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Post by Coleye on Feb 20, 2018 12:55:47 GMT -7
Hi folks, just got my first Z amp, a 2009 Maz 18 NR. First proper rehearsal with it last night - she's a 100% keeper! Coming from a Fender DRRI to the Maz, delighted! Tried a 5V4 for a bit more sag, but found I preferred the GZ34/5AR4. Been trawling around the forum for a couple of weeks, loads of great info on here, glad I took the plunge and looking forward to spending plenty time on here!
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Post by Rockerfeller on Feb 20, 2018 12:56:57 GMT -7
Hi folks, just got my first Z amp, a 2009 Maz 18 NR. First proper rehearsal with it last night - she's a 100% keeper! Coming from a Fender DRRI to the Maz, delighted! Tried a 5V4 for a bit more sag, but found I preferred the GZ34/5AR4. Been trawling around the forum for a couple of weeks, loads of great info on here, glad I took the plunge and looking forward to spending plenty time on here! Welcome to the family!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Feb 20, 2018 13:24:03 GMT -7
Welcome to our little corner on the www! Lots of good people and information here. That's a pretty cool leap forward you made, the DRRI to the Maz. I've got a very clean 1967 Blackface DR that stays pretty much in it's case in the closet. I just brought it out a couple of weeks ago and she's going back in later this week. The Maz is such a great amp, and it covers so much sonic territory. I love it. There's a good reason it's Doc's best selling amp!
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Post by Coleye on Feb 20, 2018 13:36:31 GMT -7
Hi, thanks guys! I'll probably keep the DRRI as a backup, but I can definitely see the Maz being the go-to amp! Looks like my Marshall, Mesa, and Yerasov will probably be going to new homes! Can't believe the bass response of the Maz for the size of it. Currently running mostly a Strat and a Les Paul Jr (and occasionally an Es-339 for a bit of slide) thru an OCD for drive and a slightly modded TS9 for a push when it's needed, but hoping to experiment more using the amp's own drive. The LP jr's P90 has some seriously chewy tone with a bit of front end push!
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Post by digs57 on Feb 20, 2018 16:18:27 GMT -7
From a drri to maz is a nice jump into some tone booteak difference...the bag of "lays" has been opened...let us know bout the next!
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Post by sharkboy on Feb 20, 2018 20:29:43 GMT -7
Welcome! I think you’ll find this place as civil as it is informative. Be a little bit careful, since as easily as one Z can become 1, you might suddenly find yourself with three, as has happened to me.
ZWreck, Route 66 and soon to arrive: DB4, here.
Happies.
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Post by pcns on Feb 20, 2018 20:40:05 GMT -7
Welcome to the Z family! This forum is a breath of fresh air too. Lots of great knowledge and some very nice people who remember what manners are. Looking forward to getting to know you God bless, Todd
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Feb 21, 2018 3:26:39 GMT -7
Welcome to family Z. As the Maz is to tone this forum is to friendliness. Enjoy your new Z amp, and the next one, and the next one. 😌
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Post by Russell B on Feb 21, 2018 5:41:46 GMT -7
Welcome! The Maz Jr is one of Doc's most popular amps. This forum has a lot of information about it. It is still my favorite Z amp.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2018 6:27:54 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum!! I too went from a Fender to the Maz and have never looked back...that was 9 years ago already! Wow! Time flies when you're happy with your gear! Cheers!
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Post by BritInvasion on Feb 21, 2018 7:58:17 GMT -7
Welcome aboard , look forward to your posts!
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Post by gbowman on Feb 21, 2018 10:27:04 GMT -7
Welcome! I did the DRRI leap as well. Its now my spare. Lots of good info to be had at this forum.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2018 11:07:19 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum...
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Post by detuned on Feb 22, 2018 7:08:49 GMT -7
Welcome in! Which one are you getting next? :-)
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Post by Maddog on Feb 22, 2018 8:24:41 GMT -7
Welcome new friend!!! Crank it up!!!!
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Post by captainron (Ron) on Feb 22, 2018 13:52:16 GMT -7
Congratulations on your first Dr. Z and welcome to the family!
Bet you can't stop at one!
Ron.
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Post by Coleye on Feb 23, 2018 13:50:40 GMT -7
Haha, I take it by a few of the quotes here that there's a strong temptation to add to the collection!? Must be like beer - there's no such thing as 'one' pint! There's another local guy here who also has a Z, he's offshore at the moment but I'll have to catch him when he's back to see which one it is. Then again, maybe stepping on the slippery slope......!
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Post by djcakadave on Feb 23, 2018 14:54:17 GMT -7
Welcome to the Z family! This forum is a breath of fresh air too. Lots of great knowledge and some very nice people who remember what manners are. Looking forward to getting to know you God bless, Todd Understated Mr. Todd
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Post by Coleye on Mar 2, 2018 12:51:34 GMT -7
Had band rehearsal last night, so more experimenting done. Strat neck p/u thru OCD and TS9 as a boost, input switched to high - wow! Far smoother than expected, great sustain, clarity is unreal considering the push from the pedals. Tha Poor old DRRI hasn't even been plugged in since I got it! I like the sound of the DRRI, but this is a whole 'nother level. I don't get the people that complain about this amp being harsh or a 'hail of nails' as somebody put it, seems to me you can make it sound almost any way you want it to. Sure, you can make it a bit harsh if you really try, but it's not the amp's core sound. Now to go and experiment with high-cut/low-treble settings.....
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Mar 2, 2018 13:31:14 GMT -7
Heh heh heh...the hook's set! If you're anything like me, there's no going back after a visit to Dr.Z. I've been a happy patient for several years now. I had my 1967 Blackface Deluxe Reverb out of the closet the other day and compared it to several of my Z amps. The BFDR is now back in the closet. I really do need to sell that amp someday!
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Post by doctorice on Mar 2, 2018 14:55:02 GMT -7
Welcome aboard.
MAZ 18 Jr was my first Z also. I've added a few Zs since then.
If you click the link in my signature below you can access and download a bunch of tone suggestions contributed by forum members over the years. (You may already have seen this.)
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Post by Coleye on Mar 3, 2018 12:14:03 GMT -7
Hi doctorice, yeah I did download that list right enough, thanks. Haven't had time to try out many of them yet though, as every time I plug it in I just want to play! Can't leave it be!
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Post by Coleye on Mar 3, 2018 12:24:33 GMT -7
Premiumplus, my deluxe was the '65 reissue, do you reckon the Maz is better than the real thing? In every way or due to the versatility? I'm preferring the 'fender' sound I'm getting from the Maz to my DRRI, in fact at some settings it's what I wish the deluxe had sounded like!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Mar 3, 2018 14:50:05 GMT -7
I do. The 'real thing' is what went back into it's slip cover and back into the closet...a 1967 blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb. They're real nice amps, don't get me wrong. I just think the Z amps are better, by a long way. They sound bigger, fuller, sweeter, clearer, and don't fold up and cave into themselves when you pour the juice to them. Best amps I've ever played. Ever.
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Post by Coleye on Mar 3, 2018 15:18:06 GMT -7
Know what you mean. Other guitarist said at the last rehearsal that he sometimes struggled to hear the deluxe over at his side of the rehearsal space, but the Z 'filled the room'. And you're right, it does keep the clarity even under quite a heavy drive.
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Post by nlopez on Mar 8, 2018 9:22:30 GMT -7
Welcome to the family!
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Post by Coleye on Mar 25, 2018 12:38:58 GMT -7
Hi folks, quick update and a couple of questions for you guys who have been running Maz's for a while. I'm finding that a lot of the time I'm running my bass control really low, like around 9.00. After a trawl among the forums here, I'm starting to think maybe this is not too uncommon? Having said that, my amp is usually in towards a corner of our rehearsal space when we're playing, so there could be a bit of 'corner loading', as they call it, going on. I'm thinking of trying a different OD pedal in front of it, but currently using a fulltone OCD. If any of you are using OCD's as your main drive with the Maz, how do you set up the pedal and the amp to work best together? I'm playing mostly medium gain blues to rock, and I'd like to get to where the amp is beginning to drive a little and fatten out with no pedals, and going into a natural-sounding smooth drive with the pedal on. The trouble I'm Having is finding a nice balance between the amp-only sound and the tone with the OCD in, when I get the amp-only tone I want, the pedal seems to spoil it and vice versa. Maybe the OCD is not the ideal pedal for what I'm after? Still lovin' the amp though! Thanks for any advice you can give.
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Post by John on Mar 25, 2018 13:27:01 GMT -7
1) Is your amp a combo? Or a head with an open back cabinet? Either way, if you have an open back cabinet (this includes a combo) back in a corner then yes, you can definitely get some 'acoustic coupling' and the bass will seem higher. Put the same amp in the middle of the room and there will be a big bass difference. (also setting the amp up on something...milk crate or a box will change the bass)
2) When you get to the subject of pedals, you're opening a can of worms. What can be great for one person's ears can be awful for a second person. If the OCD isn't doing it for you, try another pedal. I had an OCD for a short period of time, it's a little mid hump-ish. Perhaps not as bad as a tube screamer, but definitely not a flat eq sound. That mid hump could be working against you. (just guessing)
Overdrive pedals are like beer, people like all different kinds, people complain about all different kinds.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2018 13:57:27 GMT -7
In 75% of the Z amps I've owned, I've run the bass below 9 o'clock to the point of almost being completely off. The other 25% didn't have a bass control...
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Mar 25, 2018 14:01:38 GMT -7
I’m a huge Maz amp-only fan. A high quality attenuator will get you wherever you want to go with this amp. I use the Air Brake and Rock Crusher attenuators with great success with the Maz. If you need a boost beyond what the EQ bypass switch can provide, then a pedal may be necessary.
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