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Post by s3mamill on Sept 30, 2018 11:40:35 GMT -7
Hey guys, still enjoying my EMS. I Like it so much it's got me looking at other Z's. Someone I know who has a lot of experience with Z's says his fav is the Prescription ES, but reading the boards and google I think the original Rx might be more my style.
However I'm not finding a lot of documentation on the original Rx, just the ES. Like no PDF manual, etc. Is the original Rx 2xEL84 or 4xEL84? Photos on Reverb look like 4xEL84 but I think I read it was 18 watts.
To confirm what I'm reading on the boards here, the original is more of a mid-heavy trainwreck rock thing and the ES is a totally different circuit with maybe more of a country vibe? I know amps can produce a lot of tones depending on settings of the amp, guitar pickups and playing style etc, but is that what I'm getting as the overall design emphasis between the two?
Thanks!!!
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Post by pcns on Sept 30, 2018 12:13:32 GMT -7
as the saying goes, you can own just one Z amp . . . . . Here is a link to the Dr Z page that contains information about the Legacy models, scroll down and you will find the ES and others drzamps.com/info/legacy-models/Happy Hunting! God bless, Todd
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Post by soupbone on Sept 30, 2018 13:29:26 GMT -7
Let me help you out here. I know that guitar tone is a very subjective thing so I will try to be as unbiased and as objective as I can.
The original RX is positively, unquestionably, categorically, without question the most wonderful sounding guitar amplifier ever created in human history.
Carry on.
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Post by s3mamill on Sept 30, 2018 13:54:10 GMT -7
Todd, thanks for the link. I only saw the ES and JR listed, but looked again after you posted it and I found the Rx a few entries below.
I found one on reverb and its got a fan mounted in the side, is this how they came from the factory? Just curious.
I'm also curious about the expand switch. Seems maybe like the "touch" switch on the EMS, adds a cap somewhere and kinda fattens the signal up.
I just play plugged in straight to the amp without pedals, and it sounds like you can get a really wide variety of sounds out of it, between shimmery cleans, edge of break up and heavy gain.
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Post by purpletele on Sept 30, 2018 14:47:29 GMT -7
Let me help you out here. I know that guitar tone is a very subjective thing so I will try to be as unbiased and as objective as I can. The original RX is positively, unquestionably, categorically, without question the most wonderful sounding guitar amplifier ever created in human history. Carry on. Wow, now I'm curious
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Post by s3mamill on Oct 3, 2018 10:55:59 GMT -7
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Oct 3, 2018 11:32:28 GMT -7
Ok, have never seen a forest green Z - and now Dave’s has two of them. There’s also a 4x10 z28 combo in green. When did this happen?
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Oct 3, 2018 11:35:31 GMT -7
Ok, have never seen a forest green Z - and now Dave’s has two of them. There’s also a 4x10 z28 combo in green. When did this happen? I have several including a Z-Best cab - great looking color! They’ve been here since at least 1990s I believe.
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Oct 3, 2018 11:36:12 GMT -7
Looks absolutely legit-- except for the term "recent," which if it means recently acquired by the store on a recent trade, then OK. But it totally looks like a mid/late-1990's built original Prescription from Doc. Jaguarguy (Mike) has at least 1 or 2 that have similar styling (the green tolex, and the wood valence). The 1997-ish model that I no longer own had the same faceplate & handle, but was standard black with black valence. As others have stated, these amps are amazing--and LOUD... did I mention LOUD? Holy hell, they're loud. These original Rx amps, to me, embodied the combined best qualities of the greatest Marshall & Vox you've ever heard (and then went deaf from). The later Jr & ES series ones are still very cool, but very different to me. Original = rock & roll overdrive & gain; Jr & ES = modern country, very scooped mids, extremely clean & jangly; can get a little metal-ish on "overdose" mode too.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Oct 3, 2018 11:37:17 GMT -7
Very legit! If I didn’t have several already this would be in the MuZum right now.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Oct 3, 2018 11:44:15 GMT -7
Yeah, looking at the back view reveals some crazy big iron plus a choke. Doc went all out on this and I bet it’s obvious when you plug in. Lots of lows and body to go with that chime! That thing is beautiful...
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Post by s3mamill on Oct 3, 2018 12:50:50 GMT -7
you guys are awesome! thanks for looking at it! Hoping to pull the trigger on it soon.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Oct 3, 2018 13:51:31 GMT -7
you guys are awesome! thanks for looking at it! Hoping to pull the trigger on it soon. Good Luck!
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Post by KeithA on Oct 3, 2018 16:13:26 GMT -7
you guys are awesome! thanks for looking at it! Hoping to pull the trigger on it soon. Good Luck! As cool as that amp is....there's too much new stuff from the Z-shop to get first before looking at old stuff
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Post by s3mamill on Oct 4, 2018 12:56:50 GMT -7
The guy at the shop said he called it recent because "it was built in the last few years." When I told him they stopped making them in 2004 he said he wasn't sure of the date of manufacture. Otherwise it looks good an seems legit.
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Post by dcarver on Oct 4, 2018 13:35:13 GMT -7
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Post by KeithA on Oct 4, 2018 13:50:53 GMT -7
The S/N looks like I-6120. So that puts it at #120 built in 1998. However, it's hard to really see when I blow the picture up enough to see it.
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Post by s3mamill on Oct 5, 2018 9:45:28 GMT -7
Serial Number is I-5120
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Post by dcarver on Oct 5, 2018 12:41:24 GMT -7
Good eye Keith. Looks like 20 year old Rx. The 5 seem odd though. Is that the model # for a Maz 38 ?
Seems like I read somewhere that Doc switched to a different numbering system a some point in the past.
Numbers aside, at that price you could send it to Doc for a refresh and have one heck of a great sounding amp.
Let us know how it works out.
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Post by KeithA on Oct 5, 2018 16:37:06 GMT -7
Good eye Keith. Looks like 20 year old Rx. The 5 seem odd though. Is that the model # for a Maz 38 ? Seems like I read somewhere that Doc switched to a different numbering system a some point in the past. Numbers aside, at that price you could send it to Doc for a refresh and have one heck of a great sounding amp. Let us know how it works out. Yeah, I first read '5' as well but changed it to '6' based on Lefty's post re: model #'s. +1000 on sending to Doc for a refresh. I almost bought a 1998 RX here in Canada several months ago but passed on it since I would have wanted it looked over by Doc and getting to the US and back was just a hassle.
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Post by s3mamill on Oct 5, 2018 17:20:43 GMT -7
the guy from the shop sent me a photo. Its clear its a 5. Pull the trigger tomorrow.
Good advice to send it to Z for a check up. Thanks guys!
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Post by KeithA on Oct 5, 2018 17:26:46 GMT -7
the guy from the shop sent me a photo. Its clear its a 5. Pull the trigger tomorrow. Good advice to send it to Z for a check up. Thanks guys! Good for you. if I was Stateside and pulled the trigger, Doc would be tee'd up to look at that puppy ASAP
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Post by s3mamill on Oct 6, 2018 8:52:22 GMT -7
Kinda weird that the S/N code is for a Maz 38?
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Oct 6, 2018 14:29:09 GMT -7
I believe that at one time the Prescription was going to replace the Maz 38 so it had the same code as the Maz.
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Post by KeithA on Oct 6, 2018 14:42:07 GMT -7
I believe that at one time the Prescription was going to replace the Maz 38 so it had the same code as the Maz. That would make sense since it is a low number. I found another that sold (S/N in the 200s) and that one began with 6.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Oct 6, 2018 15:29:07 GMT -7
I have a couple Prescriptions that are actually labelled Maz 38s. You can tell they are Prescriptions by the tone stacks.
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Post by s3mamill on Oct 8, 2018 13:30:09 GMT -7
Thanks Keith and Mike. I'm teeing up a trip to the shop for the new amp and emailed this question to them. Here is the reply for anyone interested:
"THE ORIGINAL RX, WHICH WAS DESIGNATED ZA-5, CAME OUT IN 1997 AND WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1999 THE MAZ 38 SENIOR WAS INTRODUCED IN 1999 AND HAS CARRIED THE ZA-5 DESIGNATION EVER SINCE THE RX EXTRA STRENGTH, WHICH CAME OUT IN 2004, WAS ZA-6"
Kinda what you were saying Mike
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Post by KeithA on Oct 8, 2018 22:36:33 GMT -7
Thanks Keith and Mike. I'm teeing up a trip to the shop for the new amp and emailed this question to them. Here is the reply for anyone interested: "THE ORIGINAL RX, WHICH WAS DESIGNATED ZA-5, CAME OUT IN 1997 AND WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1999 THE MAZ 38 SENIOR WAS INTRODUCED IN 1999 AND HAS CARRIED THE ZA-5 DESIGNATION EVER SINCE THE RX EXTRA STRENGTH, WHICH CAME OUT IN 2004, WAS ZA-6" Kinda what you were saying Mike Wow, I remember seeing ZA-6 in the list as the ES but I thought that was a typo (never realized it was that early on in the lineup). But my RX Jr. was bought in 2008, so yeah, that is the right timeline. I never knew the story about the ZA-5 switch 😎
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Post by doctorice on Oct 9, 2018 5:35:33 GMT -7
Someone should track all this historical info so we can publish the "Z Book" someday.
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Oct 9, 2018 6:14:09 GMT -7
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