ShortScale.org

Should I do it ? Been considering it for about a year now.

Never been 100% happy with my C30...

its solid state... it will never have the tube warmth..... Classic 30 + Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret = Awesome

it might not have the warmth when it's just a clean signal, but stick a mild overdrive pedal in front of it on a very low gain setting and i'm sure it'll be fine. that's kind of what they're designed for, isn't it?

i did that for ages when i was using the JC120 on its own, sounded fine.

Really interested in this thread.

Would love to see how it would work out with the ZT and also how it would compare to the C30 - I love those things.

no C30 is amazing!

The standard questioning!

1) What is it about your C30 you don't like?
2) Have you tried different valves/speaker/pedals etc. with it?
3) Have you tried the ZT?
4) Are you prepared to trade a valve amp in for a solidstate one?

I say Yes. You sacrifice a little richness, but I love the reliability of SS. In a live or rehearsal situation, nobody notices or cares. For recordings you can borrow someone's amp.

Yep, why not? An amp you're not keen on for what may well be a refreshing change.

Doog wrote:The standard questioning!

1) What is it about your C30 you don't like?
2) Have you tried different valves/speaker/pedals etc. with it?
3) Have you tried the ZT?
4) Are you prepared to trade a valve amp in for a solidstate one?

1. Erm... it's tricky... one day I thinks it's a really great amp... another, very mediocre. Even to the point when I think is because the tubes are warmer etc etc... It's also a bi-sexual amp lol. Neither Marshall nor Fender... there is a confusing identity and I think it measures in what I play and how I approach the amp.

2. Not tried different valves, but have outed the blue marvel for a celestion vintage 30 which I like. It's closer to marshall which is more like the direction I would like to go.

3. Yes, I liked it.... very loud. Everyone says it's a little cold and synthetic sounding but I liked that about it. I do have a little concern about the MDF shell making it a little toy-like. But for my home which is it's main use... I think it'll handle better than the C30, I can't generate the volumes which will allow the C30 to sing. I'm not playing gigs at the moment... but always feel the ZT could always fill those shoes if need be... and in my studio flat be subtle enough not take up half the living room.

I'm not fussed about valve and trans... sound is sound. It can look how it looks and I'll happily trade whatever as long as it's an even exchange. I do love the fact the ZT could be taken onto tube etc.

Ideally I would have a Marshall JCM800 combo... but it's weighty and a little untrustworthy.

I have also considered other amps for home / recording & gigs which include Tiny Terror combo / Blues JR / Laney V15. Sound wise I reckon I'd prefer these amps over the C30 without having compared side by side. But are any of these loud enough for gigs at a gritty clean sound. ?

hmmmm...errrr.....
thanks all...
O

So I think I may have bagged one of these for about half the price they sell for new which means I will hold onto the Peavey and try them side by side and sell on the one I like least eventually.

Do you think a third party amp repair guy would have any troubles working on one of these if something was to go wrong ?

that's what worries me now....

cheers
Owen

Solid state, digital power amp - nothing that should really foul up. All the chips will have thermal shutoff systems and overload protection, etc. The internal voltages and heat will be relatively low. Solid state is beautiful once you learn to tune out the snobs.

Apparently ZT have amazing customer service, so I'd probably just hit them up if anything went wrong.

Also am excited to see how this turns out demos?

Well I chickened out on the £200 ZT (£200 !!!!) due to just moving flat and having lots of things to buy, including car expenses.

I've been in a quandary ever since to the point when I'd emailed the guy back to see if it had sold, it had.

I tried it once before in another shop and was kinda undecided... after much persuasion I got my manager to get the amps in the shop I work for on SOR. This gave me a really good chance to trial it out properly... It's great in certain respects but for my needs it's didn't stand up to the mark & I've been left a little disappointed It's very one dimensional and the sound itself is very channeled, unless you're directly in it's path. It's really loud... deafeningly loud. However without sounding muddy there is an ingredient missing from the mix. I tried the amp with several different guitars and pedals... but I wasn't hugely impressed. The Dano Cool Cat Drive 2 which I love, I've used many a time on various amps to impress a customer sounded pretty bad on this amp... I thought it was pretty much set up for this reason ? to handle pedals well ?

For very light gain on a good quality instrument or for jazz I reckon it'd come into it's own very well. Just not for me !!

On the bright side my classic 30 has been getting a lot use and it has been all love for the last few weeks. Really pleased now that I didn't sell it haha...

Game over.
cheers
Owen