jeffd
New Member
Posts: 22
|
Post by jeffd on Dec 1, 2007 12:14:50 GMT -7
Trainwreck? Reading between the lines a little, based on a dealer's description and what I've read here, I'm guessing it's Trainwreck inspired. I know the doc doesn't do clones; not implying that. Of course Dr. Z and Ken Fisher were buds (two of the greats IMHO). Would you say this is his Trainwreck inspired amp? If so, it would also share some territory with Komet, which is very appealing to me.
|
|
|
Post by Phil (aka Phil) on Dec 1, 2007 14:55:16 GMT -7
Well, here's my take on things. I think the GT has some "Trainwreck" ideas used here and there in the circuit, and it cleans up as well as a 'Wreck when you turn down the guitar's volume, but that's where the similarity stops, IMO. Both the GT and the Trainwreck Liverpool have four EL84's and a 5AR4; so that would be the most natural comparison. (The Express is a EL34 amp.) I think the GT might have more gain than either 'Wreck, and the GT has the "only Cut and Volume" control scheme that NO Trainwreck has. Also, the GT is voiced to be more "Marshally" than any 'Wreck I've ever heard. A side note: Ken Fischer used to talk about "Tranwreck watts"; I think we should invent a new term: "Z watts". If you came over to my house and I plugged into my GT/Z Best and didn't tell you what the amp was rated at, you'd never guess in a million years it was rated at around 30 watts. It *easily* keeps up volume wise with my SRZ which is a 65-70 watter. Because the GT is such a super-simple circuit, it is very very responsive to the slightest change in guitars, pickups, cords, preamp tubes, guitar volume control changes, etc. The preamp passes a lot of signal, and therefore it has a lot of VOLUME
|
|
jeffd
New Member
Posts: 22
|
Post by jeffd on Dec 1, 2007 16:20:06 GMT -7
Thanks for the detailed comparison, pdw. One of my concerns is the volume. Can it get appreciable dirt before the volume gets way up there?
|
|
|
Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 1, 2007 16:42:23 GMT -7
As soon as you hear anything you can already hear dirt, but the volume comes on real quick. In my view you need an attenuator for this amp, or you'll get thrown out of the band.
|
|
|
Post by Phil (aka Phil) on Dec 1, 2007 18:01:15 GMT -7
Thanks for the detailed comparison, pdw. One of my concerns is the volume. Can it get appreciable dirt before the volume gets way up there? There's pretty much no good way to describe the way the GT's volume control works- you really have to hear it for yourself as it doesn't work like any other amp I've ever played. Stu Carter at Fat Sound, the guy who came up with the idea for the GT with Doc, told me that he prefers the "sweet spot" at about 9:30 on the volume knob. He wasn't kidding. The amp doesn't do almost anything- not really a usable sound- until 9:00, and then BAM- it's like you just went to full volume. Just past that at 9:30 (which is very similar to 9:00) is a great lead tone with the guitar on 10, and a great crunch sound with the guitar turned down to "7" or so. With a lower output pickup like a 8.5K ohm or so bridge humbucker, this gives you a great VH "Drop Dead Legs" kinda thing, except that the gain with the guitar on "10" has even more gain than EVH uses, but with all the clarity. From 9:30 till the volume knob is maxed, you barely increase the perceived volume; you just get more (and in my and Stu's opinion, too much) compression. The problem is that with the volume at 9:30 it's still as loud as an SRZ. This amp really is a "control it from the guitar's volume control" amp- it could have been a 1 knob amp- just the cut control with the volume preset at 9:30. That means you really need a attenuator to control the final volume for band use. So to answer your question, you basically get full dirt and max volume at the exact same time.
|
|
|
Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 1, 2007 20:17:13 GMT -7
Nice description, and exactly as I perceive it. Had mine out for some other musicians to experience last night - I'll write that up in a separate thread...
|
|
|
Post by dnoseworth on Feb 17, 2008 10:15:00 GMT -7
MMMMm. Sounds very much like the way my Komet 60 reacts. I'm glad to read the reviews as i'm planning on giving the GT a go. I just picked up a RXES on Satuday and love it.
|
|
|
Post by taswegian on Feb 18, 2008 0:11:40 GMT -7
Man, I gotta have one. I dont NEED one but i gotta have one. I NEED a 'Ray or RXES or jr or Maz jr. But geeeshhh. People won't stop with the "clean up" and "gain" talk and Phil keeps bringin' up the "Drop Dead Legs" and I'm gettin' all giggly like a school girl! Our dollar is strong at the moment too. damn! Curse these wretched bills. ;D I want the first 240V GT
|
|
|
Post by groovergeorge on Feb 19, 2008 20:39:08 GMT -7
Go on Tas........I DARE YOU!
Got another Z' coming my way real soon, you got no chance of catching up the way you're going ;D
|
|
|
Post by taswegian on Feb 22, 2008 18:08:58 GMT -7
So spill the beans! Which Z is it!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by azatplayer on Feb 22, 2008 20:36:47 GMT -7
Matbe i'll get the first 240 one to Aus :-) hehe...
|
|
|
Post by taswegian on Feb 23, 2008 8:07:19 GMT -7
Ouch! ;D
|
|
|
Post by azatplayer on Feb 23, 2008 8:15:13 GMT -7
Gees bro youre up late?? I played a Tremoverb today. Set it up in stereo with my Maz Jr. Far out what a rig. Stereo rocks. Really nice. Met Ross, Daves partner. He was dropping it off at my local little guys store. Nice guy. Great looking amp. DIdnt sound too bad neither :-) 2 totally different amps so cant really compare. The Maz had much more brightness and headroom and attack. But the Ulbrick had an easier drive and a wonderful tremolo. Wow, trem amps are cool.
Cheers buddy, Don
|
|
|
Post by taswegian on Feb 23, 2008 8:26:27 GMT -7
Gees bro youre up late?? I played a Tremoverb today. Set it up in stereo with my Maz Jr. Far out what a rig. Stereo rocks. Really nice. Met Ross, Daves partner. He was dropping it off at my local little guys store. Nice guy. Great looking amp. DIdnt sound too bad neither :-) 2 totally different amps so cant really compare. The Maz had much more brightness and headroom and attack. But the Ulbrick had an easier drive and a wonderful tremolo. Wow, trem amps are cool. Cheers buddy, Don Just got home from a gig. Had the Route 66 up LOUD tonight too. ;D Just about peaking through my 1-12. That was fun. Yeah, I love the Verbovibe. It's very tweakable and the slam button sounds great too. You may have had the slam button engaged if you thought there was less headroom than the maz as the one I played just before coming to your house had heaps of headroom until the slam button was pressed. That brings in the power stage overdrive. I recon it's the best trem I've ever heard on an amp. I also love stereo rigs. My old rack rig was a stereo rig but I really like blending two different amps as well. That would be a very fine stereo rig indeed!
|
|
|
Post by groovergeorge on Feb 23, 2008 8:45:00 GMT -7
So spill the beans! Which Z is it!!!!! I'll give you a hint........It's outta this "world"
|
|
|
Post by taswegian on Feb 23, 2008 9:04:16 GMT -7
A Galaxy eh? Wow, wouldn't have picked that but I guess the 6L6 alure was too great and the Evan was too long a wait. Am I right? ;D
By the way, I know your weather has been horrible but it's been pouring here today and at tonights gig it was down to 9 degrees C!!! Too early for that!
|
|
|
Post by groovergeorge on Feb 23, 2008 17:36:42 GMT -7
Who told you? ;D Your right yes indeed. I decided to take a gamble and go for the Galaxie without playing it. Like I was saying, when you were up this way, I had been missing that Fender sound ever since I sold my late 60's Vibrolux a couple of years back and although the Galaxie isn't exactly that sound, it's cleans are still very 6L6 - Fender like, albeit tweedy. The channel switching is another advantage with the ability to rock out on channel 2 like a JCM 800) . I decided to shelve the KT45 idea, i think it just might be a bit too loud. I still have plenty of interest in the Stingray/Stangray though. I dread the release of the Evan/EZG50..................since joining the forum,my credit card never stood a chance!
|
|
|
Post by Don on Feb 25, 2008 6:47:08 GMT -7
Well, here's my take on things. I think the GT has some "Trainwreck" ideas used here and there in the circuit, and it cleans up as well as a 'Wreck when you turn down the guitar's volume, but that's where the similarity stops, IMO. Both the GT and the Trainwreck Liverpool have four EL84's and a 5AR4; so that would be the most natural comparison. (The Express is a EL34 amp.) I think the GT might have more gain than either 'Wreck, and the GT has the "only Cut and Volume" control scheme that NO Trainwreck has. Also, the GT is voiced to be more "Marshally" than any 'Wreck I've ever heard. A side note: Ken Fischer used to talk about "Tranwreck watts"; I think we should invent a new term: "Z watts". If you came over to my house and I plugged into my GT/Z Best and didn't tell you what the amp was rated at, you'd never guess in a million years it was rated at around 30 watts. It *easily* keeps up volume wise with my SRZ which is a 65-70 watter. Because the GT is such a super-simple circuit, it is very very responsive to the slightest change in guitars, pickups, cords, preamp tubes, guitar volume control changes, etc. The preamp passes a lot of signal, and therefore it has a lot of VOLUME Yeah, DO NOT leave home without an Air Brake. No wait, don't play it at home without one either! I love how this amp really gets to singin' at about 2 o'clock on the V knob!
|
|
|
Post by brad737 on Feb 18, 2009 10:20:39 GMT -7
I just wanted to add a couple points here. The Trainwreck Liverpool does have 4 EL84s, but it does not use a tube rectifier. The Trainwreck Rocket is also a 4 EL84 amp, and that DOES use the GZ34/5AR4 rectifier. The Mazerati GT definitely has more gain on tap than the Trainwreck Rocket, but both the Trainwreck Liverpool and the Trainwreck Express both have more gain than the GT. I typically tell people the Maz GT is a good cross between the Rocket and Liverpool. Hope this helps, Brad Well, here's my take on things. I think the GT has some "Trainwreck" ideas used here and there in the circuit, and it cleans up as well as a 'Wreck when you turn down the guitar's volume, but that's where the similarity stops, IMO. Both the GT and the Trainwreck Liverpool have four EL84's and a 5AR4; so that would be the most natural comparison. (The Express is a EL34 amp.) I think the GT might have more gain than either 'Wreck, and the GT has the "only Cut and Volume" control scheme that NO Trainwreck has. Also, the GT is voiced to be more "Marshally" than any 'Wreck I've ever heard. A side note: Ken Fischer used to talk about "Tranwreck watts"; I think we should invent a new term: "Z watts". If you came over to my house and I plugged into my GT/Z Best and didn't tell you what the amp was rated at, you'd never guess in a million years it was rated at around 30 watts. It *easily* keeps up volume wise with my SRZ which is a 65-70 watter. Because the GT is such a super-simple circuit, it is very very responsive to the slightest change in guitars, pickups, cords, preamp tubes, guitar volume control changes, etc. The preamp passes a lot of signal, and therefore it has a lot of VOLUME
|
|
|
Post by cap217 on Oct 2, 2013 6:21:55 GMT -7
Bumping an old thread. But now with all the wreck clones out there does the gt still hold up? I am looking for an amp between a rocket and Liverpool with a rectifier tube. This seems to be the only amp that matches that.
|
|
|
Post by randalp3000 on Oct 2, 2013 9:56:43 GMT -7
Bumping an old thread. But now with all the wreck clones out there does the gt still hold up? I am looking for an amp between a rocket and Liverpool with a rectifier tube. This seems to be the only amp that matches that Yes it holds up very well but is only Wrecklike in that it has tons of gain. Has a recto tube but totally different than the LP and Rocket. From studying schematics and owning most of these, the Rocket is an AC30 top boost circuit with lower voltages on the preamp tubes. The Z Wreck is a TB also with standard Vox Voltages but with a lower voltage option, a slight tweak to the bass pot, and a voltage divider feeding the phase inverter to lower the gain slightly to the output section. The Liverpool is pretty much an Express but with EL84's instead of El34's. Totally different animal than a Rocket. I believe you may have had an Express so you should get the idea. Also I think you have played or owned a Z Wreck so you should have a very good idea what a Rocket should sound like. The Mazerati GT is one hot gain stage, volume control, one more hot gain stage, phase inverter, tone(cut control), to power amp. It is all gain all the time with pretty much no cleans to speak of unless you turn your guitar volume way down. It is ungodly loud and will smoke most Marshall type amps. It has pretty good bass response without being muddy and has plenty of bite. The mids are pronounced but in a unique range giving it it's own voice. The GT has one sound but it's a good one. Side note, the first filter cap is twice the recommended value for a 5ar4 and will eat some rectifier tubes.
|
|
|
Post by cap217 on Oct 2, 2013 11:14:01 GMT -7
Always bored... I have/had a lot of amps and cant keep track. I didnt like the Z Wreck much for some reason though. I liked my ac30 better (thats crazy to say around here). At least, I thought the ac30 could do what the wreck could but gave more options. The Z was fuller but thats bc of the cab.
Anyways, the best sound I have had and what I am searching for is a Kane Liverpool. But I liked it at low volumes. Nothing past 10 oclock but everything under was so nice. I wish I could find that amp but with more headroom and still provide gain at 2 oclock+. It had a chime and clean to it that I cant find anywhere else and liverpools arent known for that.
It would seem that I like the pre top boost or normal ac30 circuit better than the top boost one. I might get a stang ray and a _______? One amp wont cut it for what I am going for. Thats why I am asking about the GT. I found the proto with drive, tone, volume, gain knobs on the front. That might be nice to hear.
|
|
|
Post by Joey Beverages on Oct 2, 2013 17:16:37 GMT -7
Holy thread bumpage .... @ cap217 .... mebbe pair a Stang Ray and SRZ-65 .... alongside an open back 212 and a Z-best ..... coupla amp switchers and cab switchers - you might find the clean to mean and just about everything in-between that you could use .... just a thought play on and cheers always, eh Joel
|
|