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Post by djhblue on Mar 4, 2020 12:24:31 GMT -7
Hey everyone,
I am new to the forum, and a new owner of the Z-Plus LT. I've always wanted a Z, and I love the overall sound of this model. I actually bought this on Reverb, based on videos, and user comments. So here goes: My main amp for the last 2 years is the Fender Custom '68 Princeton with a Celestion 10in Blue speaker. I love the amp, and get a great tone as well with a Full Drive 3 as my gain pedal as needed. My main guitars are a Suhr Classic S SSH, as well as a Gibson ES-Les Paul. When using the same setup in my Z, I just can't seem to get the tone I am looking for with this pedal. The amp sounds a bit piercing. Based on my current rig, I would love to hear from you guys regarding your preference in a OD pedal in front of the Z-Plus. At this point, I am liking the Les Paul through the amp more than the Suhr. Thanks in advance!
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Post by buckeye on Mar 4, 2020 14:03:31 GMT -7
I like the Fulltone OCD in the LP mode. Just curious, what speaker is in your Plus? Also, the cut knob is a very useful tool for dialing in your preferred tone.
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Post by djhblue on Mar 4, 2020 15:23:40 GMT -7
I'm running a Celestion ALNICO Blue. I had one in a Vox AC15 that I swapped out before selling, so I put it in right away. I actually spent a couple hours this afternoon tweaking the amp, and I think it was just more time dialing in the overdrive. The Princeton is a bit dark sounding so I always had the Fulldrive with the tone up past 3. I did tweak the cut knob and am really starting to dial in the amp. Its a different animal for sure- I think the word I would use is that the tone blooms - really sounds so full. So what are you using ?
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Post by buckeye on Mar 4, 2020 15:56:06 GMT -7
I'm running a Celestion ALNICO Blue. I had one in a Vox AC15 that I swapped out before selling, so I put it in right away. I actually spent a couple hours this afternoon tweaking the amp, and I think it was just more time dialing in the overdrive. The Princeton is a bit dark sounding so I always had the Fulldrive with the tone up past 3. I did tweak the cut knob and am really starting to dial in the amp. Its a different animal for sure- I think the word I would use is that the tone blooms - really sounds so full. So what are you using ? I actually converted my plus combo to a head a couple of years ago so I could try different combinations of speakers/cabs. I make my own cabs, kind of a hobby of mine. Mine came with a Z-12 but it sounded a bit dark to my ears so I switched to a G12H30 for a while and got quite a few compliments on my tone at a number of gigs. But just recently loaded the Z-12 paired with a G-12M 65 in a 2x12 cab and it sounds great in my shop, a little darker than the G12H30, so I ran the cut up around 1 o'clock. I have a gig this Sat. night so I'll see how it goes with this new combination.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Mar 4, 2020 16:18:35 GMT -7
I'm running a Celestion ALNICO Blue. I had one in a Vox AC15 that I swapped out before selling, so I put it in right away. I actually spent a couple hours this afternoon tweaking the amp, and I think it was just more time dialing in the overdrive. The Princeton is a bit dark sounding so I always had the Fulldrive with the tone up past 3. I did tweak the cut knob and am really starting to dial in the amp. Its a different animal for sure- I think the word I would use is that the tone blooms - really sounds so full. So what are you using ? Welcome to the Forum - a lot of good people and information here. Don't forget to play with the guitar's volume and tone. Doc's amps are very interactive with them (especially the volume). Also, with your Z you have to set all the controls with your ears - not you eyes. Takes a bit of getting used to.
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Mar 4, 2020 16:49:37 GMT -7
Mine has the Z-12 in it. I’ve used an RC Booster to just push the front and use the natural drive in the amp. I’ve also used a Barber Gain Changer, and Timmy with great results.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Mar 4, 2020 18:43:53 GMT -7
What j4gitr said, plus I've used a TC Spark Plug boost to great effect. I've got the Z-12 in mine too, in the ultralite combo.
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Post by djhblue on Mar 5, 2020 6:27:07 GMT -7
Appreciate all the comments- and I did notice, trust your ears, not your eyes. Always thinking the EQ should be in their normal positions: treble at noon, bass at noon, etc. I am finding to my ears, the bass needs to be at 1, cut at 4, and also turn the tone knob back on my FullDrive. I also have The Dude pedal from J Rockett Audio as a light gain pedal, specifically for my Suhr, sounds especially nice. Highly recommended.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Mar 5, 2020 12:35:23 GMT -7
Appreciate all the comments- and I did notice, trust your ears, not your eyes. Always thinking the EQ should be in their normal positions: treble at noon, bass at noon, etc. I am finding to my ears, the bass needs to be at 1, cut at 4, and also turn the tone knob back on my FullDrive. I also have The Dude pedal from J Rockett Audio as a light gain pedal, specifically for my Suhr, sounds especially nice. Highly recommended. Yes, absolutely dial in Doc's amps with your ears, never your eyes. I've gotten great tone with settings that seem counter intuitive but really sound right. Plus what jaguarguy Mike says, use your guitar's controls. Z amps are really reactive to what you give them to work with.
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Mar 5, 2020 13:48:03 GMT -7
My ZPlus with a Blue is very bright - in a great, “cut through the band” way. I’ve used predominately tube screamer type ODs, including the Fulldrive, and those seem to all work well. Anything brighter is too much for me (e.g., Plimsoul).
You really want to dial in the tone with your ears, as has been mentioned, particularly with a Blue, to get your base tone before hitting it with any pedals. I tend to have my Cut control set to full “off” (counter clockwise), then set the TMB to where I want it, then I bring up the Cut to just where I get some “sheen,” usually about 9:00. Any more than that and it can get harsh to me.
As Doc posted once, the Cut in the ZPlus is really a high pass filter.
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Post by rickyp on Mar 5, 2020 15:06:55 GMT -7
My ZPlus with a Blue is very bright - in a great, “cut through the band” way. I’ve used predominately tube screamer type ODs, including the Fulldrive, and those seem to all work well. Anything brighter is too much for me (e.g., Plimsoul). You really want to dial in the tone with your ears, as has been mentioned, particularly with a Blue, to get your base tone before hitting it with any pedals. I tend to have my Cut control set to full “off” (counter clockwise), then set the TMB to where I want it, then I bring up the Cut to just where I get some “sheen,” usually about 3:00. Any more than that and it can get harsh to me. As Doc posted once, the Cut in the ZPlus is really a high pass filter. Totally agree...I’ve got the Z-Plus with the blue...I keep the Cut almost all the way off, when gigging, I might turn it up a little past 9 o’clock, but that’s about it. I keep the TMB at around noon.
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Mar 5, 2020 15:55:58 GMT -7
Oops — meant 9:00 myself 😊
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Post by chesterbrown on Mar 11, 2020 22:25:12 GMT -7
I personally think the plus is best when you use a clean boost to push the front end. I plug into the high input and use an OCD with drive way down for heavier gain and an Ego compressor in front of that (clean boost) with the blend at 9 o’clock sustain all the way down and volume around 2 o’clock. It’s great! Les paul classic with Lollar El Rayo. And yes, the plus is very interactive with guitar controls. Honestly you could crank the volume on the Z and maybe get away with just using your guitar volume for crunch and leads. I’m in the process of learning to do that live right now. I’ve had the plus for a little over a year and love the z12(now) it really broke in well after awhile. I play at least an hour a day on it and it was a good 5-6 months before I felt like it wasn’t too brittle. Great Before but amazing afterwards.
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Post by djhblue on Apr 3, 2020 17:29:10 GMT -7
Ive been using a J Rockett Audio Dude pedal (on around 9-10 oclock) in front to the Z-Plus and I've dialed in what I feel is a great tone. If you haven't tried J Rockett pedals, they havesome fine pedals. I have a Blue Note on order that I'm anxious to try next week. This amp sounds so much bigger than I expected. Im sure its a combo of all things, but the deep cabinet I believe makes a difference.
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Post by purpletele on Apr 3, 2020 17:38:56 GMT -7
Ive been using a J Rockett Audio Dude pedal (on around 9-10 oclock) in front to the Z-Plus and I've dialed in what I feel is a great tone. If you haven't tried J Rockett pedals, they havesome fine pedals. I have a Blue Note on order that I'm anxious to try next week. This amp sounds so much bigger than I expected. Im sure its a combo of all things, but the deep cabinet I believe makes a difference. The cabinet is really nice, I use the studio and you loose a little bit of depth with that smaller cabinet. What speaker? I'm a Celestion Cream or Creamback guy with that amp.
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Post by djhblue on Apr 7, 2020 14:34:48 GMT -7
Ive been using the Z12 speaker. I had a Celestion Blue that I tried when I first got it, but decided the break in the Z12. I like the speaker. I would like to to try the Creamback, as Ive read great reviews on the speaker. I also have a spare Cannabis Rex that I may try at some point. Obviously no gigging right now, but cant wait to get it out of the basement...
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