Wizard W800 in the house

  • Thread starter Thread starter ZEN Amps
  • Start date Start date
ZEN Amps

ZEN Amps

Well-known member
Have a Wizard W800 on loan, nice amp. Sounds closer to a MC2 than a 2203, still has that signature zingy sound.

Handy having a Contour control though - every amp should have this. Overall it has less gain than the MC2 even with the boost, but still enough for good time rock n' roll. I expect it will take pedals well.

Haven't heard a lot chatter on these, who's got/had one - how did you get along with? I'm not convinced a Wizard that sounds halfway between an MC2 and Marshall is something I need in my life, but it's certainly a fun amp to play.

Will try and get a clip up before the owner comes back for it.
 
Interested to hear this mate - my key question has always been 'why would someone get this instead of a good 800'... keen to hear it!
 
It’s got a good grind . Play Riff Raff though it and record it . Please . I’d love to hear that lol I know im asking too much
 
Oh man I'd love to hear Wizard's interpretation of "the ideal JCM 800" compared to the real thing.

I heard a shootout between the MC2 in boosted rhythm mode and the W800, and the W800 had just a hair more stringy top end detail, just like those older Marshalls tend to have.

edit: to clarify, I'm not saying the W800 sounded better or worse than the MC2, just "more like a JCM 800" than the MC2.
 
Last edited:
Sounds good, what is it like with boost on and gain maxed ?
 
I have had my w800 100w almost a year now and it is probably my favorite amp overall.

So, this is obviously a very biased opinion because I like it so much, but here goes:

Compared to the MTL mkII, MCII (which I have played) and MCI (which I own), the w800 absolutely has more Marshall DNA in there; notably more upper mid kerrang. It is not, IMO, just a stripped down MCII....although there is some overlap, of course.

The w800 does have less gain on tap for sure than the other three, but its voicing makes up for that a little bit and it turns into a fire-breathing beast with a good boost. It also has less low end compared to the other three. My MC1 at 11 o'clock is ~ 1 o'clock on the w800.

It is very versatile for a one channel amp. The low setting produces great cleans and it also cleans up super well with the volume pot on your guitar. It also has a great feel: tight, punchy and percussive like any Wizard, but a nice bounce/give, so it feels easy to play.
 
lessarti said:
Sounds good, what is it like with boost on and gain maxed ?
Click to expand...
Pretty good, this is the same old Holt riff and it works well to my ear. Classic Lead 80 for this clip, really getting into that speaker lately:

 
ZEN Amps said:
Pretty good, this is the same old Holt riff and it works well to my ear. Classic Lead 80 for this clip, really getting into that speaker lately:

Click to expand...

Thank you for doing that, appreciate it. Sounds like a solid amount of gain for rhythms, all it needs is a boost to take it 'over the edge' for saturation as per taste / compression / lead grease
 
Channel 1 of the MC2 with the Black Kat and boost can get you pretty close to the W800. After I figured that out, I decided to sell my 800.
 
lessarti said:
Thank you for doing that, appreciate it. Sounds like a solid amount of gain for rhythms, all it needs is a boost to take it 'over the edge' for saturation as per taste / compression / lead grease
Click to expand...
No worries man. Yeah the boost takes it beyond a 2203 and it's tighter and brighter, as is the Wizard way.

RedB4Black said:
Channel 1 of the MC2 with the Black Kat and boost can get you pretty close to the W800. After I figured that out, I decided to sell my 800.
Click to expand...
Yeah I can see that. The voicing is a little different but close enough. The MCii really is kinda hard to beat given the rhy channel is very good, and the lead channel is ball-tearing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top