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Post by lemmingsunday on Dec 10, 2006 0:10:03 GMT -7
Hello Fellows (I doubt any lasses are present , I have never played a 66, and have only heard a few blue's related samples, and what I've heard has led me to post here. My questions are going to be based off of reviews and points of interest that I have picked up at different forums. 1 - Doe the 66 allow one to play clean? I have read that it can do jazz and has the most wonderful chime. Then I've read that it can only do clean if you like a little grit. Then I've read that it can't do clean, and anyone who thinks it can doesn't play it above 1. 2 - So if it can do clean how much headroom is available. 3 - I've read that the 66 is monster solo machine and most sound clips seem to confirm this but how is at doing open chording? Some have commented that it gets a little blurry with chords. Does the 66 have good note articulation, outside of single notes? 4 - Most 66 fans claim that the amp is one thick monster, but then you have a few voices that say it is shrill and brittle. What would account for such extreme responses? 5 - I like hard rock/ classic rock and want something that has a fat bass/low mid (and at times dark foggy) tone such as what an old Orange Overdrive can yield with the frequency tone switch. Does anyone have any take on this? 6 - Do the 66s hold up under road conditions? Are these amps going to have the nuts and bolts to hold up to become vintage some day? Thank you - J
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Post by lemmingsunday on Dec 10, 2006 0:12:54 GMT -7
... two addendums
What do you think about the 66's sustain?
Any thoughts on using a Keeley Compressor with one.
Thanks again,
J
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Post by taswegian on Dec 10, 2006 5:31:23 GMT -7
Hello Fellows (I doubt any lasses are present , I have never played a 66, and have only heard a few blue's related samples, and what I've heard has led me to post here. My questions are going to be based off of reviews and points of interest that I have picked up at different forums. 1 - Doe the 66 allow one to play clean? I have read that it can do jazz and has the most wonderful chime. Then I've read that it can only do clean if you like a little grit. Then I've read that it can't do clean, and anyone who thinks it can doesn't play it above 1. 2 - So if it can do clean how much headroom is available. 3 - I've read that the 66 is monster solo machine and most sound clips seem to confirm this but how is at doing open chording? Some have commented that it gets a little blurry with chords. Does the 66 have good note articulation, outside of single notes? 4 - Most 66 fans claim that the amp is one thick monster, but then you have a few voices that say it is shrill and brittle. What would account for such extreme responses? 5 - I like hard rock/ classic rock and want something that has a fat bass/low mid (and at times dark foggy) tone such as what an old Orange Overdrive can yield with the frequency tone switch. Does anyone have any take on this? 6 - Do the 66s hold up under road conditions? Are these amps going to have the nuts and bolts to hold up to become vintage some day? Thank you - J Welcome to the forum, my answers are somewhat biased but I will give my humble opinion honestly. First things first, you're more than likely ok with the "no lasses" comment because the lass is probably hanging out in the Maz Jr section. Question One, Yes the Route 66 can definitely be played clean, in fact most people HAVE to play it clean because of volume restrictions. You can play it very clean with no grit and there are tube changes you can make to add more clean headroom if need be. I have loaned mine to one of Australia's most respected Jazz guitarists several times and he loved it. The 66 doesn't have the same chime an el84 or 6L6 amp has, it's also not as sparkly as a the before mentioned and 6v6. It's more of a thick smokey warm type clean, with a great top end. It's voiced wonderfully for live work but obviously the guitar of choice and speaker will have a huge impact. Question 2, Plenty and more if need be. Question 3, the Rt 66 has beautiful chord definition even when quite dirty. Question 4, A properly biased and correctly working Rt 66 will NEVER be shrill or brittle. I can only suggest this to be microphonic tubes or incorrect bias or a terrible speaker. Question 5, not sure about that one but I am a hard rock/classic rock fan and I LOVE the amp. Straight in or with a Germanium boost in front will yield some of the most righteous classic and old school hard rock tones around. Think Blackmore/Page/Cream Beano/Clapton. It handles pedals very well so modern sounds are pretty easy too. Question 6, Point to Point handbuilt with love and rock solid. Dr Z amps will be classics. I have recorded an album which is nothing but Rt 66 and ZBest Cab with my Grosh Set Neck. You can hear samples here if you are interested. It's kind of an alternative rock/pop kinda thing. drzamplifiers.proboards41.com/index.cgi?board=soundfiles&action=display&thread=1135038050
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Post by taswegian on Dec 10, 2006 5:32:43 GMT -7
Part 2
The sustain is great but greatly contributed by my Grosh Set Neck which sustains forever.
Never used a compressor with it.
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Post by fuzzkarl on Dec 10, 2006 11:29:55 GMT -7
I play classic rock/blues type but also likehard rock .This amp is killer for those tones.It will also do clean at any setting IMO .Just roll your guitar vol. down.I use alot of open cording.The note retention is great ,even with gian. I let a buddy ,who play's hard rock/metal try it,& he loved it. So for those who say it won't do metal....Not true. Everyone that has played it has loved it.Another friend has done Noise rock(stacked a couple fuzzes & a phaser....boom)...loved it. Another buddy is into chicken pickin....just add a tele and go. Stoner rock buddy ,wants to get one. This amp has no limits.........Just my 2 cents
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Post by lemmingsunday on Dec 10, 2006 15:15:01 GMT -7
Thanks for the great responses.
I've read a lot of posts at this forum, and one thing that STANDS out is how incredibly polite and friendly everyone is. You guys and gals are first class.
The 66 sounds like an amazing amp and just my cup of tea.
Tasweigan I'll be checking out your music link later this evening. Thank you kindly for the link.
Again thanks now and too any future responses.
J
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Post by drew on Dec 10, 2006 22:32:04 GMT -7
Hey J, Welcome to the forum. Tas (Jaye) tells it like it is, his bias is justifiable. I played the 66 with a strat and it had great sustain. The 2 tone controls were deceptive for me. I'd discovered, after months of playing the 66, that setting the treble at 10:00 and bass at 9:00 the 66 yielded a nice livey response even at lower volumes. Another point that I didn't see mentioned was the 66s' string balance and touch sensitivity.
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Post by mward on Dec 11, 2006 7:37:53 GMT -7
One of the things I liked about my 66 was the way a tele sounds through it. Everything sounds excellent through it but it seems teles can be a little thin sometimes and the bottom end through the 66 is absolutely superb. Far more balanced than a lot of other amps. The tone is pure heaven. It's hard to define but it's almost like it has a tiny touch of chorus and reverb in there, a sort of presence that most amps lack when run dry. Jazz stuff sounds superb through it.
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Post by (8^D) on Dec 11, 2006 8:24:52 GMT -7
Yes, the amp is very clean until the volume is about 12:00 noon...that's the amp at it's loudest point - turning up past that begins adding gain/grit (and it's wonderful - 1:00 is such a sweet spot). It's a great/useful design.
Again, plenty until you max out the amp (12:00 noon). 12:00 noon isn't 1/2 of the amp's output like you'd think - again, it's about the point where the amp's volume is maxed and beyond that you are simply coloring with more gain.
That all depends on the player: style, guitar, pedals, setup, etc. The 66 can be extremely articulate or get muddy - absolutely depends on you.
Same as above, just depends on the player. It's an extremely user-friendly amp and responds to knob tweaks. There are SO many tones in this amp.
It'll do it. Think the best hot-rodded JTM-45 rock tone ever. This amp also takes pedals better than most - just eats them up!
These amps are absolutely bullet proof. The 66 was my first Z - toured with it since '04 and it's NEVER had a single issue ever. I've never had an amp that reliable. Plus, they're SUPER easy to work on (change tubes, etc.) if you should need to in a crunch. The 66 was sooo good I picked up a couple more models 1: sound 2: ultimate road reliability. They'll be revered in the future.
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Post by (8^D) on Dec 11, 2006 8:29:14 GMT -7
... two addendums What do you think about the 66's sustain? Any thoughts on using a Keeley Compressor with one. Sustain is amazing especially when you get the volume around 1:00. I've used Teles, Strats, Gibsons (hum and P90). I use the Keeley comp. Great match. Also, the Keeley DS-1 Ultra is unreal with the 66. Use it for a light gain boost - unbelievable. If I still have any video clips from the Drew Womack days I'll post a link...can hear it in an Americana/Country Rock setting. It's H U G E! ;D
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Post by iggs on Dec 11, 2006 8:39:29 GMT -7
Hello Fellows (I doubt any lasses are present , I have never played a 66, and have only heard a few blue's related samples, and what I've heard has led me to post here. My questions are going to be based off of reviews and points of interest that I have picked up at different forums. 1 - Doe the 66 allow one to play clean? I have read that it can do jazz and has the most wonderful chime. Then I've read that it can only do clean if you like a little grit. Then I've read that it can't do clean, and anyone who thinks it can doesn't play it above 1. 2 - So if it can do clean how much headroom is available. 3 - I've read that the 66 is monster solo machine and most sound clips seem to confirm this but how is at doing open chording? Some have commented that it gets a little blurry with chords. Does the 66 have good note articulation, outside of single notes? 4 - Most 66 fans claim that the amp is one thick monster, but then you have a few voices that say it is shrill and brittle. What would account for such extreme responses? 5 - I like hard rock/ classic rock and want something that has a fat bass/low mid (and at times dark foggy) tone such as what an old Orange Overdrive can yield with the frequency tone switch. Does anyone have any take on this? 6 - Do the 66s hold up under road conditions? Are these amps going to have the nuts and bolts to hold up to become vintage some day? Thank you - J 1. yes, quite clean up to about 11-12 o'clock on the volume dial and with Treble and Bass up to about noon. This is a very general statement since Route 66 is such a responsive and dynamic amp that the clean will greatly depend on guitar/pickup combo and tube/bias setting. However, it is quite loud anywhere past 9 o'clock so I'd say there's plenty of headroom available. Is it super-spanky Fender clean? No, but it's not supposed to be, it's more of a thick JTM type clean ... again, VERY dependent on guitar/pickup combo. 2. in general ... with single coils it's clean up to about 12-1 o'clock, with humbuckers up to around 10-11 o'clock, depending on how hard you pick. (this has been my experience, other's may vary) 3. yeah, it gets a bit blurry on chords ... when you PLAY LIKE THAT! It is so touch sensitive that it does not hide anything. Every little change in pick attack shows and I can see some people feeling that way when they finally "hear" themselves playing. But I'd say no, it has a great string-to-string definition on chords. 4. I'd say shrill and brittle would only come from incorrectly set bias or some other tube issue ... of course, there's always a chance somebody just cranked the Treble and then switched to their Strat bridge pickup in which case any amp will get shrill. The tone stack is the key to Route 66's sound because of it's seemingly active nature, usual settings may not yield expected results and some people may translate that into the amps fault, but those knobs do turn more then one way and some patience and experimenting may lead you into discovery of an amazing array of tones. 5. hard rock/classic rock ... you betcha!!! Never played an Orange amp so I can't compare but Route 66 is a rock machine for sure. You will need a pedal for some higher-gain tones and most likely an attenuator to crank the Route 66. 6. Judging by how well they are made inside and out I'd say definitely!
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Post by (8^D) on Dec 11, 2006 8:56:19 GMT -7
I thought I'd add this...
I was on the hunt for my idea of the ultimate JTM-45 type tone (eventhough the actual JTM-45's all sounded horrible). I tried a TON of amps over several months (advantage of touring larger markets, you get to visit a LOT of music stores if you want and try all the hard-to-find stuff). I was told about the Z's and the R66 specifically as the cure to my tone ailments. Found a Z dealer, took my 2 main guitars and popped in. Plugged into the amp and spent the next nearly 2 hours just playing and playing and playing...I've never had that happen. That was/is the best rock guitar tone I've ever heard from an amp - that was all w/out any pedals. Talk about blues tones - wow...SRV, BB, etc...they're all there - extremely responsive to the player's pick hand and the pup/knob selections. Country tones are hiding in there too! All the tones are so inspiring. The R66 is an amazing design!! I'm sure I'll be taking mine to the grave.
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Post by LeftyLang on Dec 11, 2006 22:08:23 GMT -7
I think my buds have said it all....R66 is one of the best amps made today. It is my #1 amp now. Make sure if you buy one used it has fresh tubes and is properly biased. Shrill & Brittle....NO WAY!!!! One thing that a lot of people do not know is that the R66 has a great clean tone also.
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Post by taswegian on Dec 12, 2006 1:05:56 GMT -7
Yep, most people thought I used a different amp for the clean sounds on my album, but I didn't even change the setting, just rolled the volume on the guitar back.
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Post by mward on Dec 12, 2006 20:29:19 GMT -7
Tonight I fired up my Route66. I haven't played it in a while and my wife was out of the house so I thought I'd crank it up. I had the volume on about 9:00, bass and treble on 12. A bit of boost from the blackfinger and a little reverb from the holy grail and I played the new strat through it. It sounded friggin awesome. It's just a mexican strat, nothing fancy in the pickup department, but it sounded thick and creamy and gorgeous and the high notes were wailing and just dripped with soul. Everyone on here knows how great the route 66 is, but sometimes you go play it again or get away from it and come back and it's like .. .damn! I remember why I have this thing. Unfrigginbelievable tone. Roll the volume back on the guitar and it cleans right up. This amp is amazing.
It's also important to note that damn now I remember I need an air brake for this thing. Holy smokes my ears are cooked.
Maybe we should start a new thread "Amazed by my Route66 Today"?
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Post by LeftyLang on Dec 12, 2006 22:06:27 GMT -7
Keep on preachin' bro.....the 66 will make any guitar sound very good!!
I think I need an airbrake too.
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Post by The Rev on Dec 18, 2006 7:30:41 GMT -7
The 66 will perform well in both the clean jazz and driving classic rock. I have recordings in both and was not at all disappointed by the 66 in either. My catalog is on line at www.jimmiebratcher.com if you want to hear it. For my Christmas CD I used nothing but the 66 a 1967 Tele and a Carlson Custom loaded with humbuckers. You can hear that project on my site at www.jimmiebratcher.com. All but the last two songs on that project are straight into the amp. For rock my RED CD also on the site will give you another side of the 66. Both equally fantastic. The Rev. Jimmie Bratcher www.jimmiebratcher.comwww.myspace.com/JimmieBratcher
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Post by mward on Dec 18, 2006 16:34:51 GMT -7
Rev - that is some GOOD STUFF! I like this kind of christmas music, and most xmas music I can't stand. Guitar sounds great!
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Post by (8^D) on Dec 20, 2006 12:45:23 GMT -7
The 66 will perform well in both the clean jazz and driving classic rock. I have recordings in both and was not at all disappointed by the 66 in either. My catalog is on line at www.jimmiebratcher.com if you want to hear it. For my Christmas CD I used nothing but the 66 a 1967 Tele and a Carlson Custom loaded with humbuckers. You can hear that project on my site at www.jimmiebratcher.com. All but the last two songs on that project are straight into the amp. For rock my RED CD also on the site will give you another side of the 66. Both equally fantastic. The Rev. Jimmie Bratcher www.jimmiebratcher.comwww.myspace.com/JimmieBratcherHey JB! Dan Weller here, Jeremy's guitar/amp freak friend from KC. Welcome to the board! Great guys here with lots of great info!! For you folks reading this, Jimmy's a GREAAAT player with AMAZING tone! Help him, support him...buy his CDS...especially the new Christmas release - it's incredible! The arrangements are off the hook good! And, check his schedule, if he's near you, DEFINATELY take the time to make a show - you'll love it! Killer band to boot! Have a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year! Dan
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Post by taswegian on Dec 20, 2006 16:15:27 GMT -7
The Rev is one of my "myspace" friends! Great stuff.
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Post by Telemanic on Dec 22, 2006 8:30:12 GMT -7
Just wanted to welcome our new friend and throw in my two cents about the 66, .....all of the above ...........true!! Just remember that with this simple of an amp circuit, your tube selections become amazingly important! It's like an extention of the volume/tone stack. You really can take this amp almost anywhere ya want to go with it. I have a rather nice collection of NOS stuff, and am amazed at the range of gain / tone you can tweak, Easily as much as the front panel controls. Anyone who finds this amp brittle or shrill, may have the chinese tubes in it , biased too low (?), or was startled by the naked presentation of this amp, There isnt much to hide behind, and it will beg a confident player. Ive never played an amp quite like it. Merry X-mas and happy holidays to all, and a fruitful new year!! - Lou
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Post by LeftyLang on Dec 28, 2006 10:36:35 GMT -7
The 66 will perform well in both the clean jazz and driving classic rock. I have recordings in both and was not at all disappointed by the 66 in either. My catalog is on line at www.jimmiebratcher.com if you want to hear it. For my Christmas CD I used nothing but the 66 a 1967 Tele and a Carlson Custom loaded with humbuckers. You can hear that project on my site at www.jimmiebratcher.com. All but the last two songs on that project are straight into the amp. For rock my RED CD also on the site will give you another side of the 66. Both equally fantastic. The Rev. Jimmie Bratcher www.jimmiebratcher.comwww.myspace.com/JimmieBratcherJimme...great tones from the 66
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Post by The Rev on Jan 7, 2007 20:50:50 GMT -7
Thanks to you all for the kind words about tone! The quest is all about great tone.
Peace, Jimmie
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