nick
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Posts: 136
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Post by nick on Feb 25, 2007 21:02:50 GMT -7
I was playing today at home, and was really disappointed in the sound I was getting from my Maz Jr. (210R) It sounded really cheap. By default, I unplugged from my pedals and ran from guitar to amp, and tried four different guitars. I played a little bit with the settings on the guitars and the amp, but overall the sound just wasn't there, not like it used to be. I was using an Epi Elitist LP, Peavey Tele copy with 57 RI pups, 72 Tele Custom, and a Texas Special Strat, and I got the same results with all of them. It was a George L's cable, and I checked the signal in it, and tried another one. The end result was really disappointing. I've been away from home for about ten days, and the amp was in its case, unplugged.
I reset all the tubes, the speaker connection, and made sure the power cable was good, and just couldn't get the "magic" that I normally get. The first time this happened was before I got my wah modded, and the mod fixed it. This time it was without anything between the guitar and the amp.
Am I missing something here?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Feb 25, 2007 21:32:43 GMT -7
How old are your tubes? It sounds to me like maybe your power tubes are getting old, but YMMV. It would be worth it to pick up a good matched set and try that.
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Post by DRZ on Feb 26, 2007 5:05:35 GMT -7
I was playing today at home, and was really disappointed in the sound I was getting from my Maz Jr. (210R) It sounded really cheap. ? Well Nick CHEAP is a new term to me and doesn't really translate well to a problem. If you expect people to help diagnose your problem they will need more of an explanation over the INTERNET. If CHEAP means thin, and low powered, I would think a new set of Matched EL-84's will fix it, like benttop said. If all controls work and no hum or static I would think all Pre-amp tubes are fine. If it's not blowing fuses I believe the 5AR4 is good. Only speakers and EL-84's come to mind. DR.Z
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Post by kruzty on Feb 26, 2007 6:38:22 GMT -7
Are you saying it sounded great just before you left and 10 days later it didn't? If so, did anyone else have access to it?
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nick
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Posts: 136
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Post by nick on Feb 26, 2007 12:52:45 GMT -7
It has sounded thin and weak. It wasn't the quality sound I was expecting, and used to, from the amp. I replaced the EL84's a while back, and haven't played it enough for that to be the issue I don't think, but I'm going to go get some new ones today just to see. I'm also going to take it to someone in town that I trust and let them play their guitar through it and get another opinion on it.
Nick
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nick
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Posts: 136
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Post by nick on Feb 27, 2007 12:45:25 GMT -7
I put some new EL84's in it, and that brought it back to how it was before. I guess I didn't realize how many hours I had put in it to need new tubes already. Either way, it's back to normal, and I'm happy.
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Post by chipstar75 on Mar 5, 2007 19:28:24 GMT -7
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! .........I just love a happy ending!!!
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nick
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Posts: 136
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Post by nick on Mar 6, 2007 21:04:18 GMT -7
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! .........I just love a happy ending!!! We all do. The new tubes brought it back to life, and I came to another realization. Lately, with the playing I've been doing, I have really been pushing my amp, more than I ever have before. The band I'm playing with is loud, in big rooms, and I am not always going through the mains. I think my speakers are getting really broken in. For years before this, I had Fender Hot Rod amps, Peavey Delta Blues', a DRRI, and a 76 Deluxe. I have been wondering if my ears are just not used to what my amp sounds like, and I'm putting too much into comparisons. I have been listening to a lot of sound clips on here and some stuff that I know Z's have been recorded on, and I may need to go back and spend some time getting to know what that amp really sounds like, because I don't think I've done it properly yet.
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gstan
Full Member
What, me worry?
Posts: 180
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Post by gstan on Mar 9, 2007 14:26:21 GMT -7
Nick, The Doc runs the 84s hot and hard to begin with, so the harder you run the amp the quicker the 84s are gonna go TU.
I buy matched Quads so that I always have a set ready to go. If you're pushing the amp pretty hard yourself don't expect even the best 84s available to give the good tone for more than 3 or 4 months. I can tell the difference after only a couple of months.
Doc puts a fan in the 38 combos for a reason. The 18 can benefit from one as well. I got the quietest 120V computer fan I could find and used those nylon electrical tie straps to suspend it between the rear baffles blowing into the cabinet just below the power tubes. The tubes will last longer and the chassis and transformers won't be so hot to the touch.
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