Buy Mesa Boogie Stiletto on Ebay
Except of review of Mesa/Boogie Stiletto Ace 2x12 Combo from Musicplayers.com.
The "British Sound" of classic EL-34 based amps has defined much of rock and roll's sonic history and has inspired the dreams of a multitude of guitarists -- those who lust after the focused harmonic lushness and voodoo that only these glowing bottles can conjure.
For those who share this dream, prepare to experience it more vividly than ever before.
Not only does the Stiletto Ace walk the hallowed ground of your favorite classic British sounds, it goes far beyond.
The amp delves into ferocious high gain chunk, liquid expressiveness, and, perhaps most surprisingly, also offers one of the finest EL-34 based clean tones around.
Mesa/Boogie's outstanding build quality and attention to detail also contribute to making the Ace an ideal candidate for the discriminating guitarist of any style who requires a wide range of yesteryear's iconic sounds, ultra-modern high-gain authority, a pristine clean tone, and the thoughtful set of player-centric features and rugged gig worthiness that you've come to expect from Boogie.Our only criticism was that the Ace does not come equipped with Reverb, which kept its scoring just short of reaching our prestigious WIHO award.
The Ace's front panel is clean looking and its controls are laid out in a logical manner that is symmetrical between both channels, with Channel 1's controls sitting directly above Channel 2's.
Each channel has its own Master, Presence, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Gain control (in that order, from left to right).
Additionally, a mini-toggle switch just to the left of the Master control for each channel allows you to choose solid state (Diode) or tube (Tube) rectification independently for each channel.
This feature allows you to adjust the feel of each channel's response by choosing either the percussive quickness of the diode's response or the looser, more-vintage "sag" of the 5U4G.
Just to the right of the Gain controls for each channel sits another pair of switches that allow you to select each channel's voicing.
Channel 1 is the lower gain of the two channels and offers voicing options of Fat Clean, Tite Clean, and Crunch.
Channel 2's voicing options also include Crunch, but delve further into higher gain territory, offering Tite Gain, and Fluid Drive options.
You'll notice that the Crunch voicing is duplicated between both channels.
This is because the authentic classic British sounds that so many players will no doubt want to reproduce were neither truly clean nor inherently high gain.
Having the ability to dial in two completely different flavors of these legendary sounds is something that most players will truly appreciate.
Global Output and Solo level controls are also conveniently provided on the front panel.
Once the individual channel Masters are set for optimal tone and balance between channels, adjustment of the Ace's overall volume on stage or in the studio is as simple as reaching for the Output control.
The Solo control allows you to set an appropriate level of boost for the footswitch-controlled Solo feature.
The Power switch offers the option of selecting the full incoming AC Line Voltage of 117 volts in the On (Bold) position or knocking down the Line Voltage to brown-out like conditions, in similar fashion to a built in Variac.
The rear panel is home to a dedicated Slave Out with Level control for driving external amplifiers, two 4 Ohm and two 8 Ohm speaker jacks for connection of external speaker cabinets, external 1/4" switching jacks for remotely selecting channels or engaging the Solo feature via external connections, and a high quality series effects loop with Send Level control and switchable Hard Bypass control.
The Ace's compliment of five 12AX7 preamp tubes, single 5U4G rectifier tube (channel selectable) and two EL-34 power tubes provide a juicy 50 Watts, offering enough headroom for pristine high volume clean tones, while still ideal for pushing the power tubes into a purring power clip.
Knowing that the Ace would appeal to a wide range of guitar players with varied playing styles, we selected an eclectic compliment of guitars with which to put it through its paces.
Regardless of configuration, it became quickly evident that the Ace's pristine clean tones easily outshine any other EL-34 based amplifier we have yet to hear.
As alluded to above, and talked about in great detail in our Lone Star review, product support and customer service at Mesa/Boogie is second to none!
Numerous custom options are available at an additional cost (typically in the $150-$500 range) for different colors, grill coverings, and cabinet materials.
Options range from colored vinyl to leather, suede, and hardwood.
Our review unit featured a classy standard dress of Emerald Bronco, tan grille covering, and tan leather appointments.
All Mesa/Boogie amps come with slip covers.
Details on custom options can be found on the Mesa/Boogie web site.
While Mesa/Boogie has utilized the EL-34 to some degree since its early Mark series designs (many current designs even offer the ability to swap the full compliment of power tubes for EL-34s), the Stiletto amplifiers mark the first-ever designs by Randall Smith and company entirely based around the EL-34.
This is a significant milestone for Mesa/Boogie as designing and optimizing the circuitry specifically around current production EL-34s has culminated in an amplifier design that is reliable, extremely versatile, and able to produce an amazing array of incredible tones spanning the historical sounds of classic rock through the ultra-modern sounds of today.
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