NAD - PRS MT15

[NinjaRaf]

Been using mine at practice, and at a couple of shows...and my other guitar player took it on tour with his other band. Performed flawlessly. Had this old 1980s looking sound guy freak out over the tone at one of the shows.

Video of it and my Kruse modded 5153 50 watt.



My wife has a bunch of iphone videos on her FB of the amp on stage at a couple of shows, but I cant get them to link properly.

 

[sevenfoxes]

The 6505 will eat it for breakfast if we're talking high gain brootz. I got distressed when I played an MT15 and had to go home and fire up the 6505 just to check if it still "had it." It took the surgeons 4 hours to re-attach my face.

For versatility though...MT15. It's an awesome amp.

I'm not so sure that the 6505 is really that much more aggressive to make a difference. The MT15 (to me) is like an evolved 6505. It has all the aggression, but without any of that fizz to accompany it. The gain structure is really clean and articulate. I like the overall tone a lot more too. It's like a 6505 and a rectifier had a love child, lol. Can't wait until its big brother is released!

 

[KailM]

I'm not so sure that the 6505 is really that much more aggressive to make a difference. The MT15 (to me) is like an evolved 6505. It has all the aggression, but without any of that fizz to accompany it. The gain structure is really clean and articulate. I like the overall tone a lot more too. It's like a 6505 and a rectifier had a love child, lol. Can't wait until its big brother is released!

To be fair, I was comparing a 120 watt head to the MT15. Of course my 6505 is going to sound deeper and meaner. Also, I run an EQ in the loop whose primary goal is to cut the fizz of my 6505, and it does a marvelous job at that. I absolutely agree that the MT15 is like a combination between a Rec and a 5150. I hear a little more Rec than 5150 though. Big brother might be even more of a game changer, lol...

 

[buriedoutback]

Is the top reversible so the grill would be more open on the front and say 'paul reed smith' on the back? No offence to PRS fans, I'm just curious.

 

[sevenfoxes]

To be fair, I was comparing a 120 watt head to the MT15. Of course my 6505 is going to sound deeper and meaner. Also, I run an EQ in the loop whose primary goal is to cut the fizz of my 6505, and it does a marvelous job at that. I absolutely agree that the MT15 is like a combination between a Rec and a 5150. I hear a little more Rec than 5150 though. Big brother might be even more of a game changer, lol...

I was also comparing the MT15 to the 120w, which inherently sounds bigger/meaner, but I don't think the difference is night and day. I'm surprised I'm even saying that, because I never thought a 15w amp could hang with the big iron...but it does (probably not at higher volumes though).

I agree though, the MT15 has more of a recto flavor, but it has the tightness of a 6505...best of both worlds!

 

[sevenfoxes]

Is the top reversible so the grill would be more open on the front and say 'paul reed smith' on the back? No offence to PRS fans, I'm just curious.

I think so. I haven't tried it, but it looks like you could do that.

 

[sevenfoxes]

MT15 owner here as well. What are you guys using for cabs/speakers and this amp?

I'm using a Mesa Recto 2x12.

 

[Seabeast2000]

I think so. I haven't tried it, but it looks like you could do that.

The side screws do look symmetrically placed. I might try this.

 

[sevenfoxes]

It works!

 

[buriedoutback]

It works!

Beauty! Thanks for trying that out for me.
I think with the red lights, it'll look super sick.

 

[SYLrules88]

^that's hilarious! I want to do it to mine too haha.

So, my MT15 kicked ass in band practice. my drummer pointed out immediately that the single note licks were a lot clearer. The clean channel is phenominal. the laney ironheart isn't bad by any means but the MT15 is the clear winner there. I played our set once with the MT15 then with the laney, and I'm going to have to sit with the laney for a bit to dial it in again, because it got its ass handed to it.

Only gripe so far with the MT15 is that it's noticeably more noisy than the laney. I've got to set my ISP decimator II pedal up to like -40 DB to keep the feedback at bay and this affects some sustained chords/harmonics that are a part of my bands live show so I'll have to find some way to address this. I haven't been using a boost with the amp and I really don't plan on doing so! im super impressed that it doesn't need it!

So, in summary, the amp kicks ass, doesn't need a boost, but needs a really good noise gate, unless you're wanting the feedback.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

^that's hilarious! I want to do it to mine too haha.

So, my MT15 kicked ass in band practice. my drummer pointed out immediately that the single note licks were a lot clearer. The clean channel is phenominal. the laney ironheart isn't bad by any means but the MT15 is the clear winner there. I played our set once with the MT15 then with the laney, and I'm going to have to sit with the laney for a bit to dial it in again, because it got its ass handed to it.

Only gripe so far with the MT15 is that it's noticeably more noisy than the laney. I've got to set my ISP decimator II pedal up to like -40 DB to keep the feedback at bay and this affects some sustained chords/harmonics that are a part of my bands live show so I'll have to find some way to address this. I haven't been using a boost with the amp and I really don't plan on doing so! im super impressed that it doesn't need it!

So, in summary, the amp kicks ass, doesn't need a boost, but needs a really good noise gate, unless you're wanting the feedback.

Thanks for the review!
Would you say this is noisier than a 5150/6505 amp?
How does it sound for leads on a neck pickup under high gain?

 

[InCasinoOut]

Well shit now I'm GASing super hard. $650 new is right at that sweet spot where it's hard to say no to... Especially if 15 watts with 6L6s is louder than the 35 watts with EL84s in my Mark V:35, it would make jamming with my drummer buddy so much easier.

 

[shred-o-holic]

Been using mine at practice, and at a couple of shows...and my other guitar player took it on tour with his other band. Performed flawlessly. Had this old 1980s looking sound guy freak out over the tone at one of the shows.

Video of it and my Kruse modded 5153 50 watt.



My wife has a bunch of iphone videos on her FB of the amp on stage at a couple of shows, but I cant get them to link properly.

The Tremonti sounds decent but that Kruse modded 5153 50 watt sounds incredible wow

 

[NinjaRaf]

Since I got a master volume added to the EVH, and had the clean channel modded to actually be clean, and the lead channel modded to stealth lead channel, yeah, its better for the band for sure. More convenient. I love the PRS, though. Its giving me incredible recorded tones at home. And for those of you that are skeptical about it holding up at volume, don't be. The iron is NOT small like the Mark V25 I had. I've played it at a bunch of band practices and a couple of shows. Had one sound guys freaking out a bit about how good it sounded. My other guitar player took it out on tour and loved it so much that he bought one, too. These things are awesome, awesome little amps, and if they put out a 100 watt version, I will buy one. But...I will probably still use the EVH for live stuff. Its just damn convenient in terms of size, weight, tone, and function.

Here is a clip I recorded with my MT15 a few days ago through an Avatar contemporary 212 with Legend V12s, mic'd with an ATM250DE and SM57 into my Audient ID44 interface.

https://app.box.com/s/oqtf9lx1ucn0z68h2y6zvbpjmej09iko

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

Since I got a master volume added to the EVH, and had the clean channel modded to actually be clean, and the lead channel modded to stealth lead channel, yeah, its better for the band for sure. More convenient. I love the PRS, though. Its giving me incredible recorded tones at home. And for those of you that are skeptical about it holding up at volume, don't be. The iron is NOT small like the Mark V25 I had. I've played it at a bunch of band practices and a couple of shows. Had one sound guys freaking out a bit about how good it sounded. My other guitar player took it out on tour and loved it so much that he bought one, too. These things are awesome, awesome little amps, and if they put out a 100 watt version, I will buy one. But...I will probably still use the EVH for live stuff. Its just damn convenient in terms of size, weight, tone, and function.

Here is a clip I recorded with my MT15 a few days ago through an Avatar contemporary 212 with Legend V12s, mic'd with an ATM250DE and SM57 into my Audient ID44 interface.

https://app.box.com/s/oqtf9lx1ucn0z68h2y6zvbpjmej09iko

Sounds Wicked!
How do you find the high gain lead tone on the MT15 on the neck pickup?

 

[SYLrules88]

^I'm loving the lead tones from the EMG hetfield and the black winter neck models. Lots of bite and sustain. And honestly, I messed around with some distorted leads with my agile AL-727 with an original Q tuner in the neck position and that's the first time I've ever enjoyed hearing that pickup with distortion. It always sounded so weak every other time I tried to use distortion with it, but it sang beautifully here.

 

[NinjaRaf]

Sounds Wicked!
How do you find the high gain lead tone on the MT15 on the neck pickup?

Couldnt tell you. I dont really play leads, and I never use the neck pickup. My main guitar only has a bridge pickup lol.

 

[sevenfoxes]

Sounds Wicked!
How do you find the high gain lead tone on the MT15 on the neck pickup?

I find the lead tones quite nice and thick. Kinda reminds a bit of a more fluid, and way less fuzzy version of the dual recto.

 

[Jeff]

The MT15 is a pretty beastly little amp. The Gain comes on super fast on the lead channel, but it’s a great sound.