Maven Peal Ganesha

This is one of the original Ganesha's before the head was made smaller. It does Marshall Plexi as well as JCM800 and possibly others. It has four power tubes, one channel and the basic controls (bass, mid, treble, presence) as well as two volume controls: one is a normal volume; the other adds a brighter sound. It has two boost switches: power tube boost and preamp tube boost. It has a variable wattage control that allows you to set the amp from 1 to 100 watts. And the Sag control allows you to add the effect of power tube sag, which is hard to desecribe, but makes this amp very cool. It also has a couple of pull-knob switches for boosting treble, and one for making the tone more tweed'ish. Oh...and the effects loop is top notch and can be used as an overdrive channel. Finally, you can easily bias each tube. That's right. You can control the bias of each tube and you can do it without paying a sound man or having to pull out the chasis. Anyone can do it. Plus, you can use a slew of power tubes other than EL34s, including 6l6. You can easily disable a pair of the tubes to convert the amp to a 50 watt amp. You can also mix the tubes. You could have a set of 6L6s and EL34s, running them both or one at a time. Very versatile and useful options. I've had the amp for 3 years and am still amazed how versatile this amp is.

I play a strat with lindy fralins through the amp. I often use an MJM Blues Devil pedal and/or a tube screamer for solos. I've noticed almost any pedal goes well with this amp: Ratt, fulldrive, Klon, Analogman Sunface, 69 pedal, tube screamer, RC boost, Keely Time Machine.

The amp is a plexi clone but the boosts allow you simulate JCM800 and old tweed tones as well. However, its clean sounds are better than any Marshall. Very warm fat tones. By setting the sag control all the way to zero, (which makes it cleaner than a normal Marhsall), you can get the funkiest clean rhthm tones. In fact, the transformer is huge and excellent quality.

When you turn the sag control up, it makes the tone softer, creamier, and the notes melt in your hand, like they do when you crank a Marshall. This beats an attenuator. I turn this up for soft blues.

You can use the wattage control to control you wattage, the way you've always dreamed. When I play clubs, I crank the amp, but when I play company parties or weddings, I lower the wattage, leaving my volume controls cranked. You still get valid screaming tones at lower volumes.

One great thing about this amp is that you can cut through a mix like you can with no other amp I've played. Dave has a Mid boost mod you can have done that Warren Hanes had him do. You loose nothing, but gain all kinds of mids if you want it. The other way to cut through is by turning the Sag control lower. My band is loud (has horns that demand to be cranked through the monitors; loud keys and drummer and bass player.) Anyway, I usually set the Sag at 0 when I need to cut through. At loud volumes, the amp is going to drive and give you natural sag. Cutting the sag really helps you maintain clean singing sustaining notes at loud volume. Really useful.

You can add the power tube boost for subtle boost or the preamp boost which provides a noticable increase in crunch. Both are excellent sounding and just the right amounts.

I have been happy using just one set of power tubes, running it in 50 watt mode. I turn the wattage all the way up and the two volume knobs almost all the way up as well. The result is a screaming amp that I can play r&b, blues, funk with.

This amp is built very well. Dave Zimmerman hand assembles these things and uses the best parts. I know the transformer is huge. The effects loop is literally top notch. I know little about effects loops, but have read about it and used it. It's very quiet. See more on his site for info about the patent on the effects loop. I have never taken it to an amp repair man and I've had it for three years and I gig a lot and at cranked volume. This amp is well built. I adjust the bias and change tubes myself and I know very little to nothing about electronics or amp repair, believe me. He has made it so easy to bias yourself.

Maven Peal is Dave Zimmerman and his assistant, Kathy. Dave is extremely intelligent. Check out the patents he has on this amp. Most of all, he will respond quickly (same day usually) via phone or email. He has answered all my silly questions and listened to me babble on many occassions. He's the nicest guy and simply wants to make great quality amps and that he has done. It's nice to be able to deal with a the maker of the amp instead of a customer service rep. I've sent the amp back only to have him do a Mid boost mod that he did for Warren Hanes. He did the mod and sent it back within a week.

I usually don't give such high ratings, but I really like the sound of this amp. It's built like a tank, and the designer/maker is great to deal with. Before this amp, I sold two Marshalls because they were one-trick ponies. This amp has the clean tone as well as the marshall tone. Really. Of course, the clean tone is not a Fender sound unless you use 6L6s but you won't miss your Fender clean tone like you do when you use a Marhsall because it has the sweetest clean tone. Also, the easy biasing and the sag control and the wattage control all make me not want to deal with any other amps. In fact, I;m going to get an RG88 as well, which is based on an old Fender Twin design.