Conference napalm::guitar

    I have a chance to pick up a used Peavey TNT100 bass amp for what
    I think is a reasonable price.  Does anyone have any opinions on
    the overall quality and sound of the TNT100?
    

    
    The TNT 100 is an older version of the Peavey TNT series.
    
    Despite the name, it has only 50 watts RMS.  Newer models are the
    TNT 130 and TNT 150 with 130 watts and 150 watts respectively.
    
    It is a decent small bass amp for practicing and light gigging.
    If you're playing rock and roll live, it will probably be too small.
    
    Quality wise, it should be quite reliable and sound wise, well it
    has a flexible active EQ system so it can be set up to get a pretty
    wide range of tones, you should be able to find something suitable.
    
    I would say $150 or less is a reasonable price.  Maybe $200 if it
    has the Peavey Black Widow speaker or something equivalent (EVM,
    JBL).  Less if it's not in real good shape.
    
    
    

    Peavey TNT-100 huh?
    I owned one of the original TNT-100's for a long time. I had it
    for years and finally sold it last year for $250. The one thing
    I did was to replace the original speaker. Yes folks.... the 15" 
    Pyle-Driver that I bought for $39.95 actually sounded better
    than the Peavey speaker, at least to me. I also added some sound
    insulation to the cabinet. The only thing I "had" to replace was a
    bad cap in the pwr-amp section because I was getting some excessive
    noise. Other than that.... no problems!      "A nice little amp!"
    I've seen them priced at Daddy's Music between $185-$250., but they've
    been beat to the ground. Mine on the other hand, even though was
    much older looked brand new. I spoke with the guy who bought mine
    last year and he loves it! BTW.... some of the older Peavey speaker
    cabinets had a problem with screws loosening up on their speakers.
    I worked with this guy who had a 2-15" bass cab and he was complaining
    about his cabinet sounding slightly distorted, he thought he screwed
    his speakers, but what actually happened was that the mounting screws
    holding the speakers were "very" loose. One drop of "Loc-tite" on
    the screws fixed that problem. {Food for thought}. 50 watts in a
    TNT-100, but that's OK cause you could always use it for a stage
    "bass" monitor and push the bass through the main PA. 
    
    Good Price???? Go for it and have fun!
    
    Fred 
    

    
    I have recently bought a Peavey EDI (Electronic Direct Interface).
    This jem takes a feed from the speaker output and is suppose to
    produce a signal that is comparable to that of the speaker.  Well
    let me tell you it defintly does not sound like my amp.  The
    problem is mostly with distorsion. The sound is not smooth it comes
    out broken up.
      Is there any sound people out there who have tried this EDI and
    know what I'm talking about ?  If so were you able to come up with
    a solution to the problem ?
    
    
       Tim                    

    
    Sounds like the level from the EDI is too hot for your PA.  If your
    PA doesn't have an input trim (pad) control, you may need to wore
    up an attenuating cable.

    
    	The EDI works fine as long as the input does not exceed
    	35 volts peak. The output of an amp, especially a 100
    	watt head can put out more than that. So what you get 
    	is clipping of the output signal, and that's why it sounds
    	distorted. 
    	    Active direct boxes are much better sounding and can
    	be used between the instrument and amp, or at the amps
    	speaker output.
    
    	Neal

    Sounds like a better device to use would be a "Harry Colby Silent 
    Speaker". I understand these work great, but they cost around $200.
                                                           
    Mark Jacques
    

    I know your problem. Erase the word "Peavey" from the EDI and scratch
    in the word "Yamaha" or something. It will sound great. :^) 

    
     Thank you all for the input.  Especialy number #4.  I found my
    problem is the speaker outputs on my amp. I've plugged it into my
    friends Music Man and it works great.
    
                Thanks again
    
                            Tim  (up and coming band TRAZOM)

    I have a *GOOD* friend who wants to sell a bass cab, although 
    I'm thinking very seriously of buying it. It is a 5 years old
    Peavey 215BW (= with 2 15" Peavey Black Widow spkrs) . 
    
    Here are my questions:
                 
      1	- How much would you sell it ?
    
      2	- How much would you buy it ? (these two questions to
          get objective suggestions).
    
      3	- Is it still foundable in music stores ? Have you got
    	  prices (recent or old) ?
    
      4	- Does anybody have one ? What do you think about it ?
    
      5	- How do prices normally decrease when cabs get older ?
    	  Figures ? 
    
    Any comment or answer will be appreciated.
    
    
    Patrick

    
    Here in the US those cabs are about $300 new.  I'd pay $150 to $200
    used depending on condition.  I have no idea how French prices are on
    such gear.
    
    That cabinet is a striaght-forward bass reflex cab, it sounds good
    although it's possible to get better sound in a smaller package these
    days (also for more $$$$$!!!).
    
    Depreciation on speaker cabinets is all in the eyes of the buyer.  A
    lot depends on how much abuse it may have received and how rugged the
    speakers are.  Physical appearance often can tip you off to the former.
    Knowing the previous owner can help even more!!!!
    
    						Brian

    
    
    	I'll kick this note off.
    
    	Anyone want to hazard a guess on why PV guitars/basses have
    such a poor reputation? 
    
    	I have a PV bass that admittedly has had a few (minor) problems
    with it, but after a some experimentation, I finally got it into
    really good shape. In any case, the PV always sounded better than
    the (gen-u-ine) Fender P-Bass I had.
    
    	So, why do PV instruments have a 'stigma' attached to them.
    
    -Tom
    
    

    
    
    	Ok, I'll post another note, twist my arm...
    
    	PV guitars/basses seem to have some sort of stigma attached
    to them, but PV amplifiers have a great reputation.
    
    	What's your opinion of PV amps? Do you (or have you) gig(ged) with
    PV gear? 
    
    	Enquiring minds want to know!
    
    -Tom
    (PV Amp Man)
    

       So far, I've noticed that Peavy amp are constructed fairly simple,
    and the electronics are fairly modular. I was able to get into an
    older monitor amp and noticed they "socket" thier IC's...How's that
    for repairability. 
       One thing that I noticed in their older amps though, is that they
    don't use fin-type heat sinks for their power transistors. They were
    in the habit of using the back panel for that.
       It seemed to me that Peavy didn't have the "flash" that other mfgr's
    put into their own equipment. My thought is, if it sounds right, feels
    right, and is solid, then it is right.
    
    
    
    J.
      

    Bottom line contains a few simple elements. As long as it works
    when you flip the switch, as long as it has the sound/tone you like,
    as long as it keeps working and doesn't smoke on you in the middle
    of a gig...  who cares what it is???
    
    Fred  ("P" word amp user since 1976)

	I'm glad this note was started.

	I appreciate Peavey for what it is: A company that produces mid-priced 
gear.  And I think they do it quite well.  I've often been told that in PV's
earlier years they produced equipment in a shoddy way (or had poor designs)
which gave them a reputation to overcome.  But my experience has been entirely
positive.

	-	A friend of mine has two PA systems, one small room and one 
large room/outdoor system.  They are both PV.  Just the other day he was telling
me how people always gave a groan when he took out his SP3's to set up for them.
But almost without exception, those same groaners would give rave reviews of the
sound by the end of the gig.

	-	I tried out a (non-PV) 12 channel board the other day with the 
idea of replacing my PV 6-channel board.  This 12 ch board had every feature
I could have wanted in a board, but I noticed it was fairly noisy.  So, for 
comparison I plugged my old PV board back in and wouldn't you know it - it was
significantly quieter than the 12!  Now this is a fairly old, beat-up 6 ch
board!  I brought the 12 ch board back.

	Peavey fills in the gap left from the cheap money-grabbing companies
(that could care less about quality) and the companies that have built up name 
recognition (EV, JBL, and the more expensive ones) and produce top quality 
equipment.  And I believe they do it with a lot of integrity.  It's going to be 
the exceptional listener that is going to voice disatisfaction with the level 
of quality Peavey makes available.

	The only problem I've ever heard about Peavey equipment that I'd be
fore-warned about is that in their electronics (particularly power amps), they
use proprietory parts (did I say that right?).  In other words, they use parts
that you can't just get off the shelf from your local electronics parts store.
But there's give and take, right?  They're just protecting their interests.

	One more thing...  Its important in a discussion like this that we all
remember that PV has gotten into a *LOT* of areas within the Sound/Music 
business.  You may have a flame about a particular experience with, say a guitar
amp, but PV is much more than a guitar amp company.  Off the top of my head I
can think of the following product lines:

	PA Speakers, PA boards, Studio boards, Studio monitors, Guitars, Basses,
guitar amps, bass amps, microphones, signal processors, lighting, Speaker 
components, MIDI devises, synthesizer(s) (a new entry), etc.

	With that much of a product spread, lets make sure we don't throw the
baby out with the bathwater.  Maybe you've had a bad experience with a single 
product, but as for me, I've had nothing but success with the PA equipment
I've dealt with.

	Dan

    If there is a stigma attached to playing a Peavey Dyna-Bass, I haven't
    noticed it.  I have showed it to numerous bassists who use Jazz
    Basses, Precisions, Rickenbackers, Carvins, etc. etc.; and virtually
    all of them concede that it is a real honey.
    
    I personally feel that Peavey is doing a damn good job making
    instruments that look good, do the job required, and are priced
    competitively.  With the list prices of good Precisions approaching
    the four figure mark (not to mention Steinbergers!), the $625 I
    paid for the Dyna-Bass looks quite attractive.  Mind you, I'm not
    knocking ANY of these other basses (hell, I played a nice Precision
    for five years!); it is just that the Peavey does an excellent job
    for me.
    
    BTW, I've been playing the Dyna-Bass for some 2 1/2 years now, approxi-
    mately 150 gigs a year, and it has done magnificently.  And for
    almost six years before THAT, I was using a Peavey T-40 - no beauty
    queen, but a real "working man"-type of axe that got the job done.
    
    What stigma? ;-)
    
    				A satisfied Peavey user,
    
    					--Eric--

    
    Re: .1
    
    I think price used to be a big factor (i.e. inexpensive is garbage). 
    In 1980 I paid $275 new for a T-40 with flight case.  P-basses were
    about $600 at the time!!!  Not to mention a flight case at the time was
    probably $200 by itself....I loved that T-40 and was sorry when I sold
    it.  It's probably the one instrument that I've sold that I should have
    hung onto.
    
    The T-40 and T-60 didn't do well because they didn't mimic the popular
    sounds of the time.  The T-40 had a hard time getting a P-bass tone
    because of the pickup placement.  Plus the sucker was *heavy*.  In
    terms of contruction, relative to a 1980 P-bass, it had better
    hardware, and was *much quieter* (no buzzy pickups).
    
    But Peavey bowed to public opinion and came out with the T-20 (now the
    Fury) which was a P-bass knockoff and the Foundation (J-bass copy). 
    Over the years they even went to split pickups, etc. and threw out
    their excellent passive wiring that had tone-compensated volume
    controls, single-coil/humbucker operation *without* coil taps, etc.
    because people didn't give a squat about those features.
    
    What's hilarious is now Peavey has some basses over $1000...the
    DynaBass Unity, Sarzo Bass, TL-5/6, etc. 
    
    As for guitars, I once owned a Horizon.  It, too, had cool features, two
    blade humbuckers (no signal loss when doing bends) with switchless coil
    tapping, one volume/two tones (more useful IMHO than the reverse), an
    excellent Strat alternative, $150 with a case!!!  Laugh if you will,
    the only construction flaw I could find was the neck joint tended to
    creak if you yanked on the neck (not a recommended practice anyway).
    
    As far as amplification, I have a 14 year old mixing board that has
    seen one repair (did it myself for $1.50 of parts) and have used many
    Peavey PA setups and bass rigs over the years and they all deliver,
    night after night after night.  Decent sound (though I've heard
    better), reliable, good pricing and trend-setters too (they pioneered
    patchability on amps, and all small PA heads on the market today owe a
    debt to the XR-600, in production over 12 years!!) I'll always consider
    Peavey when I'm shopping.
    
    							Brian
    
      

    Re. -1
    
    I goofed!  My title should have read "Over 4000 hrs ...." - the
    1500 is just the number of gigs! 
    
    Gimme some more coffee.... .... :-)   8-)
    
    					--Eric--

    
    	I used PV amps for a least 7 years and was happy.  I did have a
    beaf that it was alittle muddy with the stero chourus 400.  I now
    have a boogie and don't notice much of a diffrence. I almost sold it
    to buy two new Peavey bandits, the new electronics are great. The
    Peaveys definetly more versitile and except tonalities from the
    guitar better.
    
        The bottom line is I think Peavey is a great company weather it's
    guitars, amps or sound reinforcment.  Peavey is on the rise.  Their
    name is slowy becoming respected as proffesional equipment. A certain
    music store mutualy split wil KRAMER and JACKSON because 90% of their
    guitar sales last year were Peavey.
    
     - Supporter of Peavey products -
    
     P.S.  I know my spelling is not that great.
    

     I have never had a problem with my peavey gear either.....
    and it does everything I could want except turn into Miss
    America after a gig....
    I think you guys are right about the price/quality stuff
    though, some folks aren't happy unless they pay stiff
    prices for their gear. What I really like about P.V.'s
    stuff is the patching possibilities-my bass amp has a
    pre-amp out,biamp lo/hi out,direct out and power amp in
    and 2 channels with a graphic eq ....what else could you
    possibly ask for.....especially for $350!!!
    I have no intention of selling mine but if I did I 
    know who I'd look to first-and it sure ain't TRACE ELLIOT!!!!!
    
    
    
    
   -Mr. Happy Peavey,
    -Bill

    Re: .0 - Maybe you should read the "Serious Guitarist" note to get a
    portion of your answer. Peavey (wrongly, I believe) had a reputation
    in R-n-Roll that it was "amateur" or "teenage garage-band" equipment.
    Probably because it was affordable. Also probably because "serious"
    musicians, who always seem to disdain something or someone, had to 
    put something down, and Peavey was an easy target.
    
    I personally have some Peavey equipment, and I like it. My CS400 is
    a fine power amp., and I've had -0- trouble with it. I recently sold
    my Triflex, only beacuse I wasn't using it much, and the money came in
    handy.
    
    Hartley Peavey has created a tremendous company. Peavey manufactures
    virtually EVERYTHING that goes into the merchandise they make. This
    gives the company a chance to rigidly control quality, which it IS
    doing, very well IMHO. Matter of fact, if this Transition thing hits,
    I seriously am going to try to get hired by Peavey. WHat a terrible
    thing to do, no? WORK for a musical equipment manufacturer...what a
    torture! 8^)
    
    Bill

	Poor Fugly Peavey. The equipment ain't pretty, but for PA, it's
	nearly omnipresent. I'm saving my pennies for an XR600. They're
	affordable and seem to last forever. I think I'm doing the right
	thing. I started as a peavey hater but after having more and more
	hands on experiences with their stuff, I can see I got a dose of
	bad hype.

	Only PV stuff I have now is my MicroBass 20wt amp that I use as
	a guitar practice amp (and I'd gladly surrender for $70 cash).

	Any Triumph60 owners out there? I almost bought one.
	Are there any PV dealers out there other than Junky's?

	Ah to live in Merridian, with my strong willed liberal wife ;-).

	Charlie B

    I own quite a bit of Peavey gear myself. I must admit, that in most
    cases, I chose the Peavey gear because I couldn't afford to buy
    what I really wanted...The eseteric/top dollar brands. Here's 
    a rundown of what I bought from them and why.
    
    	701R rackmount mixing board.  I shopped around, and would have
    preferred a Soundcraft but could only afford to spend ~$500 at the
    time. So far, the 701R has served me well and it's quiet. The only
    thing I would like is more channels, and more efx sends.
    
    	AMR PMA200 power amp. I would have liked a Crown DC300, Power
    Base 2, Carver PM1.5, or other high-end (high power) amp. Again
    my budget was small, and the PMA200 was cheap...$319. My only
    complaint is I could use a little more power, and I would like
    to have the option of running bridged, or with a 4 ohm load.
    
    	PVM38 microphones. I had plans of buying either Shure SM58's
    or ATM41's. When I demoed all 3 mics in the same store, the Peavey
    won over both in terms of frequency response. All 3 were equally
    rugged, and the Peavey was about $50 less in price. Some people
    would argue that SM58's can be had for the same price, but SM58's
    do not include a cable, or hs case.  I ended up buying 2 of them 
    and have no complaints at all. 
    
	As far as their guitar amps are concerned, I believe they make
    some of the best clean sounding amps on the market, but their
    overdrive sound is not my cup of tea.
    
    	One complaint I have about Peavey is their approach to marketing
    and franchising. They only sign up with dealers that commit to buying
    $xxx worth of equipment each year. As a result, most Peavey dealers
    will steer customers towards Peavey no matter what the customer has
    in mind. You walk in and ask if they have any Strats and they steer
    you to Peavey. You walk in and ask if they carry Marshall amps, and
    they steer you to the Peavey VTM series. etc.  There are simply times
    when I know what I want and do not want to be steered away from it. 
     
    One other complaint I have about Peavey is their overall looks. In
    the early days, their equipment always looked cheap. They eventually
    improved their looks, but some of their new products (particularly 
    the PMA recording line) have taken on an ugly look once again. My
    overall opinion of their AMR recording line is that it does live
    up to Peavey's general reputation, it's noisy, and in the same price
    range, I would choose Tascam or Fostex over AMR anyday.
    
    Mark
    

    The Peavey stuff ranges from 'just ok' to 'pretty good' IMHO.  I mean,
    their amps provide lots of power for the buck, but if you had a 2 sound
    systems behind a curtain, one running off the Peavey CS series, and
    another one running off of Carver amps, I believe you would be able to
    tell the difference soundwise!
    
    Their new line of basses are really cool though
    
    B.

    One other complaint I have about Peavey is resale value. This is
    especially true of their guitars and basses, but it also applies
    to their other lines as well. The low resale value may be the
    result of the (mostly unfounded) stigma attached to the Peavey
    name.
    
    Another musical equipment manufacturer that developed a stigma
    is DOD. To combat this, they introduced two lines of gear with
    a differant name....Digitech and Audiologic. I own an Audiologic
    MT66 compressor/limiter and I believe it represents excellant
    quality and value. I believe that if Peavey had marketed their 
    recording gear under their own name, it would not have sold at
    all. The fact that they used the name AMR gave it a fighting 
    chance, however the equipment is not standing the test of time
    at all well, and I believe it will be short lived. Don't get me
    wrong, I am satisfied with my PMA200 power amp, but this is
    really not at the core of the AMR product line, which mostly 
    centers on Multitrack recorders, mixers, studio monitors, mics, 
    and studio efx.
    
    Mark
    

One thing that I'll never forget was my old Peavy Mace guitar amp.
Tube amp, loud as hell...But the most horrid sound ever !
That amp will always bias my opinion towards Peavy guiatr amps.
I tried the Peavy VTM60, and thought it sounded like a modern Mace.

Now, PA stuff is a different story.  The CS series stuff and the XR's
are excellent (especially for the price!).  How many bands have started
out with SP2's or SP3's ??  How about their monitors ?

I've also been playing with two Peavy 4x12F guitar cabs for years.  Most
recently finally bagging the cabs in favor of my sawed-in-half Marshall
2x12s...Both are stuffed with Peavy Scorpian Pluses from one of my 4x12Fs.
I've also got a MIDI foot controller thats cool.

I played a Peavy Vandenberg model recently.  Nice axe !...It's a long way 
from the ole T60s.

TO sum it up, we'll us the jc rating system:
(1= Awesome, 5=lame)

Guitars - 3 (and improving)
Guitar Amps - 4 (Will they ever learn to distort right?)
Midi - 3
Speakers - 1
PA - 2

All IMHO of course...

jc

    PA at 2?!?
    
    weird!

    Can someone answer a question for me:
    
    Is Peavey still making their Amps/PA's out of particleboard?
    
    Back in the seventies we had this Peavey PA system that vibrated
    itself right into the garbage can!
    
    Hopefully they've changed that type of construction.  The PA we
    had didn't sound too bad, but the resilience was definitely
    questionable.
    
    Mike

    I think a lot of the stigma is that Peavey had different equipment
    lines that targeted different price ranges and the quality was widely
    different.  Seemed like the low range stuff is what people ended up
    looking at and with that it was definately a "you get what you pay for"
    situation.  The midline equipment was a better buy.  I think that their
    overall quality has gone up substantially the last few years, but the
    stigma of the old cheap stuff still remains.
    
    I've never played a Peavey guitar that I thought felt good.  The necks
    were consistantly too thick, and the actions were consistantly high. 
    They just felt...well...cheezy.  I've heard a lot of good things about
    the basses though.
    
    The way a guitar amp sounds is a very subjective thing, but I've never
    liked Peavey amps.  I used to have a 1x12 40wt combo that I thought
    sounded really bad.  
    
    I think that their PA equipment is good mid-priced workhorse stuff. 
    It's nowhere near the best, but it gets the job done.  The power amps
    seem especially tough.
    
    Greg
                                                

 
    For a long time I wanted to open a Peavey note, but I figure
    I was going to get a lot of boooooos about it.
    
    I like the stuff. I have a pa, guitar and bass amp all Peavey.
    It works every time I want to have some fun.
    
    

Well, I played thru a Peavy "something 40" itty bitty combo.  Sounded
pretty dookey, but it was sounding better than my Kitthawk which was
sending up smoke signals...

Votes for Peavy reliability ?

    There seems to be a general consensus tha PV basses are pretty damn
    good at worst. I just added a reply (1726.4) the other day about my
    experience with a Foundation bass. Has any one else out there in reader
    land experienced the same problem I had? Now it so happens that I'm
    looking to buy a new bass and I've generally eliminated PV's from
    consideration because of my experience. Now I weill tell you that mine
    was purchased when the Foundations were first out ('84). And I also
    know that they are available with a different pickup system (the "S"
    series I think it is) and with active electronics. But I'm still leary.
    I'm leaning towards the Ibanez SR800. It has active elex but a really
    small neck that I think is perfect for a player like myself who also
    plays lead 6 string (I play a Strat through a Fender Super Six -100
    watts through 6 tens).
    
    Now the bass is not my only experience with PV stuff. I've had a PV
    Falcon guitar that I think had better pickups than my Strat. I don't
    think the neck was as good though. I have a PV Bass Mark IV that is
    just fine. Plenty of power and versatile with sound and integrating
    with my Fender for Bi amp. I've also owned a complete PA system, an 
    MD-12 12 channel mixer, CS800 power amp, and separate horns and bins (
    I forget the model Number - FH1 maybe). Big stuff, and freakin heavy
    too! But it all sounded really good, totally reliable, and affordable.
    And in essence, I think that is the mark of Peavey.
    

    
    Re: .22
    
    Well, when I read 1726.4 I was surprised you said the bass sounded OK
    for recording but not live.  Usually it's the other way around,
    recording tends to make you notice every little thing.  When I'm in the
    studio I'm constantly amazed at how much richer the tone of the bass is
    than when playing live through an amp.
    
    The "S" (split) pickups were a concession to people who wanted a P-J
    pickup style instead of the straight J-bass type setup on the original
    Foundation.  I guess they also have an active Foundation now, but why
    bother when you can buy a Dyna-Bass, which is just a Foundation with
    Schaller hardware and active electronics.  
    
    Your particular experience with the upper register not coming through
    clean seems weird because I almost always have the opposite problem
    with basses I try, the upper register is very well defined but I can't
    get enough low end out of the thing.  It is a *bass*, after all, eh?
    
    								Brian

    Yeah, and know what else? I even changed the pickups once wondering if
    that wouldn't cure the problem. I also spoke to the good folks at PV
    and (beyond offering the pickups as replacement) they hadn't heard
    any complaints such as mine. At the time I figured it was BS but only 
    one other person I've talked to since has had a simialr
    experience. I have since come to reckon that maybe the "Super Ferrite"
    is a blade pickup and that unbalanced response between strings is
    intrinsic to the design. I can't figure out why nobody else seems to
    have this problem tho.
    
    In so far as recording BTW, I'm no session man. My only recording
    experience has been to tape the group at practice for a demo tape.
    maybe in a studio I would have found m my PV different.
    
    Dave

    My 2 cents, 
    well I have a peavey xr400 pa thats used for practice and it would 
    do a small club. I've had it for a couple of years and not one
    complaint...I power 4 tweeters, 4 twelves and 2 fifteens with it
    and its nice and crisp...
    
    AND, to power my squire bullet Strat I use 1 ea.
    
    PEAVEY BUTCHER 120 watt head with a 4x10 peavey cab under it and the
    only problem I have with that is that everyone tells me to turn it
    around and face it to the wall. Shit I love to stand in front of it
    and make believe I'm standing in the wind.
    (hey Mike marshall Mikrut, remind you of anything?)
    
    
    Roger
    
    
    

    
    
    	Anyone know how many watts a TNT 130 Bass combo is? I seem
    to remember that some PV combos aren't labelled to their 
    true wattage. 
    	
    	Also,what's a reasonable price  pay for a used TNT 130?
    
    -Tom
    (On the amp quest again!)
    

    A friend of mine has one, it is... 130 Watts.  Alot of Peavey stuff
    has wierd numbers on it but, the TNT series didn't.  He got a mint
    one last summer for $230, I think anything around that for a really
    nice one is fair.  If it looks rough, don't go over $200.  IMHO.
    
    
    
    Don

    
    
    Oh yeah, I almost forgot: 
    	
    	What's a fair price (used) for a MK IV bass head? Daddy's
    has one for $279, which (IMHO) is high.
    
    -Tom
    (Honest, honey, this is the last piece of gear I need! ;-) )

    Tom,
     Anytime you want to find out " a fair price" for something, cfheck out
    the Want ADvertiser. I think because there are so many entries in there that
    it's the best place to get a feeling for the marketplace in general.
    
    BTW, I paid about the same for my MK IV  2 & 1/2  years ago. It's a
    great amp that'll give you good service.
    
    Dave 

    
    	As far as I know, most Peavy bass amps are rated at their
    	power at 4 ohms, even thou they are supplied with 8 ohn speakers.
        I think the Keyboard series is the same deal.
    
    	So my Combo 300 has 230 was into 8 ohms and 300 into 8 ohms.
    	finally, after several years, I plugged an external cab into
    	it; it really cranked......
    

    re: .29
    
    >(Honest, honey, this is the last piece of gear I need! ;-) )
    
    "It's the ULTIMATE setup, it'll never change..."
    
    Cough...yeah right.

    
    
    re: .-1
    
    	Maybe we oughta have an official "spouse equipment excuse" topic!
    
    	:-)
    
    -Tom
    

    Re. .32
    
    Right!!!!  That's why I bought my pedal steel before I got married!
    	(Nyuk nyuk nyuk...... ;-).....)
    
    Re. .30
    
    I have the same situation with my Combo 300.  Used by itself, it's
    fine until I have to crank (i.e. outdoor gigs, f'r instance).  At
    times like that, the compressor LED comes on  more frequently. 
    But using an external 15" 4-ohm cabinet gives me smoother lows,
    and lets me extract the full 300 watts - I hardly ever see the
    compressor engage under those circumstances.
    
    Re. outdoor gigs in general.  There is one major problem I have
    had with my Peavey bass; let this be a caveat to potential buyers.
    My original Dyna Bass was the Pearl White finish with gold hardware.
    After a full summer of playing weekends outdoors at an amusement
    park, I discovered to my dismay that the white finish was turning
    a smoky gray under the gloss finish.  Since the bass was less than
    a year old, I had it returned to Peavey, who told me that the white
    finish was susceptible to ultraviolet aging - it had been a problem
    in the past; they thought they had it licked, but my Dyna Bass proved
    they hadn't.  The upshot of the deal was that Peavey took my now
    off-white bass back to research, and gave me a Starfire Red one
    in exchange; it has proved much better able to handle the summer
    sun.  
    
    The moral of the story: avoid the white Peaveys unless you plan
    on never playing outside with it!
    
    					--Eric--

   re:  .33

    FYI (and sorry to say...) - red tends to fade in sunlight, too.  (Take
    a look at an old red car sometime - even one that's been waxed.)

    -- Sam

    Re. -1
    
    Perhaps the red does fade - but, in my best estimate, I played it
    outdoors about half again longer than the white, and it still looks
    new to me!
    
    				--Eric--
    
    BTW, that outdoor gig folded last season....whew  :-)......!

    
    Hello, My son is having some problems with his Peavey amp, and I'm
    hoping that someone out there in guitar notes land can help him.
    
    The amp is a Classic VT series 100, model 212 classic. The problem is
    that it fades out after 1/2 hour of playing. 
    
    This is a hand-me-down amp from his older brother, and in the 4 years
    we had it they've replaced the tubes 4 times. This sorta tells me that
    it may not be the tubes... right?
    
    Does anyone have any ideas, hints, or clues as to the problem? I'm not
    very good with electronics, but am willing to try.
    
    Alternately, is there a good place to take it to be checked
    out/repaired?  
    
    Thanking you for Keith,
    Ray
    

    
    	This sounds like a good use for that $100 gift certificate
    	you're trying to sell.
    
    	8^)
    
    							GTI
    

   Actually, all of .37's sarcasm aside (Hi, Shawn...  :-))...

   Daddy's is a major distributer of Peavey in this area.  They also do
   repair work.  I have no idea what could be wrong with the amp (other
   than tubes...  :-)), but it might be worth it to let Daddy's have a
   look and put that certificate to good use.

   -- Sam

    
    Yeah, I already know that you've gotta watch the Slab... raging or not ;^)
    
    And I've already suggested he use the gift certificate to pay for the
    repairs... but he wishes to do things his own way.. anybody remember
    being 18?
    
    Regarding tubes in general.... should you touch them? Many tubes used
    in overhead projectors and that sort of thing, shouldn't be touched
    directly, as the oils on your fingers will somehow shorten their life.
    
    Is the same true for this type of tube?  I noticed in an earlier note
    that someone suggested buying heat sink fins.  Possibly my son's
    problem?  Overheating tubes?
    
    Thanks,
    Ray
    
    
    

Overhead projector "tubes" are light bulbs me thinks...And the oils in
you skin would cause them to burnout prematurely due to refraction factors
cause by the oil.

Anyway, tubes don't emit much light so I doubt that is a problem.
Make sure he goes to standby when the amp is not in use, keeping speakers
hooked up and all that jazz should help though.

80% of tube amp problems are bad tubes.
Or so they say...
jc

   re: Tubes/lights/etc

   In extreme high heat applications, like the halogen "tubes" used in 
   European style auto headlights, you can't touch the glass of the
   tube because you finger oils will stick and cause "hot spots" on
   the glass where the heat will be absorbed by the oil.  This can 
   cause the glass to crack.  This *should* not be a problem with
   amp power tubes, but I usually wipe the majority of fingerprints
   off them anyway (after installing the tubes, etc).  I really don't
   think it does much, but it can't hurt.

   Since this amp has gone through so many sets of tubes it *could* be
   some sort of xformer problem that's causing too much/little power to
   be fed to the tubes.  Only you amp repair man knows for sure.  :-)

   -- Sam

    
    Thank you all for the responses!! (you too Shawn!)
    
    We're off to see the repair man.
    
    rgds,
    Ray

    
    
    	I think you'll find that projector bulbs (& some car head bulbs)
    are halogen/quartz.  The 'glass' is actually a quartz based compound,
    trouble is that the natural salts in our skin can attack the quartz &
    cause it to break down.  The quartz glass is able to operate at higher
    temperatures than common silica based glass.  Tubes (valves to we
    Brits) use silica glass & thus they can be handled O.K.
    
    	One point about ALL thermionic devices is that in manufacture they 
    have a metal filament inserted that is sacraficed by burning (they put 
    a very high current through it).  The idea is that the matal vapourises
    & burns up any residual gases so the vacuum in greatly improved, the
    evidence can be seen as the top of a tube is often "silvered" like a
    mirror where the metal has spattered.
    
    	I can't remember what metal they use but it (or one of it's
    bi-products) has the effect of preventing blood from clotting, ie if you 
    break a tube & cut yourself on the glass the cut won't heal.  
    
    Nasty eh?
    
    	Apparently TV tubes are the worst (although the manufacture is 
    different the same chemical/metal is present there too).
    
     	My Dad told me this when I was a kid (he used to design specialist 
    tubes) & it stopped me from throwing stones at old TV tubes on scrap heaps 
    (sort of thing kids do).  So tell your kids!!!
    
    Cheers
    
    		Pete.
    

    
    
    	I just bought a PV tube preamp for bass a couple of weeks
    ago and after some time to fiddle with it I'm pretty pleased.
    
    	It's got the following features:
    
    	2 12AX7 Tubes
    	Low & High Gain inputs
    	'Bright' switch
    	Gain Boost switch (*Big* gain boost)
    	Pre/Post gain controls
    	3 band Eq (Low, Mid, High)
    	3 band Post-Gain Eq (After Post Gain Control)
    
    	The back panel has two outputs, a 3V and a 1V. 
    
    	If I set it high on the pre gain, I get a nice,
    	fat, slightly overdriven tone, which sounds *killer*
    	with my Rick 4001. 
    
    	Oh yeah, the best part is that it only cost $149, NEW!
    
    -Tom
    
    

    Re: .45
    
    Saw the TG Raxx, which is a guitar version, yesterday.  Appears
    identical, I would guess the tone rollover frequencies may be the only
    difference between these units.  If you've been looking at Chandler
    Tube Driver, Real Tube, etc. these are worth looking into.
    
    One bummer on the TB model: no XLR out, you still need a direct box. 
    Ugh.
    
    								Brian

    
    
    re: XLR
    
    	Yeah, that's the down side of it. My ProBass 1000 had all those
    neato patching options, but I traded it in on the TB Raxx
    
    	BTW, the post gain EQ has a 'shift' pushbutton associated with
    it. When pressed in, it seems to change the range over which the
    eq knobs work. I.E. The knob labelled 'bottom' seems to control 
    a higher frequency range. 
    
    -Tom
    

      I checked out these new price-buster rack rigs from Hartley's
    barn. Nice prices, decent sound! One major nit with the guitar
    preamp: no footswitch! Well, there is if you can reach your foot
    up to the rack and you can manipulate your toes well. It seems this
    wouldn't have been too costly to build into it.
      The new rack gear includes something I've been looking for! Too
    bad I already bought something to do the job. Peavey has a reasonably
    priced mono TUBE power amp in their line! I think it's called the
    "classic". Sixty watts of tube power with fan cooling in a nice
    package! I was quoted a price of $339! I haven't been the biggest
    fan of Peavey in the past, but more and more I see them coming out
    with some great products at a decent price! My bass player LOVES
    his Peavey Databass!
    						-BoOm-

    
    
    	Does anybody have any info on a PV combo that consisted of a 
    MK IV bass head and a 2x10 cab? I seem to rememer seeing one and 
    would liek to find out the model number.
    
    -Tom
    

	Our band is planning to buy a couple of Peavey portable amps
	(10WRMS, DC powered) for playing on the street.  The amps will
	be fed by a couple of acoustic guitars, a battery powered mic
	mixer and an electric piano (run off an invertor driven by a
	car battery).

	The Peaveys go for $95 each ($110 minus a $15 manufacturer's
	rebate).  They have 2 line inputs, a preamp output, individual
	level controls and bass and treble pots.  They accept 9 D cells
	or an external 12V input (car battery for the street, a Shack
	battery eliminator for home use).  While they don't sound as clean
	as a Mouse, they aren't too bad and are much more affordable.

	2 questions: has anyone had a bad experience with these units?
	and have you seen them advertised for less than $95?

	Tnx for your feedback,

	/ravi

    check out note 1279 which talks about portable rigs. There is a
    unit that Radio Shack sells which does not include speakers, but
    it does have line inputs, runs off of car battery, or AC, and
    has 10-20 watts per channel. You could use this to drive the
    speakers of your choice. Another option is to get a good car
    stereo power amp. These are available with as much power as
    you want (like 100 w/channel).
    
    Whatever you decide to get, I would avoid using dry cell batteries
    as you will eat them up, and the cost adds up quick.
    
    	Mark
    

    
    	I'm suprised, after all your notes on this subject, that you'd
    go for the Peavey portable amps as a solution. For the same money,
    likely from Radio Shack, you could have *50* watts a channel, line
    inputs, running through 2 6x9's in cabs -
    
    	Joe

	> I'm suprised, after all your notes on this subject, that you'd
	> go for the Peavey portable amps as a solution.

	Me too!  However, after considering the $$ spend on putting everything
	together (mixer w/eq, speaker cabs, etc.) and the possible problems
	of a fried homebrewed circuit, I think we're safer with a ready
	made package.  Admittedly less bang for the buck though.

	/ravi

    I have a small Peavey amp.  I can't remember the model name, but it has
    one 12" speaker.
    
    It suddenly, without warning, stopped working.  I was playing my guitar
    when NOTHING happened.  The little red light works, but that's it. 
    There is absolutely no sound what-so-ever.  What happened?  There
    appears to be no fuse for this unit.  ANyone have any ideas?  I'll look
    up the model name tonight if it makes a difference.
    
         Thanks,
         Chris D.

    Hi Chris,
    
    
    Your amp probably blew an output transistor, but there could be a whole
    host of things wrong with it. Unless you're a technician, I wouldn't
    advise messin' with it. I'm sure it's not a simple fix for the
    inexperienced. Bring it to your local amp repair person.
    
    "sakman"
    

    Sakman,
    
    I bought it used.  Who is my local repair dealer?  I live in the
    Lowell, Ma. area.  I was told to stay away from Daddys.  I was also
    told to go to Union Music in Worchester, Ma.  Any opinions??
    
    One more thing.  My OOOOOOOLD in-line pedals (fuzz and Wah) don't work
    with this amp.  I thought the problem was with the pedals because they
    hadn't been used in many years, but there was something in the amp 
    booklet that I didn't quite understand about in-line pedals possibly
    not working because of some kind of filtering or something.  Anyone
    know about this stuff???
    
    Thanks,
    Chris D.

    Hi Chris,
    
    
    If it were me, I'd bring to Harvey of Harvey's Music in Milford NH only
    because I know him, he's a good an honest fellow, and one hell of
    guitar picker. Other than that, I wouldn't be quite so reluctant to use
    Daddy's, although I've never had the need to go there for service. But
    I figure since they sell a bunch of PV stuff, they no doubt service
    their share of all PV equipment in need of repair, they'd have the
    schematics for you amp, and since your amp is not some obscure piece of
    high tech equipment that only a NASA rocket engineer could figure out,
    I'd bring it to Daddy's. Have 'em give you an estimate including turn
    around time.
    
    "sakman"

    Before I brought it to anybody I'd open it up and look for something 
    obvious, like a detached speaker wire. Only takes a couple or 10
    minutes and might save you some cash...
    
    Edd

>>    and since your amp is not some obscure piece of
>>    high tech equipment that only a NASA rocket engineer could figure out,
    
     I would only send it to NASA if it had fuel leaks.  :^)
    
    Well, maybe it is worth opening and looking.  I'll just make sure if it
    looks like I'm getting too deep for my own good, I'll stop and button
    it back up.
    I see your point about Daddys.  If they sell lots, they must know how
    to fix them too.
    
    Thanks guys
    Chris D.

    Another vote for opening it up !
    
    As an EX Navy Comm/Nav tech, I'd say that at least 50%
    of problems can be seen (not necessarily fixed) with the naked
    eye.  A good visual inspection is worth your time (and possibly
    nothing.  Take special note of burnt up circuits.   ;)
    
    jc

	As we all know, all electical items run on smoke. As long as the
	smoke didn't get out (that's right, when electrical things break,
	all the smoke gets out of the wires & you'll never get it back in
	again....), it should be possible to fix it.

    
    RE: Coop..."can be seen with naked eye"
    
    You exposin' yerself again, Coop?  
    
    J.
    
    PS When yer gonna be here?
    

    Well, I tore the amp apart last night and found nothing suspect.  So it
    looks like it's off to the shop.  FWIW the model is a Special.
    
    Chris D.

    One more test before you tote it off to service: put a voltmeter
    set to read resistance across the speaker terminals (after
    disconnecting the leads from the amp to the speaker).  DC resistance
    should be in the neighborhood of 5.5ohms (for an 8 ohm speaker,
    which is a typical speaker impedance).  The speaker should make
    a _tiny_ burp when you apply the voltmeter leads.
    
    Regards,
    John K.

    I had a little Fender practice amp that did something similar.  It
    turned out to be a cracked PC board connection for the Master Volume
    pot (the pots are PC mounted with a little board that's part of the pot
    that solders onto the PC board, it was this little part that was
    broken).
    
    I have NO idea how this could have happened because the amp was never
    dropped or treated roughly at all (I was the original owner and didn't
    do any of those things), it had worked just a few days beforehand as
    well.  
    
    I don't really remember how I noticed it, I think I was checking the
    master volume and volume pots with an ohmmeter.
    
    Greg

    I had the same problem with my marshall and it was The CORD.
    Check the guitar cord before you do ANY of that techy stuff.
    -andrew

    
    I tried different cords and another guitar too.  It's the amp.
    
    Chris D.

    Oh well, just a thought. 

    
>>    Oh well, just a thought. 
    
    
    Hey, it's the thought that counts.  Keep thinking, you may think of
    something I didn't think of yet.
    
    Appreciate the thought,
    Chris D.

    Have you tried the output from this amp into a different speaker? 
    Maybe the speaker's cooked.
    
    Greg (who experienced this just yesterday)

    Maybe I'll see if I can find something out using a voltmeter on the
    speaker terminals and again on the leads.  
    Greg, I don't have another speaker to plug into.  If I used a stereo
    speaker, could I cause damage just for the few seconds it would take?
    
    Chris D.

    Hmm...  As long as you kept the volume down and didn't generate any
    massive transients (like firing the thing up and doing a big Pete
    Townsend windmill) and the impednece of the stereo speaker is right, it
    should be ok, however it might be a little risky, given that you don't
    know whether you amp is working correctly at this point or not.  If it
    cooked the speaker in the cabinet, it might do the same thing to your
    stereo speaker. 
    
    Maybe a better option would be to try the speaker in your guitar
    cabinet with your stereo, that shouldn't hurt anything regardless of
    whatever's with the amp and it'd be an easy test.
    
    I'm no electronics wizard, just trying to help.  I've found working
    with software that one good way to find problems is to isolate them as
    much as you can.  It's worked pretty well for me with my musical
    equipment too.  Good luck, Chris!
    
    Greg

    
>>    Maybe a better option would be to try the speaker in your guitar
>>    cabinet with your stereo, that shouldn't hurt anything regardless of
>>    whatever's with the amp and it'd be an easy test.
    
    Good idea Greg.  I'd feel much more comfortable doing it this way.
    I'll give it a shot maybe tonight.
    
    Thanks,
    Chris D.

    Well, it's the speaker.  I checked using my stereo.  I did both test.
    I hooked the stereo to the amp speaker and; nothing.  I hooked the amp
    the the stereo speaker and; sound.  So, I notice in the QUITAR
    CLASSIFIEDS there is a speaker for sale.  :^)
    
    Chris D.
    
    Thanks again people.

>    Well, it's the speaker.  I checked using my stereo.  I did both test.
>    I hooked the stereo to the amp speaker and; nothing.  I hooked the amp
>    the the stereo speaker and; sound.  

Are you sure the speaker is dead? I had a problem exactly like this with a 
Peavey amp once, and it was just a bad connection to the speaker from the 
amplifier section. I opened it up and looked at the connection (the pair of 
wires) from the amp going to the speakers. They have a connector on the end
that looks sorta like a male banana jack and (correspondingly),
a female socket on the other end. The female socket was the culprit. The 
metal on the female socket was stretched out a little and was not making good
contact. I took a pair of needlenose pliers and squashed it together to make
a tighter fit (no jokes guys ;-) ). This completely solved the problem. You
owe it to yourself to check this before you buy a speaker (if you haven't
checked it already of course). Personally, I've never heard of a speaker just
quitting like that without some sign (extreme distortion, etc.) first.

Mike D

Hi everyone,

I have a question that maybe someone out there can help me with:

    I have recently purchased a Peavey Foundation Bass, (in addition
    to my Yamaha fretless), but I have a problem: The Peavy's pickups
    seem to have trouble amplifying any note played on the low E string.
    (at first I thought it was a dead string, but I replaced the old 
    strings,  but the problem didn't go away)
    
I thought about getting a pre-amp, but I usually switch between the 
2 basses, so I'd rather not deal with resetting pre-amp settings during
a gig.  

    Could someone direct me towards a pointer, (bass pickup note) 
    or offer any advice?

I seem to remember being told that the pickup dimensions on the
Foundation are an odd size.

For the record: The Peavey has new Rotos on it..

			thAnx,
			chUck
    

    RE: -1  I used the amp's speaker wire when I hooked up the stereo
    speaker.  So, in effect, I checked that at the same time.
    You do bring up a point.  Whenever I blew speakers in the past, they
    always made noise, they just sounded like they were ripped.  Is there a
    lot of electrical technologies in speakers now?
    
    Chris D.

Sounds like it could be a weak magnet on the pole under the low E.

You could try adjusting the hieght of the pickup, get it either closer,
or further way from the string..  (I know, further away sounds odd, but
I've seen it make a difference,  Something to do with a magnectic field...)

FWIW,, I've seen this problem more then just a few times with alot
of Bass Guitars.  

Problem generally went away for good when said bass player replaced
pickups with something in the lines of a Seymore Duncan, or Dimazio.

    Check out note 1732. 
    
    I had a Foundation that in the store, it played and sounded great. At 
    home it sounded and played great. On stage, it only played great. But my
    problem was just the opposite of yours. I got a lot of response out of
    the two lower strings but it diminished as I played the other two and
    only the thumping of the root could be heard in the mix of other
    players.  I had the pickups replaced under warranty to no avail. I
    never replaced the pickups with another brand since the dimensions of
    the pickup are proprietary. In order to install DiMarzio's for
    example, I would have had to cut the guitar. I ended up selling it to a
    fellow who was going to use it for home use. 
    
    I've never heard my complaint from anyone else, so I don't know if it
    was me or what. Anyway in the days since, I have quit playing bass and
    gone back to being a 6 stringer.
    
    "sakman" 

    
    	Can you do a continuity test on a speaker's terminals to determine 
    	if it's blown or not?

    Yes, but that's first test and not necessarily conclusive. If the coil
    is open (meter reads infinity) then the speaker is junk. If you get a
    get a reading and you hear the speaker crackle as you touch the
    terminals (don't measure for any more than a few seconds - it is a dc
    current) that only means the coil is continuous but still might be
    damaged. In that case the speaker would operate, but sound terrible. 
     
    In your case, I think you'll find that the coil is open.
    
    "sakman"

    For future referance, another technique for troubleshooting amps is
    to find out if the power supply is working. This doen't apply to the
    blown speaker problem, but for general info, it's something to check.
    If you tried your' amp with a differant (known good) speaker and found
    there was no output, but the power light was on, it is possible that
    the power supply isn't working. Amps are usually wired as such:
    
    110 vac > power cord > fuse > on/off switch > light > power supply.
    
    As you can see, the light only indicates that there is 110vac feeding
    into the power supply. It doesn't mean the power supply is working.
    Power supplies usually consist of a transformer, a full-wave bridge
    rectifier, a voltage regulator and some filter caps. The transformer
    steps the 100 volt input down to a lower voltage level (a level that 
    is within the operating range of the voltage regulator). A full-wave 
    bridge rectifier consists of four diodes, which are wired in a back 
    to back fashion. They invert the negative portion of the ac signal and 
    create an ac signal which only swings positive. From there the filter 
    caps remove all the ripple leaving a signal which for all intents and 
    purposes is DC. The regulator insures that the "DC" signal is always 
    within a range that the amp can use (example 5v +or- 5%). If you have 
    no DC voltage the amp will have no output whatsoever.  Power supply 
    problems include blown transformers/regulators/diodes/capacitors. If 
    the transformer, regulator/ or diodes are blown, chances are you will 
    have no DC. If you blow a filter cap, chances are you will still have 
    DC, but with a ripple problem which will probably manifest itself in 
    the form of noise. Checking to see if a power supply is working is a 
    very easy thing to do. All you need is a voltmeter. A schematic helps 
    in that it shows you the various nodes where a DC voltage is expected, 
    and tells you what the DC level should be. If your dealing  with a tube 
    amp, the tubes should be glowing when the amp is turned on. No glow...
    no power. If you don't have access to a voltmeter, Radio Shack sells
    cheap ones starting around $10.00.
                             
    Next time you experience amp problems, and would like to try and avoid
    a trip to the repair shop, try checking the power supply. If it is a 
    tube amp, 90% of all problems can be attibuted to bad tubes.
    
    Mark
    

    
    
    
    	Mark, super halpful note, thanks.  Just wanted to remark tha the
    radio shack meters that you mention are on sale now for 7.95!  If
    you're an electric guitar player and you don't have one of these... git
    one!
    
    Steve

   Anyone got schematics for either a Bandit 65 or a Studio Pro 40?  Both
   models are about 10 years old.  Any pointers would be appreciated.

   -- Sam

    	I was in a store at my lunch hour today and heard a real nice
    sounding amp.  Walking over I was pleasantly surprised to see that it
    was a Peavey.  Its a new model called the Bravo 112.  The range of
    tones it delivers is tremendous!  Its a tube amp, running 25 watts, I
    believe.  The guy who was playing it seemed to be real good at getting
    all kinds of nice sweet sounds from it.
    
    	The list price on it is $399, I believe.  I heard a price of $309
    locally.
    
    	Dan
    

    On another note...  One thing that PV has been starting to implement in
    their newer amps is EQ on both clean and lead channels.  The call it
    something different, though.  On the clean channel they call it low,
    mid and high.  But on the lead channel, they call it bottom, ________
    and edge (I just forgot the mid-range term).
    
    I know many people think low of Peavey, especially their guitar amps,
    but I think they have a lot to offer, especially at their price range. 
    And they are continually getting better and better.
    
    	Dan
    

    
    I wanna here more on this amp, Dan.  How was the distortion.  Would 
    it be close to satisfying, say, Coop or Buck?
    
    How many channels?  Footswitchable, I presume?
    
    Is it a combo?
    
    Been thinking about something like .22 Caliber, and ~$300 sounds really 
    reasonable for a practice tube amp.
    
    J.

    	I don't claim to have any expertise on distortion, so I may not be
    able to help you answer your first question.  It sounded real nice to
    me, better than any other PV distortion - richer, fuller...  There was
    a lot of varieties of sounds and tones as well.  It has two channels,
    each with their own EQ (or voicing), I'm sure it was footswitchable and
    yes, it was a combo unit.  Beyond that I don't know anything more about
    it.  Check it out!
    
    	Dan
    

      I heard the Bravo as well. Nice sounds. It uses EL-84 tubes like
    the Seymour Duncan 84-40. It's interesting that the tubes are mounted
    IN the chassis. They don't show when looking at the back, I would
    think this would cause heat problems, but Peavey usually engineers
    their stuff quite well.
    
    							-B()()M- 

    
    RE: last few on Bravo.
    
    Yup, definitely a nice sound.  I've been messing around with the clean
    channel a lot and I LOVE the tone I've been able to squeeze out of it.
    As for distortion, the "pre" knob has a pull feature which "boosts
    overall system gain.", and I've been running it in "IN" position mostly; 
    this gives me a good amount distortion without going overboard. (MY GOD! 
    WHAT AM I SAYING?!  ;^)
    
    When I first saw it, I didn't see any tubes hanging out, and dismissed
    it as being solid state(ack!), but the sales person showed me
    otherwise, I plugged it in, and SOLD!
    
    This little amp has everything I wished the Marshall Micro had, channel
    switching, real tubes, and effects loop.  I've been fartin' around with
    my DSP 128+ stuck in the FX loop and it cranks some GREAT sounds!
    
    Dan, the term that Peavey is using for mids on "ultra gain" channel is 
    "body".  Tone controls on the clean channels are "Passive tone controls"  
    Where the on ultra gain channel;
    
    bottom--an active tone control(shelving type +/- 15 dB) that varies the
    		low frequency boost or cut, 
    body--a passive tone control(notch, -15 dB) that varies the mid 
    		frequency cut, 
    edge--an active cotrol(shelving type +/- 15dB) that varies the high 
 	   	freqency boost or cut.
    
    And all the volume and tone controls are completely independant between 
    the two channels.  THIS IS A GREAT LITTLE AMP! (never thought I'd hear 
    myself saying THAT about a Peavey!)
    
    It has a single 12" that does the job of pushing sound fairly well.
    It's not a Black Widow or Scorpion or anything, but I've got a pair
    of Celestian 12s and EV 12 in my Boogie cab, so who cares?  They also 
    provided an extra speaker jack that when both plugged in, cuts the 
    impedence from 8 to 4 ohms.  Now, I wonder what this sucker can do 
    with my Boogie 4X12...  ;)
    
    Oh, and $399 list seems kinda steep, too.  They quoted me list price of 
    $325 for the amp and $29 for the footpedal.  And this was at Prosound, 
    not a place known for great prices/deals.  
    
    J.
    

    A quick plug for this lil brute...
    
    I just plugged in my STRAT (!!!!!) and got the MOST perfect Metallica
    crunch I've ever heard...Well, it was damn close anyway...And thru my
    strat no less !!!!
    
    jc (Wowed)

    
    Another plug for Bravo.
    
    Well, I've been using this little tyke for band practice, thru my 
    Mesa/Boogie 4X12(Looks like time for new tubes on the Boogie MKIII, 
    but little short on cash supply), and no problems with keeping up 
    with the volume level(we play LOUD).
    
    J.

    >    with the volume level(we play LOUD).
    
    No...No...  No dude, y'all don't play loud...
    Ifin' you wanna hear loud you should come to 2EZ practices...
    Right Scary ?
    
    ;)
    
    jc (Who sez that BRavo does scream for a little bugger)

    No, LOUD was the Crunchberry gig at the FaG with your 125wt amp on one
    side, and me with 25million Marshall ustacks on the other!  ;^)

True...  2EZ was still ouder than that.  ;)
Alan Starr said we were "painfully" loud.  I love it when that happens.  ;)

At anyrate, I think J will see the point we're makin'.

jc (Who likes it loud)

    Re: Bravo
    
    Ok J-dot, sell me your MKIII then!
    
    Mike

    RE: -2
    
    Yep, it was pretty disheartening to have to turn your volume down by
    half in order to play a pretty good sized club.  "Oh, you mean we
    we're knocking wine glasses out of the racks, gee, sorry !   8^)
    
    Scary (who's jamming nwith a country/metal band that pratices even
    louder than 2EZ ... whoa!)

    Well, my Peavey's back in business with a new speaker.  Now, I have
    a question.  I can't seem to find the setting I need.  The amp is a
    Special.  The problem I have is that when I hit the EFFECTS pedal
    switch, the volume is AT LEAST twice the level.  I need to find out how
    to set my knobs so that when I switch back and forth, I can keep the
    volume level about the same.  I just can't seem to find the right
    combination and trying to do it with the guitar volumes every time I 
    switch back and forth is a pain.
    
    Thanks,
    Chris D. 

    
    That Effects switch on the pedal is probably for channel switching, not
    effects.  I know, why does it say effects?
    
    In any event, set the clean channel and lead channel volume
    controls for a better balance.
    
    

    I'll tryit.  The word EFFECTS was throwing me off.
    
    Chris D.

    
    Anybody seen the new Peavey ProFex?  I saw it an Union Music in
    Worcester and was pretty impressed.  128 memories, full midi, all the
    usual stuff, chorus, echo, 'verb, distortion.  Looked easy to program
    too.  Headphone jack and mono and stereo outs.  Price $700 list I think
    they want $600.
    
    
    Joe

    Anybody out there got any info on the Peavey VT-60 tube head ?  The
    other guitar player in my band has one, and it's got more Marshall tone
    than a Marshall !  It has some sort of internal switches that can be
    adjusted for gain and eq (I think).  I'd love to pick one of these up.
    
    Scary

    Anyone got any info on the "Special 130" combo....
    
    I hired one for a gig last sunday... great sound and really powerfull.
    
    Problem is it sayz it's 130 Watt RMS but on the back plate it also
    says" 300 Watt musical intrument amplifier"...
    
    now there is no way that 130 is the RMS rating of a 300w amp...
    it's more like 212 w...????
    
    Bonzo

    Please Scary...Nothing is more of a Marshall than a MARSHALL!
    
    But I will agree that the VTM tube head line is very nice for a
    "modified early 70s" Marshall sound.  In all honesty, without bias,
    I'll say that I don't think the VTMs sound as good as the real macoy,
    but they are very nice.  Even the KIX guys, who are big Marshall fans,
    use them.

    Scary talk to Richard down at Pecknel.  They had one there.
    I thought it sounded cheesey...
    
    Decided to nickname it Vaccuum Tube Monster.
                           ^       ^    ^

    
    
    The Special 130 is rated at 130 watts RMS into a 4-ohm load and 80
    watts RMS into an 8-ohm load.  That, as you say, is LOUD.
    
    
    
    Kevin

    About the VTM-60's.......
    
    I have a friend who had 2 of them. Both blew up on him. Both were new
    when he got them. I'm not saying there is a problem just letting you
    know about one persons experience.
    
    They  did sound OK before the fireworks though. 
    
    Brian

    I just (like in 1/2 hour ago) bought a Peavey Artist 240; this 
    is a 120 watt tube amp. The guy I bought it from says be bought 
    it around 1981. It seems to be in good condition. Can anyone 
    tell me something about this amp? Older PV amps in general?
    
    thanks - Dave

I don't know about the Artist but for a while (quite a long time ago)
I had a Peavey "Mace" which was brutally loud but didn't have good 
overdrive.  It worked pretty good with the zillions of stomp boxes I 
had at the time...

jc

    re .-1
    
    yeah, well, I figure an amp with a name like "Artist" HAS to have
    a little better tone than an amp with a name like "Mace"
    
    :-) :-) :-)

    I hope the Artist sounds better than the Mace too.  ;)  ;)  ;)
    

    Dave,I seem to remember them coming out in 79 with the artist
    series,and as I remember they were Hartley's answer to the early
    channel switching amp's like the Mesa MKII's.....
    
    
    							rick
    

    re .-1
    
    that's what I kind of thought; the amp has SERIES and PARALLEL inputs;
    does it make sense that the SERIES input would be for cascading preamp
    stages? 
    
    thanks - Dave

    re: .122                                                              
    
>    yeah, well, I figure an amp with a name like "Artist" HAS to have
>    a little better tone than an amp with a name like "Mace"
    
    I donno about that! I had a Peavey "Studio Pro 40" for awhile and it
    was neither suitable for use in a studio (except maybe as a doorstop or
    short stool) or by a professional (except maybe a professional garbage
    man).
    
    I ended up giving it away...
    
    Greg

 >   series,and as I remember they were Hartley's answer to the early
 >   channel switching amp's like the Mesa MKII's.....
 

Yeah, right.  In the channel swithcing funtionality only.  I used to have a
Peavey Musician.  Lots of features, a bit short on simple tone quality.

But then, I can't really slam Peavey: It doesn't sound like a Boogie, but then
it doesn't cost like a Boogie, either.

Will
(Owner of a sweet Mesa/Boogie Mark-IIC since 1984 with no end in sight)

PS:  Just for grins, a list of amps I've owned since 1974 with ratings:

	Univox solid state something little practice amp
***	Fender Bronco (Vibro Champ with different name tag)
*	Custom 100 with 2x12 cabinet
**	Peavey Musician
***	Fender Twin Reverb
*****	Mesa/Boogie Mark-IIC, all options, 1x12 combo

Hey Will what gives?

 >   series,and as I remember they were Hartley's answer to the early
 >   channel switching amp's like the Mesa MKII's.....
 
*Yeah, right.  In the channel swithcing funtionality only.  I used to have a
*Peavey Musician.  Lots of features, a bit short on simple tone quality.

>>>>I never said Hartley did it right,:^) but I'm not about ready to start 
listing all the reasons not to buy a Peavey over a Mesa. That rathole
has already been exhausted in other notes.

*But then, I can't really slam Peavey: It doesn't sound like a Boogie, but then
*it doesn't cost like a Boogie, either.

>>>>>> Your right it doesn't sound like a Boogie,it doesn't look like a 
Boogie and it doesn't cost like a Boogie. It could be a pay me now or pay
me later situation. And not everyone is willing to spend $1000 on a toy,
A Peavey will always be a cheaper solution. To me it's a matter of 
comprimises.


*Will
*(Owner of a sweet Mesa/Boogie Mark-IIC since 1984 with no end in sight)

>>>>>> I know exactly what you mean,but keep in mind not everybody has the 
set of ears you have. That's one of the big problems in this notes file is
the tremendous difference's in taste,music and opinions and how they are
expressed.


***	Fender Twin Reverb
*****	Mesa/Boogie Mark-IIC, all options, 1x12 combo

>>>>>> I'd agree with your rating.... I might add one or two though....

re Dave....

	I'm not sure what you mean Serial/Parallel? The only amp I was
aware of having these capabilities is the Fender "The Twin" Any kind
of "Boogie Clone" had a single tube preamp prior to an initial preamp
stage which contained the tone circuits. The MkI series is an example
of this,but around the late 70's the MKII's had the tone circuit over-
driving into another tube(and channel switching) The signal path for the 
most part is serial. 
	

						Rick

    Re: series/parallel
    
    Early Peavey Automix amps allowed you to run either channel alone, or
    both in parallel. The footswitch had an A/B selector, a one/both
    selector, a switch for the reverb and one for the phase shifter on
    models that had one.  Typically you plugged into a special Automix
    input to use the channel switching.
    
    
    							Brian

re Rick:

I'm not starting nothin.  ;^)

I think there's a huge market for Peavy's stuff and they do a good job at 
filling it.

There's an expression in Hungarian that my wife taught me that applies.
I can't remember the Hungarian spelling but it's pronounced like this:

ez eesh mosh, oz eesh mosh

Roughly translated:  This is this, that is that, meaning they're apples and 
oranges.  They're not built for the same purpose, market or anything.

Which lives up to the DESIGN intentions better?  Boogie or Peavy?
The answer is they BOTH do.

I liked my Peavy a lot when I had it.  I'm not knockin' anybody's gear.

Will

    I bought a *used* Peavey Pacer (45W ... 12" speaker) in 1977 for $120. 
    It's not mine anymore, but it's still kickin'.  Peavey stuff is very
    reliable, and usually gives you a lot of bang for the bucks.  No, you
    won't do metal with it - but Peavey powers the CW industry, and those
    players could buy any gear they want - think about it, maybe they do !
    
    Scary

re: .-1

	You sure do see lots of PV gear on C&W stages. Just check out TNN  any night of the week. 
	
  

>Roughly translated:  This is this, that is that, meaning they're apples and 
>oranges.  They're not built for the same purpose, market or anything.
>Which lives up to the DESIGN intentions better?  Boogie or Peavy?
>The answer is they BOTH do.

	Your absolutely right,and you can never expect a Peavey to sound like,
or be as reliable as a Mesa. It's unfortunate that Mesa's are expensive.
	I've never owned a peavey just serviced them occasionally for
friends.(only as a last resort :^)
	I probably overeacted a bit,but having been in situations where I 
couldn't justify the expense of a Mesa and knowing other people who also
were in that situation whether it was a Mesa,Marshall or whatever. I mis-
understood what you were saying. Keep in mind I also have the same opinion 
that you have of Mesa.Peavey has really cornered a market(that Randall Smith 
doesn't want) To a another degree I use a Mesa because I can't afford a 
Dumble. :^) Matter of fact I could use 2 Mesa's and stil not be able to 
afford a Dumble. Oh well :^)

							Rick
	

    RE: AutoMix - Series/Parallel switching on Peavey's is all very simple
    acutally. You have the option of either channel 1 or 2, or both! I
    had this feature on my Peavey Mace and my Peavey Deuce. Personally,
    I liked it, but man was it LOUD when I hit that series/combine switch!
    GAWD! I liked the tone too, but I used the Peavey speakers as "door
    stops" and installed two Altec speakers which made all the difference
    in the world. 
    	At this point I've tried out and played the Mesa's, a Marshall
    900DR, a couple Seymore Duncan, countless Fender's of all different
    types sizes and shapes and the end result is the same... so far. I 
    like my Peavey MX amp better...  so far. I need to find a Dumble
    and a Soldano and a few others, but for now I'll stick by old faithful.
    Well...  at least this week.   ;^)
    
 
    			Fred (who likes his MX alot....)

    
                 <<< CVG::WORK3:[NOTES$LIBRARY]GUITAR.NOTE;2 >>>
                              -<  Guitar Notes  >-
================================================================================
Note 1033.47                    Vox Amplification                       47 of 47
FSOA::BKALINOWSKI                                     7 lines  15-OCT-1991 15:21
                          -< What's up with Peavey ? >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    My friend just traded his Marshall JTM 45 2x12 combo ( expertly
    modified ) and his Midiverb II for a Peavey Classic 4x10 combo.
    He said the thing sounds more like a Marshall than his Marshall does.
    These are supposedly really hot amps for the money. I have yet to hear
    it however.
    
    BK
    

    To PEAVEY or not to PEAVEY...
    
    I am considering buying a Peavey amp, 300 watts, 2 channels each
    with 2 inputs, all sorts of controls, 6 band EQ.  The cab is also
    Peavey 4 X 12.  The amp looks and sounds mint, and seems to be
    fairly new.
    
    I can't recall the model number, but I think there was a MK III on
    it, and maybe a "GA" on the model number.  
    
    I want to use it for both guitar and keyboards.  I am concerned
    about its ability to hold up to the keyboard frequencies.  Has anyone
    used a 4 x 12 for keys with good results???  
    
    Anyone care to give their estimate on what I should spend for this?
    I figure it is worth about $400.
    
    Thanks, Mark C.

    One more question?
    
    What kind of speakers does Peavey use in the 4 x 12s?  How would you
    compare them to other popular spkrs, like Celestion, EV, etc.
    
    Mark

In some instances, PV used to use Celestions...  Very limited.

Mostly, they use Black Widows and Scorpions (their own speakers).
I'd place Black Widows up there with JBL's and EV's and Scorpions
with JBLs.

Both are trade marked (IMHO) with a brittle "hard" sound.  Ergo, 
they are NOT celestions...which are actually cheap speakers.

The BWs and Scorpions are high quality aluminum frame speakers.
I have a pair of 2x12's with Scorpion "pluses" that I use with
my guitar rig, and they sound pretty good...Perhaps a little
harsh.

jc (With his $.02) 

    The amp you described sounds like a  Musician Mark III.  The 4X12 cab
    is probably loaded with "generic" Peavey speakers, not Scorpions or
    Black Widows.  Scorpions are easily identifed by their silvery mounting
    flange, visible through the grille cloth.  Black Widow loaded cabs have
    a small BW emblem mounted to the bottom of the grille.
    
    A Musician is a solid state amp and should sound OK for keys and
    *clean* guitar.  It was made in the days *before* Peavey came up with
    Saturation, so the distortion sound will be pretty lousy.  It does a
    phase shifter built into one channel, though.
    
    $400 is tto much for that stack.  $300 would be top dollar.  A sleaze
    like me would offer $200.  You'll be hard pressed to sell a solid state
    Peavey head for over $100, except to some kid who is impressed by lots
    of knobs.
    
    							Brian

Went back for another look, here is what I saw this time...

It is a Peavey Musician Mark III, built in 1978, model is 400 GH
300 watts 4 ohms. 2 channels /w 2 inputs, a fifth input is a combined channel.
Channel One - Pre gain, EQ lo, EQ hi, Post Gain, Phase Color, Phase Rate
Channel Two - Pre gain, EQ lo, EQ mi, EQ hi, Post Gain, Master Reverb
Plus a 6 band eq, with an in/out switch for each channel
The speaker cab is a 412F and the spkrs had the silvery mounting flange
described earlier - does that make them Scorpions?  Price $400.

I was really suprised that this amp was 13 years old.  It looks brand new.
I begin to wonder if it is worth $400.

A couple of others I saw for sale in the want ad...

Peavey Stereo Chorus 400, he tells me these are 2 Special 130 amps built
into one cab, w/ reverb, saturation, and chorus, 2 12" Scorpions.  
5 years old. $300.

Peavey Classic Chorus, 2 12".  This guy didn't know much about the amp
he was selling.  Brand new, never used. $400.

Anyone care to comment...  Thanks, Mark

    
    
    I'd agree that $400 is too much for the Musician.  I'd expect to pay
    *less* than $300 for it, probably no more than $250.  It's a big, loud
    amp with a so-so lead tone.
    
    I know some people like the Stereo Chorus amp.  It won't be as clean as
    the JC120, but it would be a workable combo.  The Peavey saturation
    control leaves me cold; I never used it on my Special 130.  If you're
    not after the perfect lead tone, this might be a good amp.
    
    I don't know about the Classic Chorus.  The old Peavey Classic was only
    50 watts, and not a very loud 50 at that.  Is this also a 50 watter?
    
    
    Personally, I'd track down the Fender Twin that was just advertised
    either in here or in Music Notes.  For $300 it's a good deal and a
    great amp.  
    
    Kevin
    
    

I used to have 2 412F's.  The are definately Scorpion "pluses".  
They take a hell of a beating.  I used both for a long time, and
found they were decent cabs - albeit, a little "big".  I yanked the 
Scorpion "pluses" out of one of the 412F's and made a pair of 2x12's
out of them.  Had these speakers for over ten years and they kick.
I did have to recone one though, cuz I put a whole in it.  I'd say they
were really reliable.

Once the cabs were empty, I sold 'em for $25 each.

I knew a guy who had a Stereo Chorus 400 with a GP8 and the combo was
pretty cool...  But I'd listen to Kevin and the others about 'em...I 
don't know PV amps to well.

jc

    Is $300 a good price for the Stereo Chorus?  Mark

    
    
    $300 hits me as a good price, but I haven't priced one in a long time
    and might be way off.  If you have Daddy's used equipment rag handy, take 
    a look.   Maybe do some comparison pricing in the WantAds? 
    
    The Special 130 sells in the $225 (+-) range in the WantAds.  If you
    aren't looking for a tube sound, the Special 130 is a good, small, LOUD
    AND CLEAN amp.  1-12" Scorpion+ speaker and louder than it has any
    right to be for its size. 
    
    
    BTW, note 862 has some useful info on the Stereo Chorus 400.
    
    Kevin
   

    
    Being a little on the crazy side, I always have a Daddy's flier 
    right by, and it pricing a Stereo Chorus 400 in excellent condition
    at $329.99 which means you could probably get it for about 275-300.
    
    
    			sms - who just bought a Bandit 112 and LOVES it.

    
    For what it's worth ....
    
    My son plays through a Special 130  (heavy metal type) and loves it.
    About 2 weeks ago a friend left a Chorus 400 at our house and we were
    comparing them.   Plenty of power but the chorus was badly lacking  a
    bottom tone. Didn't hold a candle to the Special as far as bass  tone. 
    I tried it through various other speakers and it made no difference.  
    I never heard a Chorus before and can't say if this is a characteristic
    of the chorus or this particular unit needs repair. 
    
    Frank
    
      

    Thanks for all the input...  I am going to try out the Chorus 400
    tonite, using both guitar and keyboard.
    
    I wonder why the Chorus and Special sounded different.  According
    to the Joe who is selling the Chorus, it is 2 Special 130's in one.
    
    He says you have the option of running the Chorus thru either of the
    130 amp's built-in it, or running both 130's together for mega power.
    
    Mark

    I bought the Chorus 400.  Sounded excellent on both the guitar and
    keyboard.  
    
    Thanks for all the info...  Mark C.

    I have a chance to buy a 1978 Peavey T-40 bass guitar.  It's in perdy
    mint condition, and the only changes have been the Peavey Pickups were
    replaced with Dimarzios (the Gibson EBO-model pickups...forget what
    they are called!) and two coil-tap switches were added, in addition to
    the existing phase switch, provided by Peavey.
    
    What would you pay for this bass?
    
    Thanks in advance,
    Buck, who needs a good, cheap bass

    Hey Buck,
    
    The only thing about those PV basses are the degree of ugliness. A few
    years ago when I first started thinking about crossing over to bass, I
    looked at a T-40. I liked the guitar. It played well and sounded bright
    and punchy. It was just ugly. I ended up getting an Ovation Magnum bass
    which I think was one of the ugliest guitars ever, but they sure were
    well made. 
    
    I've seen 'em in Daddy's for about $150. I wouldn't throw anymore than 
    that. If you get it for $100 of less you will have made a good bargain
    in terms of sound/playing quality for the buckage. If you're thinking 
    that you'll eventually trade it in or get rid of it, you'll find it
    difficult to get more than $100.
    
    Insofar as the pickups - if its a Dimarzio pickup, its bound to be good
    stuff. Hell, you can probaly even take the pickups out of the guitar an
    get $50 for the pair.
    
    "sakman"

    Anyone have any comments on the new Peavey Classic 50.  The 2/12 vs
    4/10.  Anyone tried or purchased one?
    
    Thanks,
    
    RJ
    
    
    
    
    
    
                                                 

    Nice tones, okay cosmetics, liked the 2x12 better than the 4x10

    re: 152  - Peavey Classic 4x10" Combo
    
    I test drove one yesterday for about 3 hours!
    
    It looked neat and clean, although kinda boxie (sp) looking.
    Sported four 10" Emenence drivers (more of a vintage tone than stock 
    PV speakers IMO). The reverb ckt. was nice although it couldn't get that
    Twilight Zone type Fender reverb we all know and love at *10*, or in
    this case *12*. Yes, all controls go to *12* (that 2 louder right?)
    Speaking of loud, it seems (at a volume of 6.0) a very strong 50 watts
    to boot. In the power section there are 4 EL84's which I like and are
    ALOT less costly to replace than 6L6GC's ($7.00 for EL84 vs ~$15.00
    6L6's) and are alittle warmer in my opinion. The CLEAN channel sounds
    GREAT, with my '69 Strat I had no problem dialing in a great SRV type
    clean. The lead gain channel didn't have as much gain as I thought it
    would, but was warm and smooth none-the-less. Channel switching was
    instantanious with no lag time like say a Boogie Mk-2c would lag a
    millisecond or two between channel selections. The active Presence
    control was a nice touch where the tone doesn't lose bottom end because
    you turned up the presence knob. I liked that alot! You have the
    standard Low, Middle, High tone controls along with the Presence control
    along with Reverb and a (and I liked this feature) a "master volume"
    that controls the overall volume for both the normal and lead channels
    so there is alot more flexibility in crystal clean to dirty/clean on
    your "normal channel" and then you still have the Pre and Post controls
    on your lead channel! There is one normal and one bright guitar input,
    I believe there was an effects loop (don't hold me to it, I can't
    remember everything  ;^)  ) and an external speaker jack. It comes with
    the footswitch, but can utilize the different channels via a panel
    toggle switch. All tubes are enclosed within the chassis and is fan
    cooled, but it's extremely hard to hear the fan. If you didn't try to
    hear it and feel air movement I doubt you'd even notice it. 
    The heavy-duty chassis is nice, basically the amp section is built like 
    a tank! Extra chrome plating gives it that older look (when everybody
    put a little extra in everything they built). Overall it looks very
    clean, has a GREAT clean tone (I think SRV would have liked this one!)
    and having the choice of a Fender Bassman Reissue, or this Peavey
    Classic 4x10" combo...  I'd save my money and go with the Peavey. As
    with everything there's always something you'd like to get rid of...
    that stupid Peavey logo on the face of the speaker section must go!
    Somebody pass me a screwdriver so I can get that dumb logo off! It
    already has a plate on the front top that says Peavey Classic, what
    more do you want?    ;^)   For all of you (like me) that have injured
    your hands, or pulled a muscle hauling anything over 60 lbs, this 4x10"
    PV Classic weighs in around 55 lbs (alot lighter than my PV-MX (EV
    loaded), or my 4x12" Mesa cabinet for that matter.
    
    Price wise, Daddy's quoted me $650.00 which is ALOT lower in price than
    the Fender Bassman reissue. It may seem like I'm comparing this PV to
    a Bassman and that's wrong, but it seemed to me that Peavey wanted to
    get an amp for this market so here it is. By the way, any of you thinking,
    "oh no, not a 4x10...  they're too thin sounding for me" should again 
    check this one out. I braced myself for a thin sounding tone, but I got 
    just the opposite! It had a real full bodied tone and not at all thin
    even with my Strat. Sounds like a clothing commercial doesn't it...  
    full bodied. Is that like a wide body?  ;^)
    	Anyone interested in this type configuration should really check
    this one out. They also have a 2x12" version which sounds like a nice
    combination too, but alas...  I wasn't able to check that one out at
    the time   :^(.
    
    Rock on,
    	    Fred

    Nice review Fred.  Couple of points:
    
    EU quoted me $750 once on a Bassman re-issue; don't know if that's still
    the going rate, but if so it's not a hell of a lot more expensive than
    $650.  To be honest, I thought the PVs were going to clock in more in
    the $500 range.
    
    I've tried both speaker configurations of this amp.  I'm generally a
    4x10 man, but for some reason I liked the 2x12 on this amp better.
    Not that there's anything wrong with 4x10; it's just the 2x12 seemed
    to have something a little extra imo.  If anyone's thinking about one
    of these, definitely check out the 2x12 before you decide,
    
    /rick

    re: 154 and EL84s cheaper than 6L6s
    
    1 EL84 may be cheaper than 1 6L6, but a 50 watt EL84 amp requires
    four power tubes, while a 50 watt 6L6 amp requires only two power
    tubes.  Assuming you change ALL your power tubes at once, for
    the prices you list, a retube for the Peavey would be $28, while
    the Fender Bassman would cost $30.  
    
    Sounds like a great amp for the $$, though.
    
    Jim

    I don't know where you get tubes, but I think $15 each for 6L6's is
    kind of high!  Stewart-MacDonalds has Ruby tubes and will sell you a
    nice 6L6GC for $11.60 (quantity of 1, less if you buy more), and
    they'll sell ya a matched pair for $24.96.
    
    Greg

	Daddy's was asking about $560 for the 4x10 Peavey last time I
	looked, so $525 shouldn't be too hard to swing.

	I wouldn't put Ruby tubes in my amps if you paid me to. After
	hearing what happened to Sakman putting the Boogie tubes in
	his Twin I'd rather err on the high side for price (Boogie gets
	the tubes from China). I'm sticking with GE, Phillips, Sylvania, 
	or Sovtek. They all go for $17 - $20 a piece for 6L6.

    re .158
    
    Yo Chuckles ... No dude it wasn't the Boogie tubes that caused me
    grief, it was PV tubes which were a about $6 cheaper if memory serves.
    Nevertheless, Daddy's remedied the situation much to my satisfaction. I
    haven't got a complaint about PV tubes either. One bad one could come
    from anyone. Also, it may not have been the tube itself causing the
    problem. It could have been just one of those coincidences or a
    coincedence brought on by a new tube requiring different biasing. Who
    knows? Matter of fact, I think I'll blast some notes right now ( Its
    Sat afternoon and I'm entering this from home.)
    
    "sakman"

	Glad to have the straight scoop.

	My beliefs about tubes stand. I'll be playing Sovteks for a while.

	ccb

    
    I'll 2nd the 5881 Sovteks!
    Very smooth sounding and not nearly as harsh as some other brands
    out there.
    
    I have them in both my PV-MX *and* my Boogie! I like them alot!
    
    
    Rock on,
    	     Fred

    What about PV guitars???  Anybody have any comments.  I saw an add for
    a Generation S-3 that says "features specially designed resonant tone
    chambers to enhance the tonal qualities."  Can anyone explain what this
    means?
    
    Thanks,
    
    RJ

    Several guitar companies these days are touting the 'resonant sound
    chamber' idea.  Charvel, Peavey, and Chandler to name a few.  Also,
    Warmoth Thinline Telecaster bodies have sound chambers.
    
    I believe that the chambers should 'warm' up the sound a bit, giving
    the instrument sound characteristics more like hollow/semi-hollow
    bodies.  Sound chambers should also make an instrument feedback more
    easily (if you're going for that sort of thing).
    
    joe.

RE: Feedback

Whip out the bondo for those F holes...
:)

jc (Who can't beleive he bondo'd an ES335 once)

    In case anyone's is remotely interested, Daddy's in Nashua has a used
    but in excellent shape PV Impact guitar for $250. It has a humbucker
    and 2 single coils, Kahler trem, ebony 'board. It's white with gold
    hardware. Plays and sounds great. In general its a well made guitar and
    worth the buckage. I'd get it myself except these days I think I'm 
    succumbing to the pull of snob appeal, ie. it isn't a Fender.
    
    Not that I want to do advertising for Daddy's, but I thought I'd pass
    along info on a great guitar value. Impacts went for $700+ new.
    
    "sakman" 

    Discussion side-tracked from the Fender note...
    
    
    Scary -- I suggest you plug that Strat of yours into some of these new
    Peavey combos.  I've played a few and have been VERY impressed with the
    tone!!  They even look cool with the Tweed covering, silver faceplates,
    and old-style knobs.

    Yo Buck, thanx for the off_line guidance.  8^)
    
    The Classic 50 with 2x12's can be had locally for $460.  I can deal
    with that all day long !  They don't have one in stock, but I'm going
    to drop by after work and look at the brochure ...
    
    Somebody by my Laney, please ?   8^)
    
    Jerry

    I think Buck was talkin about the "Classic" which is a 4x10 Bassman
    sort of clone.  I don't know the power output, but I've sure heard a
    lot of people raving about both the killer tone and the
    price/performance ratio from these things.  
    
    Take it for what it's worth, I haven't heard one myself...
    
    Greg

    Yeah, the Classic comes in either 4x10 or 2x12 configurations.  Looks
    like I've got more options than I thought.  8^)
    
    Jerry (who don't need no steenking boogie ... 8^]

Jerry,

	I've played one of these 4X10 classics. These 
amps are terrific and run 60 watts. I think you'd really
like it.

Brian

    Me: "Hello, my name is Jerry"
    Crowd:  "Hello Jerry"
    Me: "I do *not* have GTS.  I *do* have a need, a void, if you will, that
         *must* be filled with new/different guitar equipment".
    Man in crowd:  "Denial, is the first obstacle you must overcome"
    Me: "I'm not in denial !"
    
    8^)
    
    
    Jerry (workin' several angles ...)

    I paid $525 plus tax, or 30% off of $750 list, for the Peavey Classic
    50 4x10 in early May.  
    
    It is an all-tube 50-watt combo.
    
    I really wanted the 2x12, but after a lot of indecision, decided that
    the 4x10 could do things the 2x12 couldn't, had more tonal variety,
    could emulate the 2x12's tone if necessary (but not vice versa).
    
    The amp has 3 12AX7s and 4 EL84s (6BQ5) and a real quiet fan.
    
    Check this sucker out before you buy any other tube combos.
    \Gary

    After talking to my fave store yesterday, they said I could get either
    one for 40% off plus tax.  This makes this line look *very* appealing. 
    They have a 2x12 version coming in next week, they have my number.  8^)
    
    Jerry

    Prepare to drool!

    
    
    ScaryMon - You Do have GTS!!!!
    
    Crowd: GTS Jerry! GTS!!!
    
    				-B-}

    Can anyone say anything about Peavey's Bandit and Rage amps?  Good or
    bad?  
    
       Thanks,
       Chad

    >Can anyone say anything about Peavey's Bandit and Rage amps?  Good or
    >bad?  
    
    The old ones (with the big, fat, & UGLY knobs) ... BLECK-O!  BRRR!
    
    
    The new ones (with revised cosmetics and circuitry) are very cool.
    Peavey really re-vamped their stuff, for the better!!  Took em
    over 20 years, but hey, better late than never imho.
    
    Fwiw, I've only heard the OLD and NEW Bandit amps.  No clue what the
    "Rage" ones sound like?!

    RE: -1
    
    I was thinking of the newer ones, sorry for the lack of clarity!
    The Bandit 112, and Rage 108 are the ones I was specifically looking
    at. (What do those numbers mean anyway!)  
      Chad

    re .-1
    
    "112" means it has 1 12" speaker; I assume 108 means it has an 8"
    speaker. 
    
    I had a Special 130 (kind of like a high-powered Bandit) that I used
    for a few years. Sounded OK and I never had any reliability problems
    with it.
    
    - Dave

    Hmmm, did it have a 30" speaker ?   8^)
    
    Waaaaagagaga ...

    ha!
    
    no, PV used to name their amps according to their power ratings;
    the Bandit 112 used to be called the Bandit 65. The Special 130
    was 130 watts of loudness.

    I have a Bandit 112,, it has a 12inch scorpian+ speaker.  I beieve it
    is 85 watts.  Its a nice little amp.
    Bruce
    

  I have a Bandit 65, one 12" speaker, 65w.  It's for sale.  I don't think
  the older Bandit is lacking anything compared to the new ones, especially
  in the sound/"tone" department.  I'm only selling it 'cause it's collecting
  dust...

  -- Sam

	Sam - your Bandit is recent enough to have the new tone
	circuitry. It sounds pretty good. There are some older
	Peavey Bandits (pre-85?) that sound pretty rank.

   Thanks!  Could be true.  Mine's pretty old, but it does have the new(er)
   multi-color knobs and such.  Certainly not the real old aluminum knobs I've
   seen on some really ancient Peavey equipment...

   -- Sam

    
    You mean Peavey's with aluminum knobs still exist and are being 
    used?  Remind me to buy some earplugs in anticipation of having
    to hear one of these....
    
    guy

    *Still* no one out there with a Peavey Rage (108)??  8^)
    
    Chad_who_wants_to_know_if_this_amp_is_any_good!

    You need a Laney combo ... 8^)

    >     *Still* no one out there with a Peavey Rage (108)??  8^)
    >     Chad_who_wants_to_know_if_this_amp_is_any_good!
    
    Ahem, I have one.
    
    According to the 11 year old I let use it last weekend, it can only be
    described as "awesome". He was incredibly impressed with the singing
    tone it had with the "SuperSat" control maxxed out, saying it made
    me sound *exactly* like Tommy Iommi.
    
    What do ya want for $80? 12 Watts????
    
    Edd
    

>    *Still* no one out there with a Peavey Rage (108)??  8^)
>    
>    Chad_who_wants_to_know_if_this_amp_is_any_good!
    
    The best way to *know* if an amp is any good is to go play through one. 
    The sound of amps is something that's HIGHLY subjective, so our
    opinions may or may not be even close to yours.
    
    Greg

    RE: last two
    
    I just wanted some other people's opinions, can't hurt!(Greg) and (Lv) 
    you're right, I *do* need a Marshall!!!  (a little,.. er  *way* out of 
    my price range-  Ima po' college student, y'know!!!)  8^)
       
    Thanks,
       Chad

    I know, but the final judgement has to come from your ears.  I love
    certain sounds, but you might not be into 'em.  I know Coop and I
    constantly argue about what makes good sounds 'cause we hear things
    very differently.
    
    Personally, I love Marshalls...
    
    Greg

    Re: .192
    
    If you're a poor student and trying to choose between a Rage and a
    Bandit, that's easy...
    
    The Rage is useless as more than a practice amp.  The Bandit is loud
    enough to gig with.  
    
    So, if you buy the Rage now you'll still need another amp later.
    
    						Brian

    Thanks!   I'll be savin' my pennies!
    
    Chad

    
    
    
    
      Sunday I was at Daddy's messing with amps.  For the first time I 
    found the nuts to plug in, in front of 10 to 12 high school
    cheese-heads who play a million times better than me.  Humbling
    experiance to say the least.
    
      I played thru the Bandit for a half hour, then I played thru the
    Fender Super 60.   Now help me out here.   The Super 60 seemed to 
    sound better.  Having very little amp smarts - okay, none at all,
    I just thought the Super 60 was better.
    
      Was that because the price on the Bandit was 309 and the Super 60
    was 549?    (Brain:  The Fender MUST be better, it cost $240 more!)
    At first glance I would think the Bandit would be more versatile only
    because it seems to offer more ways to shape the sound.  (That was a
    fancy way of saying;  It had more buttons and knobs.)   
    
      Also, I think I was comparing tube to transistor.   There were some 
    more Bandits at the end of the isle that may have been tube versions.
    I'll go back and try them again but I'd like some basic input.
    
      Is it fair to say that you pay more for a Fender just because of the
    name?  Tell me about the Peavey line.  
    
    
      Deb gave me the green light to go out and buy.  I had better hurry 
    before she snaps out of it.
                                   8^)
     
     -Rick.
    
    
                                      

    Re: .196
    
    The Super 60 is all tubes, and tube amps are just more expensive to
    make than transistor amps, thus the difference in price. 
    
    Be careful when shopping amps...it's easy to find one that sounds
    "better" that's way out of your budget range!  Of course, no sense in
    paying a couple of hundred smackers for something that you won't be
    happy with.  
    
    If you like the Super better, start scoping the want ads for one second
    hand.  You may be able to get down into the $300 range that way.
    
    							Brian

    
    
      Does the Peavey Bandit come in both transistor and tube models?
    
      What should a guy who has no tone of his own, probably never will,
    be looking for?   What has THE MOST bang for the buck these days?
    I was given the impression Peavey is the way to go.   Or, do they have 
    a better profit margin on the Peavey's and the salestype saw me for
    what I am;   A lamb going to slaughter.
    
      BTW:  The Super Strats were lookin' real good too!  
    
     -Rick.
    
    

    The Peavey Bandit doesn't come in a tube model.  Peavey does have
    a couple of smaller tube amps:  the Bravo and the Classic 10 (or is it
    12 or 15).  The Bravo is the more versatile of the two.
    
    Likewise, Fender has solid state amps. I've heard some good things
    about the M-80 series.  Fender also just introduced the Champ 25, a
    solidstate pre-amp / tube power amp combo.
    
    Alot depends on the style of music you play, and the amount of power
    that you need.  Except for the M-80, probably none of the above amps
    are loud enough to gig with.
    
    Other possibilities include used silver-face Fender Deluxes and
    Princetons.   Not the most versatile of amps, but great tone.
    
    Good luck,
    Jim

    RE: 196
    
    I have had a super 60 for about 2 years now.  I can generally only say
    good things about it.  I don't believe you can go wrong for the price
    especially if you can get a used one.  I paid $380 used a couple of 
    years ago at Ted Herberts in Manchester.  
    
    Be forwarned:  If you do buy the super bring a steel tress to support 
    your back.  It is deceptively heavy.   Other minor considerations I've
    found: I think the reverb is mediocre.  I also don't like the eq
    controls for the clean and dirty channels being one and the same.  
    This tends to create a problem with tone and volume levels when you
    kick the footswitch in the middle of a tune.  Overall, however, the
    sound is quite good.  If you are pretty much going to park the amp for
    the most part you won't have to join Gold's Gym to move it.
    
    My recommendation in the $300 - $350 range is buy...
    
    A satisfied (but not entirely) owner,
    
    Mike
    
    I hope this isn't a prelude to GTS :`)
    

    
    
       Thanks for the advise.    I will take the time to compare them and
    now include the Princeton also.   I saw one once before but didn't play
    it.
    
       Any comments from Peavey owners?
    
      -Rick.
    
    
       PS:  I GOTTA ask.  What the hell is "GTS" anyway?  I see it in the 
            file _ALL_ the time.   An inside joke that I have not a clue
            on.
    
    

	When I was out shopping for amps I was in pretty much the same
	position you're in. I tried out a number of new and used amps
	from Carvin half stax and the Peavey Butcher to all of the Peavey
	and Fender combos. I took the Super 60 because it was a compact
	all-tube amp with that great Fender tone and a ripping distortion
	to boot. And it was fairly low priced for a tube amp at that time.
	I paid $425 in a post-xmas cleanout at Music Workshop in Salem, NH.

	I do have some criticisms. It's a tube amp. More than once I've
	lost a tube driving down Brookline Road in Mason, NH with the amp
	in the trunk. I carry spares. I don't have any problem with the
	reverb, but I tend to use it sparingly. The deal about common tone
	controls is a serious drawback and real-life tone setting are a
	compromise. One 'feature' that can be annoying is that the overdrive
	channel can be set up to sound MUCH LOUDER than the clean channel,
	which makes the clean channel sound anemic by comparison. The addition
	of a pull bright switch on the Super 112 goes a long way to remedy
	this situation.

	The lowest asking I've seen on used Super 60s in recent history is
	~$400, so $350 isn't too far out of reach. I think the current list
	price for the 60 is $699, so a new price around $450 should be
	attainable after calling around.

	If I were shopping for a new amp today, I'd probably pick up a
	Peavey Classic 50/410. If shopping used, a Fender Concert or
	a Super 60/112/210 would probably fill the bill.

    Rick,
    
    I'd just like to point out that some of our tone bros have amps for
    sale that'd beat the pants off anything you might buy at the Music
    store. Dave Clark ( I think ) has a Fender Pro 185. Dave feels it too
    loud for his needs but maybe he's not familiar with the volume control,
    I dunno ;^) 
    
    Jerry White has a Laney for sale tha he wants to get rid of
    because it ain't enough to deafen the the the folks in the last row of 
    the stadium.
    
    Seriously, these guys and others offer much more amp for the money.
    Check it out. And don't be afraid to ask them or any of us in the Notes
    file any questions. 
    
    "sakman"  

    
    
      The 185?   No way.   Way too much even if I managed to figure out 
    how to use a volume knob.
    
      Jerry's Laney?   I saw the note and it is still in the back of my
    mind.  
    
    
     -Rick.  
    

    I'm listening ... 8^)
    
    Jerry

    
    Rick,
    
    I can vouch for Jerry's Laney being in great shape plus having the best 
    clean tone/reverb I have ever heard live.  The distortion tone is buzzy,
    (metal-ish) but he uses a Ibanez Tube Screamer ppedal which delivers a 
    rock/blues tone nicely.  If you're a beginner/intermediate (like me), 
    you won't outgrow this amp.  Also, it is cosmetically perfect (a big
    deal to me).
    
    -pat

    OK, just got back from my fave store ...
    
    Classic 50/212	$460 cash, and $15 for the cover ...
    Classic 50/410	$490 cash, and $19 for the cover ...
    
    They have *both* of them on back order, and are currently waging war
    with them about it.  HOWEVER, if I put down a deposit, they'll have one
    in in 4 working days (UPS).  
    
    I've got copies of the sales propoganda .... I believe I'm gonna be a
    4x10 man real soon.  Why, I don't know .... just seems like the thing
    to do.  8^)
    
    If it sounds as good as it looks, I'll be in business ...
    
    The only drawback will be the reverb - I have *never* heard a reverb as
    sweet as my Laney .... sorry Fender, not a chance .....
    
    Jerry

Rick.

I've been a Peavy Bravo 112 user for about 3 years now, and although it's used 
as a backup/practice amp to my Mesa Boogie, I'll admit that it's a dammed good 
little amp.  It's only 25 watts, but make that 25 TUBE watts.  When I had Bob 
Horne(I believe he's a read-only in this conference) over, and he was playing
his Fender Strat thru it, and I couldn't believe how sweet this thing sounded.
Just kicking back, listening, I was really impressed and this is after owning 
it for 3 years.

I'm almost afraid to admit this, but the Bravo's clean channel is *almost* better
than the Boogie's clean channel!

I've been able to come close to that classic Fender tone(well, actually, Bob did)
with the Bravo, and on the complete opposite music spectrum, with the 
"Super Sat.", I've been able to come close to the Metallica Crunch.  I think I'd 
be hard pressed to find another combo that can come close to this thing's 
versatility.  I don't use it in "Super Sat." mode any more, tho.

Last year, when I was involved in a band project, I used to use the Bravo during 
practices, and we were playing stuff like the Black Crows, Sid Row, Fire House, 
Journey, Billy Idol, Scorpions, and blah, blah.  But this thing's 25 watts didn't 
hold me back at all(And my back is happier Boogie 4x12 has a permanent practice 
area).

I would think that for most uses, including stage, something like this should 
fit the bill since you could mic it, anyways.

BTW, I believe I paid $270 when it was brand new.  This is including the 2 way 
footswitch($20-30 list) which controls channel switching and reverb.  It's got 
SEPARATE volume knobs and SEPARATE 3-way tone controls(Peavy says this is a 
Parametric EQ) for each of the channels.  It also has an effects loop in the back
(This was a BIG plus in my book).  And it has a single 12".

Jmystr who's_not_ready_to_give_up_his_Peavy!

re: Scary

   As Charlie Bennett mentioned a few notes ago (hell, it could've even
   been in another topic where this is being discussed...) before you sell
   your prized Laney 50 watter to buy another (unknown comodity) 50w amp
   with more speakers, why not just try out an extension cab on the Laney?
   Even if you don't have an external speaker jack you could just run the
   cable that now goes to the internal speaker to an external cab of the
   same impedence.  I'll bet you'd be surprised to hear what that sounded
   like running a (say) 4x12...

   Just a thought,

   -- Sam (who recently learned a lesson about just how much effect speaker
           configs have on your sound)

    I've got an extension cab, but I'd rather have it all in one package.
    Besides, the literature on the Classic 50 is too good to pass up - I
    must have one.
    
    Can anyone tell me if these Classic 50's have effects loops or direct
    out ?
    
    Scare' 

    50 watts can definately be loud!  I was airing out my freshly reworked
    4x12 with a 50wt Marshall last night and it was LOUD!
    
    gh

    Well, as fate would have it, I played thru the 4x10 last nite at a
    local blues jam. In fact, everybody did, so my opinion comes from both
    a listener and a player.
    
    Looks - This amp definitely has the right look. Its also the right
    height to sit on when playing, another major cool factor in terms of
    looks.
    
    Sound - (clean) I was the only one who played it clean. We were doin a
    number in G and I'm playin a rif using the middle notes. It sounded OK,
    but a bit soft. I wasn't sure if I could be heard. I was sitting on the
    amp and the other guy's amp was proped up at about my ear level just
    behind me. When I went to play the upper notes, I couldn't hear them
    any more. Now this isn't to say that there was anything wrong, maybe it
    was fine for those in the audience, I dunno. Even if it was soft, of
    course turning it up some would've helped. 
    
    dirty - I thought it was real muddy both for those that I listened to
    and when I tried it. I stepped on the button and quickly stepped on it
    again to turn the distortion off. Now this wasn't my amp so I wasn't
    about to go dicking around with it.
    
    I know this ain't much of a review. Just thought I'd enter my
    experience seein as how this is a current topic of discussion. One
    other thing about the Jam itself, everybody except one dude had a
    Strat. I haven't seen so many Strat's outside of a music store in my
    life. And the one guy who did have something different had a
    Strat-style Guild. 
    
    "sakman"

    Hmm, bummer on the lack of a line_out ... is that a big deal to have
    installed ?  I'd think an effects loop would be more complicated, but
    hey, I'm still trying to figure out how a thermos bottle works ... how
    does it know ?
    
    Scare'

    I've been to the mountain, and I've smelled the budda's feet.  It's a
    new day, and I have blonde hair ... 8^)
    
    I had the *joy* to play a Classic 50 (2x12) today after work.  Not
    really sure how my buddy at the music store got my phone number, but
    hey, doesn't matter.  He called, 10 minutes later, I was hooked up.
    
    It was fresh out of the box.  Hadn't even been powered up yet.  See,
    it's already sold, but the owner's not picking up until tomorrow.  8^)
    I used a G&L Legacy strat (which was *very* nice, I might add), and a
    pink cord (Coop would be proud of me ...).  
    
    Not knowing a lot about it, I browsed through the owners manual.  It
    had "suggested" settings for ROCK, METAL, and COUNTRY.  Surprising,
    this amp drips with a blues look, but no blues setting.  Oh well.
    
    ROCK:  Bad Company, Z Top, no problem.  To be honest, if you back off
    the gain a bit, this is a GREAT sort of SRV dirty tone.  I was very
    pleased.
    
    METAL:  With a tweed covering and stove top knobs, hearing metal out of
    this amp is pretty hard to swallow.  Yet, even with a strat, "Eye Of
    The Beholder (Metallica)" didn't sound bad at all.  With an Ibanez,
    it'd probably eat your lunch. 
    
    COUNTRY:  Naaaah, it's more of a clean blues, but it'd also work
    well for country.  
    
    Now for the +/- war.
    
    On the plus side:
    - The knobs go to 12.
    - nice reverb.  No Laney, but still more than acceptable.
    - weighs about 1/3 that of a Twin ...
    - *very* nice clean tone.
    - very usable dirty channel.  
    
    On the minus side:
    - no line out
    - no effects loop
    - workmanship.  From a distance, it's beautiful, if you like the
      re-issue look.  However, under closer inspection, I wasn't pleased
      at all.  The plate for the knobs was mounted so that the lettering
      for "normal" "master", etc, was almost buried under the wood.  Also
      the covering, especially around the rounded corners was amateur, at
      best.  Maybe on another model it'd be better.
    
    Bottom line:
    This amp will NOT be a collector's model.  So, there will be no need to
    carry it around in a padded flight case.  It's quite loud (I aired it 
    out pretty good ... 8^).  And for the money, it's pretty impressive.  
    Before I shell out some $$$, I'm going to demo some other tube combos,
    but I know this thing will be hard to beat.  If a line_out isn't a big 
    deal to install, then I may have found my calling.

    Jerry

    ps - that G&L Legacy strat was a honey .... I give it 3 thumbs up !
                        

    Thats my boy....
    
    (He's still got it mawww !!)
    
    jc (Scary - you crack me UP !)

    
    	Jerry - how was it at a low volume?  Like, really low - for
    	my apartment.  I wouldn't be interested if this is a "gotta
    	crank it to get tone and sustain" amp.
    
    	Thanks - Tom
    

    Yo jerry mon - what was (is) the going buckage rate?

    
    
    
      Yo Jerry, 
    
      While answering the low volume thang on the PV...
    
      Hows the Laney at     volume?   
                        low
    
    
    
      Deb and I are in a duplex.  The guy next door is a friend and
    is hardly ever home, but I thought I should check.  Never crossed
    my mind 'til I saw that note a couple back.
    
    
     -Rick.     
    

	RE:  Classic 50 on idle ...
	This is kinda hard to tell.  See, the knobs are to be read from the 
	back.  So, if you sit so that you can fiddle with the knobs, you 
	can't hear how it sounds unless you get up and walk around in front
	of it.  With it having 2x12's or 4x10's, I wouldn't *think* that 
	you'd use it down low too often.  At a low volume in the store, it
	sounded good to me, but that volume may be too much for nosey 
	neighbors.  I live in a condo, and I know I couldn't crank it too 
	much before the policia showed up.  But I never practice anyway
	so it doesn't matter.

	RE:  Laney Pro Tube on idle ...
	This amp sounds weak at VERY low volumes, but it doesn't take a 
	whole lot to really get it sounding nice.  This amp would be much
	better suited for an apartment lifestyle.  If you're jamming along
    	with the stereo, then this amp will do fine.  If you're using the
    	overdrive channel, you can go as low as you want and it'll sound
    	the same.  I just love the clean tone, and you have to have some
    	volume for it to shine.

	RE:  Classic 50 prices ...
	Classic 50/212	$460 cash plus tax.  Cover $15
	Classic 50/410	$490 cash plus tax.  Cover $19
	
	Keep in mind that this is *my* discount.  The salesman told me that
	he wouldn't do anyone else this sort of favor (I've been dealing 
	with him for 25+ years).



	Jerry
                               

    
    Jerr.  Jerrola.  Our prime operative researching the vintage thing.
    
    Now if could get a writeup from Mr Rosenkranz on his _new_ v-verb...

    I just wish Peavey had spent a little extra time (charging us a little
    extra money) and done a better job on the cosmetic details.  I need to
    see a Vibroverb in person to see how it looks when it's done *right*.
    The Fender might not be much better (at which point I would promptly
    sit down and shaddap ...)
    
    Hmmmm, wonder if Peavey makes an extension cab for the Classic 50's. 
    Picture this ... Classic 50/212 resting on a 410 extension cab - too
    cool for school daddy-o ... 8^)
    
    Groovy

    Yep, Peavey is making 410 and 115 extension cabs to go with their new
    tweed *heads*.  Saw a pic in the latest Peavey rag.
    
    To use with the combos, you might need to do some rewiring to make the
    impedances work out, though.
    
    							Brian

    re: .223
    
    Ya don't expect me to review a Fender in a P-word topic do ya?
    
    ;+)  
    
    Jim 
    
    PS- Stay tuned to the Fender note, a review is in the works!

    Hmmmm, I just called Phil's, they don't have 'em listed.  BUT, in case
    anyone wants to buy on from 'em, scope out these prices:
    
    Classic 50/212	$475 plus shipping
    Classic 50/410	$510 plus shipping
    
    No tax kids ...
    
    The number to call is 803-288-0986, and ask for Terry.  Tell him I
    turned ya on to it.  He said he'd be glad to work with ya.  
    
    Jerry ...

    What sort of sales tax do you yankee_folk have to endure ?  If you
    could get it for that plus tax, that'd only be about $10 more than
    Phil's price plus shipping.  Not bad at all.
    
    Jerry

    
    	Jerry - I told the salesman at Acton music that a Deccie could
    	get it for 495 including cover.  He said he'd match that price
    	on an order (10 days) but not if it was in the store.  He'd be
    	more in the 550 range.  
    
    	But...  I bet if he had one sitting there, I could talk him
    	down.  
    
    	Tom
    

    ??????
    
    Since when do units in the store cost more than ones being ordered? 
    Usually it's the other way around....
    
    							Brian

    
    	I'd guess it's the unpacking, setup, $$ to have it in the store.
    
    	Wouldn't it be less for them if _I'm_ paying for it, not them ??
    
    	Tom
    

   You're basically paying "rent" on the floor space it takes up in the store.
   If you order it they know it's out the door the minute it arrives.  If they
   buy it for stock there's no guarantee how long it'll sit around.  Still, I
   bet you could get the "floor model" for the lower price, with haggling.   

   Does anyone know the prices on the head-only version of this amp?  I called
   the local Peavey dealer and they claim it's not in their price book...

   Thanks,

   -- Sam

    RE:  heads ...
    When I called Phil's yesterday, they didn't have heads/cabs in the
    vintage series listed either.  
    
    Pat and I strolled down there again yesterday to spank the Classic
    50/212 a little more.  Maybe the *new* is wearing off, but it didn't
    wow me like it did the day before .... maybe I'm just getting used to
    it.  I think the 50/410 would sound better overall though - they've got
    one ordered.  Also, I found that the presence control really didn't do
    *that* much.  I know it's supposed to be a subtle effect, but even with
    my lousy hearing, I expect a little more.
    
    Gonna kick some more tires before I shell out any big bucks.
    
    Pat ?  What say ye ? (... and thanks for da brew !  8^)
                                                           
    Jerry

    What did you expect the presence to do?  On my old Fender, presence is
    like having a variable "bright" control more than anything else.
    
    The heads and cabs are brand new. I've seen pics and a product
    announcement on the head.  The same issue of the Peavey rag with the
    pics and Giant guitarist Dan Huff raving about his stacks does *not*
    list the stuff in the product guide, go figure.  Maybe only superstar
    endorsees have them (remeber when Peavey used to proudly proclaim they
    didn't *have* endorsees?).
    
    						L'Angelo Mysterioso

    
    I expected the presence to do _something_, like boost mids.  It did
    brighten up the sound a little.  No big deal, really.  To be honest,
    this amp sounds a bit thin for my tastes.  I mean, it has the range
    but no punch.  Kinda like hearing an amp from another room.  My KH
    would eat its lunch without breaking a sweat.  Now Jerry did get some
    good sounds from it, and the o/d channel wasn't bad either, it just
    was, well, WIMPY.  Also, the reverb was adequate and the chassis/wiring
    looked put together well, but the exterior was kinda cheesy (low gauge 
    corner braces, paper thin tolex, etc).  This is just my opinion and I
    don't mean to offend anybody who owns one.  
    
    -pat

    The exterior construction is true to the vintage style, the "tweed'
    (actually linen) was not as tough as tolex, this is why Fender switched
    over in 1961.
    
    							Brian

    If I nab on, I'll spend the extra $15 for the cover.  It'll stay in a
    closet most of the time anyway .... probably put shoes on it ...
    
    Scare'

    Has anyone in here heard the Classic 20 amp??  You know, that tweed
    little thing?  I need a practice amp, and was lookin at this thing
    (curiously, of course).
    
    B.

	Who's stockin' 'em?

	ccb

    -1
    
    Donno, which is why  I'm askin

    Last night I was playing my PV Classic 4x10 and soon after startup it
    started making popping noises (like a loose connection/jack) and then
    some smoke... so I shutdown.
    
    After thorough checkout - replaced all tubes, ran with/without foot-
    switch, checked all 4 fuses, pretended to be able to read schematic :7)
    the only thing that I figure I lost was REVERB ---  all else seems to
    be in order.
    
    Called the local factory authorized Peavey dealer today and they said
    they only do warranty repairs on units purchased at their store!
    The kid on the other end was not particularly courteous either, to the
    point of obnoxious.  [I had paid $81 less, an hour away, last May.]
    
    Called Peavey and Doug there verified that they can do whatever 
    they want; if all else fails, you can pay round trip motor freight to
    Meridian MS and they'll fix it.  Wonderful.  Maybe I shoulda found this
    out up front?  Anyway, no way will I leave this at someplace with an
    attitude...
    
    I don't like to bash any vendor - and I'm not - so I'll keep you
    "posted" on what happens... I'm bringing back to the place I bought it
    at on Tuesday.
    
    But the message seems to be that if you ever want to get that
    expensive, heavy, and delicate piece of musical merriment repaired
    under warranty locally, better not buy mail order, or drive to NYC (or
    wherever), or better not even relocate to another state!  ;7(
    
    Before I get bashed, I know all about dealing locally, and this dealer
    owes me nothing (but their lack of courtesy probably cost them any
    chance of future business as I realize the "error of my ways", no?).
    But Doug at PV confirmed that dealers get paid by PV for warranty work. 
    If this guy is running a business-for-profit, why turn away work?
    
    BTW --- anyone have any idea what could have caused the smoke and loss
    of reverb only?
    \Gary

    
    
    Check with Field Service - they seem to fix anything these days...
    
    Open the chassis up in the light of day - usually when things smoke
    they leave traces.  Check the larger resistors for radical changes in
    values...  if you need to use this puppy, and the circuit allows,
    remove the tube that handles the reverb tank.
    
    Above all, follow the guidelines in the amp repair note - there's
    serious juice in there!
    
    I don't understand your local dealer's attitude...if I wanted to
    encourage people to buy locally, I would jack up the warranty labor
    rate for non-customers and then tell my sales prospects that warranty
    labor was discounted for them.  But then, maybe Peavey just pays real
    poorly for warrant repair work and the dealer looses money on it?
    

    
    I've heard more of these kinds of repair situations with Peavey than
    any other amp manufacturer. On top of the cut rate $$$ that they get
    from Peavey to cover there labor charges..... They seem to cop this
    attitude of only fixing there own....
    I'd learn how to fix your own hardware if I were you,it's not real
    difficult.
    
    If you saw smoke and lost your reverb,I'd look for a couple of opamps
    that potentially could be driving the reverb circuit. A TL082 or 
    something similiar in an 8 pin package....
    
    
    						Rick
    

    I don't understand this attitude at all.  Like you said, what if you
    move and can't go to the place you bought it?  All this tells me is
    that Peavey doesn't stand behind their warranty work like they should
    if they allow their dealers to do this. 
    
    If I buy a Ford at *any* dealer, any Ford dealer in the country is
    obligated to do work on it under the warranty (of course, most of them
    will still screw it up, but that's not the issue).
    
    I also don't understand this attitude from the store's standpoint.  I
    mean, if you piss people off, they're not likely to shop at your
    business.  If you threaten them that you won't perform the warranty
    work they are entitled to because they didn't buy the item from you,
    that's just going to make them mad, and probably less likely to come
    back when they are shopping for the next item.  
    
    I know that if someone treats me good, then I'll come back, even if
    they're prices aren't the best.
    
    Greg

    This morning, on the way to a meeting in Detroit, I dropped it off at
    the place in Lansing where I bought it, and they took it in under
    warranty.  
    
    Being that it's under warranty, I wouldn't have tried to fix it myself;
    after warranty is another issue --- and another reason that the local
    dude shouldn't have copped an attitude.
    
    I'll probably get the amp fixed OK and returned, but the issue still is
    that there IS NO 'network' of PV authorized dealers, per se.  (You still
    have the option of shipping it back to Mississippi, I guess.  Wow.)
    \Gary

    Brought it in the shop on the Monday before Election Day, and picked it
    up Monday 11/23 (although it was ready last Thursday).  In fairness,
    they had remodeled the shop in early November, so that delayed things.
    
    Turns out an 8-pin I/C that controls the reverb, and gets fed by a
    12AX7, was fried literally in half (the part that smoked, presumably)!
    
    Total was 1.5 hrs labor that was covered under warranty.  Seems to work
    fine now; nice to have your amp back after 3 weeks!
    \Gary

    Re: .248
    
    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 
    
    Tremelo rack????
    
    Jeez, I knew these manufacturers would be sorry they stopped building
    tremelo in...
    
    						John Fogerty

    Sheesh, what's with all this interest in tremelo again?  Is there a
    movement to resurrect surfing music?  I guess that would provide a new
    market for all of us guitarists who can't/don't sing!
    
    First song I learned was "Pipeline"...........
    
    Steve (original axe man for "The Surfaries")
    
    

    It is funny isn't it, but if it gives you the effect you need to
    round out all those tones you can get already (except surf music,
    rockabilly and a few early Pink Floyd tunes) go for it! 
    
    Personally I think it's a cool effect (not to be used on every tune)
    and especially if it's quiet and cleaner than the old stuff!
    
    Cheaper than buying a new 1965 Twin reissue if you're looking for that
    reverb/tremolo thang.
    
    
    Tremolo On,
    		Fred

	I just picked up a Boss PN2 trem/pan pedal last night. Daddy's
	has them deeply discounted this month. Damn thing triggered
	a major fLasHBaCk...

	Got the L7 thing wired.

	I'll be getting a look at the Peavey gizmo as soon as I upgrade
	my power amp.

    It's a combination spring reverb and trem rack effect, all tube driven. 
    It did get quite a good write-up.  I think in the same issue, there was
    a trem effect going for $500 or so which got a _very_ good write-up.
    
    The Peavey thing goes for about $349 list or so.  I'd like to try one
    out, too.  I suspect it might fit my "stuck in the 60's" band better 
    than the GSP-21 I've been feeling so lukewarm about lately.  Anybody 
    seen one in a local (boston/worcester) store?
    
    Tremolo would seem to be a pretty easy effect to put in one of these
    DSP boxes.  Wonder why they don't have it?
    
    							Marc

	I saw one of them at the Daddy's on RT 1 Saugus/Peabody just
	before Christmas.

    This retro stuff is getting out of hand!  
    
    I just read an article about how retro *keyboards* like the B3,
    Mellotron, Wurlitzer piano (you know, the ones your keyboardist *gave
    away* five years ago) are now all the rage again (except amongst
    roadies).  Now we're gonna spend $350 (!!??!!) for an effect that used
    to be *included* in every amp on the market!?!?!?   
    
    I do like the sound of spring reverbs for guitars better than digital,
    likely because that's the sound I've heard on records the last thirty
    years or so.  Top quality spring units for PA and recording use used to
    sell in the $1000 range new, I see 'em in stores these days for $50! 
    The Fender outboards are big bucks these days, but fifteen years ago
    they were gathering dust in the back of music stores with $75 price
    tags on 'em.
    
    Geez, for $350 you can buy a whole amp (used) with verb and tremelo.
    Sheesh. 
    
    							Brian
    
    P.S. I love tremelo and use it on my Ampeg combo quite a bit. 

	I bought a Traynor GuitarMate III about a year ago. It had
	trem and reverb and a pair of EL-84s driving a 12" speaker
	at about 20wts. Nice amp. I paid *$25* for it. I cleaned it
	up and sold it. There's lots of these gnarly little amps
	floating around. Use a Peavey TG-Raxx or equiv for distortion
	and you get monster little amps....

    I found it interesting that GP used a VibroChamp as its reference for
    evaluating the two tremolo units -- they usually sell for much less
    than the effects being reviewed.
    
    Jim (who loves tremolo)

    My dealer tells me that the PV Valverb flies off his shelves at $279.
    Players with Bassman reissues love them. That makes it a $940 package.
    
    Too bad it doesn't come packaged in Tweed or Brown Tolex.
    
    Danny W.

    Wrong note, I know, but this is a tremolo string, so... 
    
    I "happened to be" (uh oh... GTS) at Daddy's Shrewsbury last night
    and I figured I'd try out the Boss Tremolo/Pan pedal which they have on
    sale for $29.95.  I was trying it because I thought the tremolo in my
    amp sucked and it might be worth a few bucks if the Boss pedal was
    better.  I ended up not buying it because it sounded about the same as 
    the tremolo in my amp.  One thing I will mention, though, is that this 
    pedal has a selection of sin or square wave driving the output volume.  
    "Normal" tremolo is sin or maybe sawtooth driven.  I must say the 
    square wave tremolo is a very cool effect with the depth control on 
    full so the sound alternates between completely on and completely off.
    I think this effect can be heard on Tin Machine's "When You Were
    Young."
    
    							Marc

    Square waves can also do some pretty cool chorusing type sounds when 
    used in stereo.
    
    ...and you can also play "Won't Get Fooled Again" if you set the depth
    to full. 
    
    Edd

>    ...and you can also play "Won't Get Fooled Again" if you set the depth
>    to full. 
    
    Automatically.  As soon as you set the control there, you just sort of
    start playing it!
    
    gh

    
    
    	Has anyone played the new EVH 5150? We have a Daddy's here in
    Conn. but everytime they manage to get one in it's either pre-sold or 
    sold within a day or two. I'm looking to purchase a higher end half
    stack, and really like this unit on the specs alone. But I don't want
    to put down the $$$ until I can jam for an hour or so...
    
    Thanks for any input...
    John

    
    
    Take a deep breath and wander over to note #2377.
    
    
    Kevin
    

    From USENET.
    
From: npstewar@eos.ncsu.edu (NATHAN PHILLIP STEWART)
Subject: I'm In Love - I'm All Shook Up (Peavey 20) UnuHuh!
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1993 19:30:47 GMT
 
    I was in the store this morning when the first Classic 20 arrived in
    Raleigh,NC. I plugged a 50's reissue strat in and cranked it up (Almost
    as loud as it'd go)
 
    This amp is terrible, despicable. It really stinks. Don't buy it ;-)
    (Unless you  live outside Raleigh, NC, then I don't care, but the 1st
    production run was only 200, and The Music Connection got 5.  After I
    get it, you can buy all you want  here too.)
 
    The Classic 20 has 2 EL-84's, and 2 12AX7's, a 10" speaker volume,
    master, bass, middle, and treble controls.  It also has a gain boost
    switch (Push button). I don't remember if the boost is footswitchable
    but right off the top of my head, I don't think so.  It doesn't have a
    tremend ous amount of gain, and even with the boost in and the volume
    on 12, it probably won't shredd. (Thank you!) What it does is scream
    divinely.  Most of the time (20-30 minutes), we had the gain between
    10-12 and the master about 8 with the boost off.  Even though we had
    some fairly kickin distortion (I'm not talking about 'edgey'
    distortion, though it did that nicely at these settings with a light
    touch.  This is the first amp I've played that responded this well to
    touch/volume knob control.(I know there are others, I just haven't
    played any yet.) Even at this 12/8 setting the guitar cleaned up nicely
    with volume knob, and  didn't seem to loose any top end. The amp had a
    suprising amount of bass for a one 10". We did have to crank up the
    bass to compensate, but we didn't have to use all of it.
 
    It wasn't too loud, in fact, I hope it doesn't totally dissapear at
    band rehearsal volumes.  This amp may be too quiet for a rehearsal amp,
    but it may make an excellent practice/recording/ and stage amp (with an
    SM-57...) I've never cranked a princeton, but several people in the
    room compared the vol- ume of the Classic 20 to the princeton. (But it
    does have a master and quite a bit more gain)
 
    TMC's price was $280. (Roomate's dog for Sale! $280 for a Chocalate
    Lab. DO NOT ask for Scott, ask for me, Nate!) I believe the list price
    is $350.
 
    My only gripes about this amp are 1)_ I don't have one yet. 2) It says
    Peavey. At least it don't have brushed aluminum panels.  I still think
    these Classic series amps could sound a lot better if they'd change the
    logo.
 
Nathan Stewart
npstewar@eos.ncsu.edu
				------------------
			        |                 |
				|   Marshmellow	  |
				| --------------- |
				| | o o o o o ::| |
			        |-----------------|
		      

    I heard a Classic 10 (i think) this past weekend at Acton Music.
    I was also impressed.  I was not impressed with the dood who was
    playing through it before I did, but this amp has a great dirty AND
    claen tone, and a great tube sound.  MIght have to pick one of these
    babies up!

    I found that a #1 Phillips will easily convert my Peavey Classic 50
    into a Fender Bassman, at least for nearsighted people who are far
    away... don't know about tone-wise, though...  ;7)
    
    If I could find a footswitch that worked with this series that had a
    LIGHT to help distinguish between channels, I would buy it.  The PV has
    footswitchable channel-switching (2-ch) and reverb --- 2 buttons on the
    footswitch.  Even my first amp, a Crate, had a light on the amp (green
    for clean, red for o/d) for the channels.
    
    Otherwise the Classic 50 is one mean, loud, versatile, sweet amp.
    \Gary

    Gary, I've also had that problem with my Marshall footswitch (no light
    on the switch).  I can look at the amp and see the light, but I'd
    rather have it on the switch.  I have an old DOD footswitch with a
    light (battery powered), but it's a single switch, so what I think I'm
    going to do is custom wire me a cable that'll go from a mono 1/4" on
    the switch end, to a TRS 1/4" on the amp end, 'cause I *never*
    footswitch the reverb on and off.  This'll help in two ways.  1) I get
    a light on the footswitch to tell me what channel I'm on, and 2) I
    won't accidentally stomp off the reverb.  (and 3) I'll get a sturdy
    metal footswitch instead of the plastic ones Marshall sells ya...)
                                                                      
    Greg

    Greg, not only is there no light on the switch, there's none on the amp
    either!  
    Like you, I could live without switchable reverb.  If you find or make
    a lighted footswitch, I'd be interested.
    \Gary

>    Greg, not only is there no light on the switch, there's none on the amp
>    either!  
    
    Man, now *that's* annoying!  At least I can turn around and look at my
    amp to see where I'm at.
    
>    Like you, I could live without switchable reverb.  
    
    Not only could I live with it, but I'd *prefer* to be without a
    footswitch for that.  The last (and only) "gig" I played with mine, I
    accidentally turned the reverb off and didn't notice it for a couple of
    tunes (just thought "something sounds funny..").
    
>    If you find or make a lighted footswitch, I'd be interested.
    
    Like I said, I already *have* a lighted footswitch!  It's a standard
    DOD item, "LED Foot Switch 800", cost me less then $20 when I bought it
    about three years ago.  I'm pretty sure they still make 'em.  It's
    mono, one switch only.  
    
    All I have to make is a special cable.  The Marshall JCM900 uses a
    stereo (1/4" RTS) cable for the footswitch signals and simply looks for
    "open" or "closed" to ground on each of the two lines, so basically all
    I have to do is take a mono cable and put an RTS end on one end of it
    with one of the contacts left unsoldered (I don't remember which one,
    the tip, I believe).  It won't take 15 minutes to make it.
    
    You'll have to experiment with yours to see which contact on the TRS
    plug (ring & tip) goes for which switch function.  Unless it does
    something funky (like Fender on some of their amps), you should be able
    to easily do this.  If the Peavey can use any standard footswitch (ie
    doesn't take a special item from them only) to do the switching, then
    you should be able to do it this way too.
    
    Greg
                                             

    
    
       Got a real good impression of the 5150 at Buck's 5 guit noter
    jam. Two Marshall's present and the Peavey held it's own. I don't
    think anyone could say a bad word on the 5150 not able to cut it!
    Before I catch it from anyone - the Marshall's sounded great as well
    (but everybody knows that anyway). 
       Thanx Buck for hosting the jam and the opportunity to check out the 
    5150. It's even more amazing that it sounded that good at a moderate
    volume. I can just imagine "opening up the valves"!
    
       If I didn't have so much gear already. I should've brought my M5 
    combo so we could've had four amps available.
    
    							-B{}{}M-

	Anybody hear the Classic 50/50 power amp? It does 50wpc out of 8
	EL84s and can drive 4, 8, or 16 ohm loads, per-channel selectable.
	It's 2 spaces high and weighs 21 lbs. Sounds like the back end of
	the classic 50 but in stereo.....


	Word from NAMM is that there are 2 more Classic series amps in the
	pipeline - "Tonemaster" (30wt 1x12) and a 1x15 variant of the 50
	watter....

	I can't wait to try one of the Classic 20's.
	

>	I can't wait to try one of the Classic 20's.
    
    Me either; sounds like just what I'm looking for.  Anyone know if it
    has reverb?
    
    Dave

That EL84 based rack mount amp is intriguing !!  I've often drooled over
the Boogie 50/50, or that H&K VS250...  Hmmm...

jc

    
    
    	I also read that the new models will now have effect's loops. Not
    sure if they are going to put the loops in the latest versions of the 
    classics 50's and 20's
    
    John

    I got to try out a Classic 20 today (at Acton Music). A cute little amp
    in a brown tweed cabinet - pretty "classic" looking. But I was
    disappointed overall. First of all, it didn't have channel switching,
    as I'd been told by someone. What it did have was pre and post gains, 3
    band eq, and a boost switch. Not reverb, and not even a footswitch for
    the boost. On the back, just an external speaker jack and a headphone
    jack.
    
    It does have a nice smooth overdriven sound - good for blues lead. But
    even with the treble all the way up and the bass and mid turned down, I
    couldn't get much bite out of it. I tried it with both single and
    double coil guitars. I thought it was too bland with the double coil -
    almost passable with the single coil. But then, I didn't really have it
    cranked. I suspect with it warmed up good, some good pickups, and the
    thing really cranked out you could get some pretty nice lead tones.
    
    This would be a great little practice amp, but not my idea of a
    performing amp, even low-end. But don't lose heart! The salesman
    reports that Peavey is coming out with a *30* watt tube amp, which is
    *supposed* to have channel switching. Now if I can just hold my breath
    one more month...
    
    - Ram

    PS - on sale for $219. Not bad for a decent sounding practice amp.

    I'm looking for a Nashville 400 pedal steel amp.  I heard a couple at a
    recent concert and the sound made me want to check one out, with an eye
    towards buying it.
    
    Anyone know of one or know of a store that might stock one?  Does
    Musicians Fiend et al stock PV's.?
    
    Neal Orsi said PV stopped making Nashville 400's...can anyone confirm
    this?  It would really bite that the first Pv amp I ever liked ever is
    not available!

    Anybody know what an Austin 400 is?  Saw one in Wantads

    The Austin, Nashville and Reno were a series of amps made for the C&W
    market. 
    
    The Nashville was a steel amp, sort of a poor man's Session 400.  
    
    The Reno and Austin were designed for acoustic guitars, they have a CDH
    horn in addition to the usual 12".  One of them is a dual channel amp
    with one channel optimized for electric (i.e. distortion, etc.) the
    other is single channel (i.e. acoustic only) forget which is which.
    
    							Buck Wheat

    The Austin 400 was the one with 2 channels, one designed for
    acoustic the other for electric. It had a horn and 2 12's.
    (I used to own one of these)
    
    It sounded great with the acoustic guitar. The acoustic channel
    was clear and clean and could be very loud if necessary.
    
    The electric channel wasn't as good, the distortion was pretty
    cheesy, clean sound was just ok. Depends what you're going to
    use it for. I was playing bluegrass and rockabilly with an
    acoustic guitar and it was great for that.
    
    I think the Reno had one channel and one 15" speaker.
    
    Bob

    Was looking at a Classic 20 today and noticed something I hadn't seen
    mentioned before...it has an extension speaker jack, rated for a 16 ohm
    load!  I don't know if this disconnects the onboard 10", but it means
    you can hook this up to a 4-12 and get some serious grunt. With only 20
    watts you could really open up the amp without peeling the paint off the
    walls.  Not to mention it's way lighter than a typical 50 watt head.
    	
    						Hartley

   Does anybody have schematics for any of their Peavy's? If possible, I'd
like to get copies... If schematics exist...  Maybe a bribe will help?


/John

    Re: .283
    
    Schematics exist, authorized Peavey repair people have them.  Once I
    was able to talk a local guy into xeroxing *one* for me after I assured
    him I wasn't trying to put him out of business by fixing a flaky mixer
    input myself (turned out I needed one new transistor, which I bought
    from him).  In other words, Peavey keeps a tight rein on 'em.  Good
    luck. 
    
    						Brian

    When I bought my PV Classic 50 a year ago, I called PV and they sent me
    the schematics for a nominal fee that I charged to a credit card.....
    
    Is it that you guys are looking for prints on amps that are out of
    production?  In that case, n e v e r m i n d  ;7)
    \Gary

     I've got schematics for alot of the Peavey stuff I've owned by
     just calling them up, asking for the Service Dept., telling 'em
     which ones I want (for $2.50 ea), and put it on plastic.

     Neal

>> Does anybody have schematics for any of their Peavy's? If possible, I'd
>> like to get copies... If schematics exist...  Maybe a bribe will help?


John,

I have schematics for 

Special 130
Combo   300
PA      400

Send me mail if you want any/all of these.  And yes, Peavey is all to happy
to sell em' very cheap.  Sometimnes they want a serial number if they had 
a lot of production changes.  I've fixed a lot of their stuff over the years
and they're also easy to get parts from.  They don't use much in the way
of special or propriatary parts.  Replacement controls and connectors I
usually get directly from them because some of the mechanical configurations
aren't readily available.

Frank

    Since this is the official Peavey note, I thought I'd put this in here. 
    I just picked up a Peavey Predator as my "official" beater guitar.  I
    am quite pleased with this guitar for that purpose.  The Predator is
    Peavey's low-end strat clone and is really very playable.  I've been
    told that the neck is a little thicker than a strat, but since I'm used
    to a Les Paul with a telephone pole neck it seems thin to me.  It has a
    nice strat-like clean sound, I really haven't found a distorted sound
    that I like (but, another person did, so it might not be the guitar, heh?)
     
    If anyone is looking for a beginner guitar, or just a practice guitar
    to save wear and tear on the real axe, this would be a good choice.  I
    paid $169 for this one, I've generally seen them for $199 but I'm sure
    you can get that down a bit.
    
    Al
       

    this guitar got a very high rating in a UK guitar mag about a year ago.
    I tried one and found it to be a great wee guitar and definately worth
    the asking price.Good choice for a beater!
    
    
    
    
                                                 ian

    The latest in the "Classic" line is the Blues Classic, with a single
    15", otherwise the same amp as the 410 and 212 50 watters, for those
    who want a fatter tone.  A Classic 115E cab-only is also available.
    
    Also the Valverb rack reverb is a real hoot...it has the same mirrored
    panel and arrowhead knobs as the amps.  Spring reverb with three band
    EQ plus a tremelo, $299, all toob.
    
    							Brian

    RE: .290  (-.1)
    
    	Can anyone in this notefile *review* the "Valverb" rack reverb
    tone? I read the review in GP and it was a good one, BUT has anyone 
    ever seen, touched and "heard" what this effect rack actually sounds 
    like?? Is it *really* the "Fender reverb & tremolo in a rack", or is it 
    mostly hype and smoke?
    
    	Many thanks in advance,
    				Curious Fred

    re: .291
    
    -< Can anyone comment on the Valverb rack? >-
    

    Fred, take a poke around, I seem to remember someone posting a note
    saying they'd tried one out awhile back.
    
    Greg

    I thought this was mounted in a tweed cabinet that is made to 
    sit atop one of there classic series amps. I didn't realize it
    was a rack box. I'd like to hear one, too.
    
    Mark

    The Valverb was discussed early this year... see around .250 in this
    topic.  I didn't see where anybody said they had heard one.
    
    Funny you should mention it, Fred, 'cos I'm again interested.  My
    GSP-21 acted funny for half a set the other night and I've just about
    had enough of it.  Figure I'll trade it in while it works.  Maybe I
    could trade it straight up for a Valverb?  Then dust off my Rat and MXR
    compressor and I'm back in business.

    Thought y'all might like to know... "Mister Marshall" is about to buy
    his *Second* P-word amp!!
    
    Got my name on a Classic 50 4x10 combo!!!

    
    
      RE: -.1
    
        We'll be looking for Buck in the next issue of Peavey's MONITOR
      magazine. Are you trading in the REXX? 
    
        							-B-

    Hey Buck, our old bud Jerry White just bought one of those too!
    
    Greg

    >>Got my name on a Classic 50 4x10 combo!!!
    
    Now I'm droolin'..........8(
    
    The warmth and punch of Sak's li'l Champ is still fresh in my
    head......my Dean Markley solid state is gettin' pale by comparison....
    
    dawggy

    RE: Baby Boom
    
    Nope, the REXX is still at my home.  Anyone want a 150wt amp...cheap?
    
    
    RE: Glh
    
    I bet he bought one ... they rool!
    
    
    RE: Dawg
    
    Christmas is coming, how joyful it wold be for your wifeypooh to buy
    you a new toob amp, eh?

    >Christmas is coming, how joyful it wold be for your wifeypooh to buy
    >you a new toob amp, eh?
    
    Yeah, but not if I *ever* referred to her as "wifeypooh".....
    
    8*O 
    

    Geez, my basement is going to start looking like a Peavey showroom!
    
    ;-)
    
    	db - whose basement frequently houses Fred Ab's and Buck's amps

   >>  -< Peavey Herman >-
    
    
    Buck's new nickname......
    
    8)

    Hey Buck, there's only one reason I can think of to go out and buy a
    Classic 50 4x10; it's to play the blues!

    :-)

re: Buck

>    Got my name on a Classic 50 4x10 combo!!!

You will absolutely love it! I've had my Classic 50 2x12 for about 4 months
now, and I love it even more now than when I bought it! This is the *perfect*
amp for me, I couldn't be happier!!!

alan

    RE: Classic 50 4x10; it's to play the blues!
    
    
    That puppy combined with my Les Paul and a 'southern' mood could also
    do some serious Allmans/Skynard major pentatonics, too!  Maybe a l'il
    Santana for grins?
    
    yes!

    Dawg, I've heard this amp, and believe me, you'd love it for the blues.
    
    But for Santana on a budget, you need one of those Carvin tube amps.
    
    Dave

    Well, I gotta say they must be versatile also, cuz I plugged one
    of them pointy fender heartfields into one and it was blazin' some
    some GOOD metal sounds too...
    
    jc (Who wouldn't mind...)
    

    
    
      I'll admit it...
        
        I'm far too deep in rack-land (money, programming time, good
    vibes), to jump into another format. I'm so content with the H&K
    ACCESS and Rocktron Intellifex/Velocity 300 that I doubt I'll switch 
    gears anytime soon. And in a more compact scenario I can use the 
    Korg A4 and REXX 1602/601 (yes Buck, I still use it a lot) with no
    problems.
    
        Oh Yeah, I was gonna admit something... More that any other company
    I think Peavey has done more to improve their image by offering better
    gear at a decent price. I wouldn't have said that three years ago. 
    And there's a lot of stability in buying Peavey gear. In other words,
    my KH gear is still working, but I know you can fix a Peavey a LOT
    easier.
    
        My favorite equipment manufacturer overall is H&K. They sent their 
    lastest catalog and I think they realy have the act together. The new 
    ATTAX line is both affordable, versatile, and expandable.

    	I bought one of the new Peavey's about a week ago; I picked up the
    new "Classic 30", the 30-watt with one 12".

    	The main reason is that I also just bought a Fender Twin reissue
    (it used to be Jerry White's, actually). That's one mother of an amp!
    It's also big, heavy, and incredibly loud. I need something to use
    when I'm sitting around the house, recording in my bedroom, and going
    to jam sessions. The Twin is too big & heavy to lug around to
    "non-serious" gigs, and it's much too loud to record with when all
    the neighbors go to bed early. 

    	I wanted to get an inexpensive 1-12" combo to fill in those
    situations. I looked at a few things, but I chose the Peavey without
    ever actually playing it... I played thru the 4-10" and 2-12" combos
    and thought they sounded great, so I had them order me the 1-12"
    version.

    	It ended up coming in the same day Jerry's Twin arrived from UPS,
    so I had 2 new amps to play with. In some cases, I actually like the
    Peavey more... the distortion/crunch it gets is terrific; I don't
    even bother using my Tube Screamer. And considering I'm a die-hard
    Tube Screamer advocate, that's pretty high praise, I think. It doesn't
    have the quality of the Twin when it comes to a clean sound, and it
    doesn't have the "oomph", the bone-shaking quality that the Twin has
    at even low volumes. But the Twin does NOT distort easily (no master
    volume) and even with the Tube Screamer plugged in, I still like the
    Peavey's distortion better for most applications. 

    	I'd definitely recommend the Peavey "Classic" series to almost
    anybody. They sound great and ya gotta love that tweed look! I agree
    that Peavey has come a long way in the last few years. Peavey was
    always great for beginners, and I had quite a bit of Peavey gear
    in the beginning (one of my first amps was a Peavey Deuce), but once 
    you really got "serious", you could tell the difference between
    Peavey gear and "the good stuff". But lately, between the 5150 and the
    Classic amps, they're really trying to be taken seriously. I remember
    years ago I bought one of their guitars... a T-15, I think... it
    was probably the worst guitar I ever owned. I don't know if their
    guitars have immproved as well....
    
    
    Brad
    

    As long was we're on the subject of good PV amps...
    
    I'm too lazy to look back through all the previous replies, so excuse
    please if this has been covered before (maybe even by me); but I'd like
    to chime in (again?) with my whole-hearted endorsement of the PV Bravo
    combo.  This was voted "amp of the year" by somebody a couple of years
    ago and it's easy to see why.  All tube (EL-84's in the power section)
    plenty of controls and features, lots of sounds from clean to intense
    gain and they all sound great.  I sometimes wish I didn't already have
    a practice combo I really like (Super Champ) so I'd have an excuse to
    grab one of these.  Along with the new Classic series tweeds (all of
    which sound great imo) PV is churning out some of the best values in
    guitar amps on the market.  Somebody down there knows what they're
    doing.
    
    /rick

    
    	My Peavey Odyssey is a great guitar, imo.  Their guitars have
    	gotten raves in the GP shootouts.
    
    	

    Peavey has had it's shite together for years, especially as far as
    PA gear, keyboard amps, and clean-sounding amps. Peavey has been
    #1 on the country circuit for at least 10 years running. The one 
    area that they hadn't quite nailed is guitar amp distortion. With 
    the latest amps they seem to have nailed that as well. Peavey has 
    also made inroads into the midi market.
    
    I bet their stock is doing great !
    
    Mark 
    

    Well, after playing with my new "Classic 50 4x10" for a couple of weeks
    now, I have come to the firm conclusion that I *love* this amp!!!
    
    It has a really sweet tone at many volume levels...both the clean and
    the dirty sounds are really nice...very "classic" sounding (not a poor
    choice of words, nor a pun, just the best way to describe it).
    
    When I asked fellow amp owner and former GUITAR notes haunt Jerry
    "Scary" White about his thoughts on the amp prior to my purchase, he
    said:
    
    In a quick note .... FOR WHAT I NEED IT FOR, it roolz .... might not be
    for everybody.

    PROS: 
    
    - the MAIN plus is the fact that I can get a good tone at *any* overall 
      volume.  Accomplishing that was my main objective, and it covers  that,
      hands down. 
      
    - the overdrive channel sounds much better than my REAL TUBE pedal,
      which is why I sold it.  There's more than enough gain there to satify
      me. 
    
    - once I got used to it, I found the reverb to be nice.  You have to
      push it to 7-8 to get it where I like it, which would be around 4 on
      the twin. 
    
    - since the PV isn't labelled as the ultimate clean machine, the clean 
      voice will get a litle dirty if you push it, and the OD is heavenly.
      
    
    CONS:
    
    - the clean voice is good, but it can't hold a candle to the tone of
      the Twin.  I don't know if it's due to the speakers, the power, don't
      know, but it's not a twin.
    
    - the reverb on the twin is truly legendary.  The PV has good verb, and 
      it's probably better that it's not as 'in your face' as the twin, 
      because I tend to overdo a good thing.
    
    - it lacks the Fender 'snob appeal', but that soon goes out the window
      when your tone roolz.  I took the PV logo off, so now people are blown 
      away at the fact that my tone comes from the Hyundai of amplification.
    

    All in all ... I missed my twin the first set I used this thing.  By
    the end of the night, I was ready to sleep with it.  The clean was
    good, the dirt was good, the EQ was acceptable (don't need wads if it's
    where you want already), the harmonics on the OD channel were great. 
    Yes, I'd reccomend it for small-medium bars doing
    country/blues/classic/southern.
                                 
    ------------
    
    After owning this amp for a little bit, I would have to agree with most
    everything Jerry said in his memo.  Except for the part on the clean
    voicings.  Jerry is running his clean volume around 10, with the master
    on 3-4 ... to me, that isn't going to give you a very clean sound!! 
    
    The amp is laid out like this:
    
    MASTER SECTION	EQ SECTION	 GAIN SECTION
    
    Presence  Volume	Treb  Mid  Bass  OD MV  OD Vol  Clean Vol
    
    I run the main volume in the master section up around "8", and put the
    clean channel volume around "5" ... this gives me a very clean,
    sparkling tone.  On the dirty channel, since it has it's own master
    volume, I set the preamp to "8" (the numbers go to 12), and the master
    to taste (slightly louder than my clean setting).  This gives me the
    best of both worlds.
    
    The EQ is rather Marshallish, but is still pretty effective.  I like
    the way Peavey is voicing their EQs these days.  More Fender (more in
    the midrange) than the way Marshall does it (real sibilant).  
    
    That's about it...this amp is really a class act.  And with the
    "Peavey" logo gone off the front, it looks just like a fender
    re-issue!!  ;')

    re: Getting a good volume at any level.
    
    As much as you like this amp, I think my neighbors are going to like it
    even MORE!
    
    Perhaps we can take down the sign Motto posted outside our rehearsal
    studio:  "Warning: Ear protection MUST be worn beyond this point!"
    
    ;-)
    
    	db

    db,
    
    Please note that was Scary's comment, not mine...I still play loud
    (sorry).  ;')

	Fred...the fun thing with electronics is it can stop working in
	any unpredictable way - I suspect the main problem lies not in
	if you drive the thing at -+2.0; rather you had a MOSFET (a
	transistor) that was on it's way to the eternal transistor
	fields, then it determined that it might as well leave at turn-
	on time...which is always a critical point for any electronic
	circuit...

	FWIW,

	Poul

    re: 317  <DataBass goes south>
    
	Well, Peavey fixed it for nothing and only charged me shipping
for the amp which totaled $11.64!!! Such a deal or what? They replaced *3*
O/P mosfits, *4* zener diodes and my low input jack that was alittle flakey!
All for $11.64??? The amp was out of warranty and they fixed it for ZIP! Peavey
really is a GREAT company ya know?
    
    
		Fred (who's happy to get his DataBass baby back home)

  Anybody know what a good price for a used Peavey M3000 power amp would be?
  There's one at a local pawn shop but I'm wondering if their price is within
  reason.

  Thanks in advance,

  -- Sam

    I dunno 'bout a good price but if the amp is in good working order, $25
    would be a GREAT price!
    
    >:*}

    Whats the scoop on a Heritage 212 VTX, new cost, current value,
    features etc...
    

    RE: PV Heritage 2x12" VTX series
    
    	The Heritage came out in the mid1980's. It sported a 130 watt
    tube power amp I believe (4-6L6's), a solid state preamp and 2 12" 
    drivers. Another of the many Peavey entries into the Fender Twin arena. 
    This was a nice amp and personally I thought it had a nice tone (especially
    if you loaded it with JBL's. 2 channels (normal and overdrive) and was
    very similar to my PV-MX combo amp. A good price? You really need to
    check your local WantAd, but I think $150 (fair/good condition) to $250
    excellent/mint condition would be fair. No more than $250. though.
    
    Have a good day,
    			Fred

    Thanks fred...can you tell me what/how to use the pyrimid shift on 
    the second set of EQ controls? Also need a footswitch. PV says use
    a 7847-SC212 and modify the connector. They are sending schematics
    to assist with this. Any other ideas or thoughts?        

    The Paramid is a parametric EQ that acts in the midrange.  One knob
    controls the cut or boost level and the other selects what frequencies
    the control acts upon.  
    
    To experiment, boost it full and sweep across the range to hear where it
    operates.  Then full cut, sweep and listen.  After that, you should be
    able to figure out how to set it to your taste.
    
    I'm suprised they no longer have the footswitch in stock, the Automix
    footswitches were pretty common across the Peavey line, and were always
    included with the amp.  Oh well...
    
    							Brian

    RE: Heritage FS
    
    	I would call up all your local music stores and ask them if they have
    one around. "Daddy's Junky Music" here in New England usually have these
    types of footswitches in a box of "odds and ends" tucked away somewhere
    in the store. If not, they are linked to the store database and can
    check to see if one's around.
    
    	Good luck,
    		  Fred

		Hi,
			I read in here about a Classic 30 tweed combo,and 
	understand it is soon to be issued here in the UK.
		As the owner of a Classic 20 who is too poor to afford the 50,
	the Classic 30 might be a good compromise.I use an 80W Marshall 
	valvestate as my main amp,but would like the warmth of a valve ..sorry.
	tube amp for some ..well probably all .. of my solos.
		What features does it have,what type and how many tubes,what
	about reverb or channel switching?

		Yours,drooling in anticipation,	
					
					Tom-W

	PS hey Staynz,I think I smell burning plastic in my wallet!!!!
			
							%-} %-} %-}

    A friend that I jam with is looking to buy a Peavey Stereo Chorus.
    
    Does anyone have any opinions on this amp?  Is it worth the $$?
    
    Mark

      
     I was checking out the Peavey Predator guitars at Union Music in
     Worcester and other than the cheapo tuners, they seemed to be a 
     decent guitar for the money (around 200 bucks). Does anyone have 
     any firsthand experience with these? Any opinions good or bad?? 
     Thanks...
                               Steve

    I tried out one in Scotland when they first came out and was very
    impressed.If I were going to buy a "beater" guitar for <$200,this would
    be the one.
    
    
    						ian

    
    I have a Peavey Predator that I use as a practice guitar.  For the
    money I paid ($169), it's perfect.  I think that it would work fine
    as a first guitar for a new student, or for practicing.  I replaced the
    pickups with Fendor sonsors (Gold), but it sounded fine before I did that
    (maybe even better).  Probably not a gigging guitar, but a good
    "beater" guitar for the money (probably a good fightin guitar as well,
    has a very solid feel to it).  BTW, even with the cheap tuners, it stays 
    in tune better than my Gibson Nighthawk does.
            
    Al 

    Hi
    
    Anyone had problems with the valves rattling on a "Classic" ?
    
    I have a Classic 30, which is a great sounding amp, but at some
    frequencies the valves rattle like hell. I've removed the valve
    retaining springs which quietens things down a lot, but it's still
    there.
    
    Just wondered if anyone else has seen this problem, and what did they
    do ?
    
    On a similar vein, has anyone used the extension 112 cabinet with the
    Classic 30. From the description in the glossy brochure, I can't
    really see what benefit it would bring over the speaker in the combo
    cabinet (except maybe the valves wouldn't rattle so much :-) ).
    
    Thanks for any input on this,
    Pete

    I used the reference that Jerry White put in this file to call down
    to South Carolina and price the Classic 30 amp.  The lady that answered
    forwarded me over to Jerry as he works at Phil's music store.  He said
    to say hi to everyone.  He's in between bands now and still jams every
    once in awhile.
    
    Mark 

    Mike Heiser was bad mouthing Peavey so much I figured they must be
    pretty good so I ordered an new Classic 50/410 and a 115E cab to put
    under it.  Just Kidding Mike.   I tried bunches of amps and liked the
    vintage tube sound.  We tested the Classic 50/410 next to the Blues
    Deville with 4 10s and the Peavey had less 60 cycle hum.  My Fender
    amps that I owned back in the 60s had the same hum problem.  It seems
    that Peavey has done something about it.  Both amps sounded great.
    I also liked the Crate Vintage Club 30 a lot.  
    
    I'll need to get my screwdriver out and get these Logos off of the front
    of these cabs.  It's like a big paradox to have a modern lightning bolt
    Peavey on a vintage cab.

    Just saw a new spin on the Classic 30 combo; another tweed, but with
    even earlier cabinet styling (rounded corners on the grill cutout,
    like an old TV set).  The name was something like "Dirt Road Delta
    Blues My Baby Done Left Me Special" (I think the actual name is
    in that string somewhere).  Function and tube-wise, it seemed a
    straight Classic 30.  Does the 30 have tremelo?  I think this one
    did.
    
    /rick

    
    	Rick, I knew you'd take reply 335... ;^)
    

    Whats in it for a speaker(s)?

    1x12, just like the Classic 30
    

    re .334
    
    One of the guys I play with has the Classic 50/410 with the 410
    extension cab.  He pulled the Peavey logo off too - thought it wrecked
    the look.  

    Showing my lack of knowledge here but,
    
    I own a Peavey Classic212 combo piece, I'm told circa late 70's.
    It has 2 12" speakers, 50 watts, normal and bright inputs, reverb,
    phazer, and 3-band EQ. 
    
    I recently replaced the power tubes with a matched set of Boogies
    (The ones in the unit when I got it were Realistic and Sylvania. They 
    were very different looking from each other and both showed pitting
    and other marks within the valve). To my surprise, the amp didn't
    sound loads better, 'course I live in an apt and don't use 1/10 of
    the power the amp can deliver.
    
    Anyway, to my point... the preamp section does not seem to be user
    accessable. It looks like I have to take the whole bloody thing apart 
    to find the preamp, cause I don't see any 12AX type tubes anywhere, 
    just the 6L6GC deals I just replaced.
    
    This amp must have a tube preamp, right?
    
    Do preamps need retubing also? If so, why didn't those guys who
    designed this thing make it easier? 
    
    Should I try that cross channeling trick from the VAX (oops VOX) AC30 
    string to get more gain? Will I hurt anything?
    
    Larry

    RE: Note 1732.340 by MLOBU1::BROOKS 
    
    	The late 70's PV Classic combos (w/reverb and phase) have a 
    "solid state" preamps so there are no preamp tubes (valves). You
    only have two 6L6GC power tubes. That's it! The PV Deuce had the
    same basic setup except it had *4* 6L6's (120 watts) and the Mace 
    was also the same basic setup with *6* 6L6's (160 watts)!
    
    See that! You just saved some bucks on the tubes you don't have to
    replace. BTW, alot of the MESA tubes are "Chinese" made tubes, which
    aren't very reliable. I would recommend (highly) that you try the 
    Sovtek 5881's, OR the new version of the RUBY 6L6GC if you find that
    the Mesa tubes you just bought don't work for you. The Ruby 6L6GC tubes 
    (from what I hear), have a higher output, with less midrange tone. 
    Kinda like the old Sylvania tubes.
    
    Good luck!
    
    	Fred (who used to play through a Deuce and Mace amp...
              ofcourse those twin Altec drivers helped alot too).
    

    re: late '70s Peavey Classic 
    
    I used to have one of these.  As mentioned in .341, it has a solid
    state pre-amp.  I bought mine in '79.
    
    I was never really thrilled with the sound I got from mine.  The
    only thing that seemed to help was turning it up loud enough that
    the power tubes began to clip a little. 
    
    The phase shifter was pretty decent though, and I liked the automix.
    
    Later models replaced the phase shifter with a chorus.
    

    I had a Mace way back when...  Man, that thing was BRUTAL!
    :-)
    
    jc (Who liked brutal, and loved the MXR Distortion+ with the Mace!)

    Thanks for the replies.
    
    Admittedly, I'm not crazy about the amp either. I picked it up for
    75 bucks about 4 years ago. Even with the $30-odd for tubes I can still
    turn it over and make a few bucks. Using my BOSS ME-5 (which has it's
    good points as well as bad ones), I can get some decent sounds.
    70's sounds, stuff like John Mellencamp, Lynard Skynrd, Black Crowes, 
    but I'll never have good Metallica, Offspring, or even AC/DC, and 
    Stevie-Ray stuff come from that rig. I need one rig does all...and
    then some. I'm considering the DSP 2101...we'll see how the Clas212
    sounds with that.
    
    But the Cals212 IS better than my other amp. A Peavey Special 130 that 
    I've had since about 1984. This was my first REAL amp (as opposed to my 
    Traynor 4-speaker combo which would go thump, thump, thump with the speed 
    of the vibrato, even if the vibrato wasn't in...which was a REAL JOKE)
    I haven't even powered on the Spec130 in over a year. I can't beleive
    I used to like that Saturation when I was younger. Bleecccch!
    
    Oh, another favor. Does anyone know the pinouts for the footswitch
    for the Clas212. Mine was missing the footswitch, and I've toyed
    with the idea of making one. Thanks.
    
    Larry
    

    I picked up my new Classic 50/410 and 115E speaker cab yesterday, took
    it home and set it up with the Korg A4 and now I have this big problem.
    
    I can't find enough time to play with it as much as I want.  
    
    I can't figure out which guitar sounds better through it, the Tele with 
    lace sensors or the Ibanez with humbucker.  I think the amp sounds a
    little like the 5150 with a slightly less crunch and more clarity.  
    
    The only negatives of this set are the plastic logos on the faces and
    the metal feet on the top cab. It slides around on the bottom cab. 
    
    Mark

    As another Classic 50/410 owner, I prefer the sound of the single coils
    through the clean sounds -- although it gets a chood crunch sound with
    humbuckers, I prefer the clean sound for this amp.

    Ahhh! another 50/410 owner.  I'm glad you replied.  Maybe you can give
    me some clue as to how to set up the Vol, pre Vol, post Vol, Master
    Vol, and Presence.  Did I leave any out?   So I can have a good
    starting point from which to work.  I'm probably going to set the Korg 
    A4 up to control the channel switching so I can have a clean and
    "other" channel.
    
    Any pointers would sure help a lot.
    
    Mark 

I heard the Peavey Transtube Bandit amp last night while I was down at
Union.  Cliff plugged in and played a bit.  I was impressed.  It was
tube like in the sense that it was sensitive to playing dynamics.  The
distortion sound was much less buzzy than older Peaveys as well.  Of
course, I've heard tube amps that sounded better...also ones that were
worse!  But I think Peavey really has made a quantum leap in solid
state technology here.

The setup is like a typical Bandit, two channels with independent EQ,
bright switch on the clean channel, a "thrash" switch (mid cut) on the
lead channel and a gain booster for the lead channel.

The Bandit also has a "T dynamics" control which apparently is like
the output power controls found on Boogies, Duncans, etc. that lets
you limit the power amp's output.  At the volume Cliff had set, the
clean sound remained the same regardless of the setting; when he
played harder, at the minimum setting (10%) the amp broke up but was
not much louder.  At full on, it got real loud but was cleaner.  So
you can set exactly how much output power you want and then get power
amp distortion happening when you crank up high enough.

Unlike older Bandits, this one can drive external cabs.  There will
also be a Transtube Special (2-12, more power said Cliff) and the
little Rage is coming soon in Transtube format (minus T dynamics,
which would be pretty useless on a 10 watt amp).  Cliff said Peavey
indicated at NAMM that *all* of the guitar amps would be switching
over to Transtube versions over time.  No word on Transtube bass amps.

Cosmetically, it looks like Peavey's tube Duo amp, smooth black vinyl
covering, black with chrome trim and new knobs (not the little
color-capped plastic ones they've used for years).

Interesting amp, $350 street price.

						Brian Rost
					       Ascom Nexion
					   rost_brian@timeplex.com


	********************************************************

	"Music always has the potential to utterly and
	radically transorm both how we live our lives and how we 
	interpret our lives. But, we forget this. It's tragic."

					- Robert Fripp

	********************************************************

    Does Peavey really intend to phase out their entire all-tube
    amp line? Kind of like shooting themselves in the foot, ain't
    it?  Die-hard tube fans will pooh-pooh the trans-tube amps
    and take their business to another brand. 
    
    I've listened to tons of amps over the years that sounded great
    in the store, but once you get them home, or to a gig, they lose
    the charm that inspired you to buy them. Knowing this, I would
    be very skeptical about any solid-state or hybrid amp.
    
    I've done business with Union Music and other Peavey dealers
    many times over the years. The one thing that turns me off about 
    most Peavey dealers is that no matter what you are looking for, 
    they always steer you towards Peavey. If you tell them you are in 
    the market for a Les Paul, they show you the Odissey. If your' 
    looking for a Marshall or Boogie, they steer you to the VTM series 
    amps. Want a Sound-Craft mixing board, they show you a Peavey board. 
    Want a Shure SM58, they show you the PVM38. The reasons are twofold. 
    First of all, they have to meet a minimum annual quota in order to 
    maintain the franchise. Secondly, they have a bigger profit margin on
    Peavey than they have on other brands. Union Music is typical in this 
    regard. I'm not slamming them. They are in business to make money
    and they are pushing the brand they prefer to sell and service.
    
    Don't misunderstand me. I own quite a bit of Peavey gear. It's
    good bang for the buck, but I ain't falling for the sales pitch
    again. When I go shopping for musical gear, I generally know 
    EXACTLY what I want, and I don't want to be sidetracked. 
    
    Anyone want to trade a Shure SM58 for (2) Peavey PVM38's?
    Seriously, I'll trade 2 PVM38's complete with cables, cases, clips,
    and wind screens for one SM58. The mics are in perfect condition.
    If anyone is interested, send me mail offline.
    
    Mark

    The trend toward tube front ends with solid state output
    sections is not new. I'm mostly speaking as a bass player,
    but I know of at least two well-respected manufacturers
    of what are considered "top of the line" equipment who
    sell valve/solid state hybrids: Trace Elliot and SWR.
    
    The reliability of solid state back ends is the primary
    consideration in power amps. The "tube sound" is the
    primary consideration in preamps.
    
    I don't think this is such a bad thing. A tremendous
    amount of volume can be had from the hybrid setup,
    with less space and weight. These are significant
    advantages to the gigging musician in my opinion.
    
    Not that I'm setting out to sing the praises of Peavey
    either. I can count the pieces of Peavey equipment I
    would want to own on my fingers, probably on one hand.
    But I think Peavey is doing the right thing offering a
    good line of hybrid amps and combos. I would prefer
    that they also continue to offer the all-tube amps
    like the 5150.
    
    -b

    >Ahhh! another 50/410 owner.  I'm glad you replied.  Maybe you can give
    >me some clue as to how to set up the Vol, pre Vol, post Vol, Master
    >Vol, and Presence.  Did I leave any out?   So I can have a good
    >starting point from which to work.  
    
    Although I plan to post the two settings I use for my sounds, the 
    controls are pretty much the same.  I tend to like the tone a bit
    on the 'dark' side -- not a ton of treble here...
    
    Clean Sound -- guitar is a strat w/EMG active 'vintage' single coil pickups
    
    clean  gain  preamp                             Master
    vol    vol   vol     reverb  bass  mid  treble  vol     presence
    =====  ====  ======  ======  ====  ===  ======  ======  ========
    10     --    --      6-8     10    10   2-4     8-10    4-6
    
    
    Dirty Sound -- guitar is an Ibanez w/EMG active humbucking pickups
    
    clean  gain  preamp                             Master
    vol    vol   vol     reverb  bass  mid  treble  vol     presence
    =====  ====  ======  ======  ====  ===  ======  ======  ========
    --     10    10      2       10    10   4-6     8-10    4-6

	>"Music always has the potential to utterly and
	>radically transorm both how we live our lives and how we 
	>interpret our lives. But, we forget this. It's tragic."


    Nothing to do with Peavey, but I rather like that quote from Robert
    Fripp that Brian Rost included at the end of his post. It strongly
    reminds me of another quote about music that I recall from the late
    great Mike Bloomfied, which, IMO, strikes truer than any other quote
    I've ever heard on the subject:
    
    "The music you listen to is the soundtrack of your life."
    
    Dom 

    re the Transtube phenomenon, from what I've heard Hartley Peavey
    saying lately, what he's trying to do (besides making money) is prepare
    for the day when vacuum tubes are no longer available.  We've been
    hearing the doom and gloom forecasts for awhile now; it's possible
    that one of these days the bottom will just plain fall out.  This
    type of design may become a matter of necessity rather than choice.
    
    Anyway, I reserve judgement till I hear one of these beasts.
    

    
    If 6V6's and other tubes I use ever get scarce, I'll make sure to buy 
    a lifetime supply. The shelf-life on vacuum tubes is almost indefinate. 
    I'm under the impression that there is a big enough demand for vacuum 
    tubes to keep Sovtech, Chintech, and other manufacturers in business 
    for years. 
    
    I doubt if Peavey will phase out their tube amps for several more years. 
    I'm sure the 5150 would never be converted over to hybrid, because EVH 
    would never give his endorsement. 
    
    One Peavey product line that I've always been impressed with was the 
    Classic Series tube power amps. These are rack-mount power amps available 
    in 60 wpc, and 100 wpc versions. The 60 wpc version is called the 60/60 
    (an obvious clone of the Mesa Boogie 50/50 power amp). These have 2 6l6 
    power tubes for each channel. The newer version of this amp has the same
    "resonance" control that is found on the 5150. I've considered
    completing my guitar rack with a 60/60 and a couple of 1x12 cabs. I'd
    also like to hear what my PA would sound like with one of the 100 watt
    tube power amps driving it. As far as I can tell, these amps were
    never a real big seller. I think it's more due to the trend in the
    market than anything else. For a few years a lot of guitar players
    were using racks but in the last few years, the trend has been to
    use stacks and combos again. Eventually, I may pick up a pair of
    these power amps if the right deal comes along.
    
    Mark

   re: lack of popularity of the tube power amps

   I think it has to do with the power to weight and size ratio.  I looked at
   these but couldn't see wasting 3 rack spaces for a 60w amp.  Don't know how
   they sound, though.

   -- Sam

    I tried one of the Peavy 60/60's in my rig - It was a nice amp, REAL 
    nice.  I settled on the Marshall Rack Mounted Tuber- It's a BEAST,
    but it sure sounds sweet.  COme on over for a berr sometime, Sam, and
    we'll have a go!
    jc (Tubular rack puke)

Disclaimer:  the opinions expressed here are mine alone; if you are of the
"Peavey sux" school of thought, you better hit NEXT UNSEEN now....

Oh, a live one, eh?

This week I brought home my first new musical instrument since 1987.  Due to
the demands of divorce and child support (ouch) there has been little in the
budget for my GTS.  However, my old lead player had bought one of these last
year and was impressed; I figured that, for the price, it was a way to get a
workable electric at a rock-bottom price.

The guitar is a stock Peavey Reactor.  It is Peavey's copy of a standard
Fender Telecaster.  And while it is cosmetically a clone, it is also a well-
crafted guitar that compares very nicely with the Tele that inspired it; in
fact, it sounds a LOT better than the 1966 rosewood-neck Tele which I *did*
own some years back!

And now, the specifics:

Dislikes:

o - Too few custom colors; only black, red and white.
o - Tuning keys look a bit cheesy (though they seem to keep the guitar in
    tune pretty well.....!)  I'll probably look to replacing these with
    something better.
o - The pickguard is a single-layered job with straight (not beveled) edges
    [to make manufacturing easier?].  But I plan to replace mine with a black 
    Tele pickguard anyway, so this is a minor quibble.

Likes:

o - This guitar sings!  The highs are marvelously clean in all three switch
    positions, and don't seem to drop off as I roll back the volume.  It is
    *plenty* loud, too! (NOTE: the manual says the volume control is tone-
    compensating....aha!)
o - Workmanship is outstanding.  The neck has a satin finish, the fingerboard
    is glossy maple - mine actually has a bit of figuring in it (!) and feels
    a lot like a stock Tele neck.  The finish on mine is gloss white and looks
    to be without flaw....it's a real pretty guitar!
o - The volume and tone control pots are quiet and silky smooth; they have a
    REAL "quality" feel to them.
o - In a concession to modern playing, there is a six-piece bridge instead of
    the traditional Tele three-piece bridge.
o - This guitar was set up nicely at the factory; except for tuning, I was
    *literally* playing it "out of the box".  I think only one other guitar
    of mine was set up this good....and it was a Sigma DR-7 (a D-28 copy
    imported by Martin)....sheeesh, even my Ovation needed *some* setting
    up.....

I am impressed. Peavey has made a guitar with classic look, feel and sound at 
a bargain-basement price;  truly a lot of bang for the buck.  With quality
like this I may not *need* to upgrade.....!


						--Eric--
					[a very satisfied PV customer]

    
    I liked the Peavey Predator.It was basically a loy priced Strat copy
    but was a good sounding/playing guitar.Like the previous note,I would
    have replaced the machine heads but other than that...a great guitar!
    
    
    
    
    					ian

    One of the guys I jam with on Sat. night got a new Stereo Chorus 212.
    I tried to talk him out of getting the solid state amp but he had his 
    mind set on this amp.  I think my Classic 50 410 kicks it's A*?.  The
    two amps were side by side so you could get a good comparison.  He kept
    adjusting his amp to improve the sound but I don't think he's as happy
    as he should be after spending $640 on a combo amp.
    
    I'd like to hear from some other 212 owners as to how to get some nice
    fat slightly over driven sounds out of this amp.  My friends guitar is 
    G&L Strat copy.  
    
    Mark 

    >I'd like to hear from some other 212 owners as to how to get some nice
    >fat slightly over driven sounds out of this amp.
    
    Trade it for a 5150...
    
    -b

    >>I'd like to hear from some other 212 owners as to how to get some nice
    >>fat slightly over driven sounds out of this amp.
    
    >Trade it for a 5150...
    
    absolutely!

    
     Just bought a Peavey Reactor Strat copy, mint condition from
     EU Wurlitzer in Nashua for $125.00 . It's much heavier than
     my old Korean Strat Squire . Does anyone know what kind of wood the
     body is ? I'm planning to put in some kind of blazing hot pickup ,
     the only thing is that If I put the new p/u on the bridge position,
     I'll lose the Classic Strat possition. Any suggestions ?

    what kind of p/u's for it also ?

    You could use a stacked-humbucker with a coil-cut switch. In the
    single-coil mode, you get the classic Strat tone. In the dual-
    coil mode, you get a fatter humbucking tone. No need to drill holes
    for a coil-cut switch either. Just get a push-pull pot and replace
    one of the pots on the guitar.
    
    Most major manufacturers of pickups offer stacked humbuckers. Check
    out Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, and Bill Lawrence. 
    
    Some people may suggest you look at EMG. My impression of EMG is as 
    follows: If you're going to get into EMG, you really ought to consider 
    replacing all of the pickups and get the full package including the
    active bass/treble boost circuits. This is no longer a cheap upgrade. 
    A full-blown EMG setup will set you back over $300. Also, EMG tends 
    to provide a compressed sound. It really is nothing like the Classic 
    Strat tone at all. Some people love em, but if classic tone is what 
    you're after, IMHO, EMG is not the answer.
    
	Mark

    You might want to particularly look into the new Seymour Duncan
    "Duckbuckers".  My understanding is these are Strat-sized humbuckers
    with the added ability to stagger the polepieces; this is supposed
    to allow you to get both fat humbucking tones and Stratty cluck
    (quack?) from the same pickup.
    
    Haven't heard one myself, but it's an interesting idea.
    
    /rick
    

    Re. .362
    
    I believe the Predator's wood is western poplar; same as my Reactor.
    
    						--Eric--

    RE: .364
    
    I disagree -- the EMG "Vintage" series pickups, which I have in my
    strat, most indeed have that "classic" single-coil strat sound, vs.
    the high-tech "processed" sound they're normally known for.
    

    I was't aware that EMG makes a vintage style pickup. I'm only familiar
    with their active pickup systems (which are low-impedance and need the
    rest of the system to operate properly) and their "Select" series which
    I understand to be a budget series of passive pickups (for people that
    want the EMG name without paying the EMG price). 
    
    Would the EMG vintage pickups do what John is looking for: Classic
    Strat tone as well as over-the-top high-gain? 
    
    Making vintage style pickups was not the original charter of EMG, 
    as it has been with Seymour Duncan and Dimarzio. These companies 
    have gone to great lengths to recreate the pickups found in vintage 
    Les Pauls, Fenders, etc. including the "Duncan-aged" process, and 
    recently the "Antiquity" series. I do not associate EMG with this
    market, but I guess it's time to rethink this as well. 
    
    Mark
    

    
     I'm thinking of buying Carvin pickups . The prices are right (39.90
    for the humbuckers and 30 for the single coil p/u . Any feedback
    about carvin p/u's ?
    
    Jon

    
    some guitar rag did a "best of.." test on a bunch of solid bodied
    pick-ups and raved about the M22 humbuckers and also the single coil
    pick-ups.I think for the price they're asking,you can't go wrong!
    
    
    						ian

    
    
    Hello,
    
    
    	Has anybody in this notes file tried the peavey Delta Blue combo
    yet? I thought I read somewhere that someone had ordered one?
    
    	I would be very greatful for any information if anyone has played 
    one.
    
    
    
    			Ewan

The Delta Blues is a decent amp, 

the 15" speaker gives the amp very warm/deep sound.
But I dunno, if it would suit ALL applications like the
standard 2x12 combos would.. 

There's also a Classic 50 4x10 but it's sort of a mutha
to lug around.

Take your guitar to the nearest dealer and check one
out...  See what you think...

    
    
    The 15" speaker is what i'm interested in, at the moment i'm playing
    through a fender bassman50 with matching 2x15 cab. Right now I prefer
    playing clean with 15" speakers. What i'm looking for is a smaller all 
    valve combo with a similar clean sound and distortion channel.
    
    	reasons to sell Fender Bassman50: Too big/too heavy
    					  Can only produce clean tone
    					  No reverb
    
    	reasons to buy Peavey Delta blues: Smaller/lighter
    					   Two channels (pre/post gain?)
    					   Reverb
    
    
    	I'm going to try and find a shop to demo one, I just hope its got a
    similar clean tone and decent distortion. I'm still in two minds though
    'cause the Fender absolutly has the most versatile and pleasing clean
    tone.
    
    
    
    	Ewan
    
    					    

Oh well ok....  you're LOOKING for the 15" sound!


<<    I'm going to try and find a shop to demo one, 

Where ya live ????  I can point you to a place in Leominster
Ma. that's got a few of em for not bad dough...

<<   I just hope its got a similar clean tone and decent distortion.

I think you'd like it.  Distortion was not what you expect out
of Peavey but then again, Tubes will do that for you..


/r

    
    
    I live in a place called Reading (England)....it might be abit far for
    me to go to leominster  8')
    
    I'll probably try one in London at the weekend. What did you mean about
    the distortion (good I guess/I hope)?
    I'm looking for approx. 30 watts so I have to crank it alittle.
    
    
    
    	cheers,
    	
    				Ewan

    FWIW,
    	I played a 1-15" PV Delta Blues and was not impressed at all. The
    reverb was somewhat lifeless and overdrive was cheezy sounding.
    
    Not my cup of tea.
    
    JMO,
         Fred (who like his Vibroverb Reissue ALOT better)

  <I live in a place called Reading (England)....it might be
  <abit far for me to go to leominster  8')


awe c'mon, that's a milk run!

Good luck,,

/r

    Ewan, That was me that ordered the Delta. After shopping for a year for 
    a small tube combo i decided  on the PV. I also was relpacing a
    Bassman. THe PV is a very cool little amp. THe 15" sounded great in the 
    store as well as the very milky, switchable overdrive channel. 
    Fortunetly for me I called an add in the paper for "gear for sale" and 
    landed a mint Deluxe Reverb for $500! I'm quite happy with it.
    
    See "fender amp info"
    
    -kev

    
    
    Kev, thats funny you ended up with another fender... just this
    lunch time I was at my local music shop trying fender combos.
    I was surprised to find that my favorite between the blues deluxe and
    the blues pro junior was the small 15watt junior. I loved the basic
    single channel control panel and the fact that you can go from silky
    overdrive to snappy clean just by turning the volume control on the
    guitar! Amazing, just what i'm looking for...... almost.....the only
    problem is it needs to be 30watts not 15!(and just a small nit pick,
    there was'nt enough bass with treble on zero and bass on 10).
    
    I guess i'm going to be looking for an *old* fender with the same simple
    features and same smooth overdrive. Any ideas anyone? maybe the
    bassman'59?
    
    
    
    			Ewan
    
                                                                  

>>  I was surprised to find that my favorite between the blues deluxe and
>>  the blues pro junior was the small 15watt junior. I loved the basic
    
    This is no accident; the tiny Pro Junior is one of the hidden gems in
    the crop of current guitar amps.  As good as amps like the Blues Deluxe
    and Deville are, this little beast just seems a level above the other
    members of Fender's tweed line.  It's a very hot item with pro players
    around the Boston area.  One guitarist I know summed it up nicely; "it
    sounds like the best 50's tweed you've ever played".
    
    I snagged mine for somewhere around $180, used and mint.  Best money
    I spent in a long time.
    
    /rick
    

    Reminds me of a Blackface Champ I had once. Very cool little amp. I
    miss it dearly. Come to think of it, it kind of reminds me of a
    Silverface Deluxe Reverb I just bought! 
    
    ....Yessssir!
    
    -kev

Back in January I purchased a new Peavey Raptor I from Daddy's in Shrewsbury.
This guitar is part of Peavey's "International Series" (polite term for "Made
In Korea") and is basically a low-priced Strat copy.  Unlike my Reactor (see 
note 1732.357) this guitar had a few things which needed to be done:

 o - The neck had a bit more bow in it than I prefer; about a half-turn of the
     truss rod corrected it.
 o - The action was still a bit high; I put shims under the lower two screws
     and adjusted the bridge to a lower action.
 o - The vibrato handle needed to be bent a bit (when fully screwed down it
     struck the volume knob!) Also, it has way too much play -- I may end up
     replacing the inertia block with something more rugged......
 o - To help it stay in tune better, I replaced the nut with a graphite-type
     nut from Stew-Mac; I also replaced the cheap tuners with Schallers.


On the plus side of the fence:

 o - The finish is a three-color sunburst over alder; the neck is satin finished
     in back with a rosewood fingerboard.  It's a REAL pretty guitar, and it
     looks close enough to a 'burst Strat to satisfy me.
 o - The pickups look rather cheesy, but actually sound pretty good!
 o - I was surprised just how *light* this guitar is - it's lighter in weight
     than my Reactor but still sustains OK.
 o - The price was too low to pass up - $159.95 w/o a case. 
 
As of this point, I've been playing the Raptor and the Reactor almost equally
to get a feel for what works best for each.  The jury is still out; I've been
playing the Reactor for two years and absolutely *love* it, but the Raptor has 
the near-Strat styling (which I have always liked) and some damn nice sounds.
And with the new tuners and the graphite nut it stays in tune a LOT better.

Bottom line:  With all the guitars I already have - and the fact that I'm not
gigging all that often - I have a hard time convincing MYSELF to drop any $$$
for another guitar.  However, at this price the Raptor was essentially a low-
risk gamble which, for me, paid off.  With the adjustments and the upgrades,
it's a very playable and eye-pleasing guitar.  

Would I love to own a real Strat? Of course!  But for now, I'm quite happy with
my near-Strat, which is okay for a near-Strat player like me 8*)


						--Eric--