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Post by gitaryzt1985 on Apr 24, 2012 8:56:49 GMT -7
New member here! Nice to meet all of you!
Ok, so I know that comparing a Mini Z to a DRRI is ridiculous, but I'm in need of a new gigging amp that is more capable of cutting through the mix than my Two Rock Studio Pro 22. I play at a church and volume is not an issue, but I'm looking for an amp that is a little brighter and less bassy than my Two Rock. The Two Rock has so much bass it is ridiculous. Bass notes come out spongy and flubby and are much bigger sounding than higher notes.
I don't need a ton of volume because I play at a church. I have two Egnater 1x12 cabs that stay at the church, so taking a head is the easiest most portable option. I used to gig a Marshall Class 5, so that should be a good indication of the type of volume I'm looking at.
The plus side to the Mini Z would be portability and the ability to breakup at lower volumes. The plus side to the DRRI would be fabulous clean tones and more power.
What do you guys think?
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Post by Maddog on Apr 24, 2012 10:38:13 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum, Bro.... I would certainly lean toward a Maz 8, Maz 18, Carmen Ghia, or Z-28 combo. Some of these you can get in a 1 x 10 combo size. You'll get a much more refined musical tone with any of these Z amps as compared to the DRRI and these Z's have as much umph as the Fender. The Mini may not have enough clean headroom for a church setting if you guys get to rocking.... Quiet to moderate church tho the Mini is wonderful..... I have owned 2 DRRI's and played a bunch. Compared to most mass produced amps they're really good, but compared to Doc's point to point wired, hand made (in Ohio, USA) amps the DRRI pales in comparison..... Find a Z-dealer and check them out first before you spend yer $$$ on a foreign made fender and have major buyer's remorse......
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Post by bassnomo on Apr 24, 2012 12:50:14 GMT -7
What Maddog said...I have a Mini, and it is in my opinion suitable for the quietest of gigs. It will deliver the breakup alright, but lacks clean headroom. I do not have a Maz 8, so i can't comment, but i used a Maz 18 for my large Church gig for a couple of years, before i got a 'Ray, with great results. Hard to go wrong with the 18, and they are available used, at a decent price, something that cannot be said of the 8...If you get an 18 or an 8, you will throw rocks at the DRRI...Good luck, Dwight
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Post by gitaryzt1985 on Apr 24, 2012 13:30:57 GMT -7
Thanks guys! I used to gig my Marshall Class 5 at about 7 with the volume on the guitar at 7, so I don't think headroom and volume will be an issue. The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards just saving for a Mini Z. I don't think the "Z" tone is going to overtake my love for my Two Rock (who knows it might lol), but it would be AWESOME to have the "Z" tone as a complement tone to my Two Rock.
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Post by wubberdubber on Apr 24, 2012 13:51:30 GMT -7
Never had a Mini, but I do have a DR reissue. I hardly ever use it, but for the occasional grab-and-go gig. It sounds good now, but I had to tweak a few components in the tone stack, change all the tubes and the speaker before I got it in the ballpark...every Z I've bought sounded great right off the bat. Just sayin'.....
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Post by club327 (aka Ben) on Apr 24, 2012 20:37:17 GMT -7
I think the mini should work for you. But there is only so much clean headroom available as has been said. I can be heard over the drums with no mic for a Maggie Mae sound or similar if that helps, but thats about it. Now if you allow a little more blues/rock sound to sneak in you can get louder. Our pa for vocals is only 100w and I easily and often drown him out if not careful on other songs.
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Post by gitaryzt1985 on Apr 25, 2012 5:42:33 GMT -7
I think the mini should work for you. But there is only so much clean headroom available as has been said. I can be heard over the drums with no mic for a Maggie Mae sound or similar if that helps, but thats about it. Now if you allow a little more blues/rock sound to sneak in you can get louder. Our pa for vocals is only 100w and I easily and often drown him out if not careful on other songs. Good to know! I used to gig a Class 5 just over noon on the volume, and I need a little breakup with my lead tone. With my Two Rock, there is virtually no breakup because I can't crank it very loud in the church, so I have to take pedals. Sounds to me like Dr Z mini it is!
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Post by gitaryzt1985 on Apr 25, 2012 11:27:33 GMT -7
Does anyone know where I could find a used one? I guess I don't have access to the Classifieds yet lol, and eBay is slim as well. If anyone has any leads to someone selling one, let me know!
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Post by Tom the Guitar Guy on Apr 26, 2012 12:13:28 GMT -7
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