DR. Z | X-RAY Amplifier Head & 1x12 Combo Amp
See Through to Every Nuance of Your Tone with the Dr. Z X-RAY!
Conceived as an amalgamation of two amps country legend Brad Paisley helped popularize in the 2000s and 2010s—the Stang Ray and the DB4, both of which are still featured in his live backline today—the new Dr. Z X-RAY combines the best of both earlier amps, plus a few tweaks, modifications, and design evolutions from over the years.


Fender Highways Series Event Featuring Julia Rizik
Join us at Chicago Music Exchange on Thursday, November 30, for a special Fender event introducing the new Highway Series guitars and featuring Fender artist Julia Rizik in CME’s Lincoln Avenue showroom!
In addition to a demonstration of the new series, guests will receive Fender-branded swag. Guests will also be invited to record themselves playing a Highway Series guitar to enter an exclusive raffle!
The Best of Both Worlds
Powered by Dr. Z’s favorite NOS 6n14n power tubes, the X-RAY delivers an articulate, snappy, British Invasion-inspired jangle that the Fab Four would have fallen in love with. While it boasts plenty of chiming clean headroom, a clockwise twist of the knob Dr. Z X-RAY’s volume knob unleashes a rush of mid-forward saturation, combining the chewy overdrive signature of the DB4 with the Stang Ray’s snap and sparkle.
Although both its predecessors were non-master volume designs, the X-RAY delivers the same 30 Z-watts, but with a new post-phase inverter master volume to add more flexibility to the design. In addition, it features a front panel mounted half-power switch that allows the user to alter the compression and dynamics of the power amp for a smoother, silkier feel at 15 watts.

Dr. Z X-RAY Amp Head & 1x12 Combo
Available in two configurations, the Dr. Z X-RAY amp head and 1x12 combo amp both come equipped with a tube-driven FX loop, letting users push signature voicing through the effects signal path of their choice without losing high-end, dynamics, or tone. The X-RAY 1x12 combo is outfitted with a striking quantum silver front valance and loaded with a WGS Retro 30—a 75-watt speaker that has become an overwhelming favorite in the Z test room, which was specifically chosen for this amp at the Doctor’s request.
As with all Dr. Z amplifiers, the X-RAY features a custom welded, aircraft-grade aluminum chassis, hand-selected, high-quality components, assembled in-house in Cleveland, Ohio, by technicians with a quarter-decade of experience.


To hear the best of both Dr. Z sonic signatures in one amp that goes from jangly, high-headroom twang to transparent harmonic saturation, come plug your preferred guitar into the new X-RAY amp head or combo amps now available at Chicago Music Exchange!
SHOP DR. Z AMPLIFICATIONSHOP DR. Z AMPLIFICATION
Related Posts
Tone Exploration | The Guitars of Bruce Springsteen
Released on September 30, 1982, Nebraska marked a radical departure for Bruce Springsteen. Recorded entirely alone on a four-track TEAC Portastudio in his Colts Neck, New Jersey bedroom, the album was never intended for release. Springsteen had planned to re-record the songs with the E Street Band, but the raw demos—haunting, intimate, and unvarnished—proved more powerful than any full-band attempt. In their imperfection, he found a truth he couldn’t recreate.
Read moreGibson | Back to the Future “1955” ES-345 Collector’s Edition
Go Johnny Go—to Chicago Music Exchange! CME proudly presents the Gibson Custom Shop Back to the Future “1955” ES-345 Collector’s Edition, a stunning recreation of the “impossible” guitar featured at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in Back to the Future. With unpotted Custombuckers, Alnico 3 magnets, a 6-position Mono Varitone switch, and Murphy Lab aging, this ultra-limited run of 88 guitars bridges movie magic and Gibson history. Complete with a Lifton case featuring Marvin Berry & The Starlighters graphics, this collectible is the ultimate time-traveling tribute for Gibson and film fans alike.
Read moreFender | American Professional Classic Series
The all-new Fender American Professional Classic Series redefines the balance between vintage soul and modern performance. Built for gigging musicians and tone purists alike, these guitars and basses deliver the classic Fender feel with modern upgrades like Coastline vintage-voiced pickups, the Greasebucket tone circuit, sleek Modern “C” necks, and custom-color finishes. From Stratocaster and Telecaster to Jazzmaster, Precision, and Jazz Bass, every model blends heritage tone, comfort, and craftsmanship—reborn for today’s stage and studio. Shop the full Fender American Professional Classic Series at Chicago Music Exchange, online or in-store today!
Read more