Help with my Stiletto Ace

[inkwachemis]

my ace was so bright that you couldnt stand to plug a single coil guitar into it. humbucker guitars were only a little better.

it sounded like a $10.00 peavy transistor amp that a pawn shop had thrown into the trash.

tried different speakers, no real help.

i was about to ebay it when someone here suggested dougs tubes.

the difference was like night and day.

took all the harshness out of the amp.

otter

this is exactly what I found as well.

 

[srf399]

I've read on here that guys who have changed tubes in the Stiletto's say they are really tube sensitive.. hat is different tubes really change the tone. I really want to try Doug's tube recomendation.

 

[hfisher3380]

I found this initially but a tube change worked wonders. Currently running a JAN 5751 in V1, TungSol 12ax7 in V2, stock in V3 and V4, Sovtek 12ax7LPS in V5, stock rectifier and SED =C= EL34 power tubes. Makes a huge difference. The 5751 is a bit lower gain however really takes the piercing bright edge off of it - and the gain difference is not really noticeable. Although Dougstubes recommends Tungsol 12ax7 here I far prefer the 5751. I would say that this change along with the SED power tubes made a huge difference - I am now in heaven with this beautiful amp!

Also, don't forget about fine adjustments on presence, mid and treble - I find it sounds best with presence and mid toned down a bit (like 9:00-10:00) and treble around noon or so.

After reading various reviews and comments on the Deuce II vs. the Ace, I briefly entertained notions of a Deuce II however power would be overkill - EL34 amps like being driven a bit more and I thought this would be more possible with the Ace...not to mention it's a few hundred cheaper and the price difference more than paid for the large variety of tubes I have purchased to try out!

 

[amused]

the STR 450's definitely sound better but the new price wow..
Box of Rock (vol 3 gain 2 tone 3 no boost) works great with the ace when I switch to single coils on my TA.

 

[Artiefufkin10]

I don't have anything incredibly insightful to add here, but I'm finding the stock Mesa Tubes on my Deuce II a bit harsh as well. I don't think the amp is too bright, I just feel that the amp isn't consistently warm across the channels. I think taking a look at Doug's Tubes would be worth your while before you consider selling/trading it. If nothing else, you can hang onto the tubes or sell them on the boards.

 

[Dr GearHead]

I really want to like this amp so I am going to spend a bit of time and cash trying to find the sounds that I want. Here's my plan

Replace the Speaker with a G12-65

Replace the pre-amp tubes (do I really need to replace all 5, I am a bit worried I may ruin the fat clean sounds with the JJ hi gain tube Doug has suggested for V2)

Buy a 2x12 cabinet to help spead the sound a bit

Buy a damage control solid metal pedal for the real high gain stuff.

Maybe buy some beam blockers but I may be cheap and go with the tape / cardboard option

I may also replace the power amp tubes but the STR450 are mega bucks, I guess I could go with the rubys.

I am a bit apprehensive about changing the tubes as this is my 1st tube amp, does anyone have a walk through of what I need to do ?.

I am assuming the speaker will just unscrew, if I fit beam blockers at the same time would I still need to take of the speaker covering at the front.

Just want to say a big thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, much appreciated

 

[amused]

ace sounds good when I use slave out to 295 with 2 x ev thieles. I am thinking the difference is in my preference of speakers/cabs.

 

[hfisher3380]

I really want to like this amp so I am going to spend a bit of time and cash trying to find the sounds that I want. Here's my plan

Replace the Speaker with a G12-65

Replace the pre-amp tubes (do I really need to replace all 5, I am a bit worried I may ruin the fat clean sounds with the JJ hi gain tube Doug has suggested for V2)

Buy a 2x12 cabinet to help spead the sound a bit

Buy a damage control solid metal pedal for the real high gain stuff.

Maybe buy some beam blockers but I may be cheap and go with the tape / cardboard option

I may also replace the power amp tubes but the STR450 are mega bucks, I guess I could go with the rubys.

I am a bit apprehensive about changing the tubes as this is my 1st tube amp, does anyone have a walk through of what I need to do ?.

I am assuming the speaker will just unscrew, if I fit beam blockers at the same time would I still need to take of the speaker covering at the front.

Just want to say a big thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, much appreciated

Changing tubes is easy, especially with a fixed bias amp like a Mesa - just make sure it's turned off and the tubes are cold - pull out the old ones and put in the new ones.

As for which tubes to change, I would suggest V1 and the power tubes - those make the biggest difference IMO.

 

[Platypus]

Changing tubes is the easiest solution in my opinion.

Power tubes:

The easiest way to remove them is to make sure the amp has been off for awhile so the tubes are cold. Take a t-shirt and grip the tube you want to remove and slowly wiggle it slightly back and forth at the same time as you are pulling it out. It should give very easily, do not force it.

To put a new tube in, follow the same procedure. The tube is 'keyed' so it will only go in one way. The easiest way to get it in is to line up the middle pin in the socket and slowly turn it until you feel it 'catch'.. then slowly push it in while wiggling as you did to remove it. It will go in easily, there is no need to force it at all.. if you find that you're applying a lot of pressure then you're most likely putting the tube in wrong.

Preamp:

Exact same procedure but you'll need to remove the metal casing over the tube. Give the metal casing a quarter turn and it should pop right off.. do the normal tube change procedure described above then put the metal casing back on the same way it came off.


Changing tubes seems intimidating at first but after you do it once it will be literally like changing a lightbulb from then on

 

[jamme61]

Are you guys that are saying the Ace is too bright using it in a band setting? I can see if you're jamming alone that it might be a bit bright but I would never use the word harsh, at least to my ears.

In a proper band mix, it cuts through just about anything.

I think it also depends heavily on the guitar you use. With my telecaster it's very sharp but with a nice big les paul it's heaven.. nice and thick chunky tone with a nice top end sizzle.

I didn't hear much of a difference between the Deuce and the Ace other than the fact that the Deuce had more bass. I found that it lost some of that awesome high end sizzle. I didn't care for the extra bass personally but I am a big fan of bright amps. I ran treble boosters on all the british amps I had to date before buying the Ace so your mileage may vary.

I was able to dial the treble where I wanted it but, i could never get rid of this nasty clipping sound (like when a digital recorder distorts, nasty sound) It was most noticble on low gain crunch settings. If you whacked the strings hard you would hear this nasty digital clipping sound. I went crazy with tubes, speakers, pedals, it was nasty and my band members complained that the amp didn't sound good(which crucshed my ***) I brought over my freind(great guitar player and has a million amps) I didn't say anything and he heard it right away. maybe there was something wrong with my amp, if not then mesa has a problem with these amps. Again if you run it with tons of gain you'll never hear it.

 

[Platypus]

Weird, I've never heard that on my Ace at all jamme61, maybe you had a flunky tube or something?

 

[insideout]

Weird, I've never heard that on my Ace at all jamme61, maybe you had a flunky tube or something?

I agree, I don't recall ever hearing anything like that when I had the Ace. You heard this even at band-level volume?? I noticed it was a little grittier at low volume, but once you pump some juice through it, it was fine.

 

[abe]

Try KT77 Power tubes. They helped a lot in my Ace combo. Also, I agree with the suggestion of breaking in the speakers. Good luck!

 

[srf399]

Jamme61.... Andy Timmons gets the touch sensitive breakup in a lot of his playing... is this what you're talking about or was it more than that with your Ace? The Stiletto's are very touch sensitive... very similar to an old blackface Fender where they break up on initial pick attack. Is that what you mean or is it more than that?

 

[Dr GearHead]

guys,

what would be the best extension cab to get a 1x12 or a 2x12 ?

cheers

 

[srf399]

I'd get the 2x12... Actually, I'd get the 4x12 if I had the means to transport it easily. I mean to me the more speakers the bigger your sound. How about two 2x12's and spread them apart for better dispersion... Hell, why not two 4x12's??? Okay.... better calm down here and drink my morning coffee

 

[Rocky]

I'd recommend a 2X12.

 

[Dr GearHead]

sorry if this is a dumb question.

The 2x12 I am looking at is 16ohm, what is the correct place to plug it into the combo, do I need to change where the internal speaker is plugged in ?

 

[insideout]

yes, you would plug the 16 cab into an 8 ohm jack, and the 8 ohm internal speaker into a 4 ohm jack.

 

[jab]

I've got both the 1x12 and 2x12 Roadster cabs (same as the Stiletto's). If I was blindfolded, I probably couldn't tell the difference as the 1x12 is really well built and loud as can be. The 1x12 has a port hole in the back, and of course is lighter to carry. I'd probably be just as happy stacking two 1x12's than my current 1x12 and 2x12. If you're looking for a cabinet to add on to spread the sound, maybe the 1x12 is enough?

As for that nasty amp noise, the only time I have heard that on Stiletto is when I'm using an old strat and it crackles every time I hit a string - I think it's the vol/tone pots in the guitar because my other guitars sound clear as a bell through it.