watt
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Posts: 15
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Post by watt on Jan 15, 2021 15:13:18 GMT -7
Hi! New to forum, not yet a Z owner but on the verge. I'm down to Cure vs. Z-Plus, and looking for some help deciding.
I currently own a Gries 5, which I think is a very good Champ-style amplifier. It's got a tone stack and a master volume that Champs don't have, but aside from that, I think that it's a pretty close sonic approximation of what is, really, a fairly unadorned tone (that I love). I have a Blues Jr., and a couple of other inexpensive amps (e.g. VHT Special 6 Ultra), but the Gries is my #1. I love the Champ sound, and 6v6s in general (i.e. I also love Princetons and Deluxe Reverbs), which is why I got the Gries. I guess you could say that I like the Fender sound, although it may be the 6v6 sound that I really love. I get most of my gain/distortion from pedals, so I want some clean headroom, and I understand that sometimes, to get clean headroom, you have to buy a loud amp and play it quiet.
I love the Gries, but I'm always on the lookout for a different take on 6v6s. Maybe more high-end, maybe more "hi-fi", maybe something "goosed", or "boosted" (but not to the point that it becomes a Mesa Boogie). And this is why I'm here...I looked at the Carrs, I looked at the Tone Kings, I looked at the Victorias, and more importantly I listened to them, to the extent that we can do so online. The Dr. Z amps are what stuck out to me, as being powered with 6v6s, but not sounding like my Gries 5, or simply like an even more expensive version of my Gries 5. The Dr. Z amps (to the extent that I can discern from demos like Matt's Music) have a Fender/6v6 sound that is a little different, that IS a little "hi-fi", and I like it. I've watched a bunch of the Dr.'s videos, and I've read about the master volumes, and master volumes mean a lot to me. I prefer a good master to attenuation, which, in addition to the sounds, is why I'm interested in the Cure and the Z-Plus. I like full tone controls (TMB knobs) and a master, which is why I'm not looking at a Jetta.
So uh basically I'm gonna get a Dr. Z amp, and I think it's gonna be one of the 6v6 amps - the Cure or the Z-Plus. I'm really leaning toward the Z-Plus,but I'd love to have an excuse to get the Cure (it's cheaper). Asking as someone who loves Fender sounds and/or 6v6 sounds, and doesn't need a lot of volume, and doesn't need too high-end/hi-fi of a sound but does want an amp that doesn't sound like the 6v6 amp he already has...does either the Cure or the Z-Plus seem to fit the bill best? Thanks very much for reading this, and thanks very much for help!
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Jan 15, 2021 15:41:52 GMT -7
Welcome to the Forum! A lot of great information and people here. The Cure does a great 50s style tweed. The level control is amazing. For the Z Plus think a black-faced Champ. Either should work very well for you. If you don't need a built-in reverb you might want to consider the Cure. Good luck in your search!
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watt
New Member
Posts: 15
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Post by watt on Jan 15, 2021 16:05:29 GMT -7
Thanks very much for your reply! Your answer is actually exactly what I was curious to know. Cure leans tweed, Z-Plus (as Dr. has said) leans Champ. That's very good to know. The Level knob on the Cure is one of the features that keeps it in the mix. So much control over volume, with so much care taken to preserve tone...the Dr.'s attention to low volume tones and master volume tech is a big reason I want one of his amps.
I've definitely heard a difference between the two amplifiers on a few well-recorded demos. I thought I heard some tweed sweetness coming through a Cure someone was playing, makes sense now.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 15, 2021 16:15:13 GMT -7
They're both great amps, and you can't go wrong with either one. I'd be hard pressed to pick if I had to choose one to give up.
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Post by doctorice on Jan 15, 2021 17:15:24 GMT -7
They're both great amps, and you can't go wrong with either one. I'd be hard pressed to pick if I had to choose one to give up. Same here. I had been favoring the Z-Plus, but I just dialed the Cure in for one of my main guitars. It sounds great. I was able to get it up to small gig volume: Level control around 1 (o'clock), which is higher than I generally play at home. I had the eq bypass engaged but dialed back to about half using the pot on the foot switch.
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watt
New Member
Posts: 15
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Post by watt on Jan 16, 2021 12:51:11 GMT -7
I think I've read that the Cure has a little more clean headroom than the Z-Plus, which is kind of the reverse of the usual tweed vs. blackface cleans. Does anyone have experience or knowledge about cleans and headroom on these amps?
edit: just came across a comment elsewhere, that I think I'd previously seen, about the headroom of the two amps. Very helpful. It sounds like the Cure has "slightly more" headroom, but not enough to make me choose it over the Z-Plus. I want both of them. Just gotta decide which one I start with.
I want to get some 6v6 amps, with good masters. I think these are they.
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Jan 20, 2021 20:33:16 GMT -7
Haven’t owned a cure, but had a champ many years ago. Give me a Z-Plus any old day. Rich versatility. check out some of carrjimi’s videos of the Z-Plus in the video section of the forum.
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watt
New Member
Posts: 15
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Post by watt on Jan 26, 2021 13:31:26 GMT -7
I've seen some conflicting information about the 7-watt setting. Does anyone know if the lower power setting uses one or both of the 6v6 tubes?
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Post by doctorice on Jan 26, 2021 16:51:21 GMT -7
I've seen some conflicting information about the 7-watt setting. Does anyone know if the lower power setting uses one or both of the 6v6 tubes? According to the Z-PLUS page on Doc's website, one of the 6V6 tubes is dropped out of the circuit. I think this is because of the parallel single-end design. In contrast, some of Z's other amps with half power switches, such as the Z-Lux, use a different approach that, I think, keeps all output tubes in circuit.
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