dannopelli
Junior Member
Maz 18 2x10, Maz 38 1x12, 22 Geetars!
Posts: 97
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Post by dannopelli on Apr 2, 2006 14:46:24 GMT -7
Well, I finally got to gig with my Stingray! WOW! I can tell you after playing through a MAZ 38 and 18 for a year, this was HUGE! I thought I had found Utopia with those two behind me! What a completely different approach. VERY complex. And it just cuts through everything. EVERY musician there said, "WHAT IS THAT AMP? That is the MOST incredible tone! I can tell you this is NO BEDROOM AMP! It likes to run. The tone is so complex that it felt like it wanted to get away. I AM A HAPPY BOY!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 2, 2006 15:03:26 GMT -7
Dagnabbit! Lessee here... how can I GET one of these? ....must be something here I can sell... AH! Wonder what a kidney goes for these days?
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Post by Bill on Apr 2, 2006 15:04:50 GMT -7
Awesome, Danno! ;D Wish I coulda been there.
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Post by Curt on Apr 2, 2006 17:54:05 GMT -7
I've had two gig's since I got my 'Ray but have played the Sr...I'm afraid to gig the 'Ray...if I like it as much as I think I will I'll have a Brand New Sr sitting at home doin' nuthin' !!
Congrats, Glad ya dig it.
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Apr 2, 2006 20:13:17 GMT -7
I've had two gig's since I got my 'Ray but have played the Sr...I'm afraid to gig the 'Ray...if I like it as much as I think I will I'll have a Brand New Sr sitting at home doin' nuthin' !! Congrats, Glad ya dig it. Curt, I've been using BOTH the RAY AND the MAZ SR... switching between... nice combination.. I could use either one and be happy too... I wouldn't hesitate to take both.. but I wouldn't worry about one knocking the other out myself... I am just as happy with the MAZ SR as I am with the RAY... JUST hard to decide which one to use..... so as for me, I'm gonna use both!! ;D Jason
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Post by Curt on Apr 3, 2006 18:43:22 GMT -7
I've had two gig's since I got my 'Ray but have played the Sr...I'm afraid to gig the 'Ray...if I like it as much as I think I will I'll have a Brand New Sr sitting at home doin' nuthin' !! Congrats, Glad ya dig it. Curt, I've been using BOTH the RAY AND the MAZ SR... switching between... nice combination.. I could use either one and be happy too... I wouldn't hesitate to take both.. but I wouldn't worry about one knocking the other out myself... I am just as happy with the MAZ SR as I am with the RAY... JUST hard to decide which one to use..... so as for me, I'm gonna use both!! ;D Jason Well Jason, Come load out I am in no way interested in totein' two amps !!!! Hell @ nearly 44 I'm pleased to have it down to one trip with my gear !! LOL Main reason I wanted a MAZ Sr combo, I stuff my pedal board in an old lap top bag with a shoulder strap, grab my guitar case in one hand and the Sr in the other and I'm gauwn !! ;D
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 3, 2006 18:46:17 GMT -7
This is going to be a long 12 weeks, waiting for Little 'Ray. My middle name is Ray, not Raymond, so I'm going to call my amp Little Ray. I was named after my Aunt Billie (her nickname) and my Uncle Ray so the idea was I'd be called Billy Ray. At one point in my life quite a few people did call me Billy Ray, just like in an earlier time when a lot of people called me Billy Guitar. I even knew people that tried to look me up in the phone book thinking that was my real name! So it'll be me and Little Ray movin' and groovin', can't wait. Your descriptions of the live tone is making me crazy!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Apr 3, 2006 19:00:12 GMT -7
This is going to be a long 12 weeks, waiting for Little 'Ray. My middle name is Ray, not Raymond, so I'm going to call my amp Little Ray. I was named after my Aunt Billie (her nickname) and my Uncle Ray so the idea was I'd be called Billy Ray. At one point in my life quite a few people did call me Billy Ray, just like in an earlier time when a lot of people called me Billy Guitar. I even knew people that tried to look me up in the phone book thinking that was my real name! So it'll be me and Little Ray movin' and groovin', can't wait. Your descriptions of the live tone is making me crazy! Hey, my middle name is Ray too! My extended family had two Steve's (one of my cousins) so they always called me Stephen Ray. NOT Stevie Ray... thank God I don't have to live up to that!
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dannopelli
Junior Member
Maz 18 2x10, Maz 38 1x12, 22 Geetars!
Posts: 97
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Post by dannopelli on Apr 3, 2006 22:27:45 GMT -7
I too was gigging with a Maz set up, actually using a Maz 18 2x10 and Maz 38 1x12. I am pretty sure that depending upon the venue all the Dr Z amps will get work. I mean I still use an Evil Twin for some things. Prolly the only thing that never leaves the house is any more is my F 30.
I guess the key about the Stingray is how loud it sounds while not actually being loud. The Blue Bells also disperse sound very quickly too, so your stage sound does not get lost. It is kind of like your old stereo with the loudness button pressed.
I don't know, maybe it is frequency response or some other technical thing. I just know that in the room, I was perfectly in the mix. It was a medium sized room so we only sent a minimum amount of guitars into the PA. But while my guitar was balanced in terms of level, it never got lost.
And when I kicked on the BB or Mosferatu or Keely Rat I had decidely different texture than with the MAZ series. So that took just a bit getting used to. Again it had to do with how wide the tone was. This is a VERY hard amp to get a compressed tone with, but after just a few songs I recognized the value of that.
Oh yeah, I never got the volume knob past 9:30.
I kind of get the feeling that the MAZ amps will appear at small to medium gigs, and the Ray, at medium to large gigs, and maybe the Ray and the Maz SR at very large gigs.
I get the feeling that my Evil Twin is going to be keeping my F30 company at home...
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 4, 2006 4:20:31 GMT -7
benttop: That's a hoot! Sound like a Ray my need a little attenuation. I usually like to run volume controls about 1/2 up. Most amps seem to sound best there. I'll try my Kendrick Air Brake when it shows up.
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Apr 4, 2006 5:46:56 GMT -7
benttop: That's a hoot! Sound like a Ray my need a little attenuation. I usually like to run volume controls about 1/2 up. Most amps seem to sound best there. I'll try my Kendrick Air Brake when it shows up. No attenuation here.... I've been running mine around 1:00-2:00... But I must note NOT WITH CELESTION BLUES!! ...been running it with Madisons cab ( it's STILL Madisons cab, that what I'm gonna call it from now on...thanks Bill ;D) which is @16 ohm w/ the 50 watt Weber alnico blue/ silver.... loud but NOT to loud at all... PERFECT!.. also like it with the ceramic weber blue/ silvers ALOT!! Jason
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 4, 2006 6:10:19 GMT -7
I ordered mine with the Z 2 x 10 cab. It probably won't be as punchy as the Blues either.
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Apr 4, 2006 6:15:49 GMT -7
Curt " Well Jason, Come load out I am in no way interested in totein' two amps !!!!" Yea, I can dig THAT to... I'm just a glutten for punishment... and I can't decide so ( I'm the guy that checks the door about three times after I know I locked it already..then gets down the road only to wonder if it is REALLY locked... so you can only IMAGINE the dilemma I would face if I had to choose between them... ;D) AND you better be THANKFUL if you feel THAT WAY about loading , that you DIDN"T get a 'RAY 2x12 combo... my other guitar players got one and WOW.... that is THE HEAVIEST COMBO AMP I THINK I'VE EVER ATTEMPTED TO PICK-UP.... It could easily be the ONLY anchor for a NimitZ class aircraft carrier!! must be those HUGE transformers... Jason
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Post by Bill on Apr 4, 2006 6:44:21 GMT -7
...been running it with Madisons cab ( it's STILL Madisons cab, that what I'm gonna call it from now on...thanks Bill ;D) which is @16 ohm w/ the 50 watt Weber alnico blue/ silver.... loud but NOT to loud at all... PERFECT!.. also like it with the ceramic weber blue/ silvers ALOT!! Jason Jason, always cool to keep 'em in the "family". Teleking36 just picked up my RxES...he's obviously very pumped, and watching for the brown truck arrival!
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Post by JASON (aka jgleaton) on Apr 4, 2006 6:51:14 GMT -7
Yea Bill,
I still got Laroosco's old RX original strength head too.... my first Z amp... I love that amp! ;D keepin it in Z brotherhood....
Jason
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Post by Curt on Apr 4, 2006 8:35:05 GMT -7
Billy, the 'ray sounds good, no, great at any volume, IMO. It is like a route 66 in that it is never abusive to your ears even when LOUD
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 4, 2006 8:40:10 GMT -7
That's like a good stereo. The better the equipment the louder you can play it and it just sonds better. Cheap amps with cheap speakers can be so spikey you want to turn them down because they hurt.
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Post by Curt on Apr 4, 2006 13:55:24 GMT -7
I keep wondering why in the He!! I sold my 66....argghhh. I see those feelings comming around again for another reason......
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 4, 2006 14:12:31 GMT -7
After I get the Ghia and StangRay to go with my Maz 38 sr, I think I'll be done on the amp scene. But i may have to get a separate box for my Maz chassis. I really like the idea of separates for weight reduction. Fed Ex tracking says Ghia should arrive tomorrow. I find that hard to believe.
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Post by Curt on Apr 4, 2006 19:10:09 GMT -7
After I get the Ghia and StangRay to go with my Maz 38 sr, I think I'll be done on the amp scene. But i may have to get a separate box for my Maz chassis. I really like the idea of separates for weight reduction. Fed Ex tracking says Ghia should arrive tomorrow. I find that hard to believe. Their usually right on.
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Post by hdahs143 on May 13, 2006 15:16:36 GMT -7
The old saying that the gig is the true test of an amp is right on the money!
My band got to open up on the sidestage for the Gretchen Wilson/Trace Adkins show yesterday at our local amphitheater. I took both my MAZ 38 head and my Stingray head, and decided to go with the Stingray. I'm a big fan of reliability, tried and true, etc. so leaving the MAZ on the bench was tough!
Best move I've ever made! Everything from clean, to slight dirt, to chunky sounded fantastic. This amp just has a cleaner, purer sound to it! This amp makes pedals sound like they are part of the circuitry inside. Using the "3K" attack (Keeley compressor, BD-2 Phat Mod, & TS-9 mod plus) and my Line 6 delay, everything from clean to singing lead tones, was the best I've ever had, bar none! Even through my stock ZBEST, just an unbelievable rich, wide sound!.
This also helped me decide which amp to keep, or keep both. In as much as I love the MAZ, I've had to do a bit of tweaking, mainly through tube swaps, to get it in my "sweet zone". And when the MAZ is cranked a bit, it gets a little dirty.
The Stingray took about 5 seconds to hit the bullseye of my " dream sweet spot" right out of the box. And it stays cleaner when turned up. It gets "some hair", but that hair is more overtones and harmonics, not distortion. I like to let my pedals do the "dirty work"!
So in as much as I don't need 2 EL84 amps, look for the MAZ 38 head to be up for sale/auction soon! I'm thinking I'd like a Route 66 head as I got started in this tube business with a 6L6 type amp.
Thanks again Doc for making "that sound you heard in your head" available to us!
This is truly a timeless, classic guitar amplifier!
Harold
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