Mesa/Boogie Lone Star Special 212 Combo

Had some tube issues after shipping, but we will blame that on GC. I play primarily with a PRS CE24 (for humbuckers) and a G&L s-500 deluxe (for single coils) I think everyone is probably familiar with the features, if not just look at some of the other reviews. I'm writing to enlighten some people on in-expensive modifications that can be done to make this amp really killer. One thing I would like to mention. People complain that the boost/second gain level on the channel 2 is not footswitch activated. Yes this is true. When I purchased this amp I didn't think that would be a problem because I've never had a 3 (b/c technically it is) channel amp that I actually liked all 3 channels. However on this amp the added pre-tube is a third useable channel. That being said, I called Mesa, they said they could make it footswitchable for $150 + S.H. "ouch" So I took it to my tech who did it for $40. Now I have a channel selector, solo level, and gain boost foot switches. Great feature. You can have it done with the slave out, or you can have another hole punched in the chassis, I went with the slave out.
I can't give it a 10, because I don't give 10's I suppose If I had a $50,000 Dumble, that might score a 10.

This amp is simply amazing. The clean is uber-clean, the distorion couldn't get any nicer for my tastes. Very smooth break up. I play rock, blues, country and jazz. Great for all these styles. Some people have issue with the way mesa rigs the reverb. When you switch channels the reverb disengages and re-engages which can give you a wooshy kind of sound. At first I was very displeased by this, however again I took it to my tech who turned off that function internally, that was a $5 mod BTW. Couldn't be happier with the amp now.

Dropped this amp face first from about 5 feet up while at a gig. The tubes got knocked loose. That's it. Built like a brick ****house.

Mesa seems alright. Very willing to answer questions about all the mods I wanted done. However they are a bit pricey. Having owned 3 mesa boogies (Nomad, Dual Rec, Lonestar) I would have hoped they would have been more empathetic.

Sometimes I wish I had gone with a 1x12 for the weight sake. Otherwise this amp is really incredible. I posted this review mostly to inform people about the mods that can be done, in case they are frustrated as I was with some bizzare features (Reverb/non switchable 3rd channel) with those mods in place I can't imagine ever selling this amp. I play a Rivera Rake Reverb 55 quarter stack as well. I love the clean on the rivera, but the OD and overall vibe of the mesa will keep it with me for many years to come.

My amp was built in 2009. The reason I gave this category a seven was the inability to footswitch in and out of the extra drive mode on channel two. It was a real surprise to me that Mesa wouldn't include that. It has a series effects loop which works quite well with stompboxes, although they work equally well in front of the amp. But I run my effects through a seperate amp and a series effects loop won't work for that application. Fortunately, the Special has a slave out which I use to feed my effects rig. The amp has more than enough power for my needs. Even the 5 watt setting is pretty loud.

I bought this amp for the clean sound and it clearly excels in that area. Very warm, very pleasing to the ear. I play a lot of prog metal and I have a Mesa Dual Rectifier for that, but I also like mellower styles like jazz and blues so I needed an amp not quite as aggressive as the Recto. The Lone Star handles those styles beautifully. A couple of caveats though, 1) as long as you keep the overall volume below about 6 or 7, the clean channel stays clean. Above that it starts to clip and you lose the clean tone. But at the same time, that's desirable for some styles. 2) channel 2 can tend to get mushy on the bottom end, especially with humbuckers, so you have to watch your bass setting and keep it below 10 o'clock or so. It definitely likes single coils over humbuckers. I have a Hamer Diablo with DiMarzio pickups and the split-coil setting on it works much better with this amp than the full on humbuckers. But overall, the distorted sounds are classic tube sounding. Very warm, very smooth. There's no hint of harshness or biting treble in the sound at all. This amp also records beautifully. It's very quiet, even on channel 2; a definite plus when recording. I'm not a big reverb fan so I personally don't use it much, but it does have a real tube driven spring reverb (as opposed to digitally simulated) just like the old Fenders and it sounds good, better than most.

This is kind of a loaded category for me. My Dual Recto has been completely trouble free for the 5 years I've owned it. The Lone Star on the other hand blew a fuse the first time I played a gig with it. (about three days out of the box) It had to have been some random transient surge in the house power that night because I replaced the fuse and was able to finish the gig and haven't had a problem with it since. Weird. But, like every other Mesa, the Lone Star is built like a tank, heavy and solid. I play it without a backup, although I do carry extra fuses ;)

I've never had to return anything for repair, but when I contacted the dealer about the blown fuse, they assured me not to worry about it and that if there was anything wrong with the amp, they would take care of it no charge. There was no hesitation. They're willing to stand behind their product.

I've been playing for 42 years so I'm pretty much from the old school. This amp brings back memories from the vintage sounds of classic amps of the 70's. I like the modern sounds too, but I like the old vintage sounds as well and the Lone Star fits the bill. I can't really think of anything I don't like about it other than it can get mushy on the bottom end, but that's not a big deal and easily corrected. I also wish the footswitch was a little more complete. There's no switch for reverb either. But there is a little- known, hidden footswitch jack on the chassis tucked behind the reverb leads where you can plug in an extra footswitch to control reverb, but why make players go through all that; just put it on the regular footswitch.

All was mentioned by now.

This is my second review - I posted the first 4 years ago - and still LOVE this amp.

The only thing I changed in the meantime was the inbuilt fan - I hate fans - and can hear the inbuilt one in a quit room. I replaced it with a noiseless one and now is everything perfect.

As mentioned many time this one can not DO any metal and even a crunch Marshall sound is not possible - without pedals.

This is THE clean sound.

And in addition a VERY nice blues overdrive sound.

No Marshall no Metal ...

Even after my honeymoon is over for a long time I still LOVE this amp.

Works without any problems for 4 years now.

Make sure NOT to switch off the inbuilt fan for a long time - this amp NEEDS the fan - it's class A.

I like to try different amps and have bought and sold some of them during the last years - but the Lonestar Special will stay here.

I believe mine is a 2006 model. I gig small clubs mostly, and mic it for festivals or bigger rooms. What attracted me to it was the 5w/15w/30w ratings and the more I learned about the amp the more attractive it became. I had been looking at various boutique amps as nothing in the main lines (Fender, Marshal) had the versatility and sound quality that I was after. Once I played through one I was sold - I had to have it. My Fenders bite without breaking glass, and my Gibsons sound like a wall of sound without mud and boom. No amp is perfect so I have given it a 9 - no trem and there are a few things with the reverb that could be improved on. But make no mistake - guitar response and tones are heaven!

I have American Fender Strats and Teles, Levinson Blade R4, Gibson ES335 and LP, Atlas Star Saphire(made in Thailand - try it if you like Santana tones) and Ibanez AS100. The beautiful thing about this amp is it brings out the sound of each guitar. I don't mess with the amp setting much (once I worked out what I wanted - a bit different to tone controls on other amps!) but it seems to work well with each guitar. I run one channel at 5w and overdriven, the other at 30w and clean. Both have plenty of volume and are easy to balance. It is a very quiet amp, the clean channel give that beautiful Fender chime that I haven't heard in many non Fender amps, and the gain channel has the warmest gain with out boom or mud. It keeps the bottom end tight and sweetens the tops. I find I can run it with or with out effects (I use TC Electronics G System with various OD pedals and a Jim Dunlop wah) and it sounds great. For straight forward gigs I just plug into amp direct and use the guitars options for tone options (coil taps, pick-up selection, etc) and the amps reverb and channel footswitch. Great sound and simple! I don't use the solo option on the footswitch, and I avoid channel switching during a song as there is a slight drop out of the reverb - but not a problem! I figure that is why there is a volume control on the guitar! As others have said, maybe not for metal but I play a variety of style so need a variety of sounds - this amp pulls them all off very authentically. Again a 9 only because 10 doesn't exist in my book!

It seems to be very well built, and pretty obvious that it is (mostly?) hand made. No issues with it and I have had it over 18 months now gigging it about 4 times a months + rehearsals and home use. Even at low volumes it sounds good and give full harmonic response - love that tube sound!

No comment as I haven't had any dealings. Warranty period was pretty standard

I've been playing on and off for 35 years (with gaps) and pretty seriously again for the last 10 years. I love this amp for it's sound and for the versatility it has. It makes me sound better than I do through anything else. The only amp I remember as fondly as this one was an old '60s Fender Bassman I had. The only thing about this amp I don't 'like' is the weight (it's as heavy as anything I want to lift these days!) but that wouldn't stop from buying it again if this one was stolen/lost. It's road cased so I can wheel it to most places I need to get - problem (almost) solved!

My amp is a 2007 in black vinyl. It is two channel pure class A tube power. Both channels are switchable between 5-15-30 watts. It has reverb and an effects loop. If has everything I need, although I keep the output and solo features in bypass mode. This is a simple amp that does what is should and does it well. I use it mostly at home, although it would have no problem doing a small gig, say up to 100 heads, unmic'd. Mic it and and the sky is the limit.

I leave channel one on 30 watts and channel two on 5. Plenty loud in both instances.

This amp sounds absolutely amazing! The clean on channel is robust and chimey, the reverb is some of the best I've heard anywhere.

Channel two is the gain channel, once you figure out the settings, it took me alot of time to get it right, you are in for tone heaven. I get classic British tones with Mesa sustain.

If you want significant gain, you'll have to use a pedal in front of it. I'm using the Digitech Hardwire CM-2 Tube Overdrive...amazing. With the pedal on the tones are great and it is still very quiet.

It is probably the quietest (noise wise) amp I have ever played...and I have played and owned many.

The distortion is definately there. the trick is if you increase the gain, lower the drive. The bass should me no higher than 8 o' clock and mids near 10 o' clock. It took me a while to figure this out. When I tired to set the eq like other amps I used, it sounded like mush, now it is heaven.

I mostly play humbucker guitars through it. I have played single coils and they sound amazing too.

This amp can do jazz, blues, rock, indie, hardcore; probably want to look elsewhere for a metal amp though

I have not had any issues with this amp. I would use it without a back-up.

I have dealt with Mesa on a couple of occaisions. They are quality people and will take care of you. I have a friend who had problem with a Mesa amp and they sttod behind their product and made sure his amp was fixed. They have a five year transferrable warranty, obviously they stand behind their gear.

I have beeen playing for 25 years and still struggling. I have a bunch of guitars and a Marshall DSL half stack. I will never geat rid of this amp. If something happened to it, I may check to see what else is out there, but I would likely get another one of these. I love the simplicity and obvioulsly the tones. It is a well made amp that sounds great. I don't hate a single thing about it. I would compare this to the Matchless, Bad Cat, etc amps. At this time I don't want or need anymore gear. I bought this amp based on the ratings left here before and I am not disappointed.

Details on the features can be found in any number of locations. Specifically, for my requirements, this amp appeared on my radar for the power scaling (5W/15W/30W), two switchable channels, and the solo boost.

I've been playing for about 24 years and for most of them I've been a 50W or 100W Marshall EL34s fan... about 5 years ago I switched to EL84s when I got an AC30. I've stuck with EL84s, I just love that raspy edge EL84-driven power amps gets when pushed.

Features aside I bought this amp for the tones I could get out of it. There's enormous range and breadth of tones available here, the EQ options are probably the most wide ranging I've worked with on any amp.

I dispute any claims that there are no high gain sounds out of this amp, not least on the second channel with the extra drive control engaged and the treble pot pushed up (control unpleasant highs using the channel's presence). You won't get metal saturated distortion out of it, but there's plenty of vintage dirt available. The clean sounds with channel 1 are lovely, the reverb's great...

The reason I'm posting this here is for the experience I've had thus far with the reliability. I got the amp brand new in June 2008, I play in a band situation at least once a week. Around September the amp died during band practice: it made a short crackling noise, followed by a really nasty burning smell and suddenly the fuse popped. I tried another fuse and that went immediately too. That's when I burned my hand on the power transformer and noticed the laquer that they use to seal the transformer had melted and was dripping off...

So I took it back to the shop where I got it and it gets sent back to the distributors: I live in Johannesburg in South Africa and the local distributors here are down in Cape Town. When they get it they claim a screw inside it is loose and that was apparently evidence that I'd taken the amp apart and had thereby invalidated the warranty.

It took a good couple of months of fighting with them to get them to fix it under the terms of the warranty, I only got the amp back about three days ago and so far so good. I'm gigging with it tonight, I'm keeping my spare AC30 handy just in case it goes wrong again.

So I'm not hugely impressed with the reliability of the kit, and I've got half a mind to phone Mesa in the US and tell them what passes for post-sale customer service with their distributors down here.

I've not dealt with Mesa directly as yet. As far as the South African distributors are concerned I can only say their attitude is as woeful as their standards of customer service.

Mesa: if you care about how you're represented around the world sack these clowns and get someone decent to replace them.

For an amplifier that costs as much as this, from a manufacturer with such an apparently peerless reputation in the industry, and with all the much vaunted revolutionary technology that's contained within the amp itself, I'm deeply disappointed to experience, first hand, something that appears to be an endemic problem with the Lone Star range as a whole. I appreciate there are people out there who have had no problems as yet, you may just have got more reliable units than those of us who have suffered problems. That, in my mind points to a consistency issue with Mesa's manufacturing.

I may stand to be corrected: if I get a decent spell of reliable uninterupted service out of my Lone Star from now on I'll revise my opinion on the quality and reliability of the amp. If my power transformer fails again, any time soon, I will be returning the amp for a full refund and that will be it for me and Mesa.

To my ears it's a fantastic sounding amp, but I'm rather disappointed that it seems to me that Mesa have major quality control issues with the Lone Star range.

No need to get into the specs- But for me:
Recording studio needed a good All Around Amp,
lots of punch, low volume, and QUIET.

Guitar Center treats my Recording Studio needs with professional service. They put me in a private room with a few amps and when I heard this amp I fell in love with the "TONE". I had it on 5 Watts
and absolutely loved the tone. Rich harmonics, Sweet Cleans..
You can get soooo many sounds out of this spending some time and trying different cables, woods, pickups... ALL still sounded great!
not just good!!! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED .. working musician, studio man, or home player.

Haven't had it long enough but looks VERY well made and bullet proof.
If you're a gigging pro, dont be a cheap ***! Get a Flight Case with thick foam not the cheap *** $150 case. Spend the $300!

Cant comment here.

Excellent sound! I have a recording studio with ALL kinds of good gear from VOX,Bogner,Demeter,Marshall,SUPRO!!!, etc..
This thing is my new favorite and my personal amp now because it can
pull off all the above (not dead on) but it is not a 1 trick pony!
Why paint with 2 or 3 colors when you can have 20!!!!

features galore here. my only gripe is that the tube rectifier is dependent on the wattage setting that you use. i'd like to have the option of running the amp at 30 watts with the tube rectifier. this of course would fry the 5Y3 rectifier tube, but there are other rectifier tube options to get around this i am told. fortunately, it sounds great no matter which rectifier is used. plus, i find that the 15 watt setting (which runs the tube rectifier) is more than enough volume most of the time.

gorgeous, gorgeous, clean tones. i used to be such a 6L6 guy too. call me a convert i guess. the distortion is perfect for classic/hard rock styles. won't do metal which is fine by me. for leads just put a TS-9 or equivalent in front of it and your leads will sustain forever. great sounding reverb. the dark/bright option is a nice addition. did i say the cleans kill on this thing? thick, squishy, spongy...choose your favorite adjective. while i LOVE the sound of this, i'm curious as to what a pair of celestion golds would do for it as i've been hearing some great things about this speaker...but at nearly $600 a pair?! i think i'll be keeping it stock for now. my rating here is a 9 and is a VERY high rating. i DO NOT give 10's away like so many here do. make no mistake- this amp IS a tone monster. i can't believe i found my favorite clean tone (to date) in a Mesa product of all places! go figure. the end must be near...

this thing likes to chew up the 5Y3 rectifier tubes when in the 15 watt mode. mesa tells me that this is due to the fact that today's 5Y3's are basically crap. they replace them for free, but it's still a hassle. i went and bought a NOS RCA 5Y3 and haven't had a problem since. i keep mesa's free replacement on hand only for backup. of course in a pinch you can always switch to the 30 watt mode and bypass the tube rectifier all together. BTW- the fan keeps this thing running surprisingly cool. i've always known EL84 amps to run way hot. not the case here at all.

i've always had good luck w/them on the phone. i've heard some horror stories, but i can't report any personally. i've been calling them for phone support here and there for the past 14 years or so and they've always been good to me. i DO wish they'd add online support to their website as sometimes it's more convenient for me to do it that way than to play phone tag.

i forgot to mention- i found this amp in PURPLE! looks very cool. however i was a bit disappointed to see the tolex peeling off the bottom of the top of the amp right where it wraps underneath near the rear controls. i was able to tack it back down, but i shouldn't have had to. fluke? i played this amp when they first came out a few years ago in a 1X12 combo and really wasn't jazzed by it. i don't know if maybe that particular amp was sick, or if the 2x12 makes such a difference but this amp, for me, KILLS. one last thing i want to mention here. a lot of people bitch about the price. yes it IS a lot of money, BUT it is also a lot of AMP for the money. when you consider all the one trick pony, single channel, no reverb, no FX loop, no variable power options, and so-on, boutique amps out there that cost the same as this amp and don't sound any better, this thing is a steal at this price! i'm not knocking simple amp designs BTW, i own a couple myself (Carr Mercury and Rambler). i'm just trying to make a point that the tone/feature/price ratio is very reasonable with this amp.

made in October-December 2006(last quarter of 2006)
I play Christian contemporary music, Hillsong , ..? it nails the sound. 2 chanel, footswitchable, with effect loops.
I wish it'll come with reverb on-off switch in the front chanel... now that it's hidden in the back besides the valves/tubes. it's kinda hard to put the cable on or to take it off.

Use it in my local Church here in Indonesia, a medium sized venue. arround 6m x 20m, can handle with no problem even when playing with the full band.

The clean sound it produces is superb, elastic feel, bouncy, and shimers. the second chanel is also great for medium drive riffs. don't do heavy metals or heavy things. I use a Gretsch Duo jet with Filtertron Pickups, Fender strat with it's 1954 custom pickup. and it shines perfectly through this amp. Not noisy at all, dead quiet. I run it through some effect pedal. it goes something like this: Gretsch guitar-ernieball volume6166-crybaby wah535Q-voodoolab sparkle drive- fulltone fulldrive2- supatrem-choral flange-damage control timeline- mesa lonestar special. the amp just cooperate so well with the rig. definately deserve a "TEN"

this amp must be operated in the area when the electricity flow is stable. do not plug it in parrarel with too many other plugs. like with effect pedals..etc, when you keep switch things on and off. or you may blow the fuse. this is what I experienced 3 months after I Got it. every week I changed the blown fuse. until I separate the plug with the other and it's now safe, never have to change the fuse nomore.

very good, emailed them once when choosing between 1x12" or 2x12" LSS, and get quick answer, with kind explanation. very good peple in there.

I've been playing for 9 years. own some other gears.

if it were stolen, I'd definately buy it again. but no money left.

love the sound that it put out. so much in love with the looks. its looks realy sweet in the tan grill cover and cocoa bronco finish. like a marriage between a vintage retro model with the ability of a modern technology.

Made in 2006.
Extremely versatile. I play a lot o different styles of music, and this amp delivers in all areas.
2 Completely independent channels, each with 3 different watt settings for each (5 - 15- 30 watts).
I play a rather eclectic mix of music, so I use all the features of this amp.

If you're looking for a rectifier sound, or a full out metal tone, this amp will not meet your needs on its own. But as any seasoned player will tell you, the key to a great effects pedal is the amp. If you have a favorite pedal, you'll like it even more through this amp.
The cleans are brilliant, and you can get a perfect clip tone as well as a really fuzzy gain, which I enjoy.
I use a Fender Strat, with EMG pickups.

Never had any issues with it, and I'd gig with it, without a backup, no questions.

There isn't a better support department. When you call, someone answers the phone.

I've been playing 18 years. I've owned a lot of amps:
Fender Deville
Fender Twin
Marshall TSL 2000
HiWatt Custom 100
Mesa Boogie Subway Blues Rocket
Mesa Boogie Mark IV
Mesa Boogie Lonestar

This is the best sounding amp I've ever owned, for the sound I'm after. But if it were stolen, I'd take my time replacing it; and here is why; My overall rating for this amp is an 8. If there were a 7.5, I'd take it. The reason its not a 9 or 10 is because of the reverb. There is an awful delay from when you switch channels, and when the reverb kicks back in. It is the most annoying thing in the world. When you're playing along in channel 2, and switch back over to channel 1, it will sound as if you aren't even playing at all because the reverb has not kicked over.

Don't get me wrong. This is some of the best sounding reverb I've ever heard. But the delay when switching channels is a major issue. I'm surprised they allowed it out the door like this. So, if it were to be stolen, I'd look at Matchless, Dr Z. or Bogner. Simply because this reverb issue is like having a Ferrari in the driveway with a 12 inch gouge taken out of the paint on the hood, and a backfire when you switch gears.