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Post by rcrecelius on Jan 9, 2006 7:54:27 GMT -7
Thursday night - Local sports bar, we dont mic the instruments and we get pretty loud. Lots of experimenting...I ended up with the volume maxed, bass off, and treble around 9 clock with a blues driver on all the time to boost the signal and especially to add some high end to the tone(level 3 oclock, gain off, tone 1-2 oclock). With this setup I could back off the guitars volume to clean it up, just wished it was a little cleaner. Not totally happy.
Friday night - Wedding reception - More experimenting...had a full PA with individual mon mixes and everything miced so I didnt have to push it as loud as the night before...dont remember settings, I never realy got comfortable.
Saturday Night - I remembered the Mullard 12AT7 PI and Rectifier I had in my tube bag...these seemed to clean the amp up a little so I left them in and headed back to the sports bar. After more experimenting, I ended up with the Blues driver on all the time with the gain off, level maxed and the tone control about 1-2 oclock. On the amp, volume maxed, bass 9 clock, treble about noon. Now I get it! With these settings and my partscaster I had just about every shade of clean to dirty with a turn of my guitars volume knob. I think the Ef86 likes being pushed really hard...once I maxed the BD's level and brought the bass up on the amp a little I was able to get comfortable with it.
This weeks gig is a pretty loud one too so I know exactly how I'm gonna setup for that!
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Post by Bill on Jan 9, 2006 8:31:03 GMT -7
Glad you finally got dialed in. I always used an RC Booster with my Z28, they are much more "alive" with a good booster. It sounds like at the volumes you're doing (max) a 22 watt amp may be a little underpowered. Maybe time for a Maz Sr or RxES?
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Post by jwr on Jan 9, 2006 8:49:18 GMT -7
Madison, would it help if he added a cab for gigs where he wasn't running through the PA? I would think that might help a little.
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Post by Bill on Jan 9, 2006 9:37:28 GMT -7
Madison, would it help if he added a cab for gigs where he wasn't running through the PA? I would think that might help a little. One thing I've discovered is how LOUD some speakers are, and how quiet others are. I just popped a Weber Blue back in my 1x12 for an upcoming gig in a small club. The gig after it with a much larger band, I'll put the Tonker back in...way louder and more defined than the Weber. Takes 10 min to switch 'em out. But yes, an extension cab would get you considerably louder & spread the good stuff around the room more. Probably more do-able than buying a Maz Sr!
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Post by rcrecelius on Jan 9, 2006 9:59:00 GMT -7
I already own a a Sr...the Z28 is my 2nd Z. The SR is getting sent back to the Dr for repair. Once I get the Sr back it will probably be my main amp with the Z28 being a backup or smaller gig amp.
I tried the Tonker twice with the Z28 but i really didnt care for it...too much low end. I havent tried it though at full volume(triedit at the quieter gig)...it still may be an option.
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Post by UnclePat on Jan 13, 2006 15:39:05 GMT -7
Whoa...sounds like some speaker experimenting may be in order. My '28 runs with everything around the 3PM range, using two different Strats most of the time. Hard to imagine leaving the bass off like that. Those tone controls add so much to the overall gain and performance of that amp. You're missing a lot by not using them. IMHO, of course.
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Post by rcrecelius on Jan 13, 2006 23:51:37 GMT -7
Whoa...sounds like some speaker experimenting may be in order. My '28 runs with everything around the 3PM range, using two different Strats most of the time. Hard to imagine leaving the bass off like that. Those tone controls add so much to the overall gain and performance of that amp. You're missing a lot by not using them. IMHO, of course. Pat, did you notice I did bring up the bass Sat night? BTW...I did follow your advice tonight and ended up with the volume @ 3, bass noon and treble 1-2 again with the blues driver on all the time for max boost. This is a really fun amp to play this way. I had even more gain on tap with these settings and a shimmery clean when you back off the guitars volume to about half. I have to be honest...if I'd been in a store to try this amp out in person, I probably would have passed..theres some kind of midrange tone going on that I dont care for (for the clean sounds) but when you get on a loud stage, it has the right amount of "cut" to be heard without being harsh. Im looking forward to spending more time with the z28 and maybe getting an RC Booster as Madison suggested...I may even setup a different pedalboard to use with this amp since I only need the one pedal to boost.
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Post by UnclePat on Jan 14, 2006 13:48:16 GMT -7
Sounds very similar to how I used to run with my VS Route 66 pedal. I still use the compressor side for slide stuff, but by using the gain that comes with judicious use of that bass knob I was able to leave the OD side off altogether. Just didn't need that boost anymore. But yessirree, this is one fun amp to play. I've said it many times as well....you do have to learn the amp and how it reacts to your playing style, and that can go good or bad!
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Post by rcrecelius on Jan 24, 2006 8:26:37 GMT -7
Well, I just keep getting happier and happier with the Z28...I got an RC Booster and it sounds much better than the Blues Driver...time for me to officially retract this statement... I have to be honest...if I'd been in a store to try this amp out in person, I probably would have passed..theres some kind of midrange tone going on that I dont care for With the RC Booster, I dont hear that midrange thing going on...the RC sounds clearer and I dont have to turn the amp up quite as much, even though it seemed that the RC had a little less boost available than the Blues Driver. We are recording our show this Saturday night...a friend of mine has a 24trk hard disk recorder so he's gonna record the whole night and mix it down later...I hope I get some good tones on disk that I can share with everyone. PS...there might be a Mini Z in the mix too I should have it today.
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Post by davey on Mar 6, 2006 21:54:13 GMT -7
The z28 I had was loud as hell. I can't believe the bar let you get away with cranking it let alone the Wedding???
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Post by rcrecelius on Mar 7, 2006 8:16:31 GMT -7
The z28 I had was loud as hell. I can't believe the bar let you get away with cranking it let alone the Wedding??? Welcome Davey... My Z28 is loud but not as loud as my Maz 38...which Ive also had pretty dang loud in this club as well! We are the local favorites at this bar so we always have a good crowd which lets us get away with playing pretty loud. tele62 came to hear us one night and when he asked me about my settings he said "it doesnt sound like you have it cranked that loud"...of course we were recording that night and had told all our friends so the place was completely packed with "sound soaking" bodies! The wedding...I didnt have it up very loud at the wedding and wasnt happy but since then, Ive learned how to set the amp and still be reasonably happy at lower volumes.
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Post by schridb on Mar 8, 2006 12:01:56 GMT -7
The RC Booster is key. I felt the same way without the RC - that there was a midrange that I didn't quite like, but with the RC you can boost the high and low ends just enough to balance the mid and make it perfect. Plus the RC puts a little hair on it.
I'm like the others, my Z-28 is louder than hell. I can't dime the volume anywhere I play and we play some decent size rooms.
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