Wizard Wednesdays - Pics and Clips

  • Thread starter Thread starter TheGreatGreen
  • Start date Start date
RaceU4her said:
nah, too much coin even used to prove the Wizard thing isnt for me. i play maybe 10% of the time "in the room" now, my cabs are mic'd in a closet and i play through my monitors, ive heard enough now from trusted clippers like green and bram to make an accurate judgement.
Click to expand...
Man, I know your stance on this topic and respect your opinion, but I'll never understand how someone can buy an amp, or pass on an amp in this case, based solely on clips. You may very well find a Wizard to not be your thing and not worth the coin, but there is no clip in the world that is gonna offer that experience and give a true sense of whether you'd like it or not. They are stupid expensive and can't debate your point there, even used it's a bit much, so that I absolutely get.

I honestly could care less either way (and not saying that to sound douchey) and I'm not saying that a Wizard is the be all best thing out there by any stretch, just that they are a truly unique amp and the only way anyone could know or comment definitively is to play it in your room with your chain and your hands.

I have a couple amps right now that I listened to clips for a very very general initial impression and even after reading every forum post about said amp and chatting with numerous folks that own(ed) them, got it in the room and it's so totally different than any of the clips or even descriptions and my expectations.

You've indicated that Wizards sound to you, from clips, like Fryette in that they are dry with a high end that is dull or doesn't stand out to you, something along those lines, and to some degree they are like Fryettes, but they are so totally different at the same time. I've owned most Wizard models and most Fryettes and at the same time, and while they are similar in that they are both punchy, articulate, and have a different midrange than many other amps, they are quite different too. There's a solidity, a quality to the notes and chords with a Wizard and dynamics and clarity that I've not heard in other amps and the high end IMO is one of the things that does stand out when you play one in person, very very bright, cutting, present, and open unless you boost for added compression. The Fryette CLX and 2555x are the only amps I've owned that came close to being somewhat similar.
 
Racerxrated said:
Killer clip! Wizards always deliver. The MC100 I had was amazing with a boost; as long as I left the onboard boost off it took the pedal like a champ. Not many amps compare to a 100w Wizard, exceptions being an old Superlead + pedals or a HiWatt + pedals.
Like a musical carnival ride.
Click to expand...
Even fewer compare to the KT150 version (680 plate voltage on my Hell Razor KT150), exceptions being IME the Megalith Beta (also 680v), Blueface and Rev 1 Uber
 
braintheory said:
Even fewer compare to the KT150 version (680 plate voltage on my Hell Razor KT150), exceptions being IME the Megalith Beta (also 680v), Blueface and Rev 1 Uber
Click to expand...

The KT150 MTL mk2 was my favorite for a long time. I recently sold mine in favor of my 50w KT66 MTLmk2. It has the C Transformers. It sounded better than my KT150 to me at the loud room volumes I mostly play at. The KT is king when you turn it up to jet engine levels, nothing punches like it can
 
Racerxrated said:
Killer clip! Wizards always deliver. The MC100 I had was amazing with a boost; as long as I left the onboard boost off it took the pedal like a champ. Not many amps compare to a 100w Wizard, exceptions being an old Superlead + pedals or a HiWatt + pedals.
Like a musical carnival ride.
Click to expand...
Turning off the onboard boost is key. My MTL takes a boost as good as anything with the obb off.
 
RaceU4her said:
nah, too much coin even used to prove the Wizard thing isnt for me. i play maybe 10% of the time "in the room" now, my cabs are mic'd in a closet and i play through my monitors, ive heard enough now from trusted clippers like green and bram to make an accurate judgement.
Click to expand...
Well you need to come out of the closet and try yourself a Wizard.
 
MetalHeadMike said:
Man, I know your stance on this topic and respect your opinion, but I'll never understand how someone can buy an amp, or pass on an amp in this case, based solely on clips. You may very well find a Wizard to not be your thing and not worth the coin, but there is no clip in the world that is gonna offer that experience and give a true sense of whether you'd like it or not. They are stupid expensive and can't debate your point there, even used it's a bit much, so that I absolutely get.

I honestly could care less either way (and not saying that to sound douchey) and I'm not saying that a Wizard is the be all best thing out there by any stretch, just that they are a truly unique amp and the only way anyone could know or comment definitively is to play it in your room with your chain and your hands.

I have a couple amps right now that I listened to clips for a very very general initial impression and even after reading every forum post about said amp and chatting with numerous folks that own(ed) them, got it in the room and it's so totally different than any of the clips or even descriptions and my expectations.

You've indicated that Wizards sound to you, from clips, like Fryette in that they are dry with a high end that is dull or doesn't stand out to you, something along those lines, and to some degree they are like Fryettes, but they are so totally different at the same time. I've owned most Wizard models and most Fryettes and at the same time, and while they are similar in that they are both punchy, articulate, and have a different midrange than many other amps, they are quite different too. There's a solidity, a quality to the notes and chords with a Wizard and dynamics and clarity that I've not heard in other amps and the high end IMO is one of the things that does stand out when you play one in person, very very bright, cutting, present, and open unless you boost for added compression. The Fryette CLX and 2555x are the only amps I've owned that came close to being somewhat similar.
Click to expand...
This 100%.
When I bought Sam’s MTL, there wasn’t one clip out there that I liked enough to justify spending 4K on a used amp.
I bought it strictly based on the opinions and descriptions of Sam’s, and a few others that I trust, and I’m so glad I did.
A Wizard is a force of fucking nature and must be experienced in the room. The clarity, punch and aggression is without question one of the best in the game. And as far as the “dry” thing goes, my MTL will get plenty of grease and saturation with the “saturation” knob alone, even more with an external boost, and the feel is as good as anything.
The only downside is owning a Wizard makes you want more Wizards…
 
RedB4Black said:
The KT150 MTL mk2 was my favorite for a long time. I recently sold mine in favor of my 50w KT66 MTLmk2. It has the C Transformers. It sounded better than my KT150 to me at the loud room volumes I mostly play at. The KT is king when you turn it up to jet engine levels, nothing punches like it can
Click to expand...

Can you describe how the 50w KT66 sounds compared to the 150w KT88 or is it one of those things where you just have to hear it?
 
Beyond Black said:
This 100%.
When I bought Sam’s MTL, there wasn’t one clip out there that I liked enough to justify spending 4K on a used amp.
I bought it strictly based on the opinions and descriptions of Sam’s, and a few others that I trust, and I’m so glad I did.
A Wizard is a force of fucking nature and must be experienced in the room. The clarity, punch and aggression is without question one of the best in the game. And as far as the “dry” thing goes, my MTL will get plenty of grease and saturation with the “saturation” knob alone, even more with an external boost, and the feel is as good as anything.
The only downside is owning a Wizard makes you want more Wizards…
Click to expand...
I get the comparisons to VHT/Fryette stuff....there is a dryness/clarity that reminds me of the D60/120s I had. But, one aspect that separates a Wiz from the VHT is the feel....the 2 Wizards I had, felt amazing and had a somewhat liquid feel which was far different than either VHT I had. It's no C+ or SLO, Marshall but the feel was very very good.
 
Racerxrated said:
I get the comparisons to VHT/Fryette stuff....there is a dryness/clarity that reminds me of the D60/120s I had. But, one aspect that separates a Wiz from the VHT is the feel....the 2 Wizards I had, felt amazing and had a somewhat liquid feel which was far different than either VHT I had. It's no C+ or SLO, Marshall but the feel was very very good.
Click to expand...
Yeah the VHT/Fryette’s are more modern voiced, less raw/organic than Wizard’s IME, but I get the other similarities guy’s mention. The Hell Razor has stupid amount of gain on tap, so it can get a lot more saturated. I’ve discovered some unconventional settings on it lately where it is one of my 2 or 3 favorites now for feel and actually one of my more liquidy amps
 
MetalHeadMike said:
Man, I know your stance on this topic and respect your opinion, but I'll never understand how someone can buy an amp, or pass on an amp in this case, based solely on clips. You may very well find a Wizard to not be your thing and not worth the coin, but there is no clip in the world that is gonna offer that experience and give a true sense of whether you'd like it or not. They are stupid expensive and can't debate your point there, even used it's a bit much, so that I absolutely get.

I honestly could care less either way (and not saying that to sound douchey) and I'm not saying that a Wizard is the be all best thing out there by any stretch, just that they are a truly unique amp and the only way anyone could know or comment definitively is to play it in your room with your chain and your hands.

I have a couple amps right now that I listened to clips for a very very general initial impression and even after reading every forum post about said amp and chatting with numerous folks that own(ed) them, got it in the room and it's so totally different than any of the clips or even descriptions and my expectations.

You've indicated that Wizards sound to you, from clips, like Fryette in that they are dry with a high end that is dull or doesn't stand out to you, something along those lines, and to some degree they are like Fryettes, but they are so totally different at the same time. I've owned most Wizard models and most Fryettes and at the same time, and while they are similar in that they are both punchy, articulate, and have a different midrange than many other amps, they are quite different too. There's a solidity, a quality to the notes and chords with a Wizard and dynamics and clarity that I've not heard in other amps and the high end IMO is one of the things that does stand out when you play one in person, very very bright, cutting, present, and open unless you boost for added compression. The Fryette CLX and 2555x are the only amps I've owned that came close to being somewhat similar.
Click to expand...


clips work great, iphone clips are awesome, when i hold my iphone in front of me at chest level and record something i hear exactly the same thing my ears did when i play back, iphone clips are what lead me to buying my monomyth, cameron and hermansson.. all which sound just like the videos. mic'd clips are even better for me, as like i said im 90% recording now with my amps tucked away in a closet, so really the most important thing to me is how an amp records, im not really concerned with how it sounds in the room if im not liking the recorded tone, if an amp sounds good with a simple 57 in front of the speaker, which is kind of a fool proof test as to whats going on, ill give it a shot.

As i said before, all i do is comment on what im hearing in whatever clip is posted as i would for any other amp, and like VHT's, most every clip i hear has the same general characteristics.. i didnt even listen to the OP clip till i saw the unsolicited vicious passive aggressive attack aimed at me, then im thinking finally a clip that is gonna showcase this crisp, very bright and cutting top that for some reason just can never be captured for reasons im unclear about, but then i hear the clip and.. it sounds just like a Wizard lol, then im in big trouble and told the amp is opposite of what im hearing, then its back to agreeing with me on my toan assessment :dunno: :LOL:

Its like you guys are showing me pictures of a tall and skinny blonde, which isnt my type at all, and when i describe the woman as a tall and skinny blonde and not my type, im told shes not really that tall and its just the camera angles and you cant judge a picture by the picture, and the only way i can judge is to take her out to the most expensive restaurant in town to understand how hot she is... im all set with that, you guys can enjoy her lol
 
In my defense, I like thicc brunettes.
 
Last edited:
braintheory said:
Yeah the VHT/Fryette’s are more modern voiced, less raw/organic than Wizard’s IME, but I get the other similarities guy’s mention. The Hell Razor has stupid amount of gain on tap, so it can get a lot more saturated. I’ve discovered some unconventional settings on it lately where it is one of my 2 or 3 favorites now for feel and actually one of my more liquidy amps
Click to expand...
Care to share your settings?
 
Ryan990 said:
Care to share your settings?
Click to expand...
Here’s a pic. I use the lo input and need to check where I had the bright know set. The saturation knob I vary depend on what I’m playing
IMG_9219.jpeg
 
TheGreatGreen said:
Can you describe how the 50w KT66 sounds compared to the 150w KT88 or is it one of those things where you just have to hear it?
Click to expand...

The mids on the KT are a little fatter and rounded. The 60w more sharp and aggressive. Low end is bigger on the KT, but I just run the depth higher to compensate on the 60w. I could get them pretty close to each other with my Mesa 5 band in the loop actually.
 
MetalHeadMike said:
Man, I know your stance on this topic and respect your opinion, but I'll never understand how someone can buy an amp, or pass on an amp in this case, based solely on clips. You may very well find a Wizard to not be your thing and not worth the coin, but there is no clip in the world that is gonna offer that experience and give a true sense of whether you'd like it or not. They are stupid expensive and can't debate your point there, even used it's a bit much, so that I absolutely get.

I honestly could care less either way (and not saying that to sound douchey) and I'm not saying that a Wizard is the be all best thing out there by any stretch, just that they are a truly unique amp and the only way anyone could know or comment definitively is to play it in your room with your chain and your hands.

I have a couple amps right now that I listened to clips for a very very general initial impression and even after reading every forum post about said amp and chatting with numerous folks that own(ed) them, got it in the room and it's so totally different than any of the clips or even descriptions and my expectations.

You've indicated that Wizards sound to you, from clips, like Fryette in that they are dry with a high end that is dull or doesn't stand out to you, something along those lines, and to some degree they are like Fryettes, but they are so totally different at the same time. I've owned most Wizard models and most Fryettes and at the same time, and while they are similar in that they are both punchy, articulate, and have a different midrange than many other amps, they are quite different too. There's a solidity, a quality to the notes and chords with a Wizard and dynamics and clarity that I've not heard in other amps and the high end IMO is one of the things that does stand out when you play one in person, very very bright, cutting, present, and open unless you boost for added compression. The Fryette CLX and 2555x are the only amps I've owned that came close to being somewhat similar.
Click to expand...
I honestly don’t trust many clips . Peoples recording signal path makes amps sound a lot different . They are great clips but many times when their Diezel clip sounds close to a wizard clip it’s just never really there
Especially new amps. But that’s not say the clips don’t sound great . Just hard to capture the real in sound
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
 
Back
Top