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Post by nater9 on Apr 18, 2016 10:59:28 GMT -7
Hey all - first post here. I've been eyeing the Dr. Z amps for a while now, but never had the chance to play one. I'm only going by demo vids and peoples opinions...
So I have a few questions and I'm staring in the M12 thread since this amp might be the one I'm looking for. I'm looking for a low wattage amp that has a good amount of Voxy chime and hair, but not necessarily massive amounts of overdrive. I play in a small country trio and we are not very loud, so I want something that I can get into the amps sweet spot without being too loud, and without needing an attenuator. I also play a Princeton Reverb and will possibly be playing both amps together at the same time for a more complex clean-ish sound. The Dr. Z will provide the chimey tone, while the PR provides the blackface clean. I do use pedals for additional flavors of overdrive as well.
I'm also considering the MAZ 18, but something about the M12 (maybe the EF86 front end) and the simplistic design is what has me leaning towards the M12 over the MAZ. I guess my primary goal is low wattage, ability to drive into chimey/voxy/slight overdriven tone at manageable volume. The other reason I'm considering the M12 over the MAZ is I don't need a whole lot of tonal flexibility, I'd rather have an amp that does something really well, vs. one that has more versatility at the expense of the perfect chime.
If the M12 (or the MAZ) doesn't fit my description above, what other Z amps might fit the bill? I've also looked into the Rx Jr, but they're harder to come by and like the fact that they describe the M12 as a lower wattage mix of Stang Ray and Z-wreck. I love what I hear in the Z-wreck demos, but that's too much amp for me, too expensive and still needs an attenuator in most practical applications for me.
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Post by simpleton on Apr 18, 2016 11:11:09 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum...sounds like the M12 would be exactly what you are describing. I bet it will sound great with your Princeton....
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Post by nater9 on Apr 18, 2016 11:37:58 GMT -7
Thanks for the reply. My only hesitation with the M12 is no drive control, or MV. I'm hoping I can get enough gain to get out of the 'clean zone' and into the 'chimey/OD zone' without needing the crank the volume, if that makes sense?
I see that the Bass and Treble control add some gain when they get past 12 o'clock... so hypothetical question - if I dime the Bass and Treble, but keep the volume in the lower range, does it still chime and break up without being too loud? Or, does the amp get too flubby and lose clarity if you dime those tone controls?
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Post by purpletele on Apr 18, 2016 12:01:13 GMT -7
Nater9,
I agree the M12 might be your amp. I have not played that amp, but even at 12 watts you may get better control with a brakelite installed.
There was someone selling a gorgeous red one here recently. It may still be available.
Others may chime in and say the Maz 8 fits the bill better.
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Post by bloozeman on Apr 18, 2016 12:30:47 GMT -7
Look into a maz 8 as well. That may be up your alley
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Post by nater9 on Apr 18, 2016 13:45:45 GMT -7
Thanks guys, I think I'm on the right track... I'm getting to the point where I need to go ahead and get my hands on one and find out for myself... just sucks there are ZERO dealers in Arizona for Dr. Z stuff. I have to hope to find an used one here or there, of which there are none that I can find.
I've also considered the MAZ 8, but figured that might not be enough headroom as I still prefer to stay on the clean side of things, again just looking for some chime and grit.
I guess the only other concern I have at this point, is the potential noisy EF86 I've heard about. Sounds like NOS tubes are the safer bet vs. microphonics, and a quick search revealed that those can be pricey and not even necessarily noise-free. Is this a real concern, or am I just hearing about the people with problems? Are the vast majority of M12 owners happy with stock EF86? It think it's a Winged C?
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Apr 18, 2016 13:49:47 GMT -7
The M12 was meant to be a very clean pedal platform. Doc had one last summer that he built for Stevie Miller that with a few mods was basically a mini-stingray. Really nice sounding. I'll see if I can find the thread somewhere. As for the Maz 8, it would probably work well also but they tend to be priced higher. You can get an M12 for a real good price if you're not in a hurry.
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Post by nater9 on Apr 18, 2016 14:06:18 GMT -7
Yes, I've seen the M12 mods thread about Steve Miller's amps, pretty cool. I see the M12 shares some Stangray DNA, so I could see how a few small mods could get the M12 even closer to the Stangray, albeit a lower wattage, which inherently has differences on it's own.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2016 9:37:35 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum, first of all. Lots of great people and info.
The M12 has a beautiful clean, and takes pedals very well. Hi / Lo input helps a lot to find your sweet spot. Plus, with the tone controls - you can add just a bit of hair to your clean tone. I think you'd be happy, but give the Maz 18 a look also. Maybe a more vox like chime from that one (or the Maz 8). Keep us "posted" -
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2016 10:09:41 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum!
For chime+low-volume tube distortion/drive, I'd go with the Maz 8, as others have said. The M12 is a terrific amp for us pedal addicts, but I wouldn't call it Vox-y or particularly chimey, although it can do those things with the right kind of dirt box. The Maz 8 sounds like just what you're looking for, depending on your definition of "not real loud"--that or the Maz 18, which is used by a lot of the country guys here (and blues/rock guys, too).
There is an upgrade that can be done to the M12 that gets it closer to "half-Stangray" territory, according to Doc Z. I've never played a 'Ray so couldn't comment on how close to the stock M12 is to a half-Ray or Wreck.
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Post by nater9 on Apr 19, 2016 12:27:04 GMT -7
Thanks for more input.... I've been back and forth with this a lot lately and again, with no dealers here in AZ, it's hard to pick one. I think I'm actually leaning more towards the MAZ now, probably an 18. I think I'm a little hesitant that the M12 doesn't have the ability to manage the volume with a master control. I do want to get a little bit of grit and hair from this amp, and I'm hearing more that the M12 is pretty clean until you crank it. Also, I'm concerned about the EF86 tube. I'm real anal when it comes to unwanted noise issues, and I might be better off staying away from an EF86 amp...
Also, the MAZ come up for sale quite often and at better pricing than the M12, at least from what I've seen so far, probably because they're the most popular Z amp with a lot more trading hands than the M12....
The MAZ 8 sounds intriguing too, but a lot harder to come by it seems vs. the 18.
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Post by nater9 on Apr 19, 2016 12:38:38 GMT -7
Well, I pulled the trigger on a MAZ 18 NR. I should have it next week sometime, I'm stoked!!
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Post by detuned on Apr 19, 2016 13:48:44 GMT -7
I love my M12. I'm not sure if I'd describe it as "chimey", but it can get plenty bright. Cranking the EQ helps if you're looking for a grittier tone at lower volumes - all the controls are very interactive.
However, you made a great choice with the Maz - I loved mine for a long time. I only got rid of men because I thought I needed a Remedy (which I did, but I couldn't afford to keep both). Then, I needed an M12.
I wonder which amp I'll need next?
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