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Post by simpleton on Nov 10, 2015 21:33:31 GMT -7
Seems like with every Z I have played, at some point I comment here at the forum that it's my favorite. And I guess I realize that they all are my favorite for exactly what they do that no other amp does quite like it. But the Therapy seems to be a real Chameleon or shape shifter of sorts. Able to get close to what the Ghia did, able to sound like a bigger MONZA...and having Fender esk sounds...Marshal esk ...with all the MONZA talk around here lately i found myself talking about the MONZA being my favorite. . . But today while playing the two I just let the Therapy loose and the power of the 6L6 tubes really holds up with the overload of drive being fed it. The Therapy is really like a bigger MONZA that has a clearer tone signature. I like mixing the mids out of the Therapy and letting the MONZA have the Mids and just cranking bass and treble with lots of volume and the master cranked.... The Therapy really gives a wide pallet of tones but seems to favor the overdrive sounds to me. As it seems there is more varieties of that range. The full tone stack was great to have as a Ghia/MONZA player and has continued to be very engaging in the months of owning it. I'm still playing with speakers in the 1x12 Convertible cab...and might go back to the V30. Right now I've got a Canabis Rex 4ohm in it and that speaker really accentuates the drive tones. Sounds great with it as did the Weber Blue Dog. Okay that is all. Just a ramble on two amps that are stoking my fire right now....the Therapy is way better on tubes than the MONZA, which eats them like I eat Fruity Pebbles...but that fuzz sound is so sweet. Therapy has a fuzzy sound at the end of the rainbow too but tighter and not compressed and gooey like MONZA.
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Post by purpletele on Nov 11, 2015 2:01:23 GMT -7
Sounds like you had a good day with the amps. I think the Therapy would be my next amp if I were to add to the collection.
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Post by southmusic70 on Nov 11, 2015 4:47:23 GMT -7
I've found something new in my Therapy every time I play it.
Very versatile.
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Post by Maddog on Nov 11, 2015 5:08:24 GMT -7
The therapy holds many more new sonic frontiers than the monza for sure. The tmb tone stack accounts for that, as do the 6l6's ability to play clean. The monza is justa monza, and nuthin else can ever be the great fun machine, Monza. Glad yer having fun with em, brother!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2015 9:19:30 GMT -7
A bigger Monza?!?!?! I hate you...
PS, 6L6's are my most favorite tube ever. They really can do it all.
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Post by simpleton on Nov 11, 2015 10:05:36 GMT -7
A bigger Monza?!?!?! I hate you... PS, 6L6's are my most favorite tube ever. They really can do it all. It is different... But, in a way...yes. I will add you to the list of haters
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2015 10:43:23 GMT -7
A bigger Monza?!?!?! I hate you... PS, 6L6's are my most favorite tube ever. They really can do it all. It is different... But, in a way...yes. I will add you to the list of haters I feel a gear overhaul coming on. I'm going to be down to one guitar and twelve amps...
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Nov 11, 2015 17:42:05 GMT -7
The Therapy is really like a bigger MONZA that has a clearer tone signature. TRUTH. I'm not sure if I could've summed up my thoughts of the Therapy/Monza quite so succinctly.
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Post by JeffG on Nov 11, 2015 21:03:10 GMT -7
I couldn't agree more about versatile the Therapy is. Just incredible. I really can't find a tone that I don't like. Generally I run it pretty dirty (V at about 3:00) and could do this 8 days a week and be happy. But I just had a gig when I needed it to be clean and get my dirt from pedals. It sounded different, but just as good. I don't even care to look at other amps. 6L6s are my favorite as well.
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Post by simpleton on Nov 11, 2015 21:39:34 GMT -7
I couldn't agree more about versatile the Therapy is. Just incredible. I really can't find a tone that I don't like. Generally I run it pretty dirty (V at about 3:00) and could do this 8 days a week and be happy. But I just had a gig when I needed it to be clean and get my dirt from pedals. It sounded different, but just as good. I don't even care to look at other amps. 6L6s are my favorite as well. Originally I was thinking of it as a big clean amp...but I know better now. It's not a Fender Twin, but I'm sure certain speakers would enhance the cleans ability to be maintained at volume...but yeah I think it really fills a lot of the typical itches we guitarists want to scratch.
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Post by djcakadave on Nov 11, 2015 22:44:11 GMT -7
^^^^Well said!
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Post by wraparound (Steve) on Nov 12, 2015 13:34:27 GMT -7
Nice pic by the way, maybe show a bit more of that Strat since it's just teasing us in the foreground!
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Post by simpleton on Nov 12, 2015 14:23:26 GMT -7
Nice pic by the way, maybe show a bit more of that Strat since it's just teasing us in the foreground! It's a 2015 with those cool custom shop Fat 50's pickups they are putting in the Standard USA Stratocasters these days and they sound great...I like them more than the old USA pickups that came in my 2009, and I wouldn't even think about changing them out. It's a great pairing the Therapy and Strat.
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Post by wraparound (Steve) on Nov 12, 2015 15:17:22 GMT -7
Very nice! Thanks for the eye candy! Does it have a special Jeff Beck setting?
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Post by markT on Nov 14, 2015 13:16:34 GMT -7
Very nice post!
I have been through many Z amps over the past 5 years. The Therapy is still my favorite, smoothest and most versatile.
Enjoy!~
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Post by simpleton on Nov 14, 2015 13:19:41 GMT -7
Very nice! Thanks for the eye candy! Does it have a special Jeff Beck setting? Sometimes I can find it...the little spring that they come with that sits under the Tremolo Bar is the key to having it sit right under your hand. But Mr Beck flys in another universe.
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Post by walt on Nov 14, 2015 16:34:37 GMT -7
The Therapy always has something new up it's sleeve-I backed MTB down below 12 oclock and then brought the mid up to 12 and sneaked treble and bass up to about 11 and got a nice thick honk not unlike neil young on barstool blues.Love this amp,does it all for me.
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Post by simpleton on Nov 14, 2015 20:22:04 GMT -7
The Therapy always has something new up it's sleeve-I backed MTB down below 12 oclock and then brought the mid up to 12 and sneaked treble and bass up to about 11 and got a nice thick honk not unlike neil young on barstool blues.Love this amp,does it all for me. I've even ran just mids with the bass and treble off. I think the knobs are very colorful and can paint many varying pictures and that makes it a great amp to own.
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Post by Pete aka shouldb on Nov 19, 2015 1:37:02 GMT -7
This is my fav amp by far as anyone who has read anything I ever write will know! One of the things which nails the Doc's expertise as an amp builder for me is that, to gig this amp in a rock orientated band, set just about every knob at noon, and it just ROCKS!! Sure a few tweaks here and there for each venue, but to have the core tone at the noon settings, shows just how knowledgable our good Doc is LOVE THIS AMP!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2015 8:13:24 GMT -7
This is my fav amp by far as anyone who has read anything I ever write will know! One of the things which nails the Doc's expertise as an amp builder for me is that, to gig this amp in a rock orientated band, set just about every knob at noon, and it just ROCKS!! Sure a few tweaks here and there for each venue, but to have the core tone at the noon settings, shows just how knowledgable our good Doc is LOVE THIS AMP!! Now I want one even more. Randall Smith started doing the high noon thing back with the first Mark series amps back in the 70's. I often wondered why more amp builders didn't follow suit. Voice the amp how you'd envisioned with all the knobs set to high noon, then let the player shape from there. It's genius!
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Post by ss "Shane" on Nov 20, 2015 5:38:53 GMT -7
So far the Therapy is the best amp I've ever owned! Responsive, magical and just a remarkable creation.
Anybody who knows me and what I was in the market for when bought the Therapy knows I was searching for Bassman like tones, but smoother, with less "boom" and without the QC issues of modern day Fenders. Well the Ztalk guys steered me in the right direction. I had the Maz first and it was a great amp, but voiced with a tad more midrange for my tele than I prefer.
My therapy reminds me of a vintage Bassman 59 that the best amp tech in the world got a hold of and spent a month making it better. Read carefully that I said "reminds me" because even with that analogy the Therapy has a certain magic about it that can't be duplicated. Also, with the Bassman you have to really crank it to get the natural saturated tube breakup that everybody loves. With my therapy I can achieve this with a drummer using brushes because of the amazing usable master volume. I don't like comparing Z to Fender and I'm not at all Fender bashing, but for me I grew up on Fender so it's all I have to go by.
At the moment I'm looking for a Z that's similar to the Princeton for living room jams. That's another thread.
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Post by simpleton on Nov 20, 2015 8:13:00 GMT -7
So far the Therapy is the best amp I've ever owned! Responsive, magical and just a remarkable creation. ...... ....... At the moment I'm looking for a Z that's similar to the Princeton for living room jams. That's another thread. Try your Therapy with a pair of JJ 6V6 tubes and see if you get some Princeton vibes out of it...all though it won't be smaller for a grab and go. Maybe the M12 in a 1x10, folks say it has some Princeton esk sounds. My journey with the Therapy so far has me feeling the same as above, that the amp has some great magic in it and is a wonderful creation. The 6L6 tubes really hold up and stay firm sounding even at higher volumes, the EQ gives a WIDE area of sounds..kinda like the MAZ variety wise but different tone wise.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2015 15:50:35 GMT -7
So, you can go 6V6, 6L6 or EL34 in the Therapy then???
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Post by walt on Nov 20, 2015 19:08:09 GMT -7
Yes it's cathode biased-I did a week with each last summer and had fun with it.Doesn't change the amp completely,but tweaks it in different directions.I think every Therapy owner should do it,it costs less than 100 bucks for the tubes.
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Post by simpleton on Nov 20, 2015 20:30:30 GMT -7
So, you can go 6V6, 6L6 or EL34 in the Therapy then??? Here is the link to Dr Z talking about it RIGHT HERE
Cool huh?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2015 21:51:37 GMT -7
Hell yeah! I don't need two kidneys, right?!?!?!
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Post by simpleton on Nov 20, 2015 23:02:38 GMT -7
Hell yeah! I don't need two kidneys, right?!?!?! Maybe Dr Z can answer that...I have no medical knowledge The Therapy could be your other big amp along with the MAZ Sr.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 20:21:49 GMT -7
Hell yeah! I don't need two kidneys, right?!?!?! Maybe Dr Z can answer that...I have no medical knowledge The Therapy could be your other big amp along with the MAZ Sr. So, exactly how "big" is the Therapy??? At 35 Z watts, I know it's going to be loud, but I have to run my 38 Sr attenuated 2 clicks pretty much at all times. I was able to run my new 18 with the 12" Z speaker wide open today and it was glorious. I know the 2x10's in the 38 have a lot to do with the overall loudness, but if the master on the Therapy is as good as the Monza's, I may dump the Sr for a Therapy...
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Post by JeffG on Nov 23, 2015 20:56:29 GMT -7
I play with a pretty loud band and I've never had a problem being heard with the Therapy. It can be a loud 35W. But the MV is excellent and I play it at home turned way down all the time and it sounds great.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2015 21:27:42 GMT -7
That's definitely what I'm looking for. I was using a 50 watt Mesa F50 and an 85 watt Mesa Mark IV when I got my Maz Sr and I definitely wasn't prepared for how loud the Maz was going to be with a band. It was easily just as loud as the Mark IV at 85 watts. The 18 breaks up just where I need it to without attenuation and is adequately loud, but I'm dying to have some big bottles back in the rotation.
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