Mesa Boogie Stiletto Head Unit

[silverwulf]

The more I play on these amps, the more impressed I am with them. The clean channel just sparkles and is one of the better cleans I've heard on a more modern, high gain type amp. The overdrives are awesome too.

I've heard some people complain about the amp's lack of gain...how much gain do you need?! It has 3 levels of gain on the Lead Channel you can select: Crunch, Tite Gain, and Fluid Gain. I find that my favorite setting for metal rhythm is the Tite Gain with the gain up around 9 o'clock. And keep in mind, this is the middle of the 3 gains...there's another level of gain (Fluid Gain) above that I'm not even using, but people complain there's not enough gain in the amp?

It's a very tight and articulate sounding amp. I'm highly considering getting one to go along with my '94 Dual Recto. It reminds me of a tighter sounding, more versatile, hot rodded JCM 800...with a clean channel... Anyone else give these amps a try?

 

[Matt Crooks]

I tried one, and just didn't like it. I guess it had enough gain, but I just didn't like the tone of the amp. For me, it was everything I don't like about Marshalls - thin, buzzy and annoying. However - if you get a good sound out of it, that's great, there's a lot of really good gear that I just don't like.

For Mesa sounds, I'll stick to my Road King.

 

[silverwulf]

My other bandmate tried it out for over a half hour and it sounded like shit for him. But, he liked it after I started turning knobs. I didn't find it thin and buzzy at all. It basically sounded like aMarshall on steroids to me. But, I also like the sounds of Marshalls (good ones), so I'm sure it wouldn't appeal to a fan who doesn't like the "Marshall sound" very much.

 

[JeffTD]

I don't like it much either; Not enough saturation without a pedal, thin and buzzy, overbearing high end, not enough lows or low mids.

 

[Razorjack]

I liked it when I tried it, to me it was better than a modern Recto and more 'Marshall' than any of the shit they try and pass of as Marshall's these days.

 

[silverwulf]

I liked it better than all the modern Recto's too. I thought the amp has plenty of bass and gain. I was only using the middle gain setting (Tite Gain) with the gain around 3 o'clock and I had plenty enough for metal rhythm. As for bass, I had the knob around 12 noon and had more low end than any guitar signal should need IMO.

 

[PTE3X]

i hated it pure rubbish