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Post by thegrabnar on Mar 19, 2023 11:56:50 GMT -7
So I am on the market for a new amp. I am a full time guitarist and I play in a country rock band, a 90s rock band and a wedding pop/top 40 band. I am thinking the Nova would be a good option for me. Any insight would be great!
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Post by ME on Mar 19, 2023 13:00:42 GMT -7
So I am on the market for a new amp. I am a full time guitarist and I play in a country rock band, a 90s rock band and a wedding pop/top 40 band. I am thinking the Nova would be a good option for me. Any insight would be great! Yes, it’s what you need. Will cover all the things you want. ME
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Post by thegrabnar on Mar 19, 2023 13:04:14 GMT -7
Thanks!
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Post by pcns on Mar 19, 2023 19:59:37 GMT -7
I've owned a NOVA for several years. It's super versatile and will cover a lot of different music styles. It's got a think clean tone and sounds fantastic driven hard. The over drive switch is awesome. You can use it to completely change drive level or use it as a boost for leads!
I really like combo too, it's plenty of power for for larger gigs and the master volume can really dial it back for smaller rooms while still sounding great!
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Post by Norrin Radd on Mar 19, 2023 20:20:49 GMT -7
I've owned a NOVA for several years. It's super versatile and will cover a lot of different music styles. It's got a think clean tone and sounds fantastic driven hard. The over drive switch is awesome. You can use it to completely change drive level or use it as a boost for leads! I really like combo too, it's plenty of power for for larger gigs and the master volume can really dial it back for smaller rooms while still sounding great! Everything Todd said is correct. I’ll just add that you can sculpt that clean tone a bit with a good compressor or EQ pedal. The master volume on it is just ridiculous though - in a good way!
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Post by doctorice on Mar 22, 2023 14:17:14 GMT -7
It's a wonderful amp. Has that "tweed" sound at its core coupled with a very wide range on its tone controls.
Sometimes I set it up with the OD always on; other times, use the OD as a boost. In the latter case, the volume increase can be large if I don't adjust my pick attack.
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Post by thegrabnar on Mar 23, 2023 11:28:55 GMT -7
Thanks for the advice everyone! Definitely going to check one out. One quick question. Is there a volume difference between the clean and dirty channel?
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Post by Norrin Radd on Mar 23, 2023 12:28:09 GMT -7
Thanks for the advice everyone! Definitely going to check one out. One quick question. Is there a volume difference between the clean and dirty channel? Yes there is if you have them set up on the spot on the dials. What you can do is turn up the volume on the “Clean“ channel and decrease it on the overdrive channel so you have relatively the same volume. So, if you need them closer together, you can make that work. However, once you push that volume past 12 o’clock on the “Clean“ channel, it starts to break up. At least in my experience with single coil guitars. I think you’re just gonna have to get your hands on one and play around with it to see. Dr. Z amps are so darn Touch Sensitive, that every factor comes into play. How hard are you hitting those strings? What is the output like on the pickups you’re using? Are you heavy handed or do you have a light attack? All of those things come in to play in docs amps, and that is a good thing! More so than any other amps I’ve played the gear that you use going into the amp makes an incredible amount of difference. Go try one out with your favorite guitar.
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Post by ME on Mar 23, 2023 14:20:44 GMT -7
Yeah, the overdrive runs in parallel to the normal channel so it’s kind of adding to the base tone. The master volume is good at controlling the overall volume, but balancing how much more the overdrive adds depends on the sound you are looking to achieve. Lots of good tones. ME
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Post by digglez on Apr 1, 2023 10:49:39 GMT -7
I have a Z+, a Z28MKII, & the Nova. Each is completely different, and entirely special it their own right. As previously mentioned, the Nova has an amazingly rich clean tone & there are several shades of breakup depending on not only the volume but the treble & bass. Once I understood that, (thanks to someone more knowledgeable than I on another Nova thread) I was able to really discover the nuances of the amp. Even so, I've mostly been using the single channel and am inspired by this thread start stepping on that channel switch. Btw I use a single coiled Strat - BUT my les Paul (which has a burst bucker pro & tom Anderson hc2) runs hot and I have limited headroom. It still sounds great, but I'm literally dropping that guitar off to swap out the pickups to vintage output so I can have more headroom in all amps! Whatever Z you decide you won't be disappointed!
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oowl
Full Member
Posts: 154
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Post by oowl on Apr 2, 2023 12:02:25 GMT -7
I agree with what was said above but will add that at 36lbs it's a hell of a lot of amp for being that size/weight! The Doc is fantastic at designing amps for working musicians. There are many examples of his amps where size/weight/performance were all thoughtfully considered in the design. Very easy to grab and go. Me with my Nova at a gig last summer at Club Congress in Tucson, AZ with Joe Peña band imgur.com/mKB52ZA
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Post by ME on Apr 2, 2023 13:51:06 GMT -7
I agree with what was said above but will add that at 36lbs it's a hell of a lot of amp for being that size/weight! The Doc is fantastic at designing amps for working musicians. There are many examples of his amps where size/weight/performance were all thoughtfully considered in the design. Very easy to grab and go. Me with my Nova at a gig last summer at Club Congress in Tucson, AZ with Joe Peña band imgur.com/mKB52ZAA major consideration in my putting the Neo-Creamback in was the 6lb reduction in weight from the stock speaker. Sounds great and is even easier to tote around. ME
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Post by Norrin Radd on Apr 2, 2023 19:58:31 GMT -7
I agree with what was said above but will add that at 36lbs it's a hell of a lot of amp for being that size/weight! The Doc is fantastic at designing amps for working musicians. There are many examples of his amps where size/weight/performance were all thoughtfully considered in the design. Very easy to grab and go. Me with my Nova at a gig last summer at Club Congress in Tucson, AZ with Joe Peña band imgur.com/mKB52ZAA major consideration in my putting the Neo-Creamback in was the 6lb reduction in weight from the stock speaker. Sounds great and is even easier to tote around. ME How would you describe the difference in tone & output between those 2 speakers? Losing another 6 pounds off an already light amp is very enticing…
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Post by ME on Apr 3, 2023 6:26:32 GMT -7
Sonically they are similar. It’s a little less sensitive so quieter, like a regular Greenback or Creamback would be in comparison to the stock speaker. I like the Creamback M speaker and the neo sounds the same. ME
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Post by vinny288 on Jan 3, 2024 10:24:10 GMT -7
I have a Z+, a Z28MKII, & the Nova. Each is completely different, and entirely special it their own right. As previously mentioned, the Nova has an amazingly rich clean tone & there are several shades of breakup depending on not only the volume but the treble & bass. Once I understood that, (thanks to someone more knowledgeable than I on another Nova thread) I was able to really discover the nuances of the amp. Even so, I've mostly been using the single channel and am inspired by this thread start stepping on that channel switch. Btw I use a single coiled Strat - BUT my les Paul (which has a burst bucker pro & tom Anderson hc2) runs hot and I have limited headroom. It still sounds great, but I'm literally dropping that guitar off to swap out the pickups to vintage output so I can have more headroom in all amps! Whatever Z you decide you won't be disappointed! It sounds like you aren’t properly using the MV and/or your guitar volume knobs (LP). You should easily be able to get pretty loud clean tones on nova with a hot LP by backing the volume down and turning up the Master. And can adjust grit with guitar volume, as well as pick attack. That’s the beauty of a touch sensitive amp like the Nova. Perhaps you are misusing the Volume knob on the amp, which really should be labeled Gain.
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