Wizards

[panhead]

I'm the opposite. I got a great deal on used MC25 4 years ago and sold basically everything else. I do have a Bogner 3534 too but its a completely different amp. I've owned a shit ton of amps and nothing else out there does the Wizard thing. That 'thing' doesn't work for everybody though and its critical to understand this isn't a play by yourself kind of amp, the magic is apparent in the mix and on stage with other instruments.

Besides the expense, which is crazy, I really think the majority of people trying these should get the MC25 first....the 50 and 100 watt MCII's have sonic missile capability, potential to completely overwhelm everything. That monstrous low end and footprint becomes unusable in a normal band setting. I play with a loud drummer, other guitar guy has a 100 watt Marshall DSL, and I get nowhere near to completely opening the MC25 up. Outdoors I add a cabinet. I don't use any pedals, just plugging straight in. I would look at a 50 watt MCII if he was able to stuff it in an MC25 sized shell, but the price of that would frighten me too... I also think people mistake "loud" for "clarity". I'll guarantee that if you put a db meter on a Bogner / Friedman and Wizard and they were reading the same level, the Wizard will sonically present and feel as louder due to lack of compression.

Long winded, but yeah, mines not going anywhere but back to Rick for an update.

Correct about sonics a Vox AC 30 can cut with a 100 watter

 

[glip22]

Compared to how many he sells I don't think many get resold at all. I saw one KT120 in the last six months and it sold for top dollar.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

Correct about sonics a Vox AC 30 can cut with a 100 watter

Exactly. I think the voice of the amp has as much to do with it. Power for powers sake isn't always a good thing.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

Wizard amps are great. But so are a lot of different amps. And people's tastes change. Just because Rocky Road might be more expensive than Vanilla doesn't mean a Rocky Road fan won't want to order Vanilla from time to time.

Also, I don't know this for myself as I've never dealt with the guy, but a lot of people refer to the Wizard amps guy as the Soup Nazi of the amp world, and don't want to deal with him because of it. Maybe they sell the amps because of him.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Plenty of things in life to worry about - this is not one of them. Personally I don't find them all that stiff and uncompressed, contrary to these popular descriptors.

I also don't know about stiff. I love mine. I will never sell it. I am a bedroom player, but i also crank the shit out of amps in the "bedroom" I think that my amp is more marshally, though. I have the W800. I call it a warshall. If I tried a mtl or mc, maybe it is more stiff or whatever. I think my amp is a perfect extension of me. But i am also a simple guitarist. I prefer one channel with a guitar volume to control gain. I think the wizard trains your hands pretty well. It makes noise if your hands are doing something dumb. And the wizard is Nasty. If you don't like nasty, there is plenty of vanilla laying around.

 

[Mark Skid]

Amps that I've played and/or owned.

Soldano SLO - Lots of top-end "sizzle" if not cranked. Doesn't excel at harmonic feedback. Filtered. Good tone. Effects loop sucks. Made for playing stadiums.
Cornford - Smooth and boutique sounding. Good for low volume play. Best loop. No pedals needed.
Wizard - Sonic bulldozer. Very musical. Made for playing stadiums.
Marshall Super Lead 100 - Tube compression is a pure delight. Excels at harmonic feedback. Minimal filtering. Touch sensitive. Loves pedals. The tone of rock.
VOX AC15/30 - The "mini Marshall Super Lead". Tube compression is a pure delight. Excels at harmonic feedback/overtones. Minimal filtering. Touch sensitive. Selective about pedals in top-boost mode. The other tone of rock.
Cameron CCV - Similar to Marshall. High gain capable. Runs hot. Lots of air, not overly tight. Good harmonics. Covers a lot of ground.
VHT UL - Tight and aggressive. Good for drop-tune players.
Mesa/Boogie Mark Series - Liquid sounding. Great for lead work. Excels at high volume. Excellent note separation. Not compressed. Selective about pedals. Non-musical bottom end.
Splawn - Tight and dry sounding. Loves effects in the loop.
Bedrock - Sounds like ass. Unreliable.
Blades - Similar to Pro-Sonic. Weird beverage holder.
HIWATT - Loud. Good tone. Made to play stadiums.
Peavey 5150 - Saturated distortion. Great with mods to clean-up noise. Heavy!
Mojave Dirty Boy - Fender topology. Built-in Variac. Poor tone. Cool features. Heaviest head there is.
CAE PT100 - Excellent clean channel. Gain channel is tight and dry. Similar to Splawn.
Zingy Mofo - Like a mini SLO. Less sizzle on top. Power amp sag at high volume.
Ampeg VT - Great all-around amplifier. Excellent for recording at loud volume. Mid 70's Aerosmith sound.
Fender Pro-Sonic - Excellent tone. Unreliable.
Rockman 2x12 - All guitars sound the same through this amp. Toyish sounding. Great built-in effects.
Soldano Hot Rod 50/100 - Excellent. Closer to Marshall. Effects loop sucks.

 

[Devin]

I miss my Prosonic. Should have never sold that thing. What a firebreather

 

[* velcro-fly *]

I think the wizard trains your hands pretty well. It makes noise if your hands are doing something dumb.

These amps will lay the soul of your technique bare. You'll figure out quickly what needs to be corrected; for some people the correction is selling the amp

 

[* velcro-fly *]

I miss my Prosonic. Should have never sold that thing. What a firebreather

I had one of the first Prosonics to roll off the line when they were built down the road from where I was working... Seafoam Green snakeskin 2x10 combo from the Lake Oswego shop...the LO serial numbers are the ones to look for. I would still prefer my Wizard but that was a dumb ass move to sell that Prosonic....killer little amp.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

If you like holding onto a bolt of fucking lightning, get a wizard. If you like a polite low alcohol drink and empty laughing at your shitty joke, maybe not.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

Wizard - Sonic bulldozer. Very musical. Made for playing stadiums.

Nice descriptions of all of the amps you listed....

Your Wizard summary is exactly why I recommend the MC25. Works excellent in small clubs and stages on its own, when its miced up the sky is the limit.

 

[ErikT]

I'd still have my Wizard MTL if I hadn't run into financial issues with it because of a defective Boss WAZA TAE. When I recorded it with some Two Notes gear it was the sound in my head. So clear and aggressive. Notes felt like they were there almost before I touched down, instant response. Great clean channel too.

Now I'm wondering if the MTL Hybrid or MCII might be it. I hear the part about having a ton of money sunk into one amp, especially for mostly bedroom jams.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

No. I am just messing with you guys. The amp is for me. It took very little playing to figure that out. I have played a lot of amps. A lot of them were great. Not all of them are for me. It could be the same for Wizzaards with some. If you want a multi channel switcher to cover all your sounds in a cover situationn, I would look elsewhere. It does high gain Nasty guitar for me. And it reacts to every nuance. I couldn't really ask for more.

 

[Mark Skid]

Nice descriptions of all of the amps you listed....

Your Wizard summary is exactly why I recommend the MC25. Works excellent in small clubs and stages on its own, when its miced up the sky is the limit.

I'd love to have one. I'm looking at the MC25 now...

 

[thegame]

Also, I don't know this for myself as I've never dealt with the guy, but a lot of people refer to the Wizard amps guy as the Soup Nazi of the amp world, and don't want to deal with him because of it. Maybe they sell the amps because of him.

The above is very true, unfortunately. But at least the Soup Nazi refuses payment when declaring "No soup for you"! Much worse is the Siberian Snake who promises the world, accepts money and trust from the customer but then slithers away and delivers nothing.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

The above is very true, unfortunately. But at least the Soup Nazi refuses payment when declaring "No soup for you"! Much worse is the Siberian Snake who promises the world, accepts money and trust from the customer but then slithers away and delivers nothing.

I am not making judgement into the accuracy or appropriateness of your post in anyway, but your language is colorful and makes me giggle.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I watch a lot of threads digress. I find it funny that Cameron was mentioned in this thread, not Larry, but the siberian snake is the one we speak of not delivering on amps. I don't know if we are keeping score, and wish there were never a score to keep. But my amusement is probably my own.

 

[dainbramage0]

I watch a lot of threads digress. I find it funny that Cameron was mentioned in this thread, not Larry, but the siberian snake is the one we speak of not delivering on amps. I don't know if we are keeping score, and wish there were never a score to keep. But my amusement is probably my own.

Siberian Snake is my porno alter ego.

Post a video of your whore face playing at 100+db at home so we can all bask in your lack of basic decency and respect for those around you.

oh, and toans. Bring sick riffs slathered in nasty wizard grease.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

tempting. Greasy wizard tones played at "bedroom" volumes (107 dbs) does sound sexy as shit. I will try to make this a reality

 

[Devin]

I had one of the first Prosonics to roll off the line when they were built down the road from where I was working... Seafoam Green snakeskin 2x10 combo from the Lake Oswego shop...the LO serial numbers are the ones to look for. I would still prefer my Wizard but that was a dumb ass move to sell that Prosonic....killer little amp.

I had the head version....I loved how it looked like a grandpa amp but could unleash the most brutal tone ever with no pedals needed