Maven Peal Instruments Zeeta 30 Head

Hand built high quality amp with EL34s and patented technology that I heard about, but couldn't believe until I experienced it. The people at Maven Peal call it the Sag Circuit, and it translates to two knobs that allow me to control power amp distortion and wattage levels. This is truly amazing stuff. The Zeeta itself is a simple single channel tweed deluxe/pro design with one tone control, and mic and instrument inputs with separate volume controls. The 30 watt model I have is by far louder than my 50 watt Blues Deville. But that's okay because I can turn the wattage down and still enjoy the same sweet distortion at much lower volumes.

I am at a loss for words to describe the range of sounds I am getting from this amp. Forget everything you know about how an amp responds, forget everything you know about how to get sweet distortion. Music is about expressing my emotion. The best way to put it is to say that the Zeeta is more attached to my playing than I've ever experienced before. There are some not so good sounds you can get by turning the wattage all the way down and then maxing out the sag control, but I'm told that the amp is actually making too much distortion at that point.

I've had my Zeeta for just over six months now, and have had no problems. I can switch tubes without biasing (which is really cool), although the chassis is heavy and fits very tightly in the cabinet. I had a hard time getting it in and out at first, but now it is starting to fit better. What a piece of work on the inside. Absolutely beautiful. I imagine if it ever does need repairs, they will be relatively easy as the layout of the inside is very clean.

I did have a hard time getting written information from the company. At first I wrote for information, and didn't receive anything. But I kept hearing about this amp, so I called them, and spoke with Dave Zimmerman who was very friendly and very informative. If something goes wrong with the amp, he is the person I will contact.

I took the time write this because I can't believe this amplifier. It brings the sounds I hear in my head to life. The Zeeta is too heavy and I have to use a pedal for preamp distortion (which adds to the already expensive cost) but its well worth it.