razze06 Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Anyone else loves these beasts? Yes they are super heavy, yes they are so unbalanced that it's almost a two-people carry job, yes they are not particularly pretty, and hell no, they are not hi-fi... But they are more reliable than rain on bank holiday, you can throw them around (if you can lift them) and drop them down and they won't even scratch, they are LOUD, they take (and want) 2 ohm load, two mixabled channels with individual controls, plus graphic eq, biamping output with crossover control, they even do a reasonable overdriven sound by cranking the gain...all for a two figure sum (most of the time) There seems to be a fair few that, like me, bought one for almost nothing, and fell in love with it. If so, show some love, pics, and stories of your golden-era peavey gear, especially mark III and IV bass heads. Must have a top handle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted April 30, 2010 Author Share Posted April 30, 2010 Ok i'll start then: My battered Mark III head, sitting atop a Marshall 1555(?) 1x15 folded horn cab, sitting atop another Peavey 1x15. The only reason why I have another rig is that is often too loud for some of our gigs. The bass is a CMI Ned Callan from 1970/72. [attachment=48657:rig_detail2.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatEric Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 [quote name='razze06' post='824153' date='Apr 30 2010, 03:36 PM']Ok i'll start then: My battered Mark III head, sitting atop a Marshall 1555(?) 1x15 folded horn cab, sitting atop another Peavey 1x15. The only reason why I have another rig is that is often too loud for some of our gigs. The bass is a CMI Ned Callan from 1970/72. [attachment=48657:rig_detail2.jpg][/quote] Mmm. Nice Peavey - Nice Ned. Lucky bloke, 'nuff said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Subscribed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_citizenbass Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 i could never get it loud enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 (edited) Here is my [b]Peavey 260C MKIII combo [/b](with top handle) it has a metal badge on the bottom of the front stating [i]'Made in the USA 1979' [/i] (just below the B&W equiped) It weighs a ton, lucky its on wheels. It has two inputs that can be used for either just two passive bass, or a passive and active bass. Also a built in compressor. [attachment=48672:peavey_2...ss_combo.jpg] [attachment=48673:peavey_mk_iii.jpg] Edited April 30, 2010 by daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 [quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='824411' date='Apr 30 2010, 09:48 PM']i could never get it loud enough [/quote] I had the same problem, until I was made to realize that the head really wants 2 or 4 ohm loads. Much more oomph than with 8ohm, believe me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 [quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='824411' date='Apr 30 2010, 09:48 PM']i could never get it loud enough [/quote] Crikey !!!! My series 400 mk iv was shaking the stage floorboards last night. I've just checked the settings and the amp volume is up to 2, with still plenty more volume to go on my active bass. All the on board tone controls are practically flat !!! I use mine with 2 x Aguilar GS 112's. The bottom end puts a foot on the floor that the whole band just sits on. We did a sound check and finished before the DJ turned up. Once he got started, he pumped the volume and got that fat bottom end sound that you hear in the clubs through the big speakers. At that point, I was thinking to myself 'my bass is going to sound as thin as mist after this' Ha !! When we eventuall kicked off, I just added a fraction more to the lower frequencies on the graphic and my bass matched that DJ, No sweat ! At the start of our second set, the DJ was just overrunning the disco classic 'Young hearts run free'. I generally avoid playing along with the records in that situation (just looks unprofessional to me), but I did do a bit to compare the sound. Fitted right in, dead solid. The drummer loved it. I can't imagine a gig I would normally do that this amp wouldn't be able to cover, with plenty to spare. If a gig needs more volume than this amp can deliver, then frankly, I don't want to be in the same room with it !!!! It could probably break windows with ease. Ok, the open air Wembley gig may need more, but I'll sort that one out when I get up from the floor after hearing about the booking !!! I'll honestly admit my previous opinion of Peavey bass amps was heavily coloured by the more modern cheaper range that some London studios have. They are quite probably the very last amps I would ever use, given the choice. But the 400 series of the 80's and 90's are at the moment, about the best amp I've ever come across for that type of very solid sound, which is precisely what I'm after. I also have a Markbass Sa450, which sounds great through some EBS Neo cabs. The Hi-fi quality is fantastic and the tonal range is lovely. But I take the peavey to the gigs, despite the weight. It just delivers, in style. In fact, I was so impressed with the mk iv that when a mkiii came up, I drove 150 miles to get it and consider that time and effort well spent to have a backup of such an awesome amp. I find the word awesome frequently over - used these days, but if an amp deserves it, I'll happily put the 400 series forward for the honour. I'll bring mine to the London bash. I'm keen to see how it stands up against it's peers on the day. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVbass Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Yeah!! Peavey Firebass Fan 700 here! Awesome Amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Here's my modest little Peavey 300 Mk III XP, and 115BX cab. The cab I've had for about 12 years & it was old as the hills when I got it, and the head came from a BCer about a year or so ago as a £50 stopgap: [attachment=48809:peaveyrig.jpg] A year on & I still haven't replaced it because - well - it's a beast! It's apparently only 150 watts but by 'eck they're big watts! Unfortunately the Black Widow is starting to sound a bit flatulent so a new cab, or at least a new driver is on the cards. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Here's a pic of my old Mark IV: I appear to have the only broken one of these- my sister's friend switched it on with no speaker attached and apparently fried it. Just smelled like burning. Good solid amp though, I really liked the mix of active and passive tone controls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 [quote name='johnnylager' post='824385' date='Apr 30 2010, 08:53 PM']Subscribed.[/quote] Me too! [attachment=48940:Peavey_Head_1.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_citizenbass Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 [quote]I had the same problem, until I was made to realize that the head really wants 2 or 4 ohm loads. Much more oomph than with 8ohm, believe me...[/quote] mind you, thinking back to one show we did in a basement. I Plugged into two 4ohm 410s and i couldn't hear the drums! But still, the amp didn't have enough headroom for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 [quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='828094' date='May 5 2010, 12:50 AM']mind you, thinking back to one show we did in a basement. I Plugged into two 4ohm 410s and i couldn't hear the drums! But still, the amp didn't have enough headroom for me.[/quote] Pardon my cheek, but if you couldn't hear the drums in that configuration, in what sense did you not have enough headroom? Are you maybe referring to problem with clipping/distortion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_citizenbass Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 [quote]Pardon my cheek, but if you couldn't hear the drums in that configuration, in what sense did you not have enough headroom? Are you maybe referring to problem with clipping/distortion?[/quote] well the cab was right next to me head. I like to have a massive jump from my clean to my distortion and with this amp if we had to play a show with no PA when i played distorted it was out of control and completely unmanageable ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 [quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='828597' date='May 5 2010, 04:19 PM']well the cab was right next to me head. I like to have a massive jump from my clean to my distortion and with this amp if we had to play a show with no PA when i played distorted it was out of control and completely unmanageable ...[/quote] Were you getting distortion from a pedal, or from cranking up the gain in the head? In the latter case, I use one of the channel as dirty/overdriven, and the other one as clean, and switch between the two. I can control channel volume independently, but that is no use if you have got the cab against the ear and can't hear anything else anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 [quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='828597' date='May 5 2010, 04:19 PM']well the cab was right next to me head. I like to have a massive jump from my clean to my distortion and with this amp if we had to play a show with no PA when i played distorted it was out of control and completely unmanageable ...[/quote] Forgive me for asking, but how did you have the gain and master set up ? Peavey recommend turning the master all the way up and then adjusting the gain to suit. Cranking up the pre - amp gain will distort the sound, but if the master is full up to begin with and you adjust the pre-amp gain from zero upwards, then the sound is very clean up to some astonishing volume levels at 4 ohms. Just my 2p T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 I might as well bloody give up eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Heres my head, think its a duel purpose guitar/bass head. Plus my current early 90's head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 [quote name='buff' post='828756' date='May 5 2010, 06:17 PM']Heres my head, think its a duel purpose guitar/bass head. Plus my current early 90's head[/quote] Nice cab on the left, is that homemade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Yes it was, but i found two black widow's in a cab a little too much. A 1x15 and 2x10 suits me more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Finally remembered to take a photo of my old Peavey. But I forgot my camera, so had to use my phone: [attachment=50533:amp.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baskesman Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 I'm in, I'm in :-) just got a 400B Mk 3 head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 [quote name='Baskesman' post='849527' date='May 27 2010, 04:14 PM']I'm in, I'm in :-) just got a 400B Mk 3 head![/quote] Good man :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Is there an issue with the top handles on 400 series amps ? My Mk IV is missing the handle. Anyone else's ? T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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