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Post by scotty on Jan 27, 2010 18:05:51 GMT -7
Hey guys, I've been reading this forum for a while but haven't really posted... I've been trying to decide between the Mini and Ghia. I'm a bedroom player mostly into classic rock, blues, and Texas country. The Mini seems perfect with its built in attenuator and I'm not real smart so the less knobs the better. I am currently playing a Blackheart Little Giant and am just looking to upgrade. The thing is I keep hearing the Mini has "no clean headroom". Does this mean it breaks up right away? Too quiet before breakup for even bedroom use?
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Post by meanslide on Jan 28, 2010 9:18:52 GMT -7
Welcome to Z World!
I have both. The Mini has some great clean in it. More so with single coil PU's.
The Ghia has much more clean headroom but it is loud! I have a Brakelite in mine, and it's still loud.
Sounds like the Mini would be your best bet.
This clip that Mojocaster did sold me on the Mini...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=dzmhbq8qlmE[/youtube]
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Post by 6stringer on Jan 28, 2010 11:24:15 GMT -7
a 12AYZ in V1 will give the mini considerably more clean headroom.
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Post by scotty on Jan 28, 2010 16:29:37 GMT -7
Thanks for the input guys! I am really leaning toward a Mini now. I have read quite a bit on this forum about tube swapping for different preamp tubes. There seems to be a lot of really knowledgeable people here and I am learning tons.
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Post by mrocd on Jan 29, 2010 5:42:55 GMT -7
Thanks for the input guys! I am really leaning toward a Mini now. I have read quite a bit on this forum about tube swapping for different preamp tubes. There seems to be a lot of really knowledgeable people here and I am learning tons. Just got mine yesterday; the 12AX7 in it (a JJ, but I imagine most any AX would have done this) was just too fizzy and buzzy. An old GT 12AU7 in the preamp makes this much closer to a Ghia without the volume, to my ears. Which is more or less what I want.
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Post by scotty on Jan 29, 2010 19:38:51 GMT -7
Now that sounds like exactly what I want!
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Post by mrocd on Jan 30, 2010 14:59:02 GMT -7
I've been monkeying around some today... the Mini is running through a Z Best with 50 watt Weber ceramics, Blue Dog and Silver Bell... Using the DGT I tried the GT 12au7, then a NOS at7, the JJ ax that came with it, a Tung Sol reissue ax7, then finally an old used block RCA ax7... All the ax7s sounded okay to around 3 o'clock, when the fizzies started. The au7 barely broke up till dimed, then had the loud fat Ghia thing going. The at7 was a little subtler than an ax7. The old RCA was REAL NICE, though... the fizzies weren't as raspy and trebley, and cleaned up beautifully at about 7 on the guitar's volume knob. A Barge compressor and/or an Analogman modded SD-1 took the raspiness out as well and gave everything a nice smooth high gain sustain.
Moral, findings, whatever...? Small Ghia tone with an au7, nice Marshally thing with NOS or vintage ax7s. And that tubes make a MAJOR difference with this amp. I'd love to try an old Mullard EL84 in the power stage.
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Post by barnes on Jun 11, 2010 19:23:41 GMT -7
This is really interesting to me, as I'm using a Marshall Class 5 for my smaller gigs (mic'd), but would love to try a Mini-Z if the clean headroom can be found... tjstrat; with the AU7, how was volume? According to: thetubestore.com/gainfactor.html...the AU7 is SIGNIFICANTLY weaker than a 12AX7. I guess my fear would be that it couldn't get loud enough to compete with a drummer; even when miced... Thanks for your input!
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Post by scotty on Jun 11, 2010 19:40:40 GMT -7
This is really interesting to me, as I'm using a Marshall Class 5 for my smaller gigs (mic'd), but would love to try a Mini-Z if the clean headroom can be found... tjstrat; with the AU7, how was volume? According to: thetubestore.com/gainfactor.html...the AU7 is SIGNIFICANTLY weaker than a 12AX7. I guess my fear would be that it couldn't get loud enough to compete with a drummer; even when miced... Thanks for your input! I have picked up a 1x10 combo and found the 12AU7 sounded great in it but did cause a great decrease in volume. Eventually settled on a 12AY7. More "clean" but not so much of a volume loss. Hope that helps.
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alswin
Junior Member
Posts: 70
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Post by alswin on Jun 11, 2010 19:42:10 GMT -7
I find I can get a good clean even with the amp at 3 oclock by simply rolling off my neck pups' Lollar p-90's in colings lefty 290 and lollar mini hb's in a lefty 360. On my Lefty Lang "Sofia" SG junior clone it has a JS moore p 90 single bridge and it is ok rolled back but nothing like the neck pup's on the other two. The Moore PU is very hot and I like it dirty.
It is really a good clean and can go from sparkly to jazzy with the tone control and some volume knob tweaks.
Is good to set the bridge for dirt and neck for cleans and very easy to switch tones on the fly with no pedals. I rock this little amp and find it extremely versatile. A tone monster in fact. This works great on guitars with a volume for each pup. Might not be so easy on a strat.
I have had a Carr raleigh, Suhr badger 18, Mesa rectoverb 50, Swart 6v6se, kendrick roughneck and BG5 and about 20 other various amps over the years including a lot of fenders. Oh yeah and a maz 18 nr I traded on a guitar liek a fool a few years back- the old blonde with oxblood grill they no longer make! One of you guys probably bought it in 06' from fat sound
The mini iz my only amp these days. It is all I need and then some- well, I'm saving for a monza red fang combo now but that's the only other amp I ever see needing. Of course the Carr was bubly and fendery and the Z is not quite that. I find the cleans in the mini very british and I like it a lot. I had the amp a good while before I really learned how to master it.
There are ton's of sweet spots on this thing that just make it happen for me. My desert island amp. You can do it all with a good p 90 the knobs and some finesse. This amp defines less is more for me.
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Post by barnes on Jun 11, 2010 19:59:58 GMT -7
Awesome; thanks guys. alswin; I just picked up a 1970 Gibson SG Special. The P90s are amazing, and the guitar, as I'm sure you know, has separate volume controls. Sounds like it would be a great wingman for a Mini Z. ...now let's see if I can find one in the Toronto area at some point this weekend!
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alswin
Junior Member
Posts: 70
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Post by alswin on Jun 11, 2010 20:30:44 GMT -7
The bridge will be a little twangy and a bit on the thin side no matter what you do if you try and use it for clean but try the neck and roll the volume and tone back over half way. I play lefty and my pots might taper a little different and I have 50's wiring, but just roll it back and you should find something nice, it will even get jazzy if you roll the tone back enough. Again fiddle with it. There are a LOT of sweet spots on this amp and a little adjustment to the amps volume knob and the guitar make a huge difference. I have found a lot more tones than I thought this amp had in it by just exploring every aspect of it. It is deceptively simple at first glance, but there is a world of british tone in this thing (especially marshall type). I reccomed the amp be turned up to 3 oclock and use this method to get your clean, it's a lot sweeter, complex and bigger than the clean you get by keeping the volume knob low. This is where the headroom is. You can do a lot more than you are used to on other amps just with the guitar controls on the mini. try a lighter hand- it is very touch responsive at this point due to the amp being cranked. Digging in can be fun! Being sublte can sound real cool too.
I like it a lot for Zeppelin covers. Trust me a 2 pickup gibson type guitar will make you think this little thing is a channel switcher once you learn hoe to utilize the pickups. I can even pull it off on my Sg junior clone but I prefer being able to use the pickup switch in a gig setting. its consistent, surely easier to pull off and just really sounds better.
Gotta go open back too so you can get that airyness to it.
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PCNSjr
New Member
son of pcns
Posts: 32
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Post by PCNSjr on Jul 7, 2010 7:43:13 GMT -7
Go with the miniz it's worth it
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Post by tattoedsailor on Jul 30, 2010 0:34:15 GMT -7
This thread is relative to my interest.. I'm really interested in Mini. I've had guys recommending me the Maz 18. My gut tells me its going to be a bit to much for Bedroom player. Is the Mini pedal friendly like rest of Z's amps?
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alswin
Junior Member
Posts: 70
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Post by alswin on Jul 31, 2010 17:50:50 GMT -7
I had a maz and it was too loud for home use. You could add and attenuator if it is really the tone you are after.
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