H1E Tone Tubbage in Z maz 38.....

[mikethebike500]

Hey all....just want to give my FIRST impression of the H1E alnico TT in my Maz 38 reverb amp.

Little bit o background story: I've had the 38 for about 3 months now, and it origianally had the g12h celestion speaker installed. Issues I was having was harshness in the highs/upper mids area...I had alot of experience with that type of speaker in a maz jr , I owned for about nine years. Intially wasn't impressed...it broke in, I loved it. BUT, even after breakin, it could definitely cut ur head off if desired.

So, with the 38, I decided to try a Scumback H75. Which from what I read about it, was a much smoother version of the celestion g12h. With the Scumback, I got the full break in thingy done to it when I ordered it. Basically still felt like I had the g12h sound and tone..to my ears...but the highs were just a bit better, but still not entirely satisfied. As I played it more...I did find that I like it better though, as time went on. And I could see myself just sticking with that speaker, and I was becoming more comfortable with dialing in the Maz 38, to get what I wanted, but again I could rip my head off with Highs...I was still wanting a sweeter sound.

Also worth mentioning, after I installed the Scumback...I did one of the mods mentioned by DR Z. I changed the 500 pf cap on V1 to a 750 pf cap. This did make a subtle difference to me. Little less bright when I had the volume run up High, like I normally would set it.

Now..on to the TT. First of all..well..as we all know...these are NOT inexpensive speakers. So, to say that I have High expectations for the appearance/construction/tone of the speaker would be an understatement. So that said, my impression of the appearance/construction of the speaker was that it was FLAWLESS!!!! It really did look to be put together VERY nicely...paint job was perfect, cone looked great, nothing stood out as being half-azzed. I was pleased.

Now on to the sound. And my first impressions of tone will only be able to be based on low volume playing at this point. First I started with the brakelite on..then switched it completely off. Volume-wise I would say that I was playing like if I were jamming with a buddy who was banging loudly on an acoutic guitar. After reading sooooo many reviews about how some guys saying that it sounded like a blanket was on the amp...that was the one fear I had. Was that it would sound sooooooooo dramatically muffled or something. I really didn't know what to expect. Well, to my ears...it DID NOT sound like it was muffled, or a blanket on the amp at all. Even at the lower volume I was playing...it more or less just sounded a little warmer in tone, compared to the ceramic magnet speakers, I had been soo used to using. And then theres the whole.."it wont sound right until it breaks in theory", well, I may find that to be true, when I get a change to really play it loud...but at the low volumes I was playing it tonight.....it was definetly fine.....it didn't dissappoint me.

Sooooo...sorry, for the long post, but the point is...is that my initial fears about the Hemp cone, and the Alnico...so far...have turned out to NOT be an issue at all. But the true test for me, will be when I get to really turn it up loud, and if it turns out to not be exactly what I wanted...well...ya never know till ya try, but its off to a good start sooo far.

I'll post my LOUD impressions later........

thanks all....Mike

[scotty]

I think you'll find it only gets better!

[chptunes]

Nice post Mike.. and, I agree with Scotty.. it only gets better. Just so you know, I really have noticed an improvement after the break-in period. Mine have really loosened up and 'bloomed'.

;D

[mikethebike500]

hey, just wanted to give an update after about a weeks worth of loud pounding on the TT.

I'd say I got a little over 10 maybe 12 hours worth of loud guitar playin thru the speaker at this point. The guitars I've been using are a Es-347, SG with BB1,2..and an Am std strat.

With the ceramic speakers I had before, I'd say the humbucker guitars were my least favorite to play. The SG was new to me, and I didn't have any experience with BB pickups, so it always sounded very brittle in the high end..wasn't diggin it. But I was really strugglin with my 347, which was really a downer, cause I bought it new in 1990, so its kinda "my baby", and if I couldn't make it sound good, well..not good

Anyway...with the TT...at first what I noticed was that, I really didn't think it sounded bad at high volumes, definitely had that NEW speaker, tightness, but not what I would consider something that made me think..."oh, this sucks" not like that......and I DEFINITELY was NOT getting that sharp painfull Icepick feeling on my eardrums when I was hittin the high notes...plenty of high end, just not painfull sharpness.......

So, as the days passed, and I was able to Rock it out more, and more.....it did seem at times, as if the frequency curve was kinda moving around back and forth a bit....I'm no pro at decribing some of this stuff, but thats just how i percieved it at times.....and I do attribute some of it, to ear fatigue at times also..or just me adjusting to how this new speaker sounds in its own respect...........

bottom line is....I was able to dial in all three of my guitars to sound pretty sweet...and before I wrote this, I had just rocked out the Sg for about an hour....and I really was diggin it....so I'm assumming that after much more break-in time.....and everything evens out, or sweetens up to its full potential, that I will be more than satified

so that said....I'm rollin with the Tubbage

thanks everybody....Mike

[scotty]

Good to hear Mike!

[markT]

Glad to hear the TT is sweetening up the Maz 38!

I bought a Maz 38 2x10...after my first Z amp was a Carmen Ghia 2x10. The 38 was, like you say, very bright and not near as much low end as the Ghia 2x10. I knew that putting 2 TT's in there would tame that amp the way I needed to hear it. However, I ended up sending that amp back and got a Z Remedy. I kinda wish I had kept the 38 and loaded it with Tubby's. Maybe one day!