Any Chicago area Wizard MC100 owners out there?

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drburns73

drburns73

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Hi,
I just got a brand new MC100 with the "A" transformer last week. I was wondering if anyone around here has one with a "C" transformer to compare.
I also have several other fun amps if you'd be interested in having some kind of comparison:
'67 100 watt Super Trem (unmodded)
'79 100 watt Super Lead (Friedman BE, C45, simple clean)
'02 Diezel VH4 (never been updated)
'93 Wizard Metal 100watt
Lemme know. I'm always down to check out new amps, but mainly interested in hearing the differences between the "A" and "C" output trannies.
Thanks,
Mike
(702)812-8948
 
Nice collection of amps. How do you like the MC100 compared to the others?
 
Well....
The '67 Marshall is my absolute favorite and has been my main amp for almost 10 years. It really can do anything. My band plays pretty loud so I run everything on "10" and the presence on around "5". It came stock with the Super Bass circuit. I removed the trem board and changed it to Super Lead specs. No master, though. I can't say enough good things about it. It is the biggest sounding of all of my amps.
The MC100 is awesome. Rick had originally brought an MC100 and MC50 out to one of our shows when we were touring Canada in '08 and I fell in love. They have that amazing plexi bark, particularly the rhythm channel with the boost. These amps that I originally played had the "C" transformers and my new one has an "A". There is certainly a difference to my ear and I've been talking to Rick about possibly swapping it out. He's always been super cool to me and has really gone out of his way to make sure that I'm happy. Awesome guy.
I'd say that the Wizard MC100 just sounds like an awesome hyper-plexi with the option of a shit-ton of useable gain. Kind of like the best Marshall you never heard (except for my '67). Tons of headroom. REALLY touch sensitive and barks like mad. It can be really soft and gentle as well as being completely vicious and downright mean sounding. I love it.
The Friedman modded Marshall is similar in it's versatility, but I've found that it just can't keep up with my band and tends to get a little flubby at super high volumes. I don't think that Dave's mod is the issue, but the limitations of this particular Marshall's power section. I still love it to death, though. That's become my play/recording at home amp. It also barks.
The Diezel was on it's way out, but I just recently played it again and it's staying. It's totally great for total other reasons. Compared to all of the others, it doesn't have a very organic quality to it. It sounds like what I imagine an evil robot would sound like, which is totally valid and useful in some situations. It hasn't been updated so it is, to my ears, smoother and has much more midrange than the current models I've checked out. The new ones have a gritty, fizzy layer on the top end that I don't care for as much. I do feel about my VH4 that nothing chunks quite like channel 3. It's amazing how much air and bottom that thing pushes. Channel 2 is my favorite, but channel 3 is something really remarkable for that type of sound.
The Wizard Metal belongs to a friend. We're about to go in the studio and I've been borrowing it for comparisons. It's cool as hell. Sounds pretty similar to the new MC100, but just a little more worn in. I like it a lot.
That may have been more of an answer than you were looking for, but there it is.
Thanks for asking.
-Mike
 
My main gig is with Blue Man Group. I play seven shows a week with them and have been with them for 11 years.
I do a lot of other work with other people as well, but my main band that's about to go in the studio is Electric Hawk.
https://www.myspace.com/electrichawk
The recordings you'll hear on MySpace are a '69 100 watt Super Lead that I borrowed from a really nice guy named Ned here in Chicago. I would imagine that he's on this board somewhere. My '67 was having it's output transformer replaced.
Side note: I replaced the original, shorted OT with one of Chris Merren's copies. It's spot-on.
 
drburns73":3dak0x6n said:
My main gig is with Blue Man Group. I play seven shows a week with them and have been with them for 11 years.
I do a lot of other work with other people as well, but my main band that's about to go in the studio is Electric Hawk.
https://www.myspace.com/electrichawk
The recordings you'll hear on MySpace are a '69 100 watt Super Lead that I borrowed from a really nice guy named Ned here in Chicago. I would imagine that he's on this board somewhere. My '67 was having it's output transformer replaced.
Side note: I replaced the original, shorted OT with one of Chris Merren's copies. It's spot-on.
Excellent tones and very impressive. :thumbsup:
 
drburns73":vapspfom said:
My main gig is with Blue Man Group. I play seven shows a week with them and have been with them for 11 years.
I do a lot of other work with other people as well, but my main band that's about to go in the studio is Electric Hawk.
https://www.myspace.com/electrichawk
The recordings you'll hear on MySpace are a '69 100 watt Super Lead that I borrowed from a really nice guy named Ned here in Chicago. I would imagine that he's on this board somewhere. My '67 was having it's output transformer replaced.
Side note: I replaced the original, shorted OT with one of Chris Merren's copies. It's spot-on.
Hey Mike. I talked to you a while back when I was selling my MC in Ebay. Glad to see you picked one up and found us on RT. I also cought Blue Man Group about a month ago. Great job, we had alot of fun. :thumbsup:

Paul
 
Thanks for the welcome.
I'm glad you had a good time at the show. I wonder if I was in that one? Do you remember what day it was?
 
Here's what my current pile of big amps looks like. The combos are at home.
I'll probably liquidate some of these when the recording is over.
I'm enjoying them all while I have them.
 

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drburns73":1yd60ecn said:
Well....
The '67 Marshall is my absolute favorite and has been my main amp for almost 10 years. It really can do anything. My band plays pretty loud so I run everything on "10" and the presence on around "5". It came stock with the Super Bass circuit. I removed the trem board and changed it to Super Lead specs. No master, though. I can't say enough good things about it. It is the biggest sounding of all of my amps.
The MC100 is awesome. Rick had originally brought an MC100 and MC50 out to one of our shows when we were touring Canada in '08 and I fell in love. They have that amazing plexi bark, particularly the rhythm channel with the boost. These amps that I originally played had the "C" transformers and my new one has an "A". There is certainly a difference to my ear and I've been talking to Rick about possibly swapping it out. He's always been super cool to me and has really gone out of his way to make sure that I'm happy. Awesome guy.
I'd say that the Wizard MC100 just sounds like an awesome hyper-plexi with the option of a shit-ton of useable gain. Kind of like the best Marshall you never heard (except for my '67). Tons of headroom. REALLY touch sensitive and barks like mad. It can be really soft and gentle as well as being completely vicious and downright mean sounding. I love it.
The Friedman modded Marshall is similar in it's versatility, but I've found that it just can't keep up with my band and tends to get a little flubby at super high volumes. I don't think that Dave's mod is the issue, but the limitations of this particular Marshall's power section. I still love it to death, though. That's become my play/recording at home amp. It also barks.
The Diezel was on it's way out, but I just recently played it again and it's staying. It's totally great for total other reasons. Compared to all of the others, it doesn't have a very organic quality to it. It sounds like what I imagine an evil robot would sound like, which is totally valid and useful in some situations. It hasn't been updated so it is, to my ears, smoother and has much more midrange than the current models I've checked out. The new ones have a gritty, fizzy layer on the top end that I don't care for as much. I do feel about my VH4 that nothing chunks quite like channel 3. It's amazing how much air and bottom that thing pushes. Channel 2 is my favorite, but channel 3 is something really remarkable for that type of sound.
The Wizard Metal belongs to a friend. We're about to go in the studio and I've been borrowing it for comparisons. It's cool as hell. Sounds pretty similar to the new MC100, but just a little more worn in. I like it a lot.
That may have been more of an answer than you were looking for, but there it is.
Thanks for asking.
-Mike

Thanks that was a great explanation. We have very similar taste in amps. I have yet to try a Diezel. I've been messing around with my brothers MC100 for quite sometime not sure what transformers are in it, but it kicks but. I would love the evil robot sound one day and of course the 67. I got a great cab ready for that amp if I do.

-Bill
 
drburns73":tquctgcu said:
My main gig is with Blue Man Group. I play seven shows a week with them and have been with them for 11 years.
I do a lot of other work with other people as well, but my main band that's about to go in the studio is Electric Hawk.
https://www.myspace.com/electrichawk
The recordings you'll hear on MySpace are a '69 100 watt Super Lead that I borrowed from a really nice guy named Ned here in Chicago. I would imagine that he's on this board somewhere. My '67 was having it's output transformer replaced.
Side note: I replaced the original, shorted OT with one of Chris Merren's copies. It's spot-on.
:rock: Sounds great.
 
drburns73":17vkzwud said:
Hi,
I just got a brand new MC100 with the "A" transformer last week. I was wondering if anyone around here has one with a "C" transformer to compare.
I also have several other fun amps if you'd be interested in having some kind of comparison:
'67 100 watt Super Trem (unmodded)
'79 100 watt Super Lead (Friedman BE, C45, simple clean)
'02 Diezel VH4 (never been updated)
'93 Wizard Metal 100watt
Lemme know. I'm always down to check out new amps, but mainly interested in hearing the differences between the "A" and "C" output trannies.
Thanks,
Mike
(702)812-8948
One thing I love about the Wizard is the organic sound, how is the Friedman, organic too??? Thanks.
 
glip22":2lfcohzt said:
drburns73":2lfcohzt said:
My main gig is with Blue Man Group. I play seven shows a week with them and have been with them for 11 years.
I do a lot of other work with other people as well, but my main band that's about to go in the studio is Electric Hawk.
https://www.myspace.com/electrichawk
The recordings you'll hear on MySpace are a '69 100 watt Super Lead that I borrowed from a really nice guy named Ned here in Chicago. I would imagine that he's on this board somewhere. My '67 was having it's output transformer replaced.
Side note: I replaced the original, shorted OT with one of Chris Merren's copies. It's spot-on.
Excellent tones and very impressive. :thumbsup:
Thanks.
-Mike
 
One thing I love about the Wizard is the organic sound, how is the Friedman, organic too??? Thanks.[/quote]

The Friedman is very organic. I've played so many modded Marshalls from different people and they are cool, but seem to always lack the fundamental essence of a Marshall. Dave's mod has that essence in spades. It has plenty of gain at any volume, cleans up really well, but still retains the things that make it a Marshall. Yet, it is still somehow really unique sounding. I like to use "bark" and "kerrang" when describing amp tones that I like. This does both. I didn't get all of the switches on the back of mine. I only have the BE, C45, and simple clean and you really don't need anything else in my opinion. The simple clean is REALLY good and totally worth the extra $150 if you're having him make something for you. It's just a really ballsy, awesome sounding and feeling amp.
 
drburns73":7nb8wu2q said:
Thanks for the welcome.
I'm glad you had a good time at the show. I wonder if I was in that one? Do you remember what day it was?
Yea, it was July 31st.
 
Nope. Wasn't in that night. Had a gig at The Empty Bottle. Lemme know if/when you wanna come back to the show. We get comps everyone in a while.
 
Every ONCE in a while. Sorry. Auto spell on iPhones is a bitch sometimes.
 
I'm going to assume what I've been playing is a C transformer. WRD-0100C Mercury Magnetics class B
 
wheelman":3vtdlzvl said:
I'm going to assume what I've been playing is a C transformer. WRD-0100C Mercury Magnetics class B
That's a C
 
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