Advice Wanted re. First Wizard - MTL mkII or MCII

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jakeru19

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Hi everyone,

First post (I believe), but longtime reader. I have saved up the funds to purchase my first Wizard. Not sure if I should go for MTL or MC. Leaning towards the MTL. I do not play any metal, strictly speaking. More alternative, punk, and hard rock... but I have always gravitated towards more aggressive, high-gain (though distinctly British-flavored) tones. I do like something about the upper midrange emphasis of the MCII. Any input on making a decision is greatly appreciated, especially from those who have played both side-by-side. I am not in a location where demo'ing the amps is an option. I have listened to every clip on youtube, but am still having a tough time making up my mind. Excited by the behemoth grind of the MTL, but concerned about its ability to do lower-gain crunch. Thank you in advance :)
 
The reason, unless your in a group of wizard amp worshippers, you can loose alot of money on resale buying these new. Some will disagree but I have seen it $3500 used but someone paid close to 5K new. Its all in what you want.
 
panhead said:
The reason, unless your in a group of wizard amp worshippers, you can loose alot of money on resale buying these new. Some will disagree but I have seen it $3500 used but someone paid close to 5K new. Its all in what you want.
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That logic applies to all new purchases
 
I went with the standard MC as opposed to the MTL because I'm more of a hard rock player. Most guys who play modern metal on this board gravitate toward the MTL.
 
If youre talking new music gear , for the most part yes.
 
I've owned a 50w MTL and a 100w MC1. I could dial the MC to do the MTL tones; I could not dial in the MTL to the MC1 due to the auto scooped nature of the MTL eq. I'd go MC all day. Since the MCII has a contour dial it'll be even easier to dial that mid scooped nature of the MTL.
 
I think the MCII would probably work better for what you’re describing, but not sure if either would be my preferred amp for the styles you mentioned. I would generally choose my Naylor, ‘79 JMP2203, Rev D Rectifier or Badlander for those styles over the Wizard (for my taste anyway), but the Wizards can do it
 
Either amp will do what you want. It's more a matter of where you like your mids...upper=MCII and lower=MTL. The MTL gets much more saturated via the saturation knob while MCII is crunchier. I've owned the MTL and didn't jive with it...just had a hollow spot where those upper mids I like should be. I had a Hybrid too and it was a bit more upper mid capable, but not quite the same as the MCII.
 
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Any one play the MTL Mark II with the mid sweep vs the old MTL vs the MC series? Mike, did your hybrid have the mid sweep?
I was thinking the mid sweep might get the MTL II somewhat closer to the MC.
 
I have had only the MTL2 and I must say it’s still my favorite amp if I’m playing punk and hard rock . These definitely classic rock tones in there too by some knob turning . Rick had great suggestions for getting different tones out MTL2
 
Drkorey said:
Any one play the MTL Mark II with the mid sweep vs the old MTL vs the MC series? Mike, did your hybrid have the mid sweep?
I was thinking the mid sweep might get the MTL II somewhat closer to the MC.
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Yes the Hybrid had sweep and contour from the MCII but even those controls did not get the same upper mid grind/attack as the MCII IMHO. These are somewhat subtle differences but enough for me that I sold it and went back to an MCII. MCII vs MTL...two fairly different mid emphasis.
 
First, congrats--you'll be happy with whatever you buy. I own an MCI and an MTL II. I play hard rock and metal and generally am drawn to Marshall style sounds. For me, the MC is the Wizard that checks those boxes. Particularly if you get one with a C transformer. It is, of course, not a Marshall, but the voicing tends to express more in that camp than the MTL. The MC has a grind to it the Marshall does not (some describe it as the hi-watt grind). The MTL is fantastic, but definitely does not sound British. It is scooped in the mids compared to the MC which has more mid push. It has a ton of grind and is almost more neutral in its sound signature. For what it is worth, the MC plays nicer with boosts than the MTL in my experience.

You really can't go wrong.
 
Drkorey said:
Any one play the MTL Mark II with the mid sweep vs the old MTL vs the MC series? Mike, did your hybrid have the mid sweep?
I was thinking the mid sweep might get the MTL II somewhat closer to the MC.
Click to expand...

I had all three at the same time. Still have the mk1 MTL and the Hybrid. The sweep is a cool feature, I found I really didn't adjust it after having set it, so I decided to sell my Mk2 as a had an interested buyer. The mid sweep is a great feature and it does give you a little more upper mids than with out it. I like the Hybrid a lot, however, I prefer the extra low-end thunder the MTL brings with the depth control. I think if you are on the fence between the MTL and MC2 and like the upper mids, the Hybrid is a great alternative. It has more gain and saturation than the MC2.
 
I think with Wizard amps in general you can't really go wrong.

I own a MC II and MTL 1, and have to admit I slightly prefer the MC II lead channel. However, that does not mean for your ears the MC II is "it". You have to ultimately make that decision...

You mentioned british style sound, so instantly MC II is the one to recommend.

MTL has more gain/saturation/depth broader low end
MC II marshally/hi watt/plexi high mids and very swirly harmonics that make it very fun to play. It wont sound like it has as much gain and saturation as the MTL, but like others mentioned, it does take boosts better.

If I had to choose 1 over the other, I would pick the MC II, because you can dial in the MC II to sound closer to the MTL than vice versa.
 
You never played or own a Wizard. It won't matter which one. LOL You will be thrilled. I prefer my MTL 6l over My 2020 MCII but the MCII is a great amp also. The 6L surprised me with the mids. I had 2 other, maybe 3, EL34 MTL's and this one has better mids. Go figure. Yeah, these amps are expensive but there are a few guys he looks out for with a deep discount.
 
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