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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2013 7:39:50 GMT -7
With the Maz Volume at 12:00, you have killed all the headroom you're looking for. That setting will allow-break up with single coils when you strum hard. If you want headroom, you need to turn the Volume down to the 9:00 area and turn the Master up to get the volume you need...and there will be plenty of that left, even with the Volume at 9:00. Ultimately, the M12 will have LESS headroom than the Maz because it has less wattage and uses a 5Y3 vs. 5AR4. Another way of saying this is that you can get WAY more clean volume out of the Maz 18 than the M12. That all said, I realize a single EF86 is capable of passing larger voltage swings than a 12AX7, but the Maz uses two of them before the PI (vs. one EF86 before the PI in the M12) and you can gradually ramp it up without distorting those two input stages while still getting compression in the Maz output stage, just like the M12 does. So, I have found that you can mimic he M12 preamp headroom in the Maz 18 by just running the Volume low and then using the Master as your "Volume knob". At that point, the difference between the amps (aside from basic voicing) is that the Maz will get much louder before its power amp starts to compress and then audibly break up. This. For great breakup at home volumes, I use a Brakelite and an OD or two; after going through dozens of ODs during my time with various Mazzes, I like the KoT with a Strat, the OCD with a Tele (upper mid scoop, lower mid hump=bridge pickup fatness), and the Catlainbread DLS MkIII with a Lester. The Maz front end can be a little aggressive--works great for me as a blues player but there might be a tube swap possibility for more headroom. Would a 5751 work in V1? Also, TAD EL84s are supposed to deliver more headroom than the stock JJs or EHs. One other thing--at home, yeah, I turn the cut almost off and the T down below noon, M and B at 1:00 and 3:00 respectively. Volume down, master up for more headroom, vice versa for early breakup--but you really want the MAz's glorious power tube breakup rather than the thinner preamp breakup, when you can get it.
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Post by mazmaster on Dec 1, 2013 14:01:32 GMT -7
Then, I think you're on the right track! Just trying to sort out exactly why you're moving away from the Maz and towards the M12 so that you won't be disappointed once you get there. Power and simplicity are excellent reasons to make the move. I would need an attenuator for most gigs to get the Maz 18 exactly where I like it for my needs...and I play some very loud gigs! Before there were decent attenuators available, I certainly did feel like the Maz was too choked off at many gigs...like a Ferrari that just took spins around the block. But, the M12 seems to have the perfect power level and voicing to allow me to just plop it down, plug in and play for 95% or more of my gigs, rehearsals, etc. But, I'll never sell my Maz 18. There are always gigs which will require it and I have a few excellent attenuators when needed. Plus, I'm just too emotionally attached to it and it sounds too good to let go of! Thanks, but I have a question for you!!! You said you still love your Maz, but if hypothetically you needed to keep just one, the Maz or M12, which would you keep. Let's say for this, you will never need the power of the Maz. Just want to get a feel for if I'm making the right decision getting rid of a killer amp for another Hypothetically, I would keep the M12. But, in the real world, given that I already owned the Maz, I'd just never get rid of it, just like I'll never sell my Glaswerks SOD II, Germino Monterey 100 or Quinn SDO. They all do too much of their own thing so perfectly that I just feel like it'd be a crime to part with any of them.
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