slypig
New Member
Green 1x10 Monza
Posts: 47
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Post by slypig on May 26, 2014 20:45:23 GMT -7
After spending some quality time with my Monza I have a few observations. The drive knob is basically a pre inverter master volume that doesn't cut all the way to zero. It is great at shaping the tone but you can cut the volume with it to clean up the sound. This works especially well with single coils. I love the way the tone circuit works. The thing I hate about most tone stacks is that they send signal to ground and thus pull character away from the tone. I always feel like I'm losing some freqs I don't want to lose to rid harshness or dullness. But this tone circuit is more subtle to me. I know it is cutting freqs by canceling them out but it feels more like a scalpel and not so much like a hack saw. My favorite amps have always been less complicated to use. The Monza seams to be just amplifying the guitar and seams more organic than other high gain amps to me. Of course the Monza gets all of that push from just two stages of preamp gain. I'm in love with this design.
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Post by simpleton on May 27, 2014 14:23:55 GMT -7
I can't wait to get mine. I was hoping today would be the day (like USPS confirm# said) BUT alas it only left Nebraska this morning, coming from NYC. I've really felt the same way about my Ghia. That the way it is designed really lets the guitar and my personality out without stifling anything the Z adds it's own character. It's great to hear you enjoying your Monza!
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Post by pcns on May 27, 2014 15:58:17 GMT -7
The Monza is a great amp. Lots of tone there and a clever design.
Glad you are enjoying it!
Todd
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Post by simpleton on May 30, 2014 21:42:34 GMT -7
After spending some quality time with my Monza I have a few observations. The drive knob is basically a pre inverter master volume that doesn't cut all the way to zero. It is great at shaping the tone but you can cut the volume with it to clean up the sound. This works especially well with single coils. I love the way the tone circuit works. The thing I hate about most tone stacks is that they send signal to ground and thus pull character away from the tone. I always feel like I'm losing some freqs I don't want to lose to rid harshness or dullness. But this tone circuit is more subtle to me. I know it is cutting freqs by canceling them out but it feels more like a scalpel and not so much like a hack saw. My favorite amps have always been less complicated to use. The Monza seams to be just amplifying the guitar and seams more organic than other high gain amps to me. Of course the Monza gets all of that push from just two stages of preamp gain. I'm in love with this design. Just got my Monza today and can totally understand what you are saying now. The tone knob doesn't overtly effect the sound at all, almost like Doc Z just gave the monza a color of tone and we get to shade it a hair one way or the other but not actually alter its voice...just set it in the sweeter spot. I can already tell that finding the right 12AX7's for it would probably be the most voice altering thing I could do...besides a speaker swap.
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Post by blueboy on Jun 1, 2014 10:35:48 GMT -7
youre right on about the 12ax7, nos is the way to go for v1, I personally use a 60's jan ge 5751 there, have also tried a 60's era cbs 7025 which sounded good as well.
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Post by simpleton on Jun 1, 2014 21:16:52 GMT -7
youre right on about the 12ax7, nos is the way to go for v1, I personally use a 60's jan ge 5751 there, have also tried a 60's era cbs 7025 which sounded good as well. To get more clean headroom?
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slypig
New Member
Green 1x10 Monza
Posts: 47
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Post by slypig on Jun 2, 2014 21:53:33 GMT -7
I put two new tun sols in mine they work well. The PI went micrphonic on me so I just re tubed the pre
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Post by blueboy on Jun 7, 2014 12:07:06 GMT -7
yes, a 5751 gives a little more clean headroom and makes delays and reverbs a little more usable before the amp. However, I found It will cut the sustain just a little bit. I tried a tungsol in v1 and it caused a hum at higher gain settings. As far as new 12ax7's go I found the ehx sounded the best to me overall. But a nos 5751 makes the amps low gain sounds more usable. I have been pushing mine through a z-best and it sounds ferocious when you back up about 10 or 15 feet.
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