drk
New Member
Posts: 31
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Post by drk on Jun 27, 2016 19:02:29 GMT -7
Hi, I just received a Z Wreck in a trade. I'm no stranger to high end (vintage or boutique) amps, and I've only had less than 2 hours on it, but I have some observations:
1. It's transparent. It reveals everything about the tone of your guitar and your technique.
2. You may adjust it for different guitars, but there's not much to adjust. And then you leave it alone and all the fine tuning in with your pots, your fingers and your attack.
3. MOST IMPRESSIVE: it is an instrument in its own right. I will need to approach this amp as I would any other instrument and learn to play it, finesse it and learn a technique to approach this tone machine.
Very impressive.
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Post by nmz on Jun 27, 2016 19:29:31 GMT -7
Z amps have a way of letting you know what you need to work on, congrats!
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Post by doctorice on Jun 29, 2016 16:00:23 GMT -7
Congrats on acquiring such a great amp.
As you're finding, there are many great tones in there. (True of all Doc's amps, but the ZW has a unique magic.)
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Jun 29, 2016 18:17:47 GMT -7
Yes, congrats on getting such a great amp. And welcome to Z-Talk, drk!
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Post by dreamlander on Jun 29, 2016 18:55:05 GMT -7
Congrats! I am jealous. I have yet to get my hands on the Zwreck. You say you have a lot of time with other high end amps, after some time with the Wreck I would be curious to hear some of the comparisons you might have to other amps, especially in the el84 styling.
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Post by simpleton on Jun 30, 2016 13:53:46 GMT -7
3. MOST IMPRESSIVE: it is an instrument in its own right. I will need to approach this amp as I would any other instrument and learn to play it, finesse it and learn a technique to approach this tone machine. Very impressive. I have found this to be true with other Z Amps too....I like that Dr Z has a voice and used it rather than just making slight variations in voicing of a pedal platform . I think the Z Wreck seems like the pinnacle of collaborations, congrats! Welcome to ZTalk...great people here for sure
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drk
New Member
Posts: 31
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Post by drk on Jul 8, 2016 7:44:18 GMT -7
Congrats! I am jealous. I have yet to get my hands on the Zwreck. You say you have a lot of time with other high end amps, after some time with the Wreck I would be curious to hear some of the comparisons you might have to other amps, especially in the el84 styling. Sorry for the late response. After the usual cheap stuff, I "grew up" on a Fender Twin. However, my index sound is my 1969 Marshall 50 watt small box. I've been through Mesa Boogie, Electroplex, Kendrick, Victoria, Fender and Marshall. However, I avoided EL84s because they sounded too fizzy to me. That changed with the Marshall Class 5: with an upgraded tube, it roars like a half stack amp but at 5 watts. So that opend up my mind to look at a high powered EL 84 amp. I think that I followed the course that we have all followed with tube amps. The old ones had no MV but were loud. MV, especially cascading preamps, allowed the player to get a distorted sound at lower volume. Over time, the preamp dominated the tone, to the point where tone is now emulated through modeling. The ability to achieve a number of "tones" at lower volume came at a price: bludgeoning of the nuances of tone. Everyone sounds like they have a wall of amps behind them, but everyone sounds the same. Finer methods of technique, like fretting pressure and pick attack are slathered over with distorion, as is actual power amp tone. We've lost sight of the fact that power amp distortion is the result of the design and function of the system; instead we chase that distorion but lose sight of the mechanics that produced it and in the course of those events lose the musicality of the power of the amp. So bringing that home to the Z Wreck: it is a more pure link between your instrument, your technique and your ears. I have a hard time describing what the amp is doing beyond adding electricity and power (like a lightning bolt) to the tiny vibrations occuring on the plank of wood I am strumming. But it is a pure link devoid of artificial colors, fizz or smear. The Z Wreck is so pure that every subtly of technique is revealed. Fret a chord unevenly and the individual string that is pressed too hard will ring out of tune with the chord. Don't have an instrument that is out of tune or intonation; those discrepancies will be heard loud and clear as with fretting or picking/strumming unevenly. However, if you have developed an advanced technique your finesse of tone will be a direct link between your fingers and tonal bliss. You can lift, cradle, tickle and attack tones directly from your fingers. I've heard a lot of talk about the "touch sensitivity" of Dr. Z amps. I assumed that related to volume and distorion. However, I've learned that this touch sensitivity extends beyond those 2 parameters to elements of tone I have difficulty describing but I assume are related to harmonics and possibly other elements I don't understand. There it is, inarticulatly communicated with words. But isn't that what art is? Communicating emotion through a medium that transcends usual forms of communication.
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Post by DRZ on Jul 8, 2016 9:30:10 GMT -7
WOW
I hope the Z wreck give you many years of musical inspiration.
DR.Z
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Post by gotmojo on Jul 31, 2016 21:00:31 GMT -7
Dude, Welcome to the world of Z tone. You've chosen ..... wisely. The Wreck will service your needs for a lifetime. In my humble experience, there are none better.
You have, however, set yourself up for some future expenses. You are gonna wanna try some more Z models, and there's a bunch to choose from. I'd wager there is not a single person on this forum who isn't jonesing for another model right now, even as I write this post. (I have two I'm jonesing for right now! No, make that three.) Rock on. And welcome to the forum. Buncha good people here.
jj
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drk
New Member
Posts: 31
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Post by drk on Aug 17, 2016 16:35:18 GMT -7
So I want ZWreck tone in a smaller, more portable amp, lower volume. Same tone. Which model?
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Post by markT on Aug 17, 2016 16:54:40 GMT -7
So I want ZWreck tone in a smaller, more portable amp, lower volume. Same tone. Which model? Z-Wreck combo baby! Except no substitutes. This amp is amazing!!
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Post by gotmojo on Aug 17, 2016 17:13:16 GMT -7
Exactly which Zwreck rig did you get? Combo, or head/cab?
There is no other smaller amp that sounds like a Z Wreck, except a Z Wreck in a smaller combo, perhaps. It's a very special design, but then, all doc's amps are special and different designs. I use a Dr. Z Air Brake with mine at all times so I can get that Wreck tone at any volume, and I actually always run it braked down max or one up from max - that's plenty loud for gigging with full drum kit at those settings. That's with my volume up at about 3:00, and I dial my Tele volume knob to adjust how clean or dirty I want it. And it'll get sweetly dirty at 3:00. If you don't own one of doc's brakes, you owe it to yourself to get one!
jj
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drk
New Member
Posts: 31
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Post by drk on Aug 17, 2016 18:52:12 GMT -7
Have the head and speaker with an Airbrake. In fact I own 2 Airbrakes.
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drk
New Member
Posts: 31
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Post by drk on Aug 17, 2016 19:02:25 GMT -7
There is no other smaller amp that sounds like a Z Wreck, except a Z Wreck! jj Exactly. It's all the sounds I want to hear from an amp but not because it sounds like any other amp. Hard to explain.
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Post by markT on Aug 17, 2016 19:25:26 GMT -7
There is no other smaller amp that sounds like a Z Wreck, except a Z Wreck! jj Exactly. It's all the sounds I want to hear from an amp but not because it sounds like any other amp. Hard to explain. I've had the original silver head & cab set..then a head with various cab's..then the blue combo when it first came out. I foolishly sold all versions for one reason or the other. But I keep coming back! Nothing compares to the Z Wreck. Doc's legacy design in my opinion. I prefer the combo by a wide margin. So much so, I bought a black combo several weeks back and will hand onto it tooth and nail. The light, thin walled birch cab makes a big difference.
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Post by simpleton on Aug 17, 2016 20:30:02 GMT -7
ZWRECK is a pinnacle amp for sure.
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