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Post by marlev on Sept 19, 2012 6:13:42 GMT -7
So I just got my hands on a Dr. Z! This is my first Z and I'm loving every little bit of it. It takes pedals very well. The seller told me this is the first Maz 38 NR made by Dr. Z himself! Every connection in the amp is tested and marked by Z! It's loaded with NOS 60's British Blackburn made pre-amp tubes. It's a great amp, equal parts Vox, Marshall and Bassman! Here are some photos:
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Post by Brian on Oct 17, 2012 13:23:39 GMT -7
Congrats on a fine amp.
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Post by marlev on Oct 26, 2012 9:39:32 GMT -7
Thanks! Here it is with my 212 cab.
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Post by bryan0418 on Oct 26, 2012 10:57:32 GMT -7
Nice amp. Just being curious, is that a real speaker cable plugged into your cabinet? Be sure to always use a speaker cable, not a regular guitar patch cable.
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Post by marlev on Oct 26, 2012 11:15:50 GMT -7
It sure is!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2012 5:53:07 GMT -7
That's nice.
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Post by Maddog on Oct 27, 2012 6:19:41 GMT -7
Great amp...one of the best... Crank 'er up, Brother, and welcome to the forum!!!
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Post by "Z" Steve on Oct 27, 2012 9:32:47 GMT -7
I love my 18 but miss my 38. I had to sell it because it was a 1x12 combo - too heavy on the back. I went for an 18 instead and though it has the goods it isn't as PHAT as the 38. Congrats again on one of thee best amps the Good Doc makes
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Post by marlev on Oct 30, 2012 10:24:39 GMT -7
One thing I find bizzare is that it doesn't have the clean headroom I initially thought it was going to have... I find it break up very early when plugged in either Lo or Hi inputs.
Also, it has an awful lot of low end, I almost leave the bass setting to zero.
The original owner said he never changed the tubes in like 10 years. He said he left them in because of the earlier breakup they created.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2012 11:41:01 GMT -7
marlev, you have got a great amp there. I hope you get to crank her once in awhile. Doc's amps sound great at any volume. But to be able to feel the air moving from the speaker when the amp is cranked is my favorite way to hear them. Congrats!
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Post by marlev on Oct 30, 2012 11:43:00 GMT -7
Thanks for the kind words doc001! Yep, I get to crank it once a week at band practice!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2012 11:52:00 GMT -7
^^^ Sweet
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Post by "Z" Steve on Oct 30, 2012 13:24:50 GMT -7
One thing I find bizzare is that it doesn't have the clean headroom I initially thought it was going to have... I find it break up very early when plugged in either Lo or Hi inputs. Also, it has an awful lot of low end, I almost leave the bass setting to zero. The original owner said he never changed the tubes in like 10 years. He said he left them in because of the earlier breakup they created. Ten years on the tubes? Hmmm, that's too long. You should look into ordering a matched set of power amp tubes and a rectifier (as a backup) as well as the preamp tubes and PI. There is no re-biasing needed with this amp so it is as easy as taking out a set at a time and trying them to hear the difference (I would start with the power amp section 1st since you like the overdrive you are getting). I would also recommend getting some DeOxit to clean to sockets of each tube as maintenance. The Doc's amps last a long time but like with anything routine cleaning and good tubes are always good to keep it at it's optimum. Again, congrats on a great amp
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Post by marlev on Nov 1, 2012 18:28:06 GMT -7
Thanks for the tips and help, much appreciated. I'll keep you guys updated!
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Post by marlev on Nov 4, 2012 6:24:49 GMT -7
I changed the power tubes with some JJ EL84s and now I have the clean headroom I was hoping to get out of this amp. It's like I just took a huge blanket off the amp. Before, it was muddy and you could barely hear note definition but now, it's a different story! I'm really happy with the amp now!
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Post by "Z" Steve on Nov 4, 2012 15:10:26 GMT -7
Awsome Now you can tailor your "crunch" by trying different preamp tubes in V1 - tons O fun. Glad it worked well for ya.
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Post by marlev on Nov 4, 2012 15:28:36 GMT -7
Any suggestions as to what I should try in V1?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2012 15:53:40 GMT -7
It wouldn't surprise me if those Blackburns are still as good as they were the day they came off the production line. Only way to know for sure would be to get them spec'd and traced. I wouldn't get rid of them unless you know for sure that they are bad. You can try other tubes to see how they sound. Nothing wrong with experimenting. That's for sure. But keep those Blackburns.
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Post by marlev on Jan 21, 2013 7:52:29 GMT -7
Update:
After playing a few months with the new power tubes I started to get curious about how it would sound with fresh preamp tubes... Well, the result is absolutely astonishing! It's like there was another blanket on the amp and it fell right off!! With the Blackburn tubes in there, the sound was a bit dark and had little presence in the high end. With the JJs, I'm getting a really nice Fender-ish sparkle. The clean headroom seems to be better too. Another thing is that I find the Cut knob to be a lot more responsive also.
Just when I thought this amp couldn't get better, it did! I'm one happy MAZ 38 NR owner!
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Post by whiskeyzulu on Jan 27, 2013 8:04:08 GMT -7
Update: Just when I thought this amp couldn't get better, it did! I'm one happy MAZ 38 NR owner! Welcome to the happy Sr owner's club - its a great amp and IMO always sounds good!
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Post by marlev on Apr 19, 2013 10:43:44 GMT -7
Finally got the matching cabinet! It's the Z-best 2x12 loaded with 50 watt Weber Alnico Blue Dog and Silver Bell. The seller told me the speakers had custom doping made for playing LOUD!! The cabinet and speaker combination sounds soooo good! I was using a 2x12 with Celestion V30s which I liked but they only covered a certain range of sound. The Blue and Silver Webers are very warm sounding and they cover a wide range of sounds with a lot of clarity to every note. Loving my Maz 38 even more now! I ordered a logo for the cab because the other guy who had it before me lost it. Here are some pictures (taken with my iphone, sorry for the quality)
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Post by doctorice on Apr 19, 2013 12:03:25 GMT -7
^^^
That is a nice setup. Enjoy!
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Post by maz38sc on Apr 19, 2013 16:18:53 GMT -7
I changed the power tubes with some JJ EL84s and now I have the clean headroom I was hoping to get out of this amp. It's like I just took a huge blanket off the amp. Before, it was muddy and you could barely hear note definition but now, it's a different story! I'm really happy with the amp now! Absolutely...I had the same experience. I bought my beloved Maz Sr. Reverb 2x12 combo mint, but used. I decided after a week to change out all the tubes and WOW....it was night and day. I love this amp it'll be with me forever. I have a Celestion Gold & a G12H in mine along with the Air Brake. A definite hall of fame amp, tonewise, IMO.
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