[noodles]

Marshall JVM (head, 1960BV cab)

Eh. It is much better than a JCM2000, but it still doesn't do it for me. I was in the loud lounge at GC, so I really got to crank it.

The nice glassy cleans are there on channel one, and you can push into that blues breaker territory. Channel two comes really damn close to a JCM800. I wish I had an overdrive to put out front to really get a feel for it. It starts doing that warm compression thing when you crank it, just like a JCM800.

Channels three and four are just about useless, with far too much gain that turns into a cacophony of harsh harmonics and uncontrollable feedback as you progress through the modes. Channel three is probably the lead channel, as it is a thick, undefined, soupy mess. Channel four is probably the rhythm channel, as it is harsh, lacks all bottom end, and delivers that overly spanky/clicky percussive attack that I hate about modern Marshalls.

The digital reverb is excessive and uninspiring. The presence and resonance controls need to be relabeled ice pick and warm fart. Maybe I'm biased against Marshalls, but the JCM800 right next to it crushed it. It may be versatile, but most of the tones are unusable.

Mesa Express 5:50 (2x12)

Do not buy this amp. Do not plug into this amp. Don't even look at this amp. Avert your gaze and stay at least ten feet away, or you may go blind and sterile.

Channel one clean is completely uninspiring. It's just sorta there, and overly compressed. You couldn't get any of that glassy edge that you should be able to get out of a tube amp. The gain knob seemed to roll up the bass along with the gain. Blues was a little better, as if someone dropped a TS in front of it. Still, uninspiring and overly compressed.

Channel two had two modes that I forgot the names of, because they both sucked ass. There is absolutely no bottom end. I could get better sounds out of a Crate Blue Voodoo. I had to make sure that I wasn't plugged into a Marshall Valvestate. I'm not even going to bother describing the thin, limp dick tone that came from channel two.

The only thing good about this amp was the Mesa badge. It looked sharp and was centered perfectly. It doesn't appear heavy duty enough to use as a jack stand, it is too big for a door stop, and is too light to wedge under the tires of a truck to prevent roll back.

Mesa Stiletto Ace (2x12)

Quite simply, this is the best hot rodded Marshall that Splawn never made. Glassy cleans, funky spank, a smoldering blues are all to be found on channel one. Vintage overdrive to modern saturation are all found on channel two. I don't have words for how awesome this amp is. Everything Mike said about it is true. It chunks with authority, and sings like stool pigeon. It doesn't have that aggressive Recto/5150 kind of grind, but it ain't that kinda amp. It plays 80s thrash without an OD, though, and does it really well. With more gain than you want. You can also dime the gain and maintain tons of clarity. This is the neck pickup lead amp. All round and fuzzy.

Someone bye me one.

[Toshiro]

So Marshall still hasn't figured out how to make a modern high gain amp? Maybe they should ask someone else to design it?

[loktide]

Originally Posted by noodles

...The presence and resonance controls need to be relabeled ice pick and warm fart...
...I had to make sure that I wasn't plugged into a Marshall Valvestate...

[ohio_eric]

So noodles is the Mesa Stiletto better or as good as the Splawns?

[noodles]

Personally, I prefer the Stiletto to the Splawn modded Marshall MK II I played. A modded Marshall will alway sound like a Marshall, but the Stiletto sound more like a Mesa-ized Marshall. It is actually closer to a Boger Ecstasy, but with more low end.

[maliciousteve]

Yeah those new Mesa Express amps are pretty shitty. No bottem end at all and solos on the low strings sound fuzzy and lifeless.

[Shaman]

Take that you poofter's

I am not a Marshall fan either. I did own a DSL100 for some years, and it was an OK amp, but there are a lot of amps that are way better than Marshall, and are a lot cheaper, better sounding, and versatile.

So that must mean, that I am not a real man *cryyyyy*

[noodles]

Real men apparently get perms and wear high heels, too.

I'm a huge fan of the JCM800 and Plexi. Those amps are damn near perfect. If Marshall kept evolving along those lines, maintaining that vibe as they added gain, I'd probably be interested in playing a modern Marshall.

[Zepp88]

Okay, Yngwie, try to look as gay as possible.......

[noodles]

You calling him gay?!? He's gonna unleash the fookin' fury!