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Post by thearnicasync on Apr 5, 2006 7:24:54 GMT -7
It's funny, it was between the maz jr. and a Carr Hammerhead...I think I made the right choice. That Hammerhead was a really neat and unique amplifier, but there's no way I'd get the range of tones out of it that I got in one sitting with the maz jr. Not to mention, it was tough getting any real lows out of the hammerhead.
I never thought I'd say it, but the maz truly does sound "three dimensional".
I really wanted something I could crank very occassionally, but most importantly, get a vox-ish thing going. This thing actually does that.
The first hour or two, I was sure I'd made a mistake...I just could get the brightness under control...shrillness vs. high mids bite is where rubber meats the road I think, and I was sure I was going to spend forever fighting the trebel on this thing. Then I discovered the volume knobs on my guitar! Setting the volume/master at nearly noon each, and then cutting volume way down on the guitar ('57 RI LP Gold) got me the coolest guitar sound I've ever gotten. Total "American Girl" chime and clang. The neck PU sounded HUGE.
My only small gripes (and they're small, this amp rules) is that the treble circuit could be touch smoother and the reverb. I wonder if this could just be a cap substitution? I've tried the cut but for me, it's a pretty passive/subtle control (maybe it's great for leads...I just don't do the Eddie Van Halen guitar face type solo'ing stuff.) The reverb itself, to me, is heavenly. I love the long dwell and depending on the playing it doesn't need to overpower, even at extreme settings. I just get a little squalling microphonic howl in the upper register that I'd love to tame. Maybe a tube? I hope so.
Absolutely loving my maz jr.!
kb
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Post by JChance on Apr 5, 2006 8:15:09 GMT -7
The MAZ amps can be bright, but can also be fat & dark. The cut knob rolled back can make a huge difference. Which version did you get? Either way, the amp will smooth out some more when the speaker(s) get nice & broken in. Very cool amps-
J
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Post by seaking on Apr 5, 2006 8:23:49 GMT -7
Hey thearnicasync, Congratulations on your new Maz Jr. Sounds like its already giving you some strong indications of its potential. I considered the hammerhead too but like you felt the Maz was more versatile, not to mention a choice of colors at no addition charge...sweet What does it look like? Which configuration did you go with 1x12 or 2x10. Lots of outstanding Maz clips been posted from all musical backgrounds. Keep experimenting to find where the mojo(s) lives for you.
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 5, 2006 8:33:51 GMT -7
Not to criticize Carr but man was I unimpressed with the original Hammerhead. Sounded small and scratchy to me. I didn't spend long with it, I was so put off at first. I'm sure there's tone in it that I didn't hear. I haven't spent much time with a Maz 18 but on my 38 turning the cut and treble way down really darkens it up a lot.
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Post by thearnicasync on Apr 5, 2006 9:09:34 GMT -7
Yeah, the hammerhead can get really scratchy, you're right! One of the setting on grip (like 4, the maxed out setting) was just plain trasnsistor radio.
Problem was, there was Rambler sitting next to it. Totally different animal, but without a doubt the most beautiful amp I've ever heard (Blackface style, anyhow). The eq is absolutely sick...there's no unusable setting. Crank the lo-mids, it sounds great. Crank the treble, it sounds pretty and present, crank the bass, it's fat without overpowering. Seriously, it reminds me of a Neve eq...like the 1073 of guitar amps.
I'll work my around the treble issue...I wonder if I might tweak the tube combo, or even find out if there's a better value or brand cap to throw on the treble pot.
Man, the Maz is SO interactive. It floors me that I can get that super smooth, crunch (but CLEAN) by setting the volume way up and the master down.
Seriously, I love this amp...
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Post by John on Apr 5, 2006 11:10:09 GMT -7
I know what you mean about the treble. I come from a Marshall/Boogie background. On every amp I've ever played, I've had to turn the treble up past the halfway point. I figured that's just what you have to do with every guitar amp.
So when I got my MAZ Jr. 2x12....I for sure thought I had made a mistake. The treble was knocking me out of the room. WAY too bright. I found out later (in this forum) that most MAZ players have the cut set very low (around 9:00) and the treble is also very low....at least less than 50%. Plus, I had never played an el84 amp before. VERY different.
I've found that the cut control has a BIG effect from 7:00 to 9:00...after that, yes it still makes a difference, but not as drastic as that 7-9 area.
I don't care for the amp with HB pickups as much as I do with single coils. With the HB...it's WAY too much VOX coming through. Coming from a Marshall background, it's a BIG switch. I'll probably just need to get used to it.
For me, I have the cut set low on 9:00 and the treble set on 9:00 for strats & tele's....and 11:00 to noon for HB pickups.
As for your reverb: Getting a microphonic howl for the reverb sure sounds like a tube. (from my past experience with reverb amps) My MAZ is a Non reverb model, so I don't know which tubes to tell you to change. You could go to the "Ask The Experts" forum here, then click on the "Ask Myles" thread and pose the question to him. He'll know.
Also, I've never in the past bothered with the tone controls of my guitar....especially the bridge pickup. But with the MAZ, it makes a big difference. It can be used as a musical tool where as before, it was just something to experiment with for a few seconds, then set it back on 10 and get back to what you were doing.
As a final suggestion, PLEASE play with the treble, cut and guitar tone controls before you start messing around with different capacitors inside.
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Post by billyguitar on Apr 5, 2006 11:12:33 GMT -7
gtrman3: Good advice. Twiddle (the knobs) before you tweak.
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Post by JoeYello on Apr 5, 2006 11:24:54 GMT -7
Good luck with the new Maz! I find my Maz 18 NR to be a bit on the darker side, especially with the cut at 9:00. I tend to have the cut around 2:00 o'clock and treble around noon, especially with my Les Paul otherwise I find it too dark. I am playing through a stock Z-Best cab. It's less than 1 year old and all the tubes are stock. Is anyone else's Maz like this?
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Post by John on Apr 5, 2006 13:04:49 GMT -7
JoeYello...
Cut on on 2:00 and treble at noon with a LP.
Is this at gigging volume? If so, those settings would tear my head off. WAY too much treble. If we're talking bedroom volume, it would be alright.
Also, if your Z-best cabinet is on it's side, and you're standing close, it would tend to rocket those treble frequencies past your shins. Even if you've got it upright, if you're right next to it, it could do the same thing.
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robt
Full Member
Posts: 138
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Post by robt on Apr 5, 2006 13:42:48 GMT -7
My experience has been similar. I picked out my Maz Jr with 1 x 12 after my buddy played through most of the amps in the store, Carr, Victoria, several Zs including a 2 x 10 combo. This one sounded the best to both our ears, in the store, A-Beed with the others. My buddy played, I listened until we identified this one. Then I played it and said, yes. Home. When I got it home I began to also have trouble with the brightness of the amp, the treble and the cut controls because my experience with Fenders, the Victoria that I had had, etc was pretty much the same: Treble on six, bass on four, mids to taste if applicable. But, with my strat or tele I've learned that treble between 9 and 10 and cut set similarly will produce a tone that is big, fat, juicy, with lots of bottom. Finally, I should add that it took a LONG time for the stock G12 to break in but when it finally did it was noticable and allowed for adding more treble and cut. All this to say that what I've learned about this amp is that Dr Z got it right. It's the right speaker (if you allow for it to break in), the right tubes, and the right EQ. I had a 67 BFSR that sounded almost this good. This is a great amp and I've learned to appreciate it the more I play it and the more it gets played. I wish you the same....
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Post by thearnicasync on Apr 5, 2006 14:41:25 GMT -7
That last post is great.
You mentioned the bfsr, I'll mention voxes ;D As in, I've never heard a vox that sounds as close as the the Maz to the vox I hear in my head. If that makes any sense.
I also used to have a 74 Marshall JMP 50 watt...the big boxy kind (not like the bluesbreaker/jtm-45). The maz doesn't bite quite as hard (even the 38 watt), although I could be romanticizing that amp. Still, the Marshall doesn't (didn't) come close to delivering the MEDIUM gain stuff the maz puts out.
Great to hear about the speaker...I was wondering. This one was on display at the store, but it hasn't likely gotten the 60hrs of play time I understand the speaker needs.
Man, I genuinely can't wait to get home and play this thing. Electric guitar is fun again.
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