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ifailedshapes

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I've managed to find a good deal on an Ace combo, which means I'll be back in the family. :) Having three children, besides being a wonderful blessing and God's greatest gift in my life, means the tax refund goes a bit further!

I can't wait to get the refund, buy the amp, and then post pics of one of the last new Stilettos to be found!
 
ifailedshapes said:
I've managed to find a good deal on an Ace combo, which means I'll be back in the family. :) Having three children, besides being a wonderful blessing and God's greatest gift in my life, means the tax refund goes a bit further!

I can't wait to get the refund, buy the amp, and then post pics of one of the last new Stilettos to be found!

Good to hear, man! :D
 
Welcome back!

Speaking of tax returns, I no longer have the dependants so they are much smaller these days. That's why I purchased my Mesa when I did. 8)
 
Thanks. :) I've had a Lone Star Special and an Electra Dyne (which is currently for sale) since my old Ace. They're both great amps, and while I realize nothing is perfect, I think an Ace combo will be a great platform to spend some quality time with. This will also be the first new amp I've ever purchased, so I'm pretty flippin' excited about that aspect of it!

I remember when Mesa released the Stilettos and eventually the Ace. I frequently went to my local dealer (before Guitar Center got the contract) and was very familiar with Mesa's entire lineup. The amps that always spoke to me were the Lone Stars and Ace combos. To find a brand new one in one of my favorite custom finishes for a price far less than new is a true blessing in my book. I've never owned an amp with a Vintage 30 (kinda hard to believe since they're in so many these days), so I'm going to be patient and let it break in. I definitely want to try a Celestion Creamback and some JJ EL34L's eventually, but I'm not going to make any rushed judgements.

In case anybody is wondering what's bringing me back, here are a few reasons:

- I'm a sucker for a good deal.

- The Lone Star Special had amazing clean tones, and the reverb was really special. I never bonded with the second channel, though. I want to get another one of these someday, because the drive channel would be perfect for some soulful soloing. My number one priority is a good rhythm sound, and it was too hard to find that in the Lone Star.

- The Electra Dyne is the best amp I've owned yet tone-wise, but it has some functional drawbacks that were deal-breakers for me. The Master volume is useless for my situation. The gain trim switch/knob on the back is a pitiful attempt to reconcile the only major problem this amp has: balancing the volumes between clean and dirty modes. It's really a hassle. Also, the footswitch doesn't allow for direct access to the Hi and Lo modes, meaning you're left hoping you remember which one you were on last. I'm also looking forward to independent tone stacks, even though that's one thing I think the Electra Dyne nailed.

I love the Fat Clean mode on the Stiletto with my Strat, but I also like the idea of switching to Tite Clean when I'm in crowded mix. I'm also head over heels for the Crunch mode. Tite Gain and Fluid Drive are not my thing, and I don't expect to spend much, if any, time in those modes, but it's also nice to have them there, just in case I ever have a use for them.

So yeah, I'm stoked. You can probably tell by how much I wrote. Also, here's the obligatory pic!

humbucker_2243_42422331.jpeg
 
Thanks, man. I need to take a picture one of these days. It actually looks a little different than the pic I got off the website, but it's still really cool! The combo has a mojo to it that cannot be denied. :)
 

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