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Post by clay49 on Dec 20, 2006 21:29:43 GMT -7
Hi guys,
I'm a brand new kid on the block and have just been introduced to Dr. Z amps and I have a question for you seasaoned "Z" veterans....
I've long been a late 70's - early 80's rock and roll player...all humbucker guitars, currently using a Marshall DSL50 with voiced JJ tubes and a Mojave 4x12 cab with Celestion G12H30 speakers. I lean toward the sounds of 38 Special, Foreigner, AC/DC, Skynyrd, etc. However, I'm spreading my wings and want to branch out into the Brad Paisley sound...I'm buying a Telecaster, and want to have an amp that can give me that sound as well.... So here's my question...in the Dr. Z lineup is there a head (or combo) that I can use to get the best of both these worlds? I'd rather not drag two amps around, and if there is a "Z" that can cover both relatively well, I'd be a happy camper.
In the limited reading I've done on the Dr. Z site, it seems that the 6545 may be the ticket, or possbily the MAZ 38 Sr. What think ye?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 20, 2006 22:51:56 GMT -7
You can get pretty close to all of that with the 6545 if you pay attention to what speakers you choose. The KT-45 side can be very chimey and clean (it has to be the cleanest amp the Doc makes) and of course the SRV-65 side is a smoking hot amp. The thing is, the speakers make a huge difference in how this all comes out. I'm looking into the new Celestion Alnico Golds for mine, but the Doc's 10's sound really great with the KT-45.
The real problem you're going to encounter is finding one for sale, since the 6545 is currently suspended from new production. I'm not sure how long that will last, but I'm sure it will be a while more.
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Post by kruzty on Dec 21, 2006 8:36:58 GMT -7
I would suggest the Maz 18 or 38 for something a little different from what you have. The 45 side is really clean, and if you're after that cleaner, fendery type country tone, it does that pretty well. If you like a little hair on it, try one of doc's EL84 amps. If you don't mind using some pedals, you can get a great variety of tones for live situations.
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Post by clay49 on Dec 21, 2006 8:57:40 GMT -7
Thanks for these recommendations...BTW, why is the 6545 suspended from production? Probably too good, and Marshall was sweating bullets, huh???
I've got the Mojave 4x12 with Celestion G12H30s...but I was hoping to go the combo route, which would put me with whichever speakers come with that particular Z amp. I'd sell my Marshall DSL50 and the Mojave cab. I also use a Keely modded Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, which helps me get that 70's crunch.
I sent Brent (at Dr. Z) this same post bascially, and he thought I should possibly look at the the Maz 38 Sr without the reverb....
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 21, 2006 9:19:51 GMT -7
Thanks for these recommendations...BTW, why is the 6545 suspended from production? Probably too good, and Marshall was sweating bullets, huh??? I've got the Mojave 4x12 with Celestion G12H30s...but I was hoping to go the combo route, which would put me with whichever speakers come with that particular Z amp. I'd sell my Marshall DSL50 and the Mojave cab. I also use a Keely modded Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, which helps me get that 70's crunch. I sent Brent (at Dr. Z) this same post bascially, and he thought I should possibly look at the the Maz 38 Sr without the reverb.... The lead tech at Dr. Z died last year along with some other personel moves that left the production side way short on experienced help. So they had to suspend a number of amps, including the 6545, until they can get back up on the power curve. And by the way, I am not aware of any 6545 making it into a combo - I think they are head only.
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Post by cementman on Dec 21, 2006 12:55:03 GMT -7
i will have to jump in here and say, the 45 side of the 6545 on my amp is not as clean as it implies you are saying here. the amp has a 5ar4 and not a solid state rectifier as the kt45 has. when you dime the bass and treble it has every bit as much hair and mojo that my maz 38 had, that i sold. especially if you use , say, a keeley compressor. i was leery of this pedal, but it really opened up my 6545, mcuh more pleasing to me than, say, just a fulltone ocd. i went through , many years ago, a kt45 and wound up selling it,,, but it had a solid state rectifier. that is the key, i think, to the tone you are looking for. by the way, i also bought a phase inverter , ,matched, from myles rose, and a set of "6" matched e34ls from groove tubes, biased it at 33-34, ( i think). it made all the difference in the world. tremendous, quiet, tone. cant get enough of it...
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 21, 2006 13:06:16 GMT -7
Are you using a Humbucker into the KT-45? Because with my strat, even with the tones wide open, it is still very clean - much cleaner than the Stingray with the same guitar. Yeah, if you push the front end with a pedal it starts to give up some dirt. But mine is just amazingly clean all the way up when I plug the strat straight in.
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Post by skydog958 on Dec 28, 2006 9:47:19 GMT -7
My 45 can get pretty dirty with buckers, especially with the 535. My strat can get grit but not too much before the tube sag kicks in. Mine has the same tube set up as cementman, but with a NOS GEC EF86. The GEC is supposed to be very strong sounding, if that makes any sense.
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Post by kidmagic on Jan 12, 2007 13:22:27 GMT -7
I think the speakers have a lot to do with how clean the 45 side seems. I use a 4x10 cab w/ eminence ramrods, and gigging volumes keep the 45 volume at about 12:30. With single coils (jaguar) it's generally clean but with some break-up. I would not say shimmery clean at any volume though - more stiff than that. In fact, I'm not sure I would compare the 45 side to a fender at all, but then again that could be my british voiced speakers! The 65 side SMOKES though. The 45 side to me is a tight, serviceable rythm clean side, but no shimmer. I really need to try the 45 side w/ difference cabs/speakers.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 12, 2007 13:36:23 GMT -7
I think the speakers have a lot to do with how clean the 45 side seems. I use a 4x10 cab w/ eminence ramrods, and gigging volumes keep the 45 volume at about 12:30. With single coils (jaguar) it's generally clean but with some break-up. I would not say shimmery clean at any volume though - more stiff than that. In fact, I'm not sure I would compare the 45 side to a fender at all, but then again that could be my british voiced speakers! The 65 side SMOKES though. The 45 side to me is a tight, serviceable rythm clean side, but no shimmer. I really need to try the 45 side w/ difference cabs/speakers. I was able to try my 6545 with a friend's Z 4x10 (actually a Z-28 combo with 4x10's) and on the KT-45 side it was glorious. It was almost as cool as the Stingray as far as chime goes. We were both stunned.
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Post by skydog958 on Jan 13, 2007 21:55:09 GMT -7
The 45 can be pretty chimey.
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Post by cementman on Jan 14, 2007 8:23:21 GMT -7
i play my 6545 with a z 2/10 cab. one of the best purchases i ever made. sounds very different with 12 inch speakers. i really cant decide which amp i love the most, a z-28 or a kt45 (6545,,,45 side), i have longed to hear the kt-88 head by z, but cant pull the trigger on one without hearing it first,,, wilcutts has a couple left. my plan is the wait and get one of the new z designed 6L6 amps that are coming out in june ( i am told) i had always wondered why a 6L6 amp had never been offered by z. geuss you cant do them all at once.
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crikey
Junior Member
Posts: 57
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Post by crikey on Apr 3, 2007 13:58:19 GMT -7
I'm not sure I've ever cranked up my 6545 45-side with a Strat! How could I have overlooked that? With my Les Paul, I was surprised what a thick, beefy, British kind of overdrive tone it had after reading comparisons to Fenders. But I was playing a Les Paul through a closed-back 212 with Celestions. I'll bet with Fender single-coils and maybe an open-back speaker cab, it would sound like a different amp.
For the original poster, I think you'd find the 6545 more suitable for what you do now than for Brad Paisley sounds. I think of the 6545 as a killer classic/hard rock amp -- at least with humbuckers. I think Brad Paisley uses the Stang Ray and the Prescription Extra Strength. Check his web site for details; I recall that he lists a lot of detail about his gear.
Cheers,
Crikey
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Post by drew on Apr 3, 2007 21:28:57 GMT -7
Hey Clay, IMHO the 6545 is a great amp for rock and country twang. I'm a single coil strat player and love the amp. I agree that speakers make a huge difference. If your just looking for a type of twang the 45 side is very cool and the 65 side smokes.
The StangRay and RXES both nail the Paisley tone. The Maz Sr is a great and versatile amp that would probably get you closer to that compressed el84 vibe and then some.
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