Different Stiletto "modes" listed in 2004 catalog!

[SgtThump]

The Stiletto modes listed in the 2004 catalog are "Clean" and "Hi Gain" for the blue channel and "Raw" and "Claw" for the red channel. WTF? There's a picture of a Trident with those modes and the description goes into details about each of them.

Was this a prototype or did this version ever make it into production?

Chris

 

[Silverwulf]

Never went into production as far as I know. The Stiletto was originally scheduled to release once, but pulled at the last minute before launch (of Series I) to make some last minute changes.

 

[Bobbypols]

Ya, the stiletto should change its name to the MESA MPD - MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER. it just doesnt know what it wants to be. And apparently Dr. Smith let it out of the hospital to early...

 

[SgtThump]

Never went into production as far as I know. The Stiletto was originally scheduled to release once, but pulled at the last minute before launch (of Series I) to make some last minute changes.

Hmmmmm, interesting. Thanks.

 

[Silverwulf]

From the early conversation I had with Mesa, the initial launch with the "raw/claw" settings would have been even closer to a Plexi. It wouldn't have had anything the equivalent of the "Fluid Drive," and it would have been a little less "modern."

I don't think they released it too early. I think releasing it with the raw/claw modes would have been too early, as most people wanted something a little more from the amp. However, it's evident that they still didn't tweak it enough to get many people interested in it. They should have known better, honestly. People were mostly looking to this Stiletto to be a high gain head that could take a Marshall's place alongside the Recto. A modern sounding EL34 amp. They weren't anticipating it to be something more Plexi-like, which is what it was meant to be. I personally like the Series I as is myself, but I realize I'm in the minority in that. It sounds like the Series II will be exactly what people hoped Series I would be.

 

[Bobbypols]

Its not so much that they released it early, its that screwed up on the marketing of the amp. Grossly exagerating here and there, and reviews seemed to throw around amp names that just werent in there, like rockaverb, hi watt, jcm. I will never ever believe magazine hype again, and from the discussion of Krank amps from this board...which often times wins awards from say GW or G1 it further confirms it. Mesa should of just said what the stiletto was, therefore people wouldnt get discourage when it wasnt what the adverts. say, it could then stand on its own..

 

[Silverwulf]

I actully think most of the hype was true in regrds to the comparison to other amps. For instance, the "Crunch" mode can dial in tones that are eerily close to my JCM 800 or a Jubilee.

I like all of the amp except for the Fluid Drive channel, which isn't a big deal considering I always use the Tite Gain mode anyway. It's like the Vintage Mode on my Recto...you could take it out, and I wouldn't even notice the difference... 8)

 

[Sanchez]

Just a thought. Has any Stiletto owners ever tried 6L6's in it?

I admit I want to like the Stiletto because I love it's clean channel. But its distortion channel is usless to me. As a rule, I don't like the classic Marshall tone and have never liked any amp that used El34s. Not even the 5150 or any Soldano's for eg.

Could this change the amp into something completely different or is it always gonna be a Classic modded Marshall type amp?

Sanchez

 

[cpepper]

This senario with the series one sounds like what happened to marshall.
Which lead to the awfull JCM2000 series (sorry I don't mean to offend Jcm 2000 users). I love the JCM 800 to death but Marshall kept upping the gain count on their amps and eventually they sounded like mush. I guess to keep up with thew times. The dual rectifier cornered that market by having a ballsey distortion sound that flattened recent marshalls. With
the series one we are taken back to finding the sweet spot on our amps just like the 800 series and adding grind by either adding a pedal or turning up the amp which mesa has helped us even more with buy having a 100/ 50 watt switch. Back to the board topic though I guarentee the preamp names will change on the series two ( **** it could have three channels for all we know) here's my guess on the new modes starting with channel one - Incubus clean, Strokes Clean, Greenday Crunch,
Channel 2 - Blink 182 Crunch, Foo Fighters Gain and Korn modern gain.
Hopefully the amp market will take to mesa's version of a Brit Classic.

 

[nor]

Back to the board topic though I guarentee the preamp names will change on the series two ( f%&# it could have three channels for all we know) here's my guess on the new modes starting with channel one - Incubus clean, Strokes Clean, Greenday Crunch,
Channel 2 - Blink 182 Crunch, Foo Fighters Gain and Korn modern gain.

LMAO!

 

[SgtThump]

...Which lead to the awfull JCM2000 series (sorry I don't mean to offend Jcm 2000 users)...

No offense taken. But I will tell you that my Marshall DSL50 sounds every bit as good as ANY amp I've heard in my life. That includes Mesa, Bogners, Soldanos, etc... Just my opinion, though.

I just used my DSL50 at a gig this past Friday night and I got many compliments on tones from other players. I don't understand how people don't like them, to tell you the truth!

Oh yeah, I've also owned tons of Marshalls both old and new and the DSL50 is my favorite.

 

[cpepper]

Sorry mabey i phrased the last statement wrong ( i was actually being sarcastic ) . It just seems that reading reviews from harmony central kids gave the stiletto a bad wrap because it did not give them the imediate metal or alternative tones they were looking for and Im a little disapointed in Mesa for advertiseing it as an alternative for the DR. The reason I bought the amp was because for the fact it was close to a plexi sound with a little more gain added. Now with the series two we appear to be getting the amp every kid was coplaining it was not. Im actually thankfull I will be a series one owner.

 

[SgtThump]

Sorry mabey i phrased the last statement wrong ( i was actually being sarcastic ) . It just seems that reading reviews from harmony central kids gave the stiletto a bad wrap because it did not give them the imediate metal or alternative tones they were looking for and Im a little disapointed in Mesa for advertiseing it as an alternative for the DR. The reason I bought the amp was because for the fact it was close to a plexi sound with a little more gain added. Now with the series two we appear to be getting the amp every kid was coplaining it was not. Im actually thankfull I will be a series one owner.

I hear ya. I haven't heard a new Stiletto II, but so far, I'm very happy I bought the Stiletto I.