Fender MH-500 Metalhead Head

I believe this amp is now discontinued.

3 Channels (Cleant, Tight, Loose) FX Loop, etc..

Wish it had separate noise gate from other effects, as well as more options to set effect paramaters.

It's SS. It can be quite versatile if you learn how to EQ correctly. But obviously it is meant for metal. I jam with this at my house with my brother on drums. I would say that it has enough power for me, yeah. Room dynamics also play a big part. Also remember to use a speaker cable from head to cab. I've been using an instrument cable, and once I switched to a speaker cable I could hear the changes in tonal difference on all three channels.

I have several guitars. My main is an Ibanez RG420FM with standard crappy ibanez pickups. Also use a Shecter 006 Elite with an EMG 81 in the bridge and an EMG FT in the neck. I mainly play metalcore/melodic metal/ and technical death metal. It's a fender "Metalhead". I hope it would suit my style well, which it does.

It can be noisy, but that's why you have the noise gate feature!!

The amp can make bonecrushing metal sounds. 'nuff said. If you bought the Fender Metalhead for blues, I would have to say WTF? Although the clean sounds a bit sterile, a good EQ and some light chorus can fix that.

The clean channel can go to 10 without distortion. Never had to bring it that high because I enjoy being able to hear, but yeah.

The distortion is quite brutal. Brutal enough for most all aspects of metal. The knobs are pretty sensitive so you gotta play around with it and tweak to your liking as with all other amps. I dig the distortion. I bought an EHX metal muff and sometimes use that through the clean channel for a different distortion tone. But yes, it's brutal.

I use a MXR 10 band EQ in the FX loop of the head. Makes any amp sound that much better. Great buy and all musicians should have some type of EQ in their rig..unless you don't give a **** about finding "your" tone

Yes, I can depend on it. I bought it off of Craigslist as a half stack with the matching cab for a whopping $600. I WOULD NEVER PAY THE ACTUAL LIST PRICE FOR THIS. With that type of price tag, get a nice used tube combo (And no I'm not a tube snob, I've only owned SS amps. But the price new is freakin' ridiculous)

The guy I bought it off gigged with it quite a bit and it looked a little beat up. Still plays like a champ. As long as it can last me at least one more year, than I can care less if it breaks down. Have you seen one? Built like a freakin' tank.

Never dealt with 'em. Warranty was over when I bought it or close to being over. If it dies, I won't get it repaired. A SS amp repair usually costs more than the amp itself.

I've been playing on and off for around 7 years. I own a Squire Strat, 12 String Takamine, Yamaha Classical Acoustic, Ibanez RG320, S420FM, AS73 Semi-Hollow body. Too many pedals to list but the main ones are my MXR 10 band eq, EHX metal muff, and a TS9. Other gear, but you get the point.

If it were lost or stolen, I would get something else. I haven't found my sound with this amp, but I'm still learning. If you found your sound and have tried tons of amps and this is it, than buy it again. Honestly, I haven't tried many amps so I would move on and try something different the next time around. I don't really know how you could "lose" this amp. It's not like a quarter falling out of your pocket or something.

If it was stolen, well I usually end up finding the people so I would just kick their ***, drop the cab on the top of their car, pull a home invasion, plug in, and rip some Crystal Mountain by Death at full blast.

I love it's aggresiveness and it's tonal personality. You can do a lot with it and it fits my genre to the T. Don't really hate much anything about it. Suits my style for now.

No I didn't compare. I found it on CL, only had $600 to burn, so I took a 100 mile trip and picked it up. I chose this for the pure fact that it fit my style.

Like I said before, I wish it had the noise gate feature separate, but me being not much of an effects guy, I don't mind it too much.

Overall, you should buy this if you can find the halfstack for let's say $800 or less. Not worth it's new price. Not worth much more than $1000 if that.

I won't run through everything this amp has I'm sure you have already read them. First, this amp is made in "Mexico" this is a step up from all the trash that comes from "China". This amp has 3 channels, I think you can get fairly good sounds for most kinds of music. I play alot of Metal and this is what it is designed for and it does very well at it. It has plenty or power, its very loud; I have the matched cabinet, they are 4 ohms, so with one cabinet it puts out 400watts and with two cabinets you switch to 2ohms and you get the 550 watts. With one cabinet it is more than loud enough. The one problem with the features I have is the one everone else has, you can only use one effect selection at a time, this would be o.k. except for the noise gate, it should have been seperate. By the way the noise gate works very well; it responds quick and doesn't kill your sustain.

The sound quality is good in my opinion, it defenitly has the solid state sounding distortion; tube amps have their own distinct distortion so if you are sold on that smoother warmer distortion of tubes, stay away. I use differnt guitars that maintain different tunings and they all mostly have fairly "hot" pick-ups. The clean channel is very clean and smooth and the amp has alot of what's called headroom. This is a fairly "bright" amp, so I think an E.Q. pedal would help with more tonal variety. The distortion on the loose channel is very heavy for plugging strait into the head with no other pedals (wich is how I have been using it).

No problems yet. I bought the head used on Ebay. This amp is built heavy duty, much sturdier than other solid state stacks like Marshall MG's and Crates; the knobs are metal not plastic, plus I and my wife think this thing looks really tough, the flight case trim really makes this amp unique.

Have not used.

Overall I think this is an above average amp for metal (for solid state). When I first got this thing I was very dissapointed, but after tinkering with it for a couple of days I changed my opinion; you have to dial this amp in to get that brutal distortion, all of the settings, mid,treble, presence, effect how heavy the distortion is so before you throw in the towel sit down with this amp and give it time. I definetly think if you do use some effects like an E.Q. pedal and possibly a sonic maximizer you could get an amazing amp for metal. Also, it sounds better cranked up, these speakers like to be pushed, just make sure if you don't have the matched cabinet to have one that is matched Ohm wise. Lastly I also own a Randall Warhead, and I think this is a better sounding amp, it has more distortion and sustain. Only problems are it is discontinued by Fender and I do think they are over priced. The cabinet I actually bought new from an independent music store clearance for 270 out the door.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time here, you should know the features. Feature I wish it had? Made by Peavey. I do not use this amp, but have used this amp.

I play Metal, power and thrash mostly, with a Beast loaded w/EMGs, and a PA-2 pre. This amp sounds generic. It has little, if any, tonal personality about it. This amp sounds like most any other generic amp on the market today, only this one is louder. The distortion isn't brutal enough for my taste. This amp looks Great, and sounds 'ok'. But for the $$ it costs, it should be a Whole Lot better than 'ok'.

I imagine you could rely on it about as much as any other amp. Its heavy. The case appears to be built well. I wouldn't gig with it, but not because of its reliability, because of its sound quality.

Never dealt with them

I've been playing for 15 years on/off. I own/use/abuse a Peavey 6505. The Fender MH doesn't even come close to the tonal capabilities of the 6505. Chances are you're looking at this amp because you either play primarily metal, or are looking for a powerful versatile head. This head is powerful and versatile, but much like anything else, because of its versatility, it does Nothing well. This amp is mostly just a piece of trash with a lot of knobs. This head doesn't have a place on a stage anywhere, nor does it belong in a practice room. This amp is for the guy that has to the biggest everything, who does not care for his ears or the ears of the people around him. Because this amp sounds Generic. Sterile. No Good Tones!! Look elsewhere. The cabs however are some of the best I have ever had the privelege to use!!

I think it was made in 05. I bought it new though. Its been in the box for over 3 years. I HAVE THE MATCHING CAB, which I reccommend, but I'm not sure how this head does with other cabs. I've had a B-52 half stack, Peavey JSX combo, and a Bogner Alchemist, so I'll use those for comparison. Built in Features are better than any other amp I've had. I don't use them very much so I can't go in depth on them, but they are good enough for any basic usage of them. Noise gate works as good as any pedal. Amp is plenty versatile, don't let the name fool you. I play everything from classic rock (skynyrd, sabbath) to new alternative, to metal (parkway drive, slipknot) has 3 channels with footswitch, effect loop. I use it in a band. We play a lil of everything, all very loudly, and it has plenty of power. Its Solid State.

I use an Ibanez RG with Dimarzio D sonic in bridge and Breed in the neck. (awesome combo btw) It suits all my styles perfectly. Even does the old school bluesy sound I play around with once in a while. Cleans are a little less warm than the Jsx, but better than the Bogner IMO even though the bogner is a tube. Overall Cleans are great and I can't see how you couldn't find a good sound in it. Tight Channel has gotten some bad reviews, but its not that bad. I can get a good classic rock sound and my new alt. sound. It just doesn't have near the 'balls' the loose channel has, so its hard to switch between the two. The loose channel is where it gets exciting. I've been in the search for a monster low end crunch for about a year now, and I have finally found it. It makes me want to palm mute all the time. The distortion isn't near as fuzzy as I was expecting it to be with a "metal" amp. Like I said, the loose channel has major balls, meaning intense distortion. Bass response in the cab is amazing and much more controllable than others I've played. Turning the bass up doesn't drown out the other sounds with bass, just makes the sound thicker and deeper. Gain control is nice. I usually play with gain at about 1 o clock, which is plenty for most heavy rock, but pushing the gain higher gives you an over the top death metal type distortion. This amp is only noticably noisy at loud volumes on the loose channel, but is still has a much quiter volume to noise ratio as high gain tubes. And it has the VERY effective noise gate.

Supper heavy duty casing. Seems extremely solid. I will use it with no backup. And of course it SS, which i'm now a fan of. No tubes. I don't have to baby it like I did the JSX (which blew up on me anyway)

Called Fender and they got the warranty on it transferred to my name. Were very helpful. 5 year warranty

I've been playing for about 3 years and i've owned a few and played many other amps. I'll always try different stuff but I've been really impressed with this amp. I love the versatility, distortion, and looks of it. Hate nothing, except maybe that the noise gate is included with the other effects (can't run both at the same time.) If your lookin at this amp and people are sayin stuff like "its fender they dont do metal" or "just dont get a solid state" like they said to me, please don't listen. And don't let the cheesy name get to you. I don't consider myself a "metal head" but I love this amp.

More than enough power! Easy to use, the loose channel needs some more time spent but overall a simple but good concept. which sucks somehow is that you cant use the gate in combination with other effects (for me thats ok, cause i dont need other effects and i dont know about the sound quality neither)

Sounds great. I only use the tight drive and the clean channel. i play metal/death/core style music and i had the peavey 6505 before so i always compare it to that one. and i think it has enough punch and clearity to nail that one. okay its solid state and you hear that! but it really got punch and balls, and you will never use the whole volume range (just like with the 6505). i got the gain to the max on tight drive and with the noise gate its works fine for me. no buzz, just clear direct tone.

the noise gate is the best thing on this amp. i never even tried to use the effects, cause im not into digitalmodelingwhatever stuff.. but the noise gate is great. really its a quite amp and you still got the drive you need and natural sounding sustain.

seems to be built well, i use it without back up for shows (but that more because of financially reasons). i hope the noise gate never gets broke, this is the main thing i like this amp for. everything on this amp seems really good quality only the potiknobs are not the best especially the one for the effects. the footswithc seems reliable also, only the cable they deliver with it is a joke.

never had to deal with them.

works great for me. its not tube but its still capable of blowing your ears away. Beacause of the built in gate i gave it a try as a local music store sold a new one at ebay for 500 euros and i dont regret buying it.

The effects should have a rate and depth control and it would rule the earth! Also the gate feature should be separate. If this were the case, the amp would be a 10.

Jacksons with Blackouts and EMG's exclusively. Its been about 3 years since my last review of my same amp. Not to be bias but I always try the new gear all the time continuously searching for the magic tone that everyone chases, etc, etc, etc. Every time I plug into this ****** it blows my head off. First time ever I've kept an amp this long and it still freaks me out every time I plug in! I have to add 1 thing! I preamp the effects loop with an old Image (by Yorkville) preamp digital delay, (good luck finding one) my magic little box for the last 10 thousand years. But anyways. My point is it really rules, or maybe I'm just a f'ft up Metal head. Not noisy, no noise gate, some outboard effects. Just a little trick to try, Samson just came out with a tube preamp for about 100 bucks, run it through the effects loop and be prepared to die! Good Luck. Hope this further helps. Cheers to all. Arguements are totally welcome, I love that stuff.

3 years plus no problems.

I guess I have to say awesome!

26 years in, still having a blast. This is the vehicle that takes me to where I need to go. If it dies, I cruise to the local music store and get another. Or ebay hahaha, the effects are awesome but you can't tweak them, which is a piss off(pardon the language but thats the way it is)My email is chapperbone@hotmail.com if you wanna shoot the sh@#$t. Cheers.

bought new in 05. Has EVERYTHING you'll ever need...minus a headphone jack, wah, and a tuner, otherwise itd be a line6 or something. Solidstate pre and power. 3channels: clean, tight drive, loose drive. Plenty of power: 400w at 4ohms, 550w at 2ohms. Thats right, it STARTS at 4ohms!!! Separate EQ's. Reverb chorus delay vibrato flanger phaser and noise gate, all lightly adjustable, some options inclue rev/del, rev/del/chor and chor/gate. Four button footswitch for channel select, drive select, effects on/off, and solo boost on/off. Effects loop for your 10-band EQ which you WILL need! XLR line out with grnd/lift switch. All this and a courtesy box of earplugs...that wasnt a joke!

this amp has had nothing but stock PRS custom 22's, beautiful combo! A dunlop GCB95 in front, and an RP80 in the effects loop(EQ purposes) next to an ns-2. The EQ panel is the only issue, you wont get much response from it, thus the reason you read about so many people with 10band EQ's in their rigs. I use the MH slant cab, a beautiful match, and a killer cab! The 100w celestions give you enough low end to move furniture! The clean channel sparkles, as every fender should. The tight drive tries to give you vintage tube tone, but it just sounds like a marshall mg. The loose drive will have you SOLD! especially for the dimebag anthrax metalhead in all of us. The built in effects are clear as glass, but a speed/rate knob would have been nice. All in all not quite tube-esque, but pretty ****** close! And keeping up with the rest of your band wont be an issue, drowning them out might be! I play lead guitar in a punk/metal band, perfect features for this style. But is this head YOUR sound? The best way to know is to try one on your own.

crapped out on me after two years of abuse, probably too much build up inside or something. Who knows? Itd take a team of 20 to break into that tank! Too expensive to fix, so i sold it and moved on to an orange(best investment ever!).

Never did the warranty reg and all that. Nice people, but they had no valid references in the bay area for me to try.

this was my first half-stack. I probably shouldve gone with marshall avt like everyone else? Tube is the way to go if youre really considering something in this price range. Big disappointer. The MH412 is an awesome cab tho, id recommend it with any mesa or randall head.

This is a follow-up review. I have now had the MH-500 for 1 year.

This is a 2006 model MH-500.

400w @ 4ohms (******g loud)
550w @ 2ohms (you had better own a set of earplugs)

Solid-state preamp and power amp sections.

Built-in digital FX.

This amp is aesthetically and sonically a metal/hard rock amp. I play alt metal, so it suits my needs perfectly.

It has two distinct channels, clean and dirty. The dirty channel has two footswitchable modes, "Tight Drive" and "Loose Drive"

I own two matching straight Fender MH412 cabs. They perfectly complement this amp!

The effects loop is very nice, I run an MXR 10-band EQ thru it. I experience no volume loss or drop in the quality of my tone when using the FX loop.

I use this amp in my home and at band practice. My fellow guitarist uses a Triple Rectifier thru a Mesa 4x12 and the MH-500 quite honestly outperforms the Recto, in terms of both volume and tone.


The digital FX are nice, but I only use the noise gate. The gate is freaking awesome, and I use it as a dedicated effect. It is essential to my style..... it completely elminates noise when I am not playing. I set the FX control for this at 9 o'clock. (about 25%)

I play Agile baritone string-guitars tuned to A standard and B standard. One has EMG active pickups and double-locking bridge, and the other has passive pickups and TOM bridge.

I have owned a Krank Krankenstein, a 1990s 2-channel Mesa Triple Recto, and a Line 6 Vetta II. None of them come close to the gut-wrenching distortion of the MH-500.

The clean channel is to die for! It never breaks up, even at the highest volumes. Both with active and passive pickups, the clena channel has a distinct, warm flavor that is very unique.

Here are my personal EQ settings that I would HIGHLY recommend:

(loose drive)
Volume: 9 oclock (for practice)
Drive: 10 oclock
Presence: 9 oclock
Treble: 12 oclock
Mids: zero (I will explain in just a second)
Bass: dimed
MXR-10 Band EQ: as a dedicated post-EQ, I dial in a steep reverse V-curve, strongly emphasizing middle frequencies (+6db) and dropping bass and treble freqs. (-6db) This is ESSENTIAL when you scoop the mids out of the preamp like me.

*If you are using EMGs and you take the drive past 10 oclock, you will lose chord definition in tunings lower than C.*


This amp's distortion nails the tone of Fear Factory, KoRn, Prong, and Pantera.


This amp has a little bit of background noise. The fan is fairly quiet and it does an awesome job... I can play for hours and the amp has never overheated.

The amp was broken when I bought it. I had it professionally serviced under warranty at a Fender service shop.

I have owned it for a year and it has never crapped out on me.

The Fender service shop guys are extremely personable, and quick & thorough with their work. The 5 year transferable warranty on this amp is very nice.

I've been playing 5 years. I'm a self-taught guitarist, bassist, and vocalist. I play in a band (sans drummer) and I program drums for the band for the time being. I own a couple nice guitars and a bass rig, with some recording equipment.

If it were lost or stolen, I would buy another in heartbeat. I cannot see myself owning another amp.

I love the volume, the couple of tones that it does EXTREMELY well, the reliability, the aesthetics, and the built-in noise gate.

I wish I could control the built-in FX separately from the noise gate.

I often compare this to the Mesa Triple Rectifier. IMHO, this amp owns the Recto in every way.

The Fender Metalhead comes with three channels, the clean, tight drive (basically like "vintage" drive), and loose drive. There is an effects loop, direct out with volume control, and 2 or 4 ohm operation. Also, it's 400 watts when ran into one 4 ohm cabinet, or 550 watts when run into two 2 ohm cabs. I use this amp at gigs and practices and it's plenty plenty loud enough on 3.

I use a Schecter C1-Elite, with a T.C. Electronics G-major for effects and a BBE Sonic Maximizer, both run through the effects loop. I play mostly heavy metal, so this amp suits me pretty well. It's got alot of gain, and plenty of high end sizzle (a la the presence knob). This can give you a pretty good crunch. It's a decently quiet amp, I run a little noise gate with the G-major and that takes care of any hiss or noise that's noticeable. The Clean channel DOES NOT distort! This thing has a great great clean on it. The distortion is pretty thick as well. But, if you are looking for the tone of a Mesa or Peavey 5150 or XXX, this might not be the amp for you, as it IS solid state, NOT tube. All I'm saying is try this thing out and see for yourself if you really want it

I would throw this thing down my stairs and trust it to be ok. It's very solidly built. It's got an exhaust fan in the back and a vent in the front to keep it from overheating. You'll never have to change tubes because it's solid state.

Never dealt with Fender

I like this amp. It's pretty good for live stuff, and the direct out on the loose channel makes for a good layer to add crunch in a recording. I think the metalhead is a good amp, but I'm about to switch to a 5150, just because the metalhead isn't the tone I want. But, I will say think thing reminds me a bit of a marshall tone wise. My other guitar player just got a JCM2000 DSL100 and the two match up really nice at practice. All I can say about this amp is, if you are considering this for your next amp purchase, try to find somewhere to try it out.

This is a 2006 Fender Metalhead

2 channels: clean and dirty. Dirty channel has two modes, "tight" and "loose." The Tight channel is not suited to my tastes..... it tries to be a vintage dirty channel but doesn't do that very well. Sort of makes a "thud" sound.

The loose channel is probably what you'll be buying this amp for. The "drive" knob controls the gain for this channel, and it goes from 0 to 60 in no time at all. I suspect that many beginner guitarists using this amp would instinctively zero the mids, turn the noise gate to 100%, and dime the gain, but that would result in an incredibly shitty tone. The "loose" channel is like 50 lbs of nitroglycerine: handle with care!

Each channel/mode can be given a selectable volume boost.

The included footswitch (very sturdy) controls the channel, mode on ch2, onboard effects, and boost.

Effects loop is easy to use and maintains signal purity. I use an MXR 10-band EQ through the loop.

The cab-emulated direct out is pure genius for live situations. Put it thru the PA at your gig for a much fatter overall mix.

It operates with one cab at 4 ohms and in stereo at 2 ohms.

The onboard effects are nice, but implemented in a retarded way. You can only use one effect at a time. The noise gate is a godsend, but it shoudl DEFINITELY be implemented separately from the other effects. Is that so much to ask?

My sole axe is a Schecter C7 Hellraiser with EMG 707 pickups, set up for G standard (that's GCFBbEbGC for the kiddies). My influences include Pantera, KoRn, Prong, Fear Factory, SYL, Sepultura, Slayer, etc.

Is it noisy? Well I guess it depends on how you EQ it. A dummy can make anything sound like a barrel full of bees. Just keep the gain on the loose channel around 12 oclock and you'll be good to go.

The amp sounds massive when EQ'd correctly. My settings:
Drive: 12 oclock (for chunky rhythm and defined chords) or 10 oclock (boosted with an Ibanez TS808- try this for a really huge fucking tone)
Presence: usually around 2 oclock. I use it to compensate for room dynamics.
Treble: 5
Mids: 3
Bass: 10
Gate: 25%

I use the MXR 10-band as a post EQ to put mids back in my tone


The clean channel is exactly what I want, actually. The solid-state cleans don't lend themselves to break-up, even at high volumes. Very pure clean channel.

How "brutal" is the distortion? LOL, brutal enough for me, but I don't know about the fools in HCAF :p

Here's a short story: I bought it used, and it showed up on my doorstep nonfunctional. However, it was still under transferable warranty (hang on to your receipts!) and I had it serviced at an authorized Fender service shop for free. There were many minor repairs to be made, such as loose connections and broken filter caps, but it now works perfectly.

Thiws proabbly occured because of the douchebags at UPS, but obviously I can't give it a "10" if it broke down.

The Fender service shop was very nice and everything was under warranty. I got it back in about two weeks.

All I had to do to find it was go to Fender.com and look under "authorized electronic service shops"

The warranty is 5 years, transferable.

I've owned a Triple Rec, a Krankenstein, and a Line 6 Vetta. This kills em all, hands down.

I've been playing for 4 years.

If it were lost or stolen I would definitely get another. I wouldn't buy new though ($1000 is a bit steep)

I love the tones, plain and simple. It also dig the flight-case look. The gate is very useful, and the features are mostly well-implemented.

I wish the effects were more usable. I would also like a density control.

I would favorably compare this to other high-gain amps such as the Mesa Rectifier series, Randall, Krank, etc.

Personally, I bought the full stack for $1200 used, so I would say I got it for a bargain.

Well, you've probably already read about all that, but needless to say the 550 watts this amp puts out means it is massively loud and the speakers are great and handle the power easily. I use this amp mainly to play metal (obviously) but it has good range of sounds. For blues and rock though, maybe not the best.

I use an LTD Viper with EMG 81/85 pickups for the metal playing and a jackson dk2s with a seymour duncan alnico II pickup for the fatter, spongier sounds. This amp does take some getting used to, but once you do figure out the settings, you can get some great sounds from it, it is good either for tight metal with the drive and bass rolled back or full on scooped chaos with the drive almost cranked (you do not need to turn the drive to 10, there is more than enough of it). The effects are hit and miss but the chorus, delay and reverb are fantastic. The clean channel has great tone and headroom as well and the boost is very handy, especially with the footswitch. One thing to make sure of is getting a good balance between the mids, presence and treble, especially on the loose channel, it can sometimes sound quite fizzy.

Because this amp is solid state, there are no tubes to be replaced and it is built like a bunker, I cannot see it breaking at any point in the near future, and I have cranked the volume up many times

I have never had to deal with Fender due to the amps reliable nature and there is a good warranty on the amp

What really tempted me about this amp was the price, it was being sold stupidly cheap so I bought it there and then and have not regretted it, if it was full price though, I may have chosen something else, but only out of personal preference, mostly because of the tight drive channel being somewhat bland

- 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

I'm Playing this amp with a Gibson SG Special, And A Gibson Les Paul Standard(2006) With a dimebucker in the bridge
I Play In A DeathMetal Band (Think Job For A Cowboy)
We're Not WannaBees.
I Also Have A PopPunk Screamo Band
Clean Channel-Great GREAT!! i love it Amazing Headroom and a full Fat Sound Which I love.

Tite Drive-Horibble, not cause of the it has no gain bit because it sound very very dark and it has a wierd mid-spike to it no matter what you set the EQ to.I Use This Mostly to get a OD sound.

Loose Drive-This Is a great Channel and this is where the amp really shines. lots of gain on tap here so i play with the gain at about 2 o'clock.
THE BUILT IN NOISE GATE IS PERFECT!

its built into a flight case and there is NO TUBES! what more can i say

great buy for the money i would buy this a hundred times over

Three channels with all the tone shaping tools you need to dial in your sound. This amp is versitile enough for what I use it for; all out Metal and Alt/Indie styles. 500 watts that you will never need but Fender brilliantly made it this way so you would have maximum headroom without pushing the ss transistors keeping the loose channel from getting sharp and brittle like most ss amps when the gain is pushed. Love the metal trim, but could do without the huge 'MH' logo. You can check out all the specs and features at fender.com.

I'm loving the sound this thing can produce. Clean is crisp and sparkling, tight is gritty and fierce, and loose is just all out fire and brimstone. I'm using it with an ESP VB 400 Baritone drop tuned to 'A' with the standard EMG pickup configuration. I also have the matching MH412sl cab. The GATE feature helps keep the loose drive relatively noise free.

I will say this; when I first got it I was disapointed and that's only because I expected to get a great sound right out the box. This amp requires some time to really dial in your tone, the nobs are very responsive; the slightest adjustment will slightly alter your sound just like its supposed to, some amps don't respond until you've turned the nobs 1/4 way around. Because I am tuned to A, I have to be carefull with the bass levels.
Talk about loud, holy shit is this baby loud! The band I'm in plays pretty damn loud and the highest I've ever turned up to is about '3.5', unbelievable.

I don't think I would have to worry about a back up, she's built like a Soviet tank.

I have no experience dealing with them.

I was one of those guys that really bought in to the whole 'tube amps were created by the gods for the gods and if you want a godly sound you have to use tub amps' bullshit so I only used tube amps, but I was always open to trying ss and did experiment with a few cheaper solid state amps with no success. Tube amps are great but guess what... so are ss amps. As with Tbe amps, you just have to find the right one for you.

I read a lot of reviews and forums on the MH-500 and there were a lot of brutal comments from jackass noobs who hadn't even heard or tried the amp or were just closed minded tube snobs, or people who did'nt have the ear to know how to dial in a good sound. Well thats cool keep talkin' shit about it, the less people with this amp the more unique my sound will be.

Again, the loose chanel is just sick people, sick!

everyone knows its features, and if not they are at www.fender.com, but since i need to say something here, ill just put my fav thing..... 550WATTS!!! there, i said it... oh ya, i dont use the matching cab, i use 2 4x12 cabs with Texas Heat 12's. beautiful.

clean is VERY clean.... like.... Fender clean, nuf sef. tight is crunchy, really cool for blues(at least i think). Loose is.... perfect. let me put it like this, if u either have to use a pedal to make this amp sound good, or cant make this amp sound good at all, you are either A) a n00b, or B) just plain stupid. not to say if u use pedals u suck, hell, i use a Tonebone Radial Dist. but i dont really need it, i just use it cuz i have it. i believe somebody said this amp was not for shredders.... i would like to personally say, shredder to "so-called" shredder, you fall into the B) catagory. dont mean to be a dick(yes i do), but what do u play on, a fuckin' recto*cough*trash*cough*???

solid state and flight case.... it will out live me.

i dunno, its never broken and probably never will.

its damned near perfect. im not going to tell you ive owned all these amps and have been playin for like 50 years and im the end all be all of guitar so listen to me. ive owned a few cheap heads and cabs and have played long enough to know what sounds good and what sounds cheap. i researched and tried out every amp i saw at guitar center many times over and quite simply, this amp wins. not "for the money," but because it sounds good and is built strong. if u want to spend thousands on a Mesa/Boogie Triple Recto, Crate BV300, any random Marshall, blah blah blah the list goes on, then spend the money and blow a tube for all i care, my amp will STILL sound better AND cost me less money not only in the long run, but up front as well.

The specs are listed a million times on the net, the things i will highlight as i think it's important, is the sheer range on the tone controls on this amp, you have such a massive contrast of EQ and it's so refreshing to be able to really cut or boost certain frequencies to shape the sound.

The Cabinet (412SL) was bought aswell as the head and I really can't fault it, loaded with 4-100W G12k's it's a monster, it takes such a beating, and helps so that even when you're tuning the sound and you overdo one or two of the settings you're not messing with a cab that's made of glass - <cough> marshall <cough> randall <cough>

I'm cheating with this amp a little, i'm actually using a Sansamp PSA1 + Boss GX700 for my preamp stage, but this amp really delivers a crisp clean sound and reproduction of what I'm looking for, my other guitarist plugged his Boss GT-Pro into the setup and he even said it brough a tear to his eye (what a woofta LOL) but he was just amazed at the extra depth and clarity that the massive amounts of headroom this amp has...

Having said that though, all three channels on their own offer a really great emulation tone, the distorted channel is a touch fizzy for my liking but it's absolutely nothing that a small amount of tweaking from an EQ couldn't sort as it's still "responds" like a tube tone, if you get my meaning :-) The clean tone is bright and glassy with a gorgeous smooth low end delivery and the middle channel has a great amount of crunch, very twangy if ya need it to be :-)

It's built to last, absoultey no doubt about it, it feeds on little children its so brutal looking and the best thing about this, apart from monster contruction *if* you manage to damage a panel or some of the trim it's *all* held together with exposed stainless screws and not polished off rivets so you can *easily* repair the amps aesthetics, sounds silly doesn't it, but trust me, it's touches like those that really made me smile after having paid over 1000ukp on it...

Never had any dealings with fender, i hope to not have to, but going on what everyone else has to say i can't see there being any issues...

I run a 7-string (Ibanez RG7620) and so you tend to push amps more for clarity on the low end but my word this amp delivers it! - don't think about it, just buy it :-)

You "could" buy Mesa and be ripped off, i really can't justify the extreme costs of these amps, i mean yes, they have the name, but who is really *that* anal without having the situation of "money" is no object...

You *could* buy randall or almost any other head for the price of the MH-500 and MH412SL together (in fact it would prolly cos you more for any of the other manufacturers heads just on their own) but personally, if you're in any doubt, just go and play one, low signal to noise ratio, excellent power and frequency handling, amazing built quality, faultless reliability and downright cool looks make this a definitely keeper for me. :-)

See other listings

Clean Channel is good. The tight channel sucks. The loose channel is the only descent channel. Boost helps alot. The effect are ok, but overall this amp has too much low end. This is definitely not a shredders guitar amp. Maybe good for nu metal or hardcore maybe. I have to use my guitar processor, a Boss GT-8, just to get a good sound out of it.

It's a tank. Plus it's a solid state, which is as you know usually dependable.

I've been playing metal for at least nine years and have played about every guitar amplifier out their. To be honest with you I got this because I saw it really cheap on ebay and bought it for $700 including the matching cabinet. I really just need something to push my processor, which it does easily with great tone even at high volumes. The only bad thing is that the noise gate does not work when petals are used, but that does not bother me considering that me processor already has one and every effect/distortion imaginable!)

It`s not a universal Mesa killing machine but there`s erverything you need!!! (ass a normal guy) a effects loop and a line out per XLR perfect for me!!!

The sound is easy to handle and you get very fast the sounds that you like and the effekts on board are excellent!!!

The sound is very good and the low end of the loose channel is extreme ...
i play things in the style of bucked head and matthias eklundh and the amp gives me what i need!

-The clean channel: i made a warm sound but there are also brilliant sound int there, and with the chorus effect that channel sounds exactly like come as you are ...

-The tight (rock) channel: there i have a bad to the bones sound but there also a ACDC sound possible and nirvana and so on!

-The loose (metal)channel: It??s just WOW extreme low end an is made a fear factory sound on that channel ...

-The boost (solo) channel: very cool and you can control the loundess ... and the presence is more in this channel ...

-The effect section: many useful sounds wait for you!!!
delay, reverb, Flanger, Phaser, tremolo, chorus, gate and some really good sounding mixtures !!!

It`s a solid state! i had never any problems and it`s really built to last!!

i had never problem with this amp that why i don`t know anythig about that...

dou you play metal? do you have to much problem with changing tubes and so on ? dou you play metal? buy a MH 500! (with the original cab)

3 channels , effects, also highgain, don`t cost very much, great sound ...

it depend on what you want to play an the think with the effects on board is really great...

I recently took a chance and bought this head for $500 on eBay. I wanted something even more powerful than the Marshall Mode Four, which I also have and use. The Metalhead is 550 watts of solid state power [I hate tube snobs] and there isn't much else like it out there.

This amp isn't as diverse as the Marshall, but what it does, it does better. It has a tight channel and a loose channel. The tight channel, to me, sounds like complete garbage. I simply can't even get a good punk or thrash sound out of it at ALL. I mainly play metal, and I've always played Marshalls, and this tight channel is what I picture cheap Fenders sounding like.

But, the reason anyone would buy this is the loose channel. Totally over the top distortion with a tuned down guitar. I currently only have one MH412ST cab, but I will be getting the other one to fully appreciate the power this thing has.

The best feature this has is the built in noisegate. Simply an awesome feature. Also, seems a lot of people don't like the looks of this amp, but I simply love it. The metal trim and black metal grill really stand out from the Marshalls that everyone else has.

I don't use the clean channel or the tight channel. I play old school Death Metal out of Charvel Avengers and 80's NJ Series BC Rich Ironbirds.

If you're comparing this to the Mode Four, it kinda depends on what you play. The Mode Four sounds better at low volumes and it has more bass at any volume. But, the Metalhead has a more grainy and aggressive sound and you can crank it much higher without it breaking up like the Marshall does.

I run an AB-Y splitter and play out of both my Mode Four and the Metalhead and it's the heaviest sounding rehearsals you could imagine. The Fender overpowers the Marshall a little bit, but with both these monsters going, they don't need to go up past 2 or 3.

I've only had the amp for a few months now and I would bring it to any gig without thinking twice.

I've never had to deal with them, but the construction of the amp as well as the Fender name makes me think I will not have to worry about this head.

I've been playing for a few years and I own 17 guitars, mostly Charvels and old school BC Richs. I only play extreme metal and grindcore, so I try to find LOUD amps that can hold a lot of low end and be over the top. If this thing was stolen, I'd be pissed. VERY pissed.

For what I do, this is a bit better than the Mode Four. I never thought I'd say that, as I've ALWAYS played Marshalls, but this thing just crushes.

If you have to get either an MF or an MH, the Fender wins.

- 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.

H-S-H Ibanez
This is the perfect live amp
Sounds amazing loud. It will push the MArshall 1960 cab to the absolute limit. Sounds even louder with the MH-500 Cab. Sounds amazing with my Yorkville G-12 too. Plug it into a GT-8 into the clean channel and it keeps it's ballsy tone. Nice AMP!!!!!

Dropped it....not even a scratch cause of it's metal rimms. It's the Frankenstein of amps. Run it over with a Mack truch and it'll probably still stay in tact!!!

Fender A1 support!!!

If you like good guitar sounds...get this amp. Who cares if it's aolid state. It sounds good. Good=Good Good Tone= Good Tone for god sakes don;t be such a tube snob. Did you ever hear about the Emperor's New Clothes?

This amp was made in 2005.

I play heavy metal, hardcore, punk, all the way to blues and ballad-y type songs.

3 channels, as you know already from other reviews. Clean, Tight Drive and Loose Drive. Channel switching (comes with a nice pedal!) Effects send and return. All in there :D.


There aren't any other features I wish it had, it's basically the perfect amp for me! There isn't anything I don't use. The XLR Line Out quality is actually very very nice! I was surprised, and I love recording with this amp.

I am using this amp at practices and gigs. and with 550 Watts of power, I don't think you need any more power than that!

Built in effects, which are very good. I need no effects pedals with this thing. You can't adjust parameters but that's okay with me.

I am using an American Fender Stratocaster Deluxe, with SL-1 pickups and an Ibanez RG-370 with standard Ibanez pickups which sound lovely through the clean channel, and make the distorted channels more punchy.

This amp suits everything I play, it's just fantastic! I need no pedals or anything, it's great. I bought this amp so I didn't have to use pedals (apart from the one that swtiches the channels :P). The pedal for this is great too! A Solo button, the clean/dirty select, the drive select and the effects.

This amp... IS BLOODY LOUD... I have not yet cranked the volume up on full, I have gone to about 6-7 and stopped 'cause everyone in the room looked like they wanted to kill me. I don't think I will ever turn it up on full volume, I don't need to. 12 o'clock is even too loud.
I put the gain up on full, the treble and the presence. I usually don't have the mid up, 'cause then it doesn't sound as brutal/hardcore, but I do like to play some nu-metal with the mid up.

If you play around with the settings, you can get the greatest sounds :). I use the loose channel (most distorted) most often. I play in a band with three other guys, and this amp makes us sound a lot better.

My old setup was a Line 6 uber metal pedal, and a Fender Pro 185 (with red knobs) and this thing kills my old setup!

The clean channel is not distorted at high volumes. In fact, this amp sounds better when it's louder in my opinion. I like to have the clean sounding a little bassy 'cause I think it's annoying when you have that really treble-ish twangy sound. Not unless you have new strings. The clean channel really brings out the pickups on my guitars. It sounds great.

The tight channel (mild distortion), is a great channel for punk, and vintage sounding stuff. Also some modern rock (The White Stripes, Wolfmother, etc). I also call this the vintage channel. I just think it's good for blues and stuff like that :).

The distortion on this amp, is absoloutely STUNNING! I am so surprised Fender came out with something like this and actually made it sound amazing! Not that I doubt Fender, being one of THE best amp makers in the world. Being their foundation, I am just glad they made something like this. The distortion just wows me, it is very very very excellent, and I do not think you could get much better. Unless you had something like a Framus, a Hughes and Kettner or a Diezel even. But for this price, I was just stunned.

I tune to drop C#, and this amp makes the guitar sound amazing!

I would use this thing on a gig without backup.

It is very well built, and looks sweet! It is a very nice looking amp.

I was choosing either this or a Marshall Mode-Four, and this blew me away.

This amp is very sturdy, and I can't see it breaking down or anything like that. The handles on the sides are great too, no more worrying about the flimsy handle on top of the head breaking anymore!

I have not dealt with Fender, but I know they are a dependable company.

A 5 year warranty is good enough for me!

This amp is amazing, I thought it would have been very horrible but I was surprised. Never will I doubt Fender making such quality products.

Like everyone else is saying, buy the cabinet that was made for this amp! It loses headroom unless you use the cabinet made for it (the cabinet is great too, 4x100 watt speakers. Getting two would be heaven).

The price I paid was $2875, for both a cabinet and the head.


This was such a great amp, I don't think I will buy another amp until this one dies, which will be a very long time!

Invest in this amp, if you love your metal!

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!