So great that someone like you would answer questions like this. It's demonstrates, not only your knowledge but also your sincerity. Cheap marketing too!
I was crossing my fingers that the Doc would explain ultra-linear and BOOM! he did. Thanks, Dr. Z! Most guitarists associate ultra-linear with the "bad tone" of late 70s silver face Twin Reverbs. Like the Antidote, the earliest Bluesbreakers/JTM45s were also ultra-linear and I don't think anyone considers them to have bad tone, proving the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
it's basically a different type of negative feedback ... lots of guitar amps employ negative feedback in the power section, but most do it differently than ULOT taps... the nice thing about ULOT taps is you can then overdrive the phase inverter as well ...it's like having an extra pre-amp tube. the guy that asked for the AMA, must not have expected the speaker to start breaking in and the tubes settling in. that's normal, tube guitar amps "just keep getting better" until everything losens up and settles in, and that's when they are at their best.
Mike, I did the same kinda boost on my beater franken parts Super Reverb.It has a post phase master volume and I ran the mid pot ground to a rear panel jack and made a footswitch with a 100k,10 detent pot with a spst switch across it for a mid boost circuit.It works with single coil pickups or humbuckers.Thanks for all the great amps and videos.
Beauty!!! I was able to snag this amp used last year and it was Cory Haisch who asked ya about this amp. Hes a Dr Z nut and after playing this amp for a year live, it's by far my fav amp I have ever owned next to my 65 Fender Deluxe. I'm now a Dr Z nut and fan!! Its got huge bite and cleans up so nice when you roll back the volume. I need another one now!!
I love this amp but already have a Route 66 and a Remedy. your take on these classic designs not only makes them more useable, but to my ears (I have a 1966, tube rectified Marshall Plexi, with El-34s) they sound punchier and more lively. I love my Plexi. Had it forever, but it is in NO WAY any better than either of my Z amps. It just isn’t. It’s as good, maybe.
Tech question: is the Vintage/Modern switch switching the cathode resistor of one of the preamp stages between the more vintage Fender-like 1kOhm/25uF and a later JMP-like 2.7kOhm/0.68uF cathode bias setup? If so, which stage does it go to? ;) Thanks, guys!
The midrange content comes more from the relationship of the tube and the output transformers impedance than the tube itself. It's more about the circuit than the tube type. The mid range would be roughly the same. The top and bottom would get a little bit clearer.
So, Doc, that begs the question: *have* you ever designed or built an amp for another company? If so, can you tell us who? I'm envisioning a Park or White Amps kind of scenario here...
Have you considered a Dr. Z Brake Lite or Air Brake? I've been playing a Maz 38 NR for the past 4 years and can't live without my Brake Lite. It doesn't change the tone of the amp and now I can use it in any scenario. They are amazing attenuators!
An Air Brake would be what you would want. Less invasive of a procedure, and it would cost around the same as it would be for us to mod it. Trust us when we say, if one of our amps doesn't have a master volume, it's usually because it didn't work well tonally in that particular circuit. Certain master volume designs can alter the negative feedback ratio which can alter the tone drastically. In the case of the Antidote the negative feedback has been tuned in such a way that it is an important aspect of it's sound.
So great that someone like you would answer questions like this. It's demonstrates, not only your knowledge but also your sincerity. Cheap marketing too!
My Antidote still freaks me out to this day how good it sounds.....Stunning !!
I was crossing my fingers that the Doc would explain ultra-linear and BOOM! he did. Thanks, Dr. Z! Most guitarists associate ultra-linear with the "bad tone" of late 70s silver face Twin Reverbs. Like the Antidote, the earliest Bluesbreakers/JTM45s were also ultra-linear and I don't think anyone considers them to have bad tone, proving the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
it's basically a different type of negative feedback ... lots of guitar amps employ negative feedback in the power section, but most do it differently than ULOT taps...
the nice thing about ULOT taps is you can then overdrive the phase inverter as well ...it's like having an extra pre-amp tube.
the guy that asked for the AMA, must not have expected the speaker to start breaking in and the tubes settling in.
that's normal, tube guitar amps "just keep getting better" until everything losens up and settles in, and that's when they are at their best.
My favorite DrZ amp, sounds Amazing!
Thanks Doc!
Mike, I did the same kinda boost on my beater franken parts Super Reverb.It has a post phase master volume and I ran the mid pot ground to a rear panel jack and made a footswitch with a 100k,10 detent pot with a spst switch across it for a mid boost circuit.It works with single coil pickups or humbuckers.Thanks for all the great amps and videos.
Beauty!!! I was able to snag this amp used last year and it was Cory Haisch who asked ya about this amp. Hes a Dr Z nut and after playing this amp for a year live, it's by far my fav amp I have ever owned next to my 65 Fender Deluxe. I'm now a Dr Z nut and fan!!
Its got huge bite and cleans up so nice when you roll back the volume. I need another one now!!
Doc, my favorite AMA yet!
I really enjoy these videos!
ANTIDOTE! "Just be sure to wear yer big boy pants!" LOL... love you, Doc!
Hey Doc! I'd love to hear about the Remedy, this year I'll be getting one for sure!
I like the concept of a lightly filtered amplifier. But how do you get to that point without increasing ripple?
.... I'm gonna end up getting one of your amps.... my bank account just has to be ready to deal with it first. lmao
brilliant amp Sr
Beautifully wired amp!
Thanks
I love this amp but already have a Route 66 and a Remedy. your take on these classic designs not only makes them more useable, but to my ears (I have a 1966, tube rectified Marshall Plexi, with El-34s) they sound punchier and more lively. I love my Plexi. Had it forever, but it is in NO WAY any better than either of my Z amps. It just isn’t. It’s as good, maybe.
Tech question: is the Vintage/Modern switch switching the cathode resistor of one of the preamp stages between the more vintage Fender-like 1kOhm/25uF and a later JMP-like 2.7kOhm/0.68uF cathode bias setup? If so, which stage does it go to? ;) Thanks, guys!
It's like the later 70s marshall's that use .68uF bypass cap on the cathode follower.
Wonder if the kt88 tubes produce more midrange than el84's 🤔
The midrange content comes more from the relationship of the tube and the output transformers impedance than the tube itself. It's more about the circuit than the tube type. The mid range would be roughly the same. The top and bottom would get a little bit clearer.
So, Doc, that begs the question: *have* you ever designed or built an amp for another company? If so, can you tell us who?
I'm envisioning a Park or White Amps kind of scenario here...
While we have entertained offers (as is the case with the Antidote), we have never made an amp that was branded by another company.
Dr Z Amplification Thanks!
Can it be modded with a M/V? 45 watts is more than my venues can handle. Thanks for these great videos!!!
Have you considered a Dr. Z Brake Lite or Air Brake? I've been playing a Maz 38 NR for the past 4 years and can't live without my Brake Lite. It doesn't change the tone of the amp and now I can use it in any scenario. They are amazing attenuators!
An Air Brake would be what you would want. Less invasive of a procedure, and it would cost around the same as it would be for us to mod it. Trust us when we say, if one of our amps doesn't have a master volume, it's usually because it didn't work well tonally in that particular circuit. Certain master volume designs can alter the negative feedback ratio which can alter the tone drastically. In the case of the Antidote the negative feedback has been tuned in such a way that it is an important aspect of it's sound.
ZEE A DEE GIMME!
"A pretty straightforward amp, like MOST of the amps I make." To me, this begs the question as to which Dr. Z is the LEAST straightforward?
In terms of circuit complexity, the Maz 8 board is pretty packed. It would be hard to get more components on the board without going to a PC format.
I would like to betty crocker your amps for me , if you would let me lol
Love this channel. Keep it up