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Post by bluehugh2 on Feb 18, 2007 8:52:11 GMT -7
I don't do much on the forum... so forgive me if I am asking a question that has been already asked... I have lots of amps, and my Maz 18 Reverb 1 x 12 combo is among my favourites. The Maz in a small club with my Baker(Tom Holmes humbuckers) absolutely kills! But with a Strat or Tele, I tend to tear off heads with the brightness and thin treble that comes out. If I back off the Cut and the Treble, I find that I lose the sparkle and the good qualities of those Fender guitars. When I gig with a small amp like my Matchless Lightning... I don't find this treble problem... it is more balanced... however, it has little headroom(and that won't be changing!) and is really a "one trick pony" - unlike like the Maz Jr., which is gainier, has more clean headroom, and will cover many more types of tones across the spectrum. So is there a mod that will NOT take away the sparkle, but will balance the amp better for Strats and Teles... and yet still work well with humbuckers???(sure, I want IT ALL!) I realize that getting something might mean losing something... but maybe not??? Feel free to get technical, I will simply get my tech to do the mod. Or should I be looking for a different amp? The Stang Ray looks interesting... Thanks in advance, Hugh H., Toronto
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 18, 2007 8:56:49 GMT -7
I don't do much on the forum... so forgive me if I am asking a question that has been already asked... I have lots of amps, and my Maz 18 Reverb 1 x 12 combo is among my favourites. The Maz in a small club with my Baker(Tom Holmes humbuckers) absolutely kills! But with a Strat or Tele, I tend to tear off heads with the brightness and thin treble that comes out. If I back off the Cut and the Treble, I find that I lose the sparkle and the good qualities of those Fender guitars. When I gig with a small amp like my Matchless Lightning... I don't find this treble problem... it is more balanced... however, it has little headroom(and that won't be changing!) and is really a "one trick pony" - unlike like the Maz Jr., which is gainier, has more clean headroom, and will cover many more types of tones across the spectrum. So is there a mod that will NOT take away the sparkle, but will balance the amp better for Strats and Teles... and yet still work well with humbuckers???(sure, I want IT ALL!) I realize that getting something might mean losing something... but maybe not??? Feel free to get technical, I will simply get my tech to do the mod. Or should I be looking for a different amp? The Stang Ray looks interesting... Thanks in advance, Hugh H., Toronto You could use beam blockers on your Maz it sounds like to me. For an experiment, cut out a round 4" diameter piece of cardboard and stick it dead center of each speaker, on the grille cloth. I think you'll be surprised. If it helps, then you can consider how to make that a permanent mod. I use the Weber Beam Blockers here, but really any means of blocking the center of the speaker will work. SRV just used gray tape!
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Post by Lefty on Feb 18, 2007 9:46:25 GMT -7
It would help if you posted your settings.
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Post by John on Feb 18, 2007 12:51:06 GMT -7
Most people here in the forum run their Jr's with the cut and treble both between 8:00 and 10:00....which is very different than most other amps you run across. Most amps, even before you play a note, you turn the treble up. On the Maz jr, you've got to turn it down.
I second the beam blockers.
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Post by bluehugh2 on Feb 18, 2007 15:18:26 GMT -7
Thanks for the responses so far... I will try beam blockers as well as turning down the Cut and Treble. I seem to remember that affecting the sparkle quotient... but I'll give it another shot. Anyone tried that cap across the V1 tube???
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Post by (8^D) on Feb 19, 2007 21:20:09 GMT -7
1. If you like the tone w/hum guitars and it's too bright with singles, roll back the tone on the single-coil guitars between 5-7.
2. If you have a G12H30 in the amp, which I suspect, try putting in a Weber 30 Watt Blue Alnico. You'll have more of the Matchless character you like - top end chime w/out the harshness. The Silver is another great option, but takes the amp into more of a Marshally territory - great as well, but top end is different - more like a Greenback in that regard, kinda woody/warm.
As a 112, I found the Weber Blue the best option in the Jr (over G12H30, V30, Weber Silver Ceramic 30 watt). 212, the Blue Alnico and Silver Ceramic is awesome!
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Feb 19, 2007 23:53:41 GMT -7
1. If you like the tone w/hum guitars and it's too bright with singles, roll back the tone on the single-coil guitars between 5-7. 2. If you have a G12H30 in the amp, which I suspect, try putting in a Weber 30 Watt Blue Alnico. You'll have more of the Matchless character you like - top end chime w/out the harshness. The Silver is another great option, but takes the amp into more of a Marshally territory - great as well, but top end is different - more like a Greenback in that regard, kinda woody/warm. As a 112, I found the Weber Blue the best option in the Jr (over G12H30, V30, Weber Silver Ceramic 30 watt). 212, the Blue Alnico and Silver Ceramic is awesome! If you like the G12-H30 or V30 thats in it, I second beam blockers ( or third them...) but, D. weller is right on about the Webers... and his take is Spot on! I LOVE the silverbell by the way... but is MORE warm with a little less chime than the bluedogs ... but he's also right about the Bluedog being all around great IMO for both the JR and the SR. The GOOD thing about the Webers is you probably won't need beam blockers in it with them... they are Smooth on the top end.. .you could still use em but I don't really need them with my Webers... and I do LOVE the G12-H30 with the Maz SR and JR but I had to go to a beam blocker with those too... Now I just mostly use 12" Webers without the Blockers and Z's 10" speakers with the Blockers... .02
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Post by bluehugh2 on Feb 20, 2007 9:39:52 GMT -7
Thanks for all the responses! Yes, I do have a G12H30 in the Maz Jr. I am trying two things... first, I'll experiment with the Cut and Treble controls... especially with Strats... and I have ordered a Beam Blocker. For 18 bucks, it seems like a cost effective solution if it works. Maybe I'll be able to play those small outdoor gigs without that "in your face" amp sound. I have also ordered a Stang ray 2 x 12 with Blues - I may be into the same issues with that amp as well! Does it have a tendency to be brittle, like the Junior??? But the prospect of an amp modelled after an old AC30 non-TB was too much for me to resist. And the prospect of added headroom further sweetened the pot!...
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Post by aj1169 on Feb 20, 2007 10:05:02 GMT -7
I too have a StangRay and 2x12 cab with Blues on order. I got the chance to demo the StangRay through both a Z-Best and Z 4x10 cab before I placed my order. I know those two cabs won't sound like the 2x12 with Blues, but I found the amp to be very pleasing on the ears at all volume levels. There was tons of top end shimmer, but none of the ear piercing high end shrillness that you describe. And that was on my Telecaster on the bridge position most of the time. The cut control on the Ray is very helpfull in taming the highs. You can use the tone control to get a nice fat low end, and then add just the right amount of shimmer by increasing the cut to taste. I think you'll like it.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 20, 2007 21:47:25 GMT -7
Two Stang Ray orders right here! I sure love mine, and you're right, the amp can be as bright as you like, and the top end never hurts. A great amp all the way around.
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