The Stiletto

les_paul_gold_top · Jul 10, 2007

For those Marshall guys on the fence - I just wanted to relay some really cool info about my new Stiletto Deuce II. I've owned it for two weeks, played it with the band twice. Within ten minutes (and using the factory presets for help) I was able to dial in good usable tone comparable to my old unfaithful '73 50 watter.

The second time I played it is where the fun begins. I played it pretty much all night with the tube rectifier(s) on both channels, and went back and forth between the bold and spongy. Extremely cool. We do anything from Buck Cherry, to Seether to Stevie Ray Vaugn, Toadies, Led Zepplin, you name it. - typical cover band stuff Each time - I was able to get the right tone, by visualizing the type of tone I was covering, then dialing it in!

The coolest thing was the last tune we did, Green Day, I flipped the rectifier to silicon, went Bold, and let her rip - channel 1 Tight Crunch. Well, it bought ripped my face off - right on the money.

This is about the nicest, most usable, and funnest amp I have ever played. By the way - I have read guys saying that they can actually use the Crunch in channel 1 for leads. If you can believe it - you actually can - with or without the solo feature it is really awesome - no pedals either. I have also read that the old Stiletto was worth the price of admission for the crunch alone - I think that is an absolute fact!

Les

Charlie · Jul 10, 2007

You should try posting this over on the Marshall forums!

:lol:

Just kidding, of course. It's a fantastic amp - I REALLY wish they would make a Stage III and include a footswitchable fx loop. That's my only gripe (and it's a small one) about the amp. I'm extremely jealous of all the other Mesa's that have this option.

I can't wait to get home and play mine tonight.

les_paul_gold_top · Jul 10, 2007

Charlie said:
You should try posting this over on the Marshall forums!

:lol:

Honestly - as a Marshall player - Mesa's really have been on the other team. I think early Marshall amp guys and I mean the plexis and metalface guys, generally abhore the triple rectifier tone. I know I did. Thats what we associate with a new Mesa. And to be perfectly honest, I couldn't tell you the difference between a lonestar and a rectoverb! I think that if most Marshall guys suffering through the quirks, unreliablity of the amps, and limitations (especially if your music changes) of those wonderful sounding amps, would jump ship as I did in a heartbeat for a Stiletto. Quite frankly, I could not get the sounds of more modern amps with the old Marshall - even with the JCM 800. I can with the Stiletto, and can get pretty **** close to a plexi/nail an early metalface, all the way up the chain....

Les

Lt_Core · Jul 10, 2007

Cool review! My band plays a variety of rock covers, including older stuff up through Green Day, Blink 182, etc.

I've been thinking about selling my F-50 for a Stiletto Ace head. How modern can you get the amp sounding? Is it mostly a vintage sounding amp? I don't need extreme metal sounds, just hard rock stuff. Thanks!

lockbody · Jul 10, 2007

Great Review that really mirrors my feelings towards this amp. I was a Marshall player for years also, and like many, got tired of unreliable and/or modded amps, or needing one or two pedals in front to get a useable grind at reasonable volumes. So in the late nineties I went Mesa... a Dual Rec, MK IV (which I agree is one of the best 6L6 amps Mesa has ever made), Triaxis, and then a Roadster.

No amp I've owned in the last 20 years satisfies me like my Stiletto Duece II. None of them. It only took about five minutes into band practice for the rest of the guys to notice the incredible difference in tone compared to my last two, the TA and the Roadster.

I don't miss the reverb of any of the other amps as the Stiletto's II tone is so "3d" and has such bloom that it makes any added ambience superfluos.

ursinus · Jul 11, 2007

I too just joined the stilletto club. I am going to a/b it with my MKIV rig. I ordered a custom Ace head and am going to run it through a vert Recto 2x12 cab, can't wait for it to come........ :shock:

Before pulling the trigger, I tried many (Emplexador, Cornford MK50, DSL, 5150, Germino, Voodoo, Deizel, VHT Deliverance, Splawn, etc...) but the Stilletto had the edge, smoothness, and versatility that I was looking for in a "brit" voiced amp

Thank you Mesa.......

Anonymous · Jul 11, 2007

its a real versatile amp but its got its own very significant sound. i made my choice and will go now for no. 3+4 and pile them up. that should make the grail

inkwachemis · Jul 11, 2007

dean69 said:
its a real versatile amp but its got its own very significant sound. i made my choice and will go now for no. 3+4 and pile them up. that should make the grail

what the??

I love my Stiletto, but do you really NEED 4 of them? thats ridiculous

wicked1 · Jul 11, 2007

I just picked up a Stiletto Ace head took it to band practice and gotta say it will be replacing my DR. I love it! Right now I'm playing through a Marshall 1960 but I want a 2x12 cab. I demoed it through a soldano 2x12 and it sounded much better than the marshall. What 2x12 have you guys played your Stilettos through that you would recommend?

Anonymous · Jul 11, 2007

i recommend the combo actually, but you run a head now so i would go for the 2x12 closed stiletto cabinet mesa offers

... and maybe it sounds ridiculous to own 4 stiletto combo but to hear them sounds like the grail tone. ever seen brian may in his younger days life playing with a few vox ac30 piled up?

with the two now its already nice. the 50w aren#t that demanding, when cranked already smooth and full in sound, so the next two will make it really comfortably

ursinus · Jul 11, 2007

dean69 said:
i recommend the combo actually, but you run a head now so i would go for the 2x12 closed stiletto cabinet mesa offers

... and maybe it sounds ridiculous to own 4 stiletto combo but to hear them sounds like the grail tone. ever seen brian may in his younger days life playing with a few vox ac30 piled up?

with the two now its already nice. the 50w aren#t that demanding, when cranked already smooth and full in sound, so the next two will make it really comfortably

I got the Ace head rather rhan the combo because I'm tired of yanking around a heavy combo. Did the same for my MKIV combo: I bought a 1x12 cab and a head shell for it.... :roll:

ursinus · Jul 11, 2007

wicked1 said:
I just picked up a Stiletto Ace head took it to band practice and gotta say it will be replacing my DR. I love it! Right now I'm playing through a Marshall 1960 but I want a 2x12 cab. I demoed it through a soldano 2x12 and it sounded much better than the marshall. What 2x12 have you guys played your Stilettos through that you would recommend?

I really like the Stilletto with the Recto vertical 2x12. It seems to be a good match sonically.

pauliegtr · Jul 11, 2007

les_paul_gold_top said:
Charlie said:

You should try posting this over on the Marshall forums!

:lol:

Honestly - as a Marshall player - Mesa's really have been on the other team. I think early Marshall amp guys and I mean the plexis and metalface guys, generally abhore the triple rectifier tone. I know I did. Thats what we associate with a new Mesa. And to be perfectly honest, I couldn't tell you the difference between a lonestar and a rectoverb! I think that if most Marshall guys suffering through the quirks, unreliablity of the amps, and limitations (especially if your music changes) of those wonderful sounding amps, would jump ship as I did in a heartbeat for a Stiletto. Quite frankly, I could not get the sounds of more modern amps with the old Marshall - even with the JCM 800. I can with the Stiletto, and can get pretty **** close to a plexi/nail an early metalface, all the way up the chain....

Les

Click to expand...

That was exactly my thinking until i heard the lonestar. how does the stiletto sound with the EJ start? Any clips?

les_paul_gold_top · Jul 11, 2007

how does the stiletto sound with the EJ start? Any clips?[/quote]

Both the Les Paul and the Strat have different than stock pickups. The Les Paul has Seymour Duncan SH1's which I love. The EJ Strat has a JB jr in the bridge, which is actually split to a volume pot (ie on 1 its a single coil, on 10 its a humbucker). The middle and the neck are the newer SD STK S4 pickups - called Classic Stack Plus. I like em okay.

I have never actually played the stock EJ pickups through the Mesa. Though I had a '73 Strat which I did the same bridge pickup wiring thing through a tone pot deal - I found it cumbersome to have to roll back the treble (slightly) for everything bridge, then have to roll it forward for the 2nd position. The JB jr really works nice all around. The amp sounds great in the ch1 crunch, and the 2nd position strat with the jb jr on 1 (single coil)...I have mp3's of Bad Co Feel like Making Love with that setup...

I can post a clip of the Les Paul in the middle postion doing the Jet tune Are you gonna be My Girl which I think people are gonna dig a lot. Its CH1 crunch of course... I might update the bands website with this tune so everyone can access it...

Les

wicked1 · Jul 11, 2007

Is there a difference between a vertical and a horizontal cab

Whats the difference between the stiletto and recto cabs they have the same speaker?

Has anyone tried the g-flex or basson cabs with ther stiletto?

Thanks

Silverwulf · Jul 11, 2007

wicked1 said:
Is there a difference between a vertical and a horizontal cab

Whats the difference between the stiletto and recto cabs they have the same speaker?

Has anyone tried the g-flex or basson cabs with ther stiletto?

Thanks

The Stiletto Cab is what used to be the Recto Traditional Cab. As for the G-Flex, the other guitarist in my band has been using a G-Flex Cab with the Stiletto. It doesn't sound bad, but the moment he plugged into my Mesa Traditional Sized 4X12, it took all of 5 minutes before he decided he wanted to sell his cab and pick up a Mesa. It made that much difference.

Almost Human Guitarist · Jul 13, 2007

I would would be that other guitarist using the G-Flex and he's right. I like the G-Flex. Decent cab. But as soon as I plugged into the Mesa Cab it was night and day. The bottom end tightened up. The mids were more present. It was louder and less brittle than it was with the G-Flex. It definetly added to the 'chunk' I'm on a mission now to get a new Mesa cab to go with the Stiletto.

wicked1 · Jul 13, 2007

Thanks guys I'll defiantly give the stiletto cab a try

lockbody · Jul 13, 2007

My half-back cab is stellar with my Stiletto.

wicked1 · Jul 14, 2007

My half-back cab is stellar with my Stiletto.

I never really thought about a half back cab what is it you like about it?

The Stiletto

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