Now I have seen a couple of these online - they obviously are big peavey cabs but the speakers don't look right. Of the 215 black widow cabs I have seen the aluminum dust caps are bigger and these are smaller. Also these cabs don't have the BW equipped on the grill. Are they earlier model black widows? Are they bass cabs or some other pa type? Would they work for bass? Is this just the thinner 215 cab? If anyone has one identical to this with the small dust caps I would like to hear more on them.
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Help identify big peavey cab
- Thread starter hrgiger
- Start date
Yes, earlier model. The earlier cabs/speakers didn't have BW on them except for on the magnet in the back.
I don't know much about what Peavey's been doing since the late 80s, so take this with a grain of salt... But back then they offered cheaper speakers called "Scorpions" as the standard drivers, and the Black Widows were an upgrade at additional cost. So they'd put the "BW Equipped" logo on the cab to show that it had the "premium" BW drivers. (This was true in the late 80s when I owned a Peavey 215 BW cab. The drivers may be totally different nowadays.)
I agree with you that the drivers in this cab do not look like the old BWs that I remember. But they don't look exactly like the scorpions either, so who knows...
I agree with you that the drivers in this cab do not look like the old BWs that I remember. But they don't look exactly like the scorpions either, so who knows...
Here is a picture of another one with the strange drivers (at least they look different.) This appears to be the thinner cabinet while the one above looks to be the deeper cab...
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Are you wanting to buy online? Is there a way to have someone take the speaker out and look at the back?
I bought one in 1979 and used it many years. It is presently on loan to a friend who's daughter is learning to play.
Here's the details on the cab. I dont remember how much they went for but it was less than $300 new. The drivers are poor quality, stamp frame with 2" voice coil and not too massive magnets. They are not BW or scorpions, just cheap Peavey stock speakers. The cab is rated @ 4 ohms but I do not recall the wattage handling capacity (probably 200W).The enclosure is undersized for two 15" speakers to be efficient in all frenquencies and in fact was rather muddy sounding at high volume. It appears Peavey produced these as a cheap BIG bass rig cab and perhaps if you could drive 2 of them, you might be ok. Changing the speakers will help but the cab is too small. IF you can pick them up cheap (say $100) you might have a good practice cab for loud rehearsals and keep your gig gear ready for the show.
Here's the details on the cab. I dont remember how much they went for but it was less than $300 new. The drivers are poor quality, stamp frame with 2" voice coil and not too massive magnets. They are not BW or scorpions, just cheap Peavey stock speakers. The cab is rated @ 4 ohms but I do not recall the wattage handling capacity (probably 200W).The enclosure is undersized for two 15" speakers to be efficient in all frenquencies and in fact was rather muddy sounding at high volume. It appears Peavey produced these as a cheap BIG bass rig cab and perhaps if you could drive 2 of them, you might be ok. Changing the speakers will help but the cab is too small. IF you can pick them up cheap (say $100) you might have a good practice cab for loud rehearsals and keep your gig gear ready for the show.
Yeah that's what I was afraid of... I was going to maybe get it for a practice amp (I am merely an amateur.) I have seen this type of enclosure (with the ports in the middle between speakers) with black widows, I would not be against changing them out for BW even if it wouldn't be the best (I am on a budget.) I had a 1x15 old school back in the day and it sounded fine...
This cab is actually local for me and I may check it out, but I'm not sure I will be able to visualize the back of the speakers (I'll try to talk them into it though!)
This cab is actually local for me and I may check it out, but I'm not sure I will be able to visualize the back of the speakers (I'll try to talk them into it though!)
If you are an amateur on a budget and need a (home?) practice cab, it doesn't seem logical to pay for an older designed, heavy cab, and then start buying drivers for it. Even if you get the cab for $100, you'll spend at least another $200 for new drivers.
IMO, you'd be better off with one of the newer offerings by Carvin (on sale now) such as the BR410 ($350), BR115N with a neodymium 15 ($360), or the 3-way LS1503 ($319). Avatar's B212 Neo also gets a lot of love around here for $369.
Any of these would be better, IMO, than spending $300+ on a heavy old cab. Also check out the classifieds here and you can probably find a used pro-line cab for a similar price.
That's just my two cents though!!
Thanks for the suggestions...you're probably right. When I said I was on a budget, $300 is within my budget but I meant that a Markbass 215 for $1100 was not...I realize these old Peavey cabs are not the best but I am looking for the old school appeal as well as the function. I thought that my Mark VI amp would work well with a Peavey 215, everyone who had one of these cabs speaks fondly of them. Anyway I've got my eyes peeled - also looking at 1820's and 3620's...but also 210's and 410's...I guess just depends on what becomes available within driving distance of the quad cities...
Same experience as Stuonbass here. Big, muddy, not what I would call a "cut through" cab. Another one of my "why did I buy that" purchases.
If you're looking for older Peavey stuff, I almost hate to say it, but try the pawn shops. The older Peavey stuff is getting on 20+ years old and most people just find it tucked away in a church closet and figure they can take it to pawn shop and sell it rather than have a bake sale.
The 1820 I've had for 4 years now was found at a pawn shop for 175 bucks, of which I talked him down to a 150. It's loud as hell, very nice bass response, and has all black widow drivers. So it serves very well for my on the side classic rock gig.
The 1820 I've had for 4 years now was found at a pawn shop for 175 bucks, of which I talked him down to a 150. It's loud as hell, very nice bass response, and has all black widow drivers. So it serves very well for my on the side classic rock gig.
Hi.
Try it if You can and then decide.
I had a 1820 BW once and even though I was a young lad then, weight lifter and so on, those suckers are heavy and a PITA to haul around because of the dimensions and handle location.
One thing that always bugs me with these ancient cab threads, especially Peavey, though.
What ever gives the people impression that the original (POS exept for some BWs IMHO) speakers are still there? Replacement speakers did exist "back then" too. Good chances are that an 80's vintage cab has seen a couple of them already.
If You can, ALWAYS check the speakers for what they are, replacement may be difficult and WILL be relatively expensive anyway.
Edit: Nica, 10" Black Widows, really?
Regards
Sam
Try it if You can and then decide.
I had a 1820 BW once and even though I was a young lad then, weight lifter and so on, those suckers are heavy and a PITA to haul around because of the dimensions and handle location.
One thing that always bugs me with these ancient cab threads, especially Peavey, though.
What ever gives the people impression that the original (POS exept for some BWs IMHO) speakers are still there? Replacement speakers did exist "back then" too. Good chances are that an 80's vintage cab has seen a couple of them already.
If You can, ALWAYS check the speakers for what they are, replacement may be difficult and WILL be relatively expensive anyway.
Edit: Nica, 10" Black Widows, really?
Regards
Sam
You're exactly right, just like old cars and motors. That was my first thought that they were just replaced. However when I saw two different cabs with what appear to be the same strange drivers, I wondered if they weren't original. I am going to ask if I can view the backs of the drivers - who knows maybe they are jbl's or something? And as far as being heavy it will just sit at the house for now...
T-Bird
Just checked, the 10's are Peavey, but not widows.. don't think they made 10" widows but I could be wrong. The 18 is a replacement 'lo-rider' widow. As for the weight, I mounted mine on a dolly long ago and slapped a nice big bar handle from an Ampeg 810 to the back just to help it along.
Just checked, the 10's are Peavey, but not widows.. don't think they made 10" widows but I could be wrong. The 18 is a replacement 'lo-rider' widow. As for the weight, I mounted mine on a dolly long ago and slapped a nice big bar handle from an Ampeg 810 to the back just to help it along.
All the 1820s and 3620s that I've ever seen used Black Widows for the 18s and Scorpions for the 10s.
The 1820 was a pretty impressive cab back in its day.
The 1820 was a pretty impressive cab back in its day.
peavey used to make two 215 models with two versions each:
215 short version (about 14 inches deep) with scorpions
215 short version with BW
215D (D for deep, about 19 inches deep) with scorpions
215D deep version with BW
i own a shallow version from the late 60s i believe. it had BWs and killed. one blew so i installed two eminence kappalite 3015 drivers (does anybody not know this now?). it now "cuts through" like crazy and kills once again.
215 short version (about 14 inches deep) with scorpions
215 short version with BW
215D (D for deep, about 19 inches deep) with scorpions
215D deep version with BW
i own a shallow version from the late 60s i believe. it had BWs and killed. one blew so i installed two eminence kappalite 3015 drivers (does anybody not know this now?). it now "cuts through" like crazy and kills once again.
I didn't mean to imply that. I just never had any personal experience with the 3620, but I did see and hear a number of the 1820s and would have bought one (or two) if I had the money back then. I imagine the 3620 was also an awesome cab, especially if you were looking for a whole lot of deep bass.So I guess the 3620 wasn't much to look at then...
I gigged a pair of the 1810s for 13 years. Not a bad cab, but they were heavy as all get out. My house is on pilings, so I got to schlep them up and down the stairs all by my lonesome. Afterwards, the 98 lb 410TXs seemed like such a relief!
Kim
Kim
