Stiletto Deuce clean chanell.Tell me your opinion.

I recently saw the video of Andy Timmons playing his Lonestar and Stiletto and I heard 2 of the best clean channels I have ever heard.Lonestar going Fenderish on steroids as we all have admit here in this forum and the Stiletto clean reminding me the Hiwatt Gilmourish clean.If you don't feel the same about the Stiletto please let me know!!!I have never play with a Stiletto but if it really sounds as it does in the Timmon's video I think I have found the amp of my life.
I am looking for a great clean channel for great cleans(Hiwatt style) and also to put my pedals(fuzz,overdrive,,booster etc) in front of it,and a high gain channel(plexi style).Probably I love el34 tubes.:lol: with fender guitars.
My favorite sounding guitarists are Mike Einziger(of Incubus) Tom Morello(Rage Against The Machine,Audioslave)and David Gilmour .
There is one thing about Stiletto that I can't understand.Most of reviews about Stiletto don't tell to much about the clean channel.Am I hearing something in the video that doesn't exists?Am I deaf? .Of course I have notice that most of the reviews are from metal guitarists who probably aren't in the sound that I am talking about and maybe that's the reason.
What are you saying guys?I think there is no reason to talk about the 2nd channel(we ALL know how good it is).Please tell me your thoughts about the Stiletto's clean channel.

I had it...and it sounds just like in the Andy Timmons Video...I now have moved to a Bogner XTC...but truly enjoyed the Duece when I had it. Its a great amp.

OMFG - The Stiletto is awesome.

I have owned an Ace and now a Deuce II and they both sound incredible on the clean channel. The clean is among the best I have ever heard - so smooth and all of the modes are SO usable.

Yea, we all know the gain channel OWNS, but the clean is the secret weapon of this amp. The Stiletto = perfection.

If only it had a good reverb...

(Easily handled by a Lee Jackson Mr Springy BTW...

It's every bit as good as it sounds on that video. One thing i did notice on the video is that the output and the master are both up at about noon! Crap that is loud! That's why is sounds so bloody good!

Hey DAVID,

The Stiletto’s clean channel is what closed the deal for me.

I loved the Fat Clean mode right off the bat. That’s the one I use the most for playing clean stuff.

Being happy with that tone I really did not play around with the Tight Clean mode at first.

I later discovered that at stage levels (like srf399 referred to) that mode just bloomed! Not Master and Output at noon though. Good grief!

Yet another very usable option avails itself. 8)

:lol: . Yeah, I played my Deuce with the band last night. I keep the clean channel on crunch setting with gain low - it just has a little better cut and bite that way for me. I had channel and output both at 10:00 and it was easilly even with our loud drummer. Both at noon may very well damage the building your playing in :lol:. I have channel 2 on fluid with gain around 1:00 and channel vol around 10:00 there as well. FREAKIN LOUD :shock: but oh so sweet 8)

Yeah, the clean channel is killer! It is very surprising from an EL34 based amp (like Timmons said). It is the second best clean channel on an amp that i've owned - the Lonestar's being the first best (of which I had on the Roadster I owned).

The Stiletto is a sweet amp! Clean and distortion are both equally impressive. Don't push the gain too much or your dynamics are out the window. Anything above 2:00 is too much. If you need more gain then add an overdrive in front. It really kicks it into another dimension!

Output at noon and master at noon on a clean channel is really tame. To get to a live playing sound I gotta put the master maxed. Barely can hear over a drummer if any lower.

His clean channel was insane on that video.

Output at noon and master at noon was on the 2nd channel.... That is friggin loud! If you max either channel on the Stiletto to keep up with any drummer your amp has a problem and you'd better get it serviced.

srf399 said:

Output at noon and master at noon was on the 2nd channel.... That is friggin loud! If you max either channel on the Stiletto to keep up with any drummer your amp has a problem and you'd better get it serviced.

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I totally agree. Like I said, channel and output both around 10:00 and I was plenty loud next to a loud drummer - both clean and gain. I started out at around 11:00 and had to turn down because I was drowning him (and everyone else for that matter :lol: ) out.

srf399 said:

Output at noon and master at noon was on the 2nd channel.... That is friggin loud! If you max either channel on the Stiletto to keep up with any drummer your amp has a problem and you'd better get it serviced.

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**** guess we're on two totally different ends of the show spectrum. Second channel gets loud. I've never had a clean channel get loud enough to over power a drummer. Unless the drummer hits softly then Output at noon and Master at noon would work fine. Are you guys raising the gain to bring the channel up a little louder? If not this is the first time I've ever heard of people playing this quiet in a show setting.

Yeah... The gain on my clean channel is at least at noon. But i know what you mean... You have to turn the master up more on the clean (blue) channel than you do on the dirty (red) channel.

Funny, i went the opposite way, I had a XTC then got the stiletto and sold the XTC. Thing is I could make the Stiletto sound like the bogner, but not the opposite. Bogner was very dark but I could never get it as bright as the stiletto, plus the difference in price was the kicker for me.

Dont get me wrong, the bogner is a great amp, and the plexi mode on taht thing I really miss, but i am perfectly happy with my stiletto and my roadking and I got both for 200 less then I sold my XTC for.

JAZZGEAR said:

I had it...and it sounds just like in the Andy Timmons Video...I now have moved to a Bogner XTC...but truly enjoyed the Duece when I had it. Its a great amp.

Click to expand...

Jmango said:

If only it had a good reverb...

(Easily handled by a Lee Jackson Mr Springy BTW...

Click to expand...

I have a VerbZilla by Line 6 in the loop and I think it's pretty awesome for Reverb. You're right, I wish the Stiletto had reverb built in. Only downside to the amp (and maybe it's brightness, but different pre-amp tubes and the MXR 10 band EQ have tamed it).

love the clean channel on my Ace. In fact, I'm using Fat Clean 90% of the time for rhythm work. I keep the gain around 1-2:00 so it works for clean, and then hit it with Xotic AC for crunch. The Xotic pedals sound very much like the Stiletto itself, but when you put it on Fat Clean you have one fat, darker, huge sounding amp for rock.

Maybe that tight clean would be good at louder volumes, it just sounds a bit thin with master/output at 10:00. I was glad to see Timmons uses his clean channel with a boost too. I thought it was just me that liked that sound.

I'm trying to like Ch 2 more for rhythm but I can't get over my love for Ch 1 with the Xotic boost. But I'm a classic/hard rock guy not a metal guy, that's probably why.

So today I spent a little time down at the shop and worked my way around a Deuce head through 412 Stiletto cab with a DD3 in the loop.

Can't get the sound out of my head.

Now I dont *need* a new amp. I really like my roadster. Had it for a year and a half and I think the Honeymoon is still strong...

But that stiletto has something that the Roadster doesn't- it isn't "better", but it does command your attention in its own way. And to keep this on topic- yeah, the clean channel is good. Real good. It is not as pristine as the Roadster cleans, and it cant do the tweed- but it is very solid. Needless to say- I am impressed.
Next week I will take my board down and play some more.

Maybe Im a Stiletto guy hiding in a Rectifier owners body....

more news to come Im sure....


Laskyman

David,
Like a few others on here, the clean channel is what really sold me on the stiletto Duece. Don't get me wrong, the dirty channel is spectacular as well. But the clean channel on the Stiletto gave it something that a Marshall has never had...Cleans that were actually warm and punchy with a chimey top end. And I have to agree with Laskyman about the Stiletto not being as pristine as the Roadster(Lonestar). It has a character all of its own. That's why I kept it even after buying a Roadster. I run mine in Fat Clean Mode, 100W, Output: 11 o'clock, Master: 2 o'clock, Presence: 2 o'clock, Bass: 8 o'clock, Mid: noonish, Treble: 1 o'clock, Gain: 10:30ish. It's pretty loud but sounds oh so sweet!!

In general, the Clean channel on my Duece sounds good enough, but never loud enough to compete in a full band setting. I frequently have Master at 2:00+ and Gain not far behind to get a loud clean sound without breakup. Depends on guitar/pickups of course. My PRS pickups are hot and can crunch out the clean channel easily. Strat sounds nice and crisp alone, but in band situation quickly loses it's focus and gets buried in that context. I've resorted to using a clean boost in front (Fulltone GT500 or similar) and Keeley Compressor to get more punch and stay clean. This seems to compensate for weaker pickups and let it breathe a bit easier.
My channel 2 Master is very sensitive above 9:00 no matter where the Gain is at. Channel 2 Master/Gain at 12 will rip your head off for sure.

Roadster Head
Stilletto Duece II Head
Recto 2-12
Mark IIB Combo
Mark V (on order)!
PRS 24 / VG Strat / Reverend

I've been experimenting a lot lately with the clean channel on my Deuce and I'm pulling some nice plexi sounds out of it in the crunch mode.