If you zoom in you can see a cat spray stain on the side. I have 4 Peaveys from the 70’s and all have this type of stain. I saw this one on my local CL and sure enough there is the stain. Almost every one I’ve seen from the 70’s has this and I’ve always wondered if there was something in the tolex or glue that attracts them.
70’s Peavey always have stains
- Thread starter Masmus
- Start date
If you zoom in you can see a cat spray stain on the side. I have 4 Peaveys from the 70’s and all have this type of stain. I saw this one on my local CL and sure enough there is the stain. Almost every one I’ve seen from the 70’s has this and I’ve always wondered if there was something in the tolex or glue that attracts them.
codamedia
Poster Extraordinaire
The tolex they used is extremely rugged, but the texture is prone to capturing dust, dirt and moisture. That looks like a moisture stain to me... something slashed on it then dripped down. The amp is fine, the tolex is doing it's job. When the "moisture" dried off... what was in the moisture remains as what you see. Here in Canada that is often road salt... but it could be drink spillage, cat puke, dog pee or a million other things 
This is nothing a good cleaner and a soft scrub brush can't take care of.
This is nothing a good cleaner and a soft scrub brush can't take care of.
stomped box
Tele-Meister
The spinster cat ladies of the era generally played Peaveys.
stomped box
Tele-Meister
In truth, EVERYTHING from the 70s is heavily stained by now. I mean, look at me.
JustABluesGuy
Friend of Leo's
You beat me to it!
Peavey tolex has deep valleys and is impossible to get clean if you just "spray and wipe".
When I clean old peaveys up I will pull the chassis and mix up some soapy water and a scrub brush and I will apply a generous amount of soapy water with the brush and let it sit for a few minutes to ensure the water is saturating the dirt and dust deep in those valleys then I scrub like hell with the soft bristle brush. I will use a shop vac to vac up the dirty water and I will do this 2 or 3 times. Otherwise, you just push all the mud back into the valleys with a drying cloth and when it dries out it will look better on the high ridges but still dirty in the valleys.
But you're right old Peaveys look dingy I think because nobody cares about them. I personally enjoy cleaning up (and playing) old Peaveys.
When I clean old peaveys up I will pull the chassis and mix up some soapy water and a scrub brush and I will apply a generous amount of soapy water with the brush and let it sit for a few minutes to ensure the water is saturating the dirt and dust deep in those valleys then I scrub like hell with the soft bristle brush. I will use a shop vac to vac up the dirty water and I will do this 2 or 3 times. Otherwise, you just push all the mud back into the valleys with a drying cloth and when it dries out it will look better on the high ridges but still dirty in the valleys.
But you're right old Peaveys look dingy I think because nobody cares about them. I personally enjoy cleaning up (and playing) old Peaveys.
stomped box
Tele-Meister
I removed black paint off the blonde Tolex of a'61 Bassman. That Peavey should clean up real nice, don't you think?
Telecaster88
Tele-Afflicted
My cat barfed on top of my Rumble 25, and by the time I noticed, it had eaten the chrome up and left a discoloration on the tolex that I can't seem to scrub out. C'est la guerre.
Esquire Jones
Tele-Meister
I always thought they came that way from the factory.
You can market it as 'relic-ing!'
The reason I always thought it was from a cat was the first two peaveys I saw the cats spray the amps and the mark was a small spot about a foot up the side with a couple of streams coming down. If you zoom in on the picture that is exactly what this looks like. My other two Peaveys have the exact same stain. I’m not taking about the dirt on the top that probably is moisture with dust left once it dried, I mean the stain on the side of the amp. I’ve seen this on most 70’s Peaveys I’ve run across but not other manufacturers generally, the cat that sprayed my first Peavey was never interested in my Marshall.
Telecaster88
Tele-Afflicted
It could very well be some chemical in the tolex or the glue they used at that time that mimics a feline hormone or something, that prompted the cats to mark. There are all kinds of endocrine mimics in the chemicals we've surrounded ourselves with in the modern world. It's a serious problem. I'll leave it at that.
Tone Quest
Tele-Holic
Oh no, another cat-tastrophy. 
mexicanyella
Friend of Leo's
Apparently Peavey tolex also appeals to one of my dogs, who was hanging out with me in my music space one night. I fell asleep in there and when I woke up, she was asleep next to me, and the floor was littered with shreds of tolex.
Most of the tolex is now gone from my Audition 20, and it’s gone off of the top rear edge of my Special 150.
I think I’m going to have Cookie dip into her allowance and buy me a Harbor Freight heat gun, some pads for the sander and a quart of Duratex.
Most of the tolex is now gone from my Audition 20, and it’s gone off of the top rear edge of my Special 150.
I think I’m going to have Cookie dip into her allowance and buy me a Harbor Freight heat gun, some pads for the sander and a quart of Duratex.
bottlenecker
Poster Extraordinaire
Has anyone recovered peavey? I pulled a chassis out of an 80s amp to use as a cab. How hard would it be to strip that bedliner stuff off?
If it just had normal tolex and chrome corners.
If it just had normal tolex and chrome corners.
I played through a Peavey Special 112, 160 watt amp for a few years because it was cheap and finances forced me to sell my Twin and a couple other pieces of gear. One night I unloaded my gear and left that amp in my garage for the night because I was playing the next day. I had a cover on it and apparently my dog thought he needed to mark his territory on this new intruder, or maybe he just knew there was a Peavey underneath the cover. It was so obvious what it was, so I left it alone. Great conversation piece. Happy to contribute my story.
A lot! I’m an auto upholsterer and can tell you that it’s doable, but block out some time and prepare to work!
