Stiletto Gain for Solo's

[mrt]

I picked up a Stiletto in a trade, I was going to sell it but after playing it I'm starting to see the light of this MESA!

But I play heavy rock/metal. DIO, maiden type music.

I freaking hate pedals!!!!

with that said, what my best route for a touch more gain for leads?

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

A tubescreamer :wink:

Really though.....I bought my Mark IV, too in the mind set that I hate pedals and want to keep them away. I dialed in my main tones on the 3 channels, but I could never get a good balance of lead and rythmn. When my tone was perfect for rythmn, it wasn't smooth enough for lead. When I had it dialed for lead, it was too much for rythmn.

I added a TS, and I'm in heaven. Dialed as a clean boost, it just pushes the amp over the top, smoothes everything out, and just makes for a gorgeous lead tone.

Break the mindset....get a tubescreamer

 

[phyrexia]

raise your pickups.

 

[Barry]

I use a BB preamp with my Deuce . With marvelous results I might add .

 

[clutch71]

Someone recommended a clean boost and tube screamer to me the other day. Raising the pickups isn't a bad Idea but string gauge will effect where the pick up should lie. I recommend tuning the guitar to drop D hitting the top strings open and adjusting the height that way.

If you have pick ups with individual screw adjustment, a good professional set up can't hurt. A good guitar tech will ask you what tuning you use, make a suggestion of string gauge based on your tuning preference, your prefered string height, and your picking attack preference ie. how aggressive you stum the strings or pick individual notes. Well worth money if it's not something you can do yourself.

 

[paintballnsk]

Dont listen to anyone of that..

Get a tubescreamer.

Don't get an Ibanez ts7 or ts9. If you're going to go that route, get a ts808 reissue or a maxon 808 style. Pay the extra $40 for that. The other tubescreamers don't do it justice.

Also if you want high end stuff, try the mesa overdrive pedal. They're rare, and cost about $300.

 

[mrt]

anything in a rack unit? like the maxon 808?

something midi?

has anyone ever ran a EQ ing the loop?

 

[recto-robbie]

Yup,, Id also suggest an overdrive. Adds a bit more gain, saturation and sustain. My deuce can easily hit Dio and maiden especially with an added overdrive. The only thing I have a hard time getting now is that brutal death metal sound. Thats why mesa makes rectos.

 

[paintballnsk]

Recto's are really nice. You also might consider a DC-10. The sound kinda like a meaner mark4 from what I hear. Also it's a bit on the unpopular side from what I can see, so they're only going to go up in value, and you can pick up a DC-5 or DC-10 for $600 - $900 on ebay.

But a "good" overdrive pedal will do wonders for any tube head. My overdrive will even push the clean channel into this "borderline" heavy metal. Kinda like a maiden metal sound, except the EMG's in my hellraiser sound more like a pushed strat. And on teh lead channel the gain on the amp only needs to be set between 3-5, and the sound is bone crushing.

But again, accept no immitations. Get an 808, 808 reissue, or something higher end. Don't buy a boss/digitech/or newer ibanez.

 

[Zipperneck]

Get the Hollywood mod done. It adds gain to it and gets rid of the flubby bass that the fluid drive has. Still, I think the amp has plenty of gain.

 

[mrt]

Whats the "Hollywood mod"?


better question, who do I trust to do it?

I live in cleveland OH. I'll call some local shops.