The Dr Z model on the HD500

[whiteop]

I have tried to like the Dr Z amp model on the HD500 but I just can't seem to dial it in where it sounds good to my ears. It sounds too bassy and flubby for my tastes. You guys that are using it - what settings are you using?

 

[GuitarTone]

Try these.
http://line6.com/customtone/tone/210416/
http://line6.com/customtone/tone/211467/
http://line6.com/customtone/tone/211522/

No matter how I set the DrZ I like it...but, mids never past 1 o'clock otherwise it gets a little nasally, drive on 10 sounds nice.

 

[atquinn]

Someone made a post in here of DrZ settings that sound awesome for single coils (maybe it's one the patches GT linked to). With a smidge of tweaking, it became my go-to "clean" strat patch. Awesome.
-
Austin

 

[Pietro]

Remember also that sometimes a particular model is simply not a good fit for a certain guitar... more so than actual amps, imho.

If the Z doesn't work with your guitar... move on...

 

[jhall]

I find the Dr.Z to have a sweet mildly crunchy tone. With the tube compressor in front and a Screamer too it has tons of good tones to it. It Does seem to have a slight hint of fizz or like a crinkling cellophane noise on top of it. Mabye there's a certain frequency that needs to be notched out I don't know.
Now that the ver.1.31 firmware is out I find myself in love with the Park-75 with the Phd 2x12 cab. With the Master amp setting turned down to half it sounds excellent.
But that being said, the Dr.Z takes the prize for that sweet KKKEEEERRRRRAAAAANNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!! sound that I grew up with.

 

[whiteop]

Am a big fan of the Park 75 model myself. Thanks for the CustomTone patches. I'll give them a try.

 

[KozMcCharlie]

Try a different mic with the Dr Z... I personally like the 87 and the 421. It also helps to add a little air... Around 25% seems to do it for me. Oh... And the 2x12 Silver Bell cab sometimes makes the amp very nice indeed.

 

[scolfax]

My favorite patch is a Dr. Z with a Colorsound pedal in front and a tiny bit of reverb in back. I use it with a G&L Legacy and can get an amazing variety of tones by just changing my pickups and using my guitar's volume and tone controls.

 

[GuitarTone]

Now that the ver.1.31 firmware is out I find myself in love with the Park-75 with the Phd 2x12 cab. With the Master amp setting turned down to half it sounds excellent.

Read your post, tried the P75 with the PHD cab, came up with this patch.

http://line6.com/customtone/tone/212534/

I find the PHD cab goes well with the Boost Comp, but I turn the Boost Comp so it's just a slight boost in volume when turned on.

 

[Johnkenn]

I think the Dr. Z might be the best model in the whole batch...I'm using it with a Tele and it sounds fantastic...Deluxe sounds amazing with that too...

 

[MKB]

I've ended up using the Dr.Z with a clean boost for every song in several gigs. You can get everything from good cleans to good lead saturation with that setup. I just never felt the need to switch to any other patches. It's GOOOOD. I swear Line 6 has gotten the dynamic response to several of the HD models working better than any tube amp I've ever used. The Dr.Z is just one.

 

[beavisguitar99]

Normally I hesitate to call troll, but the Dr. Z model is probably the most popular HD amp model. It's not only super accurate but is sounds out of this world in so many different configurations. If you want to bash the HD I'm all for hearing it, just don't touch the Dr. Z....it's amazing.

 

[Will Chen]

This tune is the Dr Z model with Tube Driver (I think, might be the TS or Boost Comp) kicked in for the dirtier bridge section. I really like it a bunch but lately have been using the Deluxe Vib model as well...

 

[guitarnet70]

This tune is the Dr Z model with Tube Driver (I think, might be the TS or Boost Comp) kicked in for the dirtier bridge section. I really like it a bunch but lately have been using the Deluxe Vib model as well...

Very nice Will! I love it.

 

[t3oi]

It has become my favorite amp model on the HD500. It is very guitar dependent, so you have to tweak per guitar I find.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

The Dr Z is a GREAT amp model. I've used it with 5 different guitars aid it always sounds great.

 

[Will Chen]

Very nice Will! I love it.

Thanks!

 

[jamiefbolton]

do you guys hear a fizzy sound as the notes ring out? is that typical of a real Dr Z?

 

[GuitarTone]

do you guys hear a fizzy sound as the notes ring out? is that typical of a real Dr Z?

It's typical of a guitar amplifier, if there's no fizz then the amps switched off.

 

[mdme_sadie]

The Dr fizZ isn't my favorite amp either. But then it's horses for courses. Lots of folk prefer the old Line6 stuff to the HD because it's less bassy, doesn't simulate sag so it's "tighter" and as it's basically just digital fizz they feel it's smoother because it's a more consistent fuzz tone. Personally I thought they sounded like a digital beehive. There are lots and lots of great tones to be had in the HD, many folk love the Dr Z, not everyone has to though.

It's all personal choice you don't *have* to like everything you can do with an FX unit. With real amps lots of folk love Vox AC30's, personally I can't stand the AC30 at all even if it does work well with FX, it sounds like amp in a shoebox to me. I know folk out there who can't stand Marshall amps in real life, abhor Fenders, are disgusted by Mesa's. That doesn't mean any of these amps are inherently bad, just that everyone looks for something different in their own pursuit of tone perfection.

A good example in the Pod HD that I find ironic is the hate people have for the greenbacks cabinet. They think it's too bassy, too boomy, too flubby, yet that's actually how the real thing is, and lots of guitarists love that cab in real life for it's smooth creamy sounds, it's mellow authority and thwack. I'm guessing that most that don't like it have grown up on the older Pods and Laney amps and Trebly recordings, or the more modern Marshalls through the more modern cabs which give it far less smooth brown sound crunch and more crackle and bite (personally I think they sound like they've a solid state overdrive pedal in them, which in fact they do since the 900 onwards). Both sides of this argument are right though, which is why it's great that you can switch out cabs and mics so easily (and would be even greater to offer custom IR support), everyone is after their own dream tone.

Don't feel that you have to try everything in a unit and love it all. If it's even remotely authentic and the sounds really do differ and not all sound the same then in actual fact you really shouldn't like everything available. I think it's a good indicator of the step up in quality of the unit from previous pods, because in the older ones the different amp models were just variations of gain on the same distortion pedal with slightly different EQ as far as I could tell.