vich
New Member
Posts: 12
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Post by vich on Jan 17, 2008 15:38:34 GMT -7
Hey folks! Kinda new here...I read a lot but post rarely. Just wanted to join the Z-28 lover's club. Just bought a 2x10 combo from thegearpage, and I LOVE this amp! I recently sold a Route 66 head because it just didn't have the high end clarity I was looking for. Man, the Z-28 absolutely met what for me were shortcomings in the Route 66. Granted, the Route is a wonderful amp, but I needed something a little more flexible than that. The Z-28 gives me a clean enough clean to play clucky funk on my strat and enought dirt to pound out a brit pop tune on the bridge. It's got a bite that the Route doesn't have, and I just LOVE that! And like I have read and re-read...it LOVES pedals. I'm driving it with a RC Boost and a BB Preamp as well as a MI Audio Crunch box and an MI Audio Blues Pro...always good to have OD options. I am DIGGIN' it sho nuff!
Questions though...I hear a loud and ugly tube rattle, so I thought I'd replace the 6v6's...any recommendations on what brand I should get and where I should get them? Also considering a GEC ef86 purchase...I had one of those in my Route 66 and it is indeed a magic tube...well worth the $90 or so it costs! I'd appreciate any tube and tube sourcing tips you guys might offer. Thanks folks! -vich
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Post by bluzman on Jan 17, 2008 21:24:32 GMT -7
If the EF86 doesn't have a tube damper on it get one. Some of them tend to rattle. I'm envious!
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Post by UnclePat on Jan 18, 2008 4:46:00 GMT -7
Yeah, as soon as you said "tube rattle" I thought EF86. You can wrap a couple of rubber bands around it as well...it helps. My 1x12 combo rattled so bad I had to trade around and break it into a head/cab rig. My tubes loved their new home, though. No problems since. Congrats on yer' new amp. You'll have a ball with it....just about as easy as a Carmen Ghia to dial in and power to spare.
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vich
New Member
Posts: 12
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Post by vich on Jan 18, 2008 5:36:57 GMT -7
I'm at work now, but I'll check out the ef86 to see if it has a damper on it. Do those things not get too hot for rubber bands?
Also, I want to get a new pair of 6v6's...what brand do you recommend? And what online source do you use?
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Post by UnclePat on Jan 18, 2008 6:10:39 GMT -7
Nuttin' wrong with the stock Groove Tubes, IMO. I've got a new pair of Tung-Sols sitting on the shelf from another amp, but I don't want to futz with rebiasing. Stick with the Groovies and bias should be okay. I get mine locally, but the best online source I've ever used is KCA. He knows amps and the finicky nature of tone-tweaking Z amp owners.
I've had two rubber bands on my EF86 for months now, and I crank it pretty hard...no problems whatsoever. Not even a burnin' rubber smell.
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Post by Phil (aka Phil) on Jan 18, 2008 6:50:34 GMT -7
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Post by StrangeC on Jan 18, 2008 8:06:13 GMT -7
The Z28 is a great amp. I like mine with a Weber 12F150 for a Fendery vibe.
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vich
New Member
Posts: 12
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Post by vich on Jan 18, 2008 8:40:13 GMT -7
Cool! I just bought a set of those tube dampers from ebay. Thanks for the link! I'll hold off on replacing the 6v6's...really don't want to spend the money to have it rebiased and all now.
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Post by fishman on Jan 18, 2008 18:40:31 GMT -7
Z28 is a great amp without a doubt. I can;t seem to get away from mine, it is getting better and better each time I play it... Rates up there with the best amps I have ever played and I been playing 45 years, h@ll, just by being around that long alot of stuff comes across the field...and frankly, the 28 is as good as anything I have ever played in the area for which it was designed. It is not a marshall stack although sometimes I think it thinks it is!... Its not a fender but sometimes I think Leo designed it.. Its not a Vox, but it can chime like crazy... Its every bit as equal to a BF deluxe reverb/brownface deluxe as I have ever heard and it can do a few things these amps can;t ....enjoy IMHO this is in the top 3 Z's made.
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Post by texasjim on Jan 19, 2008 8:15:34 GMT -7
vich: Welcome to the Z-28 clan! I too, have a 2-10 combo that is a great amp. I bought mine from Greg that has clips on the Z-28 site. I bought a pair of Z 10" speakers from a forum member and built a 2-10 cab that my '28 sits on when I play an outdoor gig and need a little bit more air moving. It isn't a lot louder, but the bigger sound from more air moving is striking.
Anyway, congrats on a fine amp.
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Post by UnclePat on Jan 19, 2008 9:25:28 GMT -7
IMHO this is in the top 3 Z's made. Absolutely. There's a lot going on behind that simple faceplate!
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Post by Ridgeback on Jan 19, 2008 9:51:41 GMT -7
IMHO this is in the top 3 Z's made. Absolutely. There's a lot going on behind that simple faceplate! +1 If I could only keep one of my 3 Z's, it would likely be the Z-28 (but I'd lose sleep over giving up the Ghia)
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Post by blondeisbetter on Jan 23, 2008 15:19:34 GMT -7
New Z owner here too! I suspect I havent got mine in a room where I can unleash it for the full tonal pallete. Mine is a blonde head and 210 cab. If it doesnt snarl and wail enough for me I suspect it will with a Fulltone fulldrive on the front end.
Thinking of a small 12" cab to confine it a little bit, thinking of a Vic cab with a weber or fang.
Cheers!
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Post by Joey Beverages on Jan 23, 2008 20:22:40 GMT -7
New Z owner here too! I suspect I havent got mine in a room where I can unleash it for the full tonal pallete. Mine is a blonde head and 210 cab. If it doesnt snarl and wail enough for me I suspect it will with a Fulltone fulldrive on the front end. Thinking of a small 12" cab to confine it a little bit, thinking of a Vic cab with a weber or fang. Cheers! +1 for Blonde Z-28 and 2x10 cab ;D ;D ;D Crank it up and let 'er rip rock on, eh Joel
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fixed
Full Member
Posts: 133
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Post by fixed on Feb 6, 2008 16:58:06 GMT -7
The Z-28 is a definite "keeper" to me, and I've gone through several nice tube guitar amps in the past few years, either stolen or sold voluntarily. This and the Soldano Astroverb are the only ones I would buy again.
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