Mesa Stiletto

[snowdog]

What do you guys think about this amp ? A good choice for a $900 Marshall flavored amp or ?

 

[thiswaythatway]

It was good enough for Bruce Bouillet to use on the 07 tour with Racer X. He used a combo ontop of a 2x12 cab.

 

[xXDaveyJonesXx]

Heads up, my input is useless. But I just checked one of these out the other day. Actually, the one I played belongs to Gbsmusic. Couldn't tell you how much it compares to Marshall, as my experience with them is very limited. This amp was way out of my comfort zone (Framus Cobra player, here) but I warmed up to it quickly enough. I'd be tempted to pick one up at the right price.

Some pretty sweet options! I really liked it with every guitar, cab and pickup we used. Solid clean channel. Red channel was awesome for some classic feeling tones with the rectifier tubes and fluid drive engaged, but felt like it could get some fairly modern tones with the diode rectifiers engaged along with a few other tweaks if that's something you'd ever be after with this amp. Cleans up pretty nicely with guitar volume. Hopefully Greg and the like will chime in with some useful input.

 

[skoora]

http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=169862

 

[ewill52]

I've had a couple of these and they're hard to beat at that price. My only gripe is that the highs were tough to control, I've heard others with similar issues with treble on these.

 

[messenger]

As I stated in the other thread linked I really liked the Ace I had and have been gassing for another.

 

[snowdog]

Thanks for the info so far.

 

[Racerxrated]

Heads up, my input is useless. But I just checked one of these out the other day. Actually, the one I played belongs to Gbsmusic. Couldn't tell you how much it compares to Marshall, as my experience with them is very limited. This amp was way out of my comfort zone (Framus Cobra player, here) but I warmed up to it quickly enough. I'd be tempted to pick one up at the right price.

Some pretty sweet options! I really liked it with every guitar, cab and pickup we used. Solid clean channel. Red channel was awesome for some classic feeling tones with the rectifier tubes and fluid drive engaged, but felt like it could get some fairly modern tones with the diode rectifiers engaged along with a few other tweaks if that's something you'd ever be after with this amp. Cleans up pretty nicely with guitar volume. Hopefully Greg and the like will chime in with some useful input.

I'm a Marshall guy. I bought Greg's SLO last year. Loved it, one of my favorites along with a Jubilee and a VHT Deliverance. He also had a D120, he liked that as well. From what I read he likes this amp so far...its gotta have some damn good Marshally tones in it! If I didn't just buy a 78 JMP I'd be looking at one as Greg and I seem to like similar tones. And I've seen a few for under 900! Just like a used Deliverance, that's a steal......

 

[xXDaveyJonesXx]

Heads up, my input is useless. But I just checked one of these out the other day. Actually, the one I played belongs to Gbsmusic. Couldn't tell you how much it compares to Marshall, as my experience with them is very limited. This amp was way out of my comfort zone (Framus Cobra player, here) but I warmed up to it quickly enough. I'd be tempted to pick one up at the right price.

Some pretty sweet options! I really liked it with every guitar, cab and pickup we used. Solid clean channel. Red channel was awesome for some classic feeling tones with the rectifier tubes and fluid drive engaged, but felt like it could get some fairly modern tones with the diode rectifiers engaged along with a few other tweaks if that's something you'd ever be after with this amp. Cleans up pretty nicely with guitar volume. Hopefully Greg and the like will chime in with some useful input.

I'm a Marshall guy. I bought Greg's SLO last year. Loved it, one of my favorites along with a Jubilee and a VHT Deliverance. He also had a D120, he liked that as well. From what I read he likes this amp so far...its gotta have some damn good Marshally tones in it! If I didn't just buy a 78 JMP I'd be looking at one as Greg and I seem to like similar tones. And I've seen a few for under 900! Just like a used Deliverance, that's a steal......

I didn't only hear, but definitely felt some classic rock and 80's vibes oozing out of it. If Marshall is what's responsible for the majority of that, I'd say it does a stellar job capturing a lot of it. A mutual buddy of ours was also present and was able to coax some killer tones out of it. He's got a sort of Jazz / Classic rock style and he dialed in some spectacular cleans for his jazz runs he was doing and then kicked it into gear with some teeth gritting lead work. Got something of a country twang going with a single coil strat and sounded great with my BK Black Dog loaded LP for everything, as well. Very versatile amp. Not to mention, they can be found at great prices.

Dammit... I think I'm Gasing. Thanks..... GREG. You're not helping either, OP

 

[gbsmusic]

I am blown away by this amp!! WE (Davey Jones and another friend) really put it through a good 3 hour test. Great Marshall type tones and it you were to boost it I'm sure you can get into some pretty heavy stuff btw I haven't found any need to boost so I haven't tried but I'll probably get a boost pedal just to check it out. The big thing I will say as ewill52 said the highs were hard to control but we had 2 cabs with Vin 30's 1 cab well broken in and 1 can pretty new and with both it was a little spiky on the highs. we were able to adjust but IMO V-30's aren't the best speaker for this amp.

NOW!!!! That said, I went to my friend's house last night and played it through his greenback loaded 4-12 and BOOM!!!! Sounded fucking awesome!!!! Smooth, articulate, and very well balanced. The cleans are super chimey the crunch is very good for ACDC type and if cranked VH style and the red channel does the hard 80/90 tones great. A lot of options on the amp. I love it! Hope this helps and BTW I paid $750 for mine and its in near mint condition, Guitar Center has one for $699 shipping will cost ya $21 anywhere in the US.

I was done with Boogies 8 years ago because I just couldn't seem to get along with them but I love I love me some Stiletto!!

 

[born_hard]

I am blown away by this amp!! WE (Davey Jones and another friend) really put it through a good 3 hour test. Great Marshall type tones and it you were to boost it I'm sure you can get into some pretty heavy stuff btw I haven't found any need to boost so I haven't tried but I'll probably get a boost pedal just to check it out. The big thing I will say as ewill52 said the highs were hard to control but we had 2 cabs with Vin 30's 1 cab well broken in and 1 can pretty new and with both it was a little spiky on the highs. we were able to adjust but IMO V-30's aren't the best speaker for this amp.

NOW!!!! That said, I went to my friend's house last night and played it through his greenback loaded 4-12 and BOOM!!!! Sounded fucking awesome!!!! Smooth, articulate, and very well balanced. The cleans are super chimey the crunch is very good for ACDC type and if cranked VH style and the red channel does the hard 80/90 tones great. A lot of options on the amp. I love it! Hope this helps and BTW I paid $750 for mine and its in near mint condition, Guitar Center has one for $699 shipping will cost ya $21 anywhere in the US.

I was done with Boogies 8 years ago because I just couldn't seem to get along with them but I love I love me some Stiletto!!

Sounds great. Which model do you have? Ace, Deuce or Trident? Stage 1 or 2?
I could pick up a Stage 1 Trident (150Watt) or an Stage 2 Ace (50Watt), which one sounds better across the board (clean, midgain and heavy)? I guess the Ace cause it has the newer improved Stage 2 preamp? When i listen to the Stiletto, i like almost all the Ace clips.

 

[ejecta]

They sound like they have a blanket or two over them or maybe even a tarp.

 

[gbsmusic]

They sound like they have a blanket or two over them or maybe even a tarp.

With Vin 30s I agree. With greenbacks very open and smooth.

I have the Duece 1. I talked to Gary at Mesa, he said they just made some minor changes on channel 1 and made channel 2 a little more modern sounding. If you want the nore Marshall type that has plenty og gain get the 1. I dont think you'll go wrong either way.

 

[messenger]

They sound like they have a blanket or two over them or maybe even a tarp.

Really??? NEVER had that problem with my Ace

 

[ejecta]

They sound like they have a blanket or two over them or maybe even a tarp.

Really??? NEVER had that problem with my Ace

I was just quoting the OP from another thread where he made the same stupid comment about an amp he's never heard in person.

 

[Racerxrated]

I am blown away by this amp!! WE (Davey Jones and another friend) really put it through a good 3 hour test. Great Marshall type tones and it you were to boost it I'm sure you can get into some pretty heavy stuff btw I haven't found any need to boost so I haven't tried but I'll probably get a boost pedal just to check it out. The big thing I will say as ewill52 said the highs were hard to control but we had 2 cabs with Vin 30's 1 cab well broken in and 1 can pretty new and with both it was a little spiky on the highs. we were able to adjust but IMO V-30's aren't the best speaker for this amp.

NOW!!!! That said, I went to my friend's house last night and played it through his greenback loaded 4-12 and BOOM!!!! Sounded fucking awesome!!!! Smooth, articulate, and very well balanced. The cleans are super chimey the crunch is very good for ACDC type and if cranked VH style and the red channel does the hard 80/90 tones great. A lot of options on the amp. I love it! Hope this helps and BTW I paid $750 for mine and its in near mint condition, Guitar Center has one for $699 shipping will cost ya $21 anywhere in the US.

I was done with Boogies 8 years ago because I just couldn't seem to get along with them but I love I love me some Stiletto!!

Saw that one...GC.com is my friend! Damn GAS!!!

 

[xXDaveyJonesXx]

They sound like they have a blanket or two over them or maybe even a tarp.

Really??? NEVER had that problem with my Ace

I was just quoting the OP from another thread where he made the same stupid comment about an amp he's never heard in person.

The only time I noticed this was when it was dialed in to desired settings at full guitar volume with Recto tubes engaged and in fluid mode, then rolling the guitar volume back. At that point, it literally sounds like the guitar tone was rolled all the way off as well. To the point that actually rolling off the tone yields hardly any perceivable difference. But when switching from Fluid to Crunch, it cleared up nicely and everything rang through with clarity at low guitar volume with awesome touch sensitive dynamics. But then you open the volume back up and you're met with a stilleto straight to the ear, it's so peaky as the settings that were dialed in around the fluid mode feature no longer applied. That was my one and only "gripe", about this amp, but as I mentioned earlier, it was also well outside my comfort zone to begin with and I'm sure a workaround could be dialed in if I spent some more time with it. If anything, the "problem" I encountered may also speak to the versatility of this fine amplifier.

 

[snowdog]

They sound like they have a blanket or two over them or maybe even a tarp.

Really??? NEVER had that problem with my Ace

I was just quoting the OP from another thread where he made the same stupid comment about an amp he's never heard in person.

Well, being in the room with the amp and listening to a clip are two different things, I must have missed the disclaimer to imagine I was there.

 

[ejecta]

They sound like they have a blanket or two over them or maybe even a tarp.

Really??? NEVER had that problem with my Ace

I was just quoting the OP from another thread where he made the same stupid comment about an amp he's never heard in person.

Well, being in the room with the amp and listening to a clip are two different things, I must have missed the disclaimer to imagine I was there.

Yeah you missed "something".

 

[xXDaveyJonesXx]

Yeah... Anyway, sweet amp.

Lots of options and versatility packed into a more than fair price point in the used market.