robv
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by robv on Oct 12, 2018 8:43:23 GMT -7
Hi All,
UK player here! I joined this board so I could share my experience of the EZG50. I've had the amp for several months now and have used it with my band, so I've had some time to get used to it.
I'm what they call a more 'mature' player (only in terms of age), having been playing in bands for many years, and in that time I have owned and used a lot of different amps, never really settling on any one as a firm favourite, no matter what the genre, and I started to rethink things again when I joined a band with new country leanings. After a period of uncertainty, and a lot of Youtubing, I ordered a new MAZ18 NR and found what a wonderful amp it is, but I found that I was trying to keep it toward the clean end of things all the time, and then found that I needed a bit more volume.
More thinking, more research (a bigger MAZ?) but in the end my hand was forced when I came across an ad for a used 2014 EZG50. I had an extreme GAS moment and before you know it I'd put a couple of hundred miles on the car and had the amp at home. Luckily, I think that this is the amp I've always wanted. I knew it from the first time I switched it on.
If you have one you will know, but it has a rich depth to the sound that I've not found anywhere else. I'm sure it exists but I've never found it. No tweaking, no dialing in period, no computer interfaces, just turn it on and there it is. And that richness does not disappear as the volume goes up - and it is a loud amp - it just stays rich and sounds wonderful. I can actually hear what my guitars sound like and find that I can make delightfully simple changes to the sound with the guitar's volume and tone control. I think with most of my other amps they are always on 100%, with the EZG50 I have them both set at about 50% on my USA Standard Tele and then I have can fine tune things up or down from that point. Nothing short of fabulous.
Of course I have a pedal board, and before I bought the amp I was quite concerned about the lack of an FX loop, but (this may be contraversial) I have found that my MAZ18 NR works best for me with the output from the board simply going in the front end. This meant that I was a little bit less worried, and my goodness it just sounds wonderful. The EZG50 copes with everything and has brought out lovely musical tones from the pedals I use that simply weren't detectable when using other amps.
I have seen people ask about drive, So here is what I use. A Lehle buffer, into a Wampler Ego compressor, into a (seldom used) RAT, into a ARC Effects Klone. After that can use a chorus, delay and reverb. Oh yes, that's the one thing. I find that the reverb on the amp introduces a hum when used, so I never bother with it and just use my Strymon Flint. I run the amp into a Zilla 1x12 loaded with a Celestion Gold, it seems like a perfect match to me.
The Klone is (as you can guess) a clone of a Klon. Duh. I've owned two, and they sounded very different. The one I have on the board is (I think) an older one - I've had it for years, it's white (like that makes a difference), and it's an 'always on' pedal. It's just a bit of boost, The boost knob is at 11 O'clock and the drive is at nine O'clock. With the Tele's volume on 50% it adds some more girth to the sound, and adds more grit as you turn up. With the solid power of the EZG50 this set up is a real head turner. For most of what I play I use that set up, just using the guitar's volume and tone controls to radically alter the sound. The RAT is there in case I need some real dirt (rarely) but with that into the Klone it just sings.
That's probably too much information but I thought it might be useful if anyone else is out there and wondering about it. If it was lost permanently I'd definitely buy a new one in a heartbeat, and after some months of playing, I still feel that there is a long way for us to go together. It has kind of liberated my playing and I only wish I'd found it sooner.,
PS. Z watts eh? It is VERY powerful.
All the best
Rob
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Post by Patrick B on Oct 12, 2018 9:28:51 GMT -7
Thanks for sharing! I'm enjoying my newly aquired EZG-50 also and really enjoy hearing how other people are using the amp and their experiences. I've been on a speaker quest trying different speakers to determine which I like best. But the amp is wonderful and I love the powerful cleans and dynamic range.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Oct 12, 2018 9:43:08 GMT -7
Great write-up! The EZG has one of the best 'verbs out there. Suggest looking at your V2 preamp tube. I believe that is the reverb driver, it may need replacing if you are experiencing excessive hum. Also the cables connecting the chassis and reverb tank might need to be disconnected and reconnected a few times to clean the oxidation off of the connectors. Hate to see that 'verb not getting used! Cheers!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2018 9:43:31 GMT -7
Nice review. I've always wanted to try the EZG. Welcome to the forum!
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Post by Patrick B on Oct 12, 2018 9:56:34 GMT -7
Great write-up! The EZG has one of the best 'verbs out there. Suggest looking at your V2 preamp tube. I believe that is the reverb driver, it may need replacing if you are experiencing excessive hum. Also the cables connecting the chassis and reverb tank might need to be disconnected and reconnected a few times to clean the oxidation off of the connectors. Hate to see that 'verb not getting used! Cheers! I agree the two control reverb is really, really good. I wouldn't change anything about that.
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robv
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by robv on Oct 14, 2018 6:35:36 GMT -7
Thank you for the advice on the reverb. I will definitely give it a go and report back. The guy I bought the amp from warned me that the reverb had a hum the more it was turned up (it does) and that he said it was the only drawback on the amp - he said that the reverb cables are designed and routed too close to the transformers and therefore hum is to be expected.
I didn't really question it at the time seeing how I was in love with the basic sound of the amp and as I said previously, I have plenty of reverb from a Strymon Flint and that is pretty good. I would like to get it working properly though, so I'll see what I can do. Change the reverb tube and I'll use some switch cleaner on the connectors. If there's anything else you think I should do please let me know.
Thank you
Rob
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Post by juanka78 on Oct 14, 2018 13:27:43 GMT -7
I agree: EZG + Alnico Gold is heaven!
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Post by GT Roger on Oct 16, 2018 7:43:11 GMT -7
EZG + Alnico Cream is pretty dang good too!
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Post by jlc on Oct 22, 2018 18:11:34 GMT -7
I have the EZG head and play it thru two Swart cabs, one has a Blue the other a Gold, not searching for anything else, but every once in awhile i play it thru a Gibson Gold tone cab, 2 vintage 30 10 inch open back and then the bottom is closed back with two 12 inch vintage 30, you almost don't need a base player .
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Post by waka52 on Dec 18, 2018 22:48:30 GMT -7
I have an old school EZG-50. I love it but I'm wondering if I should have the mod done to upgrade it new newer spec. Has anyone had this done?
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Post by Patrick B on Dec 19, 2018 13:24:37 GMT -7
I have an old school EZG-50. I love it but I'm wondering if I should have the mod done to upgrade it new newer spec. Has anyone had this done? I'm in same situation. I have a 2011 EZG-50 and pretty sure it doesn't have the mod. I got it used. I absolutely LOVE this amp. I can sit in front of it for hours and it never fails to impress me. It has transformed my playing. So I dont want to lose what I already have. But I'm tempted to get the mod if it could make it even better. Depending upon the speaker I'm using (I have the head) it has a lot of bass and most often I have the bass turned all the way down. I guess I have never really felt I needed to turn it down more than I could. But I'm not sure. Maybe I would like it a little lower. Since I can't go any further down with it I really can't say. What I would like (and not sure if the mod would give me this) is to still have all the bass that it has now, but just be able to turn it down a little lower. I still want as much bass as it has now when the bass pot is turned all the way high. So I would want the mod to reduce the minimum bass but not reduce the maximum bass. And certainly don't need any more bass than it currently can provide. The Dr. Z website says "Bass reduction & current production voicing". I would love more information on what "current voicing" is about. Maybe I wouldn't like it as good.
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Post by Patrick B on Dec 19, 2018 13:34:05 GMT -7
we need a Dr. Z AMA on the this amp and the mod! Please! Is there an official way to request an AMA topic? I have never been sure.
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Post by waka52 on Dec 21, 2018 6:39:19 GMT -7
we need a Dr. Z AMA on the this amp and the mod! Please! Is there an official way to request an AMA topic? I have never been sure. These are my same sentiments. I don't want to take a chance of losing what I already have if the mod changes the voicing of the amp.
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Post by doctorice on Dec 21, 2018 11:38:10 GMT -7
we need a Dr. Z AMA on the this amp and the mod! Please! Is there an official way to request an AMA topic? I have never been sure. You can send a private message (PM) to Z via the forum. He's always looking for AMA topics.
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Post by GT Roger on Dec 21, 2018 12:20:02 GMT -7
I'd be interested in an AMA for the EZG and the mod too!
Though to be honest, I watch all the AMA's.
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Post by Patrick B on Dec 21, 2018 12:22:24 GMT -7
I'd be interested in an AMA for the EZG and the mod too! Though to be honest, I watch all the AMA's. Oh yeah. I think I've seen them all. Love them.
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perry
Full Member
Posts: 104
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Post by perry on Dec 23, 2018 16:49:58 GMT -7
I've seen them all too I believe.
Has anyone pm'd the good Doc yet? I'd love to see that also but along with a demo of the Z 10 Legend option in the 4x10 cab with the EZG.
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