Info on a Peavey Renown Solo Series?

[Ekko]

A friend of mine gave me his old Peavy Renown Solo Series from his days when he was gigging Houston, TX with his punk band in the 90’s. He wanted solid state and LOUD. The amp definitely checks those boxes. 2x12 Scorpion speakers; 450 Watts.

One thing I’ve enjoyed about the amp is that it takes pedals very well. The amp really seems like just that, an amp; nothing more. It doesn’t seem to have more than a neutral tone that really lets your guitar and pedals do the talking.

I wanted to get more information on it, but I can’t much information on it and mostly find information on the Peavey Renown 400. What separates the Solo Series from the 400? Any additional thoughts or info on the amp?

 

[Tele-beeb]

Ok.. wait. The reason they called it “Renown” is well.. it sorta’ is a Super-amp!
Just enjoy the Thunder

 

[Ekko]

I feel ya. Nothing said or not said is going to sway what I think of the amp and I am definitely enjoying it for what is.

Just curious about the idiosyncrasies of the amp and curious if anyone knew more about it from a history, technical, etc side of things.

 

[Ekko]

Also very interested in the differences between the Renown Solo Series and the Renown 400. Both are Renown Series, 2x12, from roughly the same era from all I can tell, but one seems regarded more fondly than the other (again, from what little info I’ve found) - why is that?

 

[LGOberean]

The "Support" section of Peavey's website has archived owner's manuals for most all of their gear. Here's the one for the Solo Series Renown 112/212 "Single Unit Guitar Amp" (dated 1992)...

https://assets.peavey.com/literature/manuals/80301445.pdf

As for the Renown 400, it is also from the Solo Series of amps, and seems to predate the Renown by a few years (date of the manual is 1989). Here's the manual on that one...

https://assets.peavey.com/literature/manuals/80300142.pdf

 

[jvin248]

... He wanted solid state and LOUD. The amp definitely checks those boxes.... it takes pedals very well. ...

Like the Bandits of that era, "Durable, Loud, and Takes Pedals Well"
You'll have fun playing it.

.

 

[Teleguy61]

Yep, had one, it worked.
Had a Bandit too, wish I still did, but....................

 

[codamedia]

I owned one for a few years, I also owned a couple Special 130's back in the 80's which are the 1x12 equivalent.

I wanted to get more information on it, but I can’t much information on it and mostly find information on the Peavey Renown 400. What separates the Solo Series from the 400? Any additional thoughts or info on the amp?

I don't think there is a huge difference.... the 400 was just the next rendition of the solo series. There is one thing those early SOLO versions have though - an output transformer. That will definitely add some flavor of it's own and I don't believe the 400 had one.

2x12 Scorpion speakers; 450 Watts.

The amp should be 160 watts, not 450... You may be reading the input wattage.
still, more than enough power to get you through anything.

 

[Ekko]

The amp should be 160 watts, not 450... You may be reading the input wattage.
still, more than enough power to get you through anything.

I don’t know a lot about amps, just enough to know the basics.

The back plate says 120 VAC, 60 HZ, 450 Watts. So I went with it. But after studying the back harder, I did find a part saying 160 Watts RMS. I guess that’s what you mean? I’m guessing input wattage deals with electricity needed to power things in the amp, and the 160 figure is the actual output of that wattage?

 

[codamedia]

I’m guessing I put wattage deals with electricity needed to power things in the amp, and the 160 figure is the actual output of that wattage?

Yes, 160RMS is the output of the amp.... still plenty loud

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

I don’t know a lot about amps, just enough to know the basics.

The back plate says 120 VAC, 60 HZ, 450 Watts. So I went with it. But after studying the back harder, I did find a part saying 160 Watts RMS. I guess that’s what you mean? I’m guessing I put wattage deals with electricity needed to power things in the amp, and the 160 figure is the actual output of that wattage?

Yep, thats enough power to cause structural damage & bring the cops even though you are several miles from your nearest neighbor..no worries. Also 450 draw is enough to trip a breaker if you are on the same circuit with another high draw item (micro wave etc) esp if you are in a older building..

 

[teleturner]

You have the early Renown, less power than the later Renown 400. Yours does not have the dual mid knob on the gain channel and the 400 does. The early one that just reads Renown sounds better on the drive channel than the 400. People who claim this amps gain channel sounds bad are wrong. Keep the saturation knob on zero, or never past 2, and then crank the pre with the bright pulled out. It sounds like old school tube gain. If you turn the saturation up too much, it starts sounding solid state, fizzy fuzzy just bad. I own both, Renown, and Renown 400. I also own a few Special 130s, which are half a Renown. These are the best of the 80s Solo Series amps, and I’ve made a living with these amps for many years. Work your volume knob on your guitar and you’ll see or hear what I’m talking about. If you need to go over the top, a good boost or gain pedal works great with these amps for shredding but, I shred on about 3 songs in a four hour gig, rest is good old school rock sound the rest of the night with just the amps overdrive. Ditch the Scorpions, they can get a little shrill, but save them for the next guy who swears by them. You’ll need a speaker that can handle a lot of power. I’ve owned many amps for my 30 + years music career in a resort area. I keep going back to these, they just do the job damn well. Yes... they both have huge transformers.

 

[schenkadere]

Like the Bandits of that era, "Durable, Loud, and Takes Pedals Well"
You'll have fun playing it.

.

You'll have fun playing it, but not lugging it around!

 

[teleturner]

Forgot to mention, plug into the low gain jack for a whole new sound, it might be the sound you’re chasing. Just had a thought about an AB box switching between the high gain low gain jacks, I wonder if it will work? I’ll have to try it if I can find that pedal in my junky music room.

 

[Marblatx]

I know this is an old thread but I'll give my two cents worth in case anybody runs into the same problems I had. I bought a Renown 400 for dirt cheap ($53) in an auction. The first problem I had was it's way too loud. I couldn't turn the pre-amp or gain up past a little over one and it sounded horrible. Long story short I did a lot of research and now I love it. I doubled up on the feedback resistor, use the low gain input and disconnected one speaker which makes it a 130 watt amp. As far as making it sound good the answer is in the paramid and shift controls. To get a good clean sound I put the paramid in the 3 o'clock position and the shift in the 9 o'clock position and the bright pulled out. My mistake was not experimenting with the paramid and shift controls. A great benefit from doing this is ig you gig and blow a speaker you can always just disconnect the blown one and plug in the other one. Believe me the 130 watts is plenty enough for anything.

 

[Shuster]

I know this is an old thread but I'll give my two cents worth in case anybody runs into the same problems I had. I bought a Renown 400 for dirt cheap ($53) in an auction. The first problem I had was it's way too loud. I couldn't turn the pre-amp or gain up past a little over one and it sounded horrible. Long story short I did a lot of research and now I love it. I doubled up on the feedback resistor, use the low gain input and disconnected one speaker which makes it a 130 watt amp. As far as making it sound good the answer is in the paramid and shift controls. To get a good clean sound I put the paramid in the 3 o'clock position and the shift in the 9 o'clock position and the bright pulled out. My mistake was not experimenting with the paramid and shift controls. A great benefit from doing this is ig you gig and blow a speaker you can always just disconnect the blown one and plug in the other one. Believe me the 130 watts is plenty enough for anything.

Brother, I still have one, and you are right, that Monster will peal wallpaper off the wall!! Another thing, if you're interested, you can have it for $80.00, but you'll have to pick it up.
Received the amp in a trade for a couple of speakers about 7 years back, and it is was too much for me and just sat! The amps in good shape for it's age, and sounds good, and has casters installed for good reason
Let me know, this offer open to anyone, but pickup only!

 

[duoman]

I got a 1982 Reknown to replace a Classic(with the phase shifter) that was stolen. I gigged it every weekend for the next 3 years. I didn't change anything in it, and there were never any issues. I just changed to a Carvin X amp. Just for something different. That Peavey was invincible and invulnerable.

 

[bo]

I used an early one in my punk band in the 80s for years. It even survived a fall down a stair case with no problems. What teletuner said about using the gain instead of the saturation is dead on. Enjoy!

 

[Telecastoff1]

I owned and gigged with the Renown 400 amp(s) for several years and really liked them.I did the speaker swap several times and always came right back to the stock Scorpions. Those speakers and that amp were meant for each other. It was one of the very best sounding amps I had ever owned. Then, I stumbled upon a Special 130 and soon realized it was a Renown 400 in a 1x12 speaker package, only a few less watts. The Scorpion is nice in the Special 130, but I like an EVM12L in there better, so that's what I run with. When I absolutely need and crave that Renown 400 punch, I simply connect an extension 1x12 speaker cab, also loaded with an EVM12L and it's everything I could ever need.....it puts me right there in Renown 400 territory.

 

[Marblatx]

I owned one for a few years, I also owned a couple Special 130's back in the 80's which are the 1x12 equivalent.



I don't think there is a huge difference.... the 400 was just the next rendition of the solo series. There is one thing those early SOLO versions have though - an output transformer. That will definitely add some flavor of it's own and I don't believe the 400 had one.



The amp should be 160 watts, not 450... You may be reading the input wattage.
still, more than enough power to get you through anything.