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Post by kidmagic on May 25, 2006 12:17:20 GMT -7
Alrighty, so I'm hearing fantatstic things about the Ray. And most of the descriptions seem to basically describe the sound my Mazerati puts out. So anyone with experience with both amps know the differences?? (by the way, I LOVE my Mazerati).
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Post by billyguitar on May 25, 2006 12:43:29 GMT -7
One important difference and the most obvious, is the Cut control. I had a mazerati for a while and with my Tom Anderson guitars and George L cords I could not bring down the highs enough for me so the cut will make that workable. I do not have my Stang Ray yet but I believe it will have more clean headroom. The Mazerati did not have enough clean headroom for me.
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Post by stratdev on May 25, 2006 13:27:33 GMT -7
One important difference and the most obvious, is the Cut control. I had a mazerati for a while and with my Tom Anderson guitars and George L cords I could not bring down the highs enough for me so the cut will make that workable. I do not have my Stang Ray yet but I believe it will have more clean headroom. The Mazerati did not have enough clean headroom for me. Not to mention the extraordinary EF86 front end in the Stang Ray. This thread pushed me over the edge: That being said, I just ordered my Stang Ray head from Fat Sound with brando's tan box, red panel motif. Stunning and will go with either my red or tan Z-Best.
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Post by billyguitar on May 25, 2006 13:37:31 GMT -7
I've had mine on order since 3/31. You better not get yours first!!!!!!!
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Post by DRZ on May 25, 2006 14:42:26 GMT -7
I've had mine on order since 3/31. You better not get yours first!!!!!!! 3/31 that day Kurt died. who did you order the amp from Billy ? Z
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Post by billyguitar on May 25, 2006 15:00:35 GMT -7
Hi Doc. Ordered mine from Mass Street Music. Blonde head and matching 2 x 10 cabinet.
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Post by kidmagic on May 25, 2006 15:43:28 GMT -7
There are conflicting messages here. One it will have more headroom vs. two it uses EF86 pre-amp, which owning a z28 I know is definitely not designed for clean headroom.
By the way, my Mazerati has tons of headroom for a 30 watt amp. In fact I wish it got a little hairy earlier, and will probably be buying a z-brake to work on that one day. You may have had one of the older Mazerati's, which more like the Carma Ghia.
Sounds like you all are waiting for your Ray's still. Hmmm. Well I'd be real interested if someone actually spent a few weeks with each and could add to the disucssion. THanks guys (just tickeling my addiction here).
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Post by Telemanic on May 25, 2006 16:26:00 GMT -7
Kidmagic, i'm definately not an expert on this but, my guess is that there are other design factors besides the ef86 that contribute to more or less headroom. It is a common tube to hifi pre's, and i'm sure it'scapable of subtantial headroom if called for in a guitar amp. That being said i havent yet had the pleasure to play the stang and can make no comment on its headroom. I do feel that like many other aspects of expressing an amps qualities or characteristics, the description of an amps headroom can be quite subjective, depending on what a person is used to, has listened to, or is listening for, not to mention playing style. I guess, unless were talkin about Twin Reverb, break the windows, CLEAN !! Thats pretty universal, Ha! Peace-
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Post by billyguitar on May 25, 2006 16:42:07 GMT -7
With my Mazerati I couldn't even play at dinner jazz solo level cleanly, that was with a very efficient 1970s EV. It was a rocker, not a jazzer. Of course neither am I! My Maz 38 sr has much more clean headroom, I'd say about equal in clean volume as a 40 watt Fender.
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Post by fishman on May 26, 2006 5:14:42 GMT -7
well, for what its worth, the my StingRay does not really distort as like my MAZ or some of my other amps do...it is different...it gets really ballsy cleans and then gets, for lack of a better word...complex...depends alot on what kind of guitar you are useing...different for sure from a LP to a Tele..Strat..with pedals, you can get whatever you want...I have put mine waayyyy over the top with my barber direct drive maxed;.;its pretty wild at that point...I find that less is more and for once that statement holds up/./ as I back down on gain the amp changes big time....for a simple layout it is amaZing how much you can do with the sound....just a touch on a knob and boom....my guitar controls are much more sensitive with the Ray than the MAZ....all that said....with my Strat-tele plenty of clean even in the high imput....LP....not as much but still plenty...I can get a good tele sound out of my LP with this amp now!...who knew?? This amp can grow fangs if you want it to..... For all round versitility I think the MAZ38 can do more things, but for that special magic "sound" that us OLD guys remember, the Ray is King....and, do not misinterpret what I am saying here, the Ray is very versitile...there is a thread from Myles that gives several PI and EF86 options that I have not even begun to explore....so with a very little effort (tube change)...more possibilities are available.... Are there any "bad" Z's?? ..... all I can say is everyone who has heard em', and I had to drag both of mine down to the local music shop, cause they had never seen one or heard one in real time, and they all were floored...they loved em'....matter of fact, I am trying to get them to contact the Dr. and see about becoming a dealer..as its virgin Z territory where I live.... hmmmm I am smelling a business oppertunity here...maybe I will close the business I am in and start a music shop; I have always thought that there was a market for high end equiptment...the local store caters more to entry and mid level./...being within 60 miles of a city with over 3 million people, it should do very well, and with the canadian dollar almost at par, the potential is there....hmmmmmmm....I really have to stop this....its a sickness!
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Post by kidmagic on May 26, 2006 7:53:13 GMT -7
Hey Fishman, for what it's worth, I live in southern California, and 98% of the music stores (including the bohemith Guitar Center's) carry mostly crap. I know of two high-end stores (I'm sure there's more), Buffalo Bro's in Carlsbad and True Tone Music in Santa Monica. Both of places sell their stuff at retail (which is amazing - with the exception of the Dr., who we know prices very reasonably)!! Both of those store have incredible quality in their investory, and it is insanely dangerous for me to do a fly-by of either store. But my point being - your probably right, the only two high-end music stores I know of are doing very very well.
By the way, I appreciate the comments, but I've never played a MAZ18 or 38, so it kinda doesn't help me. Again your description of the Ray sounds a lot like my Mazerati. And the Ray is some $400 more expensive than the Mazerati,,,, hmmm I wonder why?
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Post by guitarman1 on May 26, 2006 8:51:27 GMT -7
There are conflicting messages here. One it will have more headroom vs. two it uses EF86 pre-amp, which owning a z28 I know is definitely not designed for clean headroom. By the way, my Mazerati has tons of headroom for a 30 watt amp. In fact I wish it got a little hairy earlier, and will probably be buying a z-brake to work on that one day. You may have had one of the older Mazerati's, which more like the Carma Ghia. Sounds like you all are waiting for your Ray's still. Hmmm. Well I'd be real interested if someone actually spent a few weeks with each and could add to the disucssion. THanks guys (just tickeling my addiction here). Nothing wrong with a little head............................room! ;D
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Post by billyguitar on May 26, 2006 9:58:38 GMT -7
Kidmagic: Benttop has had a Mazerati and now has a Stingray. PM him and get him to weigh in. Here's what I think you'll find. The Mazerati is a KILLER amp for the ballsy Tele tones. The Stingray would be cleaner, more pure, great harmonics that aren't distortion, better bloom and bounce and more tone control. Check the clips on the Sounds section. That'll take you a long way towards hearing what they'll do.
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Post by sultan59 (Tim) on May 26, 2006 10:42:28 GMT -7
hmmmm I am smelling a business oppertunity here...maybe I will close the business I am in and start a music shop; the potential is there....hmmmmmmm....I really have to stop this....its a sickness! I thought my amp buying was becoming a sickness, now I see there's a whole 'nother level! ;D
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Post by benttop (Steve) on May 29, 2006 13:40:26 GMT -7
Well I did have a Mazerati and I do have a Stingray. But I don't have a full report yet because I still don't have my 2x12 with blues, but I can say that they are not the same amp. At all. The Mazerati I had was a 2x12 combo. Tone wise, think the intro to "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks. It has that exact vib if you ask me. The Mazerati really likes a Tele too. I actually liked the Mazerati quite a lot, but it wasn't quite what I was trying to do here. Plus it was heavy - I forgot about 2x12 combos in that regard. The Stingray is way different - much more complex tones. The cut control is great as it allows additional tailoring of the top end from what the single tone control allows. But the real difference to my ears is that complexity I keep talking about. No matter where I set the controls, whether clean or dirty, there is just a ton of harmonic content all across the spectrum. It really is something that is hard to describe, but when you hear it, you want it. There are a load of clips in the sounds section that you should listen to - quite a few top notch players here who have offered up clips in several different genres.
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