Pedals that stack with the Dr. Z Maz 38

clean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)

The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Beetronics Swarm leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in

Goes in front of the amp

pushes an amp at the edge of breakupPushes an amp already sitting at the edge of breakup over the line. (edge of breakup → clean boost)

Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp takes that edge of breakup character and pushes it toward clean boost

Goes in front of the amp

pushes an amp at the edge of breakupPushes an amp already sitting at the edge of breakup over the line. (edge of breakup → mid-forward)

Stack Univox Super-Fuzz on top and a edge of breakup tone tightens toward mid-forward

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Into Dr. Z Maz 38, Audiocade 1974 Colorsound Tremolo Clone is right at home: it's built around Vox-style amps

Goes in front of the amp

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)

SahBro? Audio Ross Kempressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Into Dr. Z Maz 38, Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Keep Dr. Z Maz 38's tight voice out front: Alexander Pedals Now We Are Ghosts Reverb goes in Dr. Z Maz 38's effects loop so its ambient voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop