Hellrazor

[dan_the_man]

Hi there,
I’m curious about the Wizard Hellrazor with the KT120 power section.

I’m not really interested in the “stadium volume” aspect of those big bottle versions , what I’d like to know is how it behaves at more realistic volumes: band rehearsal levels or in a studio situation.

Does it still feel controllable and sound good when it’s not cranked to insane levels?
And how does it compare to other Hellrazor versions (EL34, 6L6, etc.) in that regard?

I have a bit of a soft spot for unnecessarily powerful amps. I own a IIC+ Coliseum that I absolutely love, not because of the sheer volume, but because of what it’s capable of doing sonically, and I’m always on the lookout for amps of that weight class.

If anyone here has owned or spent some time with the KT120 version, I’d really appreciate hearing your impressions.

Thanks!

 

[peterc52]

You should as @Monkey Man to move this to main forum or wizard forum. I dont have experience with the KT120 power section. I do however have a 100 watt EL34 version

 

[Techdeth]

Wizard with EL34s is perfection

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Hi there,
I’m curious about the Wizard Hellrazor with the KT120 power section.

I’m not really interested in the “stadium volume” aspect of those big bottle versions , what I’d like to know is how it behaves at more realistic volumes: band rehearsal levels or in a studio situation.

Does it still feel controllable and sound good when it’s not cranked to insane levels?
And how does it compare to other Hellrazor versions (EL34, 6L6, etc.) in that regard?

I have a bit of a soft spot for unnecessarily powerful amps. I own a IIC+ Coliseum that I absolutely love, not because of the sheer volume, but because of what it’s capable of doing sonically, and I’m always on the lookout for amps of that weight class.

If anyone here has owned or spent some time with the KT120 version, I’d really appreciate hearing your impressions.

Thanks!

A 50 watt, 100 watt, and 150 watt wizard will all get to the same volume and play well. With the 100 watt, you have a little more range to still be in a good place and crank up the volume more. With the 150 watt, you can go even higher in that range with volume.

We have played all side by side matching volume, and they sounded great. What you get with the 150 watt is even more punch at same volume or just crank the volume a bit more and make a cup dance on the table to your palm mutes.

It doesn't make it any harder to get usable tones at the normal volume range

 

[Monkey Man]

@peterc52 yes I'll do that.

The main sub-forum will attract more views than any other so I'll move it there.

 

[Shredneck]

I’ve got the kt66 60watt. It’s plenty loud. I honestly can’t imagine having more punch and push than what the amp puts out.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I’ve got the kt66 60watt. It’s plenty loud. I honestly can’t imagine having more punch and push than what the amp puts out.

The punch of the 50 and 100 is similar enough not to notice. The 150 watt is another ball game.

 

[dan_the_man]

@peterc52 yes I'll do that.

The main sub-forum will attract more views than any other so I'll move it there.

Tns sir!

 

[Omnipotent1]

The punch of the 50 and 100 is similar enough not to notice. The 150 watt is another ball game.

Sounds more like a ball rattler..

 

[peterc52]

Just sold my modern classic ii. With the HR i dont need it

 

[Exo-metal]

 

[ners]

Just sold my modern classic ii. With the HR i dont need it

Because the HR can get lower gain tones (like ACDC) or because you were boosting the MCII and the HR is better than that?

 

[Techdeth]

Just sold my modern classic ii. With the HR i dont need it

I’m starting to feel that way about my mtl2 and I love it . Hell Rsxor is just unreal . You can get great old tones with it too

 

[Shredneck]

The punch of the 50 and 100 is similar enough not to notice. The 150 watt is another ball game.

I guess that’s my point.. Anything beyond what the 100watt pumps out is redundant and will get eq’d out in a mix anyway

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I guess that’s my point.. Anything beyond what the 100watt pumps out is redundant and will get eq’d out in a mix anyway

Yeah. I don't think punch is about a mix at all. I think it is about the player playing the amp.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

There might be one, maybe two people on the entire internet who could accurately tell you what all the different poweramp versions of the HR sound like compared to each other. That's gonna be a real tough answer to get.

Also, when you say "KT120" version, do you mean the version that runs KT120 tubes in a 200 watt config, or the version that runs KT66 tubes in a 120 watt config? That's not on you for being unclear btw, Wizard's naming conventions can be a little confusing.

As far as the volume question, I have an HR that runs KT88's at 150w. It sounds great at low volumes. Playing that way you'd obviously miss out on the physical effect of the raw volume itself, but as far as the tone goes, the point of the ridiculous wattage is so the preamp gets amped as cleanly as possible. I think if you recorded any 150+w version of the HR at TV volume, then at blast zone levels, and then normalized the levels in post, I don't think the quiet recording would sound worse. Maybe slightly different but not worse. Wizards don't really have the kind of harsh unmusical fizz that needs to be accounted for by driving the poweramp into compression like some tube amps can have.

 

[VHTStark]

There might be one, maybe two people on the entire internet who could accurately tell you what all the different poweramp versions of the HR sound like compared to each other. That's gonna be a real tough answer to get.

Also, when you say "KT120" version, do you mean the version that runs KT120 tubes in a 200 watt config, or the version that runs KT66 tubes in a 120 watt config? That's not on you for being unclear btw, Wizard's naming conventions can be a little confusing.

As far as the volume question, I have an HR that runs KT88's at 150w. It sounds great at low volumes. Playing that way you'd obviously miss out on the physical effect of the raw volume itself, but as far as the tone goes, the point of the ridiculous wattage is so the preamp gets amped as cleanly as possible. I think if you recorded any 150+w version of the HR at TV volume, then at blast zone levels, and then normalized the levels in post, I don't think the quiet recording would sound worse. Maybe slightly different but not worse. Wizards don't really have the kind of harsh unmusical fizz that needs to be accounted for by driving the poweramp into compression like some tube amps can have.

Absolutely. Part of what I love about my Wizards is they get that driven, loud amp feel at any volume quite well. My 2204 or my father's 71 superlead need ear splitting volume to get that response.

That said....I agree with Smash in that the KT150's are absurd.....and are alot of fun played loud! Haha!

 

[dan_the_man]

There might be one, maybe two people on the entire internet who could accurately tell you what all the different poweramp versions of the HR sound like compared to each other. That's gonna be a real tough answer to get.

Also, when you say "KT120" version, do you mean the version that runs KT120 tubes in a 200 watt config, or the version that runs KT66 tubes in a 120 watt config? That's not on you for being unclear btw, Wizard's naming conventions can be a little confusing.

As far as the volume question, I have an HR that runs KT88's at 150w. It sounds great at low volumes. Playing that way you'd obviously miss out on the physical effect of the raw volume itself, but as far as the tone goes, the point of the ridiculous wattage is so the preamp gets amped as cleanly as possible. I think if you recorded any 150+w version of the HR at TV volume, then at blast zone levels, and then normalized the levels in post, I don't think the quiet recording would sound worse. Maybe slightly different but not worse. Wizards don't really have the kind of harsh unmusical fizz that needs to be accounted for by driving the poweramp into compression like some tube amps can have.

I hadn’t thought about it that way and just to clarify, yes, I was referring to the KT120 version in the 200W configuration, thanks for the heads up.

The volume aspect is actually only partially relevant for me, even half of that kind of power is already more than enough for my use case. What I’ve always appreciated the most about amps like the IIB and IIC+ Coliseum is exactly that feeling of punch, speed in the attack, and the way the low end behaves. It’s not just about loudness, it’s about how the amp stays together when it’s being pushed.

There are plenty of amps that sound great, but in that ultra high-wattage category I always feel there’s something extra going on in terms of feel and response.

That’s basically what makes me curious about the Razor. I’m trying to understand if it lives in that same “family” of behavior.

The problem is that finding one with that specific configuration used in Europe is almost impossible, and ordering a new one is obviously a pretty expensive leap of faith, so I’m just trying to gather as much real-world input as possible before even considering that step.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

I hadn’t thought about it that way and just to clarify, yes, I was referring to the KT120 version in the 200W configuration, thanks for the heads up.

The volume aspect is actually only partially relevant for me, even half of that kind of power is already more than enough for my use case. What I’ve always appreciated the most about amps like the IIB and IIC+ Coliseum is exactly that feeling of punch, speed in the attack, and the way the low end behaves. It’s not just about loudness, it’s about how the amp stays together when it’s being pushed.

There are plenty of amps that sound great, but in that ultra high-wattage category I always feel there’s something extra going on in terms of feel and response.

That’s basically what makes me curious about the Razor. I’m trying to understand if it lives in that same “family” of behavior.

The problem is that finding one with that specific configuration used in Europe is almost impossible, and ordering a new one is obviously a pretty expensive leap of faith, so I’m just trying to gather as much real-world input as possible before even considering that step.

Gotcha. Hah, I can tell you that if there's ANY amp that holds up and stays together under high power, it's a Wizard.

My KT88 150w Hell Razor has a low end that is quite frankly terrifying, lol. That amp sounds bigger and extends lower (and higher) than any other amp I've played. There's a kind of sub-bass the KT88's have that will just about make you see double if you're not careful. It's a pretty insane amp all around. It has the depth and width of something like a great Triple Recto, the crispiness and tightness of a Mark, and it even has a clarity and a chirp in the high treble you usually only hear in old Marshalls. I try not to speak in subjective absolutes but if was forced to pick a favorite high gain amp, this would be it.

I can only imagine what a KT120 200w version of that amp would do. It would be extremely stupid in the best way. I'm kinda like you in that when it comes to power, I think there's no replacement for displacement, or at least that very high power amps have a really cool inherent quality to them in their punch and clarity. Even so, for me, I am totally content with my 150w HR, zero desire for anything with more horsepower than that. Rick's amps, almost no matter what power config they come in, definitely have the overwhelming power thing down, that's kind of a Wizard's singular defining characteristic.

 

[Techdeth]

Gotcha. Hah, I can tell you that if there's ANY amp that holds up and stays together under high power, it's a Wizard.

My KT88 150w Hell Razor has a low end that is quite frankly terrifying, lol. That amp sounds bigger and extends lower (and higher) than any other amp I've played. There's a kind of sub-bass the KT88's have that will just about make you see double if you're not careful. It's a pretty insane amp all around. It has the depth and width of something like a great Triple Recto, the crispiness and tightness of a Mark, and it even has a clarity and a chirp in the high treble you usually only hear in old Marshalls. I try not to speak in subjective absolutes but if was forced to pick a favorite high gain amp, this would be it.

I can only imagine what a KT120 200w version of that amp would do. It would be extremely stupid in the best way. I'm kinda like you in that when it comes to power, I think there's no replacement for displacement, or at least that very high power amps have a really cool inherent quality to them in their punch and clarity. Even so, for me, I am totally content with my 150w HR, zero desire for anything with more horsepower than that. Rick's amps, almost no matter what power config they come in, definitely have the overwhelming power thing down, that's kind of a Wizard's singular defining characteristic.

From my experience though from wizards wether EL34 kt88 or 6l6 I found big tonal diffences . I kept both EL34s . As much low as any other brand . But I noticed a loss of a special thing going on in the highs when it’s not using EL34s . Razor sharp and special . My 6l6 sounded more like a super fryette pitbull . Just sooooooooo different . I don’t think that’s spoke of enough .