Peavey Pickers Social Club!

[e-merlin]

Originally Posted by Reverend_Cheese

Here's another for the much maligned Valve King.

The VK gets badmouthed all over the place, which is ironic considering it's basically an old Fender circuit. I think the VK sounds excellent. And that's coming from someone who has owned old Twins, Deluxes, Supers and a black face Tremolux.

I finally got to play a Valve King a couple of weeks ago. What a great amp! It's now on my list, but there are a couple of others ahead of it in line.

Originally Posted by Reverend_Cheese

I'm thinking of buying either a Classis series head or a Duel 2X12 I've found in a local shop as spare\backup amps.

Back a couple of years ago I got to A/B a Duel 212 with a Twin. The Duel won hands down. I went home to get some trading material and some money. I didn't have 'em hold it for me because nobody around there bought Peavey. Anyhow, when I got back it was gone. Turns out someone was paying attention and bought it the minute I walked out the door.

[Reverend_Cheese]

Back a couple of years ago I got to A/B a Duel 212 with a Twin. The Duel won hands down. I went home to get some trading material and some money. I didn't have 'em hold it for me because nobody around there bought Peavey. Anyhow, when I got back it was gone. Turns out someone was paying attention and bought it the minute I walked out the door.

Life can really be cruel. The guy I'm buying it from referred to it as the "Twin killer" so there is obviously something to that. The Duel and the Ranger areboth great amps, and have both been discontinued. What's wrong with the people at Peavey. That goofy looking logo must warp their minds.

[lioncommandking]

Classic 50 w/2xEmi Legend 105 and 2 Jensen C10Qs. Funny.....the damn thing sounds Fendery and overdrive channel sounds Peavey!!

[e-merlin]

Originally Posted by Reverend_Cheese

Life can really be cruel. The guy I'm buying it from referred to it as the "Twin killer" so there is obviously something to that. The Duel and the Ranger areboth great amps, and have both been discontinued. What's wrong with the people at Peavey. That goofy looking logo must warp their minds.

Well, they really don't so much discontinue an amp as move it forward. The Deuce became the Ranger and the Ranger eventually begat the Ultra series, from which came the Triple X and JSX. Now, it has become the 3120 and it still has a killer clean channel.

[3 Chord]

I have been lucky enough to own several other brands that were pro level amplifiers but the only ones I have used when I was getting paid to play have been Peavey, both SS and tube.

My current is a stock 1993 Classic 30.

PV=Good

[LGOberean]

Well, I've had the Studio Pro 110 for the better part of 10 days now, but I haven't posted before now because there were some problems with the amp.

A couple of EQ tone pots are a bit scratchy. Not surprising for an old amp, and not too much of a problem.

The Normal Gain pot (on Clean channel) is also scratchy, the worst of the three, but sorse, it doesn’t consistently work. Twice I’ve turned down the knob only to have the volume increase. Once I’ve turned it up and lost volume.

Anything past “3” (or 10 o’ clock position) and there is some speaker buzz or rattle.

Twice the sound cut out on me briefly; the reverb also cut out on me once.

This amp sounds good when everything works, but it needs work. As is, I can’t trust it for anything but a practice amp. I don’t want to deal with its issues in performance or recording.

So I've been checking it over thoroughly and communicating with the seller. In the end, I decided to keep it. I've been planning to give my son one of my amps; maybe it'll be this one. He is good with electronics. I'm sure he can clean it up, replace the defective potentiometer, whatever's needed.

FWIW the seller was good and worked with me on this. Communicated promptly through the process, and ended up refunding nearly half the purchase price.

So I'll either keep this Studio Pro and get it fixed up or give it to my son and look for another.

[G-Yo]

Am I the only one with a '75 Deuce II?

[Bob Mc]

Me too: Envoy 110 w/transtube.
Two mods:
1) replaced verb pan with one from a 60's Gibson amp - she is on the verge of drowning in reverb now, must be a impedence mismatch, but drop dead perfect for slide guitar.
2) Naylor 10" speaker

I use little to none of the gain settings, but I love it!

[ccasey]

Hi all. Coming off "lurk" status ... have really enjoyed these forums and benefited from some of the information posted.

Fairly new, and very happy, owner of a Peavey Bandit 112 Transtube, Sheffield Equipped. Very solid amp and I'm really liking some of the tones I'm getting out of it. Spent some time working with it the day I got it (and since) starting with the suggested settings in the User Guide. Found I had to roll of the trebles some from what they suggest to avoid icepick with my '97 tele, esp. in bridge position. Now that I've got it pretty well dialed in though, the clean tone is super, and it takes pedals really well (use that more than the OD channel for dirt sounds).
Look forward to participating in the forums.
Chris

[LGOberean]

Well, I offered my son his pick of either one of my Peaveys, the TransTube Envoy 110 or the project amp Studio Pro 110. He chose the Studio Pro. Yeah, it needs work, but he can handle it, and it has great tone. Better in fact than the TransTube Envoy. I'm going to miss that Studio Pro, but then I'm happy my son's getting it. And this way I'll have visitation rights, so to speak.

I've already replaced it with a Bandit 65. I just won it on eBay a couple of hours ago. Original Scorpion 12" speaker, 65 watts. I'm hoping that the tone of this Bandit will rival the Studio Pro I just gave up. I guess it should be here early next week. So I'll be posting reports on the amp when it comes in. Meanwhile, here is a pic from the seller’s auction page.

[Steve G]

Cool amp LGOberean, looks the same era as mine. Thats the magic Peavey time for me. Does it do that concentric pot mid control thing?

[JayFreddy]

Originally Posted by Steve G

Thats the magic Peavey time for me...

Me too... Pre EVH. No offence intended to Eddie, there was good stuff after he came on board too.

[LGOberean]

Cool amp LGOberean, looks the same era as mine. Thats the magic Peavey time for me. Does it do that concentric pot mid control thing?
Steve G

Not sure what you mean. I haven’t received the amp yet. It should be shipped out today or Monday according to the seller, so I’ll get my hands on it by the middle of next week at the earliest.

The archived Operating Guide/Owner’s Manual on the Peavey site shows a control panel that looks like the one in the pic on the seller’s auction page. If they are the same, then the era is mid 80s (printing/publication date on the manual is 1985).

And if they are the same, then the Pre Lead Gain control has a “Pull Bright” feature, as does The Pre Normal Gain control. According to the manual, the Normal Channel is only accessible via the use of a remote footswitch. If that’s the case with the one I’ve got coming, I think I’m going to have to adjust to that aspect/feature. I’m not crazy about the sound of that. The High EQ control has a Pull Thick feature.

Does any of this sound like yours?

I’m hoping that this era of Peavey amps will be magic for me as well. The Studio Pro that I gave my son had IMHO the better tone of the two. My recently acquired TransTube Envoy 110 is okay, but that Studio Pro (pre-TransTube, early 90s?) sounded better to me. I had it a very short time, but it was long enough to want to duplicate that tone.

[Steve G]

The Special 130, amongst other early Peaveys has a concentric pot dual control mid shift system.

In English, that means you can set where you want your mids to be (what frequency) and also how much of them you would like.

This is a cool feature for playing with tones, doesn't look like your Bandit has it on closer inspection, but its no big deal. Those amps sound great anyway!

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by LGOberean

According to the manual, the Normal Channel is only accessible via the use of a remote footswitch.

Yes, I believe that may be the case on mine. I do have a footswitch, theyre pretty easy to pick up.

Maybe try plugging anything into the footswitch socket to see if that does it? A patch cord maybe?

[telemon1]

Just picked up a used, but near mint (USA) late 80's Bandit 112 w/ Scorpion today, for a steal of a price. Included a 2-button footswitch too. My first Peavey amp. Awesome tone and warmth. My TELE loves it....I'm stoked!

[IMG][/IMG]

[openbar]

Had a Delta Blues that I foolishly traded away, but at the time I needed something capable of more headroom. Also had a Bandit 65 that I left at a club I used to play at all the time. People laughed (including me), but it was damn convenient and worked out fine.

Recently picked up some fun Peaveys for next to nothing:

Red stripe Bandit (this one I would trade for a case of beer if anybody wants to come by and pick it up).

Special 112 - great cleans, what else can you say? Though it is HEAVY, maybe time for a neo speaker?

Backstage Plus - my new practice amp, sounds like a mini Special 130, love it. Still looking for a regular Special 130, I'll be patient as they show up fairly often.

And someday I'll tell you about my Peavey Milestone 12 electric guitar. Ugly as only 80's Peavey gear can be.

[Dan German]

Originally Posted by ggiles

Another Delta Blues 115 player here ... what other amp is there?

The Delta Blues 210, of course!

My first Peavey amp, and more tube goodness than I need or deserve. I'll post again when (if) the Honeymoon Period comes to an end.

[68reissue]

Openbar...

Regarding the Backstage Plus; Joe Naylor (the head honcho of Reverend Guitars) recommended that I get a Backstage Plus and swap the speaker. Mine has an Eminence Ragin' Cajun, and sounds really, really good. The cleans are especially punchy, full, and satisfying. And the speaker cost me $70---$20 more than the amp itself! Vintage Peaveys are by far the best deals going, and there are hundreds out there waiting to be snatched up.

[LGOberean]

Well, still waiting on the Bandit 65 to arrive. In other words, I'm still suffering from GAS ("Gear Anticipation Syndrome"). It finally made it to Texas less than an hour ago, but it's still well north of me. So if I'm lucky it will be delivered tomorrow.

BTW, Steve G, the eBay auction included the footswitch, so I'll have that to access the Clean/Normal channel. I wasn't saying before that the footswitch wasn't included; I was saying that I'm just not sure I like the arrangement of the Normal channel being accessible only via footswitch.

[Michael Bolt-on]

Red stripe Peavey Rage 158 here. What a cool little practice amp! The vintage/modern switch really makes a difference, as do the pre and post knobs! You could fool anyone in a blind sound test that it was a tube amp!
Its a blast finding killer tones out of these cheapies. I get burnt out lusting over $800-$2500 tube amps that might or might not do what I want or need them to do (either too vintage or too crushing), and that I'd die if they got stolen or badly damaged!!
These ams are right up my alley!! Cool stuff!!

[LGOberean]

Originally Posted by Michael Bolt-on

Red stripe Peavey Rage 158 here. What a cool little practice amp! The vintage/modern switch really makes a difference, as do the pre and post knobs! You could fool anyone in a blind sound test that it was a tube amp!
Its a blast finding killer tones out of these cheapies. I get burnt out lusting over $800-$2500 tube amps that might or might not do what I want or need them to do (either too vintage or too crushing), and that I'd die if they got stolen or badly damaged!!
These ams are right up my alley!! Cool stuff!!

Yeah, Michael, I’m finding that Peavey amps are right up my alley too. My younger brother had Peavey stuff back in the 80s (a T-60 guitar, don’t remember what amp). I’ve also heard a few local Tele players playing through Peaveys, and they had great tone. And of course I’d read about a number of Tele players on the TDPRI with good things to say about Peaveys.

So I recently started a search for tone from SS Peavey amps. I wasn’t that thrilled with the Vypyr line, and the local GC doesn’t carry any of the current TransTube amp models, so I went to checking out local pawn shops, Craig’s List and eBay for older Peavey amps. I found the mid-90s vintage Envoy 110 TransTube and the Studio Pro 110 that I gave to my son, and I’m impatiently waiting for the arrival of my Bandit 65.

The Studio Pro has really nice tones. I hope I can get that with the Bandit. The Envoy is pretty good, but not quite as good as that Studio Pro. So I’m guessing that the sound I like best comes from pre-TransTube Peaveys. But it is fun to get nice tones out of That Envoy, an old reliable and durable Peavey that I paid less than a hundred bucks for.

I’ve heard one or two members here say that Peavey amps sound harsh. I think at certain settings my Envoy *can* sound harsh, but sweet warm tones can be dialed in with a little effort. My Envoy doesn’t have two inputs, but even without a low gain input, it has a 6 dB switch/button. When that is activated by depressing the switch/button, you get a really nice warm sound. Fiddle with the settings a bit, and it does a nice job for blues or jazz playing.

[LGOberean]

Okay, my Bandit 65 arrived late this afternoon. I was able to play it just briefly to check it out, making sure everything works. After supper, we went out to hear some friends of mine play, a jazz ensemble that often has me sit in to sing ("Ain't Misbehavin'," "Blue Moon," "Bye, Bye Blackbird," et al.) Got home early (they start earlier and quit at 10PM), and played a bit more through that Bandit 65. Man, I'm lovin' that sound. Still getting acquainted with it, of course, but I'm more convinced than ever that it's older Peavey amps for me.

Haven't had the chance to take my own pics yet, so here is the eBay seller's pic again.

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by LGOberean

I'm more convinced than ever that it's older Peavey amps for me.

Same here LGOberean, great tones!

[Stringbender.dk]

I got a Classic 50 212. I use a Tele with it. I still haven't tried another amp that was just as awesome like this, for the same money

[gearjammer]

brand new delta blues 115 just arrived a couple days ago. My first real tube amp(previous was a superchamp xd) My other choice was a Fender DRRI. I definetly dont think the fender is worth over 300 dollors more. Neither does my tele, they are a great match.

[openbar]

Originally Posted by 68reissue

Openbar...

Regarding the Backstage Plus; Joe Naylor (the head honcho of Reverend Guitars) recommended that I get a Backstage Plus and swap the speaker. Mine has an Eminence Ragin' Cajun, and sounds really, really good. The cleans are especially punchy, full, and satisfying. And the speaker cost me $70---$20 more than the amp itself! Vintage Peaveys are by far the best deals going, and there are hundreds out there waiting to be snatched up.

Just days after you recommended this, a Ragin' Cajun came up used on the craigslist. Finally put it in, a definite improvement. Though I never play this amp loud, heck the previous speaker had a hole in it and I never noticed!

[Warm Gums]

Scored a red stripe Bandit 112 W/FS on Friday at GC
Like new condition, $99...
I've owned & played a lot of PV amps, this one is probably the best of the bunch. Wide range of sounds, loud enough for most any gig, but can be played at bedroom volume w/ good tone. Very versatile USA made pro amp that will gives years of service for the price of a night out..

[emisilly]

Count me in.

My main amp is a Bravo 112. Scored it cheap ($100!!) on Craiglist last year. Upgraded the speaker to a Emi Cannibus Rex, and put in a matched set of JJ tubes. Very, very sweet amp! The prior owner swapped the grillcloth out with Fender sliverface style cloth, and removed the aluminum side strips that normally run verticle along the sides. Looks much better.

I'm glad I ran across this one, since I sold my first Bravo here to Inertian 2-3 years ago. I cannot even remember what replaced it with at the time (I think it was a Blues Jr?). I really regretted selling it afterwards.

I firmly believe that the Bravo is one of the true "all-time sleeper" amps! I kinda see it as a deluxe reverb on the cheap that has a raging Marshall stack 2nd channel.

[Faraldi]

LOVE Peavey's, simply for the fact that two of the guys in tech / customer service were nice enough to help me personally and also gave me Hartley's info so I could send a "props" email to him.

Oh yeah, and I'm also addicted to Peavey amps.

My favorite, 14 year old Triumph PAG 60. Taking pics tonight. Literally like new

My project, even older Bandit 65 that is currently apart in my bedroom, awaiting cleaning. The wife is not pleased.

Also have two Peavey PA speakers with 12" Scorpions and horns. Can be used as an ext cab for the Triumph.

All USA models.

Built like a tank and as powerful as one.

[david_lewis93]

HUMMMM How bout a Pevy Clasic VTX 120-2/12,Scorpions ,,baby Marshall-(Parshall) MG 15 DFX 2/12 scorpion speakers(heavy mod rebuild) screamer!! run thru the Peavy,and today I ordered an IBANEZ MIMMIX 150 and a 4-12 cab,,think I got enuff for now,,oh and pushing my Squire Tele with Keystone pups,,,got more than enuff toys for now,,,I think.
If it aint got that TWANG,it dont mean a thang!(dont know who said it,,But I like it.)

[Hiker]

Peavey Encore 65

Just got my first Peavey! Talk about headroom, cleans, and 'Loud and Clear' for Jams/or gigs, a 1x12 all-tube combo...

[Ripley1046]

My Classic 50 2x12 changed my life. I saw it sitting in a local shop all lonely in the corner, used, and ignored by all the kids who wanted big black noise mongers. I plugged in and hit an open E chord and it was all over. I sold everything I could for a month to fund it, and I wound up having to pay some bills with my gear fund, so all hope was lost. Then I came home from work a few days before my birthday and my wife had picked it up for me!

I immediately sold all of my solid state amps, and shall never return to the dark side.

I've been lusting after a Delta Blues 1x15 and a Classic 50 4x10 (or head) for some time now. I think with my Peavey and my Ampeg I'm set unless I can find a great deal on a blonde Bassman/Bandmaster or an Orange Rocker 50.

I love playing gigs with my metal band showing up with my Classic 50 and my big orange Gretsch. All the metalheads laugh, until I turn it on that is. It's even better when I pack all my gear into my VW Beetle and they are still lifting their Marshall fullstacks off the stage. :) Good times.

Here she is.

I've since removed the pointy logo, just doesn't fit IMO.

[Ripley1046]

Oh yeah, and my first amp was a Peavey Blazer 158 that my brother bought me. I sold it, then bought it back. Still have it, it's my workshop amp now. Better to test on a SS amp rather than a tube I think. The Blazer is also my only SS amp, and will probably remain so.

[fenderman2009]

I have a Peavey Mace (VT Series) which I bought in the mid-eighties. Amazing amp! Makes any Tele sound rich and sweet. Does anyone else have a Mace VT?

[Steve G]

Used to have a Classic VT 2x12 with very cool Waylon style phaser.

Never got gigged as I couldn't move it!

[Hellbilly Mike]

Just picked up a Peavey Prowler, traded My Line6 Pod xt, for it yesterday. It also happens to be my first total tube amp. Haven't played it much, had to work late, but from what I have played on it, I am excited about the tone. Time will tell, In my research of this amp, I came across quite a few people who had swapped out speakers, and were a lot happier with the tone. Like I said time will tell, right now I have a new toy, and I think a solid foundation for finding "my" tone.

[Booman]

Buying a blue stripe Envoy 110 from a co-worker for 25 bucks. Don't need it but I do You all know what I mean. I've had a few Peavey's over the years (Musician w/ 4-12 in '74 and a Duece in '78. Presently have a Mini Colossal (like alot). What can I expect from this little buzz box? Don't plain to use or particularly like the gain section from what I've read here. Is a speaker swap worth while. This will stay in my cube at work for the most part. Comment please. Good or bad.

[Twang Man]

Im thinking a Classic 50 maybe the way to go for me soon. the old back is suffering lugging the Twin around

[Hiker]

Ripley1046, Nice find!