Phil_B
04-01-2004, 06:13 PM
I have been playing a Dr. Z MAZ 18 2x10 for a while as my main amp. Sometimes I alternate this with a Z Prescription though an Avatar cabinet loaded with Eminence copies of Greenbacks. The Rx is a great amp, but last week I decided to see how it sounded through a wide 1x12 Boogie cabinet I have that has been languishing.
Without changing any settings, the Rx was @twice as loud. I kinda wondered how I was able to use the MAZ 18 and this 45 watt RX interchangably, with no great diff in volume. Well, maybe I need to look at the cab, and see if it is wired right, or maybe those Eminence are just not as efficient as the C-90 in the boogie cab.
Anyway, back to my story.
I decided that since the Rx was so loud, to try my Carmen Ghia through the Boogie cab. Using the Avatar, it was more of a novelty, since there was NO headroom. Great sound, but had to be cranked to work, which eliminated any usable clean.
With the Mesa cabinet this thing turned into a MONSTER!! Big fat sound, plenty of clarity - even with the fulldrive on "boost".
I plugged in my main CU24 and was able to switch from neck to bridge pickups without having to roll the tone off on the bridge. With the McCarty Soapbar another phonomenon took place. I could play lower on the neck and get a real chimy type sound, but when I moved up the neck, the high end sort of rolled off by it self and the notes fattened up. Really wierd, but in a good way.
I am going to investigate getting some different speakers in that Avatar cabinet. It is a great cabinet, and those speaker really do sound kinda like real greenbacks, but I think a beter speaker might be the key to getting the best out of that cab.
I just wanted to share how great I think that amp is - truly remarkable. It isn't just a blues amp - my band is an instrumental trio, and we play some pretty heay stuff, but also mix in some more funky stuff, too. It isn't Fender clean, but that works okay. I have tried another CU 24 and an old stratocaster with EMGs and this amp really rocks.
What a blast!!
-Phil_B
Without changing any settings, the Rx was @twice as loud. I kinda wondered how I was able to use the MAZ 18 and this 45 watt RX interchangably, with no great diff in volume. Well, maybe I need to look at the cab, and see if it is wired right, or maybe those Eminence are just not as efficient as the C-90 in the boogie cab.
Anyway, back to my story.
I decided that since the Rx was so loud, to try my Carmen Ghia through the Boogie cab. Using the Avatar, it was more of a novelty, since there was NO headroom. Great sound, but had to be cranked to work, which eliminated any usable clean.
With the Mesa cabinet this thing turned into a MONSTER!! Big fat sound, plenty of clarity - even with the fulldrive on "boost".
I plugged in my main CU24 and was able to switch from neck to bridge pickups without having to roll the tone off on the bridge. With the McCarty Soapbar another phonomenon took place. I could play lower on the neck and get a real chimy type sound, but when I moved up the neck, the high end sort of rolled off by it self and the notes fattened up. Really wierd, but in a good way.
I am going to investigate getting some different speakers in that Avatar cabinet. It is a great cabinet, and those speaker really do sound kinda like real greenbacks, but I think a beter speaker might be the key to getting the best out of that cab.
I just wanted to share how great I think that amp is - truly remarkable. It isn't just a blues amp - my band is an instrumental trio, and we play some pretty heay stuff, but also mix in some more funky stuff, too. It isn't Fender clean, but that works okay. I have tried another CU 24 and an old stratocaster with EMGs and this amp really rocks.
What a blast!!
-Phil_B