For me, if a boost pedal 'narrows' the tone I don't like it...that's why my OD1X is my go to because it leaves the amp sounding just as 'big and wide' as without the boost. The 2012 MTL I had, any boost I used made the amp sound 'smaller' than without the boost. 2010 MCI, same unless I left the pull boost off...then it was perfect.
I think this is a repeated theme with Wizards and SLOs...have to crank to get the goods...in reality, of course they sound their best at paint peeling volumes but I found both SLOs and Wizards to have great tones at lower volumes as well.Hmmm….I didn’t know Wizards need cranked to get the goods, never tried it. Is there some secret handshake I don’t know to get this kind of info?
Seriously though, I think people mistake the UL for a high gain metal amp. Its a much better mid gain fusion amp imo. The second channel is where it was at for me. And I used a TS-9 with it. Had to sell mine to fund the MC1 figuring I would pick up another down the road. Too expensive now. Like everything is…
Very fair point. We do like different results from boosting. I prefer the narrowing effect to an extent and why I boost in the first place. It's not so much about adding gain for me, but focusing/tightening/narrowing the response, in addition to adding saturation/compression when desired. Other thing is I'm 100% of the time using an MXR 10 band or TC1140 in the loop, so even when boosting, I'm getting a huge/wide freq response because of the way I set things up. So it winds up ultra tight/focused but still wide/girthy.
its not worse IMO. just different. the 60 is a little more marshally/soldano-ish; and the 120 is huge, with a massive low end like a recto, (but tight) and just broader in the frequency range. also so loud, it's hard to use it to its potential. at least it was to me.
I hear that between 4 - 6 is the sweet spot on the SLO. master volume. That seems like ear shattering volume.
Have you tried a Maxon od808? it leaves the tone pretty fat IMO... well it does notch out a little low end a little, but every good boost does that to tighten the lows.
Yup, that's a great boost/OD as well.
Yeah the iic+ is a top 5-er for me. I think some other aspects the Wizard’s & VHT’s have in common less compression & saturation than other amps and a more smooth/hollow/less character & growl thing in the midrange (I don’t like that aspect), but I didn’t really think of them as being in the same camp until some here on RT mentioned it
I wish I had the recording rig I have now with my old UL.
Yeah I don’t get it either. Miles apart tone and feel. The Mesa IIC+ I had…yeah couldn’t get rid of that amp fast enough….though I should have held onto it and sold it nowadays.
Which is pretty much what has happened! LolThe lesson here is don't be announcing amps you like because there are only a handful of amps out there that are the best in the world and will be mentioned here like a broken record
I have; its good...really good with the Rectos, but I still prefer where the mids are in the OD1X. The 805 I have not tried. Every time I try a new boost, it just sits after I try it lol...I always go back to the OD1x.
