Regale me with your Wizard amp experiences

Incredible amp with incredible tone !! Totally no compression at all, no soft spot there... you probably need compress pedal for legato lol... But very bright with china preamp and others... it came stock with JJ preamps and JJ EL34...

It needs JJ preamps for some smoothness !
 
No shit? That's awesome. I thought it might have some special tubes. Glad it sounds good with regular ones. I usually like silver dragons 12ax7 but if jj is the way, that is simple.
 
They are not compressed and therefore very quiet, relative to other high gain amps.

They are really something special as far as amps go. since I have a limited budget, if I didn't already have a Larry (which is another bag of worms) I would have a wizard.

Those amp makers (along with Naylor) really nail the ooomph and power of a really good vintage Marshall, and that's why they have the reputation they do.

Wizards are absolutely insane, especially with a live band at volume.
 
Food for the machine. Lol...

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Agreed with all of the above. I've owned my 2016 MTL for 4 years now, which is a long time for me, and its an awesome amp. Very articulate, open, punches harder than anything else I've tried so far (that's the main reason its been a keeper), moves lots of air, real rock solid quality to the notes, and one of the most organic/not-filtered sounding amps made today. Most amps made today sound synthetic and dead/flat in comparison. An old Marshall will still be more organic sounding, but it's close imo. Also has a great clean channel. The only high gain amps I've tried that I think have better cleans are my iic+ and purpleface prototype

The things I don't like about it: needs to be loud to sound its best, a bit dry for my taste, doesn't have the growl or mids of a good Marshall (more like a Hiwatt/Marshall hybrid), doesn't agree with most boosts, not crazy about it for playing leads or more single note heavy type riffs

If you're used to newer amps with lots of gain and compression like a 5150/6505, Engl's or EVH's, you may possibly not like it, at least not at first
 
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Smashedguitarist said:
No shit? That's awesome. I thought it might have some special tubes. Glad it sounds good with regular ones. I usually like silver dragons 12ax7 but if jj is the way, that is simple.
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The 12ax7 china or tungsol will make ya ears bleed !! JJ preamps only imo.. i got mine too from a nice member here whom he sold it to me... MC2, its here to slay and stay along with my VHT collection and Diezels...

But noise floor on mine is pronounced when only u crank the volume passed 9, but who would be playing it so loud?
 
Wizards are THE most uncompressed, open sounding amps out there. VHTs are also uncompressed but the Wizard takes it a step further. And, unlike the VHT stuff the Wizard has a slightly greasy feel, just enough to make it super fun to play. Not as greasy as some others but usually greasy means lots of easy to play compression, like a Friedman(no insult to Dave's stuff as it is great) but somehow it still remains open and uncompressed with unmatched clarity. I had a 2010 MC100 with the C transformer, amazing amp that I only sold to fund my C+ Coliseum or I'd still have it. I also had a 50w 2012 MTL that was great but had 'hollow' mids to me and it just wasn't my thing. Don't let anyone say "they only sound good loud" as that is utter BS. Like all amps, they shine best with volume but I swear the MC I had, at an apt volume setting had a spot that sounded like the power section was pushed..super quiet too. But it was a sweet spot that only worked at like .03 on the MV. Pretty unique and I'd never heard another amp that sounded like that at such a low volume. If you can handle the extreme volume though, it will reward you with one ass stomping experience. Plus, they sound great with JJ EL34Ls that are readily available...and any old pre tube will sound great too.
Great amps.
 
Best amps I've owned for my tastes. I'm on my 5th and it's an MC25 and have to say it's simply as amazing as the four 100 watters I've owned. Doesn't have quite the girth/punch/headroom obviously, but the tone and feel of the 25 is to die for. It saturates more, compresses more if you want it to (or can be every bit as open/uncompressed as the 100 watter), and it has this crazy bloom/harmonic swirl if you will when you pound power chords. The growl in the mids is down right addictive. Also has this amazing greasy but super tight/articulate thing going on when boosted. I will have another 100 w MCII as that's been my favorite amp to date, but this little 25 is right there for the reasons I stated. I do not care for the MTL as the mids sit in a different (lower) frequency range, but that is purely personal prefence...still an amazing amp as well. I just much prefer the upper mid grind of the MCII/MC25. Others disagree but I feel Wizards are simply amazing at any volume if you get one with the loop level controls. With an eq in the loop and a boost out front, I get insanely good bedroom volume tones...then crank it up and it's like an amusement park ride.
 
Racerxrated said:
Wizards are THE most uncompressed, open sounding amps out there
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I agree with all the other stuff, but would just say that I think my old Hiwatt is even a bit more uncompressed than the Wizards I’ve had (2016 MTL 100 and 1996 MC w/ C transformer), but also has a bit harder to play feel because of that even though it’s a lot looser than the Wizards. Once I got my Hiwatt I immediately felt like I heard the influence it must’ve had on the Wizards and Fryettes

The most uncompressed amp I’ve ever played was by far the Berkshire amps I tried a few years ago, but I didn’t like their tone or feel honesty (hate to say it) and they were more suited toward Blues and clsssic Rock (despite having gain around where a stock jcm800 would be) , but they’d make pretty much anything else sound very compressed in AB comparison
 
Great amps. They kick you in the nuts and still leave you smiling.
I've read the circuit is reminiscent of the Jubilee's, but FAR improved. I'm not sure if I hear the Jubilee in it, but it can give me a IIC+ vibe easily. The MCII paired with a VH4 is amazing to play through. They compliment each other well.
It's literally heavy as Fk too, don't put your back out.
 
So much talk of compression. What is the least compressed amp then? Hiwatt, then wizard?

What does "uncompressed" mean & sound like to you?
 
10 + years ago I played JDubs 100 watt NMV Wizard, can’t remember the exact model but it was frightening, never played or heard anything like it. Absolutely massive, tone was to die for but it was so far over the top. Left a major impression on me.

Flash and forward 5 yrs back I needed a 1x12 cab and stumbled on an empty Wizard piggyback cab and jumped on it. I could only stare at the Wizard logo for so long hahaha.....ended up scoring an MC25 that quickly rendered all of my other amps useless. When I fired it up next to my Bogner Helios 50 it wast even a fair fight. Helios was gone 48 hours later. That was 4 years ago, I’ve used the MC25 constantly since. Had Mather build me a matching vertical 2x12 and it’s pretty much a dream rig. All of the descriptions above are accurate. These amps may not be for everybody but if they work for you it’s unlikely you’ll ever need anything else
 
dainbramage0 said:
What does "uncompressed" mean & sound like to you?
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It means it doesn’t sound like he lady in the drive through window speaker 😏

These amps have a clarity to them even when massively overdriven that needs to be felt and heard in person. Full broken record statement re these amps but it’s true...
 
dainbramage0 said:
That's very helpful, thank you.

So the lack of compression isn't something that translates in recordings at all, and needs to be experienced in person to be appreciated.
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Yes, it’s very much a feel thing, and it’s undeniable when in front of you especially when it’s next to something like pretty much any Bogner (which I still love and have a 3534). That said, once you’ve felt it and heard you will be able to identify it when you hear a recording, make sense?
 
* velcro-fly * said:
Yes, it’s very much a feel thing, and it’s undeniable when in front of you especially when it’s next to something like pretty much any Bogner (which I still love and have a 3534). That said, once you’ve felt it and heard you will be able to identify it when you hear a recording, make sense?
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This is an experience anyone who knows what they're hearing will have, when they're face to face with a wizard.

It IS undeniable.
 
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