robt
Full Member
Posts: 138
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Post by robt on May 2, 2006 6:39:54 GMT -7
I have a Maz 18 reverb combo, G12H, stock. Wonderful tone machine. I have owned a Ghia combo and KT45 head. I lurk now in Z28 land trying to figure out if I should trade the Maz for a Z28. I read here that the Z28 is more along Fender tone lines. Does anyone own both amps and can make a comparison? Although I would like to have both, that probably won't happen. Plus, I gotta have combos, and the smaller and lighter the better for an old back and portablity. No more stuffing my BF Super Reverb into the cab of a Ranger.... Any feedback or tone clips appreciated.
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Post by rcrecelius on May 2, 2006 7:32:08 GMT -7
I dont own a Jr but I do own a Sr and a Z28. I had the Sr for a couple years before buying the Z28. I cant make much of a comparison though because since I got the Z28, it gets all the playing time...its the Fender sound I never could get from a Fender The Sr doesnt even sound good to me anymore. I guess I owe it to myself to take the Sr out on a gig again and see if I can get comfortable with it again because it is also a great amp. I have a link in my signature to some live recordings with the Z28...all done with an RC Booster(on all the time) and using the guitars volume to control everything.
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robt
Full Member
Posts: 138
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Post by robt on May 2, 2006 8:07:31 GMT -7
Wow, that's somebigtone on those recordings. Great playing, great band. I hear what you mean about the Fender tone...I hear Bakersfield with a bit-o-hair. Are you playing a head or combo? The thing about the Jr is that for only a 1 x 12 combo, it gives up some deep bass and if I hollow out the mid control it leans toward the BF sound. Your tone is certainly Fender-ey, reminds me of a Brown Concert. Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.
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Post by rcrecelius on May 2, 2006 11:26:23 GMT -7
Thanks robt...my Z28 is a 1/12 combo and those recordings were done with the original Greenback speaker. Since then Ive started experimenting with other more efficient speakers...currently I have a Private Jack in there and hoping it will get broke in soon so I can decide if its a keeper or not. Bakersfield with a bit-o-hair...I like that analogy!
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Post by Curt on May 2, 2006 12:26:04 GMT -7
I have owned both, both killer amps, The Z-28 to me shines with humbuckers as it overdrives just awesome. mine was a head with a 1x12 V-30, one loud arse amp. A MAZ Jr NR head was my first Z and I did not give it enough time, great amp but I grabbed a Ghia and a Route 66 and they floored me so I sold the Jr, my #1 now is a MAZ Sr 1x12 combo...it is THE amp for me.
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Post by jwr on May 2, 2006 16:37:07 GMT -7
I don't own a JR but I own a SR and I just put a RCA 5751 Blackplate in V1 and a balanced JAN GE 5751 in V5 and it put the amp closer to the Fender territory. For about $70 you could see if a simple tube swap might get you the sound your looking for. I'm not gonna try to talk you out of a Z-28 though, I've got one of those as well and it is just a blast to play and it's big on the Fender vibe.
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Post by Lefty on May 3, 2006 5:58:03 GMT -7
Got 'em both and I'm not selling either one!! If you're looking for more of a brown Fendery tone, the Z-28 is a great place to start. I'm a die-hard Fender lover, it's just my ear favoring that tone but and thats a big butt! With my Maz 18NR, when I throw in a reverb box (Verbzilla) in the loop, you'd be hard pressed to tell if it wasn't a Fender. The Maz 18 2x10 is kind of a 1/2 Super, it covers all grounds from nice marshall munch to Fendery cleans with hair. As for the Z-28, it has big feet and skinny legs, great brown clean tones but doesn't overdrive the same as a Fender or the Maz 18. ...get 'em both.
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robt
Full Member
Posts: 138
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Post by robt on May 3, 2006 7:18:37 GMT -7
Thanks to all for your feedback. The simple truth is, I could never give up JR under any circumstances, to I'll have to start thinking about adding a 28. My tonal quest is Roy B's second album. I met him once but didn't have the presence of mind to ask what amp he used on the album. I think it was a Vibrolux. I hear some of that tone in the Z28 clips....
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Post by Lefty on May 3, 2006 9:06:27 GMT -7
Yes, I'm pretty sure he used a Vibrolux...it may have been modified if I remember correctly...a common mod is to replace the output tranny with a Twin tranny. The stock Vibrolux tranny is the same as a Bandmaster...pretty small.
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Post by billyguitar on May 3, 2006 10:48:23 GMT -7
A Vibroluxe Reverb cranked as loud as he had it is always good. I think the Z28 and the Brown Fenders is a good parallel for tone description. Particularly the normal channel on the Brown Fenders. The Deluxe and Princeton are just tone and volume so those aren't applicable, just the bigger amps.
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Post by stratdev on May 15, 2006 22:29:37 GMT -7
My Z-28 is my 'go to' amp for small/medium clubs where I want that old Deluxe (but better) sound. But my Route 66 can really approximate the old Vibrolux sound with 'buckers and the right EQ. It's funny how my Z-amps parallel my old Fenders: Z-28: reminds me of my '64 Deluxe reverb Route 66: Vibrolux Maz Sr: my '66 Pro Reverb I'm a creature of habit... but my new habits (Z's) are just an order higher.
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Post by miguel777 on Jul 10, 2006 23:26:58 GMT -7
I currently own both amps - My Jr is NR with 2x10" stock Z speakers. I have a Z-28 head that I play thru a 1x12" Weber Classic Alnico 12A50. I own a strat (Kinman strat replacement pups), a tele (Kinman tele replacement pups), a MM Alvin Lee (stock Duncan single coils), and Samick Greg Bennett JZ-3 (stock Duncan-designed humbuckers). Both amps play really well with pedals. The Z-28 takes my modulation effects (Roland Gp8 and companion SRV2000 Reverb) thru the front end just fine - I run those thru the FX loop on the Jr. I love the sound of the Jr with the strat plugged into the hi input - sold my '69 SupRev because of it. The JZ-3 sounds great thru the Z-28 -- humbuckers break that up readily at 12 o'clock for a nice jazz-R&B sound. It also sounds good with the Jr, but I've got to use it in the Lo input otherwise not enough headroom. Tele and Z-28 -- match made in heaven. MM Alvin Lee sounds spritely thru either amp. The Z-28 rig is lighter than the Jr, which I think is kind of a heavy amp for an 18-watter. I used the Jr at a small outdoor gig this weekend w/the strat and JZ-3 - I typically run with the master dimed and the gain somewhere between 9-12 oclock - outdoors I had to work the tone controls a bit to cut back on the pick attack transient - with the 2x10"s, it became very pronounced with the higher gain - the cut control came in handy there. The tone controls on the Z-28 are a whole different ballgame - they seem to directly impact the gain structure anywhere past 12 o'clock, in a way that I've never experienced. Very cool, and comes in handy with different guitars. Let us know how things work out when you get the Z28 !
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2006 7:07:15 GMT -7
I have 2 MAZ 18 Jr NR's and a Z-28. I really like them both. With the Master Volume and the Cut knob the MAZ 18 works out to be a little more 'flexible' amp especially for live. I really love the sound of the Z-28 though and I use it in the studio a real lot. You are probably hip to the fact that the bass and treble pots act more like tone gain controls than regular roll off style tone controls. I'm really happy to have both amps. Hopefully when the smoke clears you'll end up w both amps!
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Post by guitarman1 on Aug 3, 2006 7:48:57 GMT -7
Great playing rcrecelius! Great tone & chops!!!!
How much lighter is Z28 combo compared to a MAZ Jr combo guys? I'd like to get a "light as possible" grab & go combo Z.
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Post by rcrecelius on Aug 3, 2006 8:03:46 GMT -7
Great playing rcrecelius! Great tone & chops!!!! How much lighter is Z28 combo compared to a MAZ Jr combo guys? I'd like to get a "light as possible" grab & go combo Z. Thanks! The Z28 is considerably lighter than my Maz 38(both 1/12's) but I cant speak for the MAz 18jr.
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