Question:
Anyone have any experience with them?
They're the old Peavey tube amps that came before the Ultra and befor the XXX series amps. There's one at the guitar shop right now for $300. A bit too much, IMO, but it had some pretty sweet tone using the Ibanez I was using at the time. It's likely that I won't get it, but I just wanna see some opinions.
I've been looking to the Peavey Ultras as a new amp, but this older model seems pretty cool. I dunno, but I cant' figure out how that footswitch works...
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Is it s'posed to be a hi-gain amp?
Case
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Originally Posted by Casey Is it s'posed to be a hi-gain amp?
Case
Yes. It has quite a lot of gain.
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I read the harmony central reviews, and they say that the amp's downfall is its low reliability, especially in the footswitch circuit. Maybe that's why the model I tried had a non-functional switch?
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i would definatly keep an eye on it....it's a tube amp for $300, and like you said, you like it's tone, so hey...keep an eye on that one...
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You can use other footswitches for it. Try out other amps' footswitches. My friend's Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 went out, I let him you the one to my HR Deluxe once, and it worked fine.
In fact, I've got a friend who makes them for all amps, if you decide on getting it, tell me specs of the amp, and I'll get you a footswitch made.
Case
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Originally Posted by Casey You can use other footswitches for it. Try out other amps' footswitches. My friend's Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 went out, I let him you the one to my HR Deluxe once, and it worked fine.
In fact, I've got a friend who makes them for all amps, if you decide on getting it, tell me specs of the amp, and I'll get you a footswitch made.
It's not the footswitch, really. (at least not on the HC reviews). It's the circuit inside the amp that does the footswitching functions.
And yes, keeping my eye on it for now.
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While we're at it, does anyone have any other suggestions for a very, very versatile amp. I'm basically looking for a hi-gain amp that sounds good for lo-gain applications, too. I like my metal and hard rock, but I need to use the same amp for all my P&W duties, too. So far, apart from it's apparent non footswitchableness, this Peavey Triumph is looking pretty decent. The footswitchableness is a pretty important feature to me, tho, and if it craps out on me, then I'm going to be hurled into a pit of imminent doom. Maybe I should look for an Ultra or 5150...
Oh yeah, Major Tom, does your attentautor work with 60 watt amps?
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I highly recommend the Peavey Ultra's.
I have the 112 version and it rocks hard! It is my first tube amp and it has three channels with awesome gain and its all tubed. It also comes with some nice reverb to boot.
The only downfall to it is that it doenst have as much bottom end as I woudl like (but keep in mind its open back and single 12" speaker)
Its just amazing and the price was right!
-Deren
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Originally Posted by rainer123 While we're at it, does anyone have any other suggestions for a very, very versatile amp. I'm basically looking for a hi-gain amp that sounds good for lo-gain applications, too. I like my metal and hard rock, but I need to use the same amp for all my P&W duties, too. So far, apart from it's apparent non footswitchableness, this Peavey Triumph is looking pretty decent. The footswitchableness is a pretty important feature to me, tho, and if it craps out on me, then I'm going to be hurled into a pit of imminent doom. Maybe I should look for an Ultra or 5150...
Oh yeah, Major Tom, does your attentautor work with 60 watt amps?
It works with 60 watt amps if you don't use what I call "mondo distortion", in other words, metal-ish tones. Wattage ratings of amps are really a nominal thing anyway. Traditionally, most tube amp watt ratings are pretty conservative - a "50 watt" Marshall can s'posedly put out like 90 !! A clean type amp rated at 50 or 60 watts pushed into mild overdrive with guitar>cord>amp by being cranked up to "10" is not putting out anywhere near the average current (watts) if that thing were driven with a distortion pedal - there's no real "cool down" period during the decay part of the chords/notes, since the compression keeps pretty much the whole envelope at a high level. I use one on my HR DeVille with no problems, but I don't do real heavy distortion tones. That's why I lower'd the power rating to 30 watts - to be universal for all players. I still continue to sell them for 50-60 watt amps, but with the caveat that anything more than classic rock type tones will overheat it - they don't fail, they emit smoke
I have been planning on making a higher rating unit, I just haven't gotten around to it....yet...
The Ultra's I think can be had at a pretty decent price - from what I have heard, it would probably benefit from a speaker swap, one with more bottom like a Celestion V-30. They appear to be a very versatile amp.
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Oh yeah, the Bravo is very similar, the preamp section schematics are very close. It has more gain available than any metal head would ever want -its INSANE I lowered the gain on mine quite a bit and it still can get pretty fuzz-like.
It is a lower wattage, but since it has the worst sounding stock speaker I have ever heard (at least for an open back cab), it needs a different one anyway. A more efficient speaker like a V-30 would probably put it at about the same db output as the Ultra. It's kinda a theory of mine that a 20 watt tube amp will drive a single 12" speaker (common guitar speakers, not JBL and those of that ilk) to pretty much its maximum physical output - in other words a 50 or 100 watt amp would not be significantly louder with just the 1 speaker...just a theory, at least until I spring for a sound pressure level meter.
They can be had on ebay for $150 and up.
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Originally Posted by Major Tom It works with 60 watt amps if you don't use what I call "mondo distortion", in other words, metal-ish tones. Wattage ratings of amps are really a nominal thing anyway.
True, and if I were going for a metal tone, I probably wouldn't attentuate much anyways. For a metal tone, should I leave the attentuator wide open, or leave it out of the signal chain?
Traditionally, most tube amp watt ratings are pretty conservative - a "50 watt" Marshall can s'posedly put out like 90 !! A clean type amp rated at 50 or 60 watts pushed into mild overdrive with guitar>cord>amp by being cranked up to "10" is not putting out anywhere near the average current (watts) if that thing were driven with a distortion pedal - there's no real "cool down" period during the decay part of the chords/notes, since the compression keeps pretty much the whole envelope at a high level. I use one on my HR DeVille with no problems, but I don't do real heavy distortion tones. That's why I lower'd the power rating to 30 watts - to be universal for all players. I still continue to sell them for 50-60 watt amps, but with the caveat that anything more than classic rock type tones will overheat it - they don't fail, they emit smoke
Ok, I see.
I have been planning on making a higher rating unit, I just haven't gotten around to it....yet...
The Ultra's I think can be had at a pretty decent price - from what I have heard, it would probably benefit from a speaker swap, one with more bottom like a Celestion V-30. They appear to be a very versatile amp.
And versatility is waht I'm going for. I need a single amp that can go from sweet blues and clean chordal work to a heavy metal tone. Is that too much to ask?
Oh yeah, the Bravo is very similar, the preamp section schematics are very close. It has more gain available than any metal head would ever want -its INSANE I lowered the gain on mine quite a bit and it still can get pretty fuzz-like.
It is a lower wattage, but since it has the worst sounding stock speaker I have ever heard (at least for an open back cab), it needs a different one anyway. A more efficient speaker like a V-30 would probably put it at about the same db output as the Ultra. It's kinda a theory of mine that a 20 watt tube amp will drive a single 12" speaker (common guitar speakers, not JBL and those of that ilk) to pretty much its maximum physical output - in other words a 50 or 100 watt amp would not be significantly louder with just the 1 speaker...just a theory, at least until I spring for a sound pressure level meter.
They can be had on ebay for $150 and up
Ok, cool. That's another choice. I looked on eBay, and there weren't any up at the moment, so I'm guessing they're either something you gotta wait a bit for, or kinda hard to find. If at all possible, I'd like to find one that I can get in person, which is why this Peavey Triumph amp is looking rather nice right now. But the footswitchability can be a pretty big factor now...
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True, and if I were going for a metal tone, I probably wouldn't attentuate much anyways. For a metal tone, should I leave the attentuator wide open, or leave it out of the signal chain?
It is "bypassed" when turned all the way CW, no attenuation and the signal is passed straight thru.
And versatility is waht I'm going for. I need a single amp that can go from sweet blues and clean chordal work to a heavy metal tone. Is that too much to ask?
The one thing I have seen with a couple of my amps that have gobs of gain on tap - The clean channel is great, but the high gain channel is a bit over-saturated even at very low gain settings; not distorted, but saturated resulting in a solid statish quality to the dynamics. I did a couple things to lower gain on my Bravos, but the biggest thing was a 12AT7 in V2 instead of the 12AX7. Now the hi gain channel is much more dynamic and useable for bluesy, classic rock, P & W type stuff, it picks up where the clean channel "lets off" now, but still has mega gain available. IMHO, NOW it is an amp that can do all that, and pretty well. So, I guess, no its not too much to ask, but you may need to tweak a bit.
The Bravos crop up from time to time, a couple weeks back there were 4 of them on there at once. I don't blame you though about getting one shipped in; many people are lousy packers - don't use enough cushiony packing. One hard drop, and something will likely come loose. When I bought ny 2nd Bravo, I insisted that the guy use at least 3" of packing on all sides, he put it in a large TV box, and arrived unscathed. There certainly is a risk involved.
As far as the footswitch issue - is it actually internal circuitry that fails? Some of the older Peaveys (like my old Mace) used a DIN or similar connector on the end of the footswitch cable; with normal use (plugging, unplugging, occasionally tripping over the cable so it gets yanked out at a bad angle) the connector itself would probably fail...I wonder if that's it?
Is that a 1x12 combo you are looking at? If so, I think that is from pretty close to the era of the Bravo - it may have one of those awful sounding speakers It didn't sound too terribly bad when playing alone in my family room, but i would really notice how shrill it was when I used it in a band context. If it has a Scorpion - aluminum frame speaker, those are actually pretty decent speakers for guitar, theyseem to have a bit of a cult following.
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Originally Posted by Major Tom It is "bypassed" when turned all the way CW, no attenuation and the signal is passed straight thru.
Ok, cool.
The one thing I have seen with a couple of my amps that have gobs of gain on tap - The clean channel is great, but the high gain channel is a bit over-saturated even at very low gain settings; not distorted, but saturated resulting in a solid statish quality to the dynamics. I did a couple things to lower gain on my Bravos, but the biggest thing was a 12AT7 in V2 instead of the 12AX7. Now the hi gain channel is much more dynamic and useable for bluesy, classic rock, P & W type stuff, it picks up where the clean channel "lets off" now, but still has mega gain available. IMHO, NOW it is an amp that can do all that, and pretty well. So, I guess, no its not too much to ask, but you may need to tweak a bit.
I've heard the 12AT7's work better in many amps rather then the 12AX7's. And they're interchangable, too. I'll try it...
The Bravos crop up from time to time, a couple weeks back there were 4 of them on there at once. I don't blame you though about getting one shipped in; many people are lousy packers - don't use enough cushiony packing. One hard drop, and something will likely come loose. When I bought ny 2nd Bravo, I insisted that the guy use at least 3" of packing on all sides, he put it in a large TV box, and arrived unscathed. There certainly is a risk involved.
And I also have a thing about buying things off thie internet that are over $200. My sister is the only one in the family with an eBay account, and she doesn't often have a ton in her bank account. I don't think I'd send that much cash over mail either.
As far as the footswitch issue - is it actually internal circuitry that fails? Some of the older Peaveys (like my old Mace) used a DIN or similar connector on the end of the footswitch cable; with normal use (plugging, unplugging, occasionally tripping over the cable so it gets yanked out at a bad angle) the connector itself would probably fail...I wonder if that's it?
Yeah, it's the DIN cable. I don't know if it's the internal circuitry, the connector, the connection or what. I just don't want a failed footswitch...
Is that a 1x12 combo you are looking at? If so, I think that is from pretty close to the era of the Bravo - it may have one of those awful sounding speakers It didn't sound too terribly bad when playing alone in my family room, but i would really notice how shrill it was when I used it in a band context. If it has a Scorpion - aluminum frame speaker, those are actually pretty decent speakers for guitar, theyseem to have a bit of a cult following.
Yup, 1x12 with a Scorpion speaker. So basically, it's a good amp. I'm still pretty wary about the footswitch thing, but it's decent.
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If the switching isn't working now, you might want to pass on it. It may just need the connectors cleaned, but they could also be worn out (female pins spread open too much), or a wire broken off or... if it were mine, I would probably just eliminate the connector once it became problematic, "hardwiring" the end of the cable inside the amp.