Help me buy my next amp - Wizard/Diezel/Friedman

[Veritas0Aequitas]

Yes, I own all 4 of those amps (Wizard MTL, Naylor, Badlander, and Triple Rev F/C). They are all great, just different flavors. The Naylor would be my favorite of those 4 if I could only pick one. The MTL has the hardest punch and rock solid quality to the notes and very open and clear sounding, but a bit dry and hollow sounding in the mids. It doesn’t quite growl like a Marshall, more like a Hiwatt/Marshall hybrid. I’d recommend the amp mostly most rhythmical type stuff rather than lead or melodic single note stuff. Still a really awesome amp though and at volume it’s hard not be very impressed by it due to its its punch and way of moving air. The Naylor isn’t super far behind what the Wizard excels at, every bit as good clarity imo, but more warmth, growl, easier to play/nicer feel. It’s what the Friedman’s and Bogner’s should’ve been imo. Badlander will be the most modern sounding one, tightest one, most growl, also very nice feel, but not as organic or warm sounding as the other options. And those early Recto’s will have the most low mids, that wall of sound, very fat, but also with that looser recto sag

Great write-up. Do you think the MTL is a potential replacement for the VH4 in a 2-guitar band situation or are they just different animals? I've had trouble feeling like the VH4 fit in a 2 guitar mix in a band situation. Playing by myself I love it, but add a band, and I am having issues.

I will need to look at the Naylor. You like that amp for single not lead stuff? I imagine they are comparable to the MCII with the Wizard or am I wrong?

I will also check out the Badlander. Seems like a great amp at an affordable price!

What year early Recto would I be looking for?

 

[Smash]

I hated the Alnico Creams with my Wizards. Too warm and smooth. I've tried many different speakers with my amps and right now I have 3 Wizard cabs loaded with Creamback H75/V30 combo and one loaded with Fane F70s .

Tell me how you would differentiate the mtl with mine? or mcII or hybrid for that matter. I love the simplicity and rawness of mine. When i first got it, I thought it was really bright, but now i have it dialed more balanced. I can't imagine liking another amp more, but at same time, I gotta try your others when I get some time.

 

[RedB4Black]

Tell me how you would differentiate the mtl with mine? or mcII or hybrid for that matter. I love the simplicity and rawness of mine. When i first got it, I thought it was really bright, but now i have it dialed more balanced. I can't imagine liking another amp more, but at same time, I gotta try your others when I get some time.

the MTL is more low mid and has more gain saturation and bottom end. The MC2 is closer to the W800, but still a little different in the voicing as the W800 has more Marshall characteristic, obviously. Wizards are all bright, tight, non compressed and clear amps… which is why I like them. Anytime you want to check them out… let me know.

 

[LPMojoGL]

Great write-up. Do you think the MTL is a potential replacement for the VH4 in a 2-guitar band situation or are they just different animals? I've had trouble feeling like the VH4 fit in a 2 guitar mix in a band situation. Playing by myself I love it, but add a band, and I am having issues.

I will need to look at the Naylor. You like that amp for single not lead stuff? I imagine they are comparable to the MCII with the Wizard or am I wrong?

I will also check out the Badlander. Seems like a great amp at an affordable price!

What year early Recto would I be looking for?

Naylor has some of the best, if not the best, lead tones of any amp.

 

[MetalHeadMike]

I'm finally getting the chance to jam on a Wizard (MCII) this weekend and I'm stoked about it


I kinda hope I don't like it because I don't wanna end up having to buy a 5 thousand dollar amp

If the D60 was your go to for all those years, I'd put money on you messing your trousers when you try the MCII. Try a boost in front of it for sure.

 

[Ventura]

Alnico Creams (and pretty much any Alnico speaker for that matter) SUCK ASS for metal. The people using them are the same people using their AC-30 TopBoost for metal... talking about how "mean" they sound.

Um... Scott Ian??

 

[braintheory]

Great write-up. Do you think the MTL is a potential replacement for the VH4 in a 2-guitar band situation or are they just different animals? I've had trouble feeling like the VH4 fit in a 2 guitar mix in a band situation. Playing by myself I love it, but add a band, and I am having issues.

I will need to look at the Naylor. You like that amp for single not lead stuff? I imagine they are comparable to the MCII with the Wizard or am I wrong?

I will also check out the Badlander. Seems like a great amp at an affordable price!

What year early Recto would I be looking for?

I think the Wizard and vh4 are more their own animals. The Naylor does single note lead stuff well, but I have other amps I generally prefer if that’s the priority. There is maybe some overlap with the Wizard and Naylor (both sound organic, articulate, and big with some Marshall-y characteristics to them), but I think more their own things. I don’t really know Recto’s too well by year, but mine I think is from 1992 (triple Rev F that Mike B did the C mod to)

 

[Veritas0Aequitas]

Decided to go with the Wizard MTL.

Any recommendations on a Wizard 4x12 to go with the MTL? I was thinking Greenbacks with V30s.

I have a Diezel 4x12 RL with V30s with my VH4 and I like it. I've liked V30s a lot but I'm open to other speakers.

 

[RedB4Black]

Decided to go with the Wizard MTL.

Any recommendations on a Wizard 4x12 to go with the MTL? I was thinking Greenbacks with V30s.

I have a Diezel 4x12 RL with V30s with my VH4 and I like it. I've liked V30s a lot but I'm open to other speakers.

Awesome. Did you order a new one?

I like v30/creamback H75 in my Wizard cabs... I have 3 loaded that way and a 4th with Fane F70s

 

[Veritas0Aequitas]

Awesome. Did you order a new one?

I like v30/creamback H75 in my Wizard cabs... I have 3 loaded that way and a 4th with Fane F70s

I'll be ordering a new Wizard MTL MkII as soon as I get paid again here shortly. $5.5k is insane money to spend and a risk to take but I have not come across another amp that is as appealing to me as this one. I'm trying out a buddies MCII tomorrow. If I like the MTL enough I may part with my beloved VH4. We'll see!

 

[Tone Monster]

Hope you love it! I’ve got a MCII being built.

 

[ErikT]

I'll be ordering a new Wizard MTL MkII as soon as I get paid again here shortly. $5.5k is insane money to spend and a risk to take but I have not come across another amp that is as appealing to me as this one. I'm trying out a buddies MCII tomorrow. If I like the MTL enough I may part with my beloved VH4. We'll see!

Congrats dude! It's a killer amp!

 

[anomaly]

I will say that I don't know what the fuck chewy or hairy or any of that shit means. But I trust braintheory's tastes enough to jump when he says...lol

Chewy is kinda like sag in a way but without the looseness, it's the way a note responds to pick attack, it's like a bit of give in the tone. If a tone is hairy, that means it has a lot of top end sizzle, it's pretty easy to identify.

 

[Devin]

I'm finally getting the chance to jam on a Wizard (MCII) this weekend and I'm stoked about it


I kinda hope I don't like it because I don't wanna end up having to buy a 5 thousand dollar amp

Just wanted to come back and post my thoughts on the McII i played - fantastic fucking amp. Sounded amazing through my Sound City 4x12 (so much so that the guy that owned the amp said he preferred my cab over the Friedman 4x12 he’d been using with it) - just incredibly punchy.

For reference, we also had my Sound City Master Lead 50, a vintage 100w Marshall Superbass, and a custom made Welagen Dumble clone and the MCII easily held up when compared to those amps. Imagine a vintage Marshall with modern punch....that’s basically what the MCII was to me. Definitely one of my favorite amps i’ve ever played.

 

[Smash]

It is pretty good but something about the mids and highs I'm not in love with.

This is how I felt about almost every amp I ever had. You have to find one that sits well with you. I think this is the final component that lets you know if you have found the right amp.

 

[Veritas0Aequitas]

Well, just thought you should all get an update from me. I got the MTL and tried it for a while. By myself, with the band, different cabs, different guitars with different pickups (Alnico 5 to Ceramic) and I just am not a fan of the Wizard sound. Way too dry and brash for me. The VH4 won out for me when I compared the two, which may seem weird to people here... but I guess thats just what I like. I am still looking for another amp that fills a different niche though so back to the drawing board

Back to these options:

• Friedman JJ-100 (based on what I've listened to)
• Diezel Herbert (based on what I've listened to)

• CAA PT-100 (based on what I've listened to)
• Naylor Duel 60 or 100 (based on recommendations & clips I've listened to)
• Mesa Badlander (based on recommendations & clips I've listened to)

Any thoughts based on what I've learned from this experience? If anyone's interested in the MTL, it'll probably go up for sale this week.

 

[GOHOINC]

Well, just thought you should all get an update from me. I got the MTL and tried it for a while. By myself, with the band, different cabs, different guitars with different pickups (Alnico 5 to Ceramic) and I just am not a fan of the Wizard sound. Way too dry and brash for me. The VH4 won out for me when I compared the two, which may seem weird to people here... but I guess thats just what I like. I am still looking for another amp that fills a different niche though so back to the drawing board

Back to these options:

• Friedman JJ-100 (based on what I've listened to)
• CAA PT-100 (based on what I've listened to)
• Naylor Duel 60 or 100 (based on recommendations & clips I've listened to)
• Mesa Badlander (based on recommendations & clips I've listened to)

Any thoughts based on what I've learned from this experience? If anyone's interested in the MTL, it'll probably go up for sale this week.

Cant say enough good things about the JJ. I like it so much I got the Jr to run them in stereo. My Axe-FX rigs use a variation of the HBE to sound like a jj, its just got what I'm after at least... and imo if you decided you didn't like I believe it would be the easiest to move on from the others in your list...