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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 13, 2021 20:13:19 GMT -7
I'm a little excited. I just scored a Maz 38 reverb "Studio Deluxe" that has had the mkii update done. I love my Maz 18 nr with the mkii update. The only think that I have been ready to move on lately is moving it from the 112 combo into a studio combo. The Studio Deluxe is going to let me text a number of things and see ultimately what I like best. I've not had a Z with reverb before and I can see if the studio cabinet is really what I want as well as seeing what the extra head room gives me. I had not been thinking of bringing another amp home, but this is the best of all worlds. The Maz 18 has been my favorite amp ever and this lets me see if the differences in cab, two more power tubes, and the reverb are additions that get me in a better place of if I will be good with what I've had. This will be great.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 15, 2021 19:11:30 GMT -7
Well, since FedEx is saying it's going to take 9 days to make it from one end of the New York to the other all I have is photos to enjoy.
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Post by Mark (Basement Enthusiast) on Feb 15, 2021 19:16:42 GMT -7
Those are so cool. Jaguarguy(Mike) has one that sounds nice, nice, nice...
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Feb 15, 2021 19:51:35 GMT -7
These are fun amps! Mine is a little different - it is labelled a "38 Special". As I recall, according to Doc, he was asked by Randall to change the name since Randall was working on something that he was going to use the name on so he changed the name to Studio Deluxe. Here's a pic of it - you notice the exact same tone stack. Only a couple of these exist.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 15, 2021 21:41:36 GMT -7
These are fun amps! Mine is a little different - it is labelled a "38 Special". As I recall, according to Doc, he was asked by Randall to change the name since Randall was working on something that he was going to use the name on so he changed the name to Studio Deluxe. Here's a pic of it - you notice the exact same tone stack. Only a couple of these exist. So how does the Presence control compare to the Cut control in later circuits? Is the Cut a little tweak of the Presence, or are they completely different in what they do to the frequency?
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Post by perryr on Feb 16, 2021 0:32:39 GMT -7
Presence vs Cut, they both are positioned in the power section of the amp and have big impact on high frequencies, and that is where the similarities end.
The cut is an ingenious simple circuit that vox used on the AC30. Just before the output signal goes to the power tubes, a simple variable filter is placed across the left and right output which allows signal above a certain frequency (controlled by the cut control) to mix and cancel (because one side is opposite phase). It really works great too.
The presence is a more involved circuit that introduces the sizzle and edge in a bassman or marshall. There is way more to it as it impacts the way the output section responds and also is a bit dependent on how hard the amp is being pushed (the effect changes a bit as you crank the amp up). But it to is a very cool control.
Cut control is subtractive, Presence control is additive.
I think the Cut is more versatile... for example turning the treble up to help scoop the mid, then knocking back the brilliance is a tone and feel that can be found with the cut. At the opposite end, treble off, mids and bass cranked, open the cut for presence and the tone is thick and meaty with still plenty up top.
The very first Dr Z to use the Cut was the MAZ Jr, serial #0001.. I was playing it just the other day :^)
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Feb 16, 2021 8:17:02 GMT -7
The very first Dr Z to use the Cut was the MAZ Jr, serial #0001.. I was playing it just the other day :^) I have Maz Jr. NR serial #0001. Found it at Guitar Center online. I saw it and sent a note asking about serial number because I was looking for an early one. They said "It's not early - it's #18001"
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 16, 2021 8:17:26 GMT -7
Presence vs Cut, they both are positioned in the power section of the amp and have big impact on high frequencies, and that is where the similarities end. The cut is an ingenious simple circuit that vox used on the AC30. Just before the output signal goes to the power tubes, a simple variable filter is placed across the left and right output which allows signal above a certain frequency (controlled by the cut control) to mix and cancel (because one side is opposite phase). It really works great too. The presence is a more involved circuit that introduces the sizzle and edge in a bassman or marshall. There is way more to it as it impacts the way the output section responds and also is a bit dependent on how hard the amp is being pushed (the effect changes a bit as you crank the amp up). But it to is a very cool control. Cut control is subtractive, Presence control is additive. I think the Cut is more versatile... for example turning the treble up to help scoop the mid, then knocking back the brilliance is a tone and feel that can be found with the cut. At the opposite end, treble off, mids and bass cranked, open the cut for presence and the tone is thick and meaty with still plenty up top. The very first Dr Z to use the Cut was the MAZ Jr, serial #0001.. I was playing it just the other day :^) Thanks, that's really helpful. This will be a really interesting comparison. My Maz 18 nr has the mkii as does the Studio Deluxe coming my way. Even though my 18 has the Cut control and the 38 has a Presence they share the same style face plate. That suggests to me that they are at least close to the same time frame for the original build. Over all it should give me a really good sense of how the different controls at that point in the circuit do their distinctive thing. When I get some play time later I'm going to mess with taking the Treble down as you suggest.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 16, 2021 8:23:20 GMT -7
The very first Dr Z to use the Cut was the MAZ Jr, serial #0001.. I was playing it just the other day :^) I have Maz Jr. NR serial #0001. Found it at Guitar Center online. I saw it and sent a note asking about serial number because I was looking for an early one. They said "It's not early - it's #18001" Mike, every time you share photos and tell the details of your Z's I experience this weird emotion. It's a mix of "that guy's my hero" and jealousy all rolled into one. I love that the guy who has the Z Museum isn't just stacking them in his living room like Bonamassa does with tweed Fenders for no one to touch. The fact that you play them, share the love, and even open your place up for Z-Fest is great. Seriously, thanks for sharing.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 17, 2021 20:38:26 GMT -7
Props to FedEx. The amp showed up 6 days before the estimate, the box looked like a moma carried her baby across the room.
Initially run through tells me the Maz family is closely related. All that I love about the Jr NR is here with the 38. First thing that I'm loving is the reverb. I've never much cared for onboard reverb, and this one is really nice. With the mkii it's whisper silent. I really like the boost on the treble, but I do wonder it's usefulness as a pull knob on the amp.
The size and weight are exactly what I've been looking for in my consideration of moving the Jr into a studio. As much as I love the Jr, I really like the headroom with his big brother.
Clearly the biggest difference is the Presence and not the Cut on this version. One big difference is that unlike the Cut that is useful almost all the way from 0 to 10, the Presence doesn't do much that is pleasing until almost 9:00. After that it has a nice sweep, but it just brought more of the good. The Cut definitely brings a greater degree of shaping, especially when plugging in a different guitar. I think I'm going to really like the full tone shaping these controls offer, but I understand why the Dr went to the Cut.
Both the 18 and 38 are missing some of the features that new Mkii's would have, the mkii's are great. The 38 doesn't have an effects loop, but I've never used it besides to try it on any amp I've had. I have a bunch of shoot outs to do and a lot of back and forth with my pedal board yet. Not sure I'll hang on to both or move one on. This is going to be fun.
Does anyone know about speaker swap on these studios? The bolt look like it is probably a front load. I don't want to start pulling on the wrong part of the grill or nick up the tolex.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Feb 19, 2021 9:10:55 GMT -7
perryr answered my question in another post. I wanted to respond, but not hijack a post that was asking a more general question about the Maz 38 and speaker choice. Here is what he said there: "Im pretty sure the classic lead 80 was one of the speakers used in early 38 Studio Deluxes. Vintage 30 as well. H30’s weren't common yet. He also occasionally shipped them with reconditioned EV SRO and Altec 417.. i think a few were even shipped with G12h100. the front loaded speakers generally have a stick on gasket set on the BACK of the speaker frame. Might want to procure a set before mounting a new front Loaded 12." I am actually glad to hear that the CL80 was likely the factory speaker for this amp. I was worried that someone wanted the G12H or whatever was in there and tossed this in for a sale. I actually really like everything about this amp and I'm going to resist the urge to tinker. It has the mkii update done and sounds amazing. I think I'm going to mess around with other speakers in an external cab. When I got my Maz 18 nr it was the best sounding amp I've ever heard, including my other Z's. I thought, if I do "X" it will be even more amazing. I don't regret getting the mkii update on it, and playing with tubes and different speakers didn't hurt anything, but I learned my lesson. If the gear is working and sounding great when it comes into your life, let it be. I'm sure there are sonic differences between my Jr from the day I got it, but I've traded one great for another. Maybe it is a little "greater", but it hasn't been significantly different. Besides, if it's great isn't there also a risk of messing it up? I love the Studio Deluxe as is.
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