scott wrote:

Michael Gregory Bridavsky wrote:yeah, i find that unless i have the bass knob all the way down, that amp is way too boomy. It's more like a "boomy on/off" switch. Also, when I play at the "crunch" setting, which is way too fucking loud for unprotected ears, it sometimes makes a sound like it's clipping. I think that some of the pots might be bad and when it's so loud it's actually rattling the pots and making crackling noises, which at that volume sound like clipping.

mtar

MTAR,

HUH?

What do you mean by "clipping"? Distortion (like we all want on our guitars) *IS* clipping. Unless you have a perfectly pristine super-clean signal, it's being clipped. The "Marshall sound" is the sound of massive clipping.

What are you really referring to when you say "clipping"?

sorry I was unclear. Sounds like hard clipping. Nothing harmonic about it, like when you clip a cheap solid state amplifier. It also almost resembles the sound of a busted voice coil.

I dont think distorted guitar amps are quite "clipping". They are distorting, and compressing, but not hard clipping. If it was hard clipping, it could not get any louder. I guess it could be refered to as soft clipping?

mtar

Michael Gregory Bridavsky wrote:I dont think distorted guitar amps are quite "clipping". They are distorting, and compressing, but not hard clipping. If it was hard clipping, it could not get any louder. I guess it could be refered to as soft clipping?

It sounds like you're using "hard clipping" to describe a waveform being clipped so badly that it becomes a square wave. Yes?

Preamp distortion comes from the preamp tubes clipping the signal at the top and bottom of dynamic range, right? Other than the rare deliberate crossover distortion you find in a pedal like Z.Vex's "Machine", aren't all overdrive, distortion, fuzz, etc pedals and amp preamps and whatnot, aren't all of them using gain to amplify the waveform beyond the clean dynamic range of the signal chain? I thought all overdrives, distortions, fuzz, etc, use clipping. And in some cases it's tube, and in some it's transistor, and in cases like the Rat pedals, don't they use diode clipping as well?

scott wrote:

Michael Gregory Bridavsky wrote:I dont think distorted guitar amps are quite "clipping". They are distorting, and compressing, but not hard clipping. If it was hard clipping, it could not get any louder. I guess it could be refered to as soft clipping?

It sounds like you're using "hard clipping" to describe a waveform being clipped so badly that it becomes a square wave. Yes?

yes

Preamp distortion comes from the preamp tubes clipping the signal at the top and bottom of dynamic range, right? Other than the rare deliberate crossover distortion you find in a pedal like Z.Vex's "Machine", aren't all overdrive, distortion, fuzz, etc pedals and amp preamps and whatnot, aren't all of them using gain to amplify the waveform beyond the clean dynamic range of the signal chain? I thought all overdrives, distortions, fuzz, etc, use clipping. And in some cases it's tube, and in some it's transistor, and in cases like the Rat pedals, don't they use diode clipping as well?

yes, i believe you are right. i will admit that I'm not aware of the technical definition of "clipping".

best,
mtar

Michael Gregory Bridavsky wrote:
yeah, i find that unless i have the bass knob all the way down, that amp is way too boomy. It's more like a "boomy on/off" switch. Also, when I play at the "crunch" setting, which is way too fucking loud for unprotected ears, it sometimes makes a sound like it's clipping. I think that some of the pots might be bad and when it's so loud it's actually rattling the pots and making crackling noises, which at that volume sound like clipping.

mtar

Yes - this happens with mine as well. Both the boom and the suspicious similarity in character between known "dirty pot" crackle and the excessively high overtones it normally throws without a little cut in high or in volume.

I think the amp has the built-in psychological effect of causing worry, which is good.

But - 0% bass knob on mine is too thin, though.

Which channel do you use? I use #1, the minraivitsa. (Is that "the one I like?") I don't like #2 so much.

-r

it also depends on your guitar. My guitar is a semi-hollow body and is pretty rich in the low end.

I like channel II for more prescence. It seems a little brighter and breaks up sooner than ch I. Although ch. I is much less noisy and not as "shrill".

best,
mike

Tryanor Bassmaster series 50 watt head.

Fender Twin Reverb (blackface or non-master volume re-issue)

The 60's fender champs rule.

Hiwatt custom lead 50....oh mama.

I just got a Dr. Z MAZ 38 and holy shit its the best amp i have ever played. It only has one 12" and its so fucking loud. When its in its clean range its very Fender-like, similar to a Vibrolux. When cranked its very similar sounding to an AC-30. Having this amp has really changed the way I interact with an amp. I don't want to use an overdrive pedal any more. The amp distorting sounds more interesting than a pedal. Its also so sensitive to the way you play and the type of guitar you have. It really accentuates the differences between guitars and pickups. I highly recommend this amp or anything that Dr. Z makes. You can pick them up used for a semi-reasonable price too. The only thing I don't like about the amp is the 'Z' on the front, makes me think of pleated jeans by Z Cavaricci.

The "Z" logo looks a lot like the Zenith logo.

I like the Dr. Z stuff a lot. It's a shame that a lot of their best models have been discontinued. I seriously considered getting a Route 66 before I got the Soldano, but decided that I needed the extra gain/wattage.