The odd combination of a pure signal path type of build used in the creation of a high gain single channel guitar amplifier. A volume control and a tone, (tone cut), control on the front. Speaker outputs, fuse and power cord on the back. Nothing that might borrow power or lessen drive or add or subtract from the natural voicing of the amp.
This type of boutique build is usually used in the construction of either a clean, vintage blues, vintage crunch, or medium gain amplifier. AC or Tweed, Blackface or Vintage British, etc. models. An attempt to take a beloved tone of more than one generation to it's highest level of perfection. The Mazerati GT is basically a focus on the sweet spot of a higher gain single channel amp. The volume control starts at the beginning edge of that sweet spot and tops out at the other end. For example ... a single channel Marshall's sweet spot starts around 5 1/2 and ends around 8 1/2. Settings below this range are clean to medium crunch and don't offer a lot of drive or sustain while settings above this range lose string definition and become quite murky or overloaded sounding. The Mazerati GT sounds very much like an amp that starts on 5 1/2 and tops out at 8 1/2. No cleans or lower crunch and no muddied over the top on tap. The volume controls lowest setting delivers a near medium crunch tone and has entered an area of solid drive and sustain by the time you get to 9:00 on the dial. Between 10:30 and 11:30 you find the "everything on 7" gain range. At one o'clock you start to leave the Marshall range and move into a higher "Mark 1" range. Not a "metal" tone. More of a rich smooth Santana type tone.
The Mazerati is truly a "one trick pony", but, delivers one hell of a trick
Very high quality components assembled in the U.S.A. using a design developed by Dr. Z to achieve a very specific goal. Because it doesn't have to serve multiple functions and targets a specific need it's able to be very precise in delivering on it's intended goal.
Everything from the head shell to the chassis to the individual components are built to very tight standards and the whole appearance / feel of the head is a rock solid delivery of the goals Dr. Z was going for. Nothing feels loose or cheap or bethinks "cutting corners".
Most of my amps are EL84 based and this amp has taken that tube to the next level. This amp is far more Marshall than Vox.
The Mazerati GT is tube rectified. While many prefer a solidstate rectifier for the speed of note delivery I've always preferred that bit of sag a tube rectifier provides. It just feels like the tone is enriched with a middy quality that a solidstate rectifier trades off.
For most folks ....... the lack of a clean tone. For Metalheads..... the lack of a deep V midcut or presence of overly rich mids. For extreme speed freaks...... the tube rectifier.
I purchased this amp as used although you'd never know it. It's in perfect shape. Not so much a a blemish of any kind. No scratchiness to any pot. No sign of degredation to any of it's components. In spite of the gain it never feels overly hot even after many hours of constant use. I've only owned it a short while, but, have played through it constantly since it's purchase and can only describe it as flawless.
I've never had an issue that would require customer support. I've heard good things about Dr. Z but can't confirm anything.
This is my lead amp. This is the only amp that I play through using either no effects, or, at the most, only my Wah Wah and some Delay / Echo. It's gain tone is so perfect that I hate to have anything in the signal chain that might change it in any way.