Comparisson of the Stiletto Ace to the Express 5:50

[Dutchman]

I'm curious if anyone has been able to A-B these amps yet. I was leaning towards the Ace and now they came out with the 5:50 Express.

Other than the obvious power tube difference it would be intersting to hear the actual tone differences. Or at least some ones opinion of the differences.
The only way I could do that would be to buy both and have them shipped to me.........Thinking.........Better not :shock:

Choices are great!!!!!

 

[TheRazMeister]

What style of music do you play? I could be wrong but asking which is better would be akin to asking if a Strat is better than a Les Paul. The Ace is designed to be a Marshall type amp and the Express is built off the Fender/Mesa foundation..

I'm curious if anyone has been able to A-B these amps yet. I was leaning towards the Ace and now they came out with the 5:50 Express.

Other than the obvious power tube difference it would be intersting to hear the actual tone differences. Or at least some ones opinion of the differences.
The only way I could do that would be to buy both and have them shipped to me.........Thinking.........Better not :shock:

Choices are great!!!!!

 

[ashjn]

How about the Stiletto series vs. the Express 5:25?

 

[TheRazMeister]

Now you're comparing EL84's to EL34's.....

How about the Stiletto series vs. the Express 5:25?

 

[Barry]

I'm curious if anyone has been able to A-B these amps yet. I was leaning towards the Ace and now they came out with the 5:50 Express.

Other than the obvious power tube difference it would be intersting to hear the actual tone differences. Or at least some ones opinion of the differences.
The only way I could do that would be to buy both and have them shipped to me.........Thinking.........Better not :shock:

Choices are great!!!!!

Sounds like you are comparing apples to oranges .

 

[Dutchman]

Not really apples to oranges, 50 watt verses 50 watt, but difference in one tone to another tone, versatility, tweak-ability. Cleans verse cleans and dirt verses dirt.
I'm looking for some different tones for my studio. I have all vintage 6L6 amps now. So I'm looking with something with a modern feel but still can get back to old school if needed. I don't record anything really heavy. I use a variety of guitars, which ever one sounds best on the track. Les Pauls, Hamers, Charvel, Old Strats & Teles and newer custom shop Strats

Thanks

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I'm curious if anyone has been able to A-B these amps yet. I was leaning towards the Ace and now they came out with the 5:50 Express.

Other than the obvious power tube difference it would be intersting to hear the actual tone differences. Or at least some ones opinion of the differences.
The only way I could do that would be to buy both and have them shipped to me.........Thinking.........Better not :shock:

Choices are great!!!!!

Sounds like you are comparing apples to oranges .

Aren't they both fruits? I always thought that was a weird cliche....shouldn't it be more along the lines of...?

"That's like comparing apples to rocks." Now those are two truly distinct objects :roll:

 

[Barry]

I'm curious if anyone has been able to A-B these amps yet. I was leaning towards the Ace and now they came out with the 5:50 Express.

Other than the obvious power tube difference it would be intersting to hear the actual tone differences. Or at least some ones opinion of the differences.
The only way I could do that would be to buy both and have them shipped to me.........Thinking.........Better not :shock:

Choices are great!!!!!

Sounds like you are comparing apples to oranges .

Aren't they both fruits? I always thought that was a weird cliche....shouldn't it be more along the lines of...?

"That's like comparing apples to rocks." Now those are two truly distinct objects :roll:

The Ace and Express are both mesa amps but they are hardly alike !? Just as apples and oranges are both fruits but they sure dont taste anything alike .

 

[TheRazMeister]

I can give you a hands-on for the 5:50 and a "what I've heard" on the Ace.

5:50 - very, very nice cleans, multi mode for both channels, very good overdrive tones, very versatile. More of a traditional Mesa sound (6L6) and will cover most bases.

Ace - Marshall-ey crunch and decent cleans probably a better gigging overdrive but for recording...it's just a matter of taste.

As a final comment. I have a Rectoverb (6L6 mode) and a Crate 30 watt Class A amp. If I were to get another 6l6, the ROV would go, but I'm considering getting a Marshall or similar EL34 style amp to fill out the roster and in that case would keep my Rectoverb.

SO....to summarize....
If you like Marshalls, get the Ace
If yuo like Mesas/Fender. get the 5:50

Not really apples to oranges, 50 watt verses 50 watt, but difference in one tone to another tone, versatility, tweak-ability. Cleans verse cleans and dirt verses dirt.
I'm looking for some different tones for my studio. I have all vintage 6L6 amps now. So I'm looking with something with a modern feel but still can get back to old school if needed. I don't record anything really heavy. I use a variety of guitars, which ever one sounds best on the track. Les Pauls, Hamers, Charvel, Old Strats & Teles and newer custom shop Strats

Thanks

 

[JAZZGEAR]

Sounds like you are comparing apples to oranges .

Aren't they both fruits? I always thought that was a weird cliche....shouldn't it be more along the lines of...?

"That's like comparing apples to rocks." Now those are two truly distinct objects :roll:

The Ace and Express are both mesa amps but they are hardly alike !? Just as apples and oranges are both fruits but they sure dont taste anything alike .

Yeah? But aren't they both typically either sweet or sour, depending if they're ripe? :roll:

 

[Surfcaster]

No hands-on experience with the Express at this point, but I currently own it's predecessor, the F50 and I have recently put a Stiletto Ace through it's paces.

First of all I agree with Razmeister...depends on what you're looking for, and he's summed it up pretty well. Personally I lean towards that Marshall crunch, so I'm highly interested in the Ace...though I think I'd still keep the F50 because it has better cleans and for what I could sell it for I could hardly buy anything with better cleans.

For me the current question is "Should i get a Stiletto Ace, or just get a Marshall and be done with it?" Ideally I'd like to set the Ace next to a Marshall I'm interested in and really compare them. The other point is that the Marshalls that I have some interest in at this point are actually a bit cheaper than the Stiletto Ace, so that might just tip the scales towards a Marshall.

 

[NuSkoolTone]

I own the 5:50 and have tried the ACE several times. I'll echo the comments above. Personally, if the extra weight and price are not a concern, I'd go for the ACE.

This is also assuming you don't care about reverb. (Perhaps Fender's tube reverb in the loop would rock?, I prefer delay myself) Also IMO the ACE is one more step away from the "Rectoish" sound, but in fluid drive it's got some serious grunt of it's own. The clean side is great too. It's not fender but it's got sparkle. My only wish is if tite gain and fluid drive were foot switchable with volume matching. A 3 Channel ACE would RULE!

Put it this way: I went for the Express because I wanted maximum versatility in a portable package for gigging. (I'm playing keys in this band too therefore carrying TWO rigs, so it's a BIG factor!) The Ace is still "Portable" but not Back friendly IMO, at least at 2AM. Plus the Express was the limit for my budget this go round.

Unless Marshall's new amps turn out to be the cat's pajamas, The Ace is next on my shopping list. I'll admit it, I think the bronco green is gorgeous!

 

[richt]

Hi Dutchman, I spent a couple of hours playing the ACE and the Express 5:50 back-to-back with my LP Standard and my ES 333. I really really wanted to like the ACE better because is just such a **** nice-looking amp! But, we don't buy amps for looks (usually!), and after waiting for my local dealer to get the Express models in, I was ready to A-B them and make the decision. I chose the Express 5:50 1x12! Why? Well...the lack of reverb on the ACE was a huge factor. I am not a heavy rocker by any means (but I like a nice creamy overdrive), and I like a nice clean tone and the Express has that, especially the 5:50 with the 6L6's which have some decent headroom. The tube driven reverb is beautiful and really makes for some soulful sounds if the playing is right. Now, the ACE has some great clean sounds to be sure, there is nothing to criticize there. I just found myself wishing that it had a built-in reverb. The local store furnished me with a Boss Reverb pedal to try with the ACE and that did make a difference, but it wasn't a tube-driven reverb that was designed to be a part of the tone of the amp like the Express reverb is. I wasn't that bothered by the 6L6 vs. EL 34 debate either, they both sound lovely. But, the Express has that depth and shimmer that the ACE didn't have. Also, the ACE was harder on the attack of the notes than the Express, very noticeable to me and if I were a harder rocker that might have swayed me. How about the overdrive sounds? Well...the ACE wins there in my opinion, the crunch and the tite gain modes especially are great tones, if that is what you are looking for. I do really love the Blues mode on the Express, but it is not a rhythm sound, definitely a lead voicing. The Burn mode is my least favorite, but that is purely a matter of taste - it is not my thing, but sounds great! I ended up getting a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic to go with the Express and the rhythm channel on that is perfect with the Express clean channel! Finally, the weight difference between the Express and the ACE was a deciding factor, as was the extra $400 the ACE would have cost (though I was ready to buy it if it had won the test!) All-in-all, I think the Express 5:50 1x12 is great, and am really happy to have one! I've had it for about 6 weeks now, and it is finally getting broken in! I have been able to run it through 3 band rehearsals and it has a lot of juice! I'm amazed at how touch sensitive it is, and when I am not warmed up I can easily tell!! It is a great sound, and with the footswitchable reverb and contour controls it is very flexible. I have to say that I am not crazy about the 5W setting. I found that it made my guitars way too bright sounding (that darn second harmonic!), even with the treble turned all the way down! But at 50W it is pure tone bliss and the clean channel is just...wow! I've been playing for 30 years this year and I am so glad that I waited to try the Express! Cheers! Richt

 

[wilerty]

I got a chance to try a 5:50 1X12 this last weekend and I have to concur with richt. I've been using Fender amps for 46 years and will probably buy a 5:50 ... shortly.