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Post by stormholloway on Jun 12, 2005 19:15:33 GMT -7
Here is an e-mail I sent to Dr. Z. It's Sunday and I doubt he'll answer them. So I'll put them here. I'm looking for a a cabinet to match one of your Route 66 amps I'm buying on ebay. I really can only handle a 1x12 or maybe a 2x10 because of volume levels. How do these cabs sound different? And if I just buy the 1x12 cab what speaker would you recommend for someone who's into the 60s sound, ala Hendrix, Cream.. I like a somewhat dirty blues sound/psychedelic rock sound. I don't own the Route 66 yet but I plan on it. I've heard that you suggest putting in a Dario Miniwatt EF86 to maybe boost the gain stage a bit. Does this sound right? And if I do so, I assume the amp will need biasing.. right? What other tube replacements do you suggest for someone looking for the sound I'm after. I've heard that Hendrix favored 6550 tubes instead of the KT66 or EL34 because of his Fender roots, but this again is venturing into territory that may be out of the realm of my amplifier knowledge. Any help you can give me in my quest would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Added: One more thing. This guy who's selling me a used 66 is also adding a 2x12 celestion blue dr. z cab for a damn good price. Do you think getting such a cabinet is a good or bad idea for someone with my taste (as I mentioned before Hendrix, Clapton, Page)? Or can you not go wrong with Celestion Blues? I've heard they're very musical, but I want to know how they handle distortion. Any input would greatly advantage me. Thanks.
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 12, 2005 19:18:36 GMT -7
Oh also. Do you think such a setup (RT66 w/ 2x12 blue cab) will be too loud for home/small club use? Will I be able to drive this amp without causing ear drums to bleed?
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Post by Laroosco!! on Jun 12, 2005 19:41:34 GMT -7
A Route 66 ww/2 Blues would be great for your needs I think. The Route 66 is a loud amp tho. Consider an attenuator or a pedal or two for small club use(depending on volume limitations). I've played my Route 66 on 10 in my living room but my dog still hates me I go for the same tones you aare taalking about. I ordered my Z Best cab w/1 G12H30 and 1 Greenback. Hit the 66 wwith a Fuzz Face and lissten for the voice of heaven to spill from the sspeakers
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 12, 2005 20:02:48 GMT -7
I happen to have a Fuzz Face so I will certainly be trying that. I also have a Uni-vibe and am probably most excited about getting that effect going.
How do you think a cab with blues compares to your mixed cab in terms of tone?
Also, how is Dr. Z's attenuator? Cause I had a THD Hotplate for my Marshall Plexi and it totally sucked. I mean, it allowed me to crank the amp, but it just sounded thin and crappy. I do have a Maxon OD820, based on the original tubescreamer. I'm sure that will help, but I like to avoid pedal overdrive if I can, even though I've heard the 66 takes OD pedals very well.
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Post by Laroosco!! on Jun 12, 2005 20:17:40 GMT -7
The Route 66 is one of the best amps I've plaayed as far as pedals are concerned. I played a Hotplate with a Plexi and it didn't sound so bad. The trick to attenuators is that they sound best when just used a little bit. I love GB's and H30's. I don't have any experience with Blues except I think they they were in some of the original JTM45's. They are supposed to be great, and a lot of guys who play thru them are never the same
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 12, 2005 22:48:18 GMT -7
I'm pretty excited about it. I found a fantastic deal for a 66 with 2x12 blues, so I hope it goes through (i.e. nobody competes for the buy)
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Post by Beckanon on Jun 13, 2005 9:52:53 GMT -7
Yup, the Rt66 is a loud amp. I get really nice, open tones though by using a MiniMass attenuator. My speaker setup is a 212 Avatar cab with a Weber Blue Dog 30W and a Celestion G12H30. Great combo. The Blue Dog is smooth with a defined upper register. The cab with 2 Celestion Blues should sound pretty killer with the Rt66.
How old is the Rt66 you are buying? It's been talked about quite often how the older Rt66 heads produce some note ghosting -- but in a pleasant way that most players seem to dig. My 66 is probably about a year and half or 2 years old and it doesn't produce any ghosting. The older 66's have the smaller "Rt66" insignia on the face.
I use a Tele primarily with mine, and I can coax some pretty pleasing overdrive tones by diming the eq controls and judisciously using the volume and attenuator knobs. But this is not a bedroom amp. I DO use mine in small clubs, but I also play clean alot of the time, so my volume is not terribly loud. I got told to turn down the other night though.
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 13, 2005 12:16:33 GMT -7
The amp is only a year old. The guy is apparently moving and can't take it with him.
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 13, 2005 12:24:59 GMT -7
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Post by Laroosco!! on Jun 13, 2005 12:58:51 GMT -7
Since it has a Gold Face I'm positive that ity's at least 2-3 years old. I tried to order a Z28 w/gold face in 2003 and was told that the Dr didn't do Gold anymore.
That is a seriously cool looking tho, and I'm sure it will sound great
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 13, 2005 17:22:07 GMT -7
Is there a possibility this rig will produce ghosting as mentioned above? Also what is the ohmage of the 2x12 z cab? Or is there a switch? I ask because I wanna test out my Hot Plate which is 16 ohms.
Any ever heard that attenuators are "bad" for an amplifier because they load the speakers... or something?
I've heard Z's Air Brake is different in this regard, but I don't want to muck up my new amp with such a device.
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Post by Beckanon on Jun 13, 2005 18:25:02 GMT -7
Hey, like I said...the Rt66 owners who hear ghosting of notes BRAG about that fact. Whether its pleasing or not is up to the user. My 66 doesn't have that effect, but I think it still delivers the goods pretty well. You are gonna be floored when you hear that amp opened up through the 212 cab. It's a religious experience.
I have never heard about attenuators being bad for amps. They are made FOR amps, right? If I didn't have the MiniMass I would probably get the Z Airbrake, but so far no quibbles with the Mini.
But if you don't get an attenuator...its a loud amp, bro. You'll most likely have to use dirt pedals in the smaller clubs.
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 13, 2005 18:47:19 GMT -7
I think I'll give Z's Air Brake a try. It's the desperate journey for cranked amp sound at low volumes.
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Post by guitarhero on Jun 21, 2005 7:03:52 GMT -7
I would not recommend a z-best if you want a lower level distorted sound. I think the Rt-66 sounds bettter through a smaller rig for most stages. You can turn the amp up and get more gain with less loudness. If you want to crank the amp and play real loud, then use the z-best. Otherwise you are not taking advantage of the air that thang can move.
sounds like a 2x10 may be in order for you. They are cheaper and much lighter too. The Dr's 2x10's are nice.
I haul my z-best only when absolutely necessary. The good doctor says it is only 55 lbs, but mine checks in at a lower-back numbing 65 lbs! Not for kids.
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Post by stormholloway on Jun 21, 2005 13:08:56 GMT -7
What seems to be less loud, the 1x12 or the 2x10?
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Post by xchrismx on Jul 3, 2005 23:40:33 GMT -7
more speakers= more volume in most cases....even between 10's and 12's .... If youre going for a creamier type of gain rather than a spankier more punchy kind, your probably better off with a 1x12. Also consider that an open back cab won't project as much and wont have the bass response of a closed back. That brings your volume down alot. IMO the 66 is better with 12's because of its' all out depth and warmth, plus it's already really spanky, so 10's exagerate that even more.
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Post by Jefferson on Aug 25, 2005 11:58:21 GMT -7
I dont know if you are still looking at this thread, but here goes anyway.
I played a RT 66 head through a Bogner 1x12 cube cab. The speaker is a celestion g12h30. This combination is jawdropping! The Bogner cab is small and diminuitive in stature but sounds like a 4x12 cab to my ears when mic'd. Even with the single 12 cab, it is still very loud. This necessitated the purchase of a Dr. Z airbrake.
I have tried the hotplate, the Allessandro muzzle, and a couple of other attenuators. The Z, imho, is the best of the lot. While nothing, and I mean nothing, gives you the same feel of a great amp and cab that is fully opened, the Z attenuator does a great job of letting you drop your volume by a few decibels. Sometimes this is all you need to get the sound guy off your back.
I have started setting up the attenuator as part of my normal rig. If I get too many dirty looks from the rest of the band, I simply click it down a notch which is usually enough to help keep everyone happy.
I have tried a lots of amps and cabs over the years, but I am pretty confident that I will be staying with the Bogner cabs and Z amps. There is just nothing to my ear that is any better.
JR
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Post by taswegian on Aug 26, 2005 17:42:20 GMT -7
I have tried a lots of amps and cabs over the years, but I am pretty confident that I will be staying with the Bogner cabs and Z amps. There is just nothing to my ear that is any better.
JR
Have you tried the Z best? The Bogner cube is a great 1-12 but the Z best sounds like a mini-quad. It is an awesome cab.
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