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Post by jesslm02 on Jun 19, 2012 20:42:04 GMT -7
#003 has landed. First a few facts - NOS Winged =C= EF86 Preamp Sovtek 12ax7 LPS Phase Inverter 6P14P Power Tubes (aka 7189, same as Z-Wreck & Maz 8) In just a few words my first impression of this little amp is... AWESOME! It just has a sweet el84 tone to it. This is the 1x10 with the Z custom 10. I know the speaker isn't broken in yet and when that happens it will only sound better! I played it for about 15 minutes when I thought to myself, hey wait a minute, this is a pedal platform, I need to try some pedals. I only had time to try a few. The Timmy sounded great as expected. Next was the Keeley modded TS808 and it was great as well. It's real easy to get lost in the tone plugged straight in though. I now see why no one has tried pedals yet. The natural overdrive tone of the amp is great as well. I could definitely hear some StangRay characteristics. It has the chime, not as much as the 'ray, but it's there. I was a little worried at first because there is no mid control knob. I'm not worried now. The fundamental frequencies are there but a quick speaker swap would make a huge difference IMO. Thursday will be the better test. I'll drag it to practice and see what it sounds like with the band and full pedalboard. A few of the other early reviews have stated that the amp is easy to dial in. I agree with that 100%. With just a few twists of the knob I was there. Also, as many may have figured out, the controls are very similar to the Z28. Up to 12:00 on the Bass and Treble is like a normal EQ. Once past 12, they really start adding gain/volume to their respective frequency range. Many have raved about the 3-3-3 setting on the Z28, well it's pretty sick on the M12 as well! I also have a Z 1x12 with the G12H30. I plugged in to that cab, and it sounded huge. I think it would be awesome with the G12M or other greenback variant. Although, the 1x10 did sound big for a 1x10 cab. Overall I'm really impressed with this little 12 watts of pure tone. Is it a half powered 'Wreck or 'Ray? Well no, but it wasn't designed to be. It does have some qualities of both though, and maybe that's why it sounds so good.
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Post by mazmaster on Jun 19, 2012 21:10:37 GMT -7
Great review. Thanks for the rundown on tubes. I didn't even have time to look, except that I noticed a JJ 5Y3 in there. You reminded me here that I noticed my 1x12 was the least boxy one I've owned...pretty big, full sound for a 1x12. I know Z is known for getting big sounds out of his 1x10s and 1x12s but I've never experienced it live till today!
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Post by jesslm02 on Jun 19, 2012 22:27:43 GMT -7
Almost forgot, this one's #003.
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Post by doctorice on Jun 20, 2012 5:10:43 GMT -7
Congrats!
The amp does sound great through a single 10", doesn't it?
I'd say that you, mazmaster and I agree that this is a very easy amp to dial in. Just like it's supposed to be.
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Post by Joey Beverages on Jun 20, 2012 5:19:19 GMT -7
Congrats! The amp does sound great through a single 10", doesn't it? I'd say that you, mazmaster and I agree that this is a very easy amp to dial in. Just like it's supposed to be. Y'all aint makin' very easy for me to resist the urge to place the order .... dang Keep on postin' as I am interested to hear more about the '12 cheers always, Joel
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Post by jesslm02 on Jun 20, 2012 5:51:04 GMT -7
Congrats! The amp does sound great through a single 10", doesn't it? I'd say that you, mazmaster and I agree that this is a very easy amp to dial in. Just like it's supposed to be. I agree, it is very easy to dial in. The Hi/Lo switch is a really cool feature as well. No need to unplug to switch jacks, just flip the switch and you're there.
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Post by mazmaster on Jun 20, 2012 6:49:45 GMT -7
Has to be the easiest amp to dial in that I've owned. It literally took me just a few minutes to nail what I wanted to hear out of the amp. And, the OD tones with pedals are incredibly clear and defined but not stiff or harsh or sterile.
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Post by Stan on Jun 20, 2012 6:53:29 GMT -7
you guys are making this awful difficult, you keep this up, i'll now have to add the M12 to the most wanted list as well
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Post by jesslm02 on Jun 26, 2012 6:55:02 GMT -7
UPDATE: So I was able to crank up the little 1x10 combo with the band at practice yesterday. Unfortunately, it left me wanting/needing something more. I was able to get usable sounds, but I could tell this was a 1x10 low wattage amp. With that said, I wasn't expecting it to sound like a 4x12 cab. I just wanted to try it out and so I did. Here's just a few thoughts -
1. Humbucker stated the 1x10 as and ideal bedroom/studio amp. I find this to hold true. Sounds great at home and would be awesome in the studio. Although it didn't sound bad per say, in a band context. I'm just used to playing 12's or 2x10's.
2. I have a 10" red fang on the way. The combo currently has the stock Z 10" in it. Sounds great, but for full band gigs/rehearsal I think the red fang might be a better fit for use as a single 10". We'll see.
3. My primary intentions for the 1x10 combo are for small gigs, home practice and jam type situations. It will be great for that. Also, I have a Z 1x12 convertible cab and I can put the M12 in a head cab. The 1x12 will be more ideal for a full band type situation. For instance, when I take it to play at church, I will most likely be using the 1x12. For studio stuff, I'll probably grab the 1x10 for ease of portability because I'll probably already have a 1x12 cab or combo.
So that's it for my ramblings for now. Overall, I love the amp. It's different, low wattage, takes pedals well and it's simple. Very easy to dial it in.
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Post by mazmaster on Jun 26, 2012 11:30:09 GMT -7
UPDATE: So I was able to crank up the little 1x10 combo with the band at practice yesterday. Unfortunately, it left me wanting/needing something more. I was able to get usable sounds, but I could tell this was a 1x10 low wattage amp. With that said, I wasn't expecting it to sound like a 4x12 cab. I just wanted to try it out and so I did. Here's just a few thoughts - 1. Humbucker stated the 1x10 as and ideal bedroom/studio amp. I find this to hold true. Sounds great at home and would be awesome in the studio. Although it didn't sound bad per say, in a band context. I'm just used to playing 12's or 2x10's. 2. I have a 10" red fang on the way. The combo currently has the stock Z 10" in it. Sounds great, but for full band gigs/rehearsal I think the red fang might be a better fit for use as a single 10". We'll see. 3. My primary intentions for the 1x10 combo are for small gigs, home practice and jam type situations. It will be great for that. Also, I have a Z 1x12 convertible cab and I can put the M12 in a head cab. The 1x12 will be more ideal for a full band type situation. For instance, when I take it to play at church, I will most likely be using the 1x12. For studio stuff, I'll probably grab the 1x10 for ease of portability because I'll probably already have a 1x12 cab or combo. So that's it for my ramblings for now. Overall, I love the amp. It's different, low wattage, takes pedals well and it's simple. Very easy to dial it in. So...was it a volume/headroom thing or a tone thing or both? Haven't had mine with the band yet, but given my extensive side-by-sides with known band settings on my current gigging amps so far, I have been pretty stoked with how the M12 1x12 combo is stacking up. It gives me the satisfying pedal->amp interaction of the big Germino rig, but without any attenuation needed, and it actually fills the room better than my fave channel-switching rig, i.e., the Glaswerks SOD II with Glaswerks 1x12 Thiele w/ EV. It's a pretty loud and big-sounding amp which can also be turned down and still retain a good measure of the more cranked up settings. When played against loud recordings alongside all my proven gig amps, it actually comes across with a little bit more "fowardness" in the mix...just like my Maz 18 Jr NR. You should try yours with a good open-back 1x12!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2012 11:31:10 GMT -7
Congratulations. Let us know how the speaker swap works out. cheers/tom
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Post by jesslm02 on Jun 26, 2012 11:37:38 GMT -7
UPDATE: So I was able to crank up the little 1x10 combo with the band at practice yesterday. Unfortunately, it left me wanting/needing something more. I was able to get usable sounds, but I could tell this was a 1x10 low wattage amp. With that said, I wasn't expecting it to sound like a 4x12 cab. I just wanted to try it out and so I did. Here's just a few thoughts - 1. Humbucker stated the 1x10 as and ideal bedroom/studio amp. I find this to hold true. Sounds great at home and would be awesome in the studio. Although it didn't sound bad per say, in a band context. I'm just used to playing 12's or 2x10's. 2. I have a 10" red fang on the way. The combo currently has the stock Z 10" in it. Sounds great, but for full band gigs/rehearsal I think the red fang might be a better fit for use as a single 10". We'll see. 3. My primary intentions for the 1x10 combo are for small gigs, home practice and jam type situations. It will be great for that. Also, I have a Z 1x12 convertible cab and I can put the M12 in a head cab. The 1x12 will be more ideal for a full band type situation. For instance, when I take it to play at church, I will most likely be using the 1x12. For studio stuff, I'll probably grab the 1x10 for ease of portability because I'll probably already have a 1x12 cab or combo. So that's it for my ramblings for now. Overall, I love the amp. It's different, low wattage, takes pedals well and it's simple. Very easy to dial it in. So...was it a volume/headroom thing or a tone thing or both? Haven't had mine with the band yet, but given my extensive side-by-sides with known band settings on my current gigging amps so far, I have been pretty stoked with how the M12 1x12 combo is stacking up. It gives me the satisfying pedal->amp interaction of the big Germino rig, but without any attenuation needed, and it actually fills the room better than my fave channel-switching rig, i.e., the Glaswerks SOD II with Glaswerks 1x12 Thiele w/ EV. It's a pretty loud and big-sounding amp which can also be turned down and still retain a good measure of the more cranked up settings. When played against loud recordings alongside all my proven gig amps, it actually comes across with a little bit more "fowardness" in the mix...just like my Maz 18 Jr NR. You should try yours with a good open-back 1x12! It was more of a tone thing for sure with the single 10. I was able to keep up volume wise, even with the fairly less efficient Z 10. The 1x12 with the band is next on my list. Just plugging into the 1x12 cab at home there is huge difference between it and the 1x10 combo.
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Post by mazmaster on Jun 26, 2012 13:45:32 GMT -7
So...was it a volume/headroom thing or a tone thing or both? Haven't had mine with the band yet, but given my extensive side-by-sides with known band settings on my current gigging amps so far, I have been pretty stoked with how the M12 1x12 combo is stacking up. It gives me the satisfying pedal->amp interaction of the big Germino rig, but without any attenuation needed, and it actually fills the room better than my fave channel-switching rig, i.e., the Glaswerks SOD II with Glaswerks 1x12 Thiele w/ EV. It's a pretty loud and big-sounding amp which can also be turned down and still retain a good measure of the more cranked up settings. When played against loud recordings alongside all my proven gig amps, it actually comes across with a little bit more "fowardness" in the mix...just like my Maz 18 Jr NR. You should try yours with a good open-back 1x12! It was more of a tone thing for sure with the single 10. I was able to keep up volume wise, even with the fairly less efficient Z 10. The 1x12 with the band is next on my list. Just plugging into the 1x12 cab at home there is huge difference between it and the 1x10 combo. Thanks! I wasn't going to say anything, but I extrapolated as much from that first G-man Dude video. I was hearing things that I knew were the things I typically don't like from single 1x10 combos.
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