Questions about Stiletto's

[PanicProne]

I've recently tried out a Stiletto Deuce head. I have to say I was not impressed at all (thats just my opinion). It seemed that I couldn't get that hard rock sound out of it and the dials would hardly make a difference. But I only tried it for maybe less than 5 minutes. Are these amps generally made for soft/classic rock? And do they have that modern, hard rock rectifier "sound" in them?

Thanks

 

[ned]

They are not designed to do the "recto" sound. With all Mesa's you should read the manual before trying them and take some of the settings from the back of the manual with you. The tone controls on a Mesa work much differently than other amps.

Think of the Stiletto's as modified Marshalls.

 

[musicbox]

They don't have the Nu-Metal buzzy hollow tone to them if you mean modern rock. They also don't have a huge, deep, hard hitting bottom end if you need a chuging palm muted sound. If you go to play it with that tone in mind, its going to sound to brittle and hard, maybe harsh. (el34 tubes!). Think Van Halen, or Zach Wylde, ACDC, not nickleback or korn. More classic rock tones, but still high gain. I deffinilty wouldn't say soft rock, this thing is to heavy for that...

Ears are very subjective. What may be a buzzsaw with to much bottom end to my ears, works for you. I haven't played a dual recto, but I have played a Reco-O-Verb, and I basically hated it. You couldn't get any attack out of it. It just sounded like...a vacuum. This amp I like.

Some suggested setting..
Keep the bass between 9:00-12:00
Keep the mids between 11:00-2:00(can go down to about (9:00 for a smoother tone)
Keep the treble between 8:00-12:00
Use the prescene control to compensate for some treble frequencies.
Tube rec on the 2nd channel, Diodes on the 1st.
HOT pickups.
If you hate the marshall tone, then you'll probably hate this amp. Yes some people have said its not a marshall, its a boogie. But this thing is deffintily more JCM/JMP then Dual/Tripple Rectifier.

Also, if right off the bat you think it doesn't have enough gain, then turn it off. You're looking in the wrong place.

 

[nor]

When I tried the Duece with the axe the salesperson handed me, it sounded like ***. When I brought MY axe and spent an hour with it - it came home with me.
8)

 

[GibsonV05]

I bought one, and picked it up today.

This thing sh*ts all over a Marshall with a boost. My Wylde OD turns it into a beast. I'm extremely pleased with my $849.99 Deuce. Got one factory sealed too..

 

[xnfx]

But I only tried it for maybe less than 5 minutes.

Thanks

I think that may have been the problem.

 

[nor]

But I only tried it for maybe less than 5 minutes.

Thanks

I think that may have been the problem.

:lol: :lol:

It took me 5 weeks to find the sweet spot in my last new Mesa (MkIII). My Deuce will most likely be the same. Mesa's (IMO) are not instant gratification machines - gotta spend some quality time with 'em.

 

[Silverwulf]

When I tried the Duece with the axe the salesperson handed me, it sounded like ***. When I brought MY axe and spent an hour with it - it came home with me.
8)

I had the same response. It sounded like *** with the stock guitars they had. It was a totally different animal with my own guitar plugged in.

 

[Guitarz_18]

I've owned a stiletto for almost a year now, I just recently put an eq in the loop, wow, this amp will do anything now, plus I switched out
the stock EL34s with some Svetlana EL34s, really beefed up the bottom
end. I've never thought the amp needed more gain, but it does really need help eq wise, I have found many tones but I'd also get ear fatigue easily, the eq really makes a difference.

My main complaints have been that the fluid drive isn't usable, there wan't enough low end, had too much high end and the effects loop isn't footswitchable. I'm trying workarounds like the eq.

Now my main complaint is that I paid full retail for the amp and everyone else is getting these things for half the price I paid.

My gigging amp is still my duel recto, it does everything I need, at least in a live environment.

I'm going into the studio in 3 weeks, one side will be recto and the other will be stiletto, with a Marshall straight up, I hope it really shines then and rounds everything out.

I've had such a love/hate relationship with this amp, right now, I'm back in love, but sometimes...... :wink:

oh and one last opinion, I've tried a lot of different speakers and cabs, so far my favorite is the Celestion G12T-75 through a couple of 2x12s.
I didn't like it with Vin 30s, liked it some through a few different Eminence Red Coats, but it really comes alive with the '75s
Also, it always sounds best when run through 2 cabs instead of one. If I run through one cab I will split the cab stereo, the amp seems to like 2 16 ohm cabs the best with 2 8 ohms next. doesn't sound too bad through one 16 ohm and one 8 ohm, but is really wants 2 loads or cabs to really come alive.

 

[musicbox]

what eq are you using at what are your settings? i have a boss 7 band lying around that i might try...also..what settings have you discovered after a year? i know its very subjective but every little bit helps!

it's so brutal reading around the web about these things. everyone seems to hate them..and then when i turn it on, i end up focusing on the things they say. then i turn on the marshall sitting next to it and i remember why i like it

 

[Guitarz_18]

I'm using an Alesis Quadraverb in the effects loop, it has a graphic eq, I raised the 62, 126 and lowered the 250.

I mainly use the tite gain mode, with presence at 10 o'clock, bass at two o-clock, mid at 11 o'oclock, treble at 11 o'clock, gain almost all the way up, master volume at 1 o'clock and the channel volume depends on how loud I can play at any given time, oh and I prefer the headroom of 100 watts, bold and I vary between tube and silicone diode. I don't find a huge difference in tone with either one, I think any differences are probably in my head because I know I am flipping a switch so I think it should sound different. :wink:

I have found some tones with the fluid drive but only if I back off the gain and use an overdrive pedal, I don't like doing that though, I have a hi-gain amp for a reason and its not to use a pedal!

I have A/Bd my stiletto against my Marshall Silver Jubilee 100 watt
head (you know the one that became the slash signature, but mine is
original year 1987) and I can get very close to those tones.

Like I've said, I have loved this amp at times, it would be the only amp
I'd use for weeks, just loved the tones I'd get, then I'd switch to my duel recto and for awhile I couldn't stand the tones. Its such an on again off again thing. If it were my only amp I'm sure I'd be happy with it because I'd have nothing to compare it to, but since I have 5 other tube amps I'm constantly A/Bing them.

I guess that's just what guitarists do, always search for a mythical holy grail tone. :lol:

 

[musicbox]

I guess that's just what guitarists do, always search for a mythical holy grail tone.

ya..talk to tele_jas about that one... :lol:

what cab are you using with those settings?

 

[Guitarz_18]

I guess that's just what guitarists do, always search for a mythical holy grail tone.

ya..talk to tele_jas about that one... :lol:

what cab are you using with those settings?

I was using 2 Marshall 1936 2x12 cabs.
All my 4x12s are at my rehearsal space.

 

[CudBucket]

I tried a Deuce and Trident today at GC. Came home with a sealed Trident for $899. I never heard a stiletto before today. I guess I was scared off of them because of all this "It's a classic rock amp" nonsense. You shouldn't pigeon hole this amp into any kind of genre. I can imagine what it would do with and EQ in the loop and OD out front. This amp is a great mid-to-high gain rock amp. Period. I can see myself using it for anything from Van Halen to early Dream Theater. In fact, I thought the Liquid setting and Ch. 2 was like hot Mark series: smooth and fluid. I loved this amp more and more every minute.

That's how it is with me. I play something and know in minutes. That's how I bought my JSX too. Never heard one and just plugged in. Knew immediately that I wanted one.

I'm absolutely silly about this amp.

 

[Guitarz_18]

I tried a Deuce and Trident today at GC. Came home with a sealed Trident for $899. I never heard a stiletto before today. I guess I was scared off of them because of all this "It's a classic rock amp" nonsense. You shouldn't pigeon hole this amp into any kind of genre. I can imagine what it would do with and EQ in the loop and OD out front. This amp is a great mid-to-high gain rock amp. Period. I can see myself using it for anything from Van Halen to early Dream Theater. In fact, I thought the Liquid setting and Ch. 2 was like hot Mark series: smooth and fluid. I loved this amp more and more every minute.

That's how it is with me. I play something and know in minutes. That's how I bought my JSX too. Never heard one and just plugged in. Knew immediately that I wanted one.

I'm absolutely silly about this amp.

That just makes me sick. I paid over $1700 for the Deuce 11 months ago. :evil:

Glad your enjoying your "steal"

 

[PanicProne]

When does this sale end? And is it all over the place? Anyone know if this sale is in Maryland too?

 

[Silverwulf]

I tried a Deuce and Trident today at GC. Came home with a sealed Trident for $899. I never heard a stiletto before today. I guess I was scared off of them because of all this "It's a classic rock amp" nonsense. You shouldn't pigeon hole this amp into any kind of genre. I can imagine what it would do with and EQ in the loop and OD out front. This amp is a great mid-to-high gain rock amp. Period. I can see myself using it for anything from Van Halen to early Dream Theater. In fact, I thought the Liquid setting and Ch. 2 was like hot Mark series: smooth and fluid. I loved this amp more and more every minute.

That's how it is with me. I play something and know in minutes. That's how I bought my JSX too. Never heard one and just plugged in. Knew immediately that I wanted one.

I'm absolutely silly about this amp.

Glad you're liking the amp! I'm loving mine, too. And you're dead on about the non-sense of it being a classic rock amp. Even on the "Crunch" mode, you can get heavier than classic rock. In fact, the "Crunch" mode has as much gain as and can very closely mimic the JCM 800 and Jubilee's from Marshall if tweaked right.

I think the "Tite Gain" mode is my bread and butter with this amp. It adds some more gain, and I use it into a Mesa Recto (Traditional) 4X12 Cab. With EMG's and the gain around 3 o'clock, there's no need to even use an OD pedal for metal playing as long as the volume is up to around 10 o'clock or more. I'll still occasionally toss the TS-9 in front with the gain at about 9 o'clock for a little extra kick and to hit the front end a little harder. I keep the mids around 1 o'clock, the bass around 11 o'clock, and the presence and treble are both in the 10:00 - 11:30-ish range depending on how loud I'm running the amp.

The "Fluid Drive" hasn't appealed to me yet, but it doesn't really matter since I hardly ever leave "Tite Gain" anyway. The "Fluid Drive" mode has a bit too much sub-lows which adds rumble to your playing, although it does have a slightly more modern voicing. However, I bet that by sticking an EQ in the loop and doing nothing more than dipping a little sub-lows to lows from the tone (around 20hz to 200hz or so), it would tighten it up considerably and make it sound great for heavy rhythm.

 

[mightypudge]

I tried a Deuce and Trident today at GC. Came home with a sealed Trident for $899. I never heard a stiletto before today. I guess I was scared off of them because of all this "It's a classic rock amp" nonsense. You shouldn't pigeon hole this amp into any kind of genre. I can imagine what it would do with and EQ in the loop and OD out front. This amp is a great mid-to-high gain rock amp. Period. I can see myself using it for anything from Van Halen to early Dream Theater. In fact, I thought the Liquid setting and Ch. 2 was like hot Mark series: smooth and fluid. I loved this amp more and more every minute.

That's how it is with me. I play something and know in minutes. That's how I bought my JSX too. Never heard one and just plugged in. Knew immediately that I wanted one.

I'm absolutely silly about this amp.

Glad you're liking the amp! I'm loving mine, too. And you're dead on about the non-sense of it being a classic rock amp. Even on the "Crunch" mode, you can get heavier than classic rock. In fact, the "Crunch" mode has as much gain as and can very closely mimic the JCM 800 and Jubilee's from Marshall if tweaked right.

I think the "Tite Gain" mode is my bread and butter with this amp. It adds some more gain, and I use it into a Mesa Recto (Traditional) 4X12 Cab. With EMG's and the gain around 3 o'clock, there's no need to even use an OD pedal for metal playing as long as the volume is up to around 10 o'clock or more. I'll still occasionally toss the TS-9 in front with the gain at about 9 o'clock for a little extra kick and to hit the front end a little harder. I keep the mids around 1 o'clock, the bass around 11 o'clock, and the presence and treble are both in the 10:00 - 11:30-ish range depending on how loud I'm running the amp.

The "Fluid Drive" hasn't appealed to me yet, but it doesn't really matter since I hardly ever leave "Tite Gain" anyway. The "Fluid Drive" mode has a bit too much sub-lows which adds rumble to your playing, although it does have a slightly more modern voicing. However, I bet that by sticking an EQ in the loop and doing nothing more than dipping a little sub-lows to lows from the tone (around 20hz to 200hz or so), it would tighten it up considerably and make it sound great for heavy rhythm.

I'm with you guys. I got my Trident on Wednesday and I really cranked it for the first time today. Wow! What a mean little monster this amp can be. I have my "clean" channel set to Crunch and it has just the right amount of gain for rhythm. When I back off the volume on the guitar it cleans up beautifully.

My channel 2 is set to Tite Gain and I will live on this channel. Again, plenty of gain on tap even without a pedal in front. I'll probably experiment with different EQ voicings on my G-Major and see what about the results. This channel also cleans up great by rolling back the guitar volume.

Really, even with only two channels I feel like I have more useable tonal options than on any other amp I've owned. In a live situation this amp is going to be a real lifesaver. Oh, and with my G-Major in the loop the tone is still killer. The tone takes FX really nicely.

Yeah, I'm stupid for this thing.

 

[Bobbypols]

Long live the cheaply price stiletto underdog!