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Post by fishman on Feb 27, 2016 22:08:23 GMT -7
Seems the simpler the amp the more complex it is. I think Z does this just to drive us nuts. I have my Therapy up for trade but I decided to put some time in and see what I could come up with. I forgot it took me almost a year to really get a handle on my MAZ38NR. So I have been doing the blindfold thing and have come up with a sound I really can get along with. I use a Z 4-10 and after some trial and error have come up with a setting that lets me get Super Reverb, VOX, HiWatt and some Marshall flavors but not copies, and using the guitar tone controls as well I can get blends of each or more of one while still keeping that special Z sound that is a common thread in his amps...its not always the same tone, but its the same dynamic. Its a Z sound for lack of a better word. I am leaning into keeping it now. Will be looking out for an empty 1-12 I think as the 4-10 can be a bit much to haul around sometimes. The amp will do what I want it to and more. I did pick up on the crank the mid thing instead of a scoop and its much better. As nuts as this sounds I have better bass control with the bass set to 1 oclock than I did just barely cracking the knob. I play mostly clean, or a variation of that. I am not a heavy distortion player and there is plenty of cleans available. Little tweaking you can get that "special" clean..not twin reverb kinda cleans, I have old fenders for that, but non overdriven sounds that react like OD sounds. Hard to explain, but I am glad I decided to put some time into it. Its a real good amp, dead quiet at all volumes and I mean dead quiet..not a hiss or pop or crackle in it. I think I will just look for tele swap for my LP and keep the Therapy. Z has saved me thousands in searching for amps, having had many I guess I got a bit over confident and forgot that you gotta get those tones outa there and that takes time and patience. Its easy to get a good sound, but there are great sounds in there for sure. Aside from my old fenders that I love Z amps are the only ones I have kept and played this long in the entire 50+ years of playing. I tend to hold onto guitars but I was an amp maniac...Dr. Z has provided the platform. I have liked some better than others but there were no bad ones. The Beat Goes On.
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Post by purpletele on Feb 28, 2016 0:57:16 GMT -7
Glad that worked out.
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Post by simpleton on Feb 28, 2016 8:48:36 GMT -7
The Ghia was my first Z and it took me a year to get it...I went from my Peavey Classic 30 to a Divided by 13 SJT 10/20 with no issues...played around with a reissue Twin a bit too, but that Ghia confused me in that I couldn't 'dial out' a certain frequency...it's that Z sound....the one that makes sure everything is heard clearly all the time. I was use to amps being less see thru and less responsive to my inputs...I was timid in my tone knob usage....I wasn't use to using my guitar knobs...ect.
Some how that amp taught me about all those things and yet when I first got my Therapy I had NO IDEA how to use an EQ because the Ghia only said Tone. I didn't know how much bass, middle or treble I liked....now it's been just over a year and I'm really getting comfortable with the amp and feel I can do what ever I want with the EQ.
For glassy Fender esk tones I try keeping the bass low, mids lower and treble high sooo like 9, 8, 1-2 O'clock respectively.... To get that Bakersfield kind of twang.
Yes it's not a twin...it's tweed based...but it has it in their. I read an interview with Dr. Z where he said he wanted his amps to actually color our sound, to actually have an input in the music being made. He didn't want them to be a silent partner so to speak, and I think that when we plug into a Z we also must accept that his ears become part of what we will sound like and you can never dial that out....it's a marriage. Like marriage, it can take a while to get over not having it our way all the time but once we realize it and accept it, a whole new world exists with the two joined together that we hadn't thought of yet.
Have fun ...it's just music. Try the 1x12 with the new Z 12" speaker, it's a bit lower decibel and more American sounding...maybe it will draw out the Fender tones you have as home base better. I like mine with a 12" Canabis Rex.
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Post by Pete aka shouldb on Feb 28, 2016 15:31:28 GMT -7
So I have been doing the blindfold thing and have come up with a sound I really can get along with. MUST use your ears with Z amps, not your eyes! The number of times over the years I've had to kick myself for forgetting this basic life rule is pathetic! This amp in particular has SO many great sounds in it - just close your eyes and twiddle a few knobs................magical!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Feb 28, 2016 16:39:07 GMT -7
The Ghia was my first Z and it took me a year to get it...I went from my Peavey Classic 30 to a Divided by 13 SJT 10/20 with no issues...played around with a reissue Twin a bit too, but that Ghia confused me in that I couldn't 'dial out' a certain frequency...it's that Z sound....the one that makes sure everything is heard clearly all the time. I was use to amps being less see thru and less responsive to my inputs...I was timid in my tone knob usage....I wasn't use to using my guitar knobs...ect. Some how that amp taught me about all those things and yet when I first got my Therapy I had NO IDEA how to use an EQ because the Ghia only said Tone. I didn't know how much bass, middle or treble I liked....now it's been just over a year and I'm really getting comfortable with the amp and feel I can do what ever I want with the EQ. For glassy Fender esk tones I try keeping the bass low, mids lower and treble high sooo like 9, 8, 1-2 O'clock respectively.... To get that Bakersfield kind of twang. Yes it's not a twin...it's tweed based...but it has it in their. I read an interview with Dr. Z where he said he wanted his amps to actually color our sound, to actually have an input in the music being made. He didn't want them to be a silent partner so to speak, and I think that when we plug into a Z we also must accept that his ears become part of what we will sound like and you can never dial that out....it's a marriage. Like marriage, it can take a while to get over not having it our way all the time but once we realize it and accept it, a whole new world exists with the two joined together that we hadn't thought of yet. Have fun ...it's just music. Try the 1x12 with the new Z 12" speaker, it's a bit lower decibel and more American sounding...maybe it will draw out the Fender tones you have as home base better. I like mine with a 12" Canabis Rex. Excellently put! I've been trying to put the Z sound into words and you nailed it. May I quote you?
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Post by simpleton on Feb 28, 2016 23:11:59 GMT -7
The Ghia was my first Z and it took me a year to get it...I went from my Peavey Classic 30 to a Divided by 13 SJT 10/20 with no issues...played around with a reissue Twin a bit too, but that Ghia confused me in that I couldn't 'dial out' a certain frequency...it's that Z sound....the one that makes sure everything is heard clearly all the time. I was use to amps being less see thru and less responsive to my inputs...I was timid in my tone knob usage....I wasn't use to using my guitar knobs...ect. Some how that amp taught me about all those things and yet when I first got my Therapy I had NO IDEA how to use an EQ because the Ghia only said Tone. I didn't know how much bass, middle or treble I liked....now it's been just over a year and I'm really getting comfortable with the amp and feel I can do what ever I want with the EQ. For glassy Fender esk tones I try keeping the bass low, mids lower and treble high sooo like 9, 8, 1-2 O'clock respectively.... To get that Bakersfield kind of twang. Yes it's not a twin...it's tweed based...but it has it in their. I read an interview with Dr. Z where he said he wanted his amps to actually color our sound, to actually have an input in the music being made. He didn't want them to be a silent partner so to speak, and I think that when we plug into a Z we also must accept that his ears become part of what we will sound like and you can never dial that out....it's a marriage. Like marriage, it can take a while to get over not having it our way all the time but once we realize it and accept it, a whole new world exists with the two joined together that we hadn't thought of yet. Have fun ...it's just music. Try the 1x12 with the new Z 12" speaker, it's a bit lower decibel and more American sounding...maybe it will draw out the Fender tones you have as home base better. I like mine with a 12" Canabis Rex. Excellently put! I've been trying to put the Z sound into words and you nailed it. May I quote you? Have what you like ...no quotes needed
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Post by Albert on Feb 29, 2016 5:31:24 GMT -7
I knew you'd come around. ...
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Post by JeffG on Feb 29, 2016 15:12:53 GMT -7
So so true. This amp has the diversity to accommodate a variety of styles and I like them all. It's excellent for recording and ace on the stage. I find myself not looking at other amps AT ALL. I just can't imagine how I'd be more happy with anything else. Like others have said, it has the cleans that I want and the drive that I've come to learn is quite unique. I played A LOT of amps looking for either the cleans or the dirt this amp has and found most had neither! It's all around the perfect amp for me.
I don't check the other threads on Z amps on Z-talk, so I don't know if people do this on other threads, but it seems like every single Therapy owner is a believer. And how can they not be?!
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