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Post by bloozeman on Dec 31, 2020 10:28:19 GMT -7
I keep reading people saying the cure is the smaller package of the zlux. Is this true? I love the z lux and it would be great to have a smaller grab and go version. Or would be even better if Doc would make a mini route 66 🙂
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Post by Russell B on Dec 31, 2020 12:10:09 GMT -7
I don’t know if it’s a mini Z-Lux, but people who own both say the are similar. I have a Cure and I’ve played some pretty big venues with it unmiced. I think you would like it. It’s an incredible amp.
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Post by Seńor Verde on Dec 31, 2020 12:23:31 GMT -7
I traded my Z-Lux for a Cure and I'm glad I did. Sounds better in general to me and can still get loud and clean enough for practice with the band or most gigs. If I didn't have a Cure, I'd probably go with the EZG-50 over the Z-Lux.
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Post by nmz on Dec 31, 2020 16:25:11 GMT -7
No, it is not. I’ve owned both and they are very different.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Dec 31, 2020 16:36:01 GMT -7
Here's Doc's description of the Cure vs. Z-Lux
"The CURE uses our award-winning Z-LUX as it’s starting point, but simplifies this formula by forgoing reverb and tremolo, yet retains the rich 6V6 “American” voiced tone the Z-LUX is renowned for. At the heart and soul of the CURE is a vintage-voiced output transformer hand-wound by Triad Magnetics"
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Post by nmz on Dec 31, 2020 19:58:38 GMT -7
Don’t get me wrong the Cure is a great amp, especially with the level. Excellent for bedroom/small or mic’d gigs. I just needed more headroom and was able to arrange a trade for a Zlux (I love verb/trem combos).
It’s the transformer that I compared the two. Very different feel. Not bad at all just very different.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Jan 2, 2021 9:54:04 GMT -7
Just seeing this. While you can certainly dial in similar clean and low gain tones in both amps, they are definitely different professional grade tone machines. The Cure has far greater gain potential than the Lux (version 1). The Lux however has much more dimension and owns the clean to edge of breakup spectrum. And it has more power and headroom. Plus, the verb and trem are wonderful. Haven’t sent one of my Luxs in for the update yet, but am planning to soon. Just a wonderful amp.
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Post by ksquared on Jan 2, 2021 20:02:12 GMT -7
I don't disagree really with what others have said, but I'll offer some perspective. When my Z-Lux was in the shop for a few weeks, I brought my Cure to band practice. None of my band mates would have noticed anything different if I didn't tell them. The core sound of each overlaps a lot. In that sense it's a mini-Lux. Rather than minor tonal variations, consider the following: - If you really need clean headroom, the Z-Lux has much more (from its extra 20 watts if on full power).
- Do you use a lot of reverb, and if so do you care if it comes from a pedal?
- Do you have effects that you want to use in an effects loop? (The Cure has one, Z-Lux doesn't.)
- The larger cab in the Z-Lux creates more bass (or a perception of more bass) and spreads the sound more widely than the studio cab in the Cure, which is more direct. If you're mic-ing the amp it doesn't matter as much. The trade off is in the 6lb weight difference, which matters.
- The Cure is easier to tame volume-wise if you need really low volume, due to the Level control.
I use both all the time.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 3, 2021 4:08:51 GMT -7
No disagreement here. I've got both the Cure and the Z-Lux and the core tones can be very similar. I think where the difference lies is in the amount of dirt the two amps can do. The Cure wins here, mine gets dirtier than my Z-Lux does. But essentially they are really close. And the Cure is so light and easy to carry, it's a dream. I don't know of another amp made by anyone that has the variety of sound, power, and light weight of this one. It checks off a whole bunch of boxes. I don't use tremolo or reverb much and it's been a while since I've played on a big stage. Before covid our big band would play outdoor pavilions and big halls so the Z-Lux would win over the Cure then. But I can count on one hand the amount of times that the Cure wouldn't have been loud enough. It's a Z.
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Post by nmz on Jan 3, 2021 17:12:49 GMT -7
There is also the difference of a tube rectified amp vs solid state. Again, more of a feel and attack difference.
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