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Mesa Boogie Stiletto Ace Combo - Thoughts?


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In my never ending quest for heavy amplifiers to permanently disable myself, I've been somewhat intrigued by the Mesa Boogie Stiletto Ace Combo.  I will definitely admit to becoming a bit of a Mesa Fanboy lately... probably just regretting not buying a minty Lone Star Special Combo for 1100 at guitar center two years ago.

Anyway, I've been listening to reviews/demos all day while at work, and It definitely seems to have quite a bit of variety of tones, and does seem to do the British sound quite well. I also like the layout a bit more than the current Triple Crown offering.  I have however heard a lot of people say that the Stiletto series has a ton too much highs, though what I'm hearing in the demos does not reflect that. Also, as a "lesser known" mesa, they can be had relatively inexpensively, compared to the more well-known examples.

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33 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

and does seem to do the British sound quite well

nope. it may have brit flavor, but no brit soul. It's a boogie.

34 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

the Stiletto series has a ton too much highs,

yes it does (did).

Had one a few years back. Posted about it. it went back to GC fast.

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I have a Stiletto Deuce (Series II).  It does indeed have a ton of highs.  I mention mine is a Series II because I think the problem was even worse in the Series I.  If I played more single coil Strat-type guitars, I don't know if I could even use it but I almost always play Gibsons or Hamers with humbuckers.  I've had the 50 Caliber, three Nomad 55's, the Stiletto I mentioned, Express 5:25, and Express 5:50 and 5:50+.  The only two I still have are the Stiletto and the 5:50+ combo.  If the Stiletto died, I would replace it with something else.

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I seem to recall the Series II tried to reduce some of the problems, and the ACE series II was specifically revoiced to make it sound better as a combo.

I kinda wonder what MB was thinking when they designed it. Even the manual says to keep the treble and mids around noon or below. I do like that it has modes though. I wish more amplifiers had revoicing switches.

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I had a series I head. Very bright, got close to a Marshall. Finally just dialed in what I thought was an acceptable heavy tone. 

If you need all of the tonal/switching options, go with the Ace. I’d suggest Budda SD30 or 45 combo. They’re far simpler amps, but they weigh appx 35 lbs, far easier to lug around. 

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Eh, it was worth a look because there's one close to me at a good price, but I think I'll pass then. Too many issues to worry about. Also, like the Budda Superdrive and Friedman amplifiers, there's no reverb. I like reverb, even just a little. I play at home mostly, and having to put one through the loop is a pain as I am lazy.

I do like Mesa Boogie's stuff, I just wish they would bring in someone, anyone, so they could really get the british feel right. I don't think Randall Smith would really want to listen to anyone else though.

I guess it's time to just give up and look for a Carr Mercury V.

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I had a .50cal Plus head in the 80s/90’s. It crushed with Brit tone, just like the JCM800 I had, too. I remember the print ads for the .50cal had something to do with, “there’s a new amp in town, taking out old marshalls at twenty paces”, or some such clever copy.  

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Used to play with a guy that had a Triple Crown, it did the Marshall thing pretty well. Variety cover band, he used many different sounds.  Got stolen, he buys a Dual Rectifier. Basically sounds the same and all the same sounds.  Gifted player and knows his amps.

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Trick is to back off on the master slightly, and then up the volume using the output knob. Reduces a bit of high end and introduces a bit more low end. However, you could always dial it without that high end, but IMO, sounds more like a classic Marshall with the highs turned up more

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5 hours ago, KH Guitar Freak said:

Trick is to back off on the master slightly, and then up the volume using the output knob. Reduces a bit of high end and introduces a bit more low end. However, you could always dial it without that high end, but IMO, sounds more like a classic Marshall with the highs turned up more

Yeah, kinda like a Marshall with a Boogie inside. It is a pretty divisive series of amplifiers, with some hating it, and some reviewers declaring it a Marshall killer. I've been listening to clips all the time for the past two days, both of the original Stilettos, and the Series II, which included the combo.

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I've owned several Mesas--Lone Star Special, Duel Rec, Express 5:25+, and one or two more which I can't remember. Though they came close, none of them had the Marshall-esque sound I was looking for. I had a Carr Mercury, too--great amp! Should've kept that one.  

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1 hour ago, Thundersteel said:

I've owned several Mesas--Lone Star Special, Duel Rec, Express 5:25+, and one or two more which I can't remember. Though they came close, none of them had the Marshall-esque sound I was looking for. I had a Carr Mercury, too--great amp! Should've kept that one.  

Yeah, the Maverick and DC-5 I have don't get that sound, but they also aren't really designed to have it. The Stiletto, Royal Atlantic, and the newer Transatlantic series were designed to be EL34 "british flavor" amps. Though, it's the Mesa Boogie take on the sound, so they always have their own thing going on. You either like it, or you don't.

Of course, most of the marshall lineup since the JCM900s have had trouble with the "marshall sound".

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If you’re looking for a Marshally sounding Mesa, you might want to check out the Electra Dyne.  I can’t speak to how Marshally it is, based on the fact I’ve never owned a Marshall tube amp...  But a lot of the reviews I read before I bought mine seemed to indicate it might be what you are looking for.  And I love the sound of mine.  Plus, the combo certainly seems to meet your requirement for back-breaking heaviness...

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Well, the price was something I couldn't pass up, and it looks to be in excellent condition, complete with the original casters, cover, footswitch, etc. Hopefully UPS or Fedex doesn't destroy it. I dig the green color too. If I've found anything, it's that what some people hear is not the same thing I hear. My friend Tim sold me a Stingray 4H some years back, said he hated the trebley sound of it, even with the flatwounds.

I got it, put roundwounds on it, and LOVED IT... so much that I promptly got two Stingray 5s. Another guy who loves Carvin basses hated their J99 pickups.. I love them.

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5 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Well, the price was something I couldn't pass up, and it looks to be in excellent condition, complete with the original casters, cover, footswitch, etc. Hopefully UPS or Fedex doesn't destroy it. I dig the green color too. If I've found anything, it's that what some people hear is not the same thing I hear. My friend Tim sold me a Stingray 4H some years back, said he hated the trebley sound of it, even with the flatwounds.

I got it, put roundwounds on it, and LOVED IT... so much that I promptly got two Stingray 5s. Another guy who loves Carvin basses hated their J99 pickups.. I love them.

 Some people really don't like bright tones. I for one seem to dig them. And don't forget the context too. Might not sound all that great alone, but might work very well in a mix. Also depends on what amps you are running it with too

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22 minutes ago, KH Guitar Freak said:

 Some people really don't like bright tones. I for one seem to dig them. And don't forget the context too. Might not sound all that great alone, but might work very well in a mix. Also depends on what amps you are running it with too

Very true. In days of yon, I used the “sucked-mids” tone for 3-pc thrash. Worked great until another guitarist joined.Said tone sounds great playing at home but is pretty useless in a live setting. 

I’m all about pushing the mids, now. That’s where the guitar lives. Might as well make it feel at home, no?

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Just now, RobB said:

Very true. In days of yon, I used the “sucked-mids” tone for 3-pc thrash. Worked great until another guitarist joined.said tone sounds great playing at home but is pretty useless in a live setting. 

I’m all about pushing the mids, now. That’s where the guitar lives. Might as well make it feel at home, no?

True, but that also depends on how you sit with other instruments, which could also mean having to sit in a mix with more than one guitarist in the band

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5 minutes ago, KH Guitar Freak said:

True, but that also depends on how you sit with other instruments, which could also mean having to sit in a mix with more than one guitarist in the band

That’s what I meant. Having to change your EQ curve to blend with others. 

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Amp arrived today. I'll post some more in depth stuff/pictures/etc later. I can just say that I wish I found out about the Stiletto Ace combo sooner. I don't know if it gets the "correct" british sound, but it gets the British sound in my head damn well. It also has a GREAT clean channel, with two great clean modes. My Marshall TSL.. doesn't even have ONE good clean channel, just a poor attempt at a clean channel that they claim can get crunchy but honestly is useless.

I didn't find it to be excessively harsh, or super treble-y. Also the volume level is MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE than the damn TSL122. It's even more manageable than the Rivera.

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21 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Amp arrived today. I'll post some more in depth stuff/pictures/etc later. I can just say that I wish I found out about the Stiletto Ace combo sooner. I don't know if it gets the "correct" british sound, but it gets the British sound in my head damn well. It also has a GREAT clean channel, with two great clean modes. My Marshall TSL.. doesn't even have ONE good clean channel, just a poor attempt at a clean channel that they claim can get crunchy but honestly is useless.

I didn't find it to be excessively harsh, or super treble-y. Also the volume level is MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE than the damn TSL122. It's even more manageable than the Rivera.

Now I'm curious... where does it go that Ch2 on the Maverick doesn't?

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1 hour ago, BubbaVO said:

Now I'm curious... where does it go that Ch2 on the Maverick doesn't?

To Eleven basically. It's got another triode or two, so the gain is on a whole new level. I think also that the ACE is part of the SERIES II of the Stiletto amplifers, which had a revised EQ to be less harsh?

The "Crunch" mode on the Stiletto is about as much overdrive as the lead channel on the the Maverick. So, the clean channel alone has a Fat, Tight, and crunch modes.

The lead channel has the "Tight Gain" and "Fluid Drive" modes,  which are just more overdrive. The Tight Gain might be similar to the lead channel on a DC-5. The Fluid Drive is pretty much like using a boost. It's very smooth with a ton of crunch and compression.

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