Z Wreck Jr. 15-watt Tube Head Review

Stop shopping and buy a Z-Wreck Jr.

Brad Paisley is a fantastic country guitar player with a fantastic recognizable tone, thanks to Dr Z (and Brad's years of dedication to his craft). In a way, I think Brad has done the Z-wreck lineup a disservice as most those who i talk to think it is just for country music. In my overinflated but amateur opinion, that couldn't be farther from the truth. This amp rocks. Best… read more of all, for those of us mere mortals who will never grace a stage with our presence, This amp rocks at quiet volumes with no attenuation required.

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My favorite amp

I have owned 20 or more amps over the past 20 years and this is my favorite. I have owned a couple Zs before too but they didn't quite do it for me. The closest would have been the Maz 18, which I found a bit stiff sounding and felt like I had to wind it up a bit to get it sounding it's best, which was too loud for the band in a the time. When the Z-Wreck came out I was intrigued… read more but I knew it would be way too loud for me in most practical applications. So I was very happy to see the jr. arrive, though it was a while until I finally went for it. Super glad I did! I bought the head and used it with a Gold loaded Z-112 I had already. It sounded great but decided to try a 25w GB, like the combo comes with, and find it pretty close but just a bit better overall. The amp does break-up relatively early but the clean notes seem to come to the top in a band mix. My last rehearsal the drummer complimented my sound a couple times and said how clean my "guitar" (Gretsch G6128T-53 Vintage Select Edition) was, even though the V and M were both on noon. It also depends a lot on how you pick - due to it's touch sensitive nature which is a good thing. I also get a great clean sound with my Collings CL with V around 10:00 and the bass rolled back also to about 10:00. When I do want more dirt the MV works as good as any attenuator I've tried. Sound stays pretty much the same though the full sing of that knob (all else equal). When at home, I often plug straight in (not a big reverb guy) but it does great with pedals as needed. It's warmer and thicker than I generally associate with EL85 amps but it doesn't flub out like and AC15 once you get the juice goin. The Z-wreck Jr. has an extra punch and clarity that puts a smile on my face at home, during band practice, and on stage.

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The Amp that makes you understand dynamics.

Be aware. This amp is going to make you hear any lingering sounds in your playing. Things you did not hear in your playing before, your going to hear it now. No hiding. No running away. It will catch you. First impression. It's heavy for fifteen watts. GOOD! Good sounding amps need heavy transformers. Next. It's loud for 15 watts. The Master Volume takes care of that with out loosing… read more dynamics. Bravo to Mr. Paisley for his country music, but I like classic rock to blues, so I tried it with a Les Paul into a Vintage 30 and a Greenback. Construction is better than other "boutique" amps that I have had In The past. If your a tone junky, Buy this amp. It's not just for tele's.

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WOW!! Does not disappoint!

The headline here - this amp is incredible, and absolutely lives up to the hype. for context, I've been playing for more than 30 years and already have some very fine amps - a Matchless Chieftain and a Fender Princeton '65 reissue with a 12" speaker. So it's in good company and still is a standout. I'm running the Z Wreck Jr through the Matchless Cab (which includes a stock… read more Matchless speaker plus a Greenback), and it really works well through this setup. The greenback has a more aggressive bite and punch, while the stock matchless speaker has a smoother sound. I've worked the amp over with 4 different guitars with very different pickups, and the Z plays nice with all of them. I do feel it really shines on bridge pickups...there is some good mojo there. Keeping the volume low and cranking the master provides a gorgeous clean sound. As you bring up the volume you go from bluesy edge-of-breakup tones into full on glorious overdrive. The clarity of the overdrive is great, I can hear each note ringing out... it sounds huge! The master volume works extremely well at managing overall volume without affecting tone....to a point. To my ears, as the master volume drops below the 9:00 setting the tone does begin to suffer a little, but i don't find i need to go that low anyway. The amp is definitely touch-sensitive, and responds well to the guitar's volume knob or just "digging in" to the notes. The cut, bass, and treble knobs are responsive. I find I'll vary the cut quite a bit depending on the guitar I'm playing and the sound I'm going after - so its a very useful tool for shaping the sound. all in all, great amp. worth every penny.

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What a wonderful box of joy - touch sensitive galore

I got this wonderful amp 3 months ago and it became my No. 1 amp very quickly. It is so touch sensitive that you don't need pedals, use your guitar volume, control you picking and you can enjoy such a palette of sounds. This will also make you much better player, it will put on display all your technique quality (or lack of it :D) which is great (in both cases - now you know what… read more you need to work on). And then comes Master volume. Imagine having all your wonderful, edge of breakup tones and dynamics, but on the real bedroom volumes. No more excuses - it is too late I cannot practice because it is too loud. Dynamic range is preserved and all the playing nuances are still exposed even on whisper volume level. Any good Dr. Z's amp is great, but Z Wreck Jr is absolutely perfect for me.

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