Post by headshrinker (Marc) on Nov 15, 2017 16:58:39 GMT -7
Took the Z-Plus out for its maiden voyage last Friday. Actually took it out with my Monza. Been going with two amps fired up for a long time. Gives me an instant backup and two almost always sounds better than one. The Z-Plus is in the studio cab and has a Dr Z 12 in it and the Monza is a 210 combo with a Greenback and a Ramrod. We played in a smaller place, but one that doesn’t care about volume, as long as the bartenders can hear the patrons scream their order over the din.
Settings for the Z-Plus were Volume 4:00, Treble 12:00, Middle 1:00, Bass 3:00 Cut 10:00, Reverb 7:00 and Master 11:00-12:00. The Z-Plus was stacked on top of the Monza, that’s why I cranked the bass. If it had been on the floor, I would have backed it off to noonish. Monza had all three controls at 12:00 and the Master about a third of the way up. At those settings the amps were about equal in volume. The first set I used an all mahogany Les Paul Special with Duncan P-Rails in triple bucker rings, so I could get single coil, P90 and humbucker in series and parallel. Mostly used humbucker in parallel. The other guitar player in our band is the single coil Strat guy. The second and third set I used a PRS DGT Special, which is an all mahogany version of the DGT they made a few years back and then discontinued.
First set was the Z-Plus all by itself, so I could get the feel of it and hear what it was like. Second was both on all the time and third, I alternated between the Z-Plus solo and both on, depending on the tune.
Well the Z-Plus was all I had hoped for. I think I have mentioned that since it came out, I wanted a Maz-8 with a 6V6 in it. The Z-Plus gives me the bonus of a second 6V6 and they were both on all night long. Doc mentioned that the amp had a very acoustic sound when it was set up clean, and it does, it really does. That may be the thing I liked the most about it. You get the feel when you are strumming a chord that is real similar to hitting a chord on an acoustic. A good acoustic that is. Lots of overtones, but with a nice firm fundamental. I set the volume up high so I could see all that was on tap and then used the volume on the guitar to clean things up. That’s where I have set it for my Maz 18 forever. Mostly kept the volumes between 6 and 9 number wise on the guitar.
I used the variable boost for some of my leads and once or twice to get more crunch out of the amp. Had the volume on it just shy of halfway. Worked fine for me. Mostly I hit the amp with the plethora of boosts, overdrives and distortions that are on my board. I’m a known pedal junkie. It took them all well. It also took delay, chorus, compressor and wah, all run into the front end, great. I like just a hint of reverb, especially at this place, since the bar has a lot of echo and weird reflections in it. There was a ton more on tap. Enough in my opinion to satisfy folks who like a lot of deep reverb. Definitely more than my early Maz 18 reverb.
The Z-12 worked like expected. It’s amazing how good those things sound brand spanking new. I do have a Blue in a 112 cab that I have played the amp through, and have to say, I really like it and I’m not usually a fan of the Blue. Do like it with a Rx jr though and maybe this amp. There is more of an upper mid emphasis with the Blue compared to more lower mid grunt to the Z-12. We’re playing the same place on Dec. 2nd and I may load the Blue into the studio cab to make some comparisons at gig levels.
The Z-Plus blended beautifully with the Monza’s more distorted tones. Really had a bunch of fun playing them together. Lots of sustain.
We have the night recorded. Once I give it a listen, if there is anything worth having others listen to, and I can remember how to cut sections out of one long recording with Audacity, and if I can load them up to Soudcloud, I may post some tunes. That won’t be any sooner than the weekend.
If you’re thinking of getting a Z-Plus, I don’t think you will be disappointed. It has the familiar feel of the Maz series front end, coupled with the sweetness and more robust tone of the 6V6. Kind of like the offspring of a Maz and a Zlux.
Now what I want, is a Z-Plus with one 6V6 and one EL-84. I’m ducking to avoid Doc’s fist from hitting me. We’re never satisfied and always have new projects for him, don’t we?
Settings for the Z-Plus were Volume 4:00, Treble 12:00, Middle 1:00, Bass 3:00 Cut 10:00, Reverb 7:00 and Master 11:00-12:00. The Z-Plus was stacked on top of the Monza, that’s why I cranked the bass. If it had been on the floor, I would have backed it off to noonish. Monza had all three controls at 12:00 and the Master about a third of the way up. At those settings the amps were about equal in volume. The first set I used an all mahogany Les Paul Special with Duncan P-Rails in triple bucker rings, so I could get single coil, P90 and humbucker in series and parallel. Mostly used humbucker in parallel. The other guitar player in our band is the single coil Strat guy. The second and third set I used a PRS DGT Special, which is an all mahogany version of the DGT they made a few years back and then discontinued.
First set was the Z-Plus all by itself, so I could get the feel of it and hear what it was like. Second was both on all the time and third, I alternated between the Z-Plus solo and both on, depending on the tune.
Well the Z-Plus was all I had hoped for. I think I have mentioned that since it came out, I wanted a Maz-8 with a 6V6 in it. The Z-Plus gives me the bonus of a second 6V6 and they were both on all night long. Doc mentioned that the amp had a very acoustic sound when it was set up clean, and it does, it really does. That may be the thing I liked the most about it. You get the feel when you are strumming a chord that is real similar to hitting a chord on an acoustic. A good acoustic that is. Lots of overtones, but with a nice firm fundamental. I set the volume up high so I could see all that was on tap and then used the volume on the guitar to clean things up. That’s where I have set it for my Maz 18 forever. Mostly kept the volumes between 6 and 9 number wise on the guitar.
I used the variable boost for some of my leads and once or twice to get more crunch out of the amp. Had the volume on it just shy of halfway. Worked fine for me. Mostly I hit the amp with the plethora of boosts, overdrives and distortions that are on my board. I’m a known pedal junkie. It took them all well. It also took delay, chorus, compressor and wah, all run into the front end, great. I like just a hint of reverb, especially at this place, since the bar has a lot of echo and weird reflections in it. There was a ton more on tap. Enough in my opinion to satisfy folks who like a lot of deep reverb. Definitely more than my early Maz 18 reverb.
The Z-12 worked like expected. It’s amazing how good those things sound brand spanking new. I do have a Blue in a 112 cab that I have played the amp through, and have to say, I really like it and I’m not usually a fan of the Blue. Do like it with a Rx jr though and maybe this amp. There is more of an upper mid emphasis with the Blue compared to more lower mid grunt to the Z-12. We’re playing the same place on Dec. 2nd and I may load the Blue into the studio cab to make some comparisons at gig levels.
The Z-Plus blended beautifully with the Monza’s more distorted tones. Really had a bunch of fun playing them together. Lots of sustain.
We have the night recorded. Once I give it a listen, if there is anything worth having others listen to, and I can remember how to cut sections out of one long recording with Audacity, and if I can load them up to Soudcloud, I may post some tunes. That won’t be any sooner than the weekend.
If you’re thinking of getting a Z-Plus, I don’t think you will be disappointed. It has the familiar feel of the Maz series front end, coupled with the sweetness and more robust tone of the 6V6. Kind of like the offspring of a Maz and a Zlux.
Now what I want, is a Z-Plus with one 6V6 and one EL-84. I’m ducking to avoid Doc’s fist from hitting me. We’re never satisfied and always have new projects for him, don’t we?