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Wizard amps

omfg51

omfg51

Member
Messages
2,915
Don't like 'em, plain and simple. Their prices are absolutely ridiculous. I mean honestly, when you sell amps in the 4 grand price range, you better sell the BEST amp ever, and I mean that. I see lots of people demo-ing the Modern Classic and saying they get "vintage marshall tones" out of them. I find this to be a pretty blatent exaggeration, if not an outright fabrication. They sound far too compressed and the gain stages just aren't anywhere near smooth enough. No blues, no classic rock or hard rock. I'll say this, the clean sound is fantastic, no argument there. But from clean to metal is it. Everything in-between seems to just be overhyped. I mean for 4 freaking grand, just go buy a real vintage marshall!! There really is no comparison to the real thing, simple as that.
 
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Zingeroo

Member
Messages
4,344
I understand some models have clipping diodes, like the 2550. I'm not a big fan of the overrated 2550, so I doubt I'd like the Wizard much.
 
dumbell78

dumbell78

Member
Messages
4,961
This is the beauty of todays market. You dont like an amp for whatever reason, move on to the countless others. We have an endless amount of great amps to choose from.
 
omfg51

omfg51

Member
Messages
2,915
Greazygeo said:
Did you actually play one?
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I've only really messed around with them. The first thing I did was try to get that so called "vintage marshall" tone. It just didn't hit the mark. It really did feel like a modern amp. Nothing really vingate about it. That being said, if you are looking for a modern amp, it's a great candidate.
 
peanutavalon

peanutavalon

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
718
I got mine in trade..a $2k deal roughly..you can find a used one for as little as $1800..I sold it because I wanted to try other things but I wisj I kept it..I got cool vintage type tones out of mine. There was a fair amount of gain but I didn't need it, however it was there if I did. Check out the demo I did..just some noodling https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/718420
 
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Greazygeo

Member
Messages
1,181
omfg51 said:
I've only really messed around with them. The first thing I did was try to get that so called "vintage marshall" tone. It just didn't hit the mark. It really did feel like a modern amp. Nothing really vingate about it. That being said, if you are looking for a modern amp, it's a great candidate.
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Well I have a Modern Classic and a '68 Plexi Super Tremolo and a '69 Plexi Superlead.

The 69 plexi is my perfect amp tone and gainwise, went thru a whole bunch of them before I found this one. Ive had it for 20 years. I bought the Modern Classic for a live amp to get the sound of my plexi and a higher gain tone as well as something with an effects loop. I can tell you it absolutely will do the vintage Marshall thing no problem. The Rhythm channel is the Highway to Hell AC/DC tone (just like my '69) while the Lead channel is more Back in Black.

Put the Rhythm channel on ten, use a LP and roll back for clean.

My version of Modern is more like a Diezel, Mesa Recto, 5150 etc....
 
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Greazygeo

Member
Messages
1,181
StockRock said:
I sense a trolling aspect to this thread but I'll bite. I just know in a stable of Friedman, Germino, Voodoo, Wizard MC, Diezel, Roccaforte, 72 Marshall Superlead, Matchless, etc., in a studio where they all can be as loud as they can be, with multiple vintage Marshall 4x12s and multiple Stone Age 4x12s, the Wizard is a must have tone. AC/DC and plenty of others that play classic and hard rock use them. You got to turn them up to get them to sound good, but it's often a favorite for people that get to do that. It's no modern flavor like Diezel or ENGL or Mesa, and in fact is in the same camp as the Friedman EVH or 72SL when dimed. We tend to think of it as a mix of Hiwatt and hot-rodded Marshall.

Have you played one next to these others? Clips add compression. And the reason to buy a new Wizard or Suhr or Friedman over vintage is that it will be more reliable and easier to maintain, and more consistent in what to expect.
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I agree with that.

One other thing I can add is that it is very consistent from gig to gig. Gigged with mine solid for a good number of years and never had to mess with the knobs....and it would sound great all gig (4 hours). Never got hot like my Marshalls do.
 
SReynolds

SReynolds

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
1,682
The Vintage Classics is a fine amp. Plenty of vintage Marshall tones. Very little compression in the Vintage Classic and sounds as good or better than any Marshall I've had. Very consistant from night to night, tough as pig iron, and I could literally grab the transformer after 4 hrs and it wasn't even hot. If your touch is right the amp sounds awesome.
 
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lgehrig4

Member
Messages
6,145
I had a Modern Classic and still have a Vintage Classic. I agree that the prices are a bit much, but the tone and feel are unique and if thats what you want, you're not finding it with any other amp.

There's a clarity and percussiveness that is unique to these amps. That said I would still choose a Germino LV55 over my Vintage Classic because that is my preference. They sound difference but neither is better, unless you specify what they are better at. VC better than LV55 for playing AC/DC. LV55 better than VC for playing Allman Bros.
 
celestion101

celestion101

Gold Supporting Member
Messages
1,842
Rick St. Pierre is flat out one of the nicest guys in the business and would respectively tell the person who started this thread to buy what makes him happy. He's been AC/DC's senior tech for nearly 30yrs so there's a good reason that some of his models nail their sound.
 
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psychodave

Senior Member
Messages
1,200
I don't care for them, although they are cool. Resale on them suck...so if you buy you better like it...:rotflmao

FWIW, I heard one JerryP from FJA modded and it kills!!! \m/
 
DICKIE C

DICKIE C

Member
Messages
3,819
Greazygeo said:
I agree with that.

One other thing I can add is that it is very consistent from gig to gig. Gigged with mine solid for a good number of years and never had to mess with the knobs....and it would sound great all gig (4 hours). Never got hot like my Marshalls do.
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Geo, would you say it's worth 4 g's?

Serious question, not trying to antagonize! :)
 
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