Built for the Beatles to use as a bass amp on their mid-’60s U.S. stadium tour, the Vox AC80 proved unreliable. When country music star Brad Paisley got his hands on one decades later, he loved its tone but also found it couldn’t keep up on tour. So, he asked friend (and longtime amp builder) Mike Zaite to create a new version. “Dr. Z” gladly accepted the challenge and, after six years of refinement, introduced the Z-80.

A single-channel/80-watt head, the Z-80 is powered by four cathode-biased EL34s in a unique design where each tube is self-biasing; many cathode-biased amps with push/pull configuration use a shared resistor, but this one has an individual bias resistor for each EL34. That tweak is integral to the amp’s sound and feel. The preamp has two 12AX7s and a 12AU7, and the Z-80 adds controls for Mid and Master Volume along with a Metro Zero Loss effects loop and a stouter power transformer. Its matching semi-open 2×12 cabinet houses a pair of Celestion Gold Alnico speakers.

With a Telecaster plugged in and the amp’s Volume at 10 o’clock, Master Bass, Mid, and Treble all at 1 o’clock, the Z-80 delivered ultra-chimey clean tones with juicy harmonics and fantastic string-to-string definition. Tones were bright, articulate, and snappy, but never harsh – perfect for chicken picking. Every note was wrapped in round, swirly harmonics; the effect was even more-pronounced with chords, where individual notes blended such that even dissonant chords sounded musical. With a Les Paul plugged in and the Master and Volume at 3 o’clock, classic Vox crunch erupted from the 2×12 with even more chime and compression that remained clear and articulate. The Alnico Celestions certainly help deliver chime, but the Z-80 also sounded fantastic plugged into a 2×12 with Celestion’s ceramic-magnet G12T-75s, though it offered slightly less chime, tighter bottom, and more overall aggressiveness.

The magic of the Z-80 lies in its feel and picking dynamics; notes explode from the pick and bloom into sustain before descending. Dynamics are a huge part of the playing experience, and the Z-80 cleans up or gets dirty simply by adjusting pick attack.
The Z-80 is not just a copy of the AC80, but a refined, reimagined design that captures the soul of the original but takes its tone to another level.

This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.