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Post by ss "Shane" on Jun 9, 2016 12:25:31 GMT -7
Now is the time I wish for better descriptive writing skills. My first impression was with the tone at 7 o'clock and volume at about the same. I wanted to ease into this little thing lol. I felt it was thin and lacking, then when I slowly pushed the tone knob clockwise the ground shook and the sky opened up. After that I pushed the volume and I have no words to describe the magic that came out of this amp. Unbelievable!!!!! This is what an electric guitar amp should be. It took me less than 5 seconds to dial in EXACTLY what I wanted.
What in the heck is the Doc's secrete? After looking inside of the head I saw nothing too complicated and it all appeared very simple.
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Post by BritInvasion on Jun 9, 2016 12:41:31 GMT -7
Less is more , congrats on your new amp!
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Post by Maddog on Jun 9, 2016 13:07:08 GMT -7
Congrats, Brother!!! What configuration didja get???
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Post by ss "Shane" on Jun 9, 2016 13:20:51 GMT -7
I stayed safe with what I know and love, head and 12" Creamback 65 convertible cab. Couldn't be happier
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Post by jb on Jun 9, 2016 13:23:14 GMT -7
Best amp ever. More time playing, less time turning knobs. Go from a tele to a Les Paul and it still only takes 5 seconds to dial in your tone. Congrats, it will be a keeper for sure.
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Post by pcns on Jun 9, 2016 20:51:17 GMT -7
I am now a believer in the Ghia, every Z owner should have one.
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Post by nmz on Jun 9, 2016 22:59:42 GMT -7
Ghia rocks!
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Post by eggman on Jun 10, 2016 3:10:41 GMT -7
Howdy,
Congrats on your new Ghia and that wonderful feeling when you discover it's fantastic tone! Let us know what your favorite speakers are. Mine are, in the is order: Weber Alnico Silver bell (30 watts, Pre-Rola treatment) 2nd: Celestion blue. Don't be a stranger here at z Talk!
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Post by ss "Shane" on Jun 10, 2016 5:35:55 GMT -7
I'm not the best person here to talk about speakers. Since I've owned Z amps I've only had experience with an open back 2X12 G12H30 / Vin 30 and the 1X12 convertible Creamback 65 cab. All I know is that I liked my first Creamback SO much I bought another identical cab to pair with my new CG. since I've found satisfaction in the Creamback I really have no need to spend money on speaker swaps and experimentation.
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Post by John on Jun 10, 2016 8:56:29 GMT -7
I see no need to experiment with speakers either...but I've always loved the greenback and it's variants.
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Jun 10, 2016 9:25:19 GMT -7
Any of the small-magnet ("M") British-syle speakers out there should be awesome with the 'Ghia. It ain't broke... so don't go tryin' to fix it!
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Post by ss "Shane" on Jun 15, 2016 6:04:15 GMT -7
I sold my Fender amps to get in to Z's, and got down to owning a Therapy. I had the Maz 18 reverb first, but sold it to get the Therapy. I bought this Ghia for a "guest" amp for when buddies come over to jam or practice at my place. The CG is probably gonna move up front to my main baby but I NEVER saw that coming.
In my humble opinion I truly believe that the CG bridges what I love most about the Maz and the Therapy together.
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Post by Ryan (shorty) on Jun 15, 2016 9:07:26 GMT -7
The Ghia has some serious mojo. I'm feeling the itch to add another one to the stable, and threads like this aren't helping.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Jun 15, 2016 15:02:41 GMT -7
The Ghia has some serious mojo. I'm feeling the itch to add another one to the stable, and threads like this aren't helping. Hey Ryan - if you can make it to mini-Zfest you can try out my original 50 small box Ghia! Of course it's red! |
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Post by Ryan (shorty) on Jun 16, 2016 10:27:34 GMT -7
The Ghia has some serious mojo. I'm feeling the itch to add another one to the stable, and threads like this aren't helping. Hey Ryan - if you can make it to mini-Zfest you can try out my original 50 small box Ghia! Of course it's red! Right now that weekend doesn't look good for me, but that may change. I just need to stop by on my way through next time. |
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Jun 16, 2016 11:01:15 GMT -7
Just let me know when you're driving through Ryan! Doors always open for you!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jun 16, 2016 12:39:21 GMT -7
Just let me know when you're driving through Ryan! Doors always open for you! This forum has the best hearted people in the world.  |
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Post by mickey on Jun 20, 2016 0:39:41 GMT -7
I'm officially an idiot. My Ghia and 2x10 convertible cab have been languishing at home as my "backup" rig for far too long. Couple of weeks ago out of curiosity I took them to a gig instead of my usual Maz Sr/Gold, and it sounded great! I also tried my Z-Drive for the first time and that paired really well with the Ghia. I've been thinking if trading that amp for maybe a Maz Jr, but not now!
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joez
New Member
Posts: 3 
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Post by joez on Jun 28, 2016 3:44:57 GMT -7
What to do...
I've been shopping for a "backup" (that's how I justify it anyway) to my beloved Maz 18 1x12 combo (built in '94).
I play nearly 60 shows per year with lots of outdoor events during the summer. The Maz 18 never disappoints. Plenty of headroom and tone for days.
I was sold on a Maz 8 for a bit since I usually run my amp volume around 9 o'clock on the 18, but I do run my Ego Comp wide open. Then I decided to just go with an updated version of a Maz 18, maybe grab a brakelite if I get the urge to plug in at home.
Now I'm looking at the Carmen Ghia... To those who have a Maz 18 and a CG, is there a huge difference between the two? Should I just buy all three? I'm sure it will come to that eventually since the Z sickness has overwhelmed me.
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Post by ss "Shane" on Jun 28, 2016 5:37:03 GMT -7
My very first Z was the Maz 18 reverb. I can give you my opinion on the Maz and Ghia differences for whatever it's worth.
- The Maz had a bit LESS low end rumble and roar than the Ghia.
- The Maz had a little more sparkle and shimmer than the Ghia.
- The Maz had this annoying floor noise hiss that I never liked, affected by the cut knob mainly. Now this wasn't much of an issue when playing out, but when having jam sessions at lower levels it bugged me. The Ghia is pretty dead silent to me.
- when my buddies heard my Ghia for the first time they they were very impressed. I never really got that type of response from my Maz, but when I played the Maz at higher volumes (live situations) I did.
- I spent WAY too much time tweaking my Maz...lots of knobs to keep me busy lol. With my Ghia I'm able to focus on playing my guitar with complete satisfaction. I was scared of the 2 knob thing on the Ghia but my fears were dismissed when I plugged in.
- My Ghia has more natural sustain than my Maz did. This allowes me to dial my comp/sustain pedal back to reduce floor noise.
- The Maz had suburb magical chime when cranked. The Ghia has the magic too, but with more of a smooth slightly overdriven tone. Think Clapton imo.
When I first plugged in to my Maz I was not initially impressed whatsoever. When I first plugged in to my Ghia for the very first time I was in love and found myself still playing through it 4 hours later.
So to sum it up; I sold my Maz a long time ago to get a Therapy, which I LOVE! I bought the Ghia as a "back up" rig to my Therapy. Now I'm finding myself going to my Ghia as a number one and I never expected to be in that boat lol.
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Post by nmz on Jun 28, 2016 6:03:37 GMT -7
I also settled on the Ghia and Therapy. Best of both worlds!
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