Mesa stiletto deuce ll whats up

[stephen sawall]

Yeah I agree that this amp needs to be turned up to really sing, the low end fills up at louder volumes as well. I just find keeping the master lower and cranking the output has a sweeter tone in the top end.

I can see that ...... I just feel any way you get it loud makes a huge effect on the final out come. I feel it sounds best with the loop bypassed. If I use the loop I use it like you do.

 

[irondeth21]

Yeah different ways to accomplish the same thing, I always run some reverb so never bypassed the loop.

 

[just42dave]

Got the plexitone today wow! I am thoroughly impressed!!

 

[stephen sawall]

Got the plexitone today wow! I am thoroughly impressed!!

Carl Martin PlexiTone ?

 

[just42dave]

yessir it is sweet in this amp or any of my others .
I cant believe I have had a Mesa this long it sounds so different from the others Ive had.

 

[wannabweiland]

I'm a bit late on this thread, but I've owned my Stiletto Deuce II longer than any of the other amps I've had (Mesa Rectifier, Soldano Hot Rod, Orange Rockerverb, JCM800, etc). I'm still amazed by the cleans on it. I remember demoing the Stiletto Ace 2x12 combo next to a Lonestar Classic 2x12 and BARELY being able to tell the difference in cleans. The Stilettos are, IMO, very misunderstood beasts. You have to give it a little lovin' and it'll give it right back. Low volumes it can be bright, but not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It accepts pedals ridiculously well. Mine is a bit noisy, but the tubes haven't been changed in 3 owners and it's about time I hit up some high gain JJs or Doug's Tubes Stiletto set. I am really glad to see a thread that's on the positive side toward the Stiletto. You have no idea how many times I've been at a show and some asshat scoffs at my amp because of what he's read about it or how he played an Ace head through a B-52 cab at GC for 3 minutes at whisper volume.

Looks like it's been a few months now, do you still dig the Stiletto, just42dave?

 

[11justin22]

love mine too, got a stage 1 w/hollywood mod. run it with a mesa cab loaded with et65's. love it. looks like everything that i have found has been stated in here already. get the bias up and get the volume up past noon. ditched the v30's in a hurry, felt the voicing was a severe mismatch. I also like mc-90's, or lead 80's with the stiletto

 

[droptrd]

love mine too, got a stage 1 w/hollywood mod. run it with a mesa cab loaded with et65's. love it. looks like everything that i have found has been stated in here already. get the bias up and get the volume up past noon. ditched the v30's in a hurry, felt the voicing was a severe mismatch. I also like mc-90's, or lead 80's with the stiletto

I bet the stilettos kill with ET65's

 

[wannabweiland]

love mine too, got a stage 1 w/hollywood mod. run it with a mesa cab loaded with et65's. love it. looks like everything that i have found has been stated in here already. get the bias up and get the volume up past noon. ditched the v30's in a hurry, felt the voicing was a severe mismatch. I also like mc-90's, or lead 80's with the stiletto

I bet the stilettos kill with ET65's

I got my Emperor loaded with Jensen Electric Lightnings. Sounds pretty damn good. But I want to get some Warehouse Guitar Speakers! Green Berets and ET65s maybe.

 

[joepete77]

Let me start by saying that I basically am a marshall guy but when mesa first came out with the idea for the stiletto I did alot of research on it and it sounded like the ideal amp on paper as I loved the idea of a brittish el34 voiced amp but with mesa's options and versatility and build quality. I went to gc and they were having an unbelievable sale which enabled me to pick up one for under dealer cost. In the store it sounded nice, but after getting it home the honeymoon period went away quickly. I would say that if u r buying a stiletto because u like the marshall tone then look elsewhere. If u r looking for an el34 mesa sounding amp that is versatile with plenty of tonal options and nice build quality then this may be right for u. In the end I realized that the stiletto was no replacement for my modded jmp marshall, although the mesa was much more versatile, the marshall being a 1 trick pony did its 1 trick way better then the mesa. I brought both to practice a few times and finally even my bandmates said that they preferred the marshall. All of the channel switching ,fx loops, rectifier choice, assignable channel wattage, voicings, etc etc had me sold on paper but in the real world that doesnt always equal tone.

 

[droptrd]

Let me start by saying that I basically am a marshall guy but when mesa first came out with the idea for the stiletto I did alot of research on it and it sounded like the ideal amp on paper as I loved the idea of a brittish el34 voiced amp but with mesa's options and versatility and build quality. I went to gc and they were having an unbelievable sale which enabled me to pick up one for under dealer cost. In the store it sounded nice, but after getting it home the honeymoon period went away quickly. I would say that if u r buying a stiletto because u like the marshall tone then look elsewhere. If u r looking for an el34 mesa sounding amp that is versatile with plenty of tonal options and nice build quality then this may be right for u. In the end I realized that the stiletto was no replacement for my modded jmp marshall, although the mesa was much more versatile, the marshall being a 1 trick pony did its 1 trick way better then the mesa. I brought both to practice a few times and finally even my bandmates said that they preferred the marshall. All of the channel switching ,fx loops, rectifier choice, assignable channel wattage, voicings, etc etc had me sold on paper but in the real world that doesnt always equal tone.

I dont know where the original rumors about the stiletto being marshallish came to be. It doesnt sound like a marshall to me. I suppose its "marshallish" compared to a recto.

 

[stephen sawall]

Let me start by saying that I basically am a marshall guy but when mesa first came out with the idea for the stiletto I did alot of research on it and it sounded like the ideal amp on paper as I loved the idea of a brittish el34 voiced amp but with mesa's options and versatility and build quality. I went to gc and they were having an unbelievable sale which enabled me to pick up one for under dealer cost. In the store it sounded nice, but after getting it home the honeymoon period went away quickly. I would say that if u r buying a stiletto because u like the marshall tone then look elsewhere. If u r looking for an el34 mesa sounding amp that is versatile with plenty of tonal options and nice build quality then this may be right for u. In the end I realized that the stiletto was no replacement for my modded jmp marshall, although the mesa was much more versatile, the marshall being a 1 trick pony did its 1 trick way better then the mesa. I brought both to practice a few times and finally even my bandmates said that they preferred the marshall. All of the channel switching ,fx loops, rectifier choice, assignable channel wattage, voicings, etc etc had me sold on paper but in the real world that doesnt always equal tone.

I dont know where the original rumors about the stiletto being marshallish came to be. It doesnt sound like a marshall to me. I suppose its "marshallish" compared to a recto.

I did not start that rumor..... English style crunch yes.... Marshall no.
But if explaining it to someone who is not familiar with a lot of amps or amp styles I would use a Marshall reference. Because it sounds more like a Marshall than a Fender or Vox.

 

[droptrd]

Let me start by saying that I basically am a marshall guy but when mesa first came out with the idea for the stiletto I did alot of research on it and it sounded like the ideal amp on paper as I loved the idea of a brittish el34 voiced amp but with mesa's options and versatility and build quality. I went to gc and they were having an unbelievable sale which enabled me to pick up one for under dealer cost. In the store it sounded nice, but after getting it home the honeymoon period went away quickly. I would say that if u r buying a stiletto because u like the marshall tone then look elsewhere. If u r looking for an el34 mesa sounding amp that is versatile with plenty of tonal options and nice build quality then this may be right for u. In the end I realized that the stiletto was no replacement for my modded jmp marshall, although the mesa was much more versatile, the marshall being a 1 trick pony did its 1 trick way better then the mesa. I brought both to practice a few times and finally even my bandmates said that they preferred the marshall. All of the channel switching ,fx loops, rectifier choice, assignable channel wattage, voicings, etc etc had me sold on paper but in the real world that doesnt always equal tone.

I dont know where the original rumors about the stiletto being marshallish came to be. It doesnt sound like a marshall to me. I suppose its "marshallish" compared to a recto.

I did not start that rumor..... English style crunch yes.... Marshall no.
But if explaining it to someone who is not familiar with a lot of amps or amp styles I would use a Marshall reference. Because it sounds more like a Marshall than a Fender or Vox.

Good point. I guess you just have to be carefull how you describe it here on RT. If you tell someone here it sounds like a marshall, youd get,"This thing doesnt sound anything like a marshall. This thing sucks. bright POS"

 

[stephen sawall]

Let me start by saying that I basically am a marshall guy but when mesa first came out with the idea for the stiletto I did alot of research on it and it sounded like the ideal amp on paper as I loved the idea of a brittish el34 voiced amp but with mesa's options and versatility and build quality. I went to gc and they were having an unbelievable sale which enabled me to pick up one for under dealer cost. In the store it sounded nice, but after getting it home the honeymoon period went away quickly. I would say that if u r buying a stiletto because u like the marshall tone then look elsewhere. If u r looking for an el34 mesa sounding amp that is versatile with plenty of tonal options and nice build quality then this may be right for u. In the end I realized that the stiletto was no replacement for my modded jmp marshall, although the mesa was much more versatile, the marshall being a 1 trick pony did its 1 trick way better then the mesa. I brought both to practice a few times and finally even my bandmates said that they preferred the marshall. All of the channel switching ,fx loops, rectifier choice, assignable channel wattage, voicings, etc etc had me sold on paper but in the real world that doesnt always equal tone.

I dont know where the original rumors about the stiletto being marshallish came to be. It doesnt sound like a marshall to me. I suppose its "marshallish" compared to a recto.

I did not start that rumor..... English style crunch yes.... Marshall no.
But if explaining it to someone who is not familiar with a lot of amps or amp styles I would use a Marshall reference. Because it sounds more like a Marshall than a Fender or Vox.

Good point. I guess you just have to be carefull how you describe it here on RT. If you tell someone here it sounds like a marshall, youd get,"This thing doesnt sound anything like a marshall. This thing sucks. bright POS"

Sounds familiar ..... for now on I am going to describe it as a "bright POS Marshall type thing". You know ....to confuse everyone ?

 

[just42dave]

I actually still have it LOL and I have sets of tubes and rectifiers for it if anyone is down ,, I am leaving it the way it is..

 

[just42dave]

still loving this amp!!

 

[droptrd]

 

[Anonymous]

Didn't really care for mine to much. Couldn't get happy no matter where I put the knobs. Here's a video of my shitty playing with way to much reverb. Boosted with a Kelley SD-1

Jim

love the sound you got here dude!

was pining over a stiletto for a while, and i used to use your video as a benchmark...theres a certain "something" that those amps have that can't be touched by any other that i've heard.

and they keep going lower in price...pretty soon, i'll be having one.

 

[just42dave]

they are so much better to me than any other mwsa except the new royal atlantic or whatever its called.

 

[11justin22]

love mine too, got a stage 1 w/hollywood mod. run it with a mesa cab loaded with et65's. love it. looks like everything that i have found has been stated in here already. get the bias up and get the volume up past noon. ditched the v30's in a hurry, felt the voicing was a severe mismatch. I also like mc-90's, or lead 80's with the stiletto

I bet the stilettos kill with ET65's

It does!!! I went through a ton of speakers and the et65 fits the stiletto perfectly.