Post by speakerface on Jan 14, 2018 20:02:44 GMT -7
Just picked up a used Cure and am really digging it so far. I spent the last couple of years trying to go full modeler (Helix) but was really missing having a tube amp around. I’ve owned a bunch of different tube amps in the past (vintage Fender, DIY, Allen, Mesa, etc) and have been eyeing Z for awhile, lurking in forum a bit and have been enjoying the AMA videos Z’s been posting out on YouTube. Z just seems like one of the best value propositions in tube amps (I’d say Allen is up there too, just different designs) and he really seems to stand behind his products once they’re out (I like that he will upgrade your amp specs to a newer version for a relatively low price and it seems repairs would be quite reasonable although I’m guessing infrequent due to the quality of components, workmanship, etc.)
I was all over the place with which Z model to get, really liked the Cure tones I was hearing in demo videos, but had it in my mind I needed a Maz...I think the level knob and all of the positive reviews here finally changed my mind...I think it was a good choice. I was concerned about a Maz 18 being too loud and the 8 not having enough clean headroom...I considered the Z-Plus as well but there just wasn’t enough info out there for me to make that leap (not enough users talking about it yet). I think the Cure is a nice compromise; plenty of clean headroom (ability to get as loud as I need it) but able to get nice distorted tones at a reasonable volume with the level knob...and I picked it up for considerably less than a Maz or Z-Plus used. Oh, and the weight is about the best you can do for a tube amp combo that puts out this kind of volume.
Anyhow, I have to admit, I wasn’t in love immediately...it took a bit to figure out the interaction between the volume, master and level knobs, but once I did, highly impressed and really enjoy playing this amp...also seems to take pedals very well...I’ve been playing it with a Chase Bliss Brothers and enjoying it...have yet to try it with the Helix (may be sacrilegious)...I’m confident this is going to be my favorite amp I’ve owned (or at least top 2). Have yet to play with a band with it, but I have a feeling it will do great.
All that said (thanks for hanging in there!), have any Cure users figured out how to make the effects loop usable? I figured it was not buffered but thought I’d be okay with a buffered pedal in the loop (hadn’t really seen any complaints on the forum). I’ve got a Strymon Timeline hooked into the loop with a 10 foot Mogami cable running from the amp to the Timeline (and the same back to the return). There’s a huge difference in tone and level (guessing 3-6 dB drop, and seemingly some loss of high end...could be Fletcher-Munson related but don’t think so) between having something in the loop and not...same if I just jumper the Mogami from the send to the return. I don’t have any decent shorter cables to try, but I did read somewhere that having a really short cable going to the buffer is important. While they are fine up front, I’d really like the option of running my modulation/reverb type effects in the loop and not willing to give up what I’m losing by running them in loop now.
Has anybody tried a buffer (like the T1M) in the loop and gotten satisfactory results? I’m interested to hear if this is similar to what everybody else is experiencing with their loops and if anybody is running any effects there.
Thanks much!
I was all over the place with which Z model to get, really liked the Cure tones I was hearing in demo videos, but had it in my mind I needed a Maz...I think the level knob and all of the positive reviews here finally changed my mind...I think it was a good choice. I was concerned about a Maz 18 being too loud and the 8 not having enough clean headroom...I considered the Z-Plus as well but there just wasn’t enough info out there for me to make that leap (not enough users talking about it yet). I think the Cure is a nice compromise; plenty of clean headroom (ability to get as loud as I need it) but able to get nice distorted tones at a reasonable volume with the level knob...and I picked it up for considerably less than a Maz or Z-Plus used. Oh, and the weight is about the best you can do for a tube amp combo that puts out this kind of volume.
Anyhow, I have to admit, I wasn’t in love immediately...it took a bit to figure out the interaction between the volume, master and level knobs, but once I did, highly impressed and really enjoy playing this amp...also seems to take pedals very well...I’ve been playing it with a Chase Bliss Brothers and enjoying it...have yet to try it with the Helix (may be sacrilegious)...I’m confident this is going to be my favorite amp I’ve owned (or at least top 2). Have yet to play with a band with it, but I have a feeling it will do great.
All that said (thanks for hanging in there!), have any Cure users figured out how to make the effects loop usable? I figured it was not buffered but thought I’d be okay with a buffered pedal in the loop (hadn’t really seen any complaints on the forum). I’ve got a Strymon Timeline hooked into the loop with a 10 foot Mogami cable running from the amp to the Timeline (and the same back to the return). There’s a huge difference in tone and level (guessing 3-6 dB drop, and seemingly some loss of high end...could be Fletcher-Munson related but don’t think so) between having something in the loop and not...same if I just jumper the Mogami from the send to the return. I don’t have any decent shorter cables to try, but I did read somewhere that having a really short cable going to the buffer is important. While they are fine up front, I’d really like the option of running my modulation/reverb type effects in the loop and not willing to give up what I’m losing by running them in loop now.
Has anybody tried a buffer (like the T1M) in the loop and gotten satisfactory results? I’m interested to hear if this is similar to what everybody else is experiencing with their loops and if anybody is running any effects there.
Thanks much!