P
Panhead5
Well-known member
Most guys on this forum wouldn't even know what that amp is !!! LOL!!!
MadAsAHatter
Well-known member
This
But seriously, I can't answer your question either but I respect you on this board so let me see if I got this straight just to help others help you.
1. You have 3 amps being built for you now that you don't have yet. Correct?
2. You have 3 other amps, including a Naylor, that have rounded out the list. Correct?
3. You own 4 amps now (including the 2 channel Peters Pro) that are similar. Correct?
4. You have 4 amps that did not make the list including something from Fuchs. Correct?
5. So you have 3 - 10 amps that may or may not stay on the list depending on things. Correct?
6. You want to know if a Wizard will reduce the quantities of any of the listings above? Correct?
7. MadAsAHatter does not want to trade places with 311splawndude. Correct?
I'm responding to your list of clarifications as I can use it to respond to a number of other comments too.
1. Yes, An IronHorse Copperhead with a couple of customizations is in the beginning stages of the build and should be complete around the end of April. I'm on the wait list for a Hellion and Skeleton Key, but it probably won't be until the latter part of this year or later when my name comes up.
2. Yes, Of everything I've been looking into (not counting the 3 amps in #1), Naylor, Morris, and Science stood out to me the most. They come off to me as having something a little more unique and took the top spots on which to save up for first.
3. I actually have 10 amps plus a few Synergy modules. The 4 I listed I felt were more comparable for the purposes of this thread. I still love my Crate Voodoo and Stealth (as well as the others), but asking how a Crate amp would stack up against a Wizard seemed kind of ridiculous LOL.
4. There's about a dozen amps that were on the first draft that could have easily stayed. Bogner, Fryette, Ceriatone, Mezzabarba, and several other small operation builders were initially on there. Space availability made me narrow it down to what I was most interested in which are the ones listed. Then cost and factoring in how long it would take me to save for them, I narrowed it down to the top 3 to start budgeting for. A good bit later I may end up getting some of the runner ups, but for now it's not in the cards.
5. More or less yes. Currently I have the full intention of getting a Naylor, Morris, and Science but I'm not going to be buying them tomorrow. I highly doubt I'll get them this year. These purchases would be over the course of several years. I've already set aside what I need for the 3 that are in the works. The rest I have to start saving for. I can work it to afford one a year, may two in one year if I really push myself to save. That is the plan as it stands, but there'll be a lot of time in between where plans could change.
6. Not so much phrased that way. I'm not so much looking at a Wizard to reduce the number of amps; it's more of a budget thing. If the cost of a Wizard was the same as the others It would most likely be in the top 3 list. Being near twice the price and taking my budget into account it would by default make not feasible to save for all 4 or even 3. A Wizard would knock at least two if not all three off my list in terms of affordability. This is where my initial question about Wizards comes in. I've read so much where people make them out to be this holy grail of an amp that completely outclasses anything else. It they were sports cars a Wizard would make a Ferrari look like a Honda Civic hatchback. So I asked here since I know I would be able to get more level headed opinions on if Wizards really are that special.
7. I don't know... would 311splawndude really want to take the risk of trading places with MadAsAHatter?
ghosty999
Well-known member
I guess the way to find out is listen/play a Wizard, then close your eyes and play a bunch of other amps. If any of those blind fold amps sound better... you've found the better amp.
People choose tone with their eyes.
People choose tone with their eyes.
MadAsAHatter
Well-known member
Since we're talking in terms of sound, feel, and the like you are right. Better doesn't exist and everyone has their own opinion. I don't really have the option to try before I buy. I don't have much of an opportunity to make my own 1 to 1 comparisons either. This leaves me with having to purchase amps outright to play and compare. With the price tag of a Wizard I really have to weigh the decision of working toward getting one or not. I have a decent feel for most active member's style and tonal needs and most usually offer straight forward and level headed opinions. Even if they are all different they can help me decided if a Wizard is worth perusing or if I'd rather focus my attention elsewhere.
If I do eventually decide to get a Wizard I want to go into it with realistic expectations and better confidence that it was worth the efforts to save for one. Other forums sing the praises of Wizards like they blast rainbow unicorn farts out the speakers, magically make your sound 1000 times better, then vacuum the floors, make the bed and empty the cat box for you. As mentioned I find most here have more realistic and levelheaded opinions and expectations. Wizards may or may not be my cup o tea, I just don't want to be disappointed because I had the wrong mindset going in. Opinions from you all here help a lot with that.
panhead
Well-known member
Bought a 4 input model in the early 90`s for $800 and had 4 input marshalls at the same time. It could keep up with the marshalls all day but it wasnt any kind of wow im selling my marshalls. As far as other wizards? i dont like most 4-5 gain stage amps
thegame
Well-known member
This place can get rambunctious so you need thick skin to hang. Haven’t you noticed? At least glpg80 provided some valid reasons as to his dislike of Wizards. You just pop in out of the blue, on cue, every time, everywhere to slam Wizard without any real context. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. I don’t even currently have a Wizard so let me stop you right there before I’m accused of being a brand based fanboy. Anyway, maybe the age jokes were going a bit too far so for that, and that only, I publicly apologize. I don’t want to be labeled an ageist or held responsible for raising your blood pressure.
MadAsAHatter
Well-known member
I'm hoping to remedy that at some point. I still need to get a mic and don't want to post crap recordings from my cell phone.
I know wat you mean not knowing what to recommend to someone without hearing their playing. For all anyone knows I may sound like a toddler beating the shit out of a playschool guitar. Dear lord I hope I don't sound like that LOL!
I mostly play in E standard and can say that I'm more of a rhythm player. Not that I can't play leads I just don't prefer them. The heavy, crunchy metal riffs have always been more appealing to me so I've mainly focused my efforts on refining those skills over playing solos. I'm no James Hetfield, but he's a perfect example of the direction I've taken with my playing style.
panhead
Well-known member
Donnie?
DanTravis62
Well-known member
Donnie?
I don't think it's one of Donnies sock puppet accounts, but it's kind of suspicious how this dude literally only shows up on rig talk to bash wizard.
I'm not even a wizard owner or whatever, and it still strikes me as weird
RaceU4her
Well-known member
id say post a phone clip at least first, we need to hear whats going on. could be a case of needing a lesson before needing another amp
BeZo
Well-known member
Good, now you guys shake hands.
Anyway, back to the topic, my Verellen I think can hang with those. It's really tight and articulate, yet has the raw impurities to it. The Skyhammer has a ton of gain to it, and it's difficult to even tame sometimes, but it definitely roars.
Shame Ben Verellen stopped building amps.
Anyway, back to the topic, my Verellen I think can hang with those. It's really tight and articulate, yet has the raw impurities to it. The Skyhammer has a ton of gain to it, and it's difficult to even tame sometimes, but it definitely roars.
Shame Ben Verellen stopped building amps.
Markedman
Well-known member
Did about an hour googling "Dimebag Wizard amps" and only RigTalk mentions him using them. He did have a Boogie Mark IV in his rack for clean tones according to his tech.
“We started out with the Randall RG100 heads on the cabs with a little eight-space rack for the outboard gear. Then we used three of the Randall RG100 HT rackmount heads, along with the other gear, in one rack unit.
"Next was when we got the Century 200s. We used six of those with a Bradshaw splitter. We ended up taking a Century 200 out and put in a Mesa-Boogie Mk IV for the clean stuff. That was the mainstay of the rig for some time."
.
“We started out with the Randall RG100 heads on the cabs with a little eight-space rack for the outboard gear. Then we used three of the Randall RG100 HT rackmount heads, along with the other gear, in one rack unit.
"Next was when we got the Century 200s. We used six of those with a Bradshaw splitter. We ended up taking a Century 200 out and put in a Mesa-Boogie Mk IV for the clean stuff. That was the mainstay of the rig for some time."
.
DanTravis62
Well-known member
Because it's in actual books, not the internet
DanTravis62
Well-known member
E
ericb
Active member
I can't bash Wizard as I've never owned one, but I do have 20+ other great amps and don't have the desire. Tonedog is Steve Snider, he's an excellent guitarists in lots of genres, and as much of a gearhead as you'll find. Not Donnie. He owned a Bogner/2-Rock dealership at 1 point as I'm 2 years younger and live on the opposite coast of him but we were around on all of the gear forums since the beginning of the internet, and prior to that on the newsgroups. I have grown kids now, and unfortunately no grandkids, and 1 troubled 16 year old at home. I still play in 2 rock bands, playing mostly alt-rock and non-radio music, but some dad-rock, and some modern pop (yuck) . . We all have real lives, and we used to be the young guys on the rock gear forums. Just remember that. . lol. . Hopefully someday the young people trashing the old ones get there themselves. Eric, as I duck and run, and deal with my real life issues now. Carry on
DanTravis62
Well-known member
That's not really the point of what I was getting at Eric
It would be an entirely different thing if Steve was a regular participant on RT, but these type of threads are literally the only time he shows up
E
ericb
Active member
Gotcha! If that's true, then yep I see your point. That happens with some other guys on various forums and it always bugged me. Haven't witnessed this , so I'll bail out now. . I will say I've heard "Velcro Fly's" MC25 via internet video's with his band, and it sounds just great, and I have many modded Marshalls and Splawns, etc with similar sounds, but sounds like if anything Steve got a bad one.
Eric
DanTravis62
Well-known member
No biggy there's always communication barriers. It probably wouldn't bug anyone that he doesn't like wizards if he was around all the time, posting clips and interacting. But it seems like he only shows up to talk about how much he didn't like his wizard.
Oh and I absolutely agree, Velcros mc25 sounds fantastic, especially with that p90 Hamer of his.
Have a good one Eric
BeZo
Well-known member
Well now it's on the internet. Thanks a lot.
