SH73 Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 (edited) I `ve got one of these collecting dust. It has the original Pavey speaker (the picture is from Google images, not my amp). I think (top of my head) , it`s Pavey BW 115? At the back of amp it says 400w, again not 100% certain. I bought this around 1990 as a teenager and it served well. It was so loud that on its own it was enough to gig in a medium sized hall. When I say hall ( that can fit in 1500-2000 people). Anyway it would play through a 4 hour gig with multiple bands. I lend it once to a band who I started out with when we were 16 and a person who ran the community centre "borrowed " it and used it as a cab at a disco night. Since then the sound has been distorted. Fast forward, I tried it out in 2011 and it still works, so I am thinking having it delivered to me from Europe and take it for a repair. I have checked the speaker before many times and I could not see any visible damage. I looked at the closed circuit board and nothing obvious. Hope it is only a minor fault and it will be up and running one day. Anyone used a similar amp from circa mid 80`s? Edited May 3, 2016 by Rich Topic title smelling pistake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 It's Peavey BW is the Black Widow series of speakers, Peaveys best and still up to decent modern standards.You can also replace all the working parts in a single basket change. Parts are still available and it's a simple DIY job. The only problem is that you can buy a new speaker from Eminence and the like for the same price or less. I've found that BW speakers o this vintage have problems with the adhesive used to make them breaking down. The dust cap dome in the middle of the speaker can partially come away and the cone can separate from the corrugated surround. It can be successfully stuck back together with Copydex. Have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 Before I got my current Fender Rumble 500 combo I used to use a Peavey Databass. It's very similar to the photo you posted and uses the same 1x15 BW speaker. I reconed it twice over its working life. It's a fairly simple matter of unbolting the big magnet from the old speaker and bolting it onto the new one. The cones have undergone a few revisions. The last one I fitted was definitely a later revision than the two older cones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1461828428' post='3037884'] It's Peavey BW is the Black Widow series of speakers, Peaveys best and still up to decent modern standards.You can also replace all the working parts in a single basket change. Parts are still available and it's a simple DIY job. The only problem is that you can buy a new speaker from Eminence and the like for the same price or less. I've found that BW speakers o this vintage have problems with the adhesive used to make them breaking down. The dust cap dome in the middle of the speaker can partially come away and the cone can separate from the corrugated surround. It can be successfully stuck back together with Copydex. Have fun [/quote] I'll have it checked out first and hopefully I fit it with a light weight speaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 [quote name='Norris' timestamp='1461849968' post='3038187'] Before I got my current Fender Rumble 500 combo I used to use a Peavey Databass. It's very similar to the photo you posted and uses the same 1x15 BW speaker. I reconed it twice over its working life. It's a fairly simple matter of unbolting the big magnet from the old speaker and bolting it onto the new one. The cones have undergone a few revisions. The last one I fitted was definitely a later revision than the two older cones [/quote]were you overally happy with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 Isn't that an Electrovoice logo upside down on the dust cap in the photo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1461828428' post='3037884'] It's Peavey BW is the Black Widow series of speakers, Peaveys best and still up to decent modern standards.You can also replace all the working parts in a single basket change. Parts are still available and it's a simple DIY job. The only problem is that you can buy a new speaker from Eminence and the like for the same price or less. I've found that BW speakers o this vintage have problems with the adhesive used to make them breaking down. The dust cap dome in the middle of the speaker can partially come away and the cone can separate from the corrugated surround. It can be successfully stuck back together with Copydex. Have fun [/quote] Exactly my experience with the BW combo. Unfortunately I terminated my BW speaker in a gig when the glue failed on the cone. It was replaced with a 15" Eminece (s/h ex Fender) with no thoughts about Thiele-Small parameters, port sizes etc. It continued to sound good. I used it from 1983/4? until about 2008, many gigs (including University rag balls) and it was faultless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 [quote name='SH73' timestamp='1461858647' post='3038291'] were you overally happy with it? [/quote] Yes. It was pretty powerful for its size and led a couple of friends of mine to seek one out for themselves. However, compared to the Rumble it is a little muddy and lacking in definition. It was a great amp and served me well (Peaveys are usually pretty bomb proof) but the Fender is half the weight, more refined - but not overly so... and plain has more balls on tap! Peaveys are (usually) good amps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 [quote name='Norris' timestamp='1461865810' post='3038364'] Yes. It was pretty powerful for its size and led a couple of friends of mine to seek one out for themselves. However, compared to the Rumble it is a little muddy and lacking in definition. It was a great amp and served me well (Peaveys are usually pretty bomb proof) but the Fender is half the weight, more refined - but not overly so... and plain has more balls on tap! Peaveys are (usually) good amps [/quote] I own fender rumble 100w.Very happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 It's a pretty hefty thing to have shipped from Europe though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted April 28, 2016 Author Share Posted April 28, 2016 [quote name='Norris' timestamp='1461879771' post='3038526'] It's a pretty hefty thing to have shipped from Europe though [/quote] Not really. There are lots of companies that offer cheap shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGBass Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 [quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1461861449' post='3038318'] Isn't that an Electrovoice logo upside down on the dust cap in the photo? [/quote] it does look like an EV dust cap to me as well. The old MKIII 260watt combo's usually had a metal dust cap type black widow. If the driver has been previously swapped then it might be advantageous to source a modern replacement unit like an Eminence. could save a few quid over the cost of a direct BW replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 [quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1461861449' post='3038318'] Isn't that an Electrovoice logo upside down on the dust cap in the photo? [/quote] The image is for illustration purposes only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 [quote name='dangoose' timestamp='1462187116' post='3040849'] it does look like an EV dust cap to me as well. The old MKIII 260watt combo's usually had a metal dust cap type black widow. If the driver has been previously swapped then it might be advantageous to source a modern replacement unit like an Eminence. could save a few quid over the cost of a direct BW replacement. [/quote] Mine still has a silver dust cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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