tactus33
New Member
Maz 18 jr head + Z cab with Celestion Gold
Posts: 6
|
Post by tactus33 on Apr 3, 2020 8:37:16 GMT -7
Hi folks, I hope you're fine. I'm a Maz 18 jr user since 8 years and i'm still amazed by it. But i would like to buy a more Fender like amp ( I keep my Maz of course ) I was interested by the Lux first but i also heard good things about the new Mesa Boogie California Tweed.
My problem is that i live in France and i can't test and compare them 'cause Dr z amps are not distributed here anymore .
Is there any one of you who has already compared both?
Take care of you, Cordially,
Olivier
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2020 11:01:46 GMT -7
I haven't tried the Mesa Tweed, but the Lux is a great amp--my main gigging amp for a couple of years now. One thing I can tell you is that, assuming the Mesa is assembled in the same way as the Lonestar Special I used to own and other Mesa amps, it has a printed circuit board, while all Dr Zs are handwired, point-to-point. Maybe not a big issue for most folks, and maybe it's not even something I can hear, and maybe it doesn't matter at all if you're running through a couple of pedals with PCBs before the signal hits your amp, but I'd be willing to swear on a stack of Bibles that there's a difference in feel--handwired amps just feel more responsive and organic to me, somehow. Your mileage may vary, of course.
|
|
tactus33
New Member
Maz 18 jr head + Z cab with Celestion Gold
Posts: 6
|
Post by tactus33 on Apr 4, 2020 4:58:36 GMT -7
Thanks for your reply FleaWreck. I'm used to read your comments with attention and i understand what you tell about PCBs and point to point differences and your feel about them. But as you know, some pretty good amps have PCBs so it's not prohibitive for me even if i understand your point of view. My question is more about the obvious differences in the sound, frequencies etc. Has the Lux got more predominant high mids frequencies for exemple. Take care of you Jon, as i already said, i like to read your comments Olivier
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2020 6:00:45 GMT -7
Thanks, Olivier--yes, please be careful and stay safe! You're right about the PCB thing--I think a lot of my bias against them is just psychological. I wish I could be more helpful, but as I say, I haven't played the Mesa Tweed. I actually liked my Lonestar Special quite a bit, it sounded great--but it had more knobs and switches than a Russian submarine and I found I was spending more time tweaking than playing.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2020 6:01:18 GMT -7
Where are you in France?
|
|
tactus33
New Member
Maz 18 jr head + Z cab with Celestion Gold
Posts: 6
|
Post by tactus33 on Apr 4, 2020 8:32:46 GMT -7
Ha ha ha yeah i see exactly what you mean! I live in Bordeaux and U?
|
|
|
Post by scottunzicker on Apr 6, 2020 8:51:12 GMT -7
I, too have been intrigued by the California Tweed, but have no hands-on time with one. What I can say is that if one equips the Z-Lux with a quad of 5881s, the amp gets a lot more "Fender-y", for lack of a better descriptor. Without the mid-boost engage, the Z-Lux sounds like a really good take on a highly refined blackface amp from the middle 60's, with a twist. With the mid-boost engaged, the Z-Lux starts to take on the meaty tweedy grind. It doesn't get it all the way there, but it certainly starts to occupy that sonic territory.
|
|
tactus33
New Member
Maz 18 jr head + Z cab with Celestion Gold
Posts: 6
|
Post by tactus33 on Apr 6, 2020 9:28:18 GMT -7
I, too have been intrigued by the California Tweed, but have no hands-on time with one. What I can say is that if one equips the Z-Lux with a quad of 5881s, the amp gets a lot more "Fender-y", for lack of a better descriptor. Without the mid-boost engage, the Z-Lux sounds like a really good take on a highly refined blackface amp from the middle 60's, with a twist. With the mid-boost engaged, the Z-Lux starts to take on the meaty tweedy grind. It doesn't get it all the way there, but it certainly starts to occupy that sonic territory. I'm sure The Lux is a great amp anyway. No doubt about that.
|
|
|
Post by Stephen on Apr 6, 2020 10:06:43 GMT -7
I don’t have the Mesa Tweed either, but I run my Maz 18 with my Z-Lux at every gig.
|
|
|
Post by telezlux on Apr 10, 2020 16:09:29 GMT -7
I haven't tried the Mesa but I have the Z Lux, it's a pretty amazing amp. I usually dime mine out and use the volume on the guitar to get it to sing. I run the input volume lower and the master near wide open, I get a very close tone to an old tweed and it gets very vocal with a tele. Cool amp for sure.
|
|
|
Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Apr 11, 2020 8:25:03 GMT -7
Haven’t tried the Mesa, but this is the Z Lux we’re talking about here. I can’t imagine a better platform for cleans and edge of breakup that includes great verb and trem than the Lux.
|
|
|
Post by Stephen on Apr 12, 2020 15:29:50 GMT -7
I A-B-C’d my Z-Lux with my ‘65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and ‘65 Super Reverb Reissue today. That was a waste of time; the Z-Lux won, of course.
|
|
|
Post by bgkyt1 on Apr 14, 2020 8:34:56 GMT -7
If it matters to you, Mesa has gone the way of mass manufacturing where they mount preamp tube sockets on the circuit boards... which they have been doing a long time now. i've had problems with that in live situations and lost respect for them. Board-mounted tube sockets and ribbon cables might work in the studio, but it's not something i would want for live playing. I won't buy amps made that way.
|
|
|
Post by trojanhov on Apr 14, 2020 13:10:59 GMT -7
Z-Lux every day of the week. I’d even buy one sight unseen. You can always find someone to fix a hand wired amp! And z’s are built like tanks! They also sound unreal, which helps!
|
|
|
Post by Stephen on Apr 14, 2020 14:01:49 GMT -7
This:
|
|
|
Post by telezlux on Apr 16, 2020 15:55:56 GMT -7
That say's it all, to see the Dr. himself, hand wiring the components is pretty cool. So many other things they do internally with the chassis as well, they are welded so longevity will be at a maximum. Certainly love old fender amps but truth be told, if you are going on the road with something I can't imagine doing it without the Z lux, all the tone and none of the fear.
|
|
tactus33
New Member
Maz 18 jr head + Z cab with Celestion Gold
Posts: 6
|
Post by tactus33 on Apr 28, 2020 6:13:36 GMT -7
thanks for all your replies I'm still hesitating (even if the Lux option is more and more in the pipeline) , but not with the Mesa anymore ( you convinced me). I'm also very tempted with a Vintage Sound 35 1X12 combo. it has some very attractive mods .Infortunetely neither this one or the Lux are available in France (
|
|
|
Post by sharkboy on Apr 28, 2020 12:50:33 GMT -7
This would be fairly simple for me, but I’ve owned 3 Zs and only 2 Mesas. I also was a PCB designer by trade for 30 years, but there are some benefits to hand wired boards for rework and repair. I would go for the Z-Lux- but I think you’d expect that answer here. A well- designed PCB _may_ be a little quieter (from a signal-to-noise perspective),) but that was not my experience with either Mesa or Peavey PCB-based amps- they were not quieter than my hand wired amps. Also, Randle Smith states some “magical properties” for PCBs that are not in the realm of human hearing, so I don’t need that polluting my retail experience.
I liked my Mesas, but they were excruciatingly heavy and had a baffling array of knobs- this Mesa looks better possibly from both standpoints than mine were. I advise you to listen to all the content here from the ZLux players. I also strongly prefer the head/cab versus the combo method, to allow you to bring exactly what you need for the gig and customize your sound.
|
|
|
Post by Abandoned on Apr 29, 2020 17:08:22 GMT -7
I’m definitely interested in this subject too. Thanks for everyone who chimed in
|
|
|
Post by helmi on May 6, 2020 13:52:43 GMT -7
You can always find someone to fix a hand wired amp! This is true. good luck finding someone who wants to work on a PCB amp anymore. and if you do, the labor cost alone will cost a fortune!
|
|
|
Post by helmi on May 6, 2020 14:02:43 GMT -7
Unfortunetely neither this one or the Lux are available in France ( Peach guitars, a Z dealer in England, has a red z-lux combo in stock. Check if they ship to France.
|
|
|
Post by purpletele on May 6, 2020 19:04:48 GMT -7
You can always find someone to fix a hand wired amp! This is true. good luck finding someone who wants to work on a PCB amp anymore. and if you do, the labor cost alone will cost a fortune! That is so true. I happen to stumble across a guy here in Sac that works on a lot of High End Stereos and started getting into amp repair. He is really good at pulling out the boards on the Fender Hot Rod series, the ones where the controls are soldered to the board. I have referred two amps to him that where HRD, he pulled out the boards and patched them up with great success and only charged $100. He is wanting to build an amp so I am helping a bit. Point being, it is nice to know someone with O Scope and is not afraid of PCB amps.
|
|
|
Post by Abandoned on May 8, 2020 23:08:04 GMT -7
I like the really solid and reliable nature of what you guys stated about DR Z amps. Plus the fact that they are easier to work on. I decided on a DR Z Amp due to these reasons.
Thanks guys
|
|
|
Post by mikeefromdedhamma on May 22, 2020 7:19:15 GMT -7
I have both. They are very different. I've had the Z-Lux for several years and only have had the Mesa for a few months. As context, I've owned a Mesa Boogie Lonestar and several Fender blackface type amps. I've never owned, or even played through, a real Fender tweed which is what the Mesa appears to be modeled after. I play in a middle aged guy cover band - nothing special but, pre-pandemic, we've been gigging regularly a few times a month for years. Playing everything from U2 to the Police to Metallica I prefer a clean amp with some choice pedals.
So some observations:
1. I prefer the Z-Lux. It can do anything. If you're sound aligns with what it does naturally it's all you need. Will it give you the cutting scream of a cranked plexi? Not on it's own but choose your BB pre-amp, Friedman OD, Fulltone OCD or whatever your Marshall-in-a-box preference is and have at it. If I was Kirk Hammett recording a new Metallica album it wouldn't be my choice... but I am not. I'm just a guy in a bar and it sounds great. (Also the lead singer/founding guitarist is a lifelong Marshall stack guy who will bring it with him to the nursing home when the time comes and we don't want to sound like each other:))
2. My bandmates liked the Mesa. Go figure. It does sound great. I've had several Dr Z amps and I find the risk is they can be too bright. It's all manageable with how you use the knobs on the amp and guitar and it's important characteristics for getting clear sound that cuts through IMO. The Mesa gives me a full, deep rich tone that will offend no one anywhere but I have a harder time getting that bite that kicks. Kicking in to some Black Crowes with my Telly or Firebird it's awesome. If anything, it almost sounds a little too naturally compressed (I have my compressor pedal on almost all the time with Dr Z... never with Mesa). Not bad... just different.
3. On reliability, I gave up the Mesa Boogie Lonestar 8 or so years ago as it started giving me problems. Seemed to eat tubes and the clean channel started cutting out intermittently and my local amp repair guy couldn't trace it (he's great but wouldn't you know....intermittent meant it worked great when he had it and then cut out at the gig). Also 37 switches and knobs can be cool when you get an amp and experimenting with sounds once you get your thing they are just more s*** that can go wrong.
Why did I buy the Mesa? Well my Z-Lux started loudly screeching at a gig after several trouble free years. Even on standby. I assumed tubes and since it hadn't been retuned in years I replaced them all. Made me realize I could use a second amp. Finally, on service: hand down - Dr. Z. I have my own example of needing something and getting awesome response. Nothing against Mesa but they are a different kind of company and it's getting harder and harder to find great techs for tube guitar amps. Hope this helps. In the end, make your choice, have fun, keep playing!
|
|