Is any amp in the same league as a Wizard?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MadAsAHatter
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Will someone post a song recorded with Wizard amps? What band is a user of Wizards?

This would help those of us who have no idea why the Wizard is the amp to own this week.
 
Markedman said:
Will someone post a song recorded with Wizard amps? What band is a user of Wizards?

This would help those of us who have no idea why the Wizard is the amp to own this week.
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theyve been highly desired forever

Ever heard Garage, Inc?
 
I always disregard the honeymoon gear reviews, too many people overstate and exaggerate every little nuance. Many flip them weeks later when that honeymoon is over. Go for the reviews from people that have lived with it for a while.

As has been said above, you can only ever know by using your ears, with your other gear and your fingers if it's the best for you.
 
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DanTravis62 said:
I agree with you about 4 stage marshall builds and I LIKE wizards, lol

Wizards are totally rad amps, but there are tons of amps that can compete and exceed them - depending on what kind of a player you are, and what you're after.

I personally would much rather have an old marshall or laney or matamp, or one of @RedPlated hellion builds or a @Monomyth skeleton key, not that I would shit on a wizard, but I would literally die before I gave up @novosibir 822.

And wizards are GREAT amps.


It just depends a lot on your personal style, and what you want to accomplish tonewise
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I mean I find they have their place but they aren’t my cup of tea. The reason is that they cut well with one exact voicing but lack complexity elsewhere or lack a large abundance of high mids like in a stock Marshall. I do like them more than Friedman’s amps personally though, but I just really lean to prefer the tight, unforgiving, unable to hide behind tracking/mids voicing of 2203 circuits. I like them voiced to never have anything to hide behind no matter the amount of gain on tap while also sounding as a Marshall should - quirks and all.

DanTravis62 said:
in multiple peoples books, its verified dimebag used wizards to layer with his solid state stuff on all the classic records.
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In all of my prior years of being a dime fan I never knew CFH had a tube amp at all on the recordings. He really must have mixed it extremely low. I’ve plugged into a Randall century 200 before and it really is dimes tone to a T.
 
Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as purely sceptical as it might have read. More of a light shrugged shoulder intent :dunno:
 
glpg80 said:
I mean I find they have their place but they aren’t my cup of tea. The reason is that they cut well with one exact voicing but lack complexity elsewhere or lack a large abundance of high mids like in a stock Marshall. I do like them more than Friedman’s amps personally though, but I just really lean to prefer the tight, unforgiving, unable to hide behind tracking/mids voicing of 2203 circuits. I like them voiced to never have anything to hide behind no matter the amount of gain on tap while also sounding as a Marshall should - quirks and all
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That's what separates the really amazing amps like cameron, bogner, hermannson, larry, etc from the rest.

It's retaining the complexity and "imperfection" of vintage marshalls, but each builder takes away one of the big downsides and adds their own vibe, and flavor, and special sauce - so far that it becomes almost a different thing than a marshall.

wizards take it in an unequivocally "hiwatt" direction, just like fryette/vht, so its a completely different "thing." It's that super high dynamics the who my generation cranked thing. It's great for cowboy chords and open chords, and I can totally see why its addicting, and why certain guitarists love it. And it can sound absolutely incredible in the room with a good unspecialized rhythm player like with punk and more basic "rock."

But it's a GOOD thing. Even if it isnt 100% my thing, i get why people like it. It isn't a very complex sound, but its a good "brute force" sound.

Friedmans stuff isn't really comparable to either of the above, because its more of an evolution of american jose type preamp circuits, especially with the HBE/sat switch stuff - its very, very modern and has a clinical quality that's very good for the modern "recorded marshall" out of the cabinet sound, which sounds good for leads and is very popular. Not really for me, though.

I honestly understand why a guitarist would prefer any of these "styles" of amp, depending on what type of player they are. Having tried them all, it just worked out that Larry's stuff was exactly what the doctor ordered for me, specifically. But every good guitarist, engineer, songwriter, etc, will find a style of high gainer that will work for whatever They want to do; no matter what that is.
 
I like wizards and have had 5-6 of them. But there are many amps I like just as much. Mesa Marks, old Marshall (especially 2203)
 
Ultralead.
Different animal,but same league.
You either "get" it,or you don't.
I've played a Wizard MTL,and dug it big-time.
But I wouldn't trade my UL for it.
There is a guy here who had/has lots of both wizards and VHT stuff. Betcha he would concur.
 
DanTravis62 said:
That's what separates the really amazing amps like cameron, bogner, hermannson, larry, etc from the rest.

It's retaining the complexity and "imperfection" of vintage marshalls, but each builder takes away one of the big downsides and adds their own vibe, and flavor, and special sauce - so far that it becomes almost a different thing than a marshall.

wizards take it in an unequivocally "hiwatt" direction, just like fryette/vht, so its a completely different "thing." It's that super high dynamics the who my generation cranked thing. It's great for cowboy chords and open chords, and I can totally see why its addicting, and why certain guitarists love it. And it can sound absolutely incredible in the room with a good unspecialized rhythm player like with punk and more basic "rock."

But it's a GOOD thing. Even if it isnt 100% my thing, i get why people like it. It isn't a very complex sound, but its a good "brute force" sound.

Friedmans stuff isn't really comparable to either of the above, because its more of an evolution of american jose type preamp circuits, especially with the HBE/sat switch stuff - its very, very modern and has a clinical quality that's very good for the modern "recorded marshall" out of the cabinet sound, which sounds good for leads and is very popular. Not really for me, though.

I honestly understand why a guitarist would prefer any of these "styles" of amp, depending on what type of player they are. Having tried them all, it just worked out that Larry's stuff was exactly what the doctor ordered for me, specifically. But every good guitarist, engineer, songwriter, etc, will find a style of high gainer that will work for whatever They want to do; no matter what that is.
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What I wanted didn’t really exist.

I wanted a 2203 tone but more of it. Sans gain level I actually made sure I could disconnect every single mod, replace the OEM part, and if sonically sound identical but just less. Less gain, less low end, less sensitivity, etc.

It took me over a year to develop the circuit tweaks. Every time I looked for a legit stock Marshall with more gain, they sounded sonically scooped and voiced differently than what a stock Marshall sounded like.

After modifying my 74, and getting the metroplex to cover 1968 stock 1959 tones if I want them, I haven’t wanted another amp since. It sounds like what I want when boosted with an SD-1.

Every player is different and every persons playing style benefits from a differently voiced amp or from strictly pedals. Even modelers in some cases which have their own thing.
 
Accept, Airborne, Pretty Reckless for example and You saw them in various studios frequently.
I jumped on the Wizard train recently and have to say it is really unique and nothing like it. It is perfect amp ? No, but no one is. It has amazing tightness, clarity, excellent high end presence, lively pumping low end. I don't know any other amp capable of spot on AC/DC crunch and thrash/death madness without pedals. Clean/rhythm side of MCII is fantastic, dynamic punchy and fitting lead channel, You don't see often in multichannel amp.
Of course it has it weaknesses. Feel of the amp is little on the dry side a You have to be a precise player. Same for leads...I still haven't found the right boost to fit the amp and make it little bit bold and effortless on leads. There is also hollow spot in the mids (those JCM800 mids) but it is what makes amp tight I presume. And low volume playing is not so good, they need certain volume level to sound even and not harsh and 'metalic'.
 
glpg80 said:
What I wanted didn’t really exist....

Every player is different and every persons playing style benefits from a differently voiced amp or from strictly pedals. Even modelers in some cases which have their own thing.
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well, you know, not everyone can mod preamp circuits.

but yes, everyone has their own needs - especially if they're good enough to have needs.
 
DanTravis62 said:
well, you know, not everyone can mod preamp circuits.

but yes, everyone has their own needs - especially if they're good enough to have needs.
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You make a good point - every player has an inner playing style or voice no different than your vocal voice but reflected in your playing. Honestly I feel if you’re able to play anything and still sound like yourself then you’ve found it. It’s at that point that you can start to hone in with gear to really determine what builds to help your voice or makes it harder and more exhausting. Because we all look for different things, we all search for different percussive and sonic traits.

Honestly I think if you have the theory or desire to build what you want, you will. Some just prefer to buy since it’s a long expensive road to build high gain circuits trial by fire that sound decent. Then there are others that have no business poking around 500V DC no matter the curiosity or desire. Let me be clear in saying I don’t condone inexperienced efforts, only the inexperienced spending the time to learn or be trained and knowing when to ask questions. Amps especially when not working correctly are very dangerous. I’ve been hit by 200V and it left my finger numb for 3 days. Granted it was my fault and not the amp’s.
 
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thegame said:
What else do you like better than the Wizard? Tan pants and grab’n’go combos and grab’n’go constipation medication and great grandchildren and an outstanding game of shuffleboard?
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I like plenty asswipe. Could make a long list but it would bore you. No grand children and likely I won't live long enough to have any but what a fucking asshole you are to drag my ripe old age of 64 into a thread on amp preferences. I must have hit a nerve in your feeble fucking brain by saying I did not like my wizard. Go cry to mommy you fucking baby.
 
My favorite amp the Deco 36 has two 12AX7 and four EL84 and not much gain. Very simple circuit. One volume and one tone. Extremely reactive to the hands. But it's really about the voice.

I played on a few Wizard over the last 25 years. They are nice amps.
 
ZEN Amps said:
Well that escalated quickly. Are Wizard threads the new Cameron threads?
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Someone needed to post this meme. It just wouldn't feel right without it :LOL:
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I have had/have 8 Wizards(Still have 2). Unique amps that have a lot of good going on. I mostly play my modded 1986 JCM800 that I copied an authentic Elan Metalhead modded 1985 JCM800 non noise gate(Not needed).

I have two other modded. Marshalls as well. The Elan mod can go from clean to mean like no other with hardly any volume drop doing it.
My post should echo the subjectivity that others have posted.
 
Never played a Wizard - but from what I hear, they deliver the same ‘flavor’ of big, full, tight tone that you hear with VHT and early Splawn. Not the same sound by any means - just that same thick, tight, aggressive vibe as opposed to a more compressed, greasy lead-friendly tone that I hear in Mesas and Camerons. I used to play Mesa Mark IIIs and loved them. I have since transitioned over to Splawns and I love those. I bet I’d really dig a Wizard if I ever had the chance to plug into one.
 
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