Who likes the Maz. 18 Jr.?

[Primo Don]

I'm thinking about a Dr. Z. Maybe the Maz. Jr. because it's lower powered. Also, I heard they really are complex enough for non-reverb. True? I'm playing a Tele and a Str*t and all types of music. I need a just a good sounding amp. I think I really want a PTP boutique amp. I have too much money in my pocket. They're only about $1100 for the NR head.

Thanks, Adam

[Red Planet]

I had one. It was 2x12 combo with G12H30's . I didnt like the distortion sound of it. It had this high end breakup I didnt like. One of the reviews said it was a perfect match for a Tele I disagree with that.

I just picked up a 1968 Fender Pro Reverb nonmaster volume Silverface that has been totally gone through and Blackfaced Cosmetically and Electroniclly with new speakers and fully recovered for $1000.00 . To me this is a much better amp espescially for a Tele.

[Red Planet]

And if you want to hear an absolute killer amp head listen to a 60's model Fender Tremolux head. They basically sound like a Dream and you can pick them up for $500.00 to $650.00 on Ebay all day long. Great little amp!

[Dana]

Never had a Maz Jr. but I've got a Carmen Ghia head, and man oh man does it scream. I never would have believed 18 watts could be so loud but it is. I used mine last saturday with a rock/grunge style band. Drummer was hard hitting, and it STILL kept right up through a cheap Carvin 4 x 12." I'm thinking of getting the Maz Junior as well. Heck, I'm thinking I'd like one of each model the good Doctor makes. The band was amazed by the tone. The bass player said it was probably the best sounding tube amp he ever heard.

[jmiles]

I have a Prescription Combo with Blues, and a Maz Jr Combo with a Blue. They're both awesome. Both great with my Teles. One weekend, a few years ago, Doc called and asked me to stop in, and to bring my '57 Strat. When I got there he was working on the proto Maz Jr. I sat and played for several hours whilst he tuned the amp. Changing caps, resistors, etc.. A painstaking process! He'd change the first caps value or manufacturer till he found the best one. Then he'd do the same with the second cap. Then he'd go back and do the first cap again, and so one until it sounded perfect. When he was done, we were both amazed at the articulation, clarity of tone, and atmospheric sound of the amp. This was the model with two tens. A fun day for me. I got the single twelve model because I just love the sound of Celestion Blues.Don't get me wrong, I have a very good selection of Fender amps too. I just like the Z's better. But,,, some guys are 6V6 guys, some are 6L6 guys and some people love the sound of EL 84s.
JB

[Anonymous]

And almost every review I've ever seen of both the Jr. and the Sr. say the same thing. Mine is the 2x10 combo with Dr. Z speakers . I LOVE both the clean and distortion sounds of it. It has a wonderful harmonic complexity and this creamy midrange breakup that's absolutely killer. Again, most reviews say they're a perfect match for a Tele, and I agree wholeheartedly.

I have several tweed, BF, and SF Fenders, and while they're all great amps, lately I've been having a blast taking my Dr. Z to gigs. To me it would be hard to find a much better amp, especially for a Tele.

Mine does have reverb, btw, but I've been finding I don't use it nearly as much as I do with the Fenders. It may have something to do with the inherent sponginess of the cathode-biased EL84s, but for whatever reason, I'm not missing it. Also, the resale value on Dr. Z's seems pretty good, so if you get a good deal to begin with and then find you don't like it, you should be able to get back most of your investment. Best of luck, CS :-)

[roger]

I can't wait for the summertime outdoor gigs to wring out the Maz 38. I think the 38 has more clean headroom than the 18. There's a magical midrange thing that happens with the 38 that I love but right now I'm doin' the small amp thang. Summer's right around the corner...

[Adam Waldron]

On the tone of tubes....

Well, for some reason I don't completely know the answer to I prefer Teles with EL84 amps, and for some reason Strats with 6L6s....

You guys got me gassin' for a Maz 18 again. The soundfiles I have heard are great!

Cheers,

Adam

[Snaily]

I've had the 2 x10 for about six months now, and would say that the amp definitely delivers what Doc says, as well as the above thumbs up comments. I particularly like that it has quite a lot of head room for 18 watts, and turned up, it is very sensitive to volume/tone control and picking dynamics. Very nice fat blues tone even without an OD pedal. That said, the tone is "DrZ"; not really a Fender-like vibe, nor a Vox. Somewhere in between.

[Tim Bowen]

Can't speak to the Junior, but I have a Maz Senior w/ two Celestion Blues. Smokin' amp. The reverb really doesn't do that much for me though, & if I were starting from scratch, I'd skip the 'verb. Love mine with strats in particular, but teles are nice too. As for the obvious Vox comparisons, I'd say it 'feels' a bit Vox-like... that compression is there, but it's not quite as 'chimey' as Vox. EQ itself feels different than Vox, & the Maz has a certain gritty quality when pushed hard that I really dig. Likes pedals that retain bass well, but don't emphasize the mids; for instance, the Hotcake. Master volume I find to be mildly effective - it still has sweet spots, & likes to be pushed to a certain level, like non-master volume amps. Very solidly built & classy looking, & reselling certainly doesn't seem to be a problem. Not that I'll be selling. Like roger, I usually only get to gig this amp for outdoor shows, or the occasional big venue job. Just for grins, I paired this amp up in my basement with my AC30 - good Lord, what a monster tone.

[fullerplast]

Had both the 2x10 Jr and 1x12 Sr. Tried to like them, tried different speakers and tubes, but found the sweet spot to be too elusive and narrow. I much prefer an AC30 or BFVR for teles.

If you decide to try a Maz, you can save some bucks with a used one. They show up all the time.

[Jakedog]

I don't own a Z, yet. But I did a gig recently where the sound company supplied the backline, and the lead rig was a Maz 38 Sr. 2 X 12 combo, w/reverb. Good lord, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It's absolutely the best sound I've ever gotten out of my teles, it was so good it hurt. Then I plugged in my Les Paul TV Spc., and just about soiled myself, as good as that amp sounded with teles, I would have to say it was absolutely born for P-90's.

Now I have two problems, I need a Z, AND a tele w/P-90's.

I didn't notice any unpleasant breakup, high end or otherwise, of course I ran it dead clean, with the master at about 3 o clock, and the volume between 9 and 10 o clock, other than that, I had my Boss comp., overdrive, and tremolo pedals in line. It really was tone of epic proportions.


Jake

[davidp158]

I have a MAZ 38, but find it too loud for some gigs. I borrowed a friends MAZ Jr., and just had to get one. I've been using my MAZ Jr. for a couple years now, and its been my favorite gigging and recording amp. The MAZ Jr. has a bit more front end gain, and thus has a bit more attitude than the MAZ 38. I play in a few bands (alt-country, blues, power pop rock, and honky tonk), and the MAZ Jr. and a Tele is just perfect for me. Turned up to 1:00, the amp gives me great clean tones, just on the verge of breakup. With an overdrive pedal, I can produce some great solo tones. My MAZ Jr. is the 2x10 combo with reverb. If I were buying one today, I would probably buy the head with reverb, and invest in a single or dual 12 cabinet.

Some people wish the MAZ Jr. had more clean headroom, but they miss the point of playing guitar through a low wattage amp. Like a good Deluxe Reverb, a big part of the character of the amp is being able to crank it up, without being too loud. Small amps in small rooms always work better for me than a large amp turned down for a small room. Also, a low wattage amp on the verge of breakup can work so much better with overdrive pedals than a clean amp. This varies depending on the amp/pedal combination, but the MAZ Jr. is very pedal-friendly.

If you are looking for a Fender-ish sounding amp, you won't get that from the MAZ Jr. Its EL84 tubes give it a VOX quality, which is fine with me. While it isn't an amp for "shredder" metal music, it is great for country, blues and rock.

I just joined a band that has a VERY loud drummer, so I'll be using my MAZ 38 once in a while. I recently bought a Bruno Underground 30, which is a 36 watt EL84 amp, like the MAZ 38, and that may take priority over the MAZ 38. That said, my MAZ Jr. is a keeper! Great, great, GREAT amp! I will go so far as to say it may become a "classic amp" like Fender's Deluxe Reverb. Every Tele player should at least try one.

my biased, 2 cents,
Dave Patterson

[Cliff]

I've had my 2x10 Maz Jr. NR combo for a few weeks now, and I'm not entirely happy with it...yet. It's my first master volume amp and that may be part of the problem. It is freaking loud, if you ask me, and cuts through like a mutha. I don't know where you guys play, but in a small bar or club, I can't get this thing anywhere near breakup without pedals. Do you guys dime the MV or roll it off a little? I'd be interested to know how others deal with a master volume amp. Thanks.

[davidp158]

Cliff,

Although the MAZ Jr. is rated at 18 watts, it is a potent 18 watts. If you play in a band with a soft drummer, or low stage volume, even 18 watts can be loud. Ironically, the complaint I hear most about the MAZ Jr. is that its not loud enough. That would suggest that your band doesn't play very loud.

What sort of guitar pickups do you have? Even with medium output pickups, my MAZ Jr. starts to breakup when the input gain is around 1:00. If you're looking for really saturated overdrive/distortion, you'll have to crank the input gain higher. If you're looking for overdrive without a pedal, you may need a smaller amp or sacrifice some tone by turining the master volume down further. I like to set my amp on the verge of break-up, and push it over the top with overdrive pedals (Klon, RC and AC Booster). Works perfectly for the styles of music I play.

With single coil pickups, I typically use these settings (MAZ Jr. 2x10 w/reverb combo):

input gain @ 1:00 - 2:00
treble @ 10:00 - 11:00
middle @ 1:00
bass @ 11:00 - 2:00 (depending on room/stage placement/proximity to wall)
cut @ 10:00
master @ 2:00 - 4:00 (depending on size of room, or how drunk/loud the drummer is)

Bear in mind that if you turn up the cut knob, it will increase the apparent gain of the amp a lot, and this will contribute to how hard the amp "cuts" through the mix. If you feel the amp sounds overly bright, use less treble, and experiment with the cut knob. The cut knob is very powerful on the MAZ Jr.

I don't know if the front end gain on the non-reverb models is the same as the reverb models, but there may be a difference. On many dual channel Fender amps, it seems that the reverb channel has more gain. I don't know if the MAZ Jr.'s reverb circuit adds gain to the signal path or not.

In general, I find that most master volume amps loose a lot of depth/character if the master volume is turned down below 75%. It just seems to choke the life out of the amp. If I'm playing a real soft gig, I turn down as needed, but when possible, I keep it at least 75% max volume.

Originally Posted by Cliff

I've had my 2x10 Maz Jr. NR combo for a few weeks now, and I'm not entirely happy with it...yet. It's my first master volume amp and that may be part of the problem. It is freaking loud, if you ask me, and cuts through like a mutha. I don't know where you guys play, but in a small bar or club, I can't get this thing anywhere near breakup without pedals. Do you guys dime the MV or roll it off a little? I'd be interested to know how others deal with a master volume amp. Thanks.

[steve s]

If your looking at Boutique stuff.....do check out the Carr amps @ carramps.com. He has some killer sounding bytes there that will have you Jones'n. I got a Rambler. It's nice and clean. Top notch tone for days!
Check it out.

[Cliff]

David - Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I play a number of different guitars, mostly single coils and mostly moderate gain pups. I also play lap steel, three different necks (and pups) with my band, so it's a lot of variation. It's not so much the drummer being quiet, it's the small venues. No way I can turn the Maz up to 1:00. I might go back to my old trick of using my Hot Plate and just ignoring the MV, or at least keeping it above 75%. I've only gigged with the Jr. once so far and didn't fall in love with it. It will probably just take a while for me to figure out how it can work for me. Thanks again for the suggestions.

[davidp158]

Cliff,

Give it some time to suss it out. I am totally enamored with my MAZ Jr., but it may not work as well for you as it does for me. I don't think I would want to gig with any less wattage than the MAZ Jr., but your gig may dictate otherwise. Also, bear in mind that some pedal and amp combinations work great, others are not so great. I find the MAZ Jr. to be very pedal friendly, and a good overdrive pedal is often needed for those low volume gigs.

Lately, I've been diggin the Xotic RC Booster for clean boost and boost with a touch of overdrive. I've also been working with the Xotic AC Booster, which is a nice distortion pedal. I've had a Klon Centaur for about a year, and it works well for me with the MAZ Jr. It can be a midrange heavy pedal, but I found that turning the gain down on the Klon and the output volume up, I'm able to get great overdrive by slamming the preamp of the MAZ Jr. without the midrange boost. There are so many good pedals available these days. Good time to be a guitarist.

regards,
Dave

Originally Posted by Cliff

David - Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I play a number of different guitars, mostly single coils and mostly moderate gain pups. I also play lap steel, three different necks (and pups) with my band, so it's a lot of variation. It's not so much the drummer being quiet, it's the small venues. No way I can turn the Maz up to 1:00. I might go back to my old trick of using my Hot Plate and just ignoring the MV, or at least keeping it above 75%. I've only gigged with the Jr. once so far and didn't fall in love with it. It will probably just take a while for me to figure out how it can work for me. Thanks again for the suggestions.

[Cliff]

Dave - Yeah, I'm not giving up yet. Just got the thing. Sometimes it takes a while, as you said. Don't get me going on pedals. I've got many and tried more, although just by chance, I've never tried the either the Klon or Xotic pedals. I'm going to take out my Brown Deluxe this weekend, then mess with the Maz during the week in prep for the next weekend's gig. "Nice time to be a guitar player"....nicely said. Take care.

[Rich]

Howdy Adam,

I'm thinking about a Dr. Z. Maybe the Maz. Jr. because it's lower powered. Also, I heard they really are complex enough for non-reverb. True?

I think so. The Maz 18 NR is a fantastic amp. Complex, chimey. It sounds great with Celestion Blues. A G12H30 will sound good too.

The amp can get kind of Marshally too depending on the guitar and settings you use. To emphasize that characteristic a Greenback is a cool speaker. However, that doesn't sound like the tone that you are after.

The amp doesn't have a ton of clean head room. It's forte is cleanish with some dirt to a very articulate crunch. It's got a Voxish kind of chime on the top end that's different than a typical Fender amp.

One note, to get all this great tone you need to crank it. The amp has a master volume but unless there's some volume happening you won't get the really good tone. And 18 watts is darn loud, especially with efficient speakers. Think about an attenuator to dial down the volume a bit.

I'm playing a Tele and a Str*t and all types of music. I need a just a good sounding amp. I think I really want a PTP boutique amp. I have too much money in my pocket. They're only about $1100 for the NR head.

They can be had used for $800-$900. Really a steal for an amp of this quality.

Another choice I saw mentioned was a Carr Rambler. I own this amp (have only played Maz 18 belonging to others). For a clean amp with a Fender kind of vibe it's really fantastic. It's also PTP handwired.

It's primarily a clean sound. It has a great low end, nice complexity in the mids, and a glassy high over the top of everything. It's not chimey like the Maz, the high end is different. Both are nice.

If you crank it you can get some good distortion, though not as much as the Maz.

It's not as loud as the Maz either, though it's listed as 28 watts. The clean tones will have trouble keeping up in all but the quietest band setting. No master, but reverb and trem. I never use either however, the amp doesn't need them.

Check out the clips on the Carr website (www.carramps.com). They're excellent. If you want more clean power the Imperial is a good choice, though I've never played one.

Ramblers list for $2200, but you can get a black 1x12 for about $1300 or so used if you're patient. Still more $ than the Maz.

Good luck

Rich

[Reno Sepulveda]

If you get the chance check out the Z-28 as well. No reverb but I actually liked it better than the Maz JR. with reverb. Tele approved tone for sure.

Reno

[davidp158]

Reno,

I dig your Buddy Miller avatar. Buddy is one of the coolest musicians I've heard in the past few years. He gets such great tones from his Wadre guitars. He and Julie have been to Seattle a few times in recent years, and he's absolutely amazing, live. Funky, country soul...love his music.

All hail King Buddy!

dp

Originally Posted by Reno Sepulveda

If you get the chance check out the Z-28 as well. No reverb but I actually liked it better than the Maz JR. with reverb. Tele approved tone for sure.

Reno