Top Hat

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drtone

Member
Messages
102
Good Evening Everyone,

Does anyone own a Top Hat Club Royale 1 x 12 combo?? This looks like a pretty cool amp with the master feature. Just wondered how it sounded - pretty voxy and big?? Is it pretty portable and usable in a church environment?? Just curious if anyone has any experience?? Also - what is going rate on a nicely kept used one??

Thanks for your time!!!
 
riffmeister

riffmeister

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
16,770
Great amps for clean to crunch. Voxy Marshally tones abound. I've owned three. I've seen them go for under a grand, used.
 
riffmeister

riffmeister

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
16,770
Some but overlap, but a different preamp and therefore a different voice. I've owned both.
 
D

drtone

Member
Messages
102
Do you prefer the DR.Z Maz 18 or the Top Hat Riff??? Just curious which one you would prefer.... going to be playing in church and in an alt country kind of band in small clubs....thanks!!
 
riffmeister

riffmeister

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
16,770
Maz Jr is more Fenderish than the CR. CR is more Brit amp than the Maz Jr. The CR crunches a little sooner than the Maz Jr. The Maz Jr is cleaner than the CR.

Your choice!
 
A

azwhofan

Member
Messages
295
the meister knows what he's talking about when it come to CR's.

He offered some top-notch insights this summer while I went through the process of tweaking my 2x12 CR.

Thanks again Riffmeister! :beer
 
G

GuitarBrent

Member
Messages
2,411
Club Royale sounds nothing like a Maz 18. Club Royale is definitely more Voxy, depending on the era. Maz 18 is very much in the Fendery camp. Totally different amps.
 
jimmyj

jimmyj

Member
Messages
5,610
Here's a link to a thread from a couple weeks ago from some of us happy CR users. :)

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/647068

Here's mine. It sounds wonderful in a low volume situation but sounds ten times better if I can crank it. 90% of the time I run it just with the 1x12 in the combo and the mesa cab is basically an amp stand but if I'm in a large enough venue, like outside with a couple thousand people (mic'ed of course), I might hook up the extension cab. Also, it's a nice grab and go amp because they aren't very heavy for an all tube amp.
As for Brit tone, with the mid knob about 1/2 way it's Voxy and gets more Marshally with the mid knob up all the way.

55tele&TH.jpg


LP&THCR.JPG
 
A

ahab

Member
Messages
1,812
Honestly, I hear nothing but Dr.Z in Dr.Z amps. Not a bad thing, but they never really spoke "fender" to me. I'm sure I am in the minority hear, but I thought I would offer my opinion anyway.
 
N

nnick

Member
Messages
1,489
There have been 4 or 5 changes to the Club Royale since its inception. Check out the Top Hat forums for more details.
 
G

GuitarBrent

Member
Messages
2,411
ahab said:
Honestly, I hear nothing but Dr.Z in Dr.Z amps. Not a bad thing, but they never really spoke "fender" to me. I'm sure I am in the minority hear, but I thought I would offer my opinion anyway.
Click to expand...

I agree that the Dr Z stuff has it's own sound, but the Maz 18 Jr I owned sounded more like a Fender than a Vox with that Dr. Z signature sound on top.
 
E

Elemenavatar

Member
Messages
9
As A Top Hat Dealer I Can Tell You Those Amps Are Amazing. I Hate To Sound Like Im Selling Something Cause I Don't Care Im A Gear Lover Before A Salesman. If The Vox/Fender Tweed Sound Does You In. Then This Is The Best Ive Played. So Clean Yet Punchy It's A Joke. Pricey As All Hell. But We All Know You Get What You Pay For. I Just Did A Series Of Effects Testing Videos Using a Top Hat Club Royal 2x12. Check Em Out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpo9ClJMVNQ
 
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