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Among all the Legacy Amps that Z-Fanatics have clamored to make a return to the regular roster, the Z-28 stands at 
the top of the heap. From 2021 through 2022, Dr. Z took an opportunity not to just put out the “same old” design 
from back when the Z-28, alongside the Route 66 and Stang Ray stood firmly in the middle of his award-winning 
roster, but give it the MK II designation, which has been nothing but a home run in the MAZ lineup of amps. What 
does this mean? Why take what was such a lauded amp and mess with the recipe? Well Dr. Z has never been one to 
rest on his laurels, so the Z-28 MK II became his latest obsession.

The Z-28 MK II starts with his classic EF-86 preamp design: a high voltage, high fidelity, and high headroom preamp 
tube that literally inhales your guitar signal and fires it through the circuit path, creating a three dimensional experi-
ence unlike the more common 12ax7 preamp designs, full of harmonics, dynamic response, and percussive power. 
Set clean, rich, clear tones shimmer from the speaker and seamlessly integrate any effect be it overdrive, distortion, 
time-based, or modulation, and mold it into your play experience as if the effects were built straight into the amp. 
Turning the gain up past noon, experience overdrive and even-order harmonics that are unmistakable and unique 
to the EF-86 design. As many players have described it, this is not unlike layering a distorted amp with a clean amp, 
with stunning clarity from each string, giving the overdriven signal a studio-like quality in the room. 

As many Z-28 aficionados will notice, the power section has received an upgrade, sporting dual 5881 power tubes 
pushing the output power up to 35 bold, muscular watts. Dr. Z’s experience with these power tubes in the Z-MASTER 
and NOVA have put them up at the top of his design list, allowing the player to coax American-esque clean tones 
reminiscent of the mid 60s, but also drive them into harmonic overload similar to the classic British amps of the 
“Invasion” era, without the quirky artifacts found in those designs. Further separating it from both the older Z-28 and 
those vintage designs, the inclusion of the MK. II-style Post-Phase Inverter Master Volume allows for volume control 
at any decibel level, from stage to studio, bedroom to practice room. What’s old is new again!

Also taking from the Z-MASTER, Dr. Z loaded the Z-28 MK II into it’s extremely resonant and lightweight cabinet, 
replacing the 3-hole baffle with a 1x12 design and a Celestion Creamback, a speaker noted for it’s full, articulate 
midrange and warm, smooth high end. The Z-faithful will also welcome the return of the red tolex (1x12 combo 
only) back to the lineup for this amp exclusively, matching the stylish trim of the muscle cars of yesteryear this amp 
takes its inspiration from. Muscular but sleek, nimble without being outclassed under the hood, the Z-28 MK. II takes 
a legendary Z-AMP design into 2022.

General Information

Power Output 

            

35 watts 

 

Output Tubes

              

2 - 5881

Preamp Tubes

             

1- EF-86, 1- 12AX7

Rectifier  

                      

5AR4

  

Controls

                        

Volume, Treble, Bass, Master

Speaker Outputs         

8 Ohm Output

Configurations

             

1x12 Combo,  Head

 

Dimensions

                 

Head: 19” W, 9 3/4” H, 9 1/2” D; 32 lbs. 

 

& Weight

 

                    Combo: 22ʺ W, 21 1/2ʺ H, 10 5/8ʺ D; 42 lbs.

                     

Specifications:

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