Dr Z EZG 50 - Does it really stays clean at high volumes?

johnmontana

Hi there,
Anyone can advice about Dr. Z EZG 50 head, please? I am looking for nice round cleans at high volumes, no break up...would the EZG be a good option?
Never played one but have seen loads af great vids and raving reviews...However for couple of hundreds more I could get a Two Rock Studio Pro 100w...(both second hand, of course)
How would you compare the two, which one would you go for?
Cheers!

richardhomer

No experience of Dr Z but Two Rock cleans are unbelievably clean.

meltedbuzzbox

Fender twin if you want cleans or another member of the black/silver face family

hywelg

Depends how hard you hit it. Low output single coils with a limpwrist will be clean nearly all thee way up, but fit 12's, to a LP, with hot pups and start spanking it, it will break up.

Bear in mind the EZG is an AB763 cct (with added master volume), the same as you'd find in a BF Super Reverb, Bandmaster, Deluxe etc and various others, and its common that these will start to break up at round 4½ on the volume dial. This is generally very loud and is the sweet spot most players aim to get to. I dont think you would be up at that level in sub 250 seat gigs. Speakers make a huge difference mind.

Jackobean

Based on your description I'd be looking at a Fuchs Clean Machine or another SSS clone.

Having said that a Twin will get you there too.

57Deluxe

EZG 50 is my fave of the Dr Z too... you dug the demos out on YT right??

Actually it was during the time I was considering it - particularly for the Black Face tones - that I stumbled on the Fender SuperSonic 60 and realised it did the same tones as the EZG 50 and some, and cheaper... got that instead. Am well pleased - even 5 years on!

Cacofonix

I went for the 35W Two Rock over the Dr Z in the end.

It is a smoother sound than the Dr Z, and (although I haven't been able to crank it other than to "test" it on it's maiden voyage, it doesn't break up, even at ridiculously loud volume.  As the main audience at the moment is The Good Lady, the fact that she liked the sound - and I tried a number of double-blind tests - is also a plus.

I goosed it with a Tube Factor to push it over the edge inna valve stylee.  Tried it for the first time yesterday, and couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Don't know about the 50.

johnmontana

Actually , I am considering the Clean Machine now..Have you ever played one? Thanks!

Jackobean said:

Based on your description I'd be looking at a Fuchs Clean Machine or another SSS clone.

Having said that a Twin will get you there too.

thisisguitar

I doubt you'd need the 100w Two Rock Studio Pro. The 50w has enough headroom in abundance. Two Rock reckon their amps sound best at 50-90% of volume (which I can vouch for), and if you bypass the tone stack (the 'boost' pull out) it will crunch really nicely.

I choose the Two Rock over the EZG 50 btw. It's clean sound is wonderful, but the crunch really is fabulous. Best reverb unit I've ever heard on an amp too, only one I've ever been able to turn up full and it still sounds great.

Kinda like it :-)

johnmontana

thisisguitar said:

I doubt you'd need the 100w Two Rock Studio Pro. The 50w has enough headroom in abundance. Two Rock reckon their amps sound best at 50-90% of volume (which I can vouch for), and if you bypass the tone stack (the 'boost' pull out) it will crunch really nicely.

I choose the Two Rock over the EZG 50 btw. It's clean sound is wonderful, but the crunch really is fabulous. Best reverb unit I've ever heard on an amp too, only one I've ever been able to turn up full and it still sounds great.

Kinda like it :-)

Thanks, great info!

thisisguitar

@johnmontana - You're welcome mate.

Have you had a chance to try any of the amps yet?

I should have mentioned I generally play single coils (US deluxe Strat with SCN pickuks, or my US standard Tele) through it. Be aware that the 'effect level' control on the back of the amp basically acts as a master volume on the Two Rock, it can seem confusing if you don't know that when you first try one. 

johnmontana

thisisguitar said:

@johnmontana - You're welcome mate.

Have you had a chance to try any of the amps yet?

I should have mentioned I generally play single coils (US deluxe Strat with SCN pickuks, or my US standard Tele) through it. Be aware that the 'effect level' control on the back of the amp basically acts as a master volume on the Two Rock, it can seem confusing if you don't know that when you first try one. 

Hi, actually I think I will settle for a Fuchs Clean Machine 100w, seems to be a fantastic amp...clean machine! Did you ever had the chance to play one? Some say that it is Fuchs take on SSS Dumble....

thisisguitar

@johnmontana said:

thisisguitar said:

@johnmontana - You're welcome mate.

Have you had a chance to try any of the amps yet?

I should have mentioned I generally play single coils (US deluxe Strat with SCN pickuks, or my US standard Tele) through it. Be aware that the 'effect level' control on the back of the amp basically acts as a master volume on the Two Rock, it can seem confusing if you don't know that when you first try one. 

Hi, actually I think I will settle for a Fuchs Clean Machine 100w, seems to be a fantastic amp...clean machine! Did you ever had the chance to play one? Some say that it is Fuchs take on SSS Dumble....

I haven't tried one, but I've heard good things. At least it's attainable, unlike a SSS!

[Deleted User]

it's nothing like an SSS, I've used the Clean Machine a fair bit, and it's not voiced like the SSS number 2, 4 or 5 which are the "famous" ones.

I'd VERY strongly advise you to go and play these amps before considering trying to spend this much money, and I'd VERY strongly advise you to try the 100w amps at the volumes you want to use before making any decisions.

johnmontana

Hi there,thanks a lot for your advice. Would you mind telling us a bit more about your experience with the "clean machine" please?
Cheers!

darcym said:

it's nothing like an SSS, I've used the Clean Machine a fair bit, and it's not voiced like the SSS number 2, 4 or 5 which are the "famous" ones.

I'd VERY strongly advise you to go and play these amps before considering trying to spend this much money, and I'd VERY strongly advise you to try the 100w amps at the volumes you want to use before making any decisions.

darcym said:

it's nothing like an SSS, I've used the Clean Machine a fair bit, and it's not voiced like the SSS number 2, 4 or 5 which are the "famous" ones.

I'd VERY strongly advise you to go and play these amps before considering trying to spend this much money, and I'd VERY strongly advise you to try the 100w amps at the volumes you want to use before making any decisions.

[Deleted User]

what do you want to know, I used the 75 watt and 100 watt head for a while.

johnmontana

darcym said:

what do you want to know, I used the 75 watt and 100 watt head for a while.

Well, I am after the 100w, I am hoping to max clean headroom, nice round clean singing voice, I am  also  looking use to OD/DS pedals for bluesy tones etc...any info is helpful really. Cheers!

[Deleted User]

it's a clean fender voiced amp, the 100watt is loud, so unless you are playing big gigs, you'll not get the most out of it, it tends to come alive at around %45 - %70 which is very very loud. pretty much unusable unless you are playing reasonable sized venues.

I used the 75watt version to try to get around this as I was concerned by keeping head room, the 75watt doesn't quite sound the same as it uses a different tube configuration, not quite as bell like, but a little warmer, a very nice amp too, still a little loud, but a lot more usable than the 100w

it was basically a nice Fender Twin with a more advanced set of tone controls. I stopped using them due to lack of UK support, too much volume, and they are quite a big unit in terms of size and weight.

johnmontana

Thanks a lot for the valuable info. What about the half power switch 100W to 50W? Doesn't help ?

darcym said:

it's a clean fender voiced amp, the 100watt is loud, so unless you are playing big gigs, you'll not get the most out of it, it tends to come alive at around %45 - %70 which is very very loud. pretty much unusable unless you are playing reasonable sized venues.

I used the 75watt version to try to get around this as I was concerned by keeping head room, the 75watt doesn't quite sound the same as it uses a different tube configuration, not quite as bell like, but a little warmer, a very nice amp too, still a little loud, but a lot more usable than the 100w

it was basically a nice Fender Twin with a more advanced set of tone controls. I stopped using them due to lack of UK support, too much volume, and they are quite a big unit in terms of size and weight.

[Deleted User]

the half power stuff isn't really what it says on the tin in terms of end results.

it's more a half headroom switch than half power.

ThePrettyDamned

Have you considered a Fender Twin?  They are, for me at least, *the* super clean amp, tons of headroom, sound great at home practice volumes too.  

The only thing is, the originals really need a service on purchasing - they are getting on a wee bit now.  But they are great sounding and, let's face it, they look the part, too.  

Weigh as much as a small star, though... And that is a genuine consideration.  Some have casters fitted, but they're massive amps.  I'm sure that's part of the reason they're available for relatively little dollar.  

Otherwise, MJW of this parish has a model called the Orion which sounds like you can choose what you want - so you'd want a low gain, sparkly clean preamp into a high headroom poweramp.  He might have a bit of a waiting list, though...