Mesa Stiletto Ace and Rivera Venus 6 - thoughts?

[fuel0707]

It looks like I may be in the market for a new combo amp. Having not had a chance to play it yet, I must say that I'm very intrigued by the Stiletto Ace 1x12. I'm hoping to get to play one later this month when my local Mesa dealer finally gets one back in stock.

However, a friend of mine on the west coast (who is a dealer for both Mesa and Rivera) has told me that I should also demo a new Rivera amp, the Venus 6. The Rivera is brand new and he said that he just sold one to a customer and that both of them were really impressed by it. Apparently, the Venus 6 is a 35-watt, Class A amp with 4 6V6's. Doesn't sound particularly British to me but he said he really got after those tones. My friend also said that his customer reported that the Venus was louder than his 100-watt Marshall.

Anyways, I'm looking for opinions on tone and whatever else y'all have on either amp. Tonally, I'm absolutely floored by Andy Timmon's latest CD, especially the opening track. I dig the very Marshall tone and how dynamic the amp is. I know Andy tracked the CD with two old Marshalls but I've heard him play "Deliver Us" with a Stiletto and it sounds like the Stiletto nails the old Marshall tone from his studio.

Thanks again for the feedback. I'm months away from making any decisions but I'm just trying to do a little homework.

[gitfiddler]

i've heard great things about the ace and am looking to check one out myself. let us know what you think if you demo both

[fuel0707]

I'll let you know. My one and only local Mesa dealer just sold his Ace combo and he told me he expects to have another one in 3-4 weeks. As for the Venus, there are no nearby Rivera dealers so I don't know if I'll be able to much more than listen to my buddy's opinion of it.

[jgcable]

Well,, if the Ace sounds anything like the Hollywood modded Series 1 Deuce you will really dig it. Its a pumped up JCM800 on steroids. Especially the tight gain channel/

[fuel0707]

Well,, if the Ace sounds anything like the Hollywood modded Series 1 Deuce you will really dig it. Its a pumped up JCM800 on steroids. Especially the tight gain channel/

That sounds pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I hope that's what I find when I get to try it out.

Hey, if it's good enough for Andy Timmons, it should be more than good enough for me, right?

[beachjammer]

I tried the Ace and so far it's the only Mesa amp that hasn't blown me away. It just didn't do it for me but I may not have messed with it enough. I personally liked the new Express alot better not to mention the Roadster.

[cookiemonster2]

It seems if you like the Recto you will hate the Stiletto. I didn't care for the recto sound but I liked the Stiletto, but then again I settled for a Mark IV so I'm just doing the usual message board opining that doesn't mean much.

[gitfiddler]

the praise i heard for the ace was from a mark iic/mark iv owner (recto hater)

[jgcable]

the praise i heard for the ace was from a mark iic/mark iv owner (recto hater)

Absolutely. The Stiletto sounds NOTHING like a Rectifier. It sounds like a Marshall which is what it was designed to sound like.

[fuel0707]

It's not surprising to me, from a philosophical standpoint, that guys who like Rectos don't dig the Stiletto and vice versa. While I could see why some guys dug the Recto series, I never wanted for myself.

I like British-style tones more, so I guess I'm part of the customer base that Mesa is targetting with the Stiletto. Andy Timmon's tone on "Resolution" just blows me away these days and that sound is a lot different from the Recto.

I appreciate the responses from everyone.

[thetruthguy]

I'm really thinking about getting a Stiletto ace. I say some youtube clips and thought it sounded great ... nice crisp cleans and it could also get pretty heavy. I'm into bands like Ratt, HIM, Dokken, Evanescence, Metallica, Iron Maiden ... I know some are more heavy than others, but I guess my playing style is along the lines of the 80s band more so than the modern stuff. I just want an amp that gives me warm sustain for leads, enough grit for solid power chords, etc. I don't want something that's going to sound like Lynard Skynard with tones that die out too quickly. Would the Ace be a good amp for me?

[Rupe]

I used to own a Duece and I've tried out the Ace. Tough to beat them for hot-rodded Marshall tone.
I've been impressed with Rivera's in the past but I can't comment on the Venus 6 as I have never played it.

[Endrik]

what's with the "if you like this then you will hate that" thing in every thread?

[thetruthguy]

If you like Ava Devine, you'll probably like Lucy Thai!

[roodyrocker]

Mesa had another amp at NAMM this year that sounded quite impressive, the UltraDyne. If I was in the market for another Mesa thats the amp I'd be considering. Seemed to do clean and distortion tones equally well and had nice tone to it. Saw Andy Timmons live during NAMM at the Ibanez/Paul Gilbert show. Andy's live tone kicks butt and of course he is a very accomplished player.