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Post by hisroyness on Mar 16, 2017 13:37:07 GMT -7
Hi everyone!
I've finally cried uncle and am making the switch to amp distortion from pedal distortion.
I LOOOOOOOOOOVE how my les paul sounds through any of the Dr Z's I've ever plugged in to, its time to get my own.
I'm not playing large clubs yet and am pretty used to mic'ing my amps....40watts is definitely more than what i need
I'd love to be able to have the option of: -playing through my effects with no amp distortion (and using pedal distortion and other effects at times....for my very spacey looping layering compositions i play) + -be able to bypass the entire pedal rig and have an uncluttered signal directly into the amp (for those more Black Dog / ZZ Top style tunes I do)
which is best suited for me?
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Post by Faze on Mar 16, 2017 14:09:12 GMT -7
The Cure may be a nice choice for you its lightweight and has a effects loop. It get's really nice warm overdrive tone too. I gigged mine at church a couple weeks ago and it cut through the mix without even having to mic it up. I never mic my amps. My main amp is the Z-lux I gig that regularly. But the Cure can hold its own it would be a really good first Z amp IMHO. I would like to also add that since I bought the Z-lux and the Cure my pedal board has shrunk. I rarely use pedals live now. I need to have something though mainly for at home and If I feel the need once in a while at church. But I sold all my overdrive pedals. I got my eye on a couple pedals that I Plan on testing out and will see which one I choose. But thats how good the overdrive tones are on these two amps they sound really pure.
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Post by digs57 on Mar 16, 2017 14:24:57 GMT -7
The four I would look at...
A) The cure...bought one yesterday...with out a doubt this amp will be a short list super star...lower wattage,easy breakup,light... b)The ghia....(I had 1/10 model)...sounded great with a paul...which would be a definite if i was a paul player strictly...but simplicity,tone...whats not to like.
c)The venerable maz 18...which im am always going to recommend to anyone...strat or paul player alike...has the muscle to get through any gig...classic amer/vox tone...
d)zlux is your icing on the cake amp...Had one very briefly and have limited experience with...but obvious choice if its American tone+ is what your after...I have had a lot of fenders (think deluxe reverb+) and this amp is on a whole other level.
nothing beats real world experience with these amps and to my thinking is the real way to know what shakes out for you...any one of these you would be way up in the tone/quality...but I know me... and me likes not just one....good luck with choice...hang around and let us know...
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Post by Faze on Mar 16, 2017 14:38:13 GMT -7
The four I would look at...
A) The cure...im going into seattle tomorrow to plug into one...never know? b)The ghia....sounded great with a paul...which would get a nod if was a paul player strictly...but simplicity,tone...whats not to like.
c)The venerable maz 18...which im am always going to recommend to anyone...strat or paul player alike...nothing beats real world experience with the three ive suggested...
d)zlux is your icing on the cake amp...and is obvious choice if its American tone your after...I know me and me likes to have more than 1...so...with that... good luck with choice... Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Cure. I have a feeling your going to have a new amp next week 😏
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Post by doctorice on Mar 16, 2017 15:22:26 GMT -7
None of the current Zs are truly two (or more) channel amps. If what you seek is to have both clean -- and how clean you like your cleans --and amp OD tones at the click of a switch and have both at roughly the same volume, you won't exactly get that. The amps that have the boost / eq bypass, when set up certain ways, will be pretty close. You can also do a lot with the volume on your guitar by setting the amp up for OD and then working the guitar controls to clean up the sound. (Some pedals respond this way too, as you probably know.) You probably could stick a volume pedal in the chain to accomplish the same thing. Another way is to run two amps. Set one for OD and the other for clean, then switch between them. While more expensive, obviously, this will probably be closer to ideal than any single-amp rig. A dual-Cure rig would be one way to get there, for example.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Mar 16, 2017 18:58:24 GMT -7
If you are willing to look at a used amp you might want to consider a Galaxie. Also, listen to a Monza with the MV. When it first came out it was labelled "Billy (G) in a box". The MV makes it so versatile!
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Post by bgkyt1 on Mar 31, 2017 20:45:49 GMT -7
i haven't gigged with a Z amp, and the only Z i have recorded with was a Ghia, but some thoughts:
if you record or may play bigger gigs later, i would think about a beefier amp. they're not that much louder, but the bigger iron makes them sound beefier. lower wattage amps, like 20w or less, might be loud, but you might not have the headroom or dynamics, depending on how much distortion they have. you can always attenuate or get a master vol put in, but you can't create headroom and dynamics, unless you bi-amp.
also, for recording, i have come to like amps with some kind of negative feedback circuit. for amps with a decent amount of distortion, they tend to be tighter and cleaner in the mix. high-gain non-negative-feedback amps, to me, can seem like the distortion is dirtier and hard to mix. (billy doesn't seem to have a problem with it, i haven't had much luck)
if i were in the market, looking at Z's, i would look at the Antidote, since it has negative feedback, and can do early Zep and ZZ. i have not played one though.
the Maz 18, when dimed, which i have tried with a stacked single coil, will only get you some crunch. you might still need a pedal for Zep and ZZ, even for rhythm.
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Post by bgkyt1 on Mar 31, 2017 21:39:12 GMT -7
also, with an Antidote-style amp, it will cover classic rock, and do clean and overdrive. i have a similar plexi-style amp, with a Z eq bypass pedal, where i can use a les paul for classic rock, eq bypass for lead, then plug in the strat and get clean, bluesy overdrive/brad-style sounds, without touching a knob.
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Post by digs57 on Mar 31, 2017 22:02:12 GMT -7
The lower wattage z can cover a lot of territory...just played a big room with my cure with just boost pedal...really surprised at capabilities on tap...yes maz does not get you into super saturation...can do a gritty clean like no amp I have ever had ...someone mentioned a Monza?
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