My new Dr Z Carmen Ghia

[i love sharin foo]

Well, new to me. The head was built in 2007, when they still had the conjunctive filter on the output which had to be removed in later models. From what I understand, those with it aren’t as bright and are a bit thicker sounding. This one sounds great. It is a very nice change from all the Fender stuff I usually use. It IS really punchy and crisp, but not harsh. There’s a certain clarity no matter how it’s set that I love. It’s clear, but I wouldn’t call it bright. Not like an old blackface Fender with the bright switch on. The tone control is really interesting. It honestly reminds me of a Big Muffs. The amp has enough clarity that even full bass is not too muddy to use. It’s amazing how clear fast 7th arpeggios and stuff sound. The cab is a convertible 1x12 with a Greenback in it. While waiting on the cab to get here, I was running it through my Matamp 4x12 with Creambacks and I have to say the Greenback is much better suited for the amp. That’s not much of an apples to apples comparison though. I read some old posts here about Carmen Ghias and it seems like they weren’t too highly revered. I’m really happy though. It breaks up easily and has way more character than I expected based on what I’d read. It’s not a stiff, sterile circuit. At least not this one. Maybe it’s because of the age. Perhaps I just got a good one. Possibly I have no taste. Who knows. But I do like it a lot.

[marqueemoon]

I sold mine because i felt like it had taught me everything it could. I ultimately wanted something more forgiving.

They're still good amps though.

[zhivago]

Excellent score!

I have been interested in Dr Z stuff for many years, but never ever came across one in the UK.

The Ghia is a classic for sure, and the one I've always been intrigued by is the Z-Wreck....who knows, maybe one day I will find one and run in stereo!

The Dr Z YouTube channel is pretty cool, by the way...there was a nice video of a guy's huge collection a while ago, and there's also tons of AMA videos. Worth subscribing to.

[Jonesie]

Nice! I've always been curious about these. I've heard my buddy's Maz 38 a few times (at like, 1 on the volume knob at a gig, because holy shit that amp is loud) and always thought it sounded great. Congrats!

[crazyzeke]

I had a friend who coveted the Dr. Z stuff with a passion - he was an excellent blues-rock player too. Ended up with a Cornford amp, and I don't know if they were all like his but it was pretty uninspiring to play through. He should have waited, saved up more and gone for a Z!

The cab is a convertible 1x12 with a Greenback in it.

Can't go far wrong with a Greenback with the option for open back cab. I stopped using 4x12" closed back years ago as a properly set 1x12" open will fill a room better and not get so much in the way of the bassist, plus it's much quicker to pack down/load out at the end of a gig where you just wanna get home with one or two 1x12" cabs than a 4x12" - I don't miss loading one of those into the back of the car.

I read some old posts here about Carmen Ghias and it seems like they weren’t too highly revered.

From what you've written this one is pretty revered though anyway it might be a perception over time thing, too. Guitarists are often set in their ways and resistant to change/new brands but then catch up years later. The same who might rave about a vintage Plexi might not about an amp they don't know, however in my case I'm way more interested in stuff like this cos I've had vintage Marshalls before, and Dr. Z is still very boutique/rare in the UK, don't think I've ever seen one up close actually, not for a long time at least.

Always makes me happy seeing something this side of the millennium that's point to point on board wiring rather than tiny little SMD components. Beautiful workmanship too - little flux here and there but overall tidy, I think.

[i love sharin foo]

I love this amp! The immediacy of attack is really great for me. Every guitar sounds like itself. I am pretty much a dyed in the wool neck pickup user and this thing is just absolutely perfect for that. The string to string definition is unlike anything else that I’ve used. I’m not getting rid of any of my other amps, but this one definitely has its place.

[B.T.]

Congrats! I’d love to have one. I have a Hammond AO-35 sitting around for years waiting for me to cannibalize it into a Ghia. Some day, some day…

[Ursa Minor]

Congrats! Cool amp! I’ve always had an eye on these but never got to play one. Like the idea of string to string definition, especially on complex chords. I’m also a big neck pickup player and like how this sounds.

How does this compare against your other amps in this regard? Would you say it’s a more revealing amp? I’ve wondered if amps like this are harder to get used to. I’ve been playing Princetons pretty much exclusively for over a decade so i imagine it would be an adjustment. I feel like those are fairly forgiving.

[crazyzeke]

I love this amp! The immediacy of attack is really great for me. Every guitar sounds like itself.

I think that's a Dr. Z trademark right? I've heard that said before, because it's a pretty non-cluttered circuit and tone stack made with high quality components, it lets the differences between guitars be heard and felt more. For me that's one of the most appealing things.

The older I get the more I use the neck pickups in various guitars. I mean, I'm writing a Killing Joke style song and that sounds like it should be a bridge bucker job but nope, it has more clarity of complex chords (there's an augmented chord in there, and what I assume is a maj13) on the neck single and I figured Geordie played a single coil guitar so if it worked for him, why not.



Not his exact ES-295 but they're such great looking and sounding guitars... imagining that going through a decent boutique amp like the Ghia there is drool worthy

[i love sharin foo]

I pulled the GE 5751 out of V2 and stuck an old Sylvania 12AX7 in there to see how it sounds. I think I like the 12AX7 a little bit better. There’s some more fuzziness around the edges and it’s a bit softer feeling. As you would expect, the headroom dropped a little as well. It is not a night and day difference but noticeable. I really like this amp. The point where it sounds good is a fair bit louder than my 5F2 and 6G2 Princetons are which is to be expected, but I think I may build a reactive attenuator to bring the volume down a bit. I am getting used to an amp that has some headroom for a change. I haven’t used anything like that in quite a while so there’s been some trial and error and a bit of a learning curve.

[crazyzeke]

I pulled the GE 5751 out of V2 and stuck an old Sylvania 12AX7 in there to see how it sounds. I think I like the 12AX7 a little bit better. There’s some more fuzziness around the edges and it’s a bit softer feeling. As you would expect, the headroom dropped a little as well. It is not a night and day difference but noticeable. I really like this amp. The point where it sounds good is a fair bit louder than my 5F2 and 6G2 Princetons are which is to be expected, but I think I may build a reactive attenuator to bring the volume down a bit. I am getting used to an amp that has some headroom for a change. I haven’t used anything like that in quite a while so there’s been some trial and error and a bit of a learning curve.

Tube swaps are fun and often lead to excellent results. Something I like doing on old Marshalls (JCM800 and before) are swapping the 12AX7 (aka ECC83 for us Euros) for a 12AU7 (ECC82) in the phase inverter. Tames the massive amount of volume and gives better dynamics, headroom, harmonics etc. It can seriously improve the tone of an amp if done right, especially with JJs or what have you.

I love attenuators - my favourite was the THD Hot Plate. I'm always tempted to get another one but to be honest, one of my tube guitar amps now is used for the organ sim and clean headroom is important, I don't need a ton of power tube distortion, nice as it sounds.

I don't suppose you're able to make any sound clips are you? It's a rare amp and I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to hear it.

[i love sharin foo]

I don't suppose you're able to make any sound clips are you? It's a rare amp and I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to hear it.

I don’t have any means to record. It’s been a long time since I did. It’s a really cool amp and I’m glad I got it. It has a JJ 12AX7 in the first position right now. I think I am going try an old GE or Sylvania in there, too. It’s like a Fuzz Face in a way.. the circuit is so simple that little things make bigger difference than they might with more complex circuits.

[crazyzeke]

I don’t have any means to record. It’s been a long time since I did. It’s a really cool amp and I’m glad I got it. It has a JJ 12AX7 in the first position right now. I think I am going try an old GE or Sylvania in there, too. It’s like a Fuzz Face in a way.. the circuit is so simple that little things make bigger difference than they might with more complex circuits.

If I'm ever short a mic I just use a recording app on my phone (Android, app is called ASR and is free). My now quite old Galaxy S9+ has stereo pair mics which compress rather than clipping which is useful for grabbing home demos (I sing loud) and band rehearsals at a pinch. Instant MP3s and then you can share via socials or email etc.

JJ tubes rule, you can't go far wrong. Only things I ever found to rival them were NOS or reclaimed (i.e. taken out of old amp) Philips and Mullard, with the latter being the absolute gold standard in tube tone, for 12AX7s at least (I had a bunch of them and really wish I'd kept them).

I agree with you that simple amp circuits are the best - also easier for techs to work on, especially when you choose ones where the tube sockets aren't PCB mounted. The only place I personally like complexity is in the effects. I expect due to the high standard of build and components you could wind the Ghia right up and roll the guitar volume to control gain with or without pedals, with minimal noise through the speaker if it's just the amp.