The ‘bumpy Z-pinch’ is a magnetic configuration with potential usefulness for fusion reactors. A conceptually simple version of the configuration is axisymmetric. It contains regions of closed and open field lines. In the region of closed field lines, the field line topology is much like that of a tokamak; these regions link the region of open field lines around the axis of symmetry. Assuming that the plasma spontaneously maintains an equilibrium as described by J. B. Taylor, it is possible to maintain indefinitely the regions of closed field lines by driving an axial current through the plasma in the region of open field lines. The ratio between the total axial driven current and the total poloidal current in each of the tokamak-like regions can, in principle, be made arbitrarily small, which means that the load impedance can be arbitrarily large. In addition, the configuration has the inherent virtue similar to that of the spheromak that the tokamaklike part of the plasma does not link any material coils.