*Note: production of this amp ended in Feb. 2018.
M12
“The Dr. Z M12 gives you big tone and clean headroom with 12 watts of power. Designed with the pedal board player in mind, the EF86 front end will devour your pedals and make them sound like they are built into the amp.” – Dr. Z
Specifications
| Power Output | 12 Watts |
| Output Tubes | 2 – EL84 (Cathode Biased) |
| Preamp Tubes | 1 – EF86 (NOS) 1 – 12AX7 |
| Rectifier | 1 – 5AR4 |
| Controls | Volume, Bass, Treble Hi/Lo Input switch |
| Configurations | Head, 1×10 Combo, 1×12 Combo, 2×10 Combo |
| Colors | Black, Blonde, Red |
| Dimensions & Weight | Head: 17 1/2” W, 9” H, 9 1/2” D; 24 lbs. 1×10 Combo: 17 1/2” W, 17” H, 10” D; 35 lbs. 1×12 Combo: 22 1/2” W, 20 1/8” H, 10” D; 36 lbs. 2×10 Combo: 22 1/2” W, 20 1/8” H, 10” D; 43 lbs. |
| Owner’s Manual | Download |
General Information
The Dr Z M12 gives you big tone and clean headroom with 12 watts of power. Designed with the pedal board player in mind, the EF86 front end will devour your pedals and make them sound like they are built into the amp. The M12 will become an essential tool for players that love their pedals as much as their guitars and amps. The simple tone stack gets out of the way and lets your pedals do their thing.
The M12 shares the same tone stack as the Dr Z Route 66. This allows for standard treble and bass sweep up to 12:00. Beyond 12:00 the gain increases in the respective frequencies. The loudest and cleanest tones are found between 10:00 and 2:00 on the bass, treble, and volume controls. Also up front is a Hi and Lo sensitivity switch. Much like the Hi/Lo dual input on many of our amps, this switch will yield clean sounds from hotter pickups in the Lo setting. You can also use the Lo setting for a cleaner input signal for heavy drive and modulation pedals. The Hi setting will yield the strongest dynamics and input gain.
All that being said, what happens when you get things really cooking and turn the volume and treble up past 3:00? You’ll find over the top dynamics, drive, and chime without ever getting harsh. Think of the M12 as the perfect half powered offspring of the Z Wreck and Stang Ray. You get the clarity of the Stang Ray with the sweetness and ease of the Z Wreck.
The M12 is available as a head, 1×10 (w/Z10), 1×12 (w/Greenback), and 2×10 (w/Z10 pair) combo. The 1×10 combo makes for a great home and studio amp that delivers a full bodied big sound for recording and rocking in a compact package. Add on a Brake Lite to the 1×10 and you’ll have a great platform for playing at home while the big rig is waiting for the next show. Put the M12 head on top of a 2×12 cabinet and you have a full balanced sound ready to take to the stage.
