Anti Peavey Snobbery

[mcnach]

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1319819933' post='1419021']
Let me say from the outside, that a bit of PEavey equipment has never ever let me down. There's been lots of it too.
Peavey Century Head, SP3 PA cabs, HP400 cabs (like Hisys 4 only a bit older), Pair of CS800s, CS1200, UL115 Sub, 1012 Impulse top mids, my last TNT130 and my current 410tx (thanks Jose).

Not a bit of it has ever done anything other than perform as required when required.

You do get the impression that although there are shed loads of us who really really respect it, few of us truly actually love it. I'm sure you know what I mean here. Many of us bought Peavey stuff because it's what we could afford, not because it's what we actually truly wanted.

It's funny how exactly such circumstances led me to the 410tx mentioned above. Not quite what I actually wanted, but the right price and being Peavey, it'll never break - obviously. (Goes without saying.)

Waht a truly ace little cabinet. I say little, but anyone who's ever lifted one knows I don't mean with regard to the weight of the thing, but a fairly diminutive 4x10 but with such a lovely sound. Plenty of bottom end grunt and more top than you could ever need, thankfully with a trim pot to keep your upper noodlings out of guitarist territory. Really, just a great sounding cab, as the rest of the band stated the instant I played the Trace head through it. It reproduced all it's input faithfully. All I need or want in a cab.
Such a great cab that if I should find myself being offered another or a 115bx in the future, I might just go for it if I'm sufficently flush.

Anyway, as also seems to be the norm, mine came to me sans Peavey badge. It's truly astonishing that Peavey make bomb proof kit, but when it comes to these cabs there seems to be something about them that makes the badge fall off.

Prior to the gig last week where it was due to do it's stuff underneath my Trace AH150 (we're in a settled and loving relationship, thanks for asking) I felt the urge to add a badge to the Peavey.
Clearly I still suffer from the aforementioned badge snobbery if my badge making choice is anything to go by. I promise, it's not permanent and will be removed toute de suite.

It's justabitta fun.
[/quote]



ha ha, very nice

[VTypeV4]

I've no bones with Peavey stuff. I loved the 410TVX that I had for a while, only sold it cuz a friend was desparate for a cab! I would have another.

I've used countless Peavey PA systems and as long they're not running Peavey amps and have had time being setup are great, plenty of bang for buck! The amps are good for monitors as they have DDT so they can be thrashed without too much consideration. I always thought they sounded a little 'stifled' for FOH use and Peavey watts arent quite Crown/Crest watts are they!?

I've replaced a few Black Widows over the years in both bass guitar and PA cabs and most simply been a damaged tinsel/lead lines. I've repaired our HiSys 4 drum fill a few times because of this fault. It does work hard, its bi-amped on a Crown 24x6. I did replace some 18" examples that had nearly been on fire that had been fried by a heavily clipped JBL MPX1200.

Having said that, as long as they're not abused (like most speakers) work well without incident. I like 'Widows, they're certainly not a bad driver.

Long live Peavey gear, I have plenty of respect for it.

[razze06]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1320235792' post='1424037']
hmmm... IMO..and IME..Peavy was decent enough at a time when there wasn't much else...

Ampeg and Fender were too expensive and pretty rare and along came PV with high powered rigs..for the time..at decent money
and it was a step up for most
The gear was solid but basic but being able to put out a reasonable sound around 200watts was the main thing.
It had volume...and the BW wasn't a bad speaker.

By the late 80's things had moved on..but PV's bang for buck was still ok.
Sound had been woefully left behind though.

Peavey ..AFAIK..always knew where their core market lay...
Decent-ish stuff at an affordable price. They probably stuck to that mantra better than most.

But, just like HH and other stuff from that sort of era... it can't stack up..and neither should anyone really expect it to.

If it does a job, then that is ok.
[/quote]

I agree entirely, Peavey's fortune was made with solid kit at a good price. Hence the stigma: it reminds people of how much they wanted something else and all they could afford was the humble Peavey

Still, I find that their older bass amp offerings have a definite and distinctive sound which I most enjoy.

Exactly in the same fashion, I enjoy playing my HH amp as much as the Peavey or my 10 times more expensive RH450. They all do different things and have different sounds.
I clearly have a preference towards old school sounds, and have no real interest in recording

[cheddatom]

I love my peavey TNT although I do pair it with a guitar amp. If anyone wants to hear the rig mic'd it's on myspace.com/nologorock One day i'll hopefully get a Tmax head.

I play drums in a band and the bassist uses the above rig. I once asked a fellow bassist from the audience what he thought of our sound, and the first thing he said was "yeh, I never like the Peavey sound". WTF?!? It's got an EQ on it! It's not a set sound!

[JTUK]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1320323550' post='1425264']
I love my peavey TNT although I do pair it with a guitar amp. If anyone wants to hear the rig mic'd it's on myspace.com/nologorock One day i'll hopefully get a Tmax head.

I play drums in a band and the bassist uses the above rig. I once asked a fellow bassist from the audience what he thought of our sound, and the first thing he said was "yeh, I never like the Peavey sound". WTF?!? It's got an EQ on it! It's not a set sound!
[/quote]


Well, kind of...IMO. the overall tone was plastic, though, ....but they aren't alone in that by any means.
Just as Ampeg, TE had typical sounds, so did PV....

I had a BW combo for ages and it was a banker... it did every gig for eons..but I pushed the hell out of it to get it loud enough, and it wasn't a good sound by any means when throttled. It wasn't that good when running normally....
Saved my bacon over the years though...

If it does a decent job, then it is ok. The P.A cabs are fundimental and ..as always with PV, quite robust, so get used time and time again as they are reliable.
If you get anywhere near discerning with sound, though, look elsewhere, IMO
I think I would rather trust a PV PA rig than some JBL....which sounds mad, until you get some of that cheap tat go wrong again and again. They don't make them like they used to...but I think PV actually do.
That is what they are good for. and maybe what people like and trust. There is a lot ot be said for that as well, IMO.

[Cat Burrito]

I was using Peavey from the late 80s until around 2005 - same combo & it never let me down. I couldn't care less what haters say about gear (Rotosound strings get knocked sometimes & then there is the anti-Fender brigade). Live & let live, I say. It'd be boring if we were all the same

[Spike Vincent]

Don't get me started on Rotosound......Nowt wrong with Peavey,I've had my mk.6 and 2 1x15 Black Widows for nearly 20 years and it's still going strong.

[VTypeV4]

[quote name='BurritoBass' timestamp='1320337772' post='1425532']
I was using Peavey from the late 80s until around 2005 - same combo & it never let me down. [i][b]I couldn't care less what haters say about gear (Rotosound strings get knocked sometimes & then there is the anti-Fender brigade). Live & let live, I say. It'd be boring if we were all the same[/b][/i]
[/quote]

I quite agree..

[Clarky72]

I have a 410TX and it sounds great, I love my Peavey gear, but like almost everyone else, it weighs almost as much as my car! If only they could re-create that great cab in a lightweight form!

I'm actually considering getting a Pro 500 or Tour 750 head at the moment to use for some gigs instead of the monster weight Ampeg BA500 combo which is ridiculously heavy. It's lighter than my Ampeg SVT (why I bought it), but still heavier than almost any other combo on the planet...

[ggt0677]

I have a discontinued Peavey 500 pro... took it into the studio recently and our producer (4 x gold discs on his wall btw) LOVED it and preferred it over the Ampeg SVT in the studio... happy to send links if anyone wants a listen... have always loved them for bass and for guitar....

[Protium]

A while ago I dismantled an old TNT130 for parts. It had been stored in a damp shed for 15 years and the amp still kind of worked, though the speaker and most of the tolex had been eaten by mice.

[mep]

Have used plenty in my time. A TNT150 BW equipped with bi-amped bright box. A PA with PV Bass bins & tops & 2000w power amp. Our cuurent PA has the PV bins & tops. No Problem.

[Truckstop]

I love my Firebass 700! Been looking at getting a Mark III too, they look like they'd be a decent bit of kit.

Truckstop

[ggt0677]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1327955263' post='1519507']
I love my Firebass 700! Been looking at getting a Mark III too, they look like they'd be a decent bit of kit.

Truckstop
[/quote]

am selling one in another thread

[hairyhaw]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1319828643' post='1419171']
I had a TNT too, the only issues were the weight and it could not keep up with a Marshall half stack, the volume issue is less important to me these days but the weight is more of an issue than it was back then.
[/quote]

Exactly the same problem for me. That and some chump at Peavey thought that you only needed one carry handle on top of the amp.

[leschirons]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1319827081' post='1419148']
Never uderstood it myself, Peavey make good sounding, reliable, good value gear. Only problem I`ve ever found with Peavey is the weight of their gear.
[/quote]

+1
Had a Peavey Combo 300 years ago. The ONLY reason to sell was that I couldn't lift it into the boot on my own. Great stuff. If they halved the weight, I'd buy Peavey again.

[chris_b]

[size=4][font=Arial]Peavey started as pro gear but has slid gently and exclusively into the semi pro world, which is a shame. [/font]

[font=Arial]In 1985 I bought a 115 BW which I liked a lot but at 85lbs, give or take, it was a stupid design as it only had 1 strap handle! Shortly after that I bought the 215BW version which I loved, but couldn't lift on my own, even using both handles. [/font]

[font=Arial]They should market a high end line. I'm sure it would be good for them and us. [/font][/size]

[chrismuzz]

Had my college audition the other week.. Went through a really old TKO 15" combo... set the EQ totally flat... Loved the sound!

[la bam]

My previous band used a HiSys ii rig years ago, and it got bashed, bumped, dropped and never ever let us down, more reliable than anything.

The sound was adequate, and being 4ohm you got good volume from decent amps.

They always hold the second hand volume at around £200.


I DJ a lot and recently for a second rig decided to have a look at the UL15s (hiSys ii'supgrade) - and theres no comparison! - The UL15s absolutely blow the HiSys ii's out of the water. Clarity, bass and volume wise, and theyre lighter too!

These really are a good cab.

Peaveys downfall though is that these passive speakers are around £6-700 new EACH.

That puts them right in RCF Active territory, only youll need an amp and cables too for the peaveys, and the RCF actives are as loud, real nice sound and 16kg with amps built in!

Decent second hand buy at around £300 though.


A reliable decent sounding cab is better than an unreliable brilliant sounding one.

http://www.labam.co.uk

Edited January 31, 2012 by la bam

[cheddatom]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1320323550' post='1425264']
I love my peavey TNT although I do pair it with a guitar amp. If anyone wants to hear the rig mic'd it's on myspace.com/nologorock
[/quote]

Just returning to this thread and I wonder if any of the peavey haters had a listen to the above? 'cos this is back when I used to mic my peavey rig for recording.