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Post by Faze on Jan 22, 2023 15:42:26 GMT -7
Ok you all know I am a strat player through and though But I recently purchased a les paul and I have to admit I love it! It sounds amazing through the Z-28Mk11. I could gig this combination just straight in no effects Easily. Or with just a overdrive. What a tone!!! When I get a chance I will post some pics of the guitar In the guitar section. It’s a real beauty and what I love about it is it gets a great clean tone. It’s got the 61 Burstbuckers in it.
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Post by helmi on Jan 22, 2023 16:55:43 GMT -7
I want to hear more about the MKII and humbuckers!
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Post by Faze on Jan 22, 2023 18:37:01 GMT -7
I want to hear more about the MKII and humbuckers! Sounds great with them. I barely used my effects today.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 22, 2023 19:18:04 GMT -7
I want to hear more about the MKII and humbuckers! I run humbuckers 98% of the time, and the MKII loves them. They shimmer with this amp. And if you hit an OD box, they rock. A couple of months ago I posted a video of my Heritage H-150 into the SLO pedal, and with a JHS Bender fuzz. I was just messing around, the playing isn't the best. But I really liked the tone.
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Post by helmi on Jan 22, 2023 19:37:53 GMT -7
How is the gain with humbuckers and NO drive pedals? I know it’s not a real gainy amp, but is there any overdrive without a pedal?
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Post by Faze on Jan 22, 2023 20:03:47 GMT -7
How is the gain with humbuckers and NO drive pedals? I know it’s not a real gainy amp, but is there any overdrive without a pedal? I had the amp set clean today. I have yet to try the les Paul with the amp dirty. I def could see gigging it with just the guitar and amp dirty and just rolling back for cleans. It sounded so good I didn’t want to use my pedals. I’m just getting used to the Les Paul and it’s tone controls And the different positions and I love all three they are all very usable. I love that neck pick up!
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Post by Paul (TRANE) on Jan 23, 2023 11:05:01 GMT -7
Sounds like an awesome pairing. I love Humbuckers and P90s. My humbucker guitars are pretty much home base for me. With a good set of pickups a Les Paul can cover so many bases.... If you actually use your volume and tone controls.
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Post by Faze on Jan 23, 2023 15:23:28 GMT -7
How is the gain with humbuckers and NO drive pedals? I know it’s not a real gainy amp, but is there any overdrive without a pedal? I just found this video and tried the settings he used with the Les Paul and the older version Z-28 and it was pretty much spot on. The even better thing is now with the master volume you can bring the over all volume down so you still get that tone at lower volumes.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 23, 2023 16:46:48 GMT -7
Glad you posted that, Randy. I've been running my MKII with the Volume down around 10:00-11:00 and today I cranked it up to 2:30. The controls are so interactive; I cranked up the Treble and turned the Bass down too, and it kicks serious butt.
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Post by adam on Jan 23, 2023 17:01:40 GMT -7
Glad you posted that, Randy. I've been running my MKII with the Volume down around 10:00-11:00 and today I cranked it up to 2:30. The controls are so interactive; I cranked up the Treble and turned the Bass down too, and it kicks serious butt. Ditto on the posting thanks. That amp sounds incredible. Big kudos to Jack on that one too.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Jan 23, 2023 18:44:31 GMT -7
Everybody stop talking about the Z-28 Mk II!!!!!!!
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Post by helmi on Jan 23, 2023 18:47:45 GMT -7
Everybody stop talking about the Z-28 Mk II!!!!!!! I hear ya!
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jan 23, 2023 19:31:49 GMT -7
Everybody stop talking about the Z-28 Mk II!!!!!!! I hear ya! You mean people are triggering me. How can you be so harsh? I come to this post because I know something about the Z-28 MKII, and want to talk about it and you're being mean to me. Bwaaah Bwaaah Bwaah!!!
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Post by helmi on Jan 23, 2023 20:16:38 GMT -7
Oh Christ. now more guilt I got weighing me down! LOL
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Post by hardxray on Jan 24, 2023 8:21:01 GMT -7
I primarily play Humbuckers - a 58 Reissue with Duncan Custom Shop Pearly Gates into my Z28 Mk II head atop a Z Best loaded with a G12M Creamback and a G12H30 Anniversary - it sounds fantastic, like a really really really great tone in multiple positions on the dials.
Many have commented on how it accepts pedals, which it does with aplomb. Recently though, I have settled on: Guitar > Flint (70s/Plate reverb) > Amp with Master: 1:30, Bass 1:30, Treble dimed and Volume 1:30. Just using the four controls on the guitar for clean to really great overdrive tones. Overdrive pedals pair exceedingly well into the front, but if you just want the guitar > amp with a touch of reverb (from the pedal) the amp gives it up in spades.
The trick for me was spending time (hours) dialing in the pickups with the most minute of adjustments for height/pole screws/feel under the fingers. Once done, you will be rewarded by how well humbuckers play into the z28 Mk II. The cleans on the Neck are bold, open, clear, not muddy, bell like with a woody, harmonically rich, yet hollow flute sounding tone (which I'm going for); and the overdrive set as above provides an articulate, percussive, bold, serious Blues/Rock tones on the bridge pickup.
I had a Jetta and it was great with my Strat, but I was only ever partially satisfied when using it with Humbuckers. Accordingly, I have since sold the Jetta because in my opinion, the z28 Mk II integrates Humbuckers much better.
In short, the amp with humbuckers is simply outstanding for my tastes.
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Post by helmi on Jan 24, 2023 16:55:52 GMT -7
I primarily play Humbuckers - a 58 Reissue with Duncan Custom Shop Pearly Gates into my Z28 Mk II head atop a Z Best loaded with a G12M Creamback and a G12H30 Anniversary - it sounds fantastic, like a really really really great tone in multiple positions on the dials. Many have commented on how it accepts pedals, which it does with aplomb. Recently though, I have settled on: Guitar > Flint (70s/Plate reverb) > Amp with Master: 1:30, Bass 1:30, Treble dimed and Volume 1:30. Just using the four controls on the guitar for clean to really great overdrive tones. Overdrive pedals pair exceedingly well into the front, but if you just want the guitar > amp with a touch of reverb (from the pedal) the amp gives it up in spades. The trick for me was spending time (hours) dialing in the pickups with the most minute of adjustments for height/pole screws/feel under the fingers. Once done, you will be rewarded by how well humbuckers play into the z28 Mk II. The cleans on the Neck are bold, open, clear, not muddy, bell like with a woody, harmonically rich, yet hollow flute sounding tone (which I'm going for); and the overdrive set as above provides an articulate, percussive, bold, serious Blues/Rock tones on the bridge pickup. I had a Jetta and it was great with my Strat, but I was only ever partially satisfied when using it with Humbuckers. Accordingly, I have since sold the Jetta because in my opinion, the z28 Mk II integrates Humbuckers much better. In short, the amp with humbuckers is simply outstanding for my tastes. Thank God, a man with a great humbucker review! bless you sir. (now a video would almost be more then I could stand)
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Post by adam on Jan 24, 2023 17:15:28 GMT -7
The trick for me was spending time (hours) dialing in the pickups with the most minute of adjustments for height/pole screws/feel under the fingers. Once done, you will be rewarded by how well humbuckers play into the z28 Mk II. The cleans on the Neck are bold, open, clear, not muddy, bell like with a woody, harmonically rich, yet hollow flute sounding tone (which I'm going for); and the overdrive set as above provides an articulate, percussive, bold, serious Blues/Rock tones on the bridge pickup. Ditto on all that and it's worth the time messing with humbucker height and yes even the pole piece height (or not). Also in conjunction with a particular amp. Easy, free, and fun too!
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Post by digglez on Feb 7, 2023 12:16:43 GMT -7
I love the tone w/ humbuckers but notice that the amp breaks up even with the volume at minimum output. My les Paul has a burst bucker pro & Anderson HC2 but struggle to get the cleans I can w/ my Strat.
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Post by frankie on Feb 7, 2023 13:20:54 GMT -7
I love the tone w/ humbuckers but notice that the amp breaks up even with the volume at minimum output. My les Paul has a burst bucker pro & Anderson HC2 but struggle to get the cleans I can w/ my Strat. Where is your master and where is are your tone controls?
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Post by digglez on Feb 7, 2023 13:32:58 GMT -7
With the Les Paul: Master anywhere from 10 - 1, bass usually 10 - 12, treble from 11 -1. I've tried really cutting the tone stack down but would rather have the tone have a bit more hair.
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Post by Faze on Feb 8, 2023 15:48:17 GMT -7
I love the tone w/ humbuckers but notice that the amp breaks up even with the volume at minimum output. My les Paul has a burst bucker pro & Anderson HC2 but struggle to get the cleans I can w/ my Strat. It def favors single coil guitars. I put treble bleeds in all my guitars my strats and my les paul. I noticed a big difference with the les paul through the Z-28 MK11 as far as cleans are concerned after I had the treble bleeds installed last week. Now when I roll back my volume i still retain that clarity.
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Post by adam on Feb 8, 2023 16:58:39 GMT -7
I love the tone w/ humbuckers but notice that the amp breaks up even with the volume at minimum output. My les Paul has a burst bucker pro & Anderson HC2 but struggle to get the cleans I can w/ my Strat. I have some thoughts to ponder (as usual)! 1. I did a gig with an EZG and dialed it in to I think sound fantastic clean with with high output (at the time) LP custom (490/498 pups). I plugged in my strat and it was like 1/2 volume, so I put a giggity pedal (kind of gain and eq) on the board to engage when I switched to the strat so that each guitar sounded great and similar volume. Maybe you could do something in reverse, like put in a pedal which can decrease the gain and shape the eq for when you are on humbuckers? Friedman buxom boost comes to mind in that it's a simple eq and you can adjust the gain both lower or higher and not screw up your sound. 2. Not sure on the HC2, but to me the Burstbuckers that I know (1 and 2) are pretty hot. When I had the prototype here, I got pretty darn loud clean sounds out of my sg in particular which are low output paf style pickups they put in all the custom stuff now (custombuckers?). If would compare that to say the maz38, I felt I could be louder cleaner with the z28 and that was when it had the 6v6's in it. 3. Playing style is not mentioned, but if you are banging away on humbuckers, try playing softer? Tim Pierce has talked about that quite a lot, basically that an instrument can really sound good playing that way. I don't mean to be derogatory in any way, but if you can find a setting on the amp where you can play softly and be clean and then smash it and wake up your bandmates, that's sort of the bomb. 4. Try lowering the pickups which will reduce output level, compression, and lows in particular. And don't be afraid to reduce the height a lot, and you can always put it back. My burst bucker in the neck of my Les Paul standard sounded fantastic that way. It sounded like a completely different pickups. 5. A little grit can sometimes be a great thing in the context of the whole. Just some stuff try to maybe help you get a little closer to the sound in your head. Sometimes those little tweaks can really go a long way. Good luck!
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Post by digglez on Feb 10, 2023 14:57:54 GMT -7
Hi Adam, thanks for your input. Coincidentally I've been using the Benson Boost exactly as you posted for awhile now to try to squeeze more headroom out of it lol. I'm going to try some different Anderson pickups that are vintage level, & should be quieter than my current pups. I've never messed with my pickups myself, but I'm certainly going to try your suggestion of lowering them in the meantime. Pretty cool feedback, thanks again!
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