|
Post by fishbeiner on Mar 30, 2019 18:56:59 GMT -7
Sweetwater is out of stock, so I’m guessing a few of these are out in the wild and I’m curious as to amp breakup. At what point, volume-wise, does the Z-Master begin to distort? Although I’ve owned several different Z amps (Ghia, M12, Therapy, Rt 66, EZG, Maz Sr., Maz Jr.), my current frame or reference being a Z-Wreck combo, which is fairly loud by the time it starts to get to that edge. Just wondering...
|
|
|
Post by DRZ on Mar 31, 2019 8:24:41 GMT -7
Not an easy question to answer convincingly. It is a Tweed amp design, so even the clean tone always has a touch of hair on the notes, not Blackface clean. It's clean tone has a wonderful sustain at low volumes a quality many great Vintage amps have. It is a true Triode configuration that has a wonderful rich full tone. The speakers are Alnico Vintage Paper former design that are very low efficiency so driving it never gets overly loud and obnoxious . It is only 30 watts max, and it's clean goes away starting at half volume with a single coil. Also do to it's input tube altered design it is very sensitive to guitar input signal, single coil nice clean range, Humbucker drives very quickly. 5881's are VERY smooth. I guess if I could rate it in Z amp scale with say the StangRay being the loudest clean and the Monza being the quickest to distort the Z master fits some ware in the middle leaning to the Monza , how's that for a sonic explanation.
I guess if your looking for quick break up , fast and low volume distortion this isn't your amp, not what it was designed to do. But I'll tell you what I hear from players of this amp, " It has Jaw dropping Tone, the most beautiful sounding amp I have ever played"
Z
|
|
|
Post by fishbeiner on Mar 31, 2019 10:07:07 GMT -7
Not an easy question to answer convincingly. It is a Tweed amp design, so even the clean tone always has a touch of hair on the notes, not Blackface clean. It's clean tone has a wonderful sustain at low volumes a quality many great Vintage amps have. It is a true Triode configuration that has a wonderful rich full tone. The speakers are Alnico Vintage Paper former design that are very low efficiency so driving it never gets overly loud and obnoxious . It is only 30 watts max, and it's clean goes away starting at half volume with a single coil. Also do to it's input tube altered design it is very sensitive to guitar input signal, single coil nice clean range, Humbucker drives very quickly. 5881's are VERY smooth. I guess if I could rate it in Z amp scale with say the StangRay being the loudest clean and the Monza being the quickest to distort the Z master fits some ware in the middle leaning to the Monza , how's that for a sonic explanation. I guess if your looking for quick break up , fast and low volume distortion this isn't your amp, not what it was designed to do. But I'll tell you what I hear from players of this amp, " It has Jaw dropping Tone, the most beautiful sounding amp I have ever played" Z I tell you, Doc, it is SO difficult to resist. And your response just adds more fuel. This amp, more than many others right now, definitely has me drooling (although I’m very curious about the X-Ray and the idea of that is probably the only reason I haven’t committed to the Z-Master). Been on a gear purge to fill the Z fund. Will see when they get more in stock.
|
|
|
Post by DRZ on Mar 31, 2019 10:11:29 GMT -7
It won't be till next year that Brad and I decide on the DB 4 replacement ( i.e. the X -Ray maybe ). Z
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2019 10:40:01 GMT -7
I'm intrigued by the Z Master, too. Thinking about putting one of my Luxes up on Reverb to help fund it. Maybe.
|
|
|
Post by fishbeiner on Mar 31, 2019 12:44:06 GMT -7
Thanks for the info, Doc!
Now to get the rest of the funds together for a Z-Master.
|
|
|
Post by John on Mar 31, 2019 13:21:07 GMT -7
I know people were goin' crazy over the Nova at Z-fest (summer of 2018)...but the Z-master is the one that really caught my attention. Noticeably vintage tone. Not over the top overdrive (read: Boogie) and very sensitive to pic attack.
|
|
|
Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Mar 31, 2019 14:30:38 GMT -7
I'm building up my piggy bank for my Z-Master. I kinda wish I had gone for the Z-Master first, but the Nova sounded so good with my Firebird...
|
|
|
Post by Faze on Mar 31, 2019 15:35:50 GMT -7
Doc you hit the nail on the head. I have been waiting to post about the Z-Master because I wanted to spend more time with it live before I really said anything about it. Well this is my second week playing it live and all I can say is it has such a beautiful rich tone too it. I play single coils. I have two Stratocasters one with fender custom shop 69 s In it and the other with fender pure vintage 65s and the note definition and articulation I get from the Z- Master with both my guitars is nothing but vintage tone. This is the amp I have been waiting for the Doc to build for a long time. It’s very unforgiving though it will expose you. Every note on the fret board rings out when you play chords it very piano like in character. You get a slight amount of hair on the notes at about 10 o’clock but it easily tamed back with your guitars volume control. The neck position sounds fat yet clean at the same time just a gorgeous tone this amp puts out. The bridge pick up has plenty of bark and bite too it. The in between pick ups have that quack and spank. I can play everything with this amp except metal which I hate anyway but you get where I’m going with this it’s just a pure vintage sounding amp. It’s got plenty of low end too there is nothing bright or harsh at all coming out if the Z-Master it sounds lush. I tried a tung-Sol in V 1 just to see how it would sound but ended up going back to the EH it seemed to respond better with my fuzz. Right now I’m down to a fuzz and my strymon el cap but that’s really all I need they both sound great through the Z-Master. It’s got a big sound too it. I am very happy I bought this amp. It can get the tones out of it that I want for the type of music I play which is funk , R&B , blues, rock , and gospel. It sounds great clean And overdriven. Plus you can play it at bedrooom levels with no need for a brake lite. It will make you stand out. It cuts through the mix extremely well. The Hammond B 3 organ is no joke and this amp keeps right up with it. It cuts through beautifully. The three speakers is where it’s at. You have to play it live and experience it for yourself then you will understand where I’m coming from. Thank you Doc!
|
|
|
Post by Faze on Apr 2, 2019 16:20:21 GMT -7
Thanks for the info, Doc! Now to get the rest of the funds together for a Z-Master. I just had the chance today to crank the Z-Master up. I had both volumes all the way up. Treble at 1 bass at 12 and presence at 12 and the amps overdrive was warm and buttery. I was getting rich harmonic overdrive and distortion through my Strat no harshness at all. And then just rolling back my volume and getting beautiful clean tones. This amp is the cream of the crop. It's the Goods.
|
|