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Post by zman on Dec 11, 2008 20:23:57 GMT -7
Hi,
I never understood why with the Z-28 and Fender deluxe reverb there is no middle (mids) tone control. Can somebody please explain why there isn't one? Sometimes when switching from single coils to humbuckers I wish there was a middle (mids) knob or full TMB.
Thank you
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Post by stuey222 on Dec 11, 2008 20:46:47 GMT -7
I know with the Fenders it was a cost/frills thing. If they added an extra knob, that meant a larger chassis, which meant more money per unit. Then the worker had to spend more time assembling the unit, which meant less production, and you don't want to do that to a smaller/cheaper unit, because those are the ones that everyone is going to buy. Another reason is that so you'd buy Fender guitar as well, not only to match, but to get the best possible sound as they made sure the midrange resistor was one that worked best for their guitars, after all, what guitars were they testing the amps with?
As for the Z-28, the Galaxie, KT-45, and Route 66 also don't have midrange controls. Heck, the Ghia, Maz GT, Mini-Z, and Stang Ray don't even have Bass & Treble! I've never had a problem getting a good sound out of a Z, even with little to no tone control other than the guitar or my hands.
I have a few suggestions that might help you out. First, try pulling the bass and treble down or up depending on how you want your EQ curve. The mids are set, but you can bring the treble and bass up if you want a scooped sound, or treble and bass down if you want more mids. Second, vary your pick attack. I can't really say any more than experiment. See what works, what doesn't work and you can probably get pretty close. Also mess with your tone knobs. Last, you could just stick an EQ pedal in front of the amp to get exactly what you want.
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Post by smolder on Dec 12, 2008 5:54:39 GMT -7
I have only played through 15-18 amps in recent years, but the one thing I have come away with is the fewer knobs, the better the clarity of tone. The Ghia and 66 are just stunning. I think a large part of that is the lack of 'stuff' on the circuits. The one exception to this rule seems to be the bf fender princeton reverb.
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Post by zman on Dec 12, 2008 18:00:02 GMT -7
I know with the Fenders it was a cost/frills thing. If they added an extra knob, that meant a larger chassis, which meant more money per unit. Then the worker had to spend more time assembling the unit, which meant less production, and you don't want to do that to a smaller/cheaper unit, because those are the ones that everyone is going to buy. Another reason is that so you'd buy Fender guitar as well, not only to match, but to get the best possible sound as they made sure the midrange resistor was one that worked best for their guitars, after all, what guitars were they testing the amps with? As for the Z-28, the Galaxie, KT-45, and Route 66 also don't have midrange controls. Heck, the Ghia, Maz GT, Mini-Z, and Stang Ray don't even have Bass & Treble! I've never had a problem getting a good sound out of a Z, even with little to no tone control other than the guitar or my hands. I have a few suggestions that might help you out. First, try pulling the bass and treble down or up depending on how you want your EQ curve. The mids are set, but you can bring the treble and bass up if you want a scooped sound, or treble and bass down if you want more mids. Second, vary your pick attack. I can't really say any more than experiment. See what works, what doesn't work and you can probably get pretty close. Also mess with your tone knobs. Last, you could just stick an EQ pedal in front of the amp to get exactly what you want. Thanks stuey for the info. I had no idea before you explaing this.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 12, 2008 21:03:17 GMT -7
Using a JBL 15 I've been setting the treble on my Z28 head at about 9:00 and the bass at about 11:00. Sounds very sweet with my Larivee and it's Lollar humbuckings. I have to turn the guitar itself down a bit for real clean but it sounds nice and full.
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Post by iggs on Dec 12, 2008 22:06:07 GMT -7
Because you don't need it ... LOL! If I'm not mistaken, the Treble/Bass controls on these Z amps are Baxandall tone controls which act as a Treble and Bass cut or boost controls. This is a specific tone control circuit that does not include a Mid control but is quite common and well known in Hi Fi circuits. More (Googled) info here: sound.westhost.com/dwopa2.htm#baxandallPersonally, I find the mids perfectly voiced on my Route 66 so I really never missed the separate Mid knob. I have no use for either scooped or excessively boosted mids so it's perfect as-is.
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