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Post by tonezone66 on Jan 6, 2019 6:36:43 GMT -7
I've heard so flattering words about Carmen Ghia that I'm about ready to purchase it in the very, very near future.
I'm doing duo gigs in small bars etc. with a friend playing acoustic guitar. How does Carmen Ghia sound in fairly low volumes? I'm using my OD's to get the grit so that wont be the problem I guess. What's the minimum volume to get C.G. sound like it should - don't mean the ultimate best tone but good enough though. Playin 60s -70s rock, blues, pop, americana etc.
At the moment my main amp is Vox AC15HW. How close is the tone to it - those of you who are familiar with this particular Vox - a gorgeous sounding amp.
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Post by John on Jan 6, 2019 7:55:01 GMT -7
If you're using the amp as a clean platform and getting overdrive from pedals, the ghia will be great. At any volume, and any level of overdrive, the ghia is a fantastic amp.
The ghia, to me, is more in the Marshall camp than Vox.
The only thing that can catch some people off guard: Since there is no treble control....if the tone is too bright for your ears, you'll have to use the guitar's tone control to compensate. (something a lot of guitar players never touch) Problem solved.
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Post by GuitarZ on Jan 6, 2019 11:03:59 GMT -7
I'll also second the Marshall vibe since I also have a 50 watt Marshall master volume head in the herd.
I can't speak for volume. I run mine flat out with an AirBrake. So, I can dial up quiet, but I don't use overdrive pedals. You should get some good input here on the forum for your configuration.
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Post by justjoshinya on Jan 6, 2019 13:27:21 GMT -7
If you’re looking for clean sound to add pedals to in the EL84 camp find a used M12, it would suit you well I think! It’s clean and sparkly, and can get loud if need be! The Carmen Ghia edge of breakup sounds great but you may want a brake lite if you’re planning on being quiet at that point though!
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Post by Stephen on Jan 7, 2019 8:12:50 GMT -7
The Ghia sounds great at any volume. I bought a 1-10 last year and ended up swapping the Z speaker for a Greenback. I love mine. And like Eric says, “Everyone needs a Ghia.”
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Post by lowbudget on Jan 7, 2019 9:40:46 GMT -7
The Ghia sounds great at any volume. I bought a 1-10 last year and ended up swapping the Z speaker for a Greenback. I love mine. And like Eric says, “Everyone needs a Ghia.” Sage words here indeed. |
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Post by jhanks on Jan 7, 2019 12:58:02 GMT -7
My CG25th is great from whisper to wail. Low volume options I tried included Brake Lite and Greenback 10. Both great options, but in the end I preferred just the Greenback 10 and a Timmy pedal.
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Post by captainron (Ron) on Jan 7, 2019 18:11:28 GMT -7
The Ghia can give you a really nice, fat, and FULL clean guitar tone! Depends on the volume you need...the Ghia can do a lot! If you are using pedals for your dirt, gain and boost, the Ghia will answer the call at lower volumes. The Ghia can get loud and proud. I agree with the above statements about it being Marshall-like when cranked. Volume set lower can be very Vox like to me. I can't speak to the Vox you have but I'd say you can't go wrong with a Ghia unless you need a louder, more clean head room kinda amp. In those type situations I grab another Z amp. If the duo is what you'll be doing long term...there are a few Dr. Z amps that would work for you. ie... Z-Plus, Maz 8, M12, and of course the Ghia.
P. S. I run my Ghia with a single 1x12 Z cab with a Gold. Sounds great with a Blue, and the cream back as well!
Hope this helps.
Best of luck to you and your decision!
Ron.
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Post by tonezone66 on Jan 8, 2019 2:30:14 GMT -7
Thanks everybody for your views & points! So in spite of it's treblines Ghia can deliver full, firm, steady bottom?
How does Greenback change it's tone compared to regular Creamback?
Is Ghia any picky when it comes to OD pedals? My gain pedals are Bogner Blue Ecstasy & Zvex Ditortron. both Marshallis ODs.
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Post by tonezone66 on Jan 8, 2019 2:38:02 GMT -7
If you’re looking for clean sound to add pedals to in the EL84 camp find a used M12, it would suit you well I think! It’s clean and sparkly, and can get loud if need be! The Carmen Ghia edge of breakup sounds great but you may want a brake lite if you’re planning on being quiet at that point though! Read some threads about M12. Is it tonally totally neutral, maybe even even sterile? How full, punchy is the sound of it? How alive, vibrant is it with OD's for example? I used to have Two Rock Studio Pro 35 which was on the other hand a great amp but it sort of lacks the livelyness of the amps that are inspiring. |
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Post by John on Jan 8, 2019 3:38:28 GMT -7
Thanks everybody for your views & points! So in spite of it's treblines Ghia can deliver full, firm, steady bottom? How does Greenback change it's tone compared to regular Creamback? Is Ghia any picky when it comes to OD pedals? My gain pedals are Bogner Blue Ecstasy & Zvex Ditortron. both Marshallis ODs.
There will be virtually no difference between the greenback and the creamback M. (Make sure you get the "M" creamback) They are designed to sound similar. The greenback has been around since the 60's....but it's only 25 watts...the creamback is only a few years old, but can handle 65 (?) watts. It's a high powered greenback. I'm sure if you were able to A/B the two speakers back and forth, you'd be able to tell a difference, but if you played one...then came back a few hours/days later and played the other, you woulnd't be able to tell the difference. And if you played a gig, you really wouldn't be able to tell. But I will say this...the creamback M is known for a little more bass...but just slightly. Only us guitar nerds could ever tell a difference.
The ghia takes pedals just fine. To some, the ghia does not have a lot of treble. It depends on the guitar...the pickups, the speaker, the music being played and of course, the amp.
You will NOT be disappointed in the ghia. The amp actually has so few internal components that it lets the signal/tone come through...that's it's secret weapon. The responsiveness and dynamics are wonderful....but at the same time, it will compress in a very musical way when pushed harder. (I can't stress the 'very musical way' enough)
And with just volume and tone, you may find yourself thinking of your guitar tone differently: Since there's no channel switching, bass, mids, treble, presence, cut...blah blah blah... You may develop a new attitude: Shut up and play. The tone is in your fingers, and the ghia lets it come through. The ghia is itself an instrument, not merely a device to make things louder.
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Post by justjoshinya on Jan 8, 2019 5:48:45 GMT -7
I’ve never found any of my Z’s to be not lively, the M12 is a clean sounding amp, but some have referred to it as a mini Z-Wreck it’s a great clean amp, that takes every pedal very well... there is something in all of the Dr’s amp that sound Z... they all have that dna but somehow sound different at the same time. There is also a anniversary model of the Carmen Ghia that pops up used every now and then with a master volume, it may be worth looking for too!
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Post by tonezone66 on Jan 8, 2019 6:47:09 GMT -7
If you’re looking for clean sound to add pedals to in the EL84 camp find a used M12, it would suit you well I think! It’s clean and sparkly, and can get loud if need be! The Carmen Ghia edge of breakup sounds great but you may want a brake lite if you’re planning on being quiet at that point though! Read some threads about M12. How neutral is the tone of it - sterile even? How full, punchy the sound of it is? If the basic tone is very neutral, does it come alive & vibrant using the pedals, ODs like Bogner Blue Ecstasy? If I had Ghia & M12 side by side with same rig set up, what'd be the overall tonal difference? |
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Post by justjoshinya on Jan 8, 2019 6:52:55 GMT -7
The Ghia to me was more Marshall, the M12 was more Vox....ish... the M12 is great sounding little amp, to me it wasn’t sterile it was just a great base tone to build on, it’s got shimmering cleans and when cranked gets into a bit of breakup... but is really meant for high headroom to build on. It takes pedals amazingly well! I had both side by side for a while the M12 was brighter and had more sparkle if you will...
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Post by thatstatuemoved on Jan 8, 2019 9:08:01 GMT -7
I do not and have not ever owned a ghia. I do own an M12. As others have said, the M12 is a great platform to build on. Takes pedals very well and has a lot of volume. I find the basic tone to be very nice, not sterile at all to my tired ears. I would imagine the ghia would have more volume, but maybe not as much clean headroom as the M12. I would guess the M12 would be a little brighter than the Ghia. I do not think you could go wrong with either amp. Good luck on your search.
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Post by eggman on Jan 9, 2019 18:54:37 GMT -7
Howdy,
My Ghia is great for "British Invasion" clean tones with my 335. There's something about that bridge P/U for chords at low volume.
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Post by 2Cents on Jan 10, 2019 23:45:19 GMT -7
From drzamps.com/product/m12/ The Dr Z M12 gives you big tone and clean headroom with 12 watts of power. Designed with the pedal board player in mind, the EF86 front end will devour your pedals and make them sound like they are built into the amp. The M12 will become an essential tool for players that love their pedals as much as their guitars and amps. The simple tone stack gets out of the way and lets your pedals do their thing. The M12 shares the same tone stack as the Dr Z Route 66. This allows for standard treble and bass sweep up to 12:00. Beyond 12:00 the gain increases in the respective frequencies. The loudest and cleanest tones are found between 10:00 and 2:00 on the bass, treble, and volume controls. Also up front is a Hi and Lo sensitivity switch. Much like the Hi/Lo dual input on many of our amps, this switch will yield clean sounds from hotter pickups in the Lo setting. You can also use the Lo setting for a cleaner input signal for heavy drive and modulation pedals. The Hi setting will yield the strongest dynamics and input gain. All that being said, what happens when you get things really cooking and turn the volume and treble up past 3:00? You’ll find over the top dynamics, drive, and chime without ever getting harsh. Think of the M12 as the perfect half powered offspring of the Z Wreck and Stang Ray. You get the clarity of the Stang Ray with the sweetness and ease of the Z Wreck. The M12 is available as a head, 1×10 (w/Z10), 1×12 (w/Greenback), and 2×10 (w/Z10 pair) combo. The 1×10 combo makes for a great home and studio amp that delivers a full bodied big sound for recording and rocking in a compact package. Add on a Brake Lite to the 1×10 and you’ll have a great platform for playing at home while the big rig is waiting for the next show. Put the M12 head on top of a 2×12 cabinet and you have a full balanced sound ready to take to the stage. |
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Post by ss "Shane" on Jan 12, 2019 17:18:18 GMT -7
For the OP, if your asking about the Ghia at low volumes then it’s probably not the amp for you at low volumes. I truly love my Ghia but it’s loud in it’s sweet spot. This is fine for lots of situations but if I’m gonna go to a little jam session I probably won’t take it.
Now maybe my mind would change with a 1X10 Geeenback cab, but I still haven’t picked one up. I’m running mine with either a Gold 12” cab or a Creamback 65 12” cab.
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Post by bgkyt1 on Jan 17, 2019 13:29:13 GMT -7
For the OP, if your asking about the Ghia at low volumes then it’s probably not the amp for you at low volumes. I truly love my Ghia but it’s loud in it’s sweet spot. This is fine for lots of situations but if I’m gonna go to a little jam session I probably won’t take it. Now maybe my mind would change with a 1X10 Geeenback cab, but I still haven’t picked one up. I’m running mine with either a Gold 12” cab or a Creamback 65 12” cab. i agree with "loud in it’s sweet spot". if you're into power tube mojo, you have to crank the ghia to get it. with single coils, the ghia has a gnarly hi-end, that reminds me of the zz top "jesus just left chicago" amp torture. this is not always desirable. |
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Post by tonezone66 on Jan 20, 2019 11:06:31 GMT -7
Cheers, bgkyt1. That's good to know. Still pondering the right choice and money issues also. Interested also in Benson Monarch & Carr Telstar. I guess I'll have to sell my Gibson 335 Luther Dickinson to fund the amp. Not an easy decision.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 11:28:11 GMT -7
Thanks everybody for your views & points! So in spite of it's treblines Ghia can deliver full, firm, steady bottom? For sure, as long as it's on the floor. |
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Post by justjoshinya on Jan 20, 2019 11:34:36 GMT -7
The Maz 8 is a great amp too! Don’t count it out!
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Post by ss "Shane" on Jan 20, 2019 17:58:26 GMT -7
Thanks everybody for your views & points! So in spite of it's treblines Ghia can deliver full, firm, steady bottom? For sure, as long as it's on the floor. The Ghia can absolutely deliver full and firm bottom. I’ve always used mine in a head/12” cab and never had a problem with lows. To me, the Ghia starts to come around at 9:00 on the volume. I would actually put the sweet spot between 9 and 12 o’clock but that’s just me. |
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Post by captainron (Ron) on Jan 21, 2019 16:55:55 GMT -7
For sure, as long as it's on the floor. The Ghia can absolutely deliver full and firm bottom. I’ve always used mine in a head/12” cab and never had a problem with lows. To me, the Ghia starts to come around at 9:00 on the volume. I would actually put the sweet spot between 9 and 12 o’clock but that’s just me. +1000 Same here. Head with a 1x12 cab. Sweet spot 9-12! I use mine with a 12" gold. |
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Feb 4, 2019 11:47:49 GMT -7
My opinion would be that he Ghia is TOO MUCH amp for a duo with an acoustic guitarist. Unless you're gonna set the amp at the lowest volume and use pedals in front of it, you're gonna want an amp with a MV.
update: just read that you went with the MAZ. good choice...
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Post by big ( Al Z. ) on Feb 4, 2019 12:19:33 GMT -7
Hey OP: Playing a Dr Z amp in small bars as a duo is going to require a Brake-Lite just to knock off a few dbs regardless of model - Unless you choose one of the newer designed master volume amps the Doc offers. That's what my experience suggests. One or two clicks won't effect your tone and will help bring down the volume nicely. I always have the Brake-Lite on with my Z-28 even when playing outside to bring stage volume down.
The other thing to address is speaker efficiency. To me that makes a huge difference. So there are a few things to use to get around an amp that may be too loud for some venues.
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Post by Buzz Fretwear (Ignatius) on Feb 7, 2019 5:12:44 GMT -7
For a gig like this, I'd be looking at a Cure.
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