I'm not much of a pedal guy, so let me ask the experts... I'm using a Hamer Artist (Set Lovers) into a Maz Jr w/reverb and a 1x12 EVM-12 cab. I can get a nice, full harmonically rich rhythm sound dialed into the amp, but my moderate overdrive and screaming lead tones are way too brittle. On my pedalboard, I run the guitar into a Radial power booster set to unity gain -> Maxon CP-101 -> Fulldrive 2 -> OCD v2 -> V-Stack. All pedals are powered by a Pedal Power. The compressed sound and boosted sound (with the Fulldrive) sound reasonably good, but the crunchy rhythm tone out of the OCD is harsh, shrill and brittle, as is the lead tone from the V-Stack. Even with both tone controls on the OCD and V-Stack nearly off, the tone is STILL harsh. If I pull the pedals off my board and use them individually between the guitar and amp I get the same results. What would you guys suggest to get a nice chunky rhythm tone and a Marshally lead tone out of this rig? joe
I have a Jr..well actually two of them. I also have the Fulldrive II Mosfet (blue one) and an OCD ver3. I'm assuming that your OCD is version 1, because version 3 seems much darker and bassier by comparison. Truth be told, from my perspective I like the sound of a good old tubescreamer with this amp the best so far. Especially with my 335.
A lot of it depends on how you set your Maz Jr. I tend to set mine so that it has a little hair when I really dig in to it, but stays clean with a light attack. From there, I set my FD2 (comp cut) to give the the drive and boost I need to send it over the edge... this is with a strat or tele. Eh, it's a thought anyway. Don't be afraid to use your master volume. .m
i'll second the master volume comment. Also..... I did not like my OCD or FDII at all with this amp. the FDII i could get set to certain spots and enjoy, but i couldnt get a consistent balance with different pickups, and there were some flat out ugly settings. I didn't much enjoy the OCD either, but that one was sort of out the door by the time i bought my Maz. I'm using mostly COT and E right now, with a fair amount of Box of Rock also. Barber Direct Drive is a big step up on the OCD, IMO. I think the Barber LTD is almost perfect with this amp, it's been rotating with the COT. LTD for a bit more high end clarity and smoothness, COT for bit more bass (voiced perfectly for me, in this gain range) and just a little more attack and sharpness. I'm using Tele into Maz jr Reverb head, Z cab with 1/12 blue. Also experimenting with a 2/12 greenback set. cheers
oh yeah,...... what i was actually thinking first when i saw this thread, was that i had just traded off a Hotcake before i picked up my Maz, and that it would probably be a great fit. just a thought.
I've had good experiences with the Jr (4 years now) combined with an AC booster, and now an eternity (more natural drive, though it has a hefty midrange boost in comparison to the AC). That's typically with setting the volume to 2 or 3pm, and the master around 11am. Into the high input that gives a pretty driven rhythm tone, and then a very gainy lead tone (using Fralin hums and unbuckers, and Antiquity hums). I never quite got to where I wanted with a low volume (knob that is) setting, and achieving the same rhythm crunch and lead gain, pedals just didn't get me there without a significant boost in volume. as of late, I use the first gain setting and a Carr Rambler for cleans. works nicely joe
Pardon my ignorance, but is the "E" the Lovepedal Eternity and the "C" the Lovepedal Church of Tone?? Thanks for all the tips !! Joe
When I had my Maz Jr., the absolute best tone I ever heard come out of it was with a Proanalog Dual Drive. Absolutely killer with strat and tele.
My Maz Jr and SG both love my Hot Cake the most. The presence control on the Hot Cake works very well with the Maz for finding that sweet spot to sit it just right in the mix.
i use a COT50 for marshall sounds and stack it with a timmy for lead sounds. however, since you've got humbuckers i doubt you'd need to stack them - using one at any given time should work well.... barber LTDs will work well too with the COT50. the original LTD has a bit of a mid-hump that complements the flat EQ'd COT50 very well....
....i used to use a Maz JR with an OCD V1 and it was not harsh...i had a 2-10 combo with Z's 10's....have you tried other speakers?.....
The Jeter Gainstage Red is worth checking out with a MAZ-18. So is the Eternity. Amp settings play into this equation a lot. Ever try treble/mid/bass all full on? Very interesting setting that I found over on the Z forum.
For Marshally stuff from the Maz, try a BJFE Dyna Red or Mad Professor red. Both will get you into the territory you're looking for.
I've got a Maz Sr. and am getting great tone out of a Barber Burn Unit EQ. I run my amp pretty clean too. I've got a CMATMODS Signa Drive on the way, and am looking forward to see what that sounds like through my amp.
A Zvex Box of Rock really kills with the jr., especially if you're looking for a heavy, marshally kind of sound. I've also liked the FDII Mosfet with it although the BoR is much juicier.
