That'd be ideal if you could try one out locally; hope that works out for ya!
I picked up an MCII on a complete whim and friggin love it. Never played an MTL so can't make a comparison, but the MCII I picked up has the V tranny and it's one ultra mean metal machine on the lead ch. Haven't messed with the rhythm ch much, but the little I have played that ch I was fairly impressed but not blown away for 60s---70s classic rock tones. Probably just need a different pup in the LP I was using to hit the sweet spot. Was just a touch too aggressive and modern for my taste the way I had it dialed. Maybe with some tweaking of the knobs I'd get it right where I like it for that sweeter rock tone. Haven't tried much cause I play metal 90% of the time and have the Club 40 when I get the itch to play some classic rock inspired stuff.
Overall the MCII has amazing clarity, articulation, depth, punch, balls, grind, growl, and touch sensitivity. All the little nuances of your hands and pick come through, and there's some great harmonic content. SUPER open gain structure which you may like or not. I love it.
Good luck
Edit: DIdn't you sell a Fryette/VHT something or other this year? If so, there is considerable similarity IMHO between the D60 I had and the MCII. Different in the voicing, but similar in feel, dynamics, clarity, and balls.