Ok here goes...
I received my Galaxie head (#3) at about 2:00pm. I sat around from 8:00am til the time it showed up wondering where the heck the UPS guy was. Just as I was starting to lose it a bit, I hear the delivery guy walking up my front steps. I instantly went into a weirded out mood so much that I actually said "love ya" to the UPS guys. WTF? I still feel like a douc****bag for that! Anyway... I unpacked the head, set it up, turned it on and got nothing. So I tried it again - still nothing. Got Mike from FatSound on the phone while the amp was churping. Realized that I hadn't turned my rack on and felt like a d'bag again. Thanked Mike and hung up the phone call with him.
I finally got the amp working and I was in heaven instantly. Channel one is sparkling, chimey, glassy - absolutely gorgeous. From 8 o'clock to 12 o'clock it was very much like my MazSr IMO, but with a sweeter voice. Once you get it up past 12 o'clock the amp seems to morph into another entirely different thing. It becomes smoother, more dynamic and more incredible with a nice break-up into a semi-crunch land. Extraordinary. I really like the 1st channel and would completely satisfied with it alone because it took to my existing pedalboard like it was built for it. I primarily use pedals for my lead/crunch flavors anyway. I got use to this from having my Maz and my Route 66 (both one channel).
Channel two is great. Having never played or heard any of the Dr's heavier amps (SRZ 6545) I don't have anything to base it on. It too is strange in that once you get her up past 12 o'clock, the amp morphs (again) into something different. Like the 1st channel, it smoothens (is that a word?) and becomes more dynamic, sensitive, and to put it mildly, starts to ROAR. I can definitely see myself using this channel often.
In the past I have been using a stereo rig which consists of a 66 and a MazSr into a stereo cab. I emailed the Doc and asked if it would be alright to hook up the 66 and the Galaxie being that the ohms is 8 out of the Galaxie and my cab is looking for 16ohm. He said it would be O.K. so I did. By the way, it didn't take the Doc very long at all to reply to my email. To be honest, I didn't care for the two together. The Maz and the 66 sound awesome in this manner but given the different voice of the Galaxie, I didn't care for it because I like to hear it alone. The Galaxie alone is more than I could have asked for so it will be used that way.
The Galaxie is a great amplifier and there isn't a thing that I could see myself wanting to change in any way. Also, there has never been another amp builder that I have ever felt so welcome to just drop an email and ask questions. Some of the stuff that I ask the Doc probably has him saying "Wow, never been asked that before, this guys a wacko" but he has never made me feel anything but comfortable and has never made me feel like I'm bothering him.
Dr. Z amps and everything about the company is "First Class" all the way. Thanks Doc and if you keep building 'em, I'll keep wanting 'em
I hope this gives you all some idea of how incredible this amp is. Please feel free, anyone, to contact me and I'll be happy to talk shop. Also, if anyone is ever going to be in the Mystic, CT area contact me and you'll be more than welcome to hook up and test drive any of my amps.
Take care all,
Bill (bilbal)
Here are some quick shots I took with my cellphone. Please excuse the quality.