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Post by loudandproud on Mar 25, 2006 19:42:16 GMT -7
Hello everyone!
Please allow me to introduce myself as the proud new owner of a Dr. Z Mazerati head! I can't tell you how excited I am about my new amp, I've been playing it solid since I got it. I love how its working with my telecaster. I'd like to rock up the sound a bit, I guess I'll need a pedal with some decent gain. The amp is a little bright, but that could be my guitar and my crappy homemade speaker cab too. I plan on getting a better cab for it, a Z best or something 2 x 12"
I'm having sort of a problem at higher volumes though. Starting at a certain pitch there seems to be a noticeable ghost pitch in the background. Just enough to annoy someone who's trying to be real particular about their sound. Is this coming from the amp? Is it a common problem and is there anything I can do about it? Thanks in advance!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Mar 25, 2006 19:51:53 GMT -7
Sounds like maybe cone cry - what kind of speaker in your crappy home made cab?
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 25, 2006 20:07:52 GMT -7
Its a jensen MOD 15" speaker. I realize this isn't the best speaker and I fully intend to purchase a high end cab to go along with my high end head. I have another cab here, 3 Jensen 10" MOD speakers (lol). I'll plug into that and see what happens. Thanks for the tip!
Update: Plugged in my other crappy homemade cab and the strange sound persists, although I must say I believe it is ~somewhat less noticeable. I am hoping that a set of good speakers will solve the problem entirely. Thanks!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Mar 25, 2006 22:58:43 GMT -7
Well cone cry is pretty common but you hear about it more with Celestions than any other brand I think. That may be simply because there are more Celestions out there! It would be worth it to try a Z-Best cab and see if you still hear a problem - I'm betting not.
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 25, 2006 23:30:21 GMT -7
I think I will try a Z Best, although I was also thinking about the Marshall 2061CX cab. The marshall is more expensive but it might be easier to track down than a Z. Plus it looks totally cool. I'm sure they're both great cabs although I have a feeling the Z is a little tighter.
I really appreciate the help. I've never heard any cone cry out of my speakers before although theres a good chance I just haven't been paying close attention. With the new mazarati i've been really listening. It doesn't seem as though there are any common problems out of the mazarati, everyone seems to love it! I sure love mine! I admit though, I can really be a relentless perfectionist. Its easily better sounding than any other amp I've played, in its own way.
I've been reading about cabinet and speaker selection. It seems as though Celestion G12H 30Ws and Alnico Blue Bells are the most common speakers recommended with this amp. I hear a typical Z Best comes with a G12H and a vintage 30. Any thoughts?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Mar 26, 2006 0:00:22 GMT -7
Mine came with two V30's. I don't really have much experience with a wide variety of speakers here. I have enough experience to know they make a huge difference in tone though. That's why its nice if you can try before you buy.
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Post by billyguitar on Mar 26, 2006 5:17:31 GMT -7
I think what he may be hearing is not cone cry but ghost noting. I had a Mazerati for about 2 weeks, wasn't the amp for me. It had ghost notes. I retubed and they were still there. That was one reason I let it go. loudandproud: Is the sound you're hearing lower in pitch than the note you're playing? Does it follow up and down with bends but seem out of tune to the note you're bending? That would be ghost noting. If instead what you're hearing only happens when you do a steel guitar kind of bend (holding one note steady and bending another at the same time), that is a normal effect.
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 26, 2006 8:00:48 GMT -7
The sound I am hearing only occurs in a short range of pitches. The range seems to get larger when I crank the volume up more. The sound seems most noticeable when I am holding a single note. If I put a little vibrato on that note, sometimes the sound disappears and sometimes it tracks the note, I think depending on volume. I don't know if the sound really follows bends that well, but it definitely sounds out of tune and kind of weird. I first noticed it when I played a big fat chord and it didn't sound right.
I've never run into anything like ghost noting or cone cry before, but I do everything I can to keep my gear in good shape and sounding the best it can. Thats why I really appreciate the help with the diagnosis here. I'm going to try a better cab as soon as I can afford it. Unfortunately there aren't any dealers for that kind of stuff in my area. I did take a road trip awhile back though and made a point to check out some Z amps, a Z best cab, and that Marshall I mentioned. I think they're both great cabs.
*IF* the sound I'm hearing is ghost noting, is there anything I can do about it?
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 26, 2006 9:02:46 GMT -7
Okay, an update.
I have some encouraging or not so encouraging news, depending on how you look at it. I plugged one of my other amps (fender vibrolux reverb) into the cabinet under question. The strange sound I am describing persists, even with the different amps. As far as I can tell either the problem is the speaker / cab OR both of my amps have ghost noting.
I guess the real question is what kind of speakers / cab should I be looking for so this doesn't happen anymore?
Thanks guys!
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Post by billyguitar on Mar 26, 2006 9:05:35 GMT -7
Go to cabs and speakers. There is a thread there about cone cry. That should help you figure out which you've got.
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 26, 2006 9:45:58 GMT -7
Thanks!
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Post by foxx on Mar 26, 2006 10:48:21 GMT -7
I can only imagine that your impedence is correct, and that the wattage of your cabinet can handle the wattage of the Mazerati.
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 26, 2006 11:12:10 GMT -7
Yeah, impedance is 4 Ohms matched to the requisite output on the amp and I believe the speaker is rated for 100W if I'm not mistaken.
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Post by billyguitar on Mar 26, 2006 18:36:54 GMT -7
You said it does it with two different speaker cabs. That's what makes me think it's not cone cry (also known as edge yowl) but ghost noting.
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 26, 2006 21:24:22 GMT -7
Yeah, I see your point and I'm concerned. My fender amp was producing the same strange sound from those cabs though.
The cabs I'm talking about are homemade. They are essentially the same cab but with different speakerage. Same shape and size, same feet, handles, tolex, back, the works. Only difference on has a 15" Jensen MOD and the other has 3 10" Jensen MODs.
At this point either theres something wrong with both my amps (although the fender doesn't make noises like that with its own 2x10's), something is wrong with all the speakers in both of my cabs, or something is wrong with the both of the cabs themselves maybe? I dunno. I'm just really hoping its NOT the brand new Dr Z amp i spent a lot of money on. I'm crossing my fingers and I'll have to play around with my gear when I get more time.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Mar 26, 2006 21:29:54 GMT -7
Yeah, I see your point and I'm concerned. My fender amp was producing the same strange sound from those cabs though. The cabs I'm talking about are homemade. They are essentially the same cab but with different speakerage. Same shape and size, same feet, handles, tolex, back, the works. Only difference on has a 15" Jensen MOD and the other has 3 10" Jensen MODs. At this point either theres something wrong with both my amps (although the fender doesn't make noises like that with its own 2x10's), something is wrong with all the speakers in both of my cabs, or something is wrong with the both of the cabs themselves maybe? I dunno. I'm just really hoping its NOT the brand new Dr Z amp i spent a lot of money on. I'm crossing my fingers and I'll have to play around with my gear when I get more time. What are the cabs made from, and do they have any dampening material inside? Oh, are they open back or closed back?
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 27, 2006 8:05:04 GMT -7
They're made from some plywood I probably got somwhere for free if you know what I mean. Seemed fairly sturdy. Theres also some braces in the corners and at every midline made from a 2"x 2" I think. They are very much open back. Hardly any back at all, really. I painted them black and wrapped the outside in tolex. Fendery silver grille cloth. Not too fancy but well I thought they were okay for a guy who doesn't know anything about building cabs.
Last night I plugged another amp, a solid state marshall, into the 1 x 15" cab and i noticed the same kind of noise on the same pitches. I think this phenomenon is more notieceable with the Z amp, but I'm thinking if the problem is with the speaker cab then the Z's clarity or strength in a certain frequency bandwith could just be accentuating the problem. I really don't know though, its quite frustrating.
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Post by foxx on Mar 27, 2006 8:34:02 GMT -7
You really got to find another speaker cabinet to plug into, one that is new or is known to work. You say there is not a music store near you at all? I would even try to take your Rati head into a music store and tell them you need a speaker, at the correct impedence, and plug in. Or, buy a new speaker or cab online and have that sent to you. Seems to me that you need one anyway. I don't think that a new Mazerati would have ghost noting, although it is within the realms of possibility. good luck loudandproud
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Post by loudandproud on Mar 27, 2006 8:55:27 GMT -7
Thanks! I'll get a new cab as soon as I can afford it, and I really hope that solves the problem.
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Mike
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Mike on Mar 27, 2006 10:17:56 GMT -7
I really think the Mazerati reproduces noises and hums more accurately than a lot of amps. It is not really an amp you can hide too much with. What goes in comes out whether you like it or not.
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Post by billyguitar on Mar 27, 2006 12:35:20 GMT -7
Maybe it's some kind of room acoustical interaction. Try it in a different room in the house. Bigger would be better.
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wilzgt
Full Member
I plumb for Z-Tone !
Posts: 151
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Post by wilzgt on Mar 31, 2006 10:20:59 GMT -7
Welcome loudandproud! I have my Mazerati head paired with a Dr X 1x12 cabinet with a Vintage 30. I don't experience any weird noises or ghost notes with it.
Save up some bucks and get a different cabinet. My 1x12 is plenty big for anyplace I play out at and it's light.
This amp is very responsive, so if you slap the strings hard without damping the other strings, then you'll get unwanted noise in your signal. Basically, you'll adjust your technique so only the notes you want will come out. I did and I'm just an average joe player!
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Post by loudandproud on Apr 2, 2006 8:42:15 GMT -7
Thanks!
As of now I'm fairly certain the noise is being produced by my cabs / speakers rattling at some specific fequency they tend to resonate in. It doesn't seem as though people commonly have any problems with the mazerati, and my other amps (fender and marshall) are making the same noise through the same cab.
I hope I didn't make anyone think that there were any problems with the mazerati, its a fantastic amp and if you're considering buying one it certainly comes with my recommendations.
I am looking forward to getting a new cab. Its my next purchase, just gotta save a bit more $$. I'm thinking about getting an earcandy 2x12" with eminence speakers. From what I've been reading, earcandy cabs are really something else, and the eminence speaker line tends to have fewer problems with cone cry. Once I finally get the cab I'll try and post on here if it solves my problem.
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 2, 2006 9:09:57 GMT -7
Z cabs are more money but it sure is cool to have a matching cab to go with your head! Z's smaller open back 2 - 12 is a cool cab. Not as much low end as a Z best but smaller and lighter.
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Post by johnthigpen on Apr 7, 2006 6:00:21 GMT -7
What guitar are you using? Is there any chance that it's the culprit? For example, stratitus results from having the pickups a bit too high. There could also be a weird resonance from the truss rod that a minor tweak could fix.
John
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Post by loudandproud on Apr 10, 2006 9:10:15 GMT -7
Well thats a good thought, but this has been happening with all four of my electric guitars. Two telecasters, a strat, and a les paul.
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 10, 2006 10:30:15 GMT -7
It's unlikely that 4 guitars would have the same affliction.
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Post by rcrecelius on Apr 20, 2006 9:32:39 GMT -7
(although the fender doesn't make noises like that with its own 2x10's) It looks like youve already narrowed the problem down to something with your homemade cabs but...did you ever try your Z thru the Fender's speakers? Seems like a logical test since the Fender doesnt make this noise through its own speakers...
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Post by Curt on Apr 20, 2006 10:23:41 GMT -7
I have two Z 1x12 cabs loaded with V-30's in the "Buy, Sale, Trade section Curt
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