shaping the sounds you want to hear PAGE 3 FRONT PANEL Controls amp Features MEMES This is the instrument INPUT jack This jack feeds the preamp and since the LONE STAR is a high gain amplifier and therefore very sensitive always use a high quali
39. l channel switching accuracy and an emphasis on soul and simplicity You can set up the amp for two low gain channels one for sparkling clean and the other driven into an old school clip or one for low gain clean and the other for high gain singing sustain The LONE STAR takes channel switching further and allows you to choose the amount of power and type of rectification you want to combine with each preamp channel The choices are 50 or 100 watt power ratings and Tube or Silicon Diode rectification For ultimate clip ability and a vintage squish feel choose 50 watts and Tube rectification For clean headroom and tight tracking accuracy select 100 watts and the Diodes are automatically brought on line to keep things bold and authoritative These power se lectable per preamp channels are incredibly intuitive and allow for extreme stylistic accuracy when dedicating the two channels to your footswitching needs FRONT VIEW LONE STAR CH1 gt 100 W 009 OOQ eer Hei CH2 INPUT 50W DRIVE 4 GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER POWER OFF FTSW STANDBY Dm THICK 6 NOR MAL ON eu 4 e Ge Ss V LGcNESTAR CH2 REVERB 1 FUSE SILICON NORMAL SEND RETURN Loop REVERB BIAS SELECT DES ON 100P bypassed Then x N BRIGHT CANNEL SOL War LA SPEAKERS MN V gt D 9 9 e 9 SEND to match FX WZ sw WZ 2 WT NL si N OUT
40. l character to the sound Middle 11 15 2 00 enhances the saturation and replaces some of the upper harmonics with a richer warmer quality and a fuller bottom end response Not yet fully saturated this region is the easiest place to get a great sound in both channels This region contains many of the LONE STAR s best sounds especially for soloing due to the crucial blend of an expressive attack combined with ample sustain High 2 15 5 00 saturates the signal and enhances low and low mid frequencies While this region provides the maximum satu ration and therefor sustain it also compresses and softens the attack characteristics For this reason we suggest using this higher region of the GAIN control sparingly and only when maximum sustain is needed NOTE Due to the LONE STAR s extreme gain potential the highest regions of the GAIN control may possibly push the pre amp tubes past what they can handle producing microphonic squealing While we screen and test the tubes your amplifier was shipped with and the tubes in your amp passed our rigourous test we can t predict how the tubes will respond over time exposed to extreme gain settings Your tubes are warranted for a period of 6 months under normal use but you can save yourself the present and future inconvenience of having to deal with annoying microphonic tube problems by simply using a little common sense Use the Gain sparingly at the higher end of its range If you must for a spe
41. l means experiment with setting the GAIN lower than the DRIVE as the brighter thinner character may be desirable for your application Learning the relationship between these two controls is probably the most important element to finding your signature lead sound They are extremely powerful as they control how your guitar feeds the preamp and also determine the signal strength that is pumped through the tone control string This in turn affects how the tone controls will respond At extremely high settings you will be hearing mostly gain saturation as the tone controls become recessive due to over saturation This is fine if complete saturation is the desired effect but remember many of the best sounds are found with more moderate settings where the gain controls interact with the tone control string to produce a balance of frequencies PAGE 4 FRONT PANEL Controls amp Features continued This 3 position mini toggle allows manual selection of the Channels when the Footswitch is not connected Set it to the center FT SW position to use the Channel Select Footswitch This switch is responsible for activating the DRIVE circuitry in Channel 2 Set to DRIVE the overdrive circuitry is active and additional tube stages are added in front of the normal rhythm circuitry to produce a multi stage high gain lead channel Set to CLEAN all overdrive circuitry is removed and Channel 2 is
42. ly Do not expose this unit to rain moisture or thieves TUBE LOCATIONS 1X 14 x 6L6 SWITCH pt 607111 JACK 618112 SWITCH pt 607200 SPEAKER JACKS JACK pt 618112 pt 618112 JACK pt 618356 FUSE pt 790347 Domestic AC RECEPTACLE pt 613713 FUSE pt 790346 EXPORT PAGE 34 The Spirit of Art in Technology Thank you for trusting MESA Boogie to be your amplifier company and we wish you many years of toneful enjoyment from this handbuilt all tube instrument The Spirit of Art in Technology 707 778 6565 FAX NO 707 765 1503 1317 Ross Street Petaluma CA 94954 USA 9 07 06
43. ly mentioned regarding tube replacement You ll probably be successful with much less effort than is required to disconnect everything and haul the unit to a technician who will basically perform the same simple tests If the tubes are still within their six month warranty period we will happily send you a replacement Just note the color designation on the tube label so that we can send you the appropriate match PAGE 19 DIAGNOSING PRE AMP TUBE PROBLEMS Because your amplifier is an all tube design it is quite possible that you will at some point experience minor pre amp tube noise Rest assured this is no cause for alarm and you can take care of the problem yourself in a matter of minutes by simply swapping tubes Let us begin by saying It is a very good idea to keep at least a couple of spare pre amp tubes on hand at all times to insure unin terrupted performance These minor pre amp tube problems can take many forms but can generally be described in two categories Noise and Microphonics Noise can be in the form of crackling sputtering white noise hiss and or hum Microphonic problems usually appear in the form of a ringing or high pitched squealing that gets worse as the gain or volume is increased thus are more noticeable in the higher gain HI modes Microphonic problems are easily identified because the problem is still present even with the instru ments volume off or unplugged altogether unlike pick up feedback which ceases as
44. ly work and are extremely powerful You will find most of the best sounds will be produced by setting the controls in their middle ranges and very rarely higher than 3 00 The balance between them is the important part and they are most interactive when no one dominates the mix Adhering to this scheme will avoid excessive tube noise and possible microphonic preamp tube problems 9 Use the LOW power setting on the A C POWER switch in combination with the TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING selection on the Rear Panel to achieve the best soft clip characteristics when searching for vintage inspired sounds 10 When connecting your processing to the Effects Loop follow these steps 1 Set up your two Channels for the desired sounds 2 Balance the volume of the Channels with the Channel Masters 3 Connect your processor Input to the Effects Loop SEND 4 Connect processor Output to the Return 5 Activate Effects Loop LOOP ACTIVE 6 Set processor Input Level control for unity gain Odb 7 Adjust the overall Effects Loop SEND LEVEL control to fine tune the processors Input signal 8 Adjust overall playing volume with the LONE STAR s Front Panel OUTPUT control 11 If you are using the amplifier with both Channels set to the 50 watt output setting try connecting an 8 ohm load to the 4 ohm jack This scheme provides a brighter snappier response and is preferable for certain styles 12 When swapping from the stock quartet of 6L6 output tubes to EL34 always chec
45. n even predict which tubes are likely to have a shortened lifetime even though they work perfectly during the test Because our business is building quality amps we can afford to reject a lot of wayward tubes The guys you hear complaining because Boogies don t have bias adjusters are primarily in the business of selling tubes not amps They don t want to throw away 30 percent of their inventory so they promote the idea that tubes outside our parameters can be used to customize amplifiers and they criticize us because our amps can t be adjusted to accommodate their out of MESA tolerance tubes Now you might be thinking But thought you just said that tubes don t draw bias therefore they don t effect the bias supply and thus it doesn t need to be adjustable When you set the bias whether it s by selecting the right resistors as we do or adjusting a trimmer which is quicker what you are doing is establishing the correct amount of idle CURRENT that flows through the power tubes But you can t adjust the current directly you can only change it by adjusting the amount of bias VOLTAGE that goes onto the tubes PAGE 22 See UU control grids Voltage and current NOT the same Current is the AMOUNT of electricity the quantity and is measured in amperes Voltage is the degree of electric charge like the pressure to use the old water analogy Let me illustrate how different voltage and current are When
46. n you re not playing And what drives your speakers is fluctuations in that current flow when you ARE playing If the amount of current increases and decreases 440 times per second then you ll hear an A note If the fluctuations in current flow are large and still at 440 per second you ll hear an A that is LOUD But for purposes of biasing it s the amount of plate current flowing with no signal applied that s important Unfortunately current is hard to measure because the circuit must be interrupted as in cut the wire and the meter spliced in series with the broken circuit But measuring VOLTAGE is easy It is not necessary to interrupt the circuit because a voltage reading can be taken in PAR ALLEL with the circuit intact Thus as a matter of convenience most bias settings are given in volts at the grid even though current through the plate is the important factor In fact plate current is so inconvenient and dangerous to measure that Fender doesn t even state what the correct value should be They only give the grid voltage that will produce that current That s the minus 52 But that only happens if the tubes being used are in spec As long as the tubes ARE in spec the right bias voltage will always give the correct plate CURRENT but then there s no need for the bias voltage to be adjustable If the tubes are NOT in spec then the only proper way to re set the bias is to cut the circuit and
47. nearer to the INPUT jack always sound noisier but this is because they are at the start of the chain and their noise gets amplified over and over by the tubes that follow The tube that goes into this input socket usually labeled V1 needs to be the least noisy of the bunch The tube that goes at the end of the preamp chain just ahead of the power tubes can be quite noisy without causing any problem at all The tubes in your amp have already been located in the most appropriate sockets and this is why you should NEVER pull them all out at once and ALWAYS swap them one at a time ALWAYS return a perfectly good tube to its original socket Also it s a good idea to put the amp on STANDBY when swapping tubes to reduce the heat build up in the tubes themselves and to prevent explosive noises which can still occur even if you are pulling the tubes away from their sockets gently from coming through the speaker Remember take your time be patient and chances are real good that you can fix your amp yourself by finding and replacing the bad tube It kills us to see someone who has shipped their amp back to us and all it needed was a simple tube replacement If you must send back your amp remove the chassis from the cabinet by unscrewing the four mounting bolts on the bottom top The chassis then slides back like a drawer and comes out from the back Remove the big power tubes and mark them according to their location from left to right 1 2 etc They need
48. o Friends and Relatives from the Emerald Isle who will make their appearance soon enough the humor which follows is dedicated to the memories of Spec McAuliff and Fae Rafael McNally two of the True Greats As their numerical references suggest the terms Diode Triode and Pentode indicate the number of elements within the vacuum tube i e two three or five All tubes also require a filament or heater which is not included in the count Its purpose is to excite elec trons from the cathode coating by raising the temperature such that they are able to boil out of the electron rich coating material and form a cloud of free electrons in the vacuum space surrounding the cathode Although the term filament and heater are often used interchangeably there are specific differences A filament is a directly heated cathode where cathode coating is applied directly to the heating element Examples are 5U4 twin diode rectifier and 300B triode amplifier tubes A heater on the other hand is a heating element which is separate from the cathode and is usually inserted within the tubular cathode sleeve Examples are 12AX7 twin triode amplifier and 6V6 or EL84 beam power pentode tubes In all cases this fundamental aspect of each tube s construction is clearly visible especially when the heating element is glowing red hot The cathode then would be considered the first numbered element because it is the source of the electrons The word itself is from the Greek
49. o not expose amplifier to direct sunlight or extremely high temperatures Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded Always unplug AC power cord before changing fuse or any tubes When replacing fuse use only same type and rating Avoid direct contact with heated tubes Keep amplifier away from children Be sure to connect to an AC power supply that meets the power supply specifications listed on the rear of the unit Remove the power plug from the AC mains socket if the unit is to be stored for an extended period of time If there is any danger of lightning occurring nearby remove the power plug from the wall socket in advance To avoid damaging your speakers and other playback equipment turn off the power of all related equipment before making the connections Do not use excessive force in handling control buttons switches and controls Do not use solvents such as benzene or paint thinner to clean the unit Wipe off the exterior with soft cloth YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE No user serviceable parts inside Refer service to qualified personnel Always unplug AC power before removing chassis EXPORT MODELS Always insure that unit is wired for proper voltage Make certain grounding conforms with local standards READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE LINE STAR Instruction Manual Overview Congratulations on your choice of the LONE STAR as
50. of amplifier Partial back view of amplifier 4 OHM 8 OHM 16 OHM 80hm Cabinet 4 OHM 8 OHM 16 OHM P SAFE MISMATCH p MESA i 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH PAGE 27 6 WIRING SCHEMES Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets 7 Partial back view of amplifier Partial back view of amplifier 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM ef 09 80hm Cabinet 80hm Cabinet 80hm Cabinet 16 Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH Partial back view of amplifier Partial back view of amplifier 8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM BOHM 4 OHM 4 OHM a lA a CORRECT MATCH CORRECT 4 Cabinet 4 Cabinet 16 Cabinet 16 Cabinet 28 WIRING SCHEMES Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets Partial back view of amplifier 4 OHM 4 OHM 8 OHM 16 Ohm Q Cc SERIES BOX 8 Ohm Cabinet 80hm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH Partial back view of amp pies gb yl CORRECT MATCH BOHM 4OHM 4OHM r 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet PAGE 29 WIRING SCHEMES Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets Partial back view of amplifier 16 Ohm 40HM 40HM SERIES BOX Q ae a 8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH Partial back view of amplifier 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH PAGE 30 ONTRIODES PENTODES amp IRISHMEN With apologies t
51. olid the grid is like a coiled bed spring It can create a repelling field but mostly it s empty space in between widely sepa rated windings of wire It s very easy to control the electrons as they pass through the grid s force field Changing the grid voltage only slightly will have an enormous effect on how much current flows through and that s what AMPLIFICATION is a small change in voltage at the grid causing a large change in current flowing to the plate The purpose of the louvered bar doors is similar to that of the grid namely to give momentary pause while still revealing the promise within Hesitation mostly gives way to temptation but there are those few stalwart Irishmen who think twice and decide to come back later Most just pause slightly then go on through That is the purpose of the bar doors to prevent everyone from crowding in all at once and as the door is made less of a barrier wider spaces between the louvers more of the bar s attractive influence is felt outside thus amplifying the customer flow and increasing the crowd at the bar PENTODES Occasionally though bar doors even the louvered type were found to be too effective and too many customers turned away Something further was needed to increase the attraction of the bar and overcome the resistance created by the door Thus the cocktail waitress was invented Once again the idea was inspired by the vacuum tube It had been discovered in some tubes often large
52. ot for 52 volts That s it Nothing more Now don t be fooled into thinking that tubes draw more or less bias they don t The way a bias supply is connected to a tube is akin to a dead end road it just trails off to nowhere without really completing a circuit It s a static voltage and regardless of what tube is in the socket or even if the tubes aren t plugged in at all it doesn t change the bias voltage a bit So the end of the short answer is this Since bias supply needs to put out the right voltage and never vary wanted to build amplifiers that were individually hard wired to the correct values and NEVER needed adjustment And for 25 years that s how MESA Boogies have been built Time to change tubes Just plug our tubes into any one of our amps and you re DONE No tech needed NO bills and no BS about biasing And most important The bias is RIGHT because it can t change Now you want the long answer Here s more information on how our hard wired bias avoids trouble Please read on But first let s make an important distinction Our business is designing and building high performance amplifiers And for this we need tubes whose variance is within a narrow range Our warehouse is full of rejects oh they work they just don t perform within our tolerance range We have a very sophisticated computer based tube testing system nicknamed Robotube that matches and measures tubes over seven important parameters It ca
53. power types that the distance to the plate was too great to attract enough electrons past the negative influence of the control grid So another grid coil of fine wire was inserted between the first grid and the plate This was called the screen grid and carrying a highly positive charge it functioned as a bait for the plate In a properly designed power tube such as an EL84 or a 6V6 the windings of the screen grid are precisely aligned to fall in the shadow of the control grid This way the electrons responding to the pull of the screen grid are lined up in sheets as they pass be tween windings of the inner control grid only to find that they have been fooled Once past the control grid and drawn toward the screen grid they discover there s almost nothing there The path they re on has them aligned to zing straight through the spaces BETWEEN screen grid windings So rather than a close and personal encounter they just fly on past and once they re out that far there s no stopping them The influence of the plate takes over and being solid metal and of the highest positive attraction it is at this final destination that the electrons congregate PAGE 32 Thus the proper cocktail waitress visible through the louvers is scantily clad so as to be all the more effective at reinforcing the attractive influence of her bar and by being located in between the door and the bar she serves as bait to lure customers past the door s negative
54. r the dominant tone control For this reason the setting of the TREBLE control is very important for equal representation of the three frequency regions to appear at their respective controls Like most of the controls on your LONE STAR there is an optimum region of the TREBLE control where ample top end is mixed in and yet enough signal CH1 sw is still passed on to the MIDDLE and BASS controls CH2 INPUT rcs DRIVE lt e CLEAN GAIN TREBLE As you might surmise here is the sweet spot There are definitely great sounds pa THICK above and below this middle region 11 00 1 30 but the balance between O o NOR Q MAR the TREBLE control and the other two tone controls is compromised hd The TREBLE control can be used to dump extra gain into the mix This is especially effective in CHANNEL 1 and Channel 2 with the DRIVE bypassed When doing so use the PRESENCE control to roll off some of the more than ample top end for a more compressed feel and fatter voice As you might surmise the BASS control s effective ness will be reduced so you may have to run a much higher setting than you are used to seeing to achieve a balance the mp control is responsible for the blend of midrange frequencies in the mix and though its effect is not as dramatic as that of the TREBLE control it plays an integral part in achieving any sound in your LONE STAR It is capable of changing the feel dramatically as it blends
55. rection This is what happens when a positively charged element called the anode or plate is introduced into the vacuum The plate is the large metal element most prominently visible through the glass of an electron tube It is the outermost element of a tube s structure and it surrounds all the others The cathode is at the center radiating electrons outwards As higher and higher positive voltage is applied to the plate the attraction for the electrons surrounding the cathode is increased and with nothing stand ing in the way full uninhibited flow to the plate occurs sort of like removing the doors and offering free drinks to the crowd of surly Irishmen milling around outside As electrons flow to the plate the space charge will continually be replenished by further boiling of the hot electron rich cathode as you can easily imagine other Irishmen impatiently taking up the places of those who ve gone inside until the entire village is deserted Now where do they come from and how do they emerge Well a grand and elegant lady once showed me how to revive flat cham pagne She dropped a raisin into the glass There was a dramatic and immediate increase in effervescence with the introduction of a cathoding surface Thousands of tiny bubbles suddenly appeared and continued to flow from the raisin Of course the bubbles were made up of gas dissolved in the beverage but the analogy makes it easy to visualize the loosely bound electrons dissolve
56. series with the effected wet signal The circuit also incorporates a SEND LEVEL control allowing you to fine tune the output of the preamp circuit to match the input sensitivity of your processor or first processor in a rack system The EFFECTS LOOP circuitry 000 j one sran M can be completely removed from the signal path with the HARD 000 BYPASS LOOP IN mini toggle This removes all associated loop First set sound with ege 910 RETURN Loop circuitry and two tubes from the chain and ensures the purest signal e P path and maximum sonic performance when outboard processing is l O O not being used The SEND and RETURN jacks incorporate switching W 9 ith LOOP IN adjust SEND LEVEL HARD BYPASS SEND to match D elements so that you may use the LOOP IN selection and activate s the Front Panel OUTPUT and SOLO controls with nothing connected RETURN level and TUBE LOCATIONS live volume control 4xet to the Loop to 50 for unity gain NOTE The Front Panel OUTPUT and SOLO controls are both part of the Loop and therefore active only when the Effects Loop is engaged They are both part of the Return stage and will remain inactive as long as the loop bypass mini toggle is set to HARD BYPASS To connect your outboard processor s to the Effects Loop 1 Connect the SEND jack on the LONE STAR Rear Panel to your processor s INPUT using a high quality shielded cable of the shortest pos
57. sible length 2 Connect the RETURN jack of the LONE STAR to your processors OUTPUT also using a high quality shielded cable of the short est possible length 3 Adjust the SEND LEVEL control on the Rear Panel of the LONE STAR to achieve an adequate match on the INPUT level indicator of your processor Adjust the processor Output level stage hopefully your processor has an OUTPUT LEVEL control to match the volume present before connecting the device s to the LONE STAR You can check this by simply removing both the cables from the SEND and RETURN simultaneously 4 Use the Front Panel OUTPUT control to raise and lower the overall volume as it is essentially an Effects Return Stage volume control NOTE It is normal to experience some amount of change to the sound when using the EFFECTS LOOP Normally this is minimal and most often appears as a subtle roll off in top end characteristics This is a series loop and therefore the results you get using it greatly depend upon the quality of the devices you insert into the loop We strongly suggest taking your amplifier and trying any processor before buying it to make sure it is compatible with the LONE STAR Normally the more professional series lines of most companies building outboard gear work well However we have seen even so called pro stuff produce less than satisfactory results in terms of tonal thievery NOTE Engaging the EFFECTS LOOP circuitry adds a substantial amount of circuitry and t
58. the OUTPUT and SOLO controls are part of the Effects Return stage they are bypassed as well Rea These channel specific mini toggle switches allow you to preset the output power of each channel In the 100 watt setting up all four 6L6 are on line delivering maximum power and punch The 50 watt setting runs onlythe outside far left amp far right tubes to achieve the bubbly elastic bounce only 100 W pair of 6L6 can achieve This powerful feature can be crucial to the sound style you wish OUTPUT LOOP ON SOLO to dedicate to each of your two channels achieve the ultimate clean headroom and power Meanwhile Channel 2 could be cranked sow LNE S dedicated to a power clip solo sound by setting the power select switch to 50 watts andbypassingthe DRIVE circuitry for an awesome old school power section pushed 50W MASTER e For example you might want to use Channel 1 set to 100 watts and use all four 6L6 s to PAGE 8 FRONT PANEL Controls amp Features continued ee tone This scheme would be further enhanced by selecting the TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING setting on the Rear Panel RECTIFIER SELECT switch Or you might want the opposite and set Channel 1 to 50 watts of sparkling yet forgiving clean performance and go for the bold auth ority of 100 watt power for Channel 2 set to a soaring high gain voice using the DRIVE circuitry Whatever scheme you choose to use the ability
59. to be wrapped separately with plenty of wadded up newspaper around them and put in a smaller box within the larger carton Remove the Rectifier tubes and wrap them also You can leave the preamp tubes in or remove them and wrap them separately being sure to label their location See Tube Task Chart To wrap the chassis use plenty of tightly wadded up newspaper so there is at least six inches of crush space between the chassis and the cardboard box Bubble wrap also works well but please DON T use styrene peanuts they will shift during transit and get lodged inside your electronics as well as allowing your amp to end up at the bottom of the box unprotected and possibly damaged Pre amp tubes don t normally wear out as a rule Therefore it is not a good idea to change them just for the sake of changing them If there isn t a problem don t fix it If there is no result from your substitutions it may be possible that you have more than one problematic tube Though rare this does happen and though it makes the troubleshooting process a little more intimidating it is still possible to cure the problem yourself NOTE It is normal to hear a slight metallic ringing sound when tapping on the preamp tubes As long as the tube does not break into oscillation or start crackling or any other form of bizarre noise it is considered normal and functional PAGE 20 LONESTAR TUBE TASK CHART ec RCA Jacks for Reverb NOTE POWER TUBES ARE HOT BEFORE
60. to select the power rating of each channel adds incredible expression power to the LONE STAR NOTE The RECTIFIER SWITCH Rear Panel has a built RECTIFIER TRACKING feature that ensures proper matching for each power setting In 50W either a TUBE RECTIFIER or a silicon DIODE may be chosen as the rectification element with the Tube offering the most give and elasticity In the 100W setting DIODE rectifiers are automatically brought on line and this is a proper match which provides the reliable and powerful headroom of a 4x6L6 output section NOTE At some point in your experimentation with the Channel Power Select switches try setting one or both of the Channels to 50W and moving the Speaker Load to the 4 Ohm jack This produces a brighter snappier response that is great for certain applica tions especially clean sounds There is no right way but the difference in response is definitely worth investigating for both clean and overdriven sounds Oa este Reese OUTPUT This control determines the overall output volume level of the amplifier After the GAIN controls have been set for the desired sound style and the two channels levels have been balanced with the channel MASTER controls the OUTPUT control allows you to change the playing level by adjusting a single control The OUTPUT control is also wired as the Effects Loop Return Level control 100 W e OUTPUT SOLO Should you ever use your LONE STAR
61. to the invention of those swinging louvered saloon doors which are open at the top and bottom They are patterned after the control grid of the vacuum tube which is a loosely wound coil of thin wire located between the cathode and the plate In a Triode the plate is always positively charged with high voltage D C and even though the grid is blocking the path those nega tive electrons can still FEEL the strong attraction just as the Irishmen can see in through the louvers of the bar doors They know what pleasures lie beyond but to get there requires overcoming the negative influences controlling the access This negative influ ence is typically called a Bias In electronic terms that means the grid is supplied with a voltage which is slightly MORE NEGATIVE than the already negative electrons The more negative the Bias the more it tends to neutralize the attraction of the plate and repel the electrons back toward the cathode The Irish can be similarly charged with Bias but unless you are Irish yourself this type of Biasing may be more difficult to under stand The effect is similar though The more negative the Bias the more it impedes forward progress Generally speaking though the electronic Bias of the grid is easiest to overcome and for two main reasons First the Bias is set like the bar doors to allow some passage Second the grid is mostly NOT THERE like the louvered doors which are mostly open spaces Unlike the plate which is s
62. ty shielded cable between the instrument and the amplifier This will prevent unwanted noise and microphonic cable sounds la INPUT FT SW OE This 1 4 inch stereo jack is for connection of the Channel Select Footswitch When the FOOTSWITCH is con nected here with the provided stereo cable the Channels and SOLO feature may be controlled remotely INPUT FT SW WY This is the pre drive control for the high gain preamp in Channel 2 It may be switched out of the circuit along with its associated tube stages to create a slightly higher gain clone of Channel 1 in this bottom Channel 2 When the DRIVE control is activated switch left towards DRIVE this control operates in conjunction with the GAIN control to meter the amount of preamp drive that will be introduced into the circuit H1 e e F T Generally speaking you will find better response and dynamics combined with smoother saturation elis by setting the GAIN control higher than DRIVE In fact you might try leaving the GAIN set to 2 00 INPUT DRIVE 4 can Or 3 00 and just playing with the DRIVE to learn the regions of saturation You will probably find the THICK more blues oriented sounds between 9 00 and 11 00 while the really saturated high gain sounds nor Q mat appear between 1 00 and 3 00 THICKER Setting the GAIN control slightly higher than the DRIVE will produce a warmer quality to the sound and in most cases this is preferable By al
63. ube including contaminate coming loose or physical contact or near contact between the elements Replace it and the fuse with the proper slo blo type and power up the amp using the power up procedure as we described earlier in this manual AS Often caused by contamination within in a tube the culprit can usually be identified and by lightly tapping on the glass you will probably hear the noise change Hearing some noise through the speakers while tapping on the 12AX7 s is normal however And the one nearer the INPUT will always sound louder because its output is being further amplified by the second 12AX7 The power tubes should be all but quiet when they are tapped If crackling or hissing changes with the tapping you have probably found the problem To confirm a noisy power tube merely put the Road King on Standby remove it from its socket and turn it back on It will cause no damage to run the Road King briefly with one power tube missing You may notice a slight background hum however as the push pull becomes unbalanced Whenever you are trying to diagnose a suspect tube keep your other hand on the POWER and STANDBY switches ready to shut them off instantly in the unlikely case you provoke a major short If you think you ve located a problem tube but aren t sure we recommend substituting the suspect with a new one just to be sure of your diagnoses You will be doing yourself and us a big favor by just following the simple guidelines previous
64. ube amps is that they can usually stand some abuse without causing any real harm at least not immediately But don t these alterations imply that you are second guessing the amp designer and that there s a better set of operating conditions that the designer missed but the tube sellers have discovered Now some players may like the sound of their amp altered by tubes with extreme characteristics and with the bias set to help compen sate But often it is the mere novelty of change that they re really responding to and when the amp goes back to the proper original way we ve seen them be far happier still Because every part in every one of our designs has been meticulously evaluated compared and stressed over no matter how seemingly insignificant it might be And with every design we look for a sweet spot where all the parameters including the bias come together to give the best sonic performance consistently and reliably Every part and voltage is important yet no one complains that these other parameters aren t available for tinkering Consider our patented Simul Class circuitry where there are two different bias voltages used for separate pairs of power tubes and changing one voltage also changes the other Great care goes into getting this just right and we think we d be asking for trouble to have it adjustable for the world to play with unless you like paying to have your amp messed up Sorry meant to say U
65. ure The pure all tube Reverb is fitted with a Bright Warm switch that enables you to tailor the reverb sound to the style you are playing Bright delivers a vintage inspired sound complete with the identifiable haze of harmonics associated with older amp circuits while WARM produces a more pure studio quality character Individual blend controls for each channel allow you to get the mix just right for each of the sounds you have designated to the two channels External switch ports are provided to assure that you can interface the LONE STAR with larger rack or multiple amp setups The Chan nels and SOLO feature will respond to any tip to ground latching type logic at their corresponding jacks You can control these features via external and or midi commands with any switcher that supports grounding type logic within their programmable menus A Switchable BIAS SELECT feature allows you to swap tube types in the power section for different response characteristics Use the stock 6L6 type tubes for the greatest versatility or swap them out for a quartet of EL34 for a brighter looser feel and added harmonic spread Always use the proper setting of the BIAS SWITCH for the tube type in use And finally a SLAVE Output and Level control round out the Rear Panel enabling you to use the LONE STAR as the dry master amp for a stereo setup drive an external rack of outboard processing or simply add additional power for larger venues Unlike the EFFECTS SEND j
66. utomatically either or both channels whenever the 50 watt selection is made on the Front Panel Channel Power Select switch When switching to the opposite channel if the Channel Power Select is set to 100 watts the Diodes are automatically engaged to insure proper matching to the added load on the supply This innovative feature allows you to tune each channel for the ultimate power expression and feel With this flexibility you can switch between a high power spanking clean rhythm sound in Channel 1 and a saggy brown old school power clip for bluesy single note solo work with the DRIVE bypassed in Channel 2 Or conversely set Channel 1 for a sweet low power clean sound and crank up the horsepower with the DRIVE active to articulate a high gain solo voice in Channel 2 Regardless of the way you choose to dedicate your Channels you will find this power section flexibility a remarkable step forward toward your ultimate tone NOTE Don t forget the Front Panel AC switch incorporates the reduced voltage TWEED setting This adds yet another dimension to the power expression scenario and can produce amazing results when combined with the TUBE RECTIFIER TRACKING feature Be sure to experiment with these two features in combination with each other PAGE 11 REAR PANEL Continued RSS IS The LONE STAR handles outboard processing by providing an on board patch point between the preamp and power section This loop is wired such that the dry signal is in
67. wo tubes and this additional circuit re verses the phase of the entire amp This is no cause for alarm and if we hadn t told you of this you probably would never have known Sonically there is no difference other than the incredibly subtle difference in the sound the circuit itself adds The only time you will ever need to consider this reversal of overall phase is if you ever run the LONE STAR in Stereo with another amp not another LONE STAR as it would be in phase with its Loop activated In this case you would probably want to separate the two amplifiers by at least a few feet if not on the other side of the stage PAGE 12 REAR PANEL Continued AUER The LONE STAR incorporates a stunning analog Reverb circuit that is fitted with individual Channel Mix controls and a unique Reverb Voicing feature that offers a choice between two classic reverb sounds Love VJESA BOOGIE 59 18 REVERB BRIGHT produces a vintage guitar amp style brighter sound filled with canyons of UE REVERB DE SEVERE harmonics and the classic spring resonance while REV WARM features a smoother warmer character often associated with large plate studio reverbs You will quickly see why we think the LONE STAR Reverb is possibly our best reverb to date Enjoy HARD BYPASS REV WARM UE Ru EM EC These two 1 4 jacks provide an interface for remote control of the Channel Select function as well as activation of the SOLO control These jacks may be
68. you scrape your feet across a carpeted floor in dry wintery conditions your body can become charged with 50 000 to 100 000 volts of static electricity And when you reach for the door knob a spark jumps and you feel it The voltage is super high but the cur rent measured in micro amps is tiny otherwise you would die from electrocution Contrast this with your car battery which puts out a mere 12 volts You can lay your hands right across the terminals and not feel a thing Yet the amount of current available can run to several hundred amperes enough to turn over a cold engine and get it started So current and voltage are two totally separate electrical parameters though when you multiply them together you get POWER which is measured in watts When you set the bias of an amplifier you are adjusting the static VOLTAGE at the control grid of the tube in order to produce a desired amount of idle CURRENT flowing to the tube s plate A small change in grid voltage produces a large change in the amount of current flowing and that s basically how a tube works Say that again because it s super important A small change in voltage at the grid causes a large change in current flowing to the plate See that s the essence of amplification A small change causing a large change And here it s a small voltage change causing a large current change The bias conditions are what determines how much current flows through the big power tubes whe

Mesa/Boogie LoneStar Amplifier User's Manual

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