Frustrated With Friedman, Need Info On Wizard Amps

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ubermetaldood

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First off, I don't want to talk bad about Friedman. Their amps are great. However, today officially marks the 3rd month of waiting for my Smallbox. I also recently discovered Morris amps which killed any taste I had for Friedman, but it's still a bit more on the darker, smoother side, but punchy, and reminds me a lot of the XTC 101B I used to have. I've been searching, watching videos, and listening to audio demos and Wizards stand out to me more than any other. Unfortunately, my entire experience with Wizard amps probably amounts to 15 minutes of playing time.

Here's the thing... I always heard that the same rule that applies to Marshalls applies to Wizards - they have to be LOUD. However, I played Wizard Modern Classic and it didn't seem to fit that stereotype because I was using it at low enough volume to use at home. I basically want a killer Marshall overdrive with a great clean channel. I use enough overdrive/distortion to get sustain for soloing, but not as much as most metal guys use. I want a versatile amp that can do clean, classic and metal. Another thing is even though I use little effects, and just for a bit of ambiance, but I want a good FX loop. My Splawn was great but the FX loop sucked.

Well please tell me which Wizard you would recommend to fit my needs as well as the most economical choice from their selection and why. Thanks.
 
drspearing":3hgmon0d said:
My suggestion:

http://vintageking.com/guitar/amps/amp- ... -demo-deal

They have a 50 watt for the same price. Get it on evaluation with no wait time. I have the 100 watt and the master is great. With the knobs on the back and the boosts and switching, this amp will do what you want. I love my Wizard MCII. Records well too.
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I'd like to know more about the Modern Classic II and Metal and MC25. How useful are the features of the MCII compared to the MC? The MC25 sounds really cool but I've never been able to stick to amps with small bottle tubes, though I prefer 6V6 over EL84. Then there's the Metal which sounds intriguing as well, but does the Metal have a different more hi-fi voicing or is it just a gain thing? I'd really rather stick to the Marshall type sound.

This could just be me, but from what I am able to hear of Wizard amps is that they almost have kind of a Hiwatt brilliance in the upper mids or something. I can't quite put my finger on it. I really like that sound and don't know how much of a departure the Wizard Metal is from that basic tone.
 
The MCII has a great master. You can also use the effects loop for low volume playing and it works very well. Crank the master up for the goods and then adjust your send and return levels for lower volume playing. It can also be set as a lead boost with the loop controls. I think you will be hard pressed to find someone who has AB'd the two newer models of MCII and MTL. My MCII has plenty of gain but at higher levels on teh dial. It does add some noise like this so I prefer to use the gain lower and hit the front with a little bit of boost from an OD. You don't need much. The MCII seems a little tamer to me than my MCI was, but that was before the revisions. That amp came on strong with volume. The new MCII is great. A very thick alive tone. The low end is round and big. The mids are really nice. I was told the MTL can get to Lamb of God tones. Pstar can help as he plays heavier tunes with svengali. He can give you a better idea how the MCII works in a heavier mix. :rock:
 
glip22":314pikc8 said:
The MCII has a great master. You can also use the effects loop for low volume playing and it works very well. Crank the master up for the goods and then adjust your send and return levels for lower volume playing. It can also be set as a lead boost with the loop controls. I think you will be hard pressed to find someone who has AB'd the two newer models of MCII and MTL. My MCII has plenty of gain but at higher levels on teh dial. It does add some noise like this so I prefer to use the gain lower and hit the front with a little bit of boost from an OD. You don't need much. The MCII seems a little tamer to me than my MCI was, but that was before the revisions. That amp came on strong with volume. The new MCII is great. A very thick alive tone. The low end is round and big. The mids are really nice. I was told the MTL can get to Lamb of God tones. Pstar can help as he plays heavier tunes with svengali. He can give you a better idea how the MCII works in a heavier mix. :rock:
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Great info, thanks. From what I have been able to hear, the MCII does seem to hit all of the right tones for me. Quite a price but if it keeps me from going back and forth on amps then I'll actually save money buying one!
 
ubermetaldood":1ontkwi6 said:
glip22":1ontkwi6 said:
The MCII has a great master. You can also use the effects loop for low volume playing and it works very well. Crank the master up for the goods and then adjust your send and return levels for lower volume playing. It can also be set as a lead boost with the loop controls. I think you will be hard pressed to find someone who has AB'd the two newer models of MCII and MTL. My MCII has plenty of gain but at higher levels on teh dial. It does add some noise like this so I prefer to use the gain lower and hit the front with a little bit of boost from an OD. You don't need much. The MCII seems a little tamer to me than my MCI was, but that was before the revisions. That amp came on strong with volume. The new MCII is great. A very thick alive tone. The low end is round and big. The mids are really nice. I was told the MTL can get to Lamb of God tones. Pstar can help as he plays heavier tunes with svengali. He can give you a better idea how the MCII works in a heavier mix. :rock:
Click to expand...

Great info, thanks. From what I have been able to hear, the MCII does seem to hit all of the right tones for me. Quite a price but if it keeps me from going back and forth on amps then I'll actually save money buying one!
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The amp is being used by some big names. I know it's a big hit in the studios. I hear it records great.
 
They are a little pricey but I'm really glad I made the investment. I've flipped amps or bought them on approval and sent them back and spent a lot of money on shipping charges. One eval was on a Wizard and I fell in love. Ordered an MCII soon there after. I had to have a loop and I liked the two bright controls on the back too. However, Wizards aren't for everyone just like any amp.

I would see if Vintage King has an evaluation period, throw it on a card and see if it's for you. If so, keep it or return it and save your pennies. At least there is a dealer in the US that carries them unlike a few years ago.
 
drspearing":1hrub7zy said:
They are a little pricey but I'm really glad I made the investment. I've flipped amps or bought them on approval and sent them back and spent a lot of money on shipping charges. One eval was on a Wizard and I fell in love. Ordered an MCII soon there after. I had to have a loop and I liked the two bright controls on the back too. However, Wizards aren't for everyone just like any amp.

I would see if Vintage King has an evaluation period, throw it on a card and see if it's for you. If so, keep it or return it and save your pennies. At least there is a dealer in the US that carries them unlike a few years ago.
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Eh, I don't care about the evaluation. I think I've been through enough amps to finally have figured out what's going to work. It's down to Metropoulos and Wizard for my Marshall sounds and Soldano for everything else. Just in terms of product support, I may elect to go with Metropoulos depending on what I find out about Wizard product support.
 
ubermetaldood":hye7e8jb said:
drspearing":hye7e8jb said:
They are a little pricey but I'm really glad I made the investment. I've flipped amps or bought them on approval and sent them back and spent a lot of money on shipping charges. One eval was on a Wizard and I fell in love. Ordered an MCII soon there after. I had to have a loop and I liked the two bright controls on the back too. However, Wizards aren't for everyone just like any amp.

I would see if Vintage King has an evaluation period, throw it on a card and see if it's for you. If so, keep it or return it and save your pennies. At least there is a dealer in the US that carries them unlike a few years ago.
Click to expand...

Eh, I don't care about the evaluation. I think I've been through enough amps to finally have figured out what's going to work. It's down to Metropoulos and Wizard for my Marshall sounds and Soldano for everything else. Just in terms of product support, I may elect to go with Metropoulos depending on what I find out about Wizard product support.
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If you buy it from Vintage King you will have great support. Talk to Scotty I. He's excellent!
 
Rick has been great to work with and I can't say enough good things about Vintage King. I custom ordered a Wizard 1x12 from Vintage King. Something happened when it got shipped from Wizard that held it up in customs and it took about 3 weeks to get here. They were excellent in communicating and giving me updates via email and phone. I received my cab and 2 days later another cab showed up. Inside was a note saying "Compliments of Wizard Amplification and Vintage King Audio."

So, there's a data point for ya.

YMMV, IMHO etc.
 
drspearing":3u7quh8n said:
Rick has been great to work with and I can't say enough good things about Vintage King. I custom ordered a Wizard 1x12 from Vintage King. Something happened when it got shipped from Wizard that held it up in customs and it took about 3 weeks to get here. They were excellent in communicating and giving me updates via email and phone. I received my cab and 2 days later another cab showed up. Inside was a note saying "Compliments of Wizard Amplification and Vintage King Audio."

So, there's a data point for ya.

YMMV, IMHO etc.
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Likewise. My headshell had a couple of maks on it. Scotty called Rick and Rick shipped a brand new shell for me.
 
Thanks. I'm definitely going to check those guys out when I pull the trigger.
 
Funny, those pictures are at my shop where the Friedman stuff is being built.
 
RACKSYSTEMS":3kjigbpt said:
Funny, those pictures are at my shop where the Friedman stuff is being built.
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Oh Shit. What's up with that Dave? I saw these listed on the Wizard Facebok page as "New Facility for 2014"
 
Well his stuff might be made here. Not a done deal yet.
 
wow this could be good - wonder if Rick would be dropping the prices a little if (since) the amps might ship from Southern CA instead of Canada. Some folks freak out paying $3699 for a Friedman yet Wizard 100w is $4495

I love me some Wizard amps.
I have a Friedman SS100 hitting this week, maybe it needs a buddy :lol: :LOL:
 
Wizards are cool amps. Very expensive to make though.
 
RACKSYSTEMS":l9qyav4s said:
Wizards are cool amps. Very expensive to make though.
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I can definitely see why Dave. Pretty amazing build but looks very difficult and precise to wire.
 
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