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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Jan 30, 2023 20:46:40 GMT -7
I didn't set out to get here, but hang around Z - Talk long enough and strange things happen. My Maz 38 Studio Deluxe is my dessert island amp, no question. I don't need lots of amps, but it is important for me that I have an amp at home and another one for playing out. For a while I had my Maz 18 and then the 38. When I added a second amp I thought it would be nice to have variety. The problem was I would work on parts and get my pedal board dialed in and then I would have to adjust things when I got to my other amp. After a couple really good amps that didn't measure up to the Maz I decided I needed a second amp. I tried selling my other Z in hopes to pick up another 38, but ended up with a trade for a Maz 18 nr. Great, that settles it, right? Well, I was able to buy a Maz 8. So now I'll have all three in the house very shortly. I'm not starting a Muzeum, not even for Maz's, so one of the three will need to go eventually. It won't be the 38. This should be fun, I'll keep things posted here.
I know there are plenty of Maz 8 vs 18 and 18 vs 38 posts. I wasn't able to find a 8 vs 18 vs 38. Who wants to take sides on who the winner will be?
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Post by "Z" Steve on Jan 30, 2023 21:53:52 GMT -7
I have had all 3 Maz amps, just not at the same time. The 38 was my 1st Z amp and it was a beautiful chimey amp, but I was never able to play it at it's full volume potential - even with an Airbrake. I sold it and bought an 18 NR head. Even that was a bit too much even with a Brakelite. I love the 8 because of the options it has. It can be a loud 8 watts if needed, but the 3 watts can be great at times when needed. So, if you are keeping the 38 for sure I would let the 18 go, and that's hard to say because I think that's been the doc's best seller - and for a reason.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 31, 2023 18:03:56 GMT -7
I've got the Maz 8 MKII, and the 18NR MKII. Both are stellar amps. I can't imagine a scenario where I'd need the extra grunt of a 38 but one never knows...
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Jan 31, 2023 18:27:32 GMT -7
I've got the Maz 8 MKII, and the 18NR MKII. Both are stellar amps. I can't imagine a scenario where I'd need the extra grunt of a 38 but one never knows... Honestly, that was my thought when I had my first 18nr. I only got the 38 because it was in a studio cab and I was going to swap the chassis. But the 38, especially with the master with the mkii updates, is so much more than just a louder 18. There is a little something extra even at lower volumes compared to the 18. I can't disagree about how great the 18 is, but if you ever get a chance to play a 38 mkii I would love to hear what you think in comparison. Since mine is an update it doesn't have the 1/2 power switch, but if anyone is thinking about buying a new Maz there is no reason to not go for the the 38.
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Post by telejas on Feb 1, 2023 7:11:35 GMT -7
Since 2006 I've had all 3, but different models and "generations", some more than once, but never at the same time. I currently have a Maz 18 Mk.II (with reverb) and have had it for about 5 years now. I've come to find the Maz 18 is perfect for my needs, which consist of: Weekend gigs and some home noodling, maybe a big show in there about once or twice a year. I use it for: - My (main) 80s-2010s rock cover band
- A red dirt/outlaw country band
- And filling in with my buddy's more "top-40" style country band.
Even at 18w, this little beast is perfect for indoor and outdoor gigs alike. With the Mk.II update/upgrade, the master volume is even better than the (already good) Mk.I model. At 18 (Dr. Z) watts, this amp can easily hang with an AC30 and has plenty of clean headroom for me.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Feb 1, 2023 11:52:34 GMT -7
I've got the Maz 8 MKII, and the 18NR MKII. Both are stellar amps. I can't imagine a scenario where I'd need the extra grunt of a 38 but one never knows... Honestly, that was my thought when I had my first 18nr. I only got the 38 because it was in a studio cab and I was going to swap the chassis. But the 38, especially with the master with the mkii updates, is so much more than just a louder 18. There is a little something extra even at lower volumes compared to the 18. I can't disagree about how great the 18 is, but if you ever get a chance to play a 38 mkii I would love to hear what you think in comparison. Since mine is an update it doesn't have the 1/2 power switch, but if anyone is thinking about buying a new Maz there is no reason to not go for the the 38. Now I'm thinking (which can be an expensive thing for me around here)...Maybe somebody would be interested in trading a Maz 38 MKII head for a 30th Anniversary Mazerati head...
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Post by adam on Feb 1, 2023 17:30:46 GMT -7
Now I'm thinking (which can be an expensive thing for me around here)...Maybe somebody would be interested in trading a Maz 38 MKII head for a 30th Anniversary Mazerati head... You sound like me now! For whatever my opinions are worth on the 18nr2 vs the 38nr2, they are extremely different to me. The 18, I sort of don't get along with it in a 1x12 open back cab, but I love it into a 4x12 with a Les Paul, strat or tele. The 38, I adore it with a 1x12 open back and strat. Not so much with the LP and not so much in a bigger cab. It's just kind of a bigger sounding amp and doesn't really benefit from the larger cab. When I got my 38 I figured it would basically give me the 18 sound that I liked in a 4x12, but maybe with more headroom, but I was really quite disappointed that it just didn't replace my 18 combo in that sense. After messing with the 38 and 1x12's, I fell in love with that thing. Specifically either a greenback or gold. It's a really special sound, kind of like the old Duarte stuff with the greenback where it has a little grit in it, or with the gold, it's a little more of a hi-fi thing kind of like when I hear Buddy Whittington playing one. Both are just stellar, to die for tones. I don't mean to diss on the 18 either, but it's kind of like if you plugged some old great Marshall into a 1x12 and is sounded like crap, but sounded fantastic in a 4x12. It's a little like that with 18 except the 18 doesn't sound like poop in the 1x12. It just somehow really comes alive in a bigger cab. Those are tones to die for too, and I love them both, but they are very different amps.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 2, 2023 21:36:55 GMT -7
For whatever my opinions are worth on the 18nr2 vs the 38nr2, they are extremely different to me. The 18, I sort of don't get along with it in a 1x12 open back cab, but I love it into a 4x12 with a Les Paul, strat or tele. The 38, I adore it with a 1x12 open back and strat. Not so much with the LP and not so much in a bigger cab. It's just kind of a bigger sounding amp and doesn't really benefit from the larger cab. When I got my 38 I figured it would basically give me the 18 sound that I liked in a 4x12, but maybe with more headroom, but I was really quite disappointed that it just didn't replace my 18 combo in that sense. After messing with the 38 and 1x12's, I fell in love with that thing. Specifically either a greenback or gold. It's a really special sound, kind of like the old Duarte stuff with the greenback where it has a little grit in it, or with the gold, it's a little more of a hi-fi thing kind of like when I hear Buddy Whittington playing one. Both are just stellar, to die for tones. I don't mean to diss on the 18 either, but it's kind of like if you plugged some old great Marshall into a 1x12 and is sounded like crap, but sounded fantastic in a 4x12. It's a little like that with 18 except the 18 doesn't sound like poop in the 1x12. It just somehow really comes alive in a bigger cab. Those are tones to die for too, and I love them both, but they are very different amps. Adam, thanks for sharing that. I have a ton of respect for both your talent as a player and the diligence you have in trying gear from various angles. The videos you do are proof of that. So I say this not to be contrarian at all, but more to encourage people to try what they have the ability to compare. While I don't have the stocked studio that you do, I have had my Maz 38 and 18 when I had an external 112 and 110, as well as a variety of speakers. I actually love the Maz 38 in the studio 112 with the original Lead 80 in it. I really wanted to like the Austin Speaker Works KTS best, but honestly as close as it was, the Doc's ears were right with the CL80. I absolutely encourage others to try as many options as they have. I'm still waiting for the Maz 8 to arrive, but I happen to have a lead local on a 212. If I can get it at the right price I can't wait to not only try the 8, 18, & 38 with the speakers that are in them and experimenting with each and the 12's I have around right now, but it would be amazing to have the external 212 to throw in the mix. I'll am really curious to see if the 212 brings ever greater love for my Maz 38. As always, I really appreciate players like you on this forum who bring a depth that most of us don't have when sharing your experiences and perspectives.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 4, 2023 11:34:28 GMT -7
The Maz 8 arrived a few days earlier than FedEx said it would take. Letting it warm up before I fire it up and start the battle. Early shoots out between the 8 and 18 with various speakers. The 38 is over at church for now. I'll bring that into the mix later this week.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 4, 2023 20:23:01 GMT -7
I had a good amount of time with the amps today. It helped that the Keeley Eccos has a looper and a stereo out. I was able to run the amps together and throw one or the other into standby to see what each was doing. It was great to do the same with a loop running. it let me play with levels and go back and forth with the amps without trying to play at the same time. Even thing people say about the 18nr is true, it has a nice bit of extra grit without the reverb. That being said, I love the Maz 8. I really like the reverb on mkii Maz amps. Also, this 8 with a Blue in it is wow.
I did get the 38 home today and only had a few minutes running along with the 8. I still want to do plenty of tests and comparisons, I'm especially interested in running various speakers with the amps set the same. That's the nice thing about all three being studio cabs, I won't get variation from the cabs being difference sizes. More to come.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 8, 2023 10:52:27 GMT -7
I've had the big guy back home for a few days, so I've been able to run all three in the tests now. My wife works at home, so I don't get a lot of opportunity to crank things up but finally did today for a bit. Part of my sound is I have a Boss FA-1 style preamp that is always on and shapes my over all tone. Since I'm trying to evaluate three amps, I spent the time with them turned up straight in with no pedals. I ran each with the volume up at 75% and up. I kept the master from 50% to opened up all the way, this helped me hear some of the differences between pushing the preamps and power tubes. After the first couple rounds I turned the reverb all the way down to make sure that wasn't influencing my perceptions of what each amp was doing. I was using single coils for this round. The main take away: The Maz 18nr is a beast plugged straight in with the volume turned up regardless of where the MV is set. It's well documented that the 18nr has a different characteristic than the reverb models and you can hear the evidence of that going straight in. There were places where the 8 and 38 eventually fell apart a little when pushing the preamp. I know that with some eq help from my pedals I can tame that because I have before. But when it comes to only using the tone stack the 18nr held together with amazing over driven tones, that not only held harmonically together, but bloomed into something else special at higher volume settings. This range of tones is why when I had my Ghia and a Maz 18nr mkii that I picked the Maz. Not that the Maz 18nr can do everything that the Ghia could, but my favorite tone from the CG I could easily pull from the Maz. As much as it tried dialing in the tone stacks and adjusting my guitar's tone and volume, I could not get the same harmonic hairiness from the 8 and 38 at the highest volumes. This round certainly goes to the Maz 18nr.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 10, 2023 11:47:32 GMT -7
Here is my final conclusion on the 3-Maz experiment. Any other thoughts will better fit under the 8, 18, or 38 category after this. Related to that, there were no surprises with any of the amps. The reliability of what the Doc does and the depth that people here share their experiences, meant my amps all did what they are supposed to do and did them well.
I don't know why I was so sure that having all three together would help me make an obvious choice. It was settled a long time ago, after a lot of amp hopping, that the Maz line was what I had always looked for (especially in the studio 112 format). I guess I thought that because I knew my applications 2 out of the three would stand out against 1 of them. Honestly all three of these amps are amazing. They each have their unique thing that they do amazingly, but without any serious down side. For instance, I thought the 18 would be an easy out because it didn't have reverb. The tone is so amazing that using some pedal reverb is no big deal. There are equally small and easily overlooked things with the 8 & 38.
I do need to make a decision, but ultimately I'll have some regret on whichever I let go. The 38 really isn't in any danger. It is an earlier run, so it has a push-pull on the Treble and also has a Presence instead of the Cut. These difference along with the head room make it a tone monster not only for my electrics, but it plays really well with my acoustic when that is necessary. At the moment I'm so up in the air between the best of the 8 and 18 that I may just let the market decide. If I post both, the first one to sell picks which of the two I'll keep. We'll see if it comes down to that.
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Post by dcarver on Feb 10, 2023 12:41:48 GMT -7
Hi Matthew Thanks for taking the time to do this comparison. Very interesting. One cool feature with the MAZ 8, that you don't get with other amps is, since it only has 1 output tube, it's relatively easy and inexpensive to try different output tubes. Different Transconductance values yield different clipping characteristics. So if you want to be able to dime the master volume, and not get any clipping from the output tube (maximum headroom), get a tube with a Tc of 25. You can go the other way too. If you want great overdriven tone at a lower volume, try an EL84 with a TC of 15. Note: These are Tc values that forum member Perry R uses. Perry R Reverb Shop Also a good 5751 in V1 works great in a Maz 8. Cheers
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 25, 2023 7:05:26 GMT -7
Final conclusion (specifically related to the Maz 18):
So I decided to let the Maz 18 nr go. However, the mkii Maz 18 nr may be the best amp I've ever owned. If I were shooting out the three in order to pick the one best it would have been the 18. It really is a very special amp. Before I played a Maz with reverb I didn't like amp reverb and used pedals for that anyway. But as you can find others talk about hear, the nr is something more than just the Maz minus the reverb. Not completely different in over all tone, but it has just a little more grit. Whatever you might mean when you talk about the "feel" of an amp, the nr does do something different with what you put into it. When you have the three next to each other, guitar straight in, and the verb turned down on the others, you know there is something just that much better with it.
I waited to write this until after I sold the 18. One, I didn't want to sound like I was just trying to sell an amp that I had posted here. Two, I wanted to be careful to not talk myself out of letting it go. My 8 and 38 are amazing and I won't regret keeping them. But if I ever had to go to just one amp I will probably wish I had the 18 nr back.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Feb 25, 2023 9:41:05 GMT -7
Final conclusion (specifically related to the Maz 18): So I decided to let the Maz 18 nr go. However, the mkii Maz 18 nr may be the best amp I've ever owned. If I were shooting out the three in order to pick the one best it would have been the 18. It really is a very special amp. Before I played a Maz with reverb I didn't like amp reverb and used pedals for that anyway. But as you can find others talk about hear, the nr is something more than just the Maz minus the reverb. Not completely different in over all tone, but it has just a little more grit. Whatever you might mean when you talk about the "feel" of an amp, the nr does do something different with what you put into it. When you have the three next to each other, guitar straight in, and the verb turned down on the others, you know there is something just that much better with it. I waited to write this until after I sold the 18. One, I didn't want to sound like I was just trying to sell an amp that I had posted here. Two, I wanted to be careful to not talk myself out of letting it go. My 8 and 38 are amazing and I won't regret keeping them. But if I ever had to go to just one amp I will probably wish I had the 18 nr back. One of my 38s has a half-power switch - just saying.... 18/38 in one box.
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