"Like
Hot-Rodded tone? Plug into the new King of Tone - The Stang
Ray ." -Dr.Z
General
Info
Dr. Z's newest
creation, the Stang Ray (briefly known as the Stingray
and Mantaray), is the result of his second collaboration with superstar
country guitarist Brad Paisley. After the success of their first
partnership, the Prescription Extra Strength,
Dr.Z and Brad Paisley wanted to develop an amplifier that offered
an additional pallet of tones to work alongside the Prescription
Extra Strength.
Using the classic
setup of a quartet of el84's biased close to true Class A at 30
watts, the new Stang Ray tips its hat to classic
British tones, but like all Dr.Z amps, has its own unique voice.
The preamp uses an EF-86, and it has a 12AX7 phase inverter. Tone
shaping is accomplished with Volume, Tone, and Cut controls, giving
you the ability to dial up a warm tone, but with sweet 3k range
brilliance for beautiful upper treble and nice low-midrange control.
The output transformer was designed by Ken Fischer (Trainwreck),
who also worked with Dr.Z on the Airbrake.
Stang
Ray head with open back 2x12 cabinet, loaded with Celestion Blues
cick on pics above for larger images
Specifications
Power
Output:
30 Watts Output Tubes: 4- EL84 Preamp Tubes: 1-EF86, 1-12AX7 Rectifier:
1-GZ34 Controls:
Volume, Tone, Cut Configurations: Head and 2x12 Combo Colors: Black, Blonde, Red. Most will ship with two-tone
color scheme, with face plate different than cabinet.
Comments
from Dr. Z
Oh yeah... the
new 2006 Dr.Z Stang Ray is now rolling out of the
garage. For years I have had this tone in my head - that early AC-30
tone. The pre Top-Boost piano-like tone, like the opening cord to
" Hard Day's Night "... that big healthy CLANG sound to me is like
a Grand Piano.
Well I have
captured that tone in the Stang Ray. Its notes
are thick but still articulate. Its sound is full and defined, but
not thin. It is full of rich resonance with deep sustain. It is
brilliant with shimmering top end, but no inner ear pain. Strong
mids that don't pinch off, and a rich warm low end that stays defined
and blends for a 3 dimensional balance.
Bring your favorite
guitar down to your Dr.Z Amp dealer, plug into aStang Ray,
and hear the nuances you have been missing.
Reviews
and Comments
Reviews are
coming soon, but in the meanwhile, Stu at Fat Sound
had this to say about the Stang Ray:
" A
simply amazing amplifier designed by Mike Zaite of Dr Z Amplification
to accurately mimic the sound of Brad Paisley's personal '63, Red
Tolex Vox AC-30/4 (pre-top boost model)....the amp Mr. Paisley used
to cut his first studio album. This EF86 front end, quad EL84 amplifier
is the best recreation of this tone that we have ever experienced.
It has all the wonderful midrange complexity and sweetness of the
original Vox amps as well as the same ability to dial up a crystal
clear, shimmery top end *or* a woody, creamy top end combined with
a tight, focused and amazingly defined low end. The dual Celestion
Alnico Blues further the goal of recreating the early Vox tones
and are the perfect compliment to this amplifier. The pre-top boost
AC-30's have less compression than the later versions for a bigger,
more open, less compressed and slightly more immediate sound. When
plugged in to this amp the strings on my guitars felt like guide
wires....simply huge with pregnant single notes that have just the
right amount of mid thickness balanced out by the gorgeously glassy
top end and stringy lows. For the top-boost sounds and gain/compression
levels simply add any of the great Boost pedals currently available.
This amp takes any boost pedal we tried like it was a part of the
amp's circuit and allows for a broad pallet of pre top-boost and
top-boost sounds. Simply amazing!! Hats off to Dr. Z and to Brad
Paisley. This amp is a homerun by every measure of tone!"
...and this
note from Steve Miller:
Dr. Z you
rascal you! Your new Stang Ray is exactly what this patient needed.
I've made a full recovery instantly! I picked up a red combo in
Chicago, tried it at sound check at Ravinia, used it that night
and 17,500 folks went nutz and I haven't looked back, what a great
tone tool! Scotty called today and announced that we now have the
second version ready for the next gigs, Thank you very much for
the express delivery, and for a wonderful amplifier and a tip o'
the hat to Brad and Ken too, great work you
guys this is an instant classic.
Guitar Player magazine reviews
the Airbrake in the May 2004 issue.
Read the review here.
Guitar Player magazine reviews
the Mazerati and Z-28
in the March 2004 issue. Read the review here.
Guitar Magazine (UK)reviewed
the Z28 in May 2004. Read the review here.
Our Japanese Dealer, Prosound Communications,
has added a video interview with Dean Parks to their web site. The
Reality Web Video part 2 includes a segment where Dean demonstrates
his Carmen Ghia. Check it out!
Other Cool
Stuff: Willcutt Guitars has a new "Dr.
Z factory tour on their website...click
here to take the tour!
Stang
Ray 
