I'm now *OFFICIALLY* a member of the Dr. Z family...
Apr 3, 2014 4:53:05 GMT -7
JASON (aka jgleaton) and zed like this
Post by pauloman80 on Apr 3, 2014 4:53:05 GMT -7
The Jr. finally arrived Tuesday. Broke it free from its cardboard limousine, plugged it in, and played.
WOW.
Chimey. Sizzling. Punchy.
But absolutely no harshness.
I kept waiting for it to get "too loud" for comfort, like my beloved '71 Super Reverb can get.
Nope.
Even when plugged into the hi input jack, it was completely civilized. Well, as civilized as natural grit can be.
=D
Other stuff I love...
Other next steps:
I do think there'll be another Z in my future, though. The lower wattage makes for a tremendous amount of usefulness and flexibility in situations where my master volume-less Super is more challenging to dial in. Wonder what an M12 into an open-backed Z 4x10 cab would sound like...
Thanks for welcoming me and helping me find this puppy. First new amp in at least 10 years... very happy.
WOW.
Chimey. Sizzling. Punchy.
But absolutely no harshness.
I kept waiting for it to get "too loud" for comfort, like my beloved '71 Super Reverb can get.
Nope.
Even when plugged into the hi input jack, it was completely civilized. Well, as civilized as natural grit can be.
=D
Other stuff I love...
- Master volume on the back. Great for added control, especially in small close-mic'd rehearsal situations. First time I've ever actually liked a master volume control, but that's probably because it's actually an attenuator.
- Both inputs are super useful. Hi input for guitar > amp blues/club simplicity, lo input for my pedalboard rig to ensure the highest level of pristine headroom.
- It's sexy. What a good-looking rig. Even with the tiny little hanging chad of a tear in the Tolex on one of the front edges on the cab. Easily fixed, I'd say.
- It's not terribly heavy. Shipping weight was around 76 lbs. The cab feels a bit lighter than the head (which is reasonable since there's very little in this cab), so when carried in hand everything balances pretty well.
- The sound/tech guys I work with at the church love it. Every one of them ended up with a massive grin on their faces less than 10 seconds into hearing it. Going to do some mic placement testing through the main auditorium sound system today, hopefully. Very excited.
- The other guitarists who volunteer to serve on our arts team absolutely love it. The pedal- and amp-building friend I spoke of in my first post (who recommended I just look for a Dr. Z instead of having him build a clone) is playing with me for Easter Sunday, and his grin was the widest. He volunteered to take it home with him and make sure it's working right... for a month. =D
- The Overdose button is really fun. Not for every situation/session (that's why I have a pedalboard), but it's fun. I'm more likely to use this amp by itself for a gig than my Super.
Other next steps:
- Fix the small tear in the Tolex. Recommendations on this kind of repair job?
- Set it up alongside my Super for stereo goodness and find the right balance.
- Maybe paint the interior of the cab black. The seller homebuilt it (and did a dang fine job at that), but he left the wood inside natural. I think I might like to paint it so it feels more "finished."
- Get covers & a small 2-wheeled luggage cart/hand truck and/or road cases (which will be an investment, anyone selling any on here??) for easier transport.
- Try not to unload my Super in favor of another Z. <=) My luthier mentor told me I'd probably regret it if I ever got rid of the Super (which I bought while working under his management at a vintage gear shop in the Florida panhandle), and every time I've come close to moving it there was a part of me that fought back. "You know you'll miss this thing..."
I do think there'll be another Z in my future, though. The lower wattage makes for a tremendous amount of usefulness and flexibility in situations where my master volume-less Super is more challenging to dial in. Wonder what an M12 into an open-backed Z 4x10 cab would sound like...
Thanks for welcoming me and helping me find this puppy. First new amp in at least 10 years... very happy.