Dr. Z Carmen Ghia
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Dr. Z Carmen Ghia - 2/2/2008 5:51:08 AM
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boxelder
Posts: 1596
Joined: 7/3/2003
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Sorry it's been a while since i posted about anything.... i haven't even picked up a guitar for a long time...
but,
a friend of mine purchased a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia and we ran it through the mill....
specs:
Power Output: 18 Watts
Output Tubes: 2 - EL-84
Preamp Tubes:1-5751, 1-12ax7
Rectifier: 1 - 5Y3
Controls: Volume, Tone. What more do you need?
Configurations: Head, 1-12 Combo, 2-10 Combo.
Colors: Black. Other custom wood finishes are available.
Dimensions and Weight:
Head: 17 1/2" W, 9" H, 9 1/2" D; 18 lbs.
1-12 and 2-10 combo: 23" W, 20 1/8" H, 10" D; 47 lbs.
this one was a head and 2x12 cab. i believe it was the Z best cab at 4ohms...
at 30% volume, it was "ok"... not alot of compression, and not a lot of tonal qualities at that volume... but still good.
at 40% volume is where the magic started to happen... the tubes were breaking up at this point (but not alot) and to clean it up, all that was needed was to roll the guitar's volume knob off about 2 - 3 numbers depending on the type of music/guitar being used...
fully cranked was a great rock/classic tone that you're not going to find out of a vox ac30 and the like... funny thing was, it wasn't too loud.... but, when i say that, i don't mean you can play your local dive bar that will hold 75 people... and don't take it to church.... still almost a 1 trick pony without pedals and such.... note that a comp pedal should smooth out the low end for most cases, but the sustain was good without one....
just incase you're wondering, yes, the urban and paisley tones are there, but don't expect them at a low volume or without stomp boxes with this amp... but it has a great base to start with...and yes, it accepts pedals GREAT! you get to hear the difference between them.
string definition was great...no mud or cardboard sound.
guitars played through it:
SRV strat
'68 tele
'64 tele
'67 tele
usa les paul standard
Price paid: $1000 used.
 price vs value
yes, i know, not everyone can afford this type of amp. but,you have to pay to play good stuff...
any questions/complaints let me know...
..
< Message edited by boxelder -- 2/18/2008 7:43:52 AM >
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RE: Dr. Z Carmen Ghia - 2/15/2008 11:06:30 PM
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Derek_Cave99
Posts: 1126
Joined: 11/16/2004
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Sounds alot like a beefed up Valve Junior. I know it was probably 3 or 4 times the price haha.. What did your buddy pay for this one?
_____________________________
Derek Caven (=
www.myspace.com/realityatitsbest
Also, Look for me on Facebook.
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RE: Dr. Z Carmen Ghia - 2/18/2008 7:32:24 AM
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boxelder
Posts: 1596
Joined: 7/3/2003
Status: offline
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no, it doesn't sound anything like a valve jr... if it did, they wouldn't sell very many...
price paid was under $1000 for head and 2x12 cab (used) .... new would have been $999 for the head, and around $779 for the cab...
i revised the review with more info...
_____________________________
Glock - The original "point and click" application.
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RE: Dr. Z Carmen Ghia - 4/1/2008 10:17:39 PM
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gewhiteva
Posts: 4
Joined: 12/11/2004
Status: offline
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Current Dr Z amps that I have: Stang Ray, SRZ-65LE, MAZ 18, Mazerati. I have also owned a RT66 and a MAZ 38. Have played a KT-45 and a Prescrition RX.
The first Z amp I bought was the MAZ 38. At the time, I liked it but wasn't super-impressed by it. But given a few months and lots of twisting of knobs, man the true beauty of Z amps came through. Here's the thing about Z amps: 1) Not complicated but they do take some "knob twisting" to dial in the sweet tones. Once you get accustomed to Z amps, it becomes fairly easy to find the "sweet spots" for your style of playing, your axes, the room you are in, etc. 2) Although not cheap, they are a definite great value. The problem for some folks is that the Z Amps each have their own personality. Right now I use 2 heads for a gig: one to dial in my clean tone and one for leads/crunch/etc. Not everyone can afford this. (not that I can either, I just found ways to afford these amps, 'cause I consider them important tools.) 3) All of the Z amps take pedals extemely well, so you must factor in a pedal or 2 to refine your sound. 4) Z's are not heavy metal amos. There are other amps on the market that are best for heavy metal.
IF you are looking for an amp in the price ranges of Dr Z amps, I highly recommend trying one of the models. Do lots of research, and if possible try to play one. It may take you a while to get to the "promised land", but with a little patience, you will find it difficult to go back to any other amp. Since I started playing through Dr Z amps, I have also tried 5 different Mesa Boogies, 2 Marshall's, a Top Hat, a Bad Cat, and 2 Fenders. In each case I have played gigs with both a Dr.Z and the other amp. In each case I ended up only playing through the Dr Z after a few sets with both.
Dr Z's aren't always a person's cup of tea, but for most folks tha buy one and stick with it, they rarely go back to another brand. Oh, and most of your Z amps are going to need to be played between 11 and 2 oclock on the volume to get the "sweet spot". Throw on an attentuator (Dr Z makes a great one) and you'll have an amp that sounds great in any venue.
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