Post by alpione on May 7, 2019 11:02:44 GMT -7
Hey all - posted this over at the Gear Page as well but wanted it here for the record.
Bought this older Maz a few months ago and enjoyed it but wasn't satisfied with a few aspects (Master Volume, reverb, hiss/hum, an overall harshness with single coils.)
The "Mark 2" update literature specifically addressed all of my concerns, so I decided to go for it. I sent it in to Dr Z. and got it back this past week after about 5-6 weeks. The first 30 minutes of playing were positive but then there was a pop and I lost 1/2 of the volume. Great. Spoke to Don at Z and he walked me through troubleshooting the tubes. These were things I already knew to do, but definitely appreciated the personal attention. V2 had gone bad - replaced it and we're back in business. Some impressions:
Tone - definitely less "strident" than it was before. Still touch sensitive, but didn't get shrill on the top strings when hitting them hard. Plenty of gain on tap. Easy to dial in a variety of sounds and I'm still trying to decide on my setup (edge of breakup with pedals vs. more amp gain, etc.) Definitely positive here.
Master Volume - the PPIMV they installed is also a definite improvement. The volume sweep is much more consistent and it doesn't thin out at low volumes. However, it's not perfect. Like other PPIMVs, gain can get pretty congested at low volumes when you're really just using all preamp gain and the power tubes are choked off. I find that reducing mids and bass helps that and can get a pretty good sound at low volumes. Running the Cut control higher than I normally do also opens things up. Regardless, the amp still very much likes to be opened up.
Reverb - my 20 year old tank was on its last legs and I upgraded to the new shorter tank which they recommend to be mounted on the side of the cab. Pic below. There is a LOT of reverb on tap. Way more than I'll ever need, and I keep the control below 25% for my use. Don's actually going to send me instructions on adding a resistor so I can get more control on the knob (which I also appreciated.) The tone of the reverb I really like and the tail is more natural.
Noise/Hiss - reduced, though I have a fairly noisy music room electrically so I still get a pretty good amount at higher gain or volume settings. Either way, won't be an issue when playing with the band.
Overall I'm happy with it so far. Others considering the upgrade will have to decide whether it's right for them. With shipping both ways, new tank, a couple of new tubes, etc, it was about $375 and 6 weeks wait altogether. A significant investment.
Bought this older Maz a few months ago and enjoyed it but wasn't satisfied with a few aspects (Master Volume, reverb, hiss/hum, an overall harshness with single coils.)
The "Mark 2" update literature specifically addressed all of my concerns, so I decided to go for it. I sent it in to Dr Z. and got it back this past week after about 5-6 weeks. The first 30 minutes of playing were positive but then there was a pop and I lost 1/2 of the volume. Great. Spoke to Don at Z and he walked me through troubleshooting the tubes. These were things I already knew to do, but definitely appreciated the personal attention. V2 had gone bad - replaced it and we're back in business. Some impressions:
Tone - definitely less "strident" than it was before. Still touch sensitive, but didn't get shrill on the top strings when hitting them hard. Plenty of gain on tap. Easy to dial in a variety of sounds and I'm still trying to decide on my setup (edge of breakup with pedals vs. more amp gain, etc.) Definitely positive here.
Master Volume - the PPIMV they installed is also a definite improvement. The volume sweep is much more consistent and it doesn't thin out at low volumes. However, it's not perfect. Like other PPIMVs, gain can get pretty congested at low volumes when you're really just using all preamp gain and the power tubes are choked off. I find that reducing mids and bass helps that and can get a pretty good sound at low volumes. Running the Cut control higher than I normally do also opens things up. Regardless, the amp still very much likes to be opened up.
Reverb - my 20 year old tank was on its last legs and I upgraded to the new shorter tank which they recommend to be mounted on the side of the cab. Pic below. There is a LOT of reverb on tap. Way more than I'll ever need, and I keep the control below 25% for my use. Don's actually going to send me instructions on adding a resistor so I can get more control on the knob (which I also appreciated.) The tone of the reverb I really like and the tail is more natural.
Noise/Hiss - reduced, though I have a fairly noisy music room electrically so I still get a pretty good amount at higher gain or volume settings. Either way, won't be an issue when playing with the band.
Overall I'm happy with it so far. Others considering the upgrade will have to decide whether it's right for them. With shipping both ways, new tank, a couple of new tubes, etc, it was about $375 and 6 weeks wait altogether. A significant investment.