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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Nov 4, 2015 17:03:06 GMT -7
To any who own both amps, I've got a Maz 8 and I'm thinking about getting a Maz 18 NR. What's the main difference between the two amps? I like the Maz 8 but I want a little more gain. I don't use reverb and would have bought the 8 in a non reverb if it had been available.
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Post by doctorice on Nov 4, 2015 17:07:56 GMT -7
I find the 18 to have a lot more punch and girth. It's also, imo, quite a bit louder. For example, I've been hesitant to use the 8 for a gig since I worry about running out of clean(ish) headroom. Not an issue with the 18. One proviso to my statement: I've not run them through the same speaker(s). The 8 is a Cel Blue and the 18 is 2x Z10s. That likely accounts for some of my perspective. Fwiw, my 18 is the 'verb model. I had an NR with 12" Gh1230, but sold it off. It has a touch more gain and mid presence. I have a video comparing the two somewhere on Z Talk if you're interested in listening. (I sold the NR to make space for a JAZ
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Post by ME on Nov 4, 2015 17:41:34 GMT -7
Both are great sounding amps. I have limited experience with the 18, but I really liked it, though it is too loud for my needs. So I own the 8. I don't play out a lot and mike the amp in larger venues. I usually use a Brake Lite to get my tone at a volume the band wants. ME
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Post by digs57 on Nov 4, 2015 19:17:41 GMT -7
I looked at the 8 but was really needing that security of having the extra sumthin if I needed it...and has proven to be the right decision for me...as far as tone/vol...from what I have read dave is that the two are different animals..."just have both and be done w/it".
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Nov 5, 2015 2:46:57 GMT -7
Funny, I just typed up a rather lengthy post here where you'll find some of my experiences with both amps: ztalk.proboards.com/post/772709/threadIn short: The 18 is a *lot* bigger and louder, which I'll also attribute partly to the higher powered Z 2x10"s over the 1x12" G12H30. The 18NR seems to compress a bit earlier than the 8. My sweet spot, where both pre- and poweramp stage just saturate and overdrive slightly with the guitar opened up and me hitting the strings quite hard, come in at slightly different settings: Volume at 10 and Master at 11 on the 18NR, Volume at noon and master at 10 on the MAZ 8. The 18 also needs more treble and less cut, which, again, I'll attribute to the speakers more than the actual amp. The 10"s do have some bite to them. I'll agree with doctorice on the mids: The NR is boxier, crunchier, beefier in the mid-range, which I like on a stage, where I use my 18 – and not so much for recording and at home, where I use my 8. So it works out perfectly for me but if you want them to be very similar, probably get the reverb model. If you want a bit more gain, like you say, and rockier tones, the NR might be the right choice, though! The 8 sounds a bit cleaner, lighter and flatter with less compression and sustain, less 3-dimensional (also attributed mostly to 1x12 vs. 2x10) – just smaller overall. The 18 is beefier, saturates earlier (at the same settings, not the same volume, it's always going to be louder. A lot.) and has a tighter, fuller bass. But really, make sure you can use it: It's built for the stage and way too loud for home use. I tried recording it at home with a Brake Lite on 4 once and it just can't be done where I live (inner city flat). At least not without the master completely down. The 8 in triode mode with attenuation, however, is a great home amp. But all in all: If I'd tweak them to sound the same, record them through a microphone and then jumble up the files, I doubt I'd be able to tell them apart 10/10 times. They're still very similar amps.
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Post by mpa93 on Nov 5, 2015 7:29:04 GMT -7
Funny, I just typed up a rather lengthy post here where you'll find some of my experiences with both amps: ztalk.proboards.com/post/772709/threadIn short: The 18 is a *lot* bigger and louder, which I'll also attribute partly to the higher powered Z 2x10"s over the 1x12" G12H30. The 18NR seems to compress a bit earlier than the 8. My sweet spot, where both pre- and poweramp stage just saturate and overdrive slightly with the guitar opened up and me hitting the strings quite hard, come in at slightly different settings: Volume at 10 and Master at 11 on the 18NR, Volume at noon and master at 10 on the MAZ 8. The 18 also needs more treble and less cut, which, again, I'll attribute to the speakers more than the actual amp. The 10"s do have some bite to them. I'll agree with doctorice on the mids: The NR is boxier, crunchier, beefier in the mid-range, which I like on a stage, where I use my 18 – and not so much for recording and at home, where I use my 8. So it works out perfectly for me but if you want them to be very similar, probably get the reverb model. If you want a bit more gain, like you say, and rockier tones, the NR might be the right choice, though! The 8 sounds a bit cleaner, lighter and flatter with less compression and sustain, less 3-dimensional (also attributed mostly to 1x12 vs. 2x10) – just smaller overall. The 18 is beefier, saturates earlier (at the same settings, not the same volume, it's always going to be louder. A lot.) and has a tighter, fuller bass. But really, make sure you can use it: It's built for the stage and way too loud for home use. I tried recording it at home with a Brake Lite on 4 once and it just can't be done where I live (inner city flat). At least not without the master completely down. The 8 in triode mode with attenuation, however, is a great home amp. But all in all: If I'd tweak them to sound the same, record them through a microphone and then jumble up the files, I doubt I'd be able to tell them apart 10/10 times. They're still very similar amps. I also own both, not much to add to the excellent response above. I will say that I play small to medium sized venues and I have used the 8 for clean and 18 for dirt and vice versa. I have a gold in the 18 and a blue in the 8. Great amps that will never be sold. I love the versatility of running both at gigs. The 8 is definitely better for home use and recording if volume is an issue but there is some kind of magic in the 18nr (my favourite Z)!
Cheers, Mike
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