Perfect Pairing - Z28 Mk II with Zwreck Jr
Jan 1, 2023 6:50:47 GMT -7
via mobile
Andy 67, Stephen, and 3 more like this
Post by nurseratched on Jan 1, 2023 6:50:47 GMT -7
Hi all,
First post, long time silent observer. Huge fan of Dr Z’s approach to running a business, the products themselves, and the Z community!
First- my playing style and guitars: I primarily play 70s style blues rock, tres hombres is my “desired” tone but I also mix in heavy use of wet effects for parts that sound like U2/Radiohead. I have a tele, strat, novo with p90s, and novo with humbuckers. So my amps need to be versatile enough to handle which way the wind is blowing on particular day.
I just received my Z28 MkII a few days ago. I was looking for an amp to pair with my Zwreck Jr. and run in either a wet/dry or wet/wet setup. The zwreck jr is my desert island amp, I love pedals and amps that respond to pick attack and use of volume knob dynamically and the zwreck jr is obviously known for this. I also recently experimented with running two amps and eqing them to fill in each other’s negative spaces to get a full sound. However the second amp (12 watt 5e3 tweed deluxe clone) could not keep up with the zwreck jr and the control layout was difficult to dial in in a two amp setup.
My criteria in searching for a second amp included a need for a master volume that did not compromise tone so that I could balance levels between the zwreck jr and the second amp without too much tinkering. I also wanted and amp with similar volume and headroom as the zwreck jr. My third criteria is that I wanted an amp that had similar dynamics response to my playing as the zwreck jr. This was going to be difficult given the zwreck’s reputation in this arena.
Then out of the blue the YouTube algorithm sends me to the peach guitars video where Jack plays through the z28 mkII. I was intrigued and somehow the original z28 had evaded my amp lexicon. I dove further and came across the good doctor’s AMA, and read through the forum posts on the mk II as well as the legacy model.
Well, pat my head and rub my belly this amp kicks arse! The magic behind the EF86 cannot be overstated, the clarity and dynamics you retain when kicking on overdrive and fuzz EXCEEDS the zwreck jr. The master volume is a dream, and the amp’s simple controls encourage experimentation across the full range of the knob rotation.
As Jack from peach guitars stated in his review, the mk II is not the loudest 30 watt amp. However, it is plenty loud for band practice/gigging situations and I play with a loud drummer. This works well for the pairing with the zwreck jr because the jr is a very loud 15 watt amp. Overall, the mkii is louder than the zwreck jr, but they are similar. So for my setup, this is perfect as I can use both master volumes to dial in quickly, and they both respond similarly as I kick on pedals, fingerpick, roll down volume, etc.
I currently have my entire pedal board hitting the front end of both amps- (mythos Golden Fleece (fuzzface)> mythos cestus (treble booster) > boss BD2 > JAM Rippley Fall (chorus/vibrato/vibey phaser) > Strymon el Capistan > Strymon flint > EQD Swiss Things > output A into Zwreck Jr and output B into Z28 Mk II.
I set up both amps to be on the edge of breakup, with z wreck “cut” pretty high and bass and treble pretty low for a midrangey vox top boost kind of sound, and I have the Z28 with volume, bass, and treble around 3 o’clock. Together it is just a magical tone and the feel behind my fingers is incredible, even at bedroom levels. Crank up the master volume and get the speakers to breakup and it just gets better!
I know many of the forum members have multiple z amps, I would be curious if you have tried this pairing and how you have it set up? I am so happy with it that I have not even tried a wet/dry setup because both amps take the pedals so well!
First post, long time silent observer. Huge fan of Dr Z’s approach to running a business, the products themselves, and the Z community!
First- my playing style and guitars: I primarily play 70s style blues rock, tres hombres is my “desired” tone but I also mix in heavy use of wet effects for parts that sound like U2/Radiohead. I have a tele, strat, novo with p90s, and novo with humbuckers. So my amps need to be versatile enough to handle which way the wind is blowing on particular day.
I just received my Z28 MkII a few days ago. I was looking for an amp to pair with my Zwreck Jr. and run in either a wet/dry or wet/wet setup. The zwreck jr is my desert island amp, I love pedals and amps that respond to pick attack and use of volume knob dynamically and the zwreck jr is obviously known for this. I also recently experimented with running two amps and eqing them to fill in each other’s negative spaces to get a full sound. However the second amp (12 watt 5e3 tweed deluxe clone) could not keep up with the zwreck jr and the control layout was difficult to dial in in a two amp setup.
My criteria in searching for a second amp included a need for a master volume that did not compromise tone so that I could balance levels between the zwreck jr and the second amp without too much tinkering. I also wanted and amp with similar volume and headroom as the zwreck jr. My third criteria is that I wanted an amp that had similar dynamics response to my playing as the zwreck jr. This was going to be difficult given the zwreck’s reputation in this arena.
Then out of the blue the YouTube algorithm sends me to the peach guitars video where Jack plays through the z28 mkII. I was intrigued and somehow the original z28 had evaded my amp lexicon. I dove further and came across the good doctor’s AMA, and read through the forum posts on the mk II as well as the legacy model.
Well, pat my head and rub my belly this amp kicks arse! The magic behind the EF86 cannot be overstated, the clarity and dynamics you retain when kicking on overdrive and fuzz EXCEEDS the zwreck jr. The master volume is a dream, and the amp’s simple controls encourage experimentation across the full range of the knob rotation.
As Jack from peach guitars stated in his review, the mk II is not the loudest 30 watt amp. However, it is plenty loud for band practice/gigging situations and I play with a loud drummer. This works well for the pairing with the zwreck jr because the jr is a very loud 15 watt amp. Overall, the mkii is louder than the zwreck jr, but they are similar. So for my setup, this is perfect as I can use both master volumes to dial in quickly, and they both respond similarly as I kick on pedals, fingerpick, roll down volume, etc.
I currently have my entire pedal board hitting the front end of both amps- (mythos Golden Fleece (fuzzface)> mythos cestus (treble booster) > boss BD2 > JAM Rippley Fall (chorus/vibrato/vibey phaser) > Strymon el Capistan > Strymon flint > EQD Swiss Things > output A into Zwreck Jr and output B into Z28 Mk II.
I set up both amps to be on the edge of breakup, with z wreck “cut” pretty high and bass and treble pretty low for a midrangey vox top boost kind of sound, and I have the Z28 with volume, bass, and treble around 3 o’clock. Together it is just a magical tone and the feel behind my fingers is incredible, even at bedroom levels. Crank up the master volume and get the speakers to breakup and it just gets better!
I know many of the forum members have multiple z amps, I would be curious if you have tried this pairing and how you have it set up? I am so happy with it that I have not even tried a wet/dry setup because both amps take the pedals so well!