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Post by snatch28 on Jan 26, 2018 9:01:37 GMT -7
Hi there... I recently bought an used Z convertible 1x12 with a v30 to match my MAZ 18 NR to use it at home with pedals for practicing. unfortunately the only place I can put my MAZ 18 NR is our bedroom and I'm having this problem...the sound that comes out it's quite unpleasant, very bassy and if you start to push it a little with the volume it's almost unbearable. I tried the MAZ before on a 4x12 in a rehearsal room and din't sound anything like that, I'm pretty confident is the room, maybe the wooden floor, maybe the furniture I've got iside or where I positioned the amp, I don't think the cabinet can make it sound that bad. Is it possible that the room acoustics could make a nice amp sound that unpleasant and ear piercing? Could a carpet underneath make any difference? Any help would be appreciated Thanks!!!
PS i tried to upload a picture to show the amp but without luck
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 26, 2018 9:45:09 GMT -7
Room acoustics have a huge effect on how your amp (or stereo system, etc.) sounds. I have a small home studio, maybe 14'x 13', and there are specific spots in the room that will make whatever amp I put there sound boomy. Other spots make it tinny. Still others areas sound beautifully balanced...acoustics is a subject full of surprises. The difference between a carpeted floor and a hardwood floor is enormous. Sound waves bounce off the walls and will have crests where the waves meet and sound louder, and valleys where they hit each other out of phase and cancel each other out. And different frequencies will react differently because of their wavelength. It's complicated. Try some throw rugs or moving your amp around the room. If your amp is in a corner or against a wall, bass frequencies will tend to be boosted. You've got to experiment. We used to save old cardboard egg cartons and put them on the walls of our garage to absorb sound. Or hang carpets on the walls. There are bass traps that can be bought. Experiment and learn, it's fun.
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Post by buckeye on Jan 26, 2018 12:02:26 GMT -7
A couple of things you can try.
Get it off the floor with an amp stand or something to elevate it. If you have a combo or an open back cab build a simple box frame out of wood about 6-8 inches deep fill with insulation, cover with burlap or cloth and place behind the speaker.
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Post by digs57 on Jan 26, 2018 13:05:17 GMT -7
Hard wood floor is really hard on sound...as dave said...I am into audio as well and experimented with bass traps...they work for amps as well...both ideas from these guys are a good start.
You might want to read up on speaker replacement...makes a huge difference.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 26, 2018 13:39:25 GMT -7
Another thing to think about is an attenuator. When I play my Maz 18NR at home I almost always have the brake lite set to at least two clicks. The 18 is a lot of amp.
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Post by southmusic70 on Jan 26, 2018 13:57:07 GMT -7
Maybe try an Auralex Gramma; it will “float” the amp.
I use one on just about every job I play, whether combo or head/cabinet.
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Post by greenblues58 on Jan 26, 2018 14:48:25 GMT -7
Don't be afraid to turn the bass knob down. I rarely have mine at home in a small room above 9 o clock. I also use a couple of rubber door stops/wedges to lift the front of the amp off the floor slightly and keep it away from the wall. I usually have master about 12 and same for volume via low input with brakelite on 2 and though it's loud it's very tonefull and controllable.
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Post by digs57 on Jan 26, 2018 15:22:09 GMT -7
I use to use my amps/maz bass on 8-9...my new setting is 12:30 ish and cut up to 9:30-10, treb 10, mids 8:30-9...with a strat its fat and sassy...bass has clarity not boom...fwiw.
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Post by snatch28 on Jan 26, 2018 17:25:39 GMT -7
Thank you everybody!!! I can't do much being our bedroom but I can try some of suggestions for sure!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2018 7:33:16 GMT -7
When I think "bedroom amp" the MAZ 18 is not what comes to mind for me. If I were you I'd get the full featured Air-brake attenuator with the Bedroom setting.
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Post by snatch28 on Jan 27, 2018 17:37:38 GMT -7
When I think "bedroom amp" the MAZ 18 is not what comes to mind for me. If I were you I'd get the full featured Air-brake attenuator with the Bedroom setting. I know, in fact I didn't buy the Maz as a bedroom amp but at the moment I don't have a band to play with and i don't like the idea to keep such a nice amp in the closet. With pedals I can get the sound I need for practicing , not the amp full potential but good enough to enjoy it anyway .Said that I really like to try an attenuator like the brake lite or the airbrake but here where I live it's hard to find one to try out and because people seem to love it or hate it I'd like to try one before spend some money for it.
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Post by snatch28 on Jan 31, 2018 2:24:21 GMT -7
There is something else I need to understand about my Maz, hope you can help. I found the sound on cleans very very nasal (are the mids?) and I don't understand if is the sound of the amp or is the vintage 30 that makes the amp sound like that...any toughts? Thanks!!!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 31, 2018 9:55:00 GMT -7
I just re-read your original post and I think it's the V30. I have a Maz 18NR 1x12 combo, and I tried a lot of different speakers. I ended up with a WGS ET-65 in it, and it made the amp one of my all time favorites. So for fun, I hooked up my 1x12 Z convertible cab with a Vintage 30 (that I have for my Therapy) with an A/B switch box and went back and forth between the 18NR combo with the ET-65 and the open back Z cab with the Vintage 30. The difference is night and day, it sounds so smooth and sparkly clean with the ET-65. Overdrive too, it rocks. The V30 is really nasally like you observed. It's got an in your face nastiness that really turns me off. The V30 sounds great with the Therapy, it just works. Same with the WGS ET-65 and the Maz 18NR, it matches up beautifully. It is one of my favorite guitar speakers, and they are inexpensive too. Hope that helps.
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Post by snatch28 on Jan 31, 2018 15:26:53 GMT -7
Thanks ...that's very helpful...the problem with speakers is that is really hard to try them out before buy them , at least here where I live. What would be the safer bet? which speaker is put by Dr Z as first choice with the Maz 18 ?
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Post by buckeye on Jan 31, 2018 15:46:53 GMT -7
Hey premiumplus(Dave). I have heard that switching speakers via an A/B box can harm an amp. I have seen speaker switching boxes advertised for this purpose and they are very expensive. Is that what you are using? If not, I would love to hear some feedback on this subject because I have been reluctant to try a standard A/B box for for comparing speakers on the fly.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 31, 2018 16:36:57 GMT -7
To be completely safe, I just turn the guitar volume down, and switch both speakers on. That puts a 4 ohm load on the output transformer, (I'm running two 8 ohm speakers). Then I turn the other speaker off, turn the volume back up and go. The important thing is to have a load of some sort on the output of a tube amp at all times. Since I'm not playing it with a mismatched load it's completely safe. Tube amps are incredibly sturdy. It probably wouldn't hurt it if I did play a 4 ohm load into an 8 ohm output, at least I've never had a problem in 50 years, but there's always a first time.
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Post by mickey on Feb 1, 2018 3:15:52 GMT -7
A current fave with retailers, and me actually, is the Creamback M. I found the same as you with the V30 I had originally, cut through a band mix nicely but sounded nasally on its own, though it improved with use. Then I used a Gold for several years, but right now the Creamback works well for me with my Maz 18 and my 38. It's not as loud, warmer sounding, but still with a nice top end. It's very organic and musical.
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