zeno
Junior Member
Posts: 63
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Post by zeno on Jan 31, 2016 19:45:24 GMT -7
I have a Maz 18 which I love. However, I made the mistake of playing through a new Z-Wreck a couple of weeks ago while visiting my brother in another state. Holy smokes! That thing blew me away! . Now, I've been catching myself scheming to sell my MAZ & get a Wreck. If , for instance it was the same price as the MAZ , I'd probably do it, but it's not.....and the MAZ is definitely no slouch in the tone dept. , and I'm most definitely unable to have the luxury of owning both. Think I should just hang onto the MAZ until my G.A.S. passes? Anyone bought a Z-Wreck only to find it's "too much" amp?
Also, I gig. mostly bars & smaller clubs. so i'm wondering ..would an Air-Brake tame this thing? Or, is every Z-Wreck owner playing arena shows & outdoor gigs?
Thanks for any opinions
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Post by daveyk on Jan 31, 2016 21:43:03 GMT -7
Maybe dergit will chime in, or you could message him. I read on past threads that he owned a wreck and decided to keep his Maz 18
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Post by muZician on Jan 31, 2016 23:27:54 GMT -7
don't sell the MAZ. I did and it was a mistake. The Zwreck is the best amp I have ever owned but the flexibility of the MAZ is something that I miss. With the Airbrake you will get the beast quiet...but you will need pedals to be versatile in tone. For louder volumes the Zwreck is better...but at lower volume the MAZ is the thing you need!
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Post by markT on Feb 1, 2016 4:04:55 GMT -7
I've had 3 Z Wrecks....original Quantam Silver Set, a head and a combo. ..and I am considering another combo. I miss that amp. Nothing else sounds the same.. All sounded great with an AirBrake in my opinion.
I've had a Maz Jr with a BrakeLite installed before during and after the Z Wreck. It's a modern day classic.
Both can do any gig with a Z Brake. However the Wreck really shines in its full, un-attenuated glory!
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Feb 1, 2016 5:02:45 GMT -7
Maybe dergit will chime in, or you could message him. I read on past threads that he owned a wreck and decided to keep his Maz 18 Cheers, I never owned a Z-Wreck but I've tried it twice at proguitar. It's a fantastic amp and if I were a betting man, I wouldn't bet against myself buying one within the next few years. The only question is whether I'll buy a Z-Lux before or after that. Yikes. If the Doc ever releases a NT version that's a few bucks cheaper and a few lbs lighter... it'll be hard to say no. Anyways, I'm getting carried away now... BUT, what I'm really trying to say: I'd also bet that the MAZ is one of the very few pieces of gear that I'll never sell. Yes, the Wreck is definitely "better" for certain sounds but all in all, if I could keep only one amp, it'd be the MAZ for sure. 8 or 18 I don't know but MAZ. It just hits the spot in so many ways, not just one or two like the Wreck. If the Wreck is your thing, though... definitely budget for an Air Brake or Brake Lite. It needs to be hell-ish loud before it sounds like you probably want it to sound. And arena gigs are hard to come by for most of us.
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Post by telejas on Feb 3, 2016 8:40:45 GMT -7
I owned a Maz Jr-NR a few years ago and now have a Z-Wreck. Both are definitely different, but both sit in the same tonal cloud. The Z-Wreck is my absolute FAVORITE amp I've ever owned....The sound, the feel, it takes pedals amazingly, overdrives perfectly when cranked and takes a Brake-Lite very well. Mine started as the Quantum Silver head and cab, but like you, I normally play small to medium sized clubs with the occasional large show or outdoor event/lake gig. The head/cab was a little too much and when you attenuated it too much, it seemed to take too much away. I lucked into finding a combo cab on CL and put my chassis in it with a Gold....You'd think going from a massive 2x12 to a 1x12 combo you'd lose something, but it didn't. The 1x12 combo had every bit as much low end and just as much chime and character. It is a little different, not better and not worse, just slightly different. The biggest thing was the 1x12 combo takes an attenuator much better, and being a smaller foot-print, it is perfect for the small gigs - and being a Z-Wreck, it's equally perfect for the large gigs. I've played my Z-wreck for 4 people in a club, then the next weekend played for over 5000+ opening up for a national act... And was extremely happy with the sound at both gigs. Now for the Maz Jr.... I can almost say the EXACT same thing! One advantage it has is that it has an excellent master volume and I never once used an attenuator. The Maz Jr has a stronger mid-range focal point and isn't quite as chimey on the top end...But can still chime really well. I also feel the Maz Jr has just as much headroom as the Z-Wreck. To me, the Z-Wreck breaks up a little sooner than most, if not all, of Z's other EL84 based amps. This is coming from first hand experience, I've had the; RxES, Stangray, Maz Sr, Mazerati, Rx (no-ES), Ghia, RxJr, Maz jr, another Stangray and the Z-Wreck. Out of that list, if I didn't have a Z-Wreck my next choice would be a Maz Jr-NR. If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have said the Stangray..But after owning a Maz Jr, there is something magical about that amp. There's a reason it's Dr. Z's most popular amp, not because it's one of the cheapest, but because it's one of the best. (Out of context here) > The Maz Jr, to me, sounds like Dr. Z took 40% of a Fender Deluxe and 50% of a AC30, then added 10% classic Marshall....Mixed them all together, and pulled a Maz Jr out of the oven that is 100% Dr. Z. Whereas the Z-Wreck is more like 90% AC30, with 10% magic that is 100% Dr. Z.
My advice..... If you can afford a Z-Wreck, make that your goal. If you cannot afford a Z-Wreck, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with a Maz Jr. Just some FYI: It's come close to me having to sell my Z-Wreck a few times for some bills... If I did that, you can bet I'd be getting a Maz Jr to replace it and I wouldn't complain one bit (well, maybe a little)
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Post by Kris Richards on Feb 3, 2016 9:19:55 GMT -7
I have both! Like everyone has mentioned, they're both different animals. Fantastic amps! That being said, I seem to gravitate towards the Maz for live and studio work. I'm actually considering selling my quantum silver z wreck set.
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zeno
Junior Member
Posts: 63
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Post by zeno on Feb 6, 2016 7:40:17 GMT -7
Excellent observations. Thank you. I think my G.A.S. has passed and I'm appreciative of the versatility of my MAZ. As someone said about the Z Wreck' "It needs to be hell-ish loud before it sounds like you probably want it to sound" This is probably true, & I don't have the luxury of being able to do that. Read more: ztalk.proboards.com/thread/70762/maz-18jr-wreck-visa-versa#ixzz3zOkRWnkY
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Post by digs57 on Feb 13, 2016 8:47:45 GMT -7
glad you passed your gas....whew
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Post by Kris Richards on Feb 15, 2016 9:00:30 GMT -7
Excellent observations. Thank you. I think my G.A.S. has passed and I'm appreciative of the versatility of my MAZ. As someone said about the Z Wreck' "It needs to be hell-ish loud before it sounds like you probably want it to sound" This is probably true, & I don't have the luxury of being able to do that. Read more: ztalk.proboards.com/thread/70762/maz-18jr-wreck-visa-versa#ixzz3zOkRWnkYNot if you have a great attenuator with it. I'm using the Aaracom with my Z wreck. Doesn't color the tone much at all and you can bring it down to .25 of a watt! Just plugged into it the other day again, man the wreck is killer! That amp isn't going anywhere
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Feb 15, 2016 9:56:45 GMT -7
glad you passed your gas....whew
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Post by doctorice on Mar 13, 2016 14:47:54 GMT -7
All Z amps bring something special and unique to the table, but the Wreck is truly in a class by itself. I plugged into mine today (head + cab, having sold my combo to fund a Z-Lux). Just magical. I went without attenuation. "Hellishly loud" is an apt description. But it is awesome!
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Post by drzplayer on Mar 13, 2016 22:56:44 GMT -7
I made the mistake of getting rid of my Z wreck but later getting another ... Quantum silver set with matching Z verb... This time it's staying, I only make these stupid mistakes once, and I learn from them, lol I wasn't in a band when I initially had the Z wreck, just playing at home but now I'm in a cover band and can really enjoy having a Z wreck. I've owned a maz 38, EZG 50 as well, I'd pick the Z wreck out of the 3 for my personal liking... Cheers!
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Post by drzplayer on Mar 15, 2016 1:51:27 GMT -7
All Z amps bring something special and unique to the table, but the Wreck is truly in a class by itself. I plugged into mine today (head + cab, having sold my combo to fund a Z-Lux). Just magical. I went without attenuation. "Hellishly loud" is an apt description. But it is awesome! I agree Mike! there is something quite special about the Z WReck!
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