Mesa Stilleto Ace

[Mr. B]

Just discovered Andy Timmons new album and WOW, I am blown away. Anyway, I notice he plays the Mesa Boogie Stilleto Ace Combo, so I went to check it out at a local music store. The Music store TROLLS didn't want me to try it of course, even though I am close to 40 years old, and dont look like a dirt poor teenager. I did play it with the Troll's choice of fine instruments (The cheapest squire strat he could reach without moving). I had to get him to flip the switches, since it was on diplay like the Mona Lisa behind a roped off barrier. And he turned it up loud enough for me to barely hear it when I actually climbed INTO the speaker cone.

Anyway, wasted my time with the music store Nazis. Seriously, I understand them not wanting every zit faced kid and their brother putting milage on a good amp, but how do you expect to sell a car with no test drive???

Has anyone given this thing a wringing out ?

Opinions??

 

[Mkf411]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

Well, I haven't tried it, but if it's guitar center, they should have a 30 day return policy. So I'd buy it from that guy and return after a full real world test drive.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

Thanks for reminding me to buy the Andy Timmons CD. I've been meaning to get it. Based on those youtube videos, he's becoming one of my new favorites.

I'm also annoyed by music store clerks who act like the gear is their personal gear. I've found that by being really nice to them, and showing them that I can play before asking to see the most expensive thing in the store, it makes things easier. I have to admit, music store clerks are nicer to guys in their 30's/40's/50's than they ever seemed to be when I was in my teens and 20's.
The best thing you can do is make friends with a couple guys from each store, so you can go in and play anything you want.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

I'll haven't tried the new Mesas, but I am dying to know if they got it right this time. So far, it's just NOT a Marshall.

I don't get how Mesa won all these awards for one of their least best efforts. Bogner, Rivera, Blockhead, Roccaforte, and Budda come to mind as great amps I have played that never won so many awards as the Stiletto (series 1).

Regarding guitar shop people. Puh-leeez. I have come in playing Coltrane on guitar and gotten an attitude. I have several shops in town where I know people and they MAKE ME try the best stuff, not for my asking, just to try and get me hooked... lol. However, I had a few run ins recently with some particularly NASTY folks (I mean PURE OFFENSIVE). I wrote some stern letters, and as dorky as that sounds, I got apologies and better service.

The mistake on their part? I am an impulse buyer. You never know when I am in the mood to buy or who will be involved. I went to check out a Marshall 6100 a while back, and the girl I was with thought it sounded so good she fronted part of the money and I bought it on the spot.

The irony is that they don't take it like it's their personal gear. I have seen some HIGH END amps abused at my local GC by sales reps who know NOTHING about the gear. Seems their real problem is thay are angry at life because they hate their job and they want to take out their aggression on you. God forbid they should love working around music and possess some product knowledge.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

It's for that reason that I see what I want at physical stores, but then buy it from either recycler, Ebay, Craigslist, or an online discounter. All a store has to do is have a friendly, knowledgeable salesman and a good price. If they can't do that, then I just use them to buy strings and picks.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

Im great friends (well.. 'friends') with the folks in my guitar store. All of them are nice, but theres one guy named Gary whos like.. old.. hes easily in his 50's, overweight etc etc. We end up talking every time I go there because he not only grew up with the music I'm in love with, but has been in cover bands of it. He's a gigantic Stones and Cream and Bluesbreakers fan. We've jammed it out sometimes, and essentially, he'll grab out any guitar or amp I feel like trying.

That was my first 59 Les Paul (Reissue) through JCM 800 tonegasm, ever.

Er.. sorry about your nazi's, mate?

 

[spacecaptain21]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

Yeah, too bad about that. I haven't had too many sour dealings with GC. I always have one salesguy that I go to for everything. Every one of my guitars I've gotten incredible deals on from there. The guy I deal with now I've been dealing with for a while. He makes me try out stuff (I guess sorta similar to Olin) because it's cool. '58 LP Replica -> OCD -> my Stinger Blues Man on 7 = HOLY SHNIKES!

 

[cvansickle]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

I have played the new Mesa Stiletto Ace combo, twice, both times at fairly loud volumes. First time I used a Gadow with P90s and a Les Paul Special with humbuckers, second time was with a Les Paul Classic that had Fralin humbuckers. My local dealer is cool - they understand that you can't sell stuff without letting people hear it!

I could own this amp. It is very good. I liked the first Stiletto Duece head when I tried it last year, but this combo is head and shoulders better, IMHO. The clean channel on Crunch is very Plexi-like, and responds well to volume control changes on the guitar. The dirt channel on Tight Gain is my favorite, but the Fluid Gain is great too, not messy at all. I really need to hear it through a 412 to clinch it, and I'm really leaning towards a head.

 

[esandes]

Re: Mesa Stilleto Ace

the music store employees around here aren't like that, thank god.