# Mesa Stiletto Deuce - is it good for MeTaL ?



## HaZarD96 (Mar 27, 2010)

I am searching for an amp, played peavey 5150, XXX, some vht & engl`s
They all are great but Vht & Engl are a bit expensive, Peavey`s are great but seems like everyone have them, once played Mesa Stiletto Ace 60w combo - was impressed by the sound but it was long ago and i haven`t spent enough time to completely understand that amp, i remember it was sounding amazing

Now thinking about *Mesa Stiletto Deuce 100w head*, dwelled the youtube, momentaly remembered this sound but - as you know youtube self recorded videos are 99% awful sound quality

I am playing Melodic Death/ Metalcore  - can anyone say something about compatibility of Stiletto Deuce with such @[email protected] metal stiles, clean channel and versatility of Deuce are great, but my main music are heavy riffs 

What anyone can say `bout this amp ?  (all opinions are quite important, i`am just ready to buy an amp)


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## smucarolina (Mar 27, 2010)

do not get a stage I stiletto...they lack gain, low end, and depth that are required for metal tones.

the stage II is much better. 

do some research on the differences between the two.


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## Andii (Mar 27, 2010)

I owned the EDIT: STAGE I 100w head for two years.

The amp has a an amazing clean channel. I used the crunch mode with the gain turned down and that made an awesome clean channel too. 

The high gain modes on that head are not useable tones for metal. The circuit is very transparent and lets the tone of the guitar get through no matter what. That sounds like a good idea on paper but it's unpleasant for your high gain channel to sound like a clean channel when you're playing metal. This sound would be perfect for blues players and some styles of rock. 

The tone knobs are all interactive. The tone knobs are just about useless too. Turn them all you want and it won't do anything good. The treble knob gives you to choice of more ice pick scratchy sound or less ice pick scratchy sound. The mid knob was laughably ineffective. The bass knob gives you the choice of more flub or less flub. The presence knob should have been label "piercing scratchiness".

I got rid of that head while I was borrowing a 6505+. I am not necessarily writing about this to specifically recommend a 5150(even though I do) I am contrasting the traits that it has that the stiletto is lacking in. The 6505/5150 will sound good with all the knobs at 12 o clock(or anywhere else). This leaves you not fiddling with something that sounds bad all the time and lets you enjoy playing guitar. All of the tone controls do exactly what they are supposed to do. The amp is tight and punchy. The amp sounds really good, completely not something I would say about the stiletto. The clean on the plus models is actually good. If you don't have a plus or you're trying to use the clean with settings you made for the crunch it won't sound as great.

So there are my thoughts as someone who owned it/hated it for a long time. 

I really like the 5150's and will probably never switch to anything else. I've been plying the 6505+ for a year or longer. I think so many people have them because they are really really good and Peavey doesn't price gouge like other brands do.

If you want something different go for ENGL. Their designs never disappoint.


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## smucarolina (Mar 27, 2010)

stage II sounds different...mesa re did the design in order to be used for harder rock tones and metal...look into it.


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## Andii (Mar 27, 2010)

smucarolina said:


> stage II sounds different...mesa re did the design in order to be used for harder rock tones and metal...look into it.



You already said that. 

Unless they started over and made a new amp and used the same name, there is no way that the stage II is any good either.


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## smucarolina (Mar 27, 2010)

Andii said:


> You already said that.
> 
> Unless they started over and made a new amp and used the same name, there is no way that the stage II is any good either.


 
agree to disagree.

go play a stage II and get back to me.

you just said you had a stage I.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 27, 2010)




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## HaZarD96 (Mar 27, 2010)

this are that ones i`ve seen at youtube but it is not enough.. youtube sound is too dark

still collecting the forum member opinions...


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## Andii (Mar 27, 2010)

smucarolina said:


> agree to disagree.
> 
> go play a stage II and get back to me.
> 
> you just said you had a stage I.



I also just said unless they started over there is no way it worked out well. I'm not just saying that because mine wasn't the new one, Mesas have some serious issues. Rectifiers are the same story when it comes to the eq controls. The things sound like a mess. Anyone that gets an ok sound out of them had to spend hours and hours messing with the interactive unresponsive controls, changing tubes, playing at different volumes and boosting. If they like what they get at the end then that's fine, but I don't personally. 

From what I've seen, heard and played the only thing mesa has made that is on par with modern design standards is the mark series. 

I think it's time for metal artists to move on from the recs and whatever else mesa puts out and use the much better things that are out there. I think for the most part people have already. I haven't seen more than one mesa on a stage out of every 30 bands. 

Mesa makes sturdy reliable stuff and they are great as a company, but their amps are just overhyped and still riding the hype they got from the 90's when Korn Nickelback and everyone else in really popular music used them.

Don't let my opinions make you think I'm sort of Mesa hater either. I use Mesa recto cabs and nothing else because they have what I feel is the best choice in speakers, construction and dimensions. If anything I would say I'm someone who ignores hype and brand names and goes for what has the best design and sound.

For metal there are better choices like:
ENGL PB 
ENGL FB
ENGL SE (perfect for death metal, see suffocation, necrophagist, severed savior, decrepit birth)
ENGL invader 
AxeFx (perfect for everything)
Peavey 5150/6505 (a staple for hardcore, death metal and rock)

All of this is my opinion and there are a lot of people who will both disagree and agree with me. 

A lot can be learned about guitar tone by listening to a lot of albums and learning what amps and pickups were used for the tones that you really like.


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## JPhoenix19 (Mar 27, 2010)

Andii said:


> I also just said unless they started over there is no way it worked out well. I'm not just saying that because mine wasn't the new one, Mesas have some serious issues. Rectifiers are the same story when it comes to the eq controls. The things sound like a mess. Anyone that gets an ok sound out of them had to spend hours and hours messing with the interactive unresponsive controls, changing tubes, playing at different volumes and boosting.



Did you read the manual?

My experience with Mesa was the same until I did a bit of research and familiarized myself with how the EQ knobs relate to each other. After that, it didn't take me very long at all to get great tones from the Rectifiers that I tried (and the one I now own). Sure, Mesa makes their tone stacks differently, and while it may take some time to get used to that once you do it's not hard to make good tones (unless you hate sag).

But to the OP, the Stiletto I tried a while back didn't get close to a usable metal tone. I don't know which series it was, but I'd recommend a boosted standard Rectifier, perhaps with EL34's. If you can get past their popularity, the 5150/6505's are an obvious choice. You may even look into an ENGL E530 preamp and tube power amp combo.


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## Andii (Mar 27, 2010)

JPhoenix19 said:


> Did you read the manual?
> 
> My experience with Mesa was the same until I did a bit of research and familiarized myself with how the EQ knobs relate to each other. After that, it didn't take me very long at all to get great tones from the Rectifiers that I tried (and the one I now own). Sure, Mesa makes their tone stacks differently, and while it may take some time to get used to that once you do it's not hard to make good tones (unless you hate sag).
> 
> But to the OP, the Stiletto I tried a while back didn't get close to a usable metal tone. I don't know which series it was, but I'd recommend a boosted standard Rectifier, perhaps with EL34's. If you can get past their popularity, the 5150/6505's are an obvious choice. You may even look into an ENGL E530 preamp and tube power amp combo.



Yes I read the manual for the stiletto and the rec and worked with both over the course of about 2 years. I indicated that I knew about the tone stacks when I used the word "interactive"(affect one another) in my previous post. The biggest issue to me is that the tone controls are interactive, which isn't so bad, but they're ineffective at the same time which is asinine. 

I worked with the rec with both 6l6s and el34s. I got sounds out of the rec that some people would be happy with, but there are just better things out there to be had, and even for cheaper with the 5150s.

You had the same experience with the stiletto that I had. Whether the one you played was a series one or not it's still not good. If the series II made a huge difference like some people think and made it at good as a rec(which I doubt) I guess it elevated it to usable to some people, which with all the choices there are isn't impressive or acceptable.


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## technomancer (Mar 27, 2010)

Andii perhaps you need to accept that just because YOU don't like something doesn't mean everybody will feel the same way. Honestly there are hundreds if not thousands of people using Mesas for metal, including the Stiletto. I can appreciate you might not like the Stiletto as it has more of a British voicing, and you had the series I which just plain old doesn't sound as good, but that doesn't make it unusable.

Out of your list I personally wouldn't play ANY of the first three ENGLs you listed (I've owned an SE and have played the other two) as they're just overly-compressed and sterile for my tastes.

To the original poster, if you liked the sound of it, it certainly has enough gain to do metal.


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Mar 27, 2010)

technomancer said:


> Andii perhaps you need to accept that just because YOU don't like something doesn't mean everybody will feel the same way. Honestly there are hundreds if not thousands of people using Mesas for metal, including the Stiletto. I can appreciate you might not like the Stiletto as it has more of a British voicing, and you had the series I which just plain old doesn't sound as good, but that doesn't make it unusable.
> 
> Out of your list I personally wouldn't play ANY of the first three ENGLs you listed (I've owned an SE and have played the other two) as they're just overly-compressed and sterile for my tastes.
> 
> To the original poster, if you liked the sound of it, it certainly has enough gain to do metal.


This.

The Stiletto does metal just fine. I actually prefer them over the recto series and I'd love to own a Trident at some point. To me they live up to their name, sharper and tighter and paired with a recto it's perfect for metal, yet it can handle the job all on it's own.


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## JPhoenix19 (Mar 27, 2010)

Andii said:


> Yes I read the manual for the stiletto and the rec and worked with both over the course of about 2 years. I indicated that I knew about the tone stacks when I used the word "interactive"(affect one another) in my previous post. The biggest issue to me is that the tone controls are interactive, which isn't so bad, but they're ineffective at the same time which is asinine.
> 
> I worked with the rec with both 6l6s and el34s. I got sounds out of the rec that some people would be happy with, but there are just better things out there to be had, and even for cheaper with the 5150s.
> 
> You had the same experience with the stiletto that I had. Whether the one you played was a series one or not it's still not good. If the series II made a huge difference like some people think and made it at good as a rec(which I doubt) I guess it elevated it to usable to some people, which with all the choices there are isn't impressive or acceptable.




Fair enough. I wasn't trying to insult you or anything like that. I just wanted to make sure you weren't making the same mistake I did (I didn't like the Recto tone at first).







OP, sorry for hijacking your thread. Good luck with your search.


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Mar 27, 2010)

JPhoenix19 said:


> Fair enough. I wasn't trying to insult you or anything like that. I just wanted to make sure you weren't making the same mistake I did (I didn't like the Recto tone at first).
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 Well done..rep for that


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## HaZarD96 (Mar 28, 2010)

Here are some bands from mesa site who are using *stiletto deuce*

Michael Chislett--Academy Is.., The
Greg Dulli--	Afghan Whigs
Myles Kennedy-	Alter Bridge
Andy Timmons--	Andy Timmons
Tim Lambesis--	As I Lay Dying
Devin Bronson--	Avril Lavigne
Jack O'Shea--	Bayside
Peter Parente--	Chayanne
Travis Stever--	Coheed & Cambria
Ben Weinman--	Dillinger Escape Plan
Rick Jackett--	Finger Eleven
Caleb Turman--	Forever The Sickest Kids
Mark King--	Hinder
Bobby Thompson--	Job For A Cowboy
Adrian Eccleston--Kylie Minogue
Mark Morton--	Lamb of God
Chuck Treece--	McRad
Tom Wisniewski--MXPX
Luca Campaner--Natasha Bedingfield
Drigo--	Negrita
Ryan Peake--	Nickel Back
Chad Kroeger--	Nickel Back
Marcos Curiel--	P.O.D.
Audelio Flores--	Set Your Goals
Michael Sweet--	Stryper
Kai Kidd	--The Carburetors
Geoff Weers--	The Expendables
Captain Kirk Douglas--	The Roots
Tyler Connolly--	Theory of a Deadman
Eidan Thorr--	Valient Thorr
John LeCompt--	We Are The Fallen

*how* do you think is it real info or only endorsement ?
(roaming youtube samples of Deuce i realy catch a thought that it`s sound associats me with Lamb Of God sound maybe this all is bull$hit of course..but)))


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## technomancer (Mar 28, 2010)

LoG has traditionally used the Mark IV, but it's completely possible they've thrown a Stiletto into the mix to fill things out  I also know Timmons uses one. It's becoming increasingly common to use a Stiletto with a Recto to fill out the mix.

I'd say find a Mesa dealer and check it out more and decide if you like it for yourself instead of worrying so much what other people are playing


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## Arsis (Mar 28, 2010)

I played one back in the day. At first I was all exited because it was the first Mesa I ever got the chance to play. Then I was like WTF? Where's the t03nZ? It could have been a stage 1, and I didn't have a boost. Hell though, Heavy Devy ass Townsend seems to enjoy them.


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## HaZarD96 (Mar 28, 2010)

technomancer said:


> LoG has traditionally used the Mark IV, but it's completely possible they've thrown a Stiletto into the mix to fill things out  I also know Timmons uses one. It's becoming increasingly common to use a Stiletto with a Recto to fill out the mix.
> 
> I'd say find a Mesa dealer and check it out more and decide if you like it for yourself instead of worrying so much what other people are playing



i am worrying to buy an amp with lack of gain or unsuitable for metal style of playing.. some of that @[email protected] in list only mean that it`s a hope this amp is.. 
& there are no local mesa dealers or mags with this head in stock (( or i`d been there yesterday


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Mar 28, 2010)

This vid is the main reason I want a Stiletto


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## budda (Mar 28, 2010)

Melodic metal? yeah, a stiletto will probably kick serious ass for that.

I'd try a stiletto trident if I didn't think I *might* prefer it over my roadster. But my roadster has 4 channels, so it's hard to compete with in that regard.


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## JPhoenix19 (Mar 28, 2010)

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> This vid is the main reason I want a Stiletto




You know, after listening to it I wouldn't say I'd use it. Sure, it sounds like it can do metal. I just like my Roadster better.


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