Good or bad move...Trading a Stiletto Deuce II for Powerball

[mightywarlock]

Howdy.

I got a message from someone today wondering if i would be interested in trading my Deuce II for a Powerball.
I rarely use my Deuce anymore, maybe due to the brightness and piercing high end it sometimes gives off.

I was thinking maybe to get a Rivera Knucklhead, but went to the store and didn;t like it as i thought i would..Instead I really liked the KR7 amp which was the Mick Thomson from slipknot signature head.

I dont have the money for the rivera, so I started thinking of maybe trading my Stiletto.

tonights call makes me wonder about the powerball...
I keep reading that it doesn't really cut through in aband mix.

is this true?


should I keep the stiletto or jump on the Powerball?

look at my signatire to see all the amps I already have.

thanks!

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

I wouldn't trade it away unless the other party offers the Powerball plus cash...

 

[ryjan]

Powerballs sound awsome. Pretty good deal for you since PB's sell new for $2,000.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

God **** America. Powerballs here are a lot cheaper compared to Mesas... :lol:

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

I'm really not too big of a fan of the ENGL line....the make sturdy amps, but the sound has never done if for me. The gain structure is just boring to me. It chugs with palm mutes VERY well, but that's about all the amp does IMO. Anything else sounds plain and synthetic compared to what I'm used to with the Mesa line.

Up to you though...it's a different amp, and you seem to own a lot.

What kind of a sound are you still trying to achieve that you can't get?

Eric

 

[straitouttahell]

I've never tried a Stiletto, but I've spent some time on a Powerball (through TWO 4x12 Recto cabs).
The Powerball, IMVHO, sucks. Big time.
Sterile cleans, lifeless crunch and lead tones that are only good for scooped, modern metal stuff.
If that's what you look for, go ahead, otherwise I'd stick to the Stiletto, or look for something else.

 

[TimeSignature]

Depends on what you are going to use it for.....

The PB goes for 2k without the footswitch. Its a pretty cool amp despite all the haters here. LOL. Its built very well and is awesome for new metal. It has the most gain that I have ever dealt with on any amp.

I bought my PB used for 1600 about 6 months ago and sold it for 1500 last month on Craigslist to give you an idea of the value.

 

[straitouttahell]

Depends on what you are going to use it for.....

Definitely. For example...

[...]is awesome for new metal. It has the most gain[...]

...these are the two least desirable fratures I could ever want in a guitar amp

 

[fluff191]

I'm really not too big of a fan of the ENGL line....the make sturdy amps, but the sound has never done if for me. The gain structure is just boring to me. It chugs with palm mutes VERY well, but that's about all the amp does IMO. Anything else sounds plain and synthetic compared to what I'm used to with the Mesa line.

I agree with Eric. All the ENGL's I have ever heard sound pretty linear and flat compared to any Mesa. Mesa's just sound more organic to my ears. But to each his own I suppose.

 

[Turumbar82]

The Powerballs or any ENGL's for that matter are extremely tight metal amps that don't need boost pedals or graphic eq's. I do think of them as pretty much just Metal amps. I don't care for the mid gain sounds, but I actually think their clean channels are good. The lead channel has tons of gains, sustain, and a darker voice. As said before they do chug well and palm mutes sound huge. I also think they are great for shred lead type stuff. The most common word I hear to describe ENGL is "sterile". I don't take much heed to that word describing an amp because it's a bad adjective for sound. Do you mean it's free of biological contaminants? Or that it can't reproduce? :lol:

Now compressed...yeah definitely! I would say they are compressed, which some like and some don't.

If you don't use your Stiletto then why not you know? Maybe you'll really like the Powerball.

 

[mightywarlock]

I wouldn't trade it away unless the other party offers the Powerball plus cash...

why do you say that? They both sell for $1999.99 here in the USA.
I figure the stiletto might sell for $1300 or less if I sold it on Ebay, and probably the same for the Powerball.

I think costwise they are priced (at least here) pretty similar

 

[mightywarlock]

What kind of a sound are you still trying to achieve that you can't get?

Eric[/quote]


What kind of a sound are you still trying to achieve that you can't get?

Eric[/quote]

that's a hard question, but basically I am looking for more balls and Punch. The stiletto to me is one of the best rock Toneful amps I have ever used, ANC I really do like it (much better than my Triaxis, for example) but I simply don't use it as much because while it is fantastic sounding it is not heavy enough compared to some of my other amps. I play in two bands, a punk band where I need less gain and more warmth and girth, and a metal band, where I need pure punch and heaviness with amazing clarity. In the past I have Used the stiletto for the live punk shows, but it misses the low end that I need while sometimes being to bright and clean, and sticks out way to much on ghe mix. I like cutting through the mix but sometimes it is too much.
In the last for the heave band I have used my pre500 dual rectifier with an MXR eq in the loop, and it is simply pure clean heavy tone, and always get comments about how clear everything is. But I like to go dry and simple live, so recently decided to buy the kerry king Marshall head for more heaviness and warmth and punch, but I am missing something in the tone, seems like the signal gets lost and not anywhere near as clear as my Mesa amps.
That's the Mesa Tone differrence. Just more organic and pure tube tone.
Hence why looking at Rivera's, which seem as close as one can get to a Mesa.
The knucklehead Tre' almost has what I wanted, but I found the low end too sizzly, reminded me of a modern recto buzz, but the Kr7 was almost exactly it. That amp is just soot on on the channel 2 gain channel. Lower gain but warm and heavy! But it is a very expensive amp ($2799?) and will not find one used for quite awhile.

So that leads us back to this powerball stuff.
I have a few more days to make a decision.
My only concern would be the lack of true tone and punch, girth to the powerball...and I cannot have something that gets muddy in a mix, which I have heard sometimes they do. I have also heard Powerballs are great in the studio, sometimes better than live.
But people say all sorts of things and who knows which is really true or not?

I don't have a store where I can try the powerball out before the trade at the moment, and the guy lives about an hours drive away, so I have to try to make this decision somewhat uninformed slightly.

Not the best thing to do.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

I have a little curveball to throw at you.

Forget the powerball. Have you ever considered running a stereo rig?

I've kind of been in a similar boat as you...I went through A LOT of amps, because I could not find my tone. With ALL the amps, when I had the warmth and low end that I liked, there wasn't enough cut, and when I got the cut I liked, the overall tone was not big enough. It was always a compromise one way or the other.

Funds have gotten better for me, and I finally put together my stereo rig just this week.

I can honestly tell you I have found MY guitar tone.

I set my Roadster to handle the lows and warmer highs. Not too crazy concerned about tight....just fat, and punchy like a brick wall hitting you. Strong, but balanced in the mids....like a rectifier should be IMO.

I set my Mark IV for EXTREME cut...what it does very well. It is tight, and fills out the mids and highs that the Roadster lacks.

Both amps are running moderately in gain.

For once, I have everything I could want. I didn't have to compromise in anything...I have the full spectrum. The lows are huge, the mids kick, and the highs are smooth yet cutting and present. With the amps put together, the tone is CRAZY tight....what sounds like slight mush with the Roadster alone now adds INSANE depth to the percussion of the Mark IV. The tone is also just perfectly saturated. Alone, the amps aren't fluid enough...they almost sound too low gain. BUT when the two come together, the gain structure fits just so that it is the meanest sound I've heard. Saturated, yet open and big...no over-compression on either side.

Long story short.....you should seriously consider running a combination of the amps you have. No one amp can cover the entire guitar spectrum, and do it all perfectly. It's just not possible through simple logic IMO. If you want tight, there has to be a compromise in depth, etc.

Skip the trouble of trying so many different amps...run what you have together, and play the darn things! I guarantee trying this will put a BIG grin on your face.

Eric

 

[ryjan]

I agree. With all the stuff you have in your sig you should be able to build an awsome stereo rig. Just running the Triaxis and MP-1 through your 2:90 should cover everything from the Beatles to Slipknot.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

I wouldn't trade it away unless the other party offers the Powerball plus cash...

why do you say that? They both sell for $1999.99 here in the USA.
I figure the stiletto might sell for $1300 or less if I sold it on Ebay, and probably the same for the Powerball.

I think costwise they are priced (at least here) pretty similar

Fair enough, cause it's a complete contrast over here. Oh well. We pay between two and three times for a brand new Mesa for the price you guys pay for one...

 

[mightywarlock]

I've done thus before, runnning the stiletto and recto simultaniosly for recordings, and yes it makes everything much bigger. Problem I have is the Mesa tone between both amps was the same, yet the recto overpowered the low end sloppiness, and the tightness on the stiletto disappeared. I tried with standard and traditional cabs and eventually sold all 3 of my recto standard cabs and kept the 2x12 and traditional 4x12.
Ive run the jmp and triaxis together, as well as trying the Ada, and yes the tone is gigantic, but for some reason I could never get rid of the buzzing demons, and complications to the setup, and have been using the rack less and less, and been trying to simplify things as much as possible for quick live setups.
That's why I picked up the jcm800kk, with the built in
noise gate it evEn eliminates my need for a noise gate and I simply plug direct from guitar to amp, head to cab, and power and I'm ready to play. Messing with the ISP pedal, mxr eq, and all the cables takes too long sometimes when we are rushing to setup.
The Powerball also has a built in gate, btw.
And the Rivera is a much quiter amp as well by nature.

The goal is simpler, leaner, easy in, easy out. If I could, I would get a combo, but I can't get the tone I want with any I have found yet.

Just more insight.

Still need to decide. I really like the stiletto, I just don't use it enough.

I have a little curveball to throw at you.

Forget the powerball. Have you ever considered running a stereo rig?

I've kind of been in a similar boat as you...I went through A LOT of amps, because I could not find my tone. With ALL the amps, when I had the warmth and low end that I liked, there wasn't enough cut, and when I got the cut I liked, the overall tone was not big enough. It was always a compromise one way or the other.

Funds have gotten better for me, and I finally put together my stereo rig just this week.

I can honestly tell you I have found MY guitar tone.

I set my Roadster to handle the lows and warmer highs. Not too crazy concerned about tight....just fat, and punchy like a brick wall hitting you. Strong, but balanced in the mids....like a rectifier should be IMO.

I set my Mark IV for EXTREME cut...what it does very well. It is tight, and fills out the mids and highs that the Roadster lacks.

Both amps are running moderately in gain.

For once, I have everything I could want. I didn't have to compromise in anything...I have the full spectrum. The lows are huge, the mids kick, and the highs are smooth yet cutting and present. With the amps put together, the tone is CRAZY tight....what sounds like slight mush with the Roadster alone now adds INSANE depth to the percussion of the Mark IV. The tone is also just perfectly saturated. Alone, the amps aren't fluid enough...they almost sound too low gain. BUT when the two come together, the gain structure fits just so that it is the meanest sound I've heard. Saturated, yet open and big...no over-compression on either side.

Long story short.....you should seriously consider running a combination of the amps you have. No one amp can cover the entire guitar spectrum, and do it all perfectly. It's just not possible through simple logic IMO. If you want tight, there has to be a compromise in depth, etc.

Skip the trouble of trying so many different amps...run what you have together, and play the darn things! I guarantee trying this will put a BIG grin on your face.

Eric

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Sadly, when you've been through this much, it might be time to realize that you can't obtain that specific of a tone simply.

Completely up to you in the end. If you wire everything up in a good case, all the wiring is done. All you do is power on, plug in, and play.

Eric

 

[ryjan]

Just get an Axe-Fx and be done with it. Walk into a gig, run XLR's to the PA, one midi cable to your pedal board, and you're done.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

Actually, I hope you do use the noise gate as something to cut the signal into the front of the amp, not for noise issues. I take it that you run your amps thru a power conditioning unit???

 

[mightywarlock]

Well...


here's an update.

I feel I made a huge mistake.


So this kid comes over, and brings his Powerball over, and I play with it for a while, and finally decide to just go for it.

I give him the Stiletto and keep the Powerball.

I took it to the studio yesterday and it was very warm and fat sounding, and dark. but there was too much bass for my tastes. I ended up using my Marshall Kerry King head to finish up practice, and came home and posted the Powerball on ebay.

I probably should have just kept the **** Stiletto.
I really liked that amp.
What's weird, was that at home, at lower volumes, the Powerball sounds very nice. but when cranked in a band situation, it is either too loud, or too something...

I dunno...
Over the last few years I have found that I keep preferring EL34's to 6L6's, and this just proves it even more.

I shouldn't have done the trade.

But now this leads me to yet another amp possibility.

Perhaps I can use the money to try a Rivera K-Tre or KR7 head.

Or maybe just get a combo of some sort.

that's what I really need after all...for all the small club shows, the 4x12 and head is way overboard.

oh well.

I should never have strayed from my Mesa.

I have been punished.