Oh my...

[Cranium]

I just went to a Dr.Z amps website and heard some clip..............I was left speechless, it sounded so good I almost fell off my chair, the little mini z 5 watt amp sounded like a half stack, its so pleasing I can't stop listening to the clips, although the 5 watt mini z is like $700 I would buy it any day if I had the money. Exept the little mini z, their cheapest amp is over $1000 which is kinda expensive, but it sounds so good I felt the pressure in my throat, kinda like when you feel really sad about something (remembers Freddie Mercury ).

Does anyone own one, I really want to hear it from one of you, also you guys got to hear this one http://www.drzamps.com/sounds/miniz/bw/13-AudioTrack 13.mp3 its from the 5 watt one, reminds me of something I heard a long time ago, its so great.

 

[Bloozcat]

Don't own any, but I once got to play through a Maz Jr. They are great boutique amps. Warm, sweet tone that practically brings tears to your eyes when you play through one. Ultimate blues/classic rock toned amps.

It's because of that Maz Jr. that I love EL84 tone so much. 18 watt Marshalls and clones thereof have that same kind of warm sweet OD tone. Since I'm not quite ready to fork out $1000.00 + for an amp right now, I just get by with my EL84 loaded Vintage Club 30, VC 20, and my Epi Valve jr.

 

[Cranium]

Tears is exactly right but $1000+ is pretty steep so if I will plan to get a $600-700 amp I will either get a used one (If I actualy find a used one) or a mini z for around $700, Im not 100% sure of the price since its not the same in all the places. Is there any other company that makes low wattage amps that sound similar but maybe with a little lower prices?

 

[Nelskie]

Is there any other company that makes low wattage amps that sound similar but maybe with a little lower prices?

Well, I don't know if the tone is similar or not, but I do know that the Epiphone Valve Jr. is a low-watt, tube-powered dynamo that just begs to be hot-rodded. Yeah, maybe not in the same league as a Dr. Z, but at $139, there's plenty of sheepskins left over to push it in whatever direction you want, and probably leave you enough left over for a new guitar (or two!) Check out the Voodooman's killer Valve Jr. mod thread & clips in the amp section of the forum. You can call me a believer.

Choice #2 is the venerable Fender Champ, which if you can procure yourself a vintage-era model (check Ebay), there's tone galore to be had. I believe our FN brother 69SL has several posts in the amp section about his Champ, all of which are glowing. The Champ's cousin, the Blues Junior, is also very popular amongst the low-watt tube crowd.

Lastly, the Peavey Classic 20. Like its big brothers, the Classic 30 / 50 models, this little rocket has enough cahones to push brown, tweedy, vintage tones through a 4 x 12 cab. Add some juicy NOS tubes, a Tone Tubby or a Weber Alnico, and you're ready for action.

As you can see, there are a lot of neighborhoods to explore before you head on up to the big house on the hill. But if your heart's set on it, then all I can say is . . . bring your wallet. Good luck!

 

[Cranium]

Yea alot of Dr.z amps come with Weber speakers, maybe that will give me similar tone, also how much are good tubes, I never actualy had the pleasure of buying or replacing any.

 

[warren0728]

+1 on the valve jr and the peavey classic 20...i have both and they both are great....completely different from each other but both have great tone.

 

[Robert]

Well, sorry for being blunt here, but this is my experience. If you have played a Dr.Z amp, the Valve Jr and Peavey Classic completely fade in comparison. The doctor's amps are pure heaven to play. They do cost quite a bit more though!

 

[Cranium]

Obviously its not even a fair comparison, the only thing I can do is buy a cheaper tube amp and replace the speaker and tubes to sound closer but it will never be the same, its too bad they took the mini z out of production, it was so nice and less pricy too comparing with other Dr.Z amps.

 

[warren0728]

Well, sorry for being blunt here, but this is my experience. If you have played a Dr.Z amp, the Valve Jr and Peavey Classic completely fade in comparison. The doctor's amps are pure heaven to play. They do cost quite a bit more though!

you could buy both of the "inferior amps" retube them and upgrade speakers and have two killer sounding amps with money left over for a new guitar.

Then put 20 people (not pro musicians although they might have trouble too) in a room and have someone play the same guitar setup through all 3 amps and see how many can pick the boutique amp...would be interesting...

ww

 

[Robert]

You are right Warren, it might be hard to pick out the boutique amp. But as a player, I could tell in 1 second if I got to play them all. The Dr. Z amps feel different to play. They have dynamics and life like no other amp I've played. Just my personal experience, others may feel differently.

 

[warren0728]

i'm sure you are right.....my point was that i think we probably spend more time and money than necessary chasing tone that most people can't hear or recognize. That isn't necessarily a bad thing....but interesting to think about...

ww

 

[Robert]

I know what you mean, but for me, it's the joy of playing the stuff that matters the most. If others don't think I have a great tone, too bad - if I like it, I'm happy.

So, with my current amps, I'm 90% where I wanna be. With a Dr. Z I might be 98% there, but I'd have to cough up a lot of dough. So right now, I'm staying where I am amp wise until I get some really good paying gigs that can buy me a Dr. Z! Some day I want to get one of those, just for my own satisfaction. Yes I know, after a while I'll be looking at something else - CAE, Bad Cat, Dumble..., etc! It's the mind of a guitar player, I just need to admit it. When GAS hits, wise decisions may just go out the window! haha

 

[warren0728]

i know what you mean....kinda like me buying a gibson les paul when i could have been ok with a cheaper guitar....and i don't even play out!! I just wanted a gibson!!

ww

 

[Cranium]

Robert do you know any amps very simillar to Dr.Z amps in quality and tone?

 

[Robert]

No, not really. I am sure Bad Cat and other high end expensive ones would come close, but I haven't tried any of those.

 

[Mark]

Robert do you know any amps very simillar to Dr.Z amps in quality and tone?

There's Swart amps they make a little 5 watt amp along the lines of the Mini Z which has a bit more clean to it but can get the same growl. Plus it comes with a tone control and is a beautiful sounding and looking amph. It is a hundred more than the Mini Z but it is one amazing little amph, and I really would like to own one, and I would really lke to own one...oops did I say that twice. I recently got to play one and cant get the little fokker outta my head. Musictoyz even has em in stock.....hmmmmmmm:R

http://www.swartamps.com/

 

[Robert]

I have heard some clips of the Swart amps. Fantastic amps, that's for sure. But these days, it seems there's a million small builders who create great amps. What they all seem to have in commons is a high price tag (and good tone I suppose).

 

[Mark]

Your right there Robert! I was thinking these things are way out there pricewise but after researching what the parts would cost then the labor to custom build one, cabinet, chassis and wiring the price point for a lot of these while high seems in line for a guy to be able to make a living building them. Anything of quality thats handmade these days is gonna cost ya......for those willing to pay the price of admission. Id love to get or build a little class A one of these days, I do love my Blues Deluxe great amph, great tones but I cant really crank it up much .....something about pictures falling off walls and them pesky neighbors. But Im very content with what it can do.

 

[duhvoodooman]

...I do love my Blues Deluxe great amph, great tones but I cant really crank it up much .....something about pictures falling off walls and them pesky neighbors.

Maybe you want to consider the 50W version of one of THESE to solve that problem! Keep your overdriven tone without shaking the walls....

 

[Mark]

I have one, an Airbrake and it does help, between that and the Tonebone I get some wicked sound at reasonable levels. Just gear lust LOL!!!


Oh honey ....I was thinkin about this little tiny amph...........

Well if you do this better be it for a while........

HUH!!!! Have you been talkin to Mrs. Voodooman???

LMAO

 

[Nelskie]

Well, sorry for being blunt here, but this is my experience. If you have played a Dr.Z amp, the Valve Jr and Peavey Classic completely fade in comparison. The doctor's amps are pure heaven to play. They do cost quite a bit more though!

Sorry for being blunt in return, but I don't think I was saying that those amps were comparable to a Dr. Z. - - -

As you can see, there are a lot of neighborhoods to explore before you head on up to the big house on the hill.

Certainly, I will give credit where credit is due. Some of these high-end boutique amps do sound incredible. And yes, I do understand that its a personal observation. But to say that they completely fade in comparision - well . . . I think that statement is somewhat pretentious.

For the sake of discussion, here is my personal experience: I have guys coming up to me on a regular basis telling me how incredible my Classic 30 sounds - and many of those same guys own high-end amps. Better yet, several of those same guys now own Peavey Classic / Delta amps. And lest we forget some other key elements of that great tone equation: guitar; p'ups, and perhaps most important of all - - the player!

Personally, I haven't had the good fortune of ever playing a Dr. Z amp. But I have played my share of high $$ amps (Chicago Blues Box, Harry Joyce, Rivera, Matchless, etc.), as well as some killer vintage & custom-built numbers. While most did live up to their reputation tone-wise, I can say with complete honesty that I never once went back to my house, plugged into my Peavey, and thought, "gee, my amp completely fades in comparison to the such-and-such I played the other day." If anything, it's been the exact opposite, as in "wow, my Peavey sounds pretty damn good." And now, with the Tonebone pedal in the mix, there's an exclamation point at the end of that sentence.

I don't mean to play the devil's advocate here. It just seems to me that a lot of players fawn endlessly over high $$ gear, and why that is, I cannot say. When I go out to see bands in my home town, I don't see Dr. Z's, or any other high-end gear behind the guitar players. And when I say bands, I'm not talkin' about schmoes or thrash metal outfits either. I'm talking about bands that are doing Dire Straits, Steely Dan, SRV, Pink Floyd, and other stuff that requires good tone. And what do I see? These guys are rippin' it to pieces with totally blue-collar rigs, most of which would rarely filter into conversation about incredible tone. So, is it just me wondering why this is? Probably not. It's reality, though - - just go out and see for yourself.

 

[Robert]

Nelskie, maybe I should have clarified - what I said is my own subjective reaction after playing all the aforementioned amps. Playing guitar and guitar amps is a very personal thing, and I think people often react in different ways to guitars and amps. For example many people write to me and ask, "why in heaven's name are you playing such crappy guitars?" - well I think they sound pretty good even though they are cheap.

So, to iterate, my own subjective feeling is that the Dr. Z Maz 18 Jr beats the hell out of almost any other amp I've played. But not everyone might feel that way. And that's okay.

To be more specific, it's not just the sound that makes the big difference for me - it's how the amp responds to your playing. The Dr. Z amp I played was incredibly responsive to pick attack and dynamics and had a complexity in the tone that I don't notice in many other amps.

The budget tube amps around these days do come very close, and really, to get to a "higher level of tone", it's a lot of $$ - and in the end most people could not hear the difference.

 

[Spudman]

The cheaper the better is what I say. That way you can buy MORE of them.

Speaking of cheap... Ty Tabor from King's X has used for many years and many recordings an old Lab Series L5. Remember those? Nobody ever claimed those had the holy grail of tone yet listen to any King's X album up to their latest "Ogre Tones". The boy has tone just dripping off of every cut and he did it with some cheap old SOLID STATE amp. Go figure, no tubes.

I don't buy the whole boutique amp thing either. It all comes from the player.
I've heard Roine Stolt from The Flower Kings through a Bruno (high $$ boutique amp) and through an old Fender Dual Showman, a fender Bassman and a 45 watt Marshall and he sounds exactly the same through either amp. But does he own a Bruno or Dr. Z? Nope. Cheap old Fenders and a Marshall.

I'm not advocating buying cheap, as in crappy amps, in any way. I just don't believe you have to spend wads of $ to get good tone. A well tubed and tuned cheap tube amp will floor you just as easily as a high $ amp (IMHO). Just like Nelskie says.

So save your money for candy, beer and MORE GUITARS.

 

[Mark]

Your all correct a good player shine with most decent equipment. Like Robert said the high end stuff will have some extra feel and sound that pretty much only the guys playing can appreciate. Would it be cool to have that fine High end custom guitar/amph sure, is it a requirement nah. When I tried the Swart the thing that impressed was the tone and response from such a tiny box but Im still amazed at the sounds I can get from my Blues Deluxe and that freakin Tonebone awesome little box there. As someone said Tone is in the trouser's.

 

[Robert]

So, to iterate, my own subjective feeling is that the Dr. Z Maz 18 Jr beats the hell out of almost any other amp I've played. But not everyone might feel that way.

Well, that's probably a description too strong - when I think about it. It has that little extra that many amps don't have, and it can go from clean to overdrive with fantastic tone. I love quite a few Fenders too, but there's no OD on them that can compare.

In the end, I'm happy with my Vox and Hellhound - they don't cost much and I can afford more guitars and beer. I'll still sound the same regardless of my amp, I reckon.

 

[6STRINGS 9LIVES]

Another interesting post guys , heres my 2cents worth ... the whole , boutique vs modern vs vintage amp debate is so subjective in terms of its applicability to most of us that it becomes a little humorous. we all seem to want what we cant have or afford , the wise man is the one who finds a comfort level in the gear he can have and afford . Boutique amps undoubtedly have filled a niche in todays market , all you have to do is look at the number of manufacturers entering the frey.. they are usually more expensive ranging from the slightly more expensive to the stratospherically more expensive ,their purpose is to provide the player with a standard of performance which exceeds other available modern mass produced amplifiers and to do so with a touch of exclusivity.I think that over the past decades as major amplifier companies sought to find ways to maximize profits and still hit the sales volume to achieve a profit that quality suffered . An amplifier is the sum of its parts , starting from its circuit design going to the materials used to construct it , transformers , capacitors , eyelet boards , wiring , chassis , and cabinetry... and probably most important the way in which these parts come together on a bench or assembly line to achieve the final product . The design of an electrical circuit whose goal is to produce a pleasing and functional amplification of a musical instrument is well beyond my ability to understand fully , but i shure know it when i hear it , and i think thats where most of us are .
Boutique amps are well built, using tried and true designs , and top quality components , and consistent assembly practices ..thats what costs the money .. the time involved and the cost of better components , the result is generally a superior sounding amp compared to mass produced pieces . Most boutique designs are variations of amplifiers built 40-50 years ago , the designs of Leo Fender and Jim Marshall ( who basically modded Fender designs) are still the blueprint for sonic nirvanna.
Every now and then companies such as Epi , Peavey , Traynor take a page from the past and build a solid designed and assembled amp that seems to capture some of the old tonal magic and still manage not to mess it up and make money ..the valve jr is a prime example , a solid , classic class a tube amp design at the right price and widely available ..a modern amp with great tone and a warranty to boot .. AND THE PRICE..if it were 1000.00 dollars it would be called boutique, well almost..
Where do vintage amps fit into all this .. well they are the mold that the rest are built from , they generally define TONE, they have become the stuff legends are made of , and they link us to a past where quality was a given. As i have already stated their designs have been coppied and in alot of cases blatently cloned in an attempt to deliver that "GRAIL TONE". An 18 watt marshall sounds like nothing else from its era , a 5 watt fender champ is the definition of tube distortion tone , a vox ac-30 is the touchstone for the english invasion sound .. this all begs the question , then why dosn't everybody use vintage amps ..answer ..because they are old and break , and require costly repair , and every change in their original components change their vintage tone . But they are the real deal , they sound like nothing else and after 40-50 years they become scarce in original condition and become desirable for their exclusivity , and ability to deliver The Tone .
Boutique amps have a warranty , components are available , they have great tone and durability and are readily available if you have the money ..get the picture
Personally I have vintage amps for a lot of reasons ..their classic sonic properties( tone tone tone ) the nostalgic factor , and i could not afford to have as many boutique amps as i have oldies...
personally i'd rather have 2 mid 60's fender blackface vibro champs running in stereo than one dr z for the same $$$ ..and dumbles ..please , they only made less than 300 of these since the 60's and a dumble if you can get one will run you 18-30,000. When i think of boutique ..i think of strawberry insence and black light posters ... cheers 6S9L