Dr. Z Amplification Maz 38 Head

The Dr.Z Maz 38 Sr., hand built in Cleveland, Ohio, is a session guitarist's dream. Powered by a quad of el84's, The Maz 38 can be dialed in for a number of classic sounds. Having no negative feedback, the amp can easily mimic both vintage Fender and Vox. Onboard reverb and an effects loop are both present in this amp. A function of the footswitch can engage a EQ bypass which acts as a boost for the amp. I actually really enjoy the lightning bolt "Z" branding on the amp too

UTILIZATION

Being a single channel amp, you are limited in initial playability. The secret of the design is how well it accepts a variety of pedals. Being able to mimic both american and british style cleans, gives you a large palette to work with. The build quality is very sturdy, I borrowed one for a few gigs from a local shop and had no troubles with the amp's performance.

SOUNDS

I played through the Dr.Z with a Fastback Telecaster and a 70's Les Paul standard. Dr.Z 2x12 cab. Xotic EP Booster.

As stated, the amp can deliver convincing impressions of both classic Fender and Vox tones. When you push the amp, it will breakup very sweetly. Dirty blues is it's forte, but when boosted the amp can become quite aggressive. The EQ bypass is excellent for leads, it can really push you through a dense mix with little trouble. Both single coil and humbuckers sound more than agreeable with the amp.

OVERALL OPINION

The Dr. Z Maz 38 is a brilliant pedal platform, offering both good clean headroom and the ability to have bite when necessary. The amp is very simple and elegant. At a price point of $1899 new, the amp isn't strongly competitive. I feel that the great reputation and image that Dr.Z has built for itself --coupled with just how well the amp performs-- will be more than enough to compensate for it's limited feature set.