Fender MH-500 Metalhead Head

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!