I have owned this amp for over two years, and while I’ve gotten some awesome sounds from it, I never could get a decent clean sound. I thought it was in need of repair- until I saw this video. It turns out that turning up the clean treble knob actually adds a load of volume. Do it just like he has the knobs set in this video and you’re in for a treat! Not only did this fix my clean channel, holy smokes, I also got the most amazing, super tight, slamming high gain tone I’ve ever heard. Seriously… thank you!
Just picked one up, they seem to have gone up a bit in used price since this video. I played it straight in a cab when I tested it. At home, I run it through an attenuator and it sounds absolutely fantastic. "Clean" channel has SuperLead tones in it, while the "crunch" channel has JCM800 2203 tones in it, but with a lot more saturation options. If you buy this expecting a Rectifier sound, you'll be disappointed. If you buy this for any other reason, you'll have a blast. I love it.
I had the Stiletto stage 2 Deuce 100 watt head. Like alot of older style amps (including rectos, Mark series, Plexis, 5150's, etc) these aren't instant gratification amps. They take some work dialing them in and have their sweet spots eq wise and volume wise. People don't realize alot of their favourite iconic guitar tones often took alot of work and in many cases, studio trickery to make it happen. The Stiletto harkens back to those older amps: a wild bucking bronco of an amp. Mesa's latest take on an M style amp, the Triple Crown, is much more forgiving as would say, my Friedman BE100.
Stiletto Ace in particular has major ice-pick high end that is severely difficult to be rid of. You can turn treble all the way down and bass all the way up and will not be rid of that ear shattering high.
Hi, great demo, I like my Stage I the most, when the Master is around 3 o´clock position. Then the amp sounds even richer in a harmonic content. CH-Vol between 11-2p.m. Next is, that at lower Volumes the amp works better using the pots counterclockwise (below 12), and dial the fx-return pot to minimum. Furthermore - in a recording situation switch the fx-loop to off (out of the circuit). It´s punchier that way. So thanks for the video, superb playing and recording => thumbs up! Cheers from Germany, Frank
Thanks for this review. I have one of these and everyone saying they are crap. These are great amps. Why do people buy valve amps to play in their bedrooms to then complain that they are fizzy and thin whilst the master os barely on one?
Exactly. I run mine next to a dsl 100hr. I wanted a mesa/marshall bi amp tone. I just setup the stiletto at 1 oclock or maybe 2 on the bass and mids then the treble is at 9 oclock. The dsl i have everything cranked but the treble is pulled back to 1 oclock. I think the presence is way down. I actually dont recall bc i never mess with that. Reverb is off lol. But my vision was marshall razor sharp mids and honk with that gritty drive sound with a mesa low mid and bass. Both amps are running loud!!!! I turn them up to match volume then turn the gain up to get saturation where i want it. Its incredible. But god blessed is it loud. I think the marshall is louder. I have to cover the front of the cabinets most times live because its so loud. We took a chunk of mdf and put egg crate foam and its got a few holes for mics and theres one hole for the sound to give stage volume. I used to have a jcm2000 dsl 100 but had board issues so swapped them and at first there was regret. The 2000 was more brittle sounding. Once i figured that cranking the marshall then adding saturation was the key i find the dsl100hr to sound superior. Tighter, smoother and aggressive. The stiletto is brutal tho. It definitely takes a good marshall base tone and puts it over the top. Ive used just the stiletto before and it can be a tad harsh treble wise buuut i just turn the damn treble down and roll of tone to about 7(les paul jb bridge) and its freakin work ways
I have owned the 1x12 combo version of this amp since 2010. For years I lamented the fact that it didn''t impress at room volume, and yet refused to get rid of it because of its immense tone with the master volume cranked. However, recently I learned up a bit on reactive load attenuation. I will be purchasing just that in the next month - I think it will likely solve the volume problem.
sounds great to me. many people get confused to how to set up a mesa, then are disappointed. i have a single rec, miss my mark 4, though single rec is simple and sounds great without any tweeking every time i turn it on.
Having owned and departed from a few mesa's over the years, for reason being most of their models have been one trick ponies. The least versatile amp on the market. Then came the Stiletto. This is by far the best value for money amp they ever made . I came so close to buying one recently. The cleans were great. ...But...like you said....my days of humping amps that weigh as much as a block of flats is over. Thanks to my Rivera designed Fender and the EV 12lm, being the instigators of what my back is today .
I've always wondered why Mesa/Boogie never made a Lone Star Ace to go with the Stiletto Ace. Andy Timmons for a long time used a Lone Star paired with a Stiletto Deuce, and it's a really glorious combination. The only problem with the Stiletto line is, now that people are beginning to appreciate them the way they deserve, supplies of used ones are drying up and prices are rising.
Was super disappointed in mine, but was running an LP into it. After hearing your demo, I want to revisit this amp using my Strat! Sounds great, thanks for this helpful demo!!! :)
I run les pauls with sd jb and a goofy peavey explorer neck thru with emgs and it sounds amazing. No doubt. I also have a dsl 100hr and the marshall does any marshall stuff from tsl->jcm800->plexi and the stiletto can cover the mids low mids and the same deep bass as a recto. I dont know how anyone thinks it sounds bad. Mine is stg2 but even stg 1 with a boost is great.
I got rid of my rect o verb 50 in tough times. I have just picked one of these up for a bargain. I guess it is not a rectifier. I really got this for the fluid setting . Great video, thank you!
I recently got a Stiletto Deuce (serial number 40 nonetheless. It was owned by a session guy who toured with Lyle Leavitt, which is pretty cool) And that clean sound stands out like no other. Great with pedals, especially fuzz. Great for heavy Doomy stuff with all that headroom, and the tube rectifier to give it some extra dirt.
I remember about 10 years ago there was a guy on here who played a lot of Ace Frehley and Jimmy Page riffs on the Stiletto. I thought it sounded great. Yours does too, especially with the Silver Sky.
wow, I didn't know this was going to be a Silver Sky video! I am obsessed with watching all and any of them. I only clicked on this because I had never heard of this amp but I once had a mesa son of boogie and it rocked. and then there's a guy playing my guitar and it sounds like mine too cos of the consistency of these amazing guitars. I am 18 seconds in as a paused to type this inane message
These look nice! All tube amps are generally over powered for their usage. Run a volume box through the preamp and you can get blasting tones at low volumes and it will also push the speaker a little less cause it acts as a power soak. Wetter, less abrupt. Good for all settings and reshapes your gain staging.
I have the head it sounds great. I don’t understand how people don’t like it. I can get that AC/DC to Van Halen tones to modern tones very nice clean fender to Marshall break up clean . The only thing is you have to turn it up to enjoy the sound.
See what happens when you get a review from a guy who knows what he's talking about ... When in a bedroom, just use a Katana, Boss amp, something like this (I do) ... that's why they excist and they are perfect for this. On a stage or studio though, a Boogie (or Bogner, Marshall, whatever ...) demonstrates it's real potential. Been playing stages for 30 years +, 2 Boogies (one for small and one for bigger ones) was all it took. Great review, you are a wonderful player, all the best to you
I used to have one. Never liked it except for achieving tones tuned down a whole step or more. The clean channel was good but I always found the upper mids were way too aggressive and glassy on overdrive channels. Fluid drive was a nice channel but not something I needed. The reason I believe it worked with tuning down was because the hard upper mids created clarity to a detuned guitar
So, not being an electronics guy, I have to ask some somewhat rudimentary questions. Would an attenuator work well with this amp for home? They do show up locally at reasonable prices and I haven’t seen to many demos that I didn’t like. I also understand that playing with the tone controls on these is a learning experience. Apparently it all starts at the treble and don’t over do it from there!
I just recently checked out a used Express 5:50 1 x 12', 2 channel combo.! Switch between 5 watts or 50 watts. Various tonal voice switching, contour modes on each channel - almost like a third channel! Great little amp! Check em out when you can!
Paul! You have Sparked my interest in the Katana once again. Could pkz recreate a Van Halen tone w/ the Katana? Or an Artist preset pack for purchase? Take a poll on the Channel, just a thought. My vote Van Halen Preset Pack w/ various eras of Eddie's Tone! ... I purchased the Holiday Special all bundles
Sounds great! I've got an Ace head running through a 2x12 cab. It's an absolute beast. I run mine through a bugera ps1 so I can crank it and it still sound pretty decent at lower volume.
yep volume is the key for this guy, unlike Marks or Lonestars where preamp tone dominates, the power section just has to breathe. Its a bit more complicated, but running a reactive load into a SS power brick you can tame the volumes and retain the tone. The masters at 2:00 for ch2 would be deadly in the bedroom :)
great amp I must say. I have managed to get Van Halen - Ballance tone but there is a kind of "sand" in voice I couldn't dial out and that was the only reason I have sold it. Not really good for studio but on stage it works great.
Mesa makes great stuff. Period. Really jonesing for a cali tweed. Points well taken regarding trying to play that stiletto it at bedroom vols. I mean, it’s called a stiletto with a very metal logo of a wicked-looking stiletto, so, i mean 🤷♂️ update: bought a cali tweed head. zilla building me a 112 that i like better than mesa’s but am using the jensen blackbird 40 in it.👊
The problems were with the initial Stiletto amps- they replaced them after a year or so with the Stage 2 models. So some of the "Bullshit" in the forums is justified.
I didn't personally find anything wrong with the early version of the Stiletto Deuce that I couldn't overcome without resorting to modding the amp. I still have it. I have a Gibson 1960 Classic I got in the early 2000s, with the yellow-green mother of snot trapezoid inlays and the original 496R and 500T pickups. It probably sounds its best played through that amp.
Hi there!!! Amazing tone and playing, I have been looking for a plexi style amp for years now.... But I always find it limiting to have a single channel amp. On the other hand the 2 channel versions are always compromising the tone. This is spot on. Have you ever used an attenuator with this? Great video once again! Cheers
Electra Dyne! This has been my favorite amp for about 10 years now! I'll play other amps for a while and then when I plug in the Electra Dyne I'm just blown away all over again at how great it actually sounds. But it's LOUD and HEAVY af! Lol 😂
Really great sound! But without an attenuator this volume would rip your head of ... on any stage. It's not possible to use your master volume setting in any livesituation smaller than ... Wembley stadium. Sold my stiletto for this reason 😭
Thank you for pointing out what damn near every Mesa hater just doesn't get---Mesa amps are built for stage performance volume. Period. If you've played a Mesa the way the amp is designed and built to use and don't like them-fine. I'll respect that. But 99% of these people have only played them in the rec room with volume at 1 and that is simply not what Randall Smiths amps are built to do.
Just scored a Stiletto Ace head for a ridiculously low price so thought why not? What I'm worried about is reliability... I have two Lonestar heads also (one Classic one Special) and while they sound great, they both have reliability issues with their recto tubes. On another note, from what I understand the stiletto Ace was essentially the precursor to the Lonestar judging from the panel layout and features, but could be wrong. So those of you who have these, what are your experiences when it comes to reliability? Should I brace for unexpected "surprises"? Great demo btw, congrats!
this sounds great!! great review! I'm also having one since 2009 and still love her very much and using it very much. And are you using an attenuator? I'm thinking about buying one because even on a stage, this thing is very loud. Do you have your fx send level set at a specific value? (because even if you dont use the fx loop, this has some impact on the sound)
I wonder why amp makers haven't figured out that the overwhelming majority of guitar players don't gig but still want that sound. If someone ever bothered to make a real tube 2 channel low wattage amp designed for the bedroom players they'd make bank. I like my THR and Katana but I'd like a real tube amp, but knowing that tube amps like to be opened up to sound good has kept me from making that jump.
It’s very hard to make an amp that sounds exactly like a cooking 100W power section, but there are plenty of 0.1-5 watt amps out there. The marshall DSL1 seems pretty great for distorted stuff.
The problem is that you can’t perfectly replicate the sound of a high wattage amp cranked up at low volume. A cranked 100W amp and cranked 5W amp sound incredibly different. That amount of power and air moving only really happens at crazy volumes. IMO bedroom players are better off with reactive load boxes with IRs or full modeling for that reason.
I apologize if this has been covered, but I couldn't see anything on a few of these questions I had. I hear reverb, was that a pedal or done in post? In front of the amp or effects loop? What mics/pres were used? Thanks for any help!
The reason they go so cheaply is that after a while when they need maintenance, nobody likes to work on them as their internal layouts are terrible for servicing and their circuit boards are poorly laid out.. They weigh a ton and you now cant use them at that level on stage any more.. As you know ,, small foldback or in ears for you and DI into the desk for the rest .. Shame as on full power they are great .. Just like cars now ,, stuck at 20 mph....
A demo done only on a strat only half a demo, or less. Plug in an SG or a les Paul or something with humbuckers to get the other half of the picture. I hate strats, I hate singlecoils, and a demo done with them is useless to me.
sounds great but there's a downside of most mesa amp . that is you must have a foot controller to control it . I can't switch the channel that I like by hand flip the switch . that's why I don't like mesa amp
@@stratplayer96 for my case , I used mesa boogie mark v combo in one of the rehearsal room , I used the foot controller to choose the drive channel , then it automatically change back to clean or other channel . yes , I try to select channels by flipping the swtich but It stay on the same channel
@@liys540 If the footswitch is connected it usually acts as the master control for channels. If you want to change channels on the amp, disconnect the footswitch from the amp.
![🎤 ไปกันต่อออ! จับฉลากร้องเพลง x P’ #XXSIVK [EP.2] (1/2) เพลงของใครจึ้งสุดน้าา 💓🎤 #MXFRUIT](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mLI_K0sAS4o/mqdefault.jpg)
I have owned this amp for over two years, and while I’ve gotten some awesome sounds from it, I never could get a decent clean sound. I thought it was in need of repair- until I saw this video. It turns out that turning up the clean treble knob actually adds a load of volume. Do it just like he has the knobs set in this video and you’re in for a treat!
Not only did this fix my clean channel, holy smokes, I also got the most amazing, super tight, slamming high gain tone I’ve ever heard.
Seriously… thank you!
Just picked one up, they seem to have gone up a bit in used price since this video. I played it straight in a cab when I tested it. At home, I run it through an attenuator and it sounds absolutely fantastic. "Clean" channel has SuperLead tones in it, while the "crunch" channel has JCM800 2203 tones in it, but with a lot more saturation options. If you buy this expecting a Rectifier sound, you'll be disappointed. If you buy this for any other reason, you'll have a blast. I love it.
I had the Stiletto stage 2 Deuce 100 watt head. Like alot of older style amps (including rectos, Mark series, Plexis, 5150's, etc) these aren't instant gratification amps. They take some work dialing them in and have their sweet spots eq wise and volume wise. People don't realize alot of their favourite iconic guitar tones often took alot of work and in many cases, studio trickery to make it happen. The Stiletto harkens back to those older amps: a wild bucking bronco of an amp. Mesa's latest take on an M style amp, the Triple Crown, is much more forgiving as would say, my Friedman BE100.
"A Lot". 3rd grade grammar can be a motherfucker for some.
Stiletto Ace in particular has major ice-pick high end that is severely difficult to be rid of. You can turn treble all the way down and bass all the way up and will not be rid of that ear shattering high.
Hi, great demo, I like my Stage I the most, when the Master is around 3 o´clock position. Then the amp sounds even richer in a harmonic content. CH-Vol between 11-2p.m. Next is, that at lower Volumes the amp works better using the pots counterclockwise (below 12), and dial the fx-return pot to minimum. Furthermore - in a recording situation switch the fx-loop to off (out of the circuit). It´s punchier that way.
So thanks for the video, superb playing and recording => thumbs up!
Cheers from Germany, Frank
Master at 3 o'clock? Holy shit! 🤣
Thanks for this review. I have one of these and everyone saying they are crap. These are great amps. Why do people buy valve amps to play in their bedrooms to then complain that they are fizzy and thin whilst the master os barely on one?
Exactly. I run mine next to a dsl 100hr. I wanted a mesa/marshall bi amp tone. I just setup the stiletto at 1 oclock or maybe 2 on the bass and mids then the treble is at 9 oclock. The dsl i have everything cranked but the treble is pulled back to 1 oclock. I think the presence is way down. I actually dont recall bc i never mess with that. Reverb is off lol. But my vision was marshall razor sharp mids and honk with that gritty drive sound with a mesa low mid and bass. Both amps are running loud!!!! I turn them up to match volume then turn the gain up to get saturation where i want it. Its incredible. But god blessed is it loud. I think the marshall is louder. I have to cover the front of the cabinets most times live because its so loud. We took a chunk of mdf and put egg crate foam and its got a few holes for mics and theres one hole for the sound to give stage volume. I used to have a jcm2000 dsl 100 but had board issues so swapped them and at first there was regret. The 2000 was more brittle sounding. Once i figured that cranking the marshall then adding saturation was the key i find the dsl100hr to sound superior. Tighter, smoother and aggressive. The stiletto is brutal tho. It definitely takes a good marshall base tone and puts it over the top. Ive used just the stiletto before and it can be a tad harsh treble wise buuut i just turn the damn treble down and roll of tone to about 7(les paul jb bridge) and its freakin work ways
I have the head version. Love it's Marshall style tone for leads. It really sings.
I have owned the 1x12 combo version of this amp since 2010. For years I lamented the fact that it didn''t impress at room volume, and yet refused to get rid of it because of its immense tone with the master volume cranked. However, recently I learned up a bit on reactive load attenuation. I will be purchasing just that in the next month - I think it will likely solve the volume problem.
sounds great to me. many people get confused to how to set up a mesa, then are disappointed. i have a single rec, miss my mark 4, though single rec is simple and sounds great without any tweeking every time i turn it on.
Having owned and departed from a few mesa's over the years, for reason being most of their models have been one trick ponies. The least versatile amp on the market. Then came the Stiletto. This is by far the best value for money amp they ever made . I came so close to buying one recently. The cleans were great. ...But...like you said....my days of humping amps that weigh as much as a block of flats is over. Thanks to my Rivera designed Fender and the EV 12lm, being the instigators of what my back is today .
I've always wondered why Mesa/Boogie never made a Lone Star Ace to go with the Stiletto Ace. Andy Timmons for a long time used a Lone Star paired with a Stiletto Deuce, and it's a really glorious combination. The only problem with the Stiletto line is, now that people are beginning to appreciate them the way they deserve, supplies of used ones are drying up and prices are rising.
Mesa boogie
😊
Was super disappointed in mine, but was running an LP into it. After hearing your demo, I want to revisit this amp using my Strat! Sounds great, thanks for this helpful demo!!! :)
I run les pauls with sd jb and a goofy peavey explorer neck thru with emgs and it sounds amazing. No doubt. I also have a dsl 100hr and the marshall does any marshall stuff from tsl->jcm800->plexi and the stiletto can cover the mids low mids and the same deep bass as a recto. I dont know how anyone thinks it sounds bad. Mine is stg2 but even stg 1 with a boost is great.
I got rid of my rect o verb 50 in tough times. I have just picked one of these up for a bargain. I guess it is not a rectifier. I really got this for the fluid setting . Great video, thank you!
I recently got a Stiletto Deuce (serial number 40 nonetheless. It was owned by a session guy who toured with Lyle Leavitt, which is pretty cool) And that clean sound stands out like no other. Great with pedals, especially fuzz. Great for heavy Doomy stuff with all that headroom, and the tube rectifier to give it some extra dirt.
I remember about 10 years ago there was a guy on here who played a lot of Ace Frehley and Jimmy Page riffs on the Stiletto. I thought it sounded great. Yours does too, especially with the Silver Sky.
I love my Stiletto Ace head. I've never understood the negative comments on forums.
wow, I didn't know this was going to be a Silver Sky video! I am obsessed with watching all and any of them. I only clicked on this because I had never heard of this amp but I once had a mesa son of boogie and it rocked. and then there's a guy playing my guitar and it sounds like mine too cos of the consistency of these amazing guitars. I am 18 seconds in as a paused to type this inane message
Cheers zjon
@@TheStudioRats cool. I actually owned my mesa for over 20 years. I don't regret the sale but I still have fond thoughts. about it
Dude you've not only sold me on this Amp but on that PRS strat-like guitar. Ungodly tonr and playing. +1 subscribed.
Cheers Matthew.
These look nice! All tube amps are generally over powered for their usage. Run a volume box through the preamp and you can get blasting tones at low volumes and it will also push the speaker a little less cause it acts as a power soak. Wetter, less abrupt. Good for all settings and reshapes your gain staging.
I have the head it sounds great. I don’t understand how people don’t like it. I can get that
AC/DC to Van Halen tones to modern tones very nice clean fender to Marshall break up clean . The only thing is you have to turn it up to enjoy the sound.
See what happens when you get a review from a guy who knows what he's talking about ...
When in a bedroom, just use a Katana, Boss amp, something like this (I do) ... that's why they excist and they are perfect for this. On a stage or studio though, a Boogie (or Bogner, Marshall, whatever ...) demonstrates it's real potential. Been playing stages for 30 years +, 2 Boogies (one for small and one for bigger ones) was all it took.
Great review, you are a wonderful player, all the best to you
I had the head version years ago, It was like a marshall with balls. I miss it
Always said it. Boogies are badass. But they were never made for bedroom use.
I have the stilleto trident. I love it. I do admit i have trouble dialing it in sometimes :-).
It takes pedals really well too.
I used to have one. Never liked it except for achieving tones tuned down a whole step or more. The clean channel was good but I always found the upper mids were way too aggressive and glassy on overdrive channels. Fluid drive was a nice channel but not something I needed. The reason I believe it worked with tuning down was because the hard upper mids created clarity to a detuned guitar
Love this amp.. made a mistake and sold or traded many amps, I won’t make that mistake with the Ace
So, not being an electronics guy, I have to ask some somewhat rudimentary questions. Would an attenuator work well with this amp for home? They do show up locally at reasonable prices and I haven’t seen to many demos that I didn’t like.
I also understand that playing with the tone controls on these is a learning experience.
Apparently it all starts at the treble and don’t over do it from there!
The best Test, I‘ever seen on youtube! Thank you very much for the professionell play and show!
Cheers Jo
The story was this amp was based on one of Andy Timmons old Marshall’s.
Good knowledge I didn’t know that.
very Cornford MK50ii
I agree it’s a great giggling amp. I can play country, classic rock, and clean as well as gritty blues. A little loud at the house though.🤣😎
Sounds lovely. Bet it sounds even better through your cabinet of choice.
I just recently checked out a used Express 5:50 1 x 12', 2 channel combo.! Switch between 5 watts or 50 watts. Various tonal voice switching, contour modes on each channel - almost like a third channel! Great little amp! Check em out when you can!
Paul! You have Sparked my interest in the Katana once again.
Could pkz recreate a Van Halen tone w/ the Katana?
Or an Artist preset pack for purchase? Take a poll on the Channel, just a thought.
My vote Van Halen Preset Pack w/ various eras of Eddie's Tone!
... I purchased the Holiday Special all bundles
Sounds great! I've got an Ace head running through a 2x12 cab. It's an absolute beast. I run mine through a bugera ps1 so I can crank it and it still sound pretty decent at lower volume.
Thanks for this great video. Informative, to the point and I really enjoyed your fine playing.
yep volume is the key for this guy, unlike Marks or Lonestars where preamp tone dominates, the power section just has to breathe. Its a bit more complicated, but running a reactive load into a SS power brick you can tame the volumes and retain the tone.
The masters at 2:00 for ch2 would be deadly in the bedroom :)
I also watch for your guitar playing, believe it or gear info is great but I have picked up playing wise as well ..thanks 😉
great amp I must say. I have managed to get Van Halen - Ballance tone but there is a kind of "sand" in voice I couldn't dial out and that was the only reason I have sold it. Not really good for studio but on stage it works great.
Mesa makes great stuff. Period. Really jonesing for a cali tweed. Points well taken regarding trying to play that stiletto it at bedroom vols. I mean, it’s called a stiletto with a very metal logo of a wicked-looking stiletto, so, i mean 🤷♂️
update: bought a cali tweed head. zilla building me a 112 that i like better than mesa’s but am using the jensen blackbird 40 in it.👊
The problems were with the initial Stiletto amps- they replaced them after a year or so with the Stage 2 models. So some of the "Bullshit" in the forums is justified.
I didn't personally find anything wrong with the early version of the Stiletto Deuce that I couldn't overcome without resorting to modding the amp. I still have it. I have a Gibson 1960 Classic I got in the early 2000s, with the yellow-green mother of snot trapezoid inlays and the original 496R and 500T pickups. It probably sounds its best played through that amp.
Hi there!!! Amazing tone and playing, I have been looking for a plexi style amp for years now.... But I always find it limiting to have a single channel amp. On the other hand the 2 channel versions are always compromising the tone. This is spot on. Have you ever used an attenuator with this? Great video once again! Cheers
Under rated amp. You should check out an Electrodyne or a Lone Star Classic. Phenomenal amps!
Electra Dyne! This has been my favorite amp for about 10 years now! I'll play other amps for a while and then when I plug in the Electra Dyne I'm just blown away all over again at how great it actually sounds. But it's LOUD and HEAVY af! Lol 😂
Incredibly Great Demo & Guitar Playing! .. Rock'n'roll on Highest Level! ;-)
Really great sound! But without an attenuator this volume would rip your head of ... on any stage. It's not possible to use your master volume setting in any livesituation smaller than ... Wembley stadium. Sold my stiletto for this reason 😭
Thank you for pointing out what damn near every Mesa hater just doesn't get---Mesa amps are built for stage performance volume. Period.
If you've played a Mesa the way the amp is designed and built to use and don't like them-fine. I'll respect that. But 99% of these people have only played them in the rec room with volume at 1 and that is simply not what Randall Smiths amps are built to do.
Absolutely
Please find an Electra Dyne! Such a great sounding, do it all amp! Similar to the Bogner Shiva.
Just scored a Stiletto Ace head for a ridiculously low price so thought why not? What I'm worried about is reliability... I have two Lonestar heads also (one Classic one Special) and while they sound great, they both have reliability issues with their recto tubes. On another note, from what I understand the stiletto Ace was essentially the precursor to the Lonestar judging from the panel layout and features, but could be wrong. So those of you who have these, what are your experiences when it comes to reliability? Should I brace for unexpected "surprises"? Great demo btw, congrats!
this sounds great!! great review! I'm also having one since 2009 and still love her very much and using it very much. And are you using an attenuator? I'm thinking about buying one because even on a stage, this thing is very loud. Do you have your fx send level set at a specific value? (because even if you dont use the fx loop, this has some impact on the sound)
.. and what attenuator can you recommend? thanks!!!
I had one in green tolex. What a great amp. I have no idea why I sold it.
I wonder why amp makers haven't figured out that the overwhelming majority of guitar players don't gig but still want that sound. If someone ever bothered to make a real tube 2 channel low wattage amp designed for the bedroom players they'd make bank. I like my THR and Katana but I'd like a real tube amp, but knowing that tube amps like to be opened up to sound good has kept me from making that jump.
It’s very hard to make an amp that sounds exactly like a cooking 100W power section, but there are plenty of 0.1-5 watt amps out there. The marshall DSL1 seems pretty great for distorted stuff.
The problem is that you can’t perfectly replicate the sound of a high wattage amp cranked up at low volume. A cranked 100W amp and cranked 5W amp sound incredibly different. That amount of power and air moving only really happens at crazy volumes. IMO bedroom players are better off with reactive load boxes with IRs or full modeling for that reason.
Still one of my favorite amps
Hi 1x12 or 2x12 in your demo? Which by the way is very good! I'm in the market for a 1x12 combo (Ace).
Hi Alex it’s a 1x12
Great video Paul!
Thank You. Really helpful.
Fantastic video!
I apologize if this has been covered, but I couldn't see anything on a few of these questions I had.
I hear reverb, was that a pedal or done in post? In front of the amp or effects loop?
What mics/pres were used?
Thanks for any help!
Wow....fantastic. Love it!
andy timmons made it with mr. smith: the misunderstanding is the clean is fender and the second channel is marshall.
awesome video!
When it shows the front panel are those the dial settings you are using? Are you leaving them the same as you walk through all the tone options?
What an awesome player you are
Thanks!
The reason they go so cheaply is that after a while when they need maintenance, nobody likes to work on them as their internal layouts are terrible for servicing and their circuit boards are poorly laid out.. They weigh a ton and you now cant use them at that level on stage any more.. As you know ,, small foldback or in ears for you and DI into the desk for the rest .. Shame as on full power they are great .. Just like cars now ,, stuck at 20 mph....
People using these as bedroom amps cant appreciate the way it cuts through a mix
cant you use it at home with tone king attenuator?
Yes
These are great with P90's...
Is it yours in sale on fleabay Paul?
It is
wtf? “If you’re a home player don’t buy a nice amp, go buy a digital mic’s cab sounding device” -thanks for nothing, Pole!
I’m not sure you watched the video. Please watch before commenting
There’s definitely a lot of bullshit in forums
What mix did you use?
Sorry Mira, I don’t understand your question. Can you explain what you mean?
A demo done only on a strat only half a demo, or less. Plug in an SG or a les Paul or something with humbuckers to get the other half of the picture. I hate strats, I hate singlecoils, and a demo done with them is useless to me.
sounds great but there's a downside of most mesa amp . that is you must have a foot controller to control it . I can't switch the channel that I like by hand flip the switch . that's why I don't like mesa amp
Theres a switch to change channels, Mesa include a foot switch as they presume your playing guitar at the time you need to change channels.
Not true. There are mini toggle switches on the front of the amp.
@@stratplayer96 for my case , I used mesa boogie mark v combo in one of the rehearsal room , I used the foot controller to choose the drive channel , then it automatically change back to clean or other channel . yes , I try to select channels by flipping the swtich but It stay on the same channel
@@liys540 If the footswitch is connected it usually acts as the master control for channels. If you want to change channels on the amp, disconnect the footswitch from the amp.
It looks like you're demoing the guitar - we barely get to see the amp.