NAD - Magnatone Super 15

[Lowspeid]

So I posted in another thread a couple weeks back about all the amps I had recently tried in my quest for something different than I already had. All that "research" led me to purchase a Magnatone Super 15 head and cab off of Reverb for 2/3 the new price. It arrived yesterday and I had a chance to play it for a bit. I played it with both my '60's AO Tele and my Les Paul Custom, and I stayed on the low gain input because it get's very loud very quickly and I didn't want to piss off my wife and kids. Here are my initial impressions:

1. Short answer: I like it. It's not as "chimey" as a AC30, not as bright as a Plexi, and not as ragged as a Tweed. BUT It's almost like Magnatone took the best elements of all three and rolleld them into one amp.

2. It sounds very good through the Mag cab, and it sounds even better running it through the matching cab and my MC90-loaded Mesa CBWB.

3. It's pretty dark/warm through the Mag cab. I think the "darkness" is from the speaker they chose for the that cab. I had to dime the presence to get it sparkle. edit: I emailed Magnatone and they confirmed the cab is made of Baltic Birch ply, and the speaker is 25 watt speaker based on the WGS Invader.

4. The Mag speaker has A LOT of bass! I had to roll the bass nearly to zero with my LP.

5. It's very dynamic and touch sensitive like a Vox/marshall/tweed. It compresses and overdrives when you hit it hard, and cleans up when you paly softly. Again, it's kind of all the things I like about those amps.

6. It was very easy to dial in. I still haven't fully dialed my mesa Express, but this was dialed in a minute. I didn't touch the knobs when Switching guitars, and didn't sell like I needed too.

7. Did I mention the nameplate lights up on both the Head AND Cab?!?!

I'll post a couple videos later today or tomorrow when I get a chance.

 

[naveed211]

Glad you’re digging it! Sounds like a very unique tone. You can forge your own sound versus sounding like everyone else.

Probably not in the market for an amp that pricey for the foreseeable future, but I’ll have to give those a play if I ever see one in the wild.

 

[stormsedge]

Sounds sweet! HNAD!

 

[Lowspeid]

The wife and kids were out of the house this afternoon so I was able to push the volume and gain a bit.

Let me start by saying I’m not digging the speaker. Magnatone said it’s a 25 watt version of the WGS Invader. It’s dark when low gain/volume and I’m finding it harsh and fizzy with a lot of flub when I push the gain and/or master. I’m having to max the presence and treble to get any “sparkle” and crunch when low or high.

But when I plugged the Mag into my Alnico Cream-loaded Mesa Widebody open-back… TOTALLY DIFFERENT ANIMAL! Smooth and crunchy with outstanding dynamics and touch sensitivity. When I plugged in my Les Paul I was getting GREAT classic rock tones (Zep, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, etc.). But I think my Tele theough this amp is where “IT’S” at! It absolutely sings and stings!

I think I’m going to try and swap the Alnico Cream into the Mag cab (THE LOGO ON IT LIGHTS UP!!!), or try and pick up a G12m-65 creamback if I can find one cheap.

I’ll post some clips soon.

 

[Lowspeid]

I found a G12M-65 for $95 on Reverb. It should arrive next week. We'll see how much of an improvement it makes.

 

[Lowspeid]

The G12M-65 Sounds SO much better than the stock WGS to my ears! It's more "open" and clear sounding, but less harsh at the same time. I was able to turn the bass up, and turn the treble and presence down. It sounds really good, and I like the amp even more than before.