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Post by blackice on Apr 5, 2008 0:35:07 GMT -7
The first z amp I played was at ROCK BLOCK in Nashville. it was a Red Mazerati w/ 2 cel Blu bel's. I played a few notes & my pant legs were moving. (at low vol) After that I was hooked. (this may have been posted before, but after a few brews ya wonder at 2:38
Peace out richard
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Post by eliot1025 on Apr 5, 2008 0:56:24 GMT -7
I plugged in to an amp I'd never heard of called "Route 66" because I liked the name. I played a major third.
The End.
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Post by texasjim on Apr 5, 2008 6:29:18 GMT -7
I don't even remember why I got interested in Z amps. I never saw or heard one, as I live in de t'ird world, and no one has a Z but me, now. A friend went thru Bogner, Allen, Top Hats, Diaz, and tons more, then settled on /13's. he now has five or six. I asked him if he ever played a Z and he said no.
A few years back, I made trip to Dallas and played a Maz Sr at Charley's. Way loud! I decided that since I already had a couple of EL-84amps, I wanted something completely different, so I started looking at Doc's other offerings and liked the 6V6 Z-28 sound and the clips on Doc's site by Greg Lockhart. I ended up buying that exact 2-10 amp from Greg Lockhart! Lovin' it.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 5, 2008 8:04:24 GMT -7
I gigged a THD Flexi-50 for four straight years and loved it. But I wanted to set up a dual-head rig, so needed something for clean. A buddy of mine is a multiple Z owner and I remembered that there was some clean potential there, so I looked over the web site and decided on a Mazerati 2x12 combo. At first I didn't like it much, but the more I played it the more I "got it" - but that amp was way too heavy for this aging rocker. So I traded that for a 6545 and the parade of Z amps was initiated. When the Stingray came out I caught one on the rebound from OMS and ordered a 2x12 with Blues to match and that has been the centerpiece of my gig rig for the last couple years.
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Post by Lefty on Apr 5, 2008 8:44:43 GMT -7
I bought a used Z-28 head over at the Weber forum unheard and I've never looked back.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2008 11:28:08 GMT -7
Before I bought a Maz 38 I hadn't owned a tube amp so I did a lot of research. I found Z's while researching and ordered a Maz 38 sight unseen. I haven't looked back since. I've got a Route 66 now and would love a Ghia, a Mini Z or a Mazerati GT. Doug
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 5, 2008 11:52:16 GMT -7
Mass Street Music is a Z dealer. They are about 40 miles away. When gas was cheaper I used to go over there quite a bit. I got the bug from looking at them there but I bet it was at least a year before I even tried one. Then I bought a used blonde Mazerati head. Sounded great but very wrong for the music I do so they gave me full value to trade it in on a Maz 38 combo. That was it! Z builds a great product for a very fair price. I think you can buy amps that sound different but none are better.
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Post by Eddie on Apr 5, 2008 12:52:47 GMT -7
I first saw some posts on the usenet maybe 19 years ago. There were guys raving about this little head called a Carmen Ghia. "Monster Tones in a Lunchbox-Sized Head" and such.
Back then, I think they were selling for $450. I thought, well, they'll probably come down in price after a while. :-)
Then, I started seeing them in guitar shows around Cleveland. I don't know if Mike and crew ever went to any shows, but I'd see the amps there and I was drawn to them.
Then, I started to hear about them in magazines and online reviews.
Finally, after buying and selling a lot of amps that were close, but not quite right, my wife bought me a Maz Jr. for Valentine's Day 2008.
I play through it every day and I am amazed every time. Eddie
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Post by dnoseworth on Apr 5, 2008 23:10:01 GMT -7
I had always played amps with EL34's and had the opportunity to try a Z and loved it.
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Post by dixiechicken on Apr 6, 2008 5:33:06 GMT -7
DC here!
I was finally fed up with my Fender Blues DeVille 60W 2x12" combo. It was too loud too non-dynamic - I did however love the clean sounds out of it.
Clear strong articulate good projection too - but wanted something else - with my new Warmoth Telecaster. It served me well for over 10 years though:-/
Was - for some reason - checking out some "chicken picking" videos on YouTube basically and saw some Brad Paisley/Danny Gatton/Brent Mason/Buddy Whittington/ clips I believe. They were playing something called Z-amps.
Googled it up - and the rest is as they say history. ;D
Cheers: Dixiechicken!
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Post by jimiata on Apr 6, 2008 8:14:46 GMT -7
I was looking for a new amp, different from my Traynor YCV 40. Nothing wrong with the Traynor, my first real amp was a Traynor YBA1 back in I think 1963. The YVC 40 just didn't have a lot of character.
While checking out reviews on Harmony central I came across one I think was on a KT45. Every review was positive, written by mature players who'd been around for a while and knew ''great'' when they heard it. I checked out a couple of other models with the same results. The rest is history.. CG 2x10 combo and a Maz jr nr head. Gear heaven.
Spring is just around the corner, unfortunately the block is long! Patience, it's coming.
Jim
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Post by hogridr on Apr 6, 2008 8:51:25 GMT -7
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Post by Phil (aka Phil) on Apr 8, 2008 4:22:58 GMT -7
I heard from an "internet friend" named Perry Roper (who was already a Z player) that Dr. Z was going to make a new amp with KT66's called the Route 66. I pre-ordered it (Doc sold direct back then) and got #8. I hooked it up to the Mesa Black Shadow 90W Celestion in my Boogie DC-5 and that was it...... ;D
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Post by bluzman on Apr 8, 2008 11:13:32 GMT -7
I had Bogners, Victoria, Fenders, Marshalls, Boogies, but I still wasn't happy in gig situations as we had to be loud to get the amps to do their thang, so I started to research for lower wattage amps. I stumbled upon Dr. Z reading about 18 watt amps. Never saw any, and kept looking around and I ended up with another Bogner (Metropolis) which I liked but it was hard to tweak and I found myself tweaking during songs all the time. Dr. Zs kept popping up and finally I went to a store that had some in stock and I played a Maz Jr. I loved it. I was going to buy it then the guy told me that somebody else called and put a CC deposit on it while I test drove it, so I walked out bummed out... A month or so later the guy from the store emails me and told me he had a Red one due in a few days. I've had it ever since.
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Post by mody on Apr 8, 2008 22:12:28 GMT -7
I was used to playing on VST solutions and was just about fed up with it, was looking for a tube preamp, I didn't know much about tube amps, always thought they were frightfully expensive, was impressed with the bogner clips but at 3k for an amp was out of the question. I'm glad I discovered the Z site poking around and have never looked back, the folk here at Z-talk couldn't all be mad, the profound testimonials and the sound clips got me. Z's are just a knock out on too many factors, simplicity, purity and avove all the resulting tone. More playing less twiddling. And Z's pricing makes a mockery of all his competitors. I now actually believe it's better to have two ghias for a two channel setup than one switching bogner. So from a tubeman to a ghia, and now I've a terminal case of GAS. I now know where all my 'recreational budget' is going.
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Post by hwyman on Apr 8, 2008 23:43:57 GMT -7
I gotta admit I'm another one who was "brought to the Doctor" by Brad Paisley. The first time I heard his music, I thought to myself "My God, what is that TONE?!?!?". Started researching and found that he played Dr. Z's....then discovered how well-built, reasonably-priced and good-looking the Doc's amps are (besides having such great tone), and HAD to have one. Ordered my Maz Jr. sight unseen without ever having played one, or even heard one other than BP and sound clips on the Doc's website.
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Post by cisspcism on Apr 9, 2008 11:57:53 GMT -7
I was a using Carvin amps for awhile mainly the Carvin Legacy and Belair. I sold the Legacy when I got my Bogner XTC, and tried very hard to like the Carvin Belair, great amp for the money but it was just a tad too Ice picky for me. I wanted something more classic rock and blues based kinda like an old ac15 since I already had High gain stuff covered with xtc and soldano slo100. I heard of the Z amps but I was leaning towards TopHats for my next purchase.
I went in to maken music in chicago convinced I was going to walk out with a Top Hat Supreme 16, instead I walked out with a Dr Z Z-28
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Post by LeftyLang on Apr 9, 2008 12:09:08 GMT -7
Mike Fuller was talking about this Route 66 amp...then I heard Perry Roper's Route 66...the end!
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Post by real oldster on Apr 24, 2008 0:46:43 GMT -7
I don't know that I'm "hooked" but I don't imagine I'll find anything better for my use than the Ghia. It makes sense in so many ways. Small, toneful, practical, well-built and affordable. I still like the Tone Master, but don't own one and I like the Vibro-Kings, Vibroluxes and Bassbreakers. So I'll be eyeballin' the Evan when it happens.
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Post by Joey Beverages on Apr 24, 2008 10:05:53 GMT -7
Tried a Ghia a couple of years ago when I was at the local Long and Mcquade store ..... it was hooked up to a 212 Marshall cab ... I grabbed a Tele .... cranked it up and let 'er rip .... I knew right then and there I was in trouble ;D ;D When I went home I turned on the computer and surfed 'til I found the Dr Z web-site .... and really got interested in the Z-28 ... Went back to L&M and ordered a '28 and 210 cab .... cheers always, eh Joel
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Post by cheycaster on Apr 27, 2008 12:41:14 GMT -7
er, lets see.........Tone....tone....TONE!! Feel.....feel....FEEL!!!..Mojo......mojo.......ALOT of MOJO!!! good stuff!
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Post by myles on Apr 27, 2008 13:46:04 GMT -7
I saw a cute little amp called a Carmen Ghia next to another amp called a MAZ Jr at Westwood Music when they were a dealer and I worked for them on Saturdays. Played them. Called the Doc. Talked to the Doc. Played them both again. Bought a Carmen Ghia and it just started from there when it came to my stepping into the world of Z amps. It was a pretty cool place to play with amps as Westwood had a lot of cool stuff .... Matchless, Bad Cat, Mojave, lots of vintage stuff, Victoria, Clark, Carr, and more.
Westwood is no longer a Z dealer ... that honor went to TrueTone Music in Santa Monica.... an even cooler place with even more amps, even more vintage stuff always in great shape thanks to two of their techs .... Fred (divided by 13) and Billy Yates (also a Z warranty repair guy and master amp wizzard. One of these two guys goes over any amp taken in on trade or bought by TrueTone. Plus ... the folks there are very cool people.
But ... when it comes to TrueTone and Z amps there are a lot of them on the floor in different models but there is also an entire small room that is nothing but Z amps floor to ceiling.
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Post by Hohn on Apr 28, 2008 18:53:15 GMT -7
What a great thread. This reminds me of my other forum, only over there it is "tell me about the first time you rode in a Cummins powered pickup truck".
Anyway, I first heard of Z amps way back in 1994 or so when I was first buying nicer gear. I ordered a fulltone pedal from a guitar boutique in Wisconsin (Electric City Music, maybe? Something like that.). Anyway, they also carried Z amps, but since I was 1200miles away, I never heard one, just heard OF them.
I'm not even sure how I came across the Z forum back in 2006. Anyway, all the talk was of this new Brad prototype amp (stingray, it was). Once the first sound clips were posted by Benttop and Madison, I KNEW I had to have this amp.
Stu hooked me up and ordered for me the amp of my dreams.
Now I'm looking at another, lower powered Z amp for smaller gigs. I played a Ghia 1x12 for about 2 hrs today, and man if that wasn't an epiphany. What an amazing little amp. Set both knobs to noon and you've got near heaven on earth.
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Post by T-R☼CK ♫ on Apr 28, 2008 18:59:11 GMT -7
I played a Ghia 1x12 for about 2 hrs today, and man if that wasn't an epiphany. What an amazing little amp. Set both knobs to noon and you've got near heaven on earth. Whoomp! There it is... ;D
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Post by telejas on May 1, 2008 18:21:48 GMT -7
I heard Brad Paisley and hit the web to find out what amp he played I had to get that tone.
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day65
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Post by day65 on May 2, 2008 6:23:31 GMT -7
My brother and I were at the Arlington (TX) guitar show a few years ago. We walked around the place looking at amps and guitars all day. Throughout the day we kept hearing this elusive tone coming from some amp, somewhere in that place. In the midst of all the crowd noise and other guitar amps and sounds it was singing out. Finally, at the end of the day we were walking by a vendor booth at the right time when someone was trying out a guitar and they plugged into this DR Z amp. I ordered a Maz Jr. shortly thereafter.
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Post by funkyjazz82 on May 14, 2008 9:46:34 GMT -7
I was at a local bar downtown, watching a band I was going to audition for, the band I'm currently in now, and the guitar player was playing a PRS w/ a DR Z 6545, and the sound he was producing that night just amazed me, and I asked him what this amp was with a "Z" on it and he told me all about it. About a month later, in the same town, I went to see a jazz/jazz fusion trio play at a small fancy restaurant, and the guy was playing a Maz jr, and I was pretty much sold right then and there, i knew i had to have one, 2 of these boutique amps in the same city, i had to be the third one to have one. And now I think i've inspired others to buy one or two.
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Post by Burnsy on May 14, 2008 13:12:31 GMT -7
I first heard about them through the Guitar Player "Mad Scientist Amps" article in about '94, reviewing the SRZ-65. I had to try one, but could only find a Maz38 head at Flynn Guitars. I was instantly in love.
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Post by Rik on May 19, 2008 22:26:40 GMT -7
I was ready to get back to playing after having just some small solid state amps for a number of years. I decided it was time to get myself something decent. I had gone to see Joe Walsh (I'm a big fan if you can't tell by my Avatar) and as usual his sound live was amazing. I then was checking out his website and saw a picture of a Z in the background. We do not have a Z dealer here in NM so while I was on the road doing my job I was in St Louis and went to Eddies Guitars mid day mid week. Nobody in there and I told them I was just looking and they bent over backward for me. I was able to play a bunch of amps and nice volume. Well I could not afford it at the time but that spring I called them up and put 1/2 down on a Maz Jr Nr head. The rest has been tonal bliss. I have added a mini combo to my collection and next I think I would like to get a Ghia. I should also say this forum helped me make my decision. I was on there almost as much as I am now. Great place and great people.
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Post by dock66 on May 20, 2008 11:17:08 GMT -7
My first Z amp purchase was Maz Sr Rev,bought it through a Z dealer unheard,I told the dealer what I was looking for and the rest is history.
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