Peavey Bandit Club

[Pixel_Jockey]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forums and was wondering if I could join your illustrious Peavey Bandit club? I have been playing for about 15 years and have owned a teal stripe, a silver stripe (foolish me, sold many years ago, I was still a noob!) and am now a proud owner of a US made red stripe. It has been a good 10 years since I have owned a Bandit, and I am loving it. I think as a beginner I did not appreciate how great the Bandit really was because of course, I thought I had to have a tube amp to have a "real" amp. I have gone through several moderately price tube amps throughout the years and was never totally satisfied. I got really tired of having to baby them (not that they weren't built well, but damage to the tubes etc), the weight, and the maintenance. I ended up selling my last tube amp (XXX 212) because it didn't quite do it for me, plus it weighed 98lbs and cost $150 to retube. With cash in hand I was looking for another tube amp. I ended up seeing an ad for this US made red stripe Bandit for $120 and figured what the hell, it would at least be a great backup. I bought it used and whoever had it before jacked the Sheffield out of it and it had some crap no-name flubby speaker in it. I did some research and found allot of people liked the Eminence Man o War speaker in the Bandit, so I picked one up for it. All I can say is that in 15 years of playing, this Bandit with the upgraded speaker sounds amazing. It rivals any of the tube amps I have owned (maybe better than some!). Basically I have $200 into an amp I would proud to gig with and can get just about any tone I want with a few pedals. As a gigging musician, this amp is all I need. If I need some more oomph, I just plug it into my 2x12 (Wizard and Governor speakers, awesome combo) and I got more volume/projection than I would ever need. Don't get me wrong, I do love tube amps too. Eventually when I start doing bigger shows I will end up getting myself a nice higher end tube head, but until then I am more than satisfied with my Bandit.

Here are a couple pictures (sorry for the cell phone quality ):

[Greg.Coal]

Originally Posted by birv2

Speaking of which, does anyone just forego the clean channel and use the OD channel? I've got the foot pedal, but I use the reverb all the time, and I'm finding I can get clean on lower volumes and dirt when I turn up the volume on my guitar, just like with a tube amp. So I'm thinking of just using it without the pedal. One less thing to hook up.

I did not get the pedal with Bandit 65 I just got (though there is a possibility the seller will find it) - and I do know the trick for switching it - but I had already decided to leave it on the lead channel.

I think you are right: with the pre-gain turned most of the way up, the sound is a nice crispy sound and it is affected by the guitar vol pot. Or, you can add you favorite od pedal for more of the preferred distortion. This with saturation near zero.

Just because it's a solid state Peavey does not mean we are beholden to the clean channel all the time,

Greg

[birv2]

I actually had the opposite thing going: saturation almost all the way up and pre-gain on 3. I tried your way and that sounded nice, too, though less creaminess.

Horses for courses, and we're all chasing different tones. But it's pretty cool that this SS amp can get so many different sounds.

[Greg.Coal]

Originally Posted by birv2

I actually had the opposite thing going: saturation almost all the way up and pre-gain on 3. I tried your way and that sounded nice, too, though less creaminess.

Horses for courses, and we're all chasing different tones. But it's pretty cool that this SS amp can get so many different sounds.

Yes, the saturation effect is very high quality. When you think of the era in which Hartley was designing that effect he really was giving the people what they want. But, t was your post that made me check for a gain setting that allowed the guitar to control the clipping and that's how I found my pre-gain setting.

I'm down to one little tube amp (a Peavey!) and I'm going to get rid of it. SS will do just fine,
Greg

[Greg.Coal]

Originally Posted by Pixel_Jockey

Hello everyone, I am new to the forums and was wondering if I could join your illustrious Peavey Bandit club? I have been playing for about 15 years and .............

[clipped for brevity]
Hey, Mr Pixel, you weren't properly welcomed. I attribute it to the weekend.

I understand everything you said and agree with your conclusions re the hype of the tube mystique making us do things like sell perfectly good amps (Peavey). If you like the sound of your Bandit and can live without the tube maintenance headaches, then you are free to explore your playing more and can go to the next playing level rather than buy the next amp in your quest.

And, it doesn't mean you are stuck with a sound either: the clean channel is a great platform for introducing other sounds through pedals, etc. keep it simple, I have a compressor, tremolo, echo, and a few other things to mix it up.

Greg

[Higgs F. Boson]

Originally Posted by Greg.Coal

[clipped for brevity]
Hey, Mr Pixel, you weren't properly welcomed. I attribute it to the weekend.

I understand everything you said and agree with your conclusions re the hype of the tube mystique making us do things like sell perfectly good amps (Peavey).

Greg

Yes, welcome! I had the same experience as yours: owned a long succession of tube amps, stumbled on a Bandit and bought it as a backup, then realized it's exactly what I wanted all along.

How do you like your newer Bandit compared to the older ones you've owned?

[birv2]

Welcome to Mr Pixel.

I still love tube amps, but there's no denying the great tones you can get out of the Bandit 65 (can't speak for the others). I'm selling my Delta Blues to help finance a guitar purchase, and getting this Bandit has certainly made that a little less painful.

Please post and let us know how it's going, settings you like, etc. And welcome to the club!

[Dunedindoug]

I stumbled upon this club while doing research on an 83 Bandit 65 w/Scorpion a friend has loaned me. Looks like my kind of place! As my buddy was kind enough to loan me his "spare" amp, I thought the least I could do was clean it up for him. Years of use and abuse left it filthy but unscarred. What's a recommended cleaner for that tough hide? I've ordered a new footswitch and some new knobs. I need to get inside and clean the pots. They're really scratchy and I'm not sure all of them are working. The reverb is still in its bag (sitting on a piece of cardboard) and sounds good. There must be a quarter inch of dust covering the bag.

Noobish questions: Do the knobs and nuts have to come off to access the innards? And what's the trick for removing the grill?

Thank you for any and all replies!

[Cdn_Magnum]

Originally Posted by Dunedindoug

I stumbled upon this club while doing research on an 83 Bandit 65 w/Scorpion a friend has loaned me. Looks like my kind of place! As my buddy was kind enough to loan me his "spare" amp, I thought the least I could do was clean it up for him. Years of use and abuse left it filthy but unscarred. What's a recommended cleaner for that tough hide? I've ordered a new footswitch and some new knobs. I need to get inside and clean the pots. They're really scratchy and I'm not sure all of them are working. The reverb is still in its bag (sitting on a piece of cardboard) and sounds good. There must be a quarter inch of dust covering the bag.

Noobish questions: Do the knobs and nuts have to come off to access the innards? And what's the trick for removing the grill?

Thank you for any and all replies!

Welcome aboard :)
Simple Green is your best bet for overall cleaning....
Spray a little contact cleaner into the jacks front and rear
No the knobs dont have to come off, unless you want to remove the circuit board from the chassis.
The 4 screws on the TOP of the cabinet that look like they hold 2 metal trim pieces are what holds the chassis in place.
Please make sure you unplug the amp from the 110v before opening her up... there are high voltages in there

[Greg.Coal]

Also, the grill might just "pop off". But, this is incredibly strong Velcro. It will take a lot of force.

Spray in the holes in the back of the pots and turn them from 0 to 10 and back a dozen times or more.

I sad earlier I thought my silver face USA transtube 112 with Sheffield speaker sounded better than the Bandit 65. I've changed my mind.

I'll write more later when I'm done changing my mind about things.
Greg

[Dunedindoug]

Thank you, Greg and Russ. I had never heard of Simple Green before, but I picked some up last evening along with some contact cleaner. I had already washed off the dirt (the amp was gray). I scrubbed it further with Simple Green and pulled off years of nicotine. I think I'll have another go at it tonight. It's looking much better.

I pulled out the chassis and cleaned the pots. After I put it all back together I powered it up, plugged in and lo-and-behold everything works like new! No scratchy pots and they all work!

Greg, I pushed on the grill and it feels like it's there to stay. Tonight I will use a little more force. The grillclothe is completely intact, but very dirty.

I misread the numbers on the amp. It's an '86 model. I just may have to buy this amp! I have the knobs, footswitch and op amps on order. A little more work and this little amp will be as good as new.

Thanks again for your replies.

[Cdn_Magnum]

Originally Posted by Dunedindoug

Thank you, Greg and Russ. I had never heard of Simple Green before, but I picked some up last evening along with some contact cleaner. I had already washed off the dirt (the amp was gray). I scrubbed it further with Simple Green and pulled off years of nicotine. I think I'll have another go at it tonight. It's looking much better.

I pulled out the chassis and cleaned the pots. After I put it all back together I powered it up, plugged in and lo-and-behold everything works like new! No scratchy pots and they all work!

Greg, I pushed on the grill and it feels like it's there to stay. Tonight I will use a little more force. The grillclothe is completely intact, but very dirty.

I misread the numbers on the amp. It's an '86 model. I just may have to buy this amp! I have the knobs, footswitch and op amps on order. A little more work and this little amp will be as good as new.

Thanks again for your replies.

Thought I was going to break the aluminum strips on the grill of my Bandit 112 when I tried to remove the grill. Its the ball and latch type not your typical cloth and hook type. When you do get the grill off, use two clothes soaked in Simple Green to clean it . One on the back and one on the front, that way you get in between. Then use two dry clothes to dry it off :)
Curious, why are you changing the opamps?? I know some people have. Unless there is a problem with the old ones, well I'd leave them. I know its an easy swap (at least on the Bandit 112) because they are socketed.

[LGOberean]

Originally Posted by Dunedindoug

Thank you, Greg and Russ. I had never heard of Simple Green before, but I picked some up last evening along with some contact cleaner. I had already washed off the dirt (the amp was gray). I scrubbed it further with Simple Green and pulled off years of nicotine. I think I'll have another go at it tonight. It's looking much better. ...

Simple Green is great stuff. I used to own a commercial cleaning service, and we used Simple Green a lot.

As it relates to Peavey amps, a couple of years or so ago, I bought a Peavey Studio Pro 112 off of eBay. When it arrived and I cut open the cardboard shipping container, I could smell it right away. The amp absolutely reeked of cigarette smoke. When my wife walked in the room, she could smell it from 20 feet away. I gave it a thorough cleaning with Simple Green 3 days in a row, and left it out in the sun for hours each day to let it dry and air out. That did the trick.

[Dunedindoug]

Originally Posted by Cdn_Magnum

Curious, why are you changing the opamps?? I know some people have. Unless there is a problem with the old ones, well I'd leave them. I know its an easy swap (at least on the Bandit 112) because they are socketed.

Mostly out of curiosity. This is an upgrade that I can make cheaply and reverse if it doesn't work out. On the Bandit 65 there is no soldering involved.

I'm more concerned about getting that front grill off!

Would you follow up the Simple Green with some Armor All?

[Cdn_Magnum]

Originally Posted by Dunedindoug

Mostly out of curiosity. This is an upgrade that I can make cheaply and reverse if it doesn't work out. On the Bandit 65 there is no soldering involved.

I'm more concerned about getting that front grill off!

Would you follow up the Simple Green with some Armor All?

You could try armorall after... the Rhino coating makes it a bit more difficult that normal tolex or vinyl. See how she looks after the Simply Green is finished drying and your happy with the resukts of cleaning.

[ASC67]

Originally Posted by Dunedindoug

Mostly out of curiosity. This is an upgrade that I can make cheaply and reverse if it doesn't work out. On the Bandit 65 there is no soldering involved.

I'm more concerned about getting that front grill off!

Would you follow up the Simple Green with some Armor All?

The front grill is held on with velcro, tug at it and it will come off.

[Dunedindoug]

Originally Posted by Cdn_Magnum

You could try armorall after... the Rhino coating makes it a bit more difficult that normal tolex or vinyl. See how she looks after the Simply Green is finished drying and your happy with the resukts of cleaning.

I hit it a couple more times with the Simple Green and a TOOTHBRUSH this time. It's coming back to life!

I got the grill off and thoroughly washed it, too. I cannot believe the filth that came out of it! I sprayed the saturation pot as it was still a bit scratchy. The amps owner is coming over this evening for cigars and whiskey. He won't believe the difference.

Thank you again, gentlemen, for your great advice. I'll check back in once I've replaced the op amps.

[el cheapo]

Originally Posted by Dunedindoug

The amps owner is coming over this evening for cigars and whiskey. He won't believe the difference.

If you did that good a job on it, he might just decide to take it with him!

Seriously though, these old Peavey's can sound great, and with a minimum of care will last a lifetime.

[Skynyrd LesPaul]

Originally Posted by Dunedindoug

Would you follow up the Simple Green with some Armor All?

There is a product you can get at a motorcycle shop made by Maxima called SC-1. It works like no other and doesn't leave a greasy flim and doesn't attract dust. Spay a little on a quality paper towel or like those shop rags on a roll (the blue pt's) and wipe it down after you've cleaned it.

[LGOberean]

Hey, fellow Banditos, I have a question about extension cabinets.

I've got two Bandits, a 65 & a 75, and I'm thinking I'd like to have an extension cab. I've played through both my Bandits at once via my A/B/Y box, but I'd also like the option of an extension speaker to use with my Bandits and other amps.

I know Peavey made the 112SX extension cab. I've seen two models, one matching the black box/silver stripe Bandit, and one matching the red stripe. I'm on the lookout for one, but I don't know the specs on them. So, I have a few questions.

1) Were there extension cabs matching older Bandits, as in 65? 75? 112 teal stripe?

2) What speakers were in these cabs? Scorpions in earlier models, followed by Sheffields, then Blue Marvels?

3) I assume the impedance would match the Bandits. The Bandit 65 and Studio Pro 112 TransTube (silver stripe) are both 65 watts RMS into 8 ohms, the 75 was 75 watts into 8 ohms. So am I correct in assuming that the impedance of the speaker in the extension cab is 8 ohms?