Mesa/Boogie Lonestar Owner's Manual page 13

FRONT_PANEL:__Controls_&_Features__
100W_/_50W_/_10W:_Channel_Power_Select_
reconfiguration of your power section and you will find this patented switch-ability only in a MESA. Here, the Class of Operation switches
to pure Class A - which is far less efficient, producing more heat and less power, but with a sweeter, warmer sounding clip characteristic
that never sounds edgy or harsh. At the same time the wiring configuration of the output tubes is switched to the ultimate vintage - in fact
the original - way output tubes were wired...Single-Ended. This wiring configuration adds a whole new realm of sweetness to the sound by
emphasizing the even-order 2nd harmonic and omitting the harsher, punchier odd-order 3rd harmonic.
The less-pleasant 3rd harmonic becomes dominant when the signal is split and the two halves of the signal are amplified separately in a
push-pull circuit, which is great – and in fact crucial – when power and punch is needed to cut through a mix in the live ensemble environment.
The 2nd harmonic is cancelled out when the two halves are re-combined in the output transformer in a push-pull circuit and with it goes some
of the sweetness and upper harmonic detail. A Single-Ended circuit allows this magical and most-musical-of-all (an octave above the note
played) harmonic to pass freely and unchanged through the amplifier, as the signal is never split in half for separate amplification. Like Class
A, wiring an amplifier in Single-Ended configuration is not the way to go if you're looking for high power and/or efficiency. But when you need
sweet clippable power that is unsurpassed in musicality and soul, a Single-Ended circuit is the ultimate choice.
You will come to appreciate the purity and almost angelic quality of the sound in the 10 watt setting and possibly become an addict of this
inspiring sound and effortless-to-play feel. It produces gorgeous clean sounds, rich with harmonic detail and purring low-end breath that
bloom with shocking beauty. In kind, pushed and overdriven sounds benefit as well from the silky cohesiveness and proud yet sincere, attack
characteristics of this toneful harness.
Your Lone Star incorporates the best traits of early vintage and cutting-edge modern tube power technology - brings that expressive world
together with an already mind-bending preamp - and puts all that power at your fingertips in a channel specific, style enhancing way that will
let you smash any pre-existing notions of what an amplifier can do and what Tone really is.
The 50 watt setting runs only the outside (far left & far right) tubes to achieve the bubbly elastic bounce only a pair of 6L6 can achieve. This
powerful feature can be crucial to the sound style you wish to dedicate to each of your two channels.
For example you might want to use Channel 1 set to 100 watts and use all four 6L6's to achieve the ultimate clean headroom and power.
Meanwhile, Channel 2 could be cranked and dedicated to a power clip solo sound by setting the power select switch to 50 watts and bypassing
the DRIVE circuitry for an awesome old school power section pushed 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 authority 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 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 in 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 4 6L6 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.
The 10 watt (switch down – 1 6L6 x 2 in parallel) setting causes a complete
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