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Post by jkramsey1991 on Mar 6, 2017 5:18:52 GMT -7
So I have had my Monza for over a year and never took it out. I picked it up used in trade where I got rid of my Stangray. At my house it always had an intermittent noise issue tht annoyed me so it just sat unplanted. The other day I needed to practice a bit before a hired gun gig and it was the only amp nearby. Turned it on and there was that beautiful tone. Played for a couple hours and not a bit of noise.
Took it to the gig and plugged it in to my little fender 1x12 cab that I usually play my Quilter through. Amp sounded great and performed flawlessly the entire evening. This thing is the loudest 20 watt amp I have ever been around. I could barely get it to break up without pedals before it was too loud but damn those cleans are sweet. Hit it with the BB preamp plus when I wanted it to sing and had a blast.
I got to thinking I recently had a neighbor move out of the building and I am suspecting something in her apartment was causing interference that was causing my noise issue. Nothing else has changed on the amp. Got a couple gigs next week I'm going to drag it out to as well to further test.
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Post by limenine on Mar 6, 2017 7:18:57 GMT -7
Sorry to hear it took so long to find that out - now you need to make up for lost time!
The Monza has been a wish list amp of mine for ages!
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Post by doctorice on Mar 6, 2017 7:26:14 GMT -7
My house has quirky AC power, with noticeable voltage fluctuations. In addition, I have dimmer switches in the music space and am right next to the heating/ac system. I'm accustomed to a variety of minor noise issues. It's rarely been an genuine problem. And it almost always disappears at a gig, or is not audible at gig volume Monza is a beast. Enjoy.
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Post by jkramsey1991 on Mar 6, 2017 7:28:08 GMT -7
Yeah I kind of feel like an idiot for not trying it outside the house first. This little thing cranks though. Mines a pre master volume model and we were playing pretty loud (for me anyway) and it still was pretty much clean with just a hint of hair. I was rocking my HSS strat on the bridge most of the night (modern bro country gig).
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Post by jkramsey1991 on Mar 24, 2017 8:30:49 GMT -7
So I've played the Monza now the last 5 gigs in a row and I love this thing. Thick rich cleans that are really deep and 3D like. I honestly have been using it as a cleanish amp! Through my 2x12 cab I'm able to get over the drummer while still remaining relatively clean. Played a packed house at a really hopping bar in Louisville KY last night and the Monza just killed it!
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Post by dburns255 on Mar 26, 2017 7:03:00 GMT -7
That's good to hear. I'm a Ghia owner who is looking at a Monza right now and I'm a little concerned about the headroom. I like breakup and grit and don't need crystal clean at gig volume, but I obviously need to have some type of clean. The Ghia is perfect in that regard. I know the Monza is designed as a higher gain amp, but would you (or anyone else) say it's comparable to a Ghia as far as headroom.
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Post by jkramsey1991 on Mar 27, 2017 8:01:41 GMT -7
I've not played a ghia but I bet it has more headroom. Whether the Monza will stay clean enough for you depends on the gig and the band. Mine works for me but I do mic usually and I try to stay reasonable volume wise. Your mileage may very.
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