Fender MH-500 Metalhead Head

From the fender website:

- 550 watts into 2 ohms (a pair of MH-412 cabinets)
- 400 watts into 4 ohms (a single MH-412 cabinet)
- All solid-state circuitry, reliable and maintenance-free; power amp is descended from one of our Professional Bass amplifier platforms
- Forced-air fan cooling
- Three-channel preamp voiced for the new millennium
- CLEAN channel is studio-pure, with tons of headroom
- TIGHT DRIVE channel covers the palette of vicious rock guitar tones
- LOOSE DRIVE combines copious distortion with high-headroom, uncontrolled power-amp rumble for modern drop-tuned metal, punk and beyond.
- BOOST knob allows footswitchable volume boost on any channel, effectively providing SIX channel performance
- 16 useful effects, including new GATE feature, which can be used for noise reduction or "stop-start" muting techniques
- Professional speaker-emulated XLR Line Out with Level control and Ground Lift
- Four-button footswitch is included
- Included display box contains 25 sets of foam earplugs ... You are going to need them!
- 8.5" H x 29.25" W x 11" D, 50 lbs.

This amp I believe was made in 2005.

"Holy mutherF$#!er s$%&t!!!"

Those were the first words to come out of my mouth when I plugged this beast in at the local music store.
Anyway, I have an array of guitars, A 91 Fender American stratocaster hard-tail, stock American ash Fender telecaster, a 98 Music-man Axis sport (running an EMG 81) and my Epiphone les paul Custom with Front Dimarzio AIR NORTON humbucker and Rear Dimarzio TONE ZONE Humbucker.

And believe me, Ive had my fair share of amps, A peavey 5150 mk-II (that WAS my favourite..), a Mesa-boogie Mark 4, a Mesa boogie triple rectifier, a Marshall Jubilee and a JCM 800. After I bought this baby I sold the 5150 and the Mark 4 cuz they just couldnt cut it anymore! I need alot of gain for the style of music I play (punk/hardcore/thrash) and the 5150 managed to deliver the goods for me...but not as well as the MH-500.

Lets get one thing straight: this thing is BRUTAL!!!111one. F**king brutal. You need to obviously have the right guitar and pickup configuration but this thing is NUTS!!! I almost had an orgasm when I played this baby at the music store and nearly made the first row of the audience we were playing in front of shit themselves when I took this baby on stage a month after I bought it. Its THAT good, and its THAT loud.

But the thing that surprises me is apart from it being brutal, it can also be extremely nice and clean. Not cold and harsh like some amps (eg my solid-state combos). Making it great for anything from blues, to Jazz to reggae, you name it, it can do it.
I havent had the chance to see if the clean channel does distort at high volumes cuz im afraid of passing out if I put the volume over half!

And as other reviews have stated below, you do need the matching MH-412 cab. Theyre made for each other. I blew a full stack of mesa cabs using this baby. It completely sizzled the voice coil in the speakers (just as well my mate was wacking in different speakers!) and the marshall cabs are too tinny, the Behringer BG412H isnt actually half bad..I quite likes it (however it is running vintage 30's). Basically if your gonna get the head, get the cab too. Its the best way to go.

Built as hard as a rock. It has heavy-duty flight case hardware! Thats a bonus. It has never broken down on me when me and the band have played live. I dont even bother taking a backup.

Ive been playing for about 12 years and I have to say, this is THE best thing since sliced bread. Sell off your mesa's! your 5150's! THIS is the ultimate head. This is the best head Ive come accross so far. I suggest if your looking for that head to play skull crusing death metal or blues and jazz, go for this baby. I suggest wearing nappies however when playing it..

Tried this head out at the local music store,it totally blew me away.With 3 completely different channels,it is very versatile,although I mainly use the loose channel 99%of the time.Just enough effects for me as I'm not a big user of them,they are clean and quiet.Would be nice if the gate was seperate from the rest, but hey,I can roll the volume off if need be!

Right now I'm playing a Peavey Wolfgang Special thru it going onto a 1960 Marshall cab.,sounds totally killer.I play in a heavy rock/metal band with an 80's style to it,works for me fantastic.I just ordered a Dean Dime FBD Tribute w/ the Dimebucker,anxious to hear it.I've played tube amps most of my playing career and to me this thing gives them a good run for the money,I really think Fender did a great job with this amp.It's extremely quiet with little to no hums or hisses.Turn this thing up and look out,it cranks!! The loose channel gives that modern high gain amp tones while the tight channel is more geared toward AC/DC style.The clean is Fender clean.

So far so good,owned it like a month now,played out with it 3 times with no problems.Just plug in,turn it on and rip!!!

No idea,but Fender has always been pretty reputable

Been playin 19 years,I would buy another one if something happened to this one.This thing actually makes me sit down and practice,I really enjoy playin thru this head,to me it just has a real nice and tight brutal distortion.Good bang for the buck,if your lookin for a solid state head,this is the one.

amp was made in 2005. you can get a tone any where from bluesy crunch to raging death metal. it has 3 channels ,clean,dirty,monster. 16 digital effects line out and a groud lift. it has a built in noise gate that works very well. its very very loud.

i use a jackson dxmg with emg hz pickups. the combination eats babys. i play metal along side of some classic rock and blues and this amp does it all great. with the noise gat on this thing is quiet as a mouse.the clean channel is very warm and punchy. get the metal head cab or it will eat your speakers.

i dunno i just bought it.

never had to call fender to deal with them

i have been playing for 8 years now and play more than just a few power chords. this amp has tons of low end and miles od sustain for your leads. if this amp was stolen i would cry and cry and cry some more. if your are thinking of getting a mesa or a krank amp save some cash and get this baby if a heavy tone is what you want, unless you just want to have the mesa or krank name on stage with ya.

MH-500 features include:
550 watts into 2 ohms (a pair of MH-412 cabinets)
400 watts into 4 ohms (a single MH-412 cabinet)
All solid-state
Three-channel preamp voiced for the new millennium
CLEAN
TIGHT DRIVE
LOOSE DRIVE
BOOST knob allows footswitchable volume boost
16 effects with Level knob
Professional speaker-emulated XLR Line Out with Level control and Ground Lift
Four-button footswitch is included

I have a USA Jackson Warrior with a Duncan Invader and a Full Shred & a Japanese King V with Emg 81 & 85. They both sound good but I would have to say the EMG's turn the amp into a monster. This is the only amp I have ever owned where I actually back off the gain a bit. It has an incredible amount of drive to it, unlike many so called high gain amps.By far the most brutal distortion I've ever heard. The noise gate removes all hiss from the head at a low setting and at higher settings is perfect for stop start riffs without turning your volume or footswitch off.The clean channel is Fender clean,even cranked. As some others have stated the MH 4x12 cabs make this thing. I've tried it through alot of cabs. It sounds great but plug into the MH cab(s) to be blown away.

Hard to say yet,5 months no issues yet.

5 year warranty Haven't ever had to deal with Fender so have no idea.

23 years of playing experience,and this is the best head I've heard for what I play. If it was lost or stolen I would definatley buy another. You can get 2 of these for the price of 1 Mesa Boogie and it blows it away in my opinion. The only thing that could be better is putting the gate seperate from the effects with its own level. (It's on the same rotary knob as the effects)

You know by now, or check the other reviews or website.

I'm using a Jackson DXMG, a Charvel, and a Dean ML, all loaded with EMG's 81 and 85. I play Metal and Rock. The clean channel is legendary, just add a little chorus/delay, not too much and WoW. The tight channel is classic rock that you just have to tweak to your liking. the loose channel is bone crushing, searing metal unlike anything I ever heard in my life! Seriously I just went through buying and trading amps for 2 years and I've gone through a old Randall 410, to a Randall RH100, to a peavey 5150, Peavey XXX, Randall 300 watt V-Max, A 75 watt Groove Factory 112 combo and a Fender stage 1600. Then I traded the 1600 for a Metal Head that I plug into a Crate oversized 412 with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers and a Garnet cab with more Celestions. If you don't like this amp then thats cool, but if you like it you love it. I can't believe my ears! Fender really outdid themselves on this one man! I get shivers everytime I plug into it. I'm done buying amps, I found my trip. Hope this review helps.

So far so good, haven't had it long enough to know.

5 year warranty, and the store I bought this at are totally awesome to deal with. Even if something were to happen to it, they would take care of it, no questions asked.

Been playing for 22 years, anything happens to this thing, I'll keep buying it. I love everything about it. There's all kinds of awesome amps out there, but for me, this is the one. The effects are good too, but you can't control the parameters, no big deal though, if you want full control, buy outboars effects. Ode to the new Metal Head, it rules!

New Head and cabinet.
550 watts!

MH-500 features include:
? 550 watts into 2 ohms (a pair of MH-412 cabinets)
? 400 watts into 4 ohms (a single MH-412 cabinet)
? All solid-state
? Three-channel preamp voiced for the new millennium
? CLEAN
? TIGHT DRIVE
? LOOSE DRIVE
? BOOST knob allows footswitchable volume boost
? 16 effects with Level knob
? Professional speaker-emulated XLR Line Out with Level control and Ground Lift
? Four-button footswitch is included


OK, it has everything this type of amp requires or needs.
Even though it doesn't have an adjustable effects loop, it still gets a 10 as everything is easy to use and works well together

OK, pretty much nothing but my Ultra Lead gets a 10 here, but this one should if you consider sound vs cost.
I own 2 Jacksons one with EMG 81's and one with Dimarzio PAF Pro and Super Distortion and coil tapping. I also have anice Ibanez prestige RG 1520
It has taken me a week of tweaking and I'm still finding new sounds. Each drive channel having it's own interactive presence control really makes a difference.
I tried this in the music store numerous times before buying, to really bring out the second channel, you need a guitar with some balls behind it. A basic strat makes this channel sound thin and gutless. Put a guitar with some high output humbuckers into it, and it really comes alive. To coax a sweet sound out of the clean channel with one of these guitars requires rolling off the volume knob condiderably. The tapped coils on the Jackson provide a nice open sound with a little reverb and delay, it is very sweet, not sterile at all.
Crank the Humbuckers or EMG's into the second channel and you start to open it up. I run through my RP-20 into it with a bit of EQ push and it comes to life, covering sounds from sticky blues through 80's metal with a twist of the gain knob.
The third channel is the deal sealer. High gain, lots of push, and with the amount of power behind it, it hits you in the chest even at low volumes. I have actually found myself backing off the gain to bring out the percussive attack of the strings better.
The effects are very useable and the level knob really dials in a good wet/dry mix.
I basically use it for the excellent noise gate and run the effects off my RP-20.
I was all set to run an outboard EQ to push the second channel, but with the front end EQ and tweaking the presence and mid knobs, I found the sound without the need for it. Guess it goes on ebay soon too.
The Boost level knob is a feature that most high end amps are using, allowing you to retain the stage SOUND of one channel, but pump the volume for leads. Much needed and works great, VERY "fine tuneable".
All in all, you just can't go wrong if high gain is your primary target, but you want the flexibility of a REALLY GOOD clean channel and a seriously adjustable Rhythm channel.

One thing I MUST add, it's below too, you REALLY need the MH-412 with this amp to get the best sound.
I tried Marshall, Peavey, and Behringer, but they just don't do it. Marshall losses tightness as the bass comes on, Peavey kills the brights, and the Behringer(although the BEST and least costly alternative - 412v 4ohm) just seems a little bright. I'd have gone with this if I didn't find the deal, but the MH-412 really lets this amp shine

Fender stuff has always done me right, It's solid state, so I have no reason to fear

Never needed them so I'll leave this one out

I gotta give this a 10, the Ultra lead may have the sound, but at 3 times the price. You can hang with any Boutique, Recto, Solo, Brit stack with this thing and have money left over for tires on the van and 2 cabinets.
I shopped XXX, Mode Four, V-max, and this one did the job the best.

I am not gonna leave ratings for this amp yet as I've only had it a couple of days.

One thing I MUST SAY to future posters who may not like this amp.
YOU GOTTA TAKE TIME TO TWEAK IT.
Please don't go into some "filled to the brim" music store with a ton of bad players making train sounds, plug in, strum a power chord, and then say you couldn't get a decent sound out of it.

The more I tweak this amp, the more versatile I am finding it.

I will review this amp fully in a week or two, but I was ready to just discard the second channel until I got it home.
But once I ran a hotter guitar in the front end, this channel came alive and is probably the most versatile channel on the amp.


One word of warning, you REALLY need the MH cab with this.
Marshall cabs flab out, peavey cabs are too dark, and the one I was GONNA GET, the Behringer 412V, sizzles a little too much for me.

This is shaping up to be a 9+ for me so far.
I mreally bought it for the ultra brutal 3rd channel and the power to back the sound up.
But I am finding more reasons to like this the more time I spend with it.
It is the kind of amp that makes you "want to play" just to see what sounds you can get out of it.

MH-500 features include:

550 watts into 2 ohms (a pair of MH-412 cabinets)
400 watts into 4 ohms (a single MH-412 cabinet)
All solid-state circuitry, reliable and maintenance-free; power amp is descended from one of our Professional Bass amplifier platforms
Forced-air fan cooling
Three-channel preamp voiced for the new millennium
CLEAN channel is studio-pure, with tons of headroom
TIGHT DRIVE channel covers the palette of vicious rock guitar tones
LOOSE DRIVE combines copious distortion with high-headroom, uncontrolled power-amp rumble for modern drop-tuned metal, punk and beyond ?
BOOST knob allows footswitchable volume boost on any channel, effectively providing SIX channel performance
16 useful effects, including new GATE feature, which can be used for noise reduction or "stop-start" muting techniques
Professional speaker-emulated XLR Line Out with Level control and Ground Lift
Four-button footswitch is included
Included display box contains 25 sets of foam earplugs ... You are going to need them!
8.5" H x 29.25" W x 11" D, 50 lbs.

It's brutal when you want it, it's clean when you need it. This amp is a monster! Death Metal and Heavy Metal is great on this amp, however, classical rock and other types of rock/metal, when played on this amp, sound great!!! The sound...well, it's smashing!

Has never broken down. This head is faithful to its owner

I got a 1.5 year guarantee on this monster from a shop in EU. Whenever i got a problem ( which almost never happens!) the fender shops are keen to help me.

I play for about 42 years, no kidding! I might be the longest player on Harmony-central, but hey, I love music. My Gear is this: original fender strats and teles from early 50's (antiques!), 5 gibson LP customs, each one has a different pickup (EMG 81's, Burstbuckers, Seymour duncans, P-90's and Custom made for me High output humbuckers). I also got the great Gibson Ultima and Supreme, a collection of Suhr guitars and Tom anderson. ESP KH-1,2,3,4 are my favorite, and a great collection of other Gibsons, Fenders, Gretsch, BC Rich and others. My amp collection has almost all of the Marshalls, all Mesa/Boogies, and a big collections of Fender Peaveys and the old-school Gibson's. I used all of my collections on this new Fender metalhead, and this amp is great and loudest of all! The sound can be compared to Mesa's Triple Rectifiers!
Advice: Watch out for used Fender Metalheads, i heard they might have somehow been damaged or changed in such a way that the sound is worse and the Watt power is decresed, really! Believe me!