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Post by markeymark on Feb 13, 2006 18:27:47 GMT -7
I've posted this question in the jr room, I'll try it here too. I'm buying my first dr z amp. I've read alot of great things about the maz jr. Does this amp have enough headroom to play clean with a drummer or should I go with the maz sr?
Thanks
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Post by propellr on Feb 14, 2006 5:58:01 GMT -7
I'd say the Sr. will offer more headroom than the Junior, but there are some limitations on the clean sounds you can access. Depends on your speakers, guitar, and whether or not you will play with your cabinet miked. What sort of pickups do you play? Will you play with a miked cab? Is your drummer deaf? Do you have a cab/cabs already? What speaker/speakers?
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Post by billyguitar on Feb 14, 2006 6:44:27 GMT -7
There has been a lot of discussion on this forum about what is clean. I test an amp for clean by setting the amp up for clean, preamp under 12:00 and master all the way up. then turn your guitar down a bit. Is this loud and clean enough? Turn the tone pot down on the guitar. Does the amp splat? Turn the guitar down until it's clean. Turn the tone pot up again. Is that going to be loud enough? Some guys define clean as what I would call cleanish. They like some hair on their clean tone. If you don't need squeaky clean for jazz the the jr would probably suit you. If you're playing any jazz at club volume you'll want the sr. I've heard guys use Deluxe Reverbs for jazz and it's always inadequate. Approximately the equivalent of a jr only the jr can do a bit more clean and of course it also sounds louder than the Deluxe because of it's better transformer. The drummer is the volume control of the band. So it really depends on how loud he plays. If your band has the monitors up to the point of starting to feedback then your drummer is too loud and you won't get enough clean from the jr without micing.
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Post by bluzsteel on Feb 14, 2006 6:57:36 GMT -7
SR
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Post by sparrowhawk (Bob) on Feb 14, 2006 7:07:47 GMT -7
I agonized over this for about 2 months before finally getting a 1x12 Sr. Several Z-Forum members helped with this decision, btw(including bluzsteel and billyguitar), and I really appreciated their help. Been living with the Sr. for 2 months now and I couldn't be happier with its ability to handle clean and crunchy with just a change in pick attack, a flip of the pickup selector or a tweak of the guitar volume knob. And if I want more grind at lower volume, I give it a little kick with a TS-808 reissue and roll back the guitar volume knob. We're a cover band and do a pretty wide range of tunes (and tones) and my Sr. can flow from Stones to Byrds, Temptations to Steppenwolf, Beatles to Who. Sometimes it's creepy how the amp seems to be reading my mind.
I've always believed that it's way easier to make an amp that can do clean well go dirty than to make an amp that likes to break up give you clean tone at higher volume. I can't speak for the Jr. because I never lived with one, but considering the "tone" of your post (pun intended), I'm pretty sure you won't regeret spending the extra couple hundred for the Sr.
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Post by guitarman1 on Feb 14, 2006 7:21:06 GMT -7
I had both amps at the same time and sent the Jr. back to the store. Headroom aside, the Sr. just sounds bigger, fatter, fuller, etc., etc..
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Post by guitarboy02451 on Feb 14, 2006 8:06:40 GMT -7
SR.
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Post by jwr on Feb 14, 2006 8:58:56 GMT -7
I posted the same question a few months ago, bluzsteel was right on the money about the SR It's an amazing amp, clean headroom if you want it, sounds huge, yet very articulate. More times than not I read about guys going from a JR to a SR for the extra headroom.
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Post by hdahs143 on Feb 15, 2006 11:41:17 GMT -7
Senior! It's more flexible, more of everything!
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bajan
New Member
Posts: 42
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Post by bajan on Feb 15, 2006 13:48:55 GMT -7
I have the same issue Jr vs Sr. Right now I have a Rt66 that I am about to put up for sale. The 66 is just way too much amp for me right now as I primarily just play at home and jam with friend from time to time. Plus, I want something a bit more fendery for lack of a better term. Would a Maz Sr be once again way too much amp for my situation? Do you need to get the power section cooking for the magic to happen? The tones I am looking for are big and bell like lows and smooth highs with some hair, but also able to get creamy with an overdrive. I like an overdrive that is smooth and not ratty or overly raw, I guess refined would be the best way to put it, more Gilmour than SRV.
Shane
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Post by propellr on Feb 15, 2006 14:46:49 GMT -7
I can't get a bad sound out of my Maz 38 (and I'm an average player). If Fendery is what you hear in your head, you should demo a Z-28. It'll sound like you've always wanted your Fender to sound.
Have you tried an Air Brake to tame that beast you've got?
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bajan
New Member
Posts: 42
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Post by bajan on Feb 15, 2006 17:44:21 GMT -7
Yes I have played a Z28, just the other day as a matter of fact. A good buddy of mine has a 28 and I like that quite a bit. I like the high end detail compared to the 66, but I still think a Maz may be closer to what I am looking for, though I think I need a Z28 too. . I haven't tried an Air Brake but I did have a Weber Mass and the amp just turned to mud with it. Another thing is that I am running it into a 2x12 cab with Weber AlNiCo Blue/Silver combo and I think the 66 may like ceramic better, I think it needs the added crispness. With the compression of the amp and the speakers, things start to get a bit congested and I loose the clarity and openness. I have played a Maz 18 once in a live environment with a FD2 and a Gibson Lucille with Fralin Unbuckers. That tone still sticks with me but I would like to hear it big and cleaner with a strat. Shane.
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Feb 15, 2006 23:12:39 GMT -7
markymark SR over the JR in my experience for playin CLEAN with a drummer... bajan " The 66 is just way too much amp for me right now as I primarily just play at home and jam with friend from time to time" I would say that if a route 66 was "too much for you" then a Maz 38 would probably be too... at home or jam with friends and what your describing I might go with a Maz JR over SR and I'd go with a reverb model cause I think they are a little smoother than the NR..... (personally I like the NR ) but either way you'll have to learn how to set the amp to get the sound your describing, but it is in there... and as far as the sound your describing it's in the MAZ SR big time but there's some volume in that amp... the master volume IS usable but for just jammin around the house and with friends (unless their playing 50 watt plexi's or something...) JR over SR in your case... I personally would go with a JR HEAD with a Z-best cab for the better bass response and biggest tone / more headroom.... but others have great results w/ the 2x10/ 2x12 combo's with the right speakers... even a 1x12 depending on the speakers... (BTW Z's 10's in the combo and 2x10 ext cab's ROCK!!) (course I'd personally go with a carmen ghia now... just plain FUN! but NOT smooth, FAT and RAW!!) ;D MY problem is I love all of em.... ;D Jason
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Post by jwr on Feb 16, 2006 15:33:11 GMT -7
jgleaton is right, those 10's sound huge. I've had a Triaxis rig with a 4X12 and a 50/50 power amp and I'll take a SR with a Z 2X10 over that any day (for clean and blues tones of course). Clear, articulate and FAT.
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