Z-Lux 20/40-watt Tube Head Review

Is it really all that? Yes it is. And then some.

I have owned the Z-Lux head and Z-Best cabinet since December and I've had plenty of time on it. I've owned a few Fender amps, most notably a Fender '63 Vibroverb Reissue that I modded through Kendricks amps, and a 70's 100 watt Fender Bassman (silver face). I loved both of those amps and wanted another one in the same voicing, but with a better build quality. For the first time,… read more through the Z-Lux, I'm really hearing every little nuance of my guitars and my playing. I've had a couple of hand-wired Marshall 2061x's, which really let the guitar's character come out, mostly from the pickups. But the Z-Lux goes a little further in my opinion, and you can hear details from the different positions on the neck even, that you've never heard before. It will show you where your guitar needs a little bit of adjustment. It's kind of like having high quality monitors for recording. This amp doesn't need effects in front of it, and sounds better than your effects. I don't need a compressor to even out the notes because this amp kind of breathes with your playing dynamics and sustains a little, slightly longer than a normal amp. In the 40 watt setting, the attack time when you pick a note is tight. The amp also snarls a little if you want it to, so it's got this edge to it, like it's on steroids sort of, ready to get angry if you are. It doesn't have to be that way, but I like to play it setting up the volume at noon and the master around 9 o-clock so that my neighbors don't call the cops. And it can snarl a little at those settings. The master is great for playing at low volumes, as in your wife won't be on your case for playing too loud. And if you like a more wooly feel, the 20 watt setting is good for that - a little looser, less sustain, kind of bouncy. I have a Celstion G12H (30 watts) loaded in another cab and when I use the boost switch, I've got another amp, like a bear unleashed. The sound is more mid focused, kind of woody, but reminiscent of my old Bassman that I dearly love and miss. I don't remember getting that edge of breakup from the Bassman unless I was playing super loud at big outdoor shows. The Z-Lux gets that feel in my living room. The EQ is really a treat. It works superbly. You can sweep through the mid-range settings and cover a lot of Fender territory with that alone. After having this amp for a few months, the reverb and tremolo seem to be voiced very nicely for the amp, in my opinion. I bought this particular Z model for these features. The bottom line is this amp is amazing. Impeccable build quality, pristine sound, looks awesome, tips its hat to Fender for the influence and walks a little further down the road of tone, up to the next level. It's like a great Fender on steroids.

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