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Post by jsinnova on Sept 23, 2018 9:58:11 GMT -7
Hello all, Just picked up a mint, retubed 2014 Maz 8 combo in red. I am beyond excited. Here is my background and it will probably explain my questions. I am a beginner at guitar. I have bought and sold equipment for several years, but not been serious about actually learning to play. I’ve used the excuse that the equipment was the issue; I’d tell myself if I had “x” amp or guitar that had “that” sound, I’d actually learn to play. I’d tell myself I needed a hand-wired all tube amp capable of cleans, great crunch and nice overdrive. Well, now there is no excuse. I have several very nice guitars sc/hb, short/normal scale etc. and the Maz. I am only playing at home, no gigging, etc. So, now to the questions: 1. How do I know when to replace tubes? Should I buy a few replacement sets for spares? Do you replace with exactly what came stock or experiment? Recommended tube supplier? Pay for matched pre-amp, etc? 2. Any must know tips for a Maz owner, do’s/dont’s, etc. 3. Should I consider the 2016 upgrades(MV, reverb circuit, etc) to get its full potential? Would the sound be night/day? Since I really don’t have a reference sound at home yet, leave alone? Reverb sounds great now, what does upgrade do? Previous owner said he contacted Dr. Z regarding it, and was told basically “not significant enough to spend the money on”. 4. Does the MV upgrade allow driven tones at lower overall volumes? If I find volume is too loud at certain times, Z brake or Air brake? In the end any and all comments are welcome. I have been reading as much as possible on the board and I know it will be the single best reference for my questions, etc. I don’t want the questions to sound like another version of “is my gear good enough” again. Now I’ve got a significant investment and I know if I can’t find “happiness” with this setup, then it absolutely is not the gear. Thanks for a indulging me. I look forward to your responses/advice.
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Post by digs57 on Sept 23, 2018 12:52:13 GMT -7
I would definitely do upgrades eventually...master vol is important as well as reverb tweak...congrats...if your new player you save a lot of time and money getting one of the best out there...
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Sept 23, 2018 13:37:42 GMT -7
I wouldn't be in a rush to have it upgraded. Play it a while and see if you like it. It has been Doc's best selling amp for a reason. If you haven't checked out this link yet from Mike (doctorice) you might want to check it out. There are a lot of different tones for the Maz 18. This will keep you busy for a while. michaelgiliberto.com/uploads/maz18_settings10_4.pdfIt wouldn't hurt to have a spare set of tubes. Usually you'll know when the tubes need to be replaced - sound quality tails off. I personally go with the tubes Doc recommends - hard to beat his ears. Brakelite works fine with it - no need for Air Brake unless you want to play at until quiet bedroom levels but then you will lose some of the driven tones you are looking for. Good luck and have fun!
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Post by jsinnova on Sept 23, 2018 13:41:01 GMT -7
Thanks digs! I emailed Dr. Z to ask about cost and process to upgrade.
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Post by jsinnova on Sept 23, 2018 13:47:04 GMT -7
Thanks Jaguarguy. I can always get the upgrade. I need to find what is already inside. Then read as many other experiences with the upgrade as possible. However, not very often do you hear of people upgrading something and then wishing they were back to the original. Maybe, if I I really love it, I'll look for one that was built in 16/17 with the upgrades already. Is that crazy or what?
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Post by "Z" Steve on Sept 23, 2018 16:20:57 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum! You will be very pleased with this amp. With the options of pentode and triode as well as EQ bypass you will have fun with the tones you pull out of it. As mentioned above it is always good to have spare tubes, including the rectifier AND fuses. You may never need them, but...…..it's good to have insurance. My 8 doesn't have the mods and I am very happy with it as is. Congrats on a great amp with great customer service.
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Sept 23, 2018 17:00:51 GMT -7
Congratulations on the new amp. You got a good one. My sincere advice is, don't worry about upgrades. You now officially have good gear. Now do as The Who said,"pick up my (your) guitar and play." It's now time to start enjoying your gear.
Welcome to the forum, it's truly a great bunch of knowledgeable and helpful people. Glad you're here. Go enjoy your guitar, watch some you tube instructional vids and make every day,"just like yesterday." (Note previous quote)
👍😄
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Post by pcns on Sept 23, 2018 17:39:34 GMT -7
Welcome to the fourm. As jaguarguy mentioned some spare tubes are a good idea but preamp tubes can last a realy realy long time so you shouldn't have to worry about them. I have tried different tubes in my amps over the years and have in all cases ended up liking what Dr Z recomends best for his amps so that is what I have stuck with. If you are inclined though . . . a NOS rectifier tube is a decent investment as they are much higher quality than most of today's production and will last virtually forever, no rush though. From a player stand point, try not to give yourself anymore excuses not to play You have a some great gear and an awesome amp . . . . play it!!!!! Also, I love the pentode/triode switch on the Maz 8, its like having two amps in one! Enjoy! God bless, Todd
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Post by jsinnova on Sept 24, 2018 4:01:21 GMT -7
Z Steve- thanks. Spare tubes/fuses, got it. J4gitr - thanks. Exactly! Play it! Pcns- thanks no more excuses!
I appreciate the replies guys!
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Post by Maddog on Sept 24, 2018 5:50:42 GMT -7
Maybe, if I I really love it, I'll look for one that was built in 16/17 with the upgrades already. Is that crazy or what? "Is that crazy or what?"
Not on this forum! Just ask our wives!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Sept 24, 2018 6:03:12 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum, it's a great place with great information and experience. I've got a Maz 8 that I love, I did do the upgrade and it's well worth it. But it's a great amplifier as is. Play it! Just speaking for myself, great tone inspires me to play more, and I'm playing a lot lately.
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Post by jsinnova on Sept 24, 2018 13:53:07 GMT -7
Thanks Dave. I will definitely keep it in mind after I settle in with it.
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Post by wkylef on Sept 26, 2018 15:32:22 GMT -7
I too recently got a used Maz 8, but it already had the updates done so I can't speak to that.
In regards to your first 2 questions...you should not really have to replace tubes often. In my limited experience and in my opinion unless a tube fails or is making unwanted noise, rattling, etc. then you don't have to replace them. Eventually they may lose some of that sparkle as they get older and you may want to replace them then. But that could be years depending on how much you play it.
I think it is a good idea to have spares. That way if you do start having problems then you can go through tubes one by one to find out which one is the culprit. Unless it is obvious of course. There are some good articles and discussions online about knowing when you have a tube going bad.
In regards to tubes I have replaced the tube in V1 with a NOS tube from KCA NOS tubes. It was not the most expensive tube he had, but I liked the results. I also replaced the rectifier with a NOS tube from KCA as well. Don't know if I noticed sonic results, but should not have to worry about it for some time. However, I had the stock tubes in there before that and it sounded great too.
Don't know any specific tips. it is a great amp and I am really enjoying it. Thanks!
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Post by jsinnova on Sept 27, 2018 16:42:42 GMT -7
Wkylef - thanks for the reply. I will def get a spare set. I’ve talked to Don at DrZ, and he said play the amp, get to know it and then decide on the upgrade. He said the MV upgrade makes the MV more useable throughout its range from full off to full on. Better useable tone at lower volumes. He also said it was designed to address players that wanted to avoid using the brake lite and get the DB reduction from original control. They also found a better way to protect the the reverb pan from unwanted mechanical noise when the amp is turned up and reverb level is increased. He said he has not had any complaints from those that had the mod done. Basically, he echoed what others here have said.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Sept 27, 2018 17:23:11 GMT -7
I'll say this: I was thinking about selling my Maz 8 until I got the upgrade done. To me, it was transformative. It turned a good amp into a GREAT amp. I ended up with the Z-12 speaker in it, and it is just a special amp.
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Post by jsinnova on Oct 14, 2018 18:51:56 GMT -7
Ok all, here is an update. I am really enjoying the amp. I’ve been practicing more in the last few weeks than in recent memory. The range of tones and response out of this amp is more than I have experienced before. However, the lack of greater control from 0 to 11 ish on the MV caused me to send it in to Don at Z for the 2016 upgrade. I really want those tones and response at a lower volume without using the brakelite. I also figured if I get the additional benefits from the 16 upgrade it’s a better deal for me than buying the brakelite. My wife just smiles at me like I’m crazy when I get her to listen to the complexity/differences of an open chord when switching between triode/pentode or adjusting gain/volume. She actually hears the differences, but doesn’t know how difficult is is to get those nuances from anything other than a quality, hand-built tube amp. The “feel” of controlling the amps response by pick attack, etc. is just crazy. I can’t wait to get it back and start wearing it out! Thanks premiumplus Dave and everyone else for the encouragement. The rest of 2018 and 2019 is going to great for all of us! I’ll check in after she returns and I have some time to get back into it.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Oct 15, 2018 1:38:15 GMT -7
Yes, please share your results with the mod!
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Post by 195db on Oct 15, 2018 16:53:02 GMT -7
Waiting for my head to come back too. Got it a few weeks back. Played it for 2 days and was starting to bond with it. Figured before I got to attached I better send it for a once over and updates.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Oct 15, 2018 17:01:36 GMT -7
I'll say this: I was thinking about selling my Maz 8 until I got the upgrade done. To me, it was transformative. It turned a good amp into a GREAT amp. I ended up with the Z-12 speaker in it, and it is just a special amp. Dave, do you remember how much this costs? How long ago?
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Oct 15, 2018 17:06:26 GMT -7
It's maybe been a couple of years, I honestly couldn't say how much it cost. It sure sounds great though. The MV is on par with the Level control on the Cure. Give Don at Z amps a call, he'll fill you in.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Oct 15, 2018 17:16:07 GMT -7
I'll say this: I was thinking about selling my Maz 8 until I got the upgrade done. To me, it was transformative. It turned a good amp into a GREAT amp. I ended up with the Z-12 speaker in it, and it is just a special amp. Dave, do you remember how much this costs? How long ago? Here's a link to the Dr. Z mod list with prices from the Z website. While the Maz 8 isn't listed, you should be able to get an idea on pricing here. drzamps.com/support/mods-and-services/
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Post by mudman on Oct 15, 2018 20:19:15 GMT -7
I haven’t done this yet because of how good my maz nr sounds, and fear of shipping damage. I wish I could pay a fee to the Doc’s shop for the info and then pay my local dealer to do the work.
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Post by jsinnova on Oct 16, 2018 19:44:30 GMT -7
Chilly, Upgrade was $225 plus shipping.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Oct 17, 2018 7:32:11 GMT -7
Thanks!
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Post by billybaloney on Oct 17, 2018 17:13:35 GMT -7
I’m thinking about getting the upgrade myself. The mv mod is really something I want. I picked up a used Maz 18nr a few weeks ago. I’m lucky Dr Z’s shop is only three miles from my house so I can avoid the shipping costs.
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Post by jsinnova on Oct 27, 2018 18:13:40 GMT -7
Ok all, here is my update. Been gone for several weeks, just put it back together, played for several hours and OH MAN!!!! To say this is a different amp is an understatement. The MV is truly functional from 0 - 12, whereas before it seemed to only work past 12. No need for a brakelite,etc. Same goodness at much lower volume. I feel like I have 2 amps now, one below 12 and one above. Overall noise floor is also reduced. Don did say my V1 was noisy. He moved it to V2 and then put a new JJ in V1. I love this amp! Reverb is more useable now. There is more of it. It can get “drippy” at the higher settings, however, it still has more noise than I would like. I will most likely keep it maybe a quarter turn or lower from off to add some depth. It’s possible I could put a ay7/at7 there for less gain and maybe less noise or maybe just a different ax7. Don’t really care right now as the lower setting is enough and I’m having so much fun without fooling around with a higher setting. I truly believe that anyone a/bing a pre mod version and modded ver will be shocked at the difference. To quote Jaguarguy that it was “transformative” nails it!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Oct 27, 2018 21:20:28 GMT -7
This is one occasion I'll have a big smile on my face when I say "I told you so!" Enjoy!!!
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