Wizard Amp Models

  • Thread starter Thread starter journeyman73
  • Start date Start date
That's really interesting. So again, I haven't played a Hell Razor or an MTL, but I have played a Modern Classic and Modern Classic II, years ago.

I remember the MC and MC2 being VERY punchy having a ton of percussive power like a good plexi, but, just like the name implies, they were modernized, so they had a wide bandwidth and much more gain on tap, but not quite "modern high gain" levels of gain. What they did have, however, was killer clarity and dynamics, touch sensitivity, etc. In other words, the amps sounded like they were high gain amps, but I remember them feeling almost like high headroom clean tone amps, if that makes sense.

The biggest concern I have about an amp like the Hell Razor is that to control all that gain, the amp might need to do some heavy filtering on the guitar itself, like cutting off the lowest lows and the highest highs fairly aggressively, which could kind of choke the sound out if you were to try and use it with less than "white hot metal" levels of gain.

Can you describe how the Hell Razor is different than the MC in terms of clarity at Modern Classic levels of gain? In other words, can the Hell Razor do the sounds of the Modern Classic, big full clarity and dynamic punch with a crystal clear top end, or does it more focus exclusively on more compressed modern high gain tones with some of the highs filtered away to control the fizz?
It should be at least as clear from what I remember of the MC I had, but I didn’t AB. Fizz doesn’t seem to be in the cards for wizards IME lol (cleaner style of gain). It is open like the other wizards, but with a lot more gain and saturation on tap. Not about being very compressed or filtering things away. I’d say it’s still very much about those qualities you mention: big, full frequency, clarity, punchy, clear highs, but markedly bigger, more muscular/efficient and punchier probably from the KT88 powersection and transformer designed around those tubes and a lot tighter and more attack than the MC and MTL I had

What’s great about Wizard’s is they are among the only non-vintage amps I’ve tried that sound fairly raw and organic meaning to me also not filtered or restrained like the other 99% of current made amps. I think the extra gain, tightness and attack make it effective at being modern, but it won’t get modern in being filtered, clinical or cardboardy sounding like the omega’s or Uber ultra I had. Because it does have more gain than the other Wizard models more compression will inevitably come with that, but for the amount of gain that is there I would say it’s similarly open (per gain amount if that makes sense) and solidly defined on palm as all wizards are. For the MC I had to boost it to get to modern territory and even the MTL often needed a little, but I don’t boost my Hell Razor. It may come off sometimes like it has less gain than it does since it’s so clear, but there’s more than I think one would ever need. It is a noisy amp admittedly, but I can manage fine with my gate
 
Last edited:
It should be at least as clear from what I remember of the MC I had, but I didn’t AB. Fizz doesn’t seem to be in the cards for wizards IME lol (cleaner style of gain). It is open like the other wizards, but with a lot more gain and saturation on tap. Not about being very compressed or filtering things away. I’d say it’s still very much about those qualities you mention: big, full frequency, clarity, punchy, clear highs, but markedly bigger, more muscular/efficient and punchier probably from the KT88 powersection and transformer designed around those tubes and a lot tighter and more attack than the MC and MTL I had

What’s great about Wizard’s is they are among the only non-vintage amps I’ve tried that sound fairly raw and organic meaning to me also not filtered or restrained like the other 99% of current made amps. I think the extra gain, tightness and attack make it effective at being modern, but it won’t get modern in being filtered, clinical or cardboardy sounding like the omega’s or Uber ultra I had. Because it does have more gain than the other Wizard models more compression will inevitably come with that, but for the amount of gain that is there I would say it’s similarly open (per gain amount if that makes sense) and solidly defined on palm as all wizards are. For the MC I had to boost it to get to modern territory and even the MTL often needed a little, but I don’t boost my Hell Razor. It may come off sometimes like it has less gain than it does since it’s so clear, but there’s more than I think one would ever need. It is a noisy amp admittedly, but I can manage fine with my gate

Thanks for that reply, appreciate it!

These amps are kind of impossible to try before buying, not to mention expensive enough, that you don't want to spring for one only to find out later that another model would have been closer to what you really want. Any details like that are helpful.
 
Thanks for that reply, appreciate it!

These amps are kind of impossible to try before buying, not to mention expensive enough, that you don't want to spring for one only to find out later that another model would have been closer to what you really want. Any details like that are helpful.
Yeah a lot cool gear you just gotta buy blindly. It is what it is. Given you liked those MC's it would hard for me to see why you wouldn't like the Hell Razor. To me it's basically the Wizard sound I've come to know just tighter, more attack, more gain and saturation and from the KT88's/transformer more powerful and punchy. What's not to like about that lol besides just maybe some vintage pickups I can't use from their noise (not the only amp with that issue though). I was in a similar boat as others thinking I can get a different version Wizard used for a lot less $, but those wouldn't be keeper amps for me vs some of my other amps. That's the make or break difference to me and worth the price difference for me. YMMV of courser depending also what other amps you have and criteria
 
It should be at least as clear from what I remember of the MC I had, but I didn’t AB. Fizz doesn’t seem to be in the cards for wizards IME lol (cleaner style of gain). It is open like the other wizards, but with a lot more gain and saturation on tap. Not about being very compressed or filtering things away. I’d say it’s still very much about those qualities you mention: big, full frequency, clarity, punchy, clear highs, but markedly bigger, more muscular/efficient and punchier probably from the KT88 powersection and transformer designed around those tubes and a lot tighter and more attack than the MC and MTL I had

What’s great about Wizard’s is they are among the only non-vintage amps I’ve tried that sound fairly raw and organic meaning to me also not filtered or restrained like the other 99% of current made amps. I think the extra gain, tightness and attack make it effective at being modern, but it won’t get modern in being filtered, clinical or cardboardy sounding like the omega’s or Uber ultra I had. Because it does have more gain than the other Wizard models more compression will inevitably come with that, but for the amount of gain that is there I would say it’s similarly open (per gain amount if that makes sense) and solidly defined on palm as all wizards are. For the MC I had to boost it to get to modern territory and even the MTL often needed a little, but I don’t boost my Hell Razor. It may come off sometimes like it has less gain than it does since it’s so clear, but there’s more than I think one would ever need. It is a noisy amp admittedly, but I can manage fine with my gate
Thanks for very specific opinion on HR. You made me HR GAS even more than before lol.
 
@braintheory So I’ve been trying to read up on a few details about the Hell Razor but there are some things that aren't as detailed as they could be.

How do the Bright knobs impact the sound? Bright switches can work in a lot of different ways. The Uber Ultra's Bright switch sounds like it toggles a high cut filter very early in the circuit, like it's impacting the sound of the guitar as it comes into the amp. However, other Bright switches work by allowing high end to pass through a Gain pot unfiltered, etc.

When you adjust the Bright switches on the Hell Razor, what does it sound like they're doing?
 
@braintheory So I’ve been trying to read up on a few details about the Hell Razor but there are some things that aren't as detailed as they could be.

How do the Bright knobs impact the sound? Bright switches can work in a lot of different ways. The Uber Ultra's Bright switch sounds like it toggles a high cut filter very early in the circuit, like it's impacting the sound of the guitar as it comes into the amp. However, other Bright switches work by allowing high end to pass through a Gain pot unfiltered, etc.

When you adjust the Bright switches on the Hell Razor, what does it sound like they're doing?
I’m not a technical guy, but the bright knob on it seems to me like it’s dialing in somewhere in the uppermids and can make the amp seem more open with it set higher, but also a bit maybe quacky if set too high. The treble, presence and bright knobs all seem to be dialing in higher frequencies in different areas and it’s a balancing act between the 3 to set it well
 
Thread zombie!

So I thought this thread would probably be the best place to ask:

If I wanted to get Garage Inc's Wizard tones without a boost pedal, do I go with the Wizard MC II, MTL, Hybrid, or Hell Razor?

Never played any of these in person, so I'm flying blind here.

I don't use boost pedals, so I'm interested in the amp that gets closest to the Astronomy tone without a boost. From specs, I would expect the MTL or Hybrid to do it because of the extra gain, but from mids voicing, I'm questioning that.

Note, I'm not asking about the blended tone with the Mesa and Diezel. Just the left track Wizard part of it.

Thanks folks!
 
Thread zombie!

So I thought this thread would probably be the best place to ask:

If I wanted to get Garage Inc's Wizard tones without a boost pedal, do I go with the Wizard MC II, MTL, Hybrid, or Hell Razor?

Never played any of these in person, so I'm flying blind here.

I don't use boost pedals, so I'm interested in the amp that gets closest to the Astronomy tone without a boost. From specs, I would expect the MTL or Hybrid to do it because of the extra gain, but from mids voicing, I'm questioning that.

Note, I'm not asking about the blended tone with the Mesa and Diezel. Just the left track Wizard part of it.

Thanks folks!

i'll let the "others" chime in but you might find some interesting information here: https://www.rig-talk.com/forum/threads/nad-wizard-“hetfield-mc”.200547/

as someone who owns an MCII, an MTL and Hell Razor....i'd suggest a used MCII as it'll be the easiest to find

EMG's into that amp are more than enough imo. Will it get you exactly there, no...will it be close enough for government work, yes....just my 2 cents

EDIT: looks like you can still order the MCI...its on the site anyways: https://www.wizardamplification.com/modern.htm

just email rick and ask if he'd spec it to hetfields version...i have no clue what he will say lol
 
Thanks guys!

That's what I was expecting, but as I have no hands-on experience, this is very valuable.
@TheGreatGreen , great clips!
Gives a good idea of what's going on (any pedals here or just the amp?)

@Nashville Riff Co , which of those is your favorite for metal? And what pedal would you suggest to pair with the MCII for getting closer to the Astronomy tone?
 
Thanks guys!

That's what I was expecting, but as I have no hands-on experience, this is very valuable.
@TheGreatGreen , great clips!
Gives a good idea of what's going on (any pedals here or just the amp?)

@Nashville Riff Co , which of those is your favorite for metal? And what pedal would you suggest to pair with the MCII for getting closer to the Astronomy tone?

Thanks!

To be honest, I don't remember if I used a few db of clean boost into front of the amp or not. Definitely no overdrive pedals or anything with separate distortion circuits going into the front of the amp though.
 
Last edited:
Well that's good to know then.
I like the simplicity of just plugging straight in without fiddling with the pedals, and to be honest, I've never found an OD pedal that I liked in front of an amp more than just the amp itself.
 
Thanks guys!

That's what I was expecting, but as I have no hands-on experience, this is very valuable.
@TheGreatGreen , great clips!
Gives a good idea of what's going on (any pedals here or just the amp?)

@Nashville Riff Co , which of those is your favorite for metal? And what pedal would you suggest to pair with the MCII for getting closer to the Astronomy tone?

honestly, with an all mahogany guitar with EMG's into an MCII on the lead channel, you really won't need a boost imo for the tone you're after. There's a guy on here who boosts his hell razor with a wizard OD pedal (i think he uses the leopard). here's the link:

as far as "which one for metal"...depends on the flavor of metal you're after. out of the three, at this point, the MTL is my favorite. it's just the perfect blend of the wizard thump and raw tone for me. but i think the consensus around these parts is that the MTL is not as raw as the HellRazor, which i think is accurate.

i think the hell razor is best for modern metal...it is truly a whole another level and that amps ability to stay tight at the most absurd drop tunings is mind blowing. i love playing it because of the tightness but i gravitate back towards the MTL as my favorite at this point.
 
Thread zombie!

So I thought this thread would probably be the best place to ask:

If I wanted to get Garage Inc's Wizard tones without a boost pedal, do I go with the Wizard MC II, MTL, Hybrid, or Hell Razor?

Never played any of these in person, so I'm flying blind here.

I don't use boost pedals, so I'm interested in the amp that gets closest to the Astronomy tone without a boost. From specs, I would expect the MTL or Hybrid to do it because of the extra gain, but from mids voicing, I'm questioning that.

Note, I'm not asking about the blended tone with the Mesa and Diezel. Just the left track Wizard part of it.

Thanks folks!

Hate to burst your bubble... you aren't getting that tone with one amp. There is too much juice and compression on Garage Inc. (in a good way). Much more of a 'metal" tone. The MCII sounds EXACTLY like most of Reload. Less gain with tons of clarity and thump. The first three tracks could literally be just a Wizard although I highly doubt it. Bob loves to blend multiple amps.
 
@Tone Monster Oh no, for sure. I never intended to try to get a one-stop solution with just the MCII.

I've been buying up all the different amps on those recordings :)

But I wanted to know if, since it's been several years and people really liked that blend, a new model (MTL, Razor etc.) did that tone more directly, since a large part of the sound was the MC.

I had a similar situation when I was buying the Diezels. I thought I wanted the VH4 for certain, but when I played the Herbert, I knew that was the sound for me. Still is my favorite amp for my style of metal.

But of course, it kept gnawing at me until I eventually bought the VH4 as well. Both very different amps, but I love both.

So without being able to test it, it sounds like the MTL or Razor would be more my kind of thing, but if I'm chasing one particular element to add to the pallet, I think the MCII might be the better buy (at least at first lol; cause we all know in 6 months, I'll be contemplating the MTL or Razor if I buy the MC now).
 
But of course, it kept gnawing at me until I eventually bought the VH4 as well. Both very different amps, but I love both.

So without being able to test it, it sounds like the MTL or Razor would be more my kind of thing, but if I'm chasing one particular element to add to the pallet, I think the MCII might be the better buy (at least at first lol; cause we all know in 6 months, I'll be contemplating the MTL or Razor if I buy the MC now).

this is exactly how i ended up with all 3 wizards lololol
 
@Tone Monster Oh no, for sure. I never intended to try to get a one-stop solution with just the MCII.

I've been buying up all the different amps on those recordings :)

But I wanted to know if, since it's been several years and people really liked that blend, a new model (MTL, Razor etc.) did that tone more directly, since a large part of the sound was the MC.

I had a similar situation when I was buying the Diezels. I thought I wanted the VH4 for certain, but when I played the Herbert, I knew that was the sound for me. Still is my favorite amp for my style of metal.

But of course, it kept gnawing at me until I eventually bought the VH4 as well. Both very different amps, but I love both.

So without being able to test it, it sounds like the MTL or Razor would be more my kind of thing, but if I'm chasing one particular element to add to the pallet, I think the MCII might be the better buy (at least at first lol; cause we all know in 6 months, I'll be contemplating the MTL or Razor if I buy the MC now).


Gotcha. HR would be the closest IMO.
 
I have always wanted to ask this...which Wizard is the least compressed? Like if you were just looking for a nice warm organic crunch tone and then hit a boost.
 
Back
Top