Dr. Z users, please

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 15 Mar 2011 12:31 pm

OK, I've ruled out the Princeton Reverb in my desire to get a tube amp.
I'm interested in hearing from any of you that have used any of Dr. Z's amps with pedal steel: how do you find them? Plenty of volume? Plenty of headroom?
How is the bass response? Does it get thin sounding at all? How do they compare to say, a Twin Reverb, or a Nashville 400 or 112? Does it have an effects loop? Which model do you recommend?

I've been told that Dr. Z amps run rather clean, lots of headroom. I'm also considering the Ken Fox amp and the Little Walter, so any comparisons with those are appropriate. I may have to forego a vintage amp, as I need to have an effects loop. I don't want to get into the stereo steel amp, and would prefer a combo amp.

Thanks.

Don Hinkle · Post by **Don Hinkle** » 15 Mar 2011 3:06 pm

I only have experince with 2 DrZ amps..and I never played steel thru either of them.. but here are my thoughts.

I had a maz jr 18 2X10 - NO WAY would it have enough headroom.. not a chance.

I also had a Maz sr 38 2X12 - I bet it would have the headroom.. however, being a EL84 based amp, and in my opnion being modelled after the VOX AC30, I think that it would be too dark of a sound. I dont think it would reproduce strings 1-4 good enough.

The guitar amps that I think work best for steel are most old fender amps with 4-6L6 tubes, and even a hot rod devill with 2-6L6's work pretty good too.

NV400's are pretty cheap and sound GREAT!!!

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 15 Mar 2011 3:09 pm

Thanks, Don, I heard that some amps like Dr. Z are similar to Vox or Marshall amps, and aren't geared for pedal steel. Helpful observations, yours.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 15 Mar 2011 4:22 pm

I've played several Dr. Z amps, and I like them. That said, the Little Walter absolutely smokes any of the models in terms of clean pedal steel sounds. The preamp is much more appropriate for the steel in terms of gain/headroom. The two biggest differences you will see tonally with the Little Walter is that the low end is huge without being muddy, and the midrange is the best I've ever heard for pedal steel: ballsy without any harshness.

IMHO of course.

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 15 Mar 2011 4:32 pm

Thanks very much for all your comments, Dan.

I don't see that the Dr. Zs have an effects loop, so that may be that.

I believe the Little Walter 50W combo has an effects loop - am I correct?

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 15 Mar 2011 4:43 pm

Yes it does.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 16 Mar 2011 4:12 am

I've asked Doc for years to make a steel amp/ I have a Maz Jr., with a Bluebell, and a Prescription with two Bluebells. Never tried them for steel. Here's one I'd like to try though. 50 watts, Z's excellent reverb. Beat the poop outa a PR, no doubt!
http://www.drzamps.com/amp/ezg50/

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 16 Mar 2011 7:03 am

The Dr Z is designed to emulate Brad P's over drive tone...which they do very well. NO clean headroom to speak of...that's not what they are about...

Clean headroom > PV Solid State, Fender or Mesa Tube amps. Fender tube amps under 40 watts will also not satisfy your desire for clean headroom....maybe get you close for a small gig. Lately I have also used a Marshall JCM 900/50 watt and it has just enough clean headroom to cover a pretty kick butt gig but also very bright.

Princeton Reverb, great practice amp or recording amp. For gigs ? Way too limited overall. My opinion, and I have one.

t

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 16 Mar 2011 7:37 am

I get tons of clean from my Prescription. Doesn't get gritty until it's freakishly loud. And that's a 30 watter. The new model, ezg50, is 50 watts of 6L6 power. From the link I provided;

"The wait is finally over... the EZG-50 is here! The EZG-50 has a very definitive 6L6 clean sound. Whether you are lusting after the classic "El Mocambo" tone, looking to surf the big waves, or want twang straight out of Bakersfield. The EZG-50 will satisfy the most discriminating blackface tone seeker. This is a sound that has been missing in the Z line up until now."
Also;
"With 50 watts of clean power, 2 knob reverb, and a tube rectifier, the EZG-50 is the blackface head that never was...ala Dr Z!"

Tony said;
"The Dr Z is designed to emulate Brad P's over drive tone...which they do very well. NO clean headroom to speak of...that's not what they are about... "

That's true of some models and not others. Doc was in business long before Brad even came on the scene. I was the one who initially urged Doc to get his amps down to Nashville. One day Doc called me to go to his shop with my '57 Strat. I played while Doc did the final tuning of the Maz Jr.. Doc has many models, and not all of them are all about Brad's "overdrive" tone!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 16 Mar 2011 8:21 am

John I stand corrected, I forgot about the new 50 watt tube rectifier amp...That appears to be a great package...

I was speaking to a couple of lower wattage MAZ series amps, they were great, but not for Steel in my view...

t

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 16 Mar 2011 8:23 am

Yeah Tony! I wonder how it would sound with a 15" Z-Best speaker cab?

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 16 Mar 2011 8:25 am

John Billings wrote:Yeah Tony! I wonder how it would sound with a 15" Z-Best speaker cab?

I'm sure great, but I;'m not gonna spend the money to find out !

t

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 16 Mar 2011 8:25 am

John Billings wrote:Yeah Tony! I wonder how it would sound with a 15" Z-Best speaker cab?

I'm sure great, but I'm not gonna spend the money to find out !

t

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 16 Mar 2011 8:34 am

I've always felt that Doc's amps were quite reasonably priced for the quality they give. Less than other "Boutique" manufactures.

DANIEL! You're over in Westlake. Give Doc a call, and see if you can stop in his shop and try some amps out. He's in Bedford. Take 480, and get off on Broadway.

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 16 Mar 2011 3:26 pm

I bought an EZG-50, thinking it would be the bomb for a dual duty (PSG and Tele). After reading lots of glowing reviews saying that it was the ultimate blackface style amp, i took the plunge.
I was completely disappointed. The most lifeless, bland sounding amp with terrible reverb I've ever played through. I tried it with a bunch of different guitars and speakers with the same dismal results.
Needless to say, I couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
ANY silver or blackface Fender with two 6L6's will sound worlds better. Save your money and find a cheap used Bandmaster or Bassman, tweak it up and you'll be much better off.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 16 Mar 2011 3:28 pm

Interesting CT! Everybody I talked to loved that thing. Doc's reverbs are considered to be the best spring reverbs around.
But I must say that I was so disappointed when I traded in my Lab for a Peavey Vegas. I hated that durn thing. Most sterile amp I'd ever used. Was so glad when I dumped it for a Twin. I guess,,, different strokes, and all that. But Dan is only 20 minutes away from Doc's shop, and I think he should pay a visit and decide for himself.

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 16 Mar 2011 3:30 pm

I'm fanatical about reverb and the EZG's was terrible.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 16 Mar 2011 4:28 pm

One thing to consider is that what's squeaky clean for a guitar isn't necessarily clean for a PSG. You can tame a Fender type amp with lower gain preamp tubes, but IMHO that can hurt the responsiveness of the amp.

I think that the octal tubes in the Little Walter put it in a completely different ballpark from most of the amps out there. If you get distortion from the amp it's pretty much all from the power amp, which is (IMHO) much more pleasing that overloading the preamp, which the pedal steel can do with a fender style circuit pretty easily at any volume.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 17 Mar 2011 4:40 am

CT,
It IS a spring reverb. If your preference is for something else, well,,, of course you wouldn't like it. I happen to like springs.

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 17 Mar 2011 5:12 am

I love springs, I play more surf music than anything else, that's a large part of what got me to buy it. I love the idea of a dwell control, I thought that I'd be able to sell my 6G15. It didn't work out that way.

Dan Najvar · Post by **Dan Najvar** » 17 Mar 2011 12:42 pm

My Maz 38 SR is pretty awesome with my Les Paul or tele but it is a bit too dirty even on its cleanest setting for my Sierra. I pick those strings pretty hard at times and the Session 500 kicks Z's butt!!!