Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

Kostas

Kostas

New member
I'm very interested for this amp (head version with reverb), the clips sound great and the price is right. Anybody owns this amp? I need an amp with great cleans & in between sounds, not a metal machine. I don't need high gain but I need a nice tube OD. Most of all I need a transparent amp like the Matchless Independence or the Bad Cat Cub II I auditioned recently.

I thought the handwired thing was important for an amp and I tried the Cornford Carrera & Hurricane. Big disappointment, especially when the Hurricane was tested next to the Bad Cat Cub II. It sounded boxy like having a blanket over the speaker. Obviously non having a PCB is a plus but the circuit is most important and how it drives the tubes and speaker.

http://www.drzamps.com/maz18.html
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

I don't own one but I will someday. I've played one and found it very organic and rich at low volumes, and yes, it has very nice chime. The only amp I can recall playing that fattens up under overdrive. You can have a classic Vox chime with the guitar volume at 4, then roll it up and sound almost like Eric Johnson's Marshall with a very smooth transition between. I'm not sure what you mean by transparent, I thought it was very direct and transparent while being much richer and smoother than the Bad Cat. I doesn't have the hazy, sandpapery overdrive of a Matchless/Bad Cat, it's a bit crunchier.
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

a friend of mine has one (maz jr 18w with reverb) and z best cab and its a nice amp for sure, loud with that cab but nice for an el84 amp which usually arent my thing
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

I have owned both amps you referenced and LOVED them both. Both are very different sounding from each other but very cool!
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

I think the Maz amps are good amps, and like all Dr. Z amps they are a good value. However I'm not sure about the transparent thing at all...just not sure what you mean...

Anyway, the Maz Jr is cool, plenty loud enough to gig with in med size clubs with a 2x12, and the matching Z Best cab is KILLER. I'd say that in some smaller clubs and bars you'd have to go to a pedal or an attenuator or maybe even both but all in all it's a good amp with a good tone...the EL84 amps are not my bag really but it's a good one and much better than a lot of other EL84 amps out there today. I will say that IMO the non reverb is the way to go if you go with a Maz.
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

Kostas said:
I'm very interested for this amp (head version with reverb), the clips sound great and the price is right. Anybody owns this amp? I need an amp with great cleans & in between sounds, not a metal machine. I don't need high gain but I need a nice tube OD. Most of all I need a transparent amp like the Matchless Independence or the Bad Cat Cub II I auditioned recently.

I thought the handwired thing was important for an amp and I tried the Cornford Carrera & Hurricane. Big disappointment, especially when the Hurricane was tested next to the Bad Cat Cub II. It sounded boxy like having a blanket over the speaker. Obviously non having a PCB is a plus but the circuit is most important and how it drives the tubes and speaker.

http://www.drzamps.com/maz18.html
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I used to have one. Very cool amp. It covers a TON of ground. Marshall-esque grind, Vox chime, and Fender girth. As for gain it is pretty mellow compared to most stuff out these days. It takes pedals VERY well. I cascaded a SD pup booster and an SD-1 when I wanted a lot of OD, then I went to just using a Banzai Cold Fusion.

Z makes GREAT amps. I've owned three and all have been built very very well.

Luke
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

I use a Maz 18 with a Z Best in clubs and bars and I've even used it outside and it's a KILLER amp! Great tones from it and a very very very usable master volume. I don't mic it in clubs and I even use dirt pedals to get a little more grit from it. It's my "forever and always" amp and I've never even *consider* getting rid of it or moving to another amp since I've owned it. Between it and my Super Reverb I have pretty much stopped all real amp gas'ing. After playing both of them a little more it even stopped my sudden gas for a Bogner Shiva. I highly recommend it for blues, country, and I even use mine for jazz! The tone may be a little to responsive for things like jam bands and stoner rock, but that's ok, I have my Super for those :)
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

the guy who invented fire said:
I think the Maz amps are good amps, and like all Dr. Z amps they are a good value. However I'm not sure about the transparent thing at all...just not sure what you mean...

Anyway, the Maz Jr is cool, plenty loud enough to gig with in med size clubs with a 2x12, and the matching Z Best cab is KILLER. I'd say that in some smaller clubs and bars you'd have to go to a pedal or an attenuator or maybe even both but all in all it's a good amp with a good tone...the EL84 amps are not my bag really but it's a good one and much better than a lot of other EL84 amps out there today. I will say that IMO the non reverb is the way to go if you go with a Maz.
Click to expand...

Perhaps by transparent he means that clear top end and scooped mids you hear in many matchless/badcat amps.
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

Kostas said:
What's wrong with the reverb?
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I've got the reverb version and I have to agree I kinda wish I had gone with the non-reverb and picked up a holy grail reverb pedal. The reverb is slight on the reverb model, has a bad habit of adding some noise to the amp as well. All told it's not a bad reverb, but I've definitely heard better (I do play a vintage Fender after all) and if I hadn't found such a great deal on a reverb model and cab I would have held out for a non-reverb model.
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

I played one at a dealer yesterday and was pretty impressed, the 18 watts could get reallllly fat sounding. nice amp...but i kind of think of it as overpriced...
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

jumpinjackf1ash said:
I played one at a dealer yesterday and was pretty impressed, the 18 watts could get reallllly fat sounding. nice amp...but i kind of think of it as overpriced...
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Overpriced how? When you consider it is a handwired amp made in the US with great parts it blows away the rest of the boutique market in price. Not to mention the flexibility the tone stack gives the circuit making it able to be a real nice chameleon when required.

Luke
 
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Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

The Maz is 18 loud watts. You can easily keep up with a drummer and more powerful amps. Likes both humbucker and single coil guitars and the cut knob is effective at dialing the amp in. Finances forced sale of my Maz, but the Carmen Ghia remains as one of my favorite amps ever.
 
Re: Any Dr.Z MAZ 18 users?

jumpinjackf1ash said:
I played one at a dealer yesterday and was pretty impressed, the 18 watts could get reallllly fat sounding. nice amp...but i kind of think of it as overpriced...
Click to expand...

You're kidding right? I paid under $2k (well under actually) for my Dr. Z Maz 18 head and Dr. Z Z-Best 2x12 cab and I can't get a comparable tone ANYWHERE in that price range! Easily the best tonal buy in the boutique market today can be found with Dr. Z.
 
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