Let’s Talk About Wizard Amps Gut Shots Modern Classic 50 Modded, Slightly

[Erock]

There’s nothing special about wizards other than a lucky and repetitive stage design combination that can easily be stumbled upon and diode clipping to make up for the lack of actual gain from the stages afterwards. It’s an ingenious design in its simplicity.

I’ve wanted to get my hands on one to massage my excursion circuit into.

This is all true. However, none of the Wizard "fanatics" I know would buy a modded example, unless it was by a very well known builder. A tech in East Bumblefuck isn't going to be attractive unless you could hear it in person.

Edit: I don't think there is anything wrong with modding any amp btw, but I would personally consider it a lifer if I did...with the caveat that I was worried about re-sale value.

 

[glpg80]

This is all true. However, none of the Wizard "fanatics" I know would buy a modded example, unless it was by a very well known builder. A tech in East Bumblefuck isn't going to be attractive unless you could hear it in person.

Jason designed a run of 10 boards copying a MTL based on reverse engineering over on sloclone ages ago. Even those don’t sound the same and as such don’t fetch the same kind of money. It’s not as easy to copy as people believe because he’s using a few significant layout specific design considerations I catch in pics that PCB can’t replicate on its own.

 

[Erock]

Jason designed a run of 10 boards copying a MTL based on reverse engineering over on sloclone ages ago. Even those don’t sound the same and as such don’t fetch the same kind of money. It’s not as easy to copy as people believe because he’s using a few significant layout specific design considerations I catch in pics that PCB can’t replicate on its own.

Personally, it would need to be by someone like you, that I knew could tune it if I ever did want to mod one. And even then, I would make peace with the fact that it was something I would take to the grave.

 

[glpg80]

Personally, it would need to be by someone like you, that I knew could tune it if I ever did want to mod one. And even then, I would make peace with the fact that it was something I would take to the grave.

10/10 you’d have to have full trust in someone to tune the whole thing for stability and bringing in sonic characters you desire without fucking up what it does stock that you love. Newer orange drop caps such as 715 series are awfully prone to instability as Mesa found out the hard way with the VII PCB layout so I imagine if you start down the path of modding a wizard that a finished stable product may not look as pretty internally as users imagine.

 

[vultures]

This is all true. However, none of the Wizard "fanatics" I know would buy a modded example, unless it was by a very well known builder. A tech in East Bumblefuck isn't going to be attractive unless you could hear it in person.

Edit: I don't think there is anything wrong with modding any amp btw, but I would personally consider it a lifer if I did...with the caveat that I was worried about re-sale value.

I agree. With obscure amps like these, people want them exactly how the Wizard dude makes it. Doesn't matter if Joe Schmoe made it better, it's not a Wizard anymore. I feel that way about non-obscure amps too. I don't care who modded a 5150 or Dual Rec, I'm not paying extra money for a modded one.

 

[Greazygeo]

Wish I could try a Wizard and see what all the fuss is about.

It is one of the few high gain amps that still retains a vintage voice. Not the compressed, saturated, thin/ bright cap kinda tone. The notes don’t have “hair” on them. Big, solid sounding and never changes tone thru an entire 4 hour show cranked. I go from gig to gig and rarely ever need to adjust my tone controls. 20 years and counting with mine. Getting to play one with a band at gig volumes is where they shine. They record pretty easy too.

 

[Erock]

10/10 you’d have to have full trust in someone to tune the whole thing for stability and bringing in sonic characters you desire without fucking up what it does stock that you love. Newer orange drop caps such as 715 series are awfully prone to instability as Mesa found out the hard way with the VII PCB layout so I imagine if you start down the path of modding a wizard that a finished stable product may not look as pretty internally as users imagine.

 

[Greazygeo]

Do Wizards come with a lifetime warranty or something? The gooping on every single turret, connection and component looks like straight ass. Huge turn off for future repairing because that shit is an absolute pain in the ass to get off.

Vintage Marshalls did the same thing with the red doping. The blue stuff he uses, if you know what it is, easily comes off.

 

[psychodave]

I had a Wizard Metal modded by FJA for more gain. Amp was a beast…but needed to be played at loud volumes. If it had a useable master, I’d never have sold it. Note I didn’t lose any money on the resale.

 

[Erock]

I had a Wizard Metal modded by FJA for more gain. Amp was a beast…but needed to be played at loud volumes. If it had a useable master, I’d never have sold it. Note I didn’t lose any money on the resale.

I have a TRec reborn that Jerry modded. I'm taking it to the grave, even if it was worth 3x what I paid.

 

[FourT6and2]

Vintage Marshalls did the same thing with the red doping. The blue stuff he uses, if you know what it is, easily comes off.

The red stuff in Marshalls isn't any kind of dope, epoxy, coating, etc. It's simply akin to machinist layout fluid for marking QC. It burns away when you put a soldering iron to it. No idea what Wizard uses, but judging by the mess on the board in the photos posted earlier, it gets everywhere.

 

[FourT6and2]

10/10 you’d have to have full trust in someone to tune the whole thing for stability and bringing in sonic characters you desire without fucking up what it does stock that you love. Newer orange drop caps such as 715 series are awfully prone to instability as Mesa found out the hard way with the VII PCB layout so I imagine if you start down the path of modding a wizard that a finished stable product may not look as pretty internally as users imagine.

Man I hate orange drops. Even the older non-polyprop ones. For me, Vishay/ERO MKT1813 all the way.

 

[Greazygeo]

I had a Wizard Metal modded by FJA for more gain. Amp was a beast…but needed to be played at loud volumes. If it had a useable master, I’d never have sold it. Note I didn’t lose any money on the resale.

That was my first Wizard, 93 Metal. Sent it to Rick and had it modded. Gain mod, bass boost and tube fx loop. Loop Return gave me a nice overall master. Nice amp, on the brighter side.

 

[glpg80]

I agree. With obscure amps like these, people want them exactly how the Wizard dude makes it. Doesn't matter if Joe Schmoe made it better, it's not a Wizard anymore. I feel that way about non-obscure amps too. I don't care who modded a 5150 or Dual Rec, I'm not paying extra money for a modded one.

I agree when it comes to John Doe off the street corner but a qualified person can really take a great amp and make it a lifelong keeper. I think too many people get caught up in the namesake and forget that the inspiration to play is what matters. If a stock amp is close but isn’t cutting it then there are options for others to tune them. The quality of the final product is definitely dependent on how decent the donor is.

If the person is a business and has reputation behind the mod it’s fair to request more with the increased value. If it’s some random person with no electrical background or knowledge of what they’re doing then the opposite can happen with a hit to value. It really matters who’s been in them when it comes to values. A 71 Marshall modified by Jose will be worth more than a random TV tech from the same era. You may not believe in that but that’s the truth - value is in the knowledge to get it sounding good, not the donor amplifier it’s done to.

 

[Greazygeo]

The red stuff in Marshalls isn't any kind of dope, epoxy, coating, etc. It's simply akin to machinist layout fluid for marking QC. It burns away when you put a soldering iron to it. No idea what Wizard uses, but judging by the mess on the board in the photos posted earlier, it gets everywhere.

We always referred to it as red doping. The stuff Wizard uses is a similar thing.

 

[glpg80]

Man I hate orange drops. Even the older non-polyprop ones. For me, Vishay/ERO MKT1813 all the way.

Dude that makes two of us. I use ERO, vishay, synergy, and sometimes sozo. Every time I’ve used an orange drop for super high gain they’ve been the cause of a lot of microphonic BS.

 

[FourT6and2]

We always referred to it as red doping. The stuff Wizard uses is a similar thing.

The stuff Marshall used back in the day was most likely shellac-based. I recently watched a documentary about the stuff and how it's made. Looked very similar.

 

[glpg80]

The red stuff in Marshalls isn't any kind of dope, epoxy, coating, etc. It's simply akin to machinist layout fluid for marking QC. It burns away when you put a soldering iron to it. No idea what Wizard uses, but judging by the mess on the board in the photos posted earlier, it gets everywhere.

I use what’s called corona dope on finished products. Its use stems from reducing arcing in tight board designs for old mechanical closets. It’s shouldn’t be heated with a soldering iron but guarantees nothing has been changed for name sake.

 

[Greazygeo]

The stuff Marshall used back in the day was most likely shellac-based. I recently watched a documentary about the stuff and how it's made. Looked very similar.

Yeah, good possibility. I started messing with amps around ‘90. Alot of the articles and people I talked with referred to it as doping. So I tend to still call it that. This ‘78 2203 I just picked up has brown paint. Looks original.

Speaking of orange drops….one I picked up and got working again recently. Rivera designed Fender Concert.

 

[dead-pan]

I agree when it comes to John Doe off the street corner but a qualified person can really take a great amp and make it a lifelong keeper. I think too many people get caught up in the namesake and forget that the inspiration to play is what matters. If a stock amp is close but isn’t cutting it then there are options for others to tune them. The quality of the final product is definitely dependent on how decent the donor is.

If the person is a business and has reputation behind the mod it’s fair to request more with the increased value. If it’s some random person with no electrical background or knowledge of what they’re doing then the opposite can happen with a hit to value. It really matters who’s been in them when it comes to values. A 71 Marshall modified by Jose will be worth more than a random TV tech from the same era. You may not believe in that but that’s the truth - value is in the knowledge to get it sounding good, not the donor amplifier it’s done to.

No doubt the name is but a brand. It's funny to see how many times many of these amps change hands.