Lets talk about it! I have number 20 and its just amazing... I said when I first got it and still am experiencing that it gives you that rollercoaster drop feeling when you're able to gas the master even just a bit. The cleans are so beautiful and harmonically rich and HUGE! Very much a panoramic and IMAX equivalent of sound. It somehow feels like it's coming out of my walls and the floor... maybe it's the cabinet and position in the room but whatever it is, the end result is like being in the ocean and looking into the beautiful endless abys... it just takes you back a bit in the best way. Edge of break up? Nothing like it, clearer than my Silver Z Wreck smoother than a Matchless. Dirty sounds remind me of a super open and postured High Power Tweed Twin or JTM45/100 that's Vox flavored. Great home amp too! I can't get enough and I want a second.

Read More Show Less

I have been at this guitar & engineering thing for 35 + years now between LA & here in Nashville Tn. I have recorded many A list session players here on music row and many who use and love AC styled amps in their rigs, so I am quite familiar with them. I rarely write reviews, ok, I never write reviews, but I just had to share my thoughts in regards to this new Dr.Z Z80 Amp that I recently purchased from Sweetwater and how overly impressed I am with this amplifier.

To say that I was completely floored by this amps 3D-like sound and tonal quality would be an understatement! I have personally owned multiple AC style amps over the years, ie: Vox, Matchless, TopHat, BadCat, etc.. I am not putting those amp manufacturers down at all, but this Z-80 really opened my eyes and ears as to how amazing this amp shines, chimes, and knocks my other amps completely out of the park.



In use, The Z80 amp has tons of headroom and sounds glorious at any volume level that I've played it with. You want power,? This thing can get extremely loud...like...80 watts is its listed spec'd rating, but that is a conservative rating in my opinion. It's nice to have all of that powerful clean headroom if you need it for a larger than life guitar part or for rocking out on your next stadium tour. Either way, this amp covers it all sonically and with a beautiful blissful tone to boot. This amp really shines with iits master volume control circuit that Dr Z has built into this amp. I tested the Master Volume at different levels and gain settings over multiple days in a row now and with fresh and unfatigued ears, I could not hear any discernible tonal loss, nor did the amp feel any less responsive when turning it way down for a late night jam while my kiddos were asleep.

The Z80's EQ section has Bass, Mid, & Treble tone control frequencies which musically compliment the guitars frequency spectrum perfectly, allowing plenty of tonal sculpting without getting overly bass bloated, nasally, or fizzy sounding, (like some other amp manufacturers circuits do.) There is also plenty of gain on tap to rock it out, get it sparkley clean / country twang, or get that mean-in-between edge of breakup growl that I love. There is also an effects loop on the rear as well that works brilliantly and sounds amazing in use. The Amp is dead quiet as it sits on my rack desk.

Those were all the PROS for this Amp...The ONLY Con I have about this amp is that I have not been able to convince my wife that I need TWO of them. LOL ! I can fully Imagine the power and sonic imagery of tracking Stereo Z80 amps in a recording session though!

I have attached a Youtube video of a song I recorded with my Z80 at my studio. In the video I am using multiple sounds, gain/volume settings, and different musical styles in one short song to let people hear the amps true versatility and how it beautifully stacks multiple layers of guitars. I do not own the 2x12 Z80 cabinet that goes with this amp yet, so all of the tones captured on the song were recorded from the Z-80 into one of my load box attenuators with a custom eq and then into my DAW. I used a few delay and reverb pedals and some plugins as well.



In closing, The Dr Z Z80 Amp is a Touchdown - Super Bowl - Gold Ring winner of an Amp! Buy it! You wont regret it & You can thank me later!



Rock on people!



JD

Read More Show Less