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Post by shendrie on Dec 5, 2007 22:01:42 GMT -7
Hi there... I have a fairly new Maz 38 (about 1 month old) and just picked up 2x10 open back Z cabinet today. Sounds great or should I say sounded great...
I was playing for a couple of hours, switching guitars, twiddling knobs etc... and then one time I put on standby to change guitars and while it was going into standby mode it made some really wierd sounds (3 loud buzzes or tones and hums). It has never done that before. When I turned it back on the tone was very mid rangy, the high "chime" factor had disappeared and overall it just sounded very different (not in a good way). It also seemed a bit quieter.
I checked the amp settings, changed cables going into the amp, changed guitars, but no luck. The sound had somehow changed quite a bit.
Any thoughts??? I am considering bringing it back to the store but I am concerned they will have no idea what I am talking about. It does not sound obviously broken, it just does not sound as good.
I know it can sound WAY better... It was sounding great before that final flick of the standby switch.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
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Post by hdahs143 on Dec 5, 2007 22:08:38 GMT -7
Sounds like a tube related problem. Try removing and reinstalling all pre and power amp tube. if this doesn't do the trick, try swapping tubes out with some replacements if you have any.
Tubes are the source of some of the magic of great amps, and unfortunately they're also the source of about 95% of the problems you run into. Just the nature of the beast.
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Post by m1911 on Dec 6, 2007 6:21:14 GMT -7
Sounds like a tube related problem. Try removing and reinstalling all pre and power amp tube. if this doesn't do the trick, try swapping tubes out with some replacements if you have any. Tubes are the source of some of the magic of great amps, and unfortunately they're also the source of about 95% of the problems you run into. Just the nature of the beast. What he said.... Also, I've had a single tube go bad which in-turn blows one of the fuses too.....no biggie. Mark
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Post by shendrie on Dec 6, 2007 8:10:51 GMT -7
Thanks for the input...
I will look at reseating the tubes. Reading the Maz 38 manual I found online it looks like it might be the output tubes ("Care and Feeding - If your amps starts sounding a bit dull or lacks punch it is usually time for a new set of output tubes.")
Kinda disappointing being only one month into a brand new amp. If reseating does not fix it, I will see if the store will give me a set of replacement tubes.
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Post by kruzty on Dec 6, 2007 8:47:39 GMT -7
Are you going directly into the amp or through pedals? If it is pedals, I would try direct to make sure it isn't a pedal/patch cable problem.
If it is a tube and it is a brand new amp, Z and/or Groove Tubes will take care of you.
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Post by shendrie on Dec 6, 2007 10:04:26 GMT -7
I was going through pedals but during the trouble shooting I was straight into the amp.
Already talked to the shop and they will provide me tubes if that turns out to be the issue... So all is good there.
Thanks again for the feedback.
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Post by guitarelf on Dec 26, 2007 12:47:20 GMT -7
I had a problem with my reverb, wrote to Dr.Z, who told me which tube to replace, and I was back in business in a hurry. Have you emailed him?
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Post by shendrie on Jan 9, 2008 9:36:37 GMT -7
Got my Maz 38 Head back from the shop and they indicated it was a bad output tube and replaced it. However, now it seems that there is a bad ground hum that is always there regardless of volume... I still have a loaner Maz 38 2x12 combo from the shop and when I plug into that one there is a bit of buzz, nothing really that bad, the buzz from my Head is WAY louder.
I am not entirely convinced my amp problems are solved as I also replaced the output tubes prior to it going into the shop and that sort of fixed the problem - but introduced new problems.
A quick question for you guys... I had a look and the one tube they did replace is not the same as the other 3 output tubes... (1 SLOV and 3 Groove Tubes)... Is there any issue that they are no longer a matched set?
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messenger
Full Member
life is good!
Posts: 194
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Post by messenger on Jan 9, 2008 11:35:49 GMT -7
yes,they are no longer a matched set
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Post by shendrie on Jan 9, 2008 13:14:12 GMT -7
I talked to Dr. Z support and they recommend I put in a matched quad of JJ EL84 tubes... It would seem these are the most reliable (?).
I will talk to the shop that I bought it from and see what they can do for me. They already gave me one quad of GTs but they also had a problem - that is when it went into the shop for repair. Dr. Z support indicated it is pretty common to have bad tubes right out of the box.
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Post by zdogma on Jan 9, 2008 14:05:25 GMT -7
If one tube is not matched you will get hum, sometimes pretty loud.
New production tubes have a really high initial failure rate. In the last 2 years, I have had about 30% of my new output tubes fail in the first month. Three sets (2 JJ EL 84's sets and a set of GT 6V6S were shorted right out of the box), most of the others drifted out gradually over the first few days or weeks and started to sound weak or HUM.
Once you get it dialed in with good tubes it should sound great.
I'd also strongly suggest a backup rectifier, or install a good NOS 5AR4. New production tube rectifiers are a bit unreliable.
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Post by shendrie on Jan 9, 2008 14:11:32 GMT -7
Thanks for the feedback...
When everything is working well it really does sound fantastic... and I am looking forward to everything stabilizing.
I am sure if it were not for the great tones I can get from the amp when it is running well it would already have been returned.
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Post by guitarboy02451 on Jan 12, 2008 11:26:37 GMT -7
you should try to get a matched quartet from GT. GT eL84 R #6's - GT does all the matching and testing. If there is an issue Myles will sort you out.
pg
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Post by guitarboy02451 on Jan 19, 2008 18:56:29 GMT -7
so, what was the outcome? Any updates?
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Post by shendrie on Jan 30, 2008 17:47:22 GMT -7
Hey there... here is the update.
Well, 2 sets of powertubes later and a trip to the repair shop it is back and the "big" issues have been resolved. It no longer blows up. However there is a really irritating hum that after some trial and error turns out to be related to the reverb. The hum is there even with the volume turned all the way off. You have to turn the reverb off to get rid of the hum.
Dr. Z sent me a new reverb tank that I just installed tonight and the hum is still there.
When I was using the "loaner" Maz 38 combo there was absolutely no hum. When I had both for a couple of days my wife's "innocent bystander" comment was, "why is that one making so much noise".
Kinda frustrating and it is taking some of the joy out of playing the amp. I am actually considering taking it back. Who knows maybe I will get the combo - but man that 2x12 combo is heavy.
For you other Maz 38 Head users... how is the noise with the reverb?
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Post by heynewguy (Ol’ Bill) on Jan 31, 2008 3:36:54 GMT -7
No noise here.
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Post by guitarboy02451 on Feb 2, 2008 20:25:57 GMT -7
you may have to ship back to the dr...
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Post by shendrie on Feb 3, 2008 15:54:25 GMT -7
I have decided I am going to flip it back to the store and get the Maz 38 2x12 combo. In the end I actually like the sound of the combo better... the Z-Best is just a bit to boomy for me. The reason I swayed away from the combo in the first place was the weight... However in reality the Z-best is really not that much lighter.
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