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Post by deepsouth on Feb 11, 2016 18:42:42 GMT -7
This guys clip finally put me over the edge. Its the type of sound I can never quite get. Love that tight bouncy sound on the lower strings. Now I'm stuck on agonizing over head vs combo and if combo which speaker to put in it. In the comments he says much of what you hear is the celestion blue. I wonder if the bottom end on the blue would hold together at the high volumes my band plays. I'm talking pants leg flapping loud some nights.
I like combos for small clubs where the stage is so small your amp is hitting you in the back of the knees. You can tilt it back and hear yourself. On big stages I sometimes run a vertical 2x12 on either side of the stage. Some gigs we have no sound guy so I can't rely on micing all the time.
Ahh! The Doc needs to design a head that loads straight into a combo when you want to use it that way.
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Post by digs57 on Feb 11, 2016 18:51:25 GMT -7
I am a combo user...there I said it....good for you...the maz will give dat bell bottem shakin in the breeze alright...I don't know about the blue but the g12 h anniversary will definitely hit some thumpin low end...hes in a room not a loud club atmosphere were all bets are usually off....my 2...and welcome and simma down...time brudda.
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Post by JasonM on Feb 11, 2016 19:04:24 GMT -7
The Blue on its own will 'fart' out at higher overdriven volumes I would go with a Gold or the newer Cream. Neither of those will have a problem holding together. I have had all three in my MAZ Jr NR at one time or another and am currently using the new Cream which sounds incredible to my ears. They say the Cream is supposed to be closer to the sound of the Blue than the Gold but it's been so long since I have had the Blue I can't compare them. Anyways you can't really go wrong with a MAZ in any format but if I did it over I would probably go with the head version to lighten up the load when moving it from place to place. The full size combo sounds HUGE but it is also heavy. The Doc's 2x10 cab with the Z 10's sounds great also.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2016 19:05:53 GMT -7
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Post by JasonM on Feb 11, 2016 19:34:55 GMT -7
This would also be a very good option. No affiliation with the seller but I often forget about the studio version seeing as I bought my MAZ a long time ago when that option wasn't available. I have run my combo with my Z convertible cab 2x10 and it does sound incredible. So maybe this would be the the way I would go if I did the MAZ Jr thing over again... The options are certainly nice, good luck.
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Feb 11, 2016 23:12:11 GMT -7
Doc's new Z 12" ceramic speaker would also sound KILLER in a 1x12... A Gold, Weber Silver / Grey Wolf or Tone Tubby Alnico ALL have great bottom and different mids and highs... All work well depending on what style you prefer.
BIG thumbs up for a 1x12 studio combo.
been using a 1x12 studio maz for YEARS now and love it... go to amp. Tone Tubby Alnico works well in it for EVERY Style I play.
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Post by rckline on Feb 12, 2016 1:34:51 GMT -7
Greetings- I have a Blue in my 1-12 combo, and to answer your question, NO!!! Not that I don't love my Blue and the it's sweet, syrupy bottom end, but I play instrumental guitar at lower volumes. If you are going to push the Blue live, it will not be tight and bouncy. Jason M. above mentions the Celestion Gold-this one WILL be tight and bouncy. Haven't heard the Cream yet...
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Feb 12, 2016 3:52:16 GMT -7
If size is an issue, go for the studio combo. It's very solid and amazingly compact (and much lighter). If you're really into the percussive, light, bouncy sound, get the 2x10" combo! The 2x10" sounds much more 3-dimensional, detailed, crisper and yet somehow "bigger" than the 1x12 but less beefy, thick, mid-rangey, woody.
Volume is only going to be an issue when you need to be more quiet. The 18 is a loud amp. I've never used it without a brake lite in over a year of touring and rehearsing.
I have both (the studio is a MAZ 8, however), and can whole-heartedly recommend both. That said, you won't be going wrong with the 1x12 either and it has the added benefit of being able to swap speakers with all the usual suspects available.
Combos rock!
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Post by John on Feb 12, 2016 6:26:36 GMT -7
The creamback is considerably quieter than the blue/gold. If maintaining LOUD volume is an issue, I'd skip the Creamback. Go with a gold.
Gold/Blue= 100db Creamback= 97db
3db may not seem like much, but it is.
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Post by deepsouth on Feb 12, 2016 9:23:58 GMT -7
Since I already own four golds I expect that's what I run in a 1x12 setup.
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Post by deepsouth on Feb 12, 2016 10:10:13 GMT -7
The deed is done. Scored a used head for $1000 Thx for the input guys.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2016 10:54:28 GMT -7
You'll like the head/cab setup with this amp. Congrats!
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zeno
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Post by zeno on Feb 13, 2016 8:52:44 GMT -7
I have the Maz combo that I use for clubs. originally had an Alnico blue that sounded great at lower volumes , but a bit flubby on the bottom end when pushed. Tried a Gold that was a bit too "punchy" , direct , "in your face" kind tone. Finally tried an Alnico Cream that is just perfect. Super tight bottom end at ANY volume as it's rated for 90W. Not stiff at all , & juicy , thick right out of the box. I have about 100 hours on mine & it sounds better every time I play through it. 2cents
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Post by deepsouth on Feb 21, 2016 9:18:51 GMT -7
To follow up I took the Maz to this weeks gigs. It flat out killed. Exactly the sound I've been trying to get for years. For reference I play Telecaster and the band does lighter rock aka Eagles and country. The tone fit like a glove.
I've had other higher watt Z amps but at normal bar gigs I play I could never really open them up. I'm also not a fan of attenuators so I was seldom able to get the goodies.
All night people were walking up on breaks to give compliments. That's something that almost never happens.
Its like the Doc took what I like best about my vox and my fenders and somehow stuck them in one amp.
Also I know its been said before but holy cow that amp can get loud. Maybe its the way it cut through the mix. Who knows but I played a fairly large bar last night and ran my MV and V around 2pm going into a 1-12 cab with a gold and there was no area in that bar were I was not being heard loud n proud. And that was still a clean tone mind you with my Tele. Just a hint of hair on it. I'm interested to try it in an ever bigger room so I can push it more.
So yea. Very happy camper.
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Post by JasonM on Feb 21, 2016 10:08:33 GMT -7
Nice report back, glad the MAZ worked out so well for you! A MAZ Jr and a Gold or a Cream are a tuff combo to beat.
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Feb 22, 2016 4:20:21 GMT -7
Great to hear you like it.
FWIW, it doesn't really get much louder past 2pm on the master. Just dirtier.
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Post by delton on Mar 2, 2016 11:53:12 GMT -7
Great info here, thanks for sharing! I am now pretty much set on scooping up a MAZ 18 studio combo.
I was curious if you think the MAZ 8 would be loud enough for me? I know it's hard to say, I'm sure a lot of the compromise would be clean headroom, but I'm not able to play both (or either of them) to really futz with them before I buy.
I am tracking through a Carmen Ghia at the moment, so once I finish up my tracks I can really did in to the Ghia for a reference if that helps -maybe the clean headroom and levels are similar to the MAZ 18? Sorry, the Ghia is my first Dr Z experience, so I'm just not sure how to judge things. I have mic'ed up a lot of Z'S over the years as a FOH guy, but I wasn't able to play any.
Anyhow, I'm playing in a roots rock and blues style band focusing on originals now. Most of our gigs I bring out my in ear rack and split snake, so we are able to keep stage volume down, or at least I do ;-). A couple of original music festivals we play down in the French Quarter have a really quick set change and we have to play without mic's, ears, etc -turn up or down our amps to balance the mix with the vocals in the FOH. These are smaller clubs, so maybe a couple hundred people in them. We do have to use fill-in drummers from time to time, but our regular drummer is not too loud of a player.
We are going to be in the studio a lot over the next year so the MAZ 8 would be better for that I would think. Perhaps the MAZ 18 would be too loud for me. I guess I should stick with the 18 just to be safe.
~delton
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Mar 2, 2016 14:59:24 GMT -7
If you're keeping stage volume at even tolerable levels, the MAZ 8 is definitely loud enough. It has plenty of clean headroom, too. I like mine to just break up a little which it does with both pre and master at just shy of noon. Without attenuation, I wouldn't be able to use that on most stages we play on – in pentode mode that is. Triode mode is a good alternative for attenuation.
The 18 really requires attenuation imo if you're going to get even *a little* tube breakup and poweramp compression. I've never used my 18NR without the Brake Lite with volume and master at 10-11 o'clock. And some stages were on the larger side last summer.
I initially went with the 18 "to be safe" and then bought the 8 because I "needed" (yea right) a second amp to mostly use at home. While I don't regret my purchase, the 8 would easily have been enough initially. (I still would have bought a second one).
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Post by delton on Mar 2, 2016 17:30:43 GMT -7
If you're keeping stage volume at even tolerable levels, the MAZ 8 is definitely loud enough. It has plenty of clean headroom, too. I like mine to just break up a little which it does with both pre and master at just shy of noon. Without attenuation, I wouldn't be able to use that on most stages we play on – in pentode mode that is. Triode mode is a good alternative for attenuation. The 18 really requires attenuation imo if you're going to get even *a little* tube breakup and poweramp compression. I've never used my 18NR without the Brake Lite with volume and master at 10-11 o'clock. And some stages were on the larger side last summer. I initially went with the 18 "to be safe" and then bought the 8 because I "needed" (yea right) a second amp to mostly use at home. While I don't regret my purchase, the 8 would easily have been enough initially. (I still would have bought a second one). Wow thanks dergit for the run-down! Just what I need to give me the confidence to go for the Maz 8! I dig that little bit of breakup sound too, that's basically my 'clean' tone - then I hit the amp with various pedals for OD and such. I started out looking at the M12 -but then I thought it might not have enough character by itself, you never know what our producer might want on any given song. No pedals straight into the amp and crank it, or lower volume setting with a particular pedal for color. So that lead me to the Maz series, I was really afraid to go for the 18 watt honestly, i'm pretty confident now, that would be way too much power for me! I always spend a few min before each gig without my ear buds in to carefully dial in my stage volume, so I think the lower wattage will really work out nicely. What type of music / guitars do you play? Might take me a wee while to get the different guitars sorted. I play a cambered Tele with Fender vintage noiseless most of the time, I switch to a strat tuned to open 'D' for a couple of tunes, and a Gretsch Nashville hollowbody for a couple of slow tunes. That Gretsch is really hot but I could switch to the low input I suppose. Thanks again! Sorry for hijacking your thread deepsouth! ~delton
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Mar 3, 2016 12:11:56 GMT -7
The Lo input really cleans up heavy humbuckers nicely.
I play this sort of stuff, mostly with PRS guitars, mostly with narrowfield humbuckers and mostly a fair bit cleaner nowadays:
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Post by delton on Mar 3, 2016 14:04:23 GMT -7
The Lo input really cleans up heavy humbuckers nicely. I play this sort of stuff, mostly with PRS guitars, mostly with narrowfield humbuckers and mostly a fair bit cleaner nowadays: Cool I dig it, clean with delay! I can certainly get what I need out of it for sure!
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Post by deepsouth on Mar 6, 2016 13:25:38 GMT -7
I'm seriously considering adding a Maz 8 to the stable when I can. Played quit a few gigs with the 18 now and finally last night played a club large enough to use an extension cab and really crank it like it wants to be. Amazingly loud.
For the smaller hole in the wall joints I think the 8 would likely be just right. If I liked attenuators I could use the 18 most anywhere but that's just a personal quirk of mine.
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Post by dergit (Markus) on Mar 7, 2016 7:33:22 GMT -7
If I liked attenuators I could use the 18 most anywhere but that's just a personal quirk of mine. ... I just don't get it. I'd rather click down the Brake Lite a click or two than touch the preamp and master volumes which changes the tone so much more than the Brake Lite does. Check out this little video I made a while ago:
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Post by digs57 on Mar 7, 2016 9:34:24 GMT -7
No attenuators either for ME....I don't get why people think they have to have it cranked to get good tone?...maz 18 sounds good at any volume...period...to ME and my way of imho
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Post by deepsouth on Mar 7, 2016 10:09:23 GMT -7
I found a deal I could not pass up on a Maz 8 studio with a blue in it.
So it will be the 18 for bigger places and the 8 for small bars and will likely be used as my practice amp as well.
As far as cranking it for good tone. I guess i should say the tone I like personally. For me anyway I like the vol wide open and the master around 2pm. Seems to bring out the harmonics really nicely and gives the level of natural breakup I like. Not saying other settings are bad at all. Just a personal taste thing.
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Post by digs57 on Mar 7, 2016 10:24:03 GMT -7
dig it...enjoy brother
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