Trying to make an ultra cheap starter rig, dunno weather to get the TKO now or wait 100 dollars and get tge black widow with a old cheap head
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$120 peavey tko 65 or 100 dollar peavey cab?
- Thread starter olive green
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TKO 65 is a GREAT amp. That was my favorite of all the Peavey bass rigs I sold when I was a dealer. EQ points were at frequencies that 2orhed better for bass than the TNT 130, and all the later iterations ot the TKO. Go for it.
If you see yourself eventually getting a head + cab setup then I'd suggest forgoing the combo and going straight for the cheap head + cab.
I started off on a Fender 115 combo but it ended up only being short term when I began giving my bass rig some real thought. I settled on an inexpensive Peavey Mark IV head and a beat up PVH 210 bass cab then sold the Fender. I don't have any pics of that rig that early in my bass playing but I have some from when I added another PVH 210. Even with just one 210 cab the Peavey rig had better prospects moving forward.
I started off on a Fender 115 combo but it ended up only being short term when I began giving my bass rig some real thought. I settled on an inexpensive Peavey Mark IV head and a beat up PVH 210 bass cab then sold the Fender. I don't have any pics of that rig that early in my bass playing but I have some from when I added another PVH 210. Even with just one 210 cab the Peavey rig had better prospects moving forward.
I had a Peavy TKO 65 as my first rig. It was very heavy and hard to move, and frankly I struggled to be heard in a band with drums, guitar, and keys. It just wasnt powerful enough for a heavy band. Peavy is a great brand, I love their basses, and the Mark IV is a killer amp. The TKO is just not enough for gig duties IMO.
I still have mine, TKO 65, I actually got it after I had a big rig so I had something at home to play through. It's quite heavy by today's standards.
This. Also seconding what was said earlier as well, they're not quite enough for a heavy band at a gig unless it's a house show... And even then I've been to loud house shows. Couldn't tell you if you could expand that combo specifically with another cab, but that could be worth looking into.
Nice amps, built like tanks, they're weighted accordingly. If your need your cheapest option now, grab it, you may be wanting later but it'll be a great amp to leave at the practice space. The cab has more versatility, and with a cheap old head or even a newer but still used micro head can be expanded with another cab.
If it were my money and starting from scratch, the first question would be "how fast do I need a complete amp?" It'd be better long-term to have the cab but you could be waiting a while for a similar steal on a head like you'd want.
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I should note at the same store with the cab theres a broken mark iv head for $40 and a harkte 2000 head for 160
Don't buy broken gear unless they're going to fix it for you first. The price for the Hartke is pretty fair, assuming it's in decent shape. 200W isnt a ton, but it's enough to start with. Pair the hartke with a 1x12, 1x15, or 2x10, and you got a stew goin'.
+1 on the Mark IV head.
I alway was impressed with the TKO-65. May not have been the loudest rig in the world, but they just sounded good. My though is today most gigs come with the ability to run the bass through the house. If I were to use a TKO, I’d get a DI to run through the house, and use the TKO for my personal monitor.
Are we talking the all black tko or the older style with the vertical metal decor?
I had the mid 90s TKO, and I thought it was a fine amp. Not light by any means, but it sounded good and was flexible enough.
I vote against the older cab.
I had the mid 90s TKO, and I thought it was a fine amp. Not light by any means, but it sounded good and was flexible enough.
I vote against the older cab.
Al Kraft
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As low cost starter rig for lower volume use or onstage monitoring the TKO is a fine little amp. They are heavy by today's standards, but but too much for most folks to handle. Reliability on that Peavey gear was quite good and for a starter combo to practice and/or play with friends who are into volume wars you should be fine.
I will second the recommendation to steer clear of broken equipment unless repairs will be made (with a warranty period for you) prior to your purchase....and even then it can be risky...
I will second the recommendation to steer clear of broken equipment unless repairs will be made (with a warranty period for you) prior to your purchase....and even then it can be risky...
Neither. As pointed out, the TKO isn't quite loud enough to practice or gig with a drummer who hits even moderately hard, and any head you find for the 1x15 will cost a lot more.
If you want an old Peavey combo, hold out for a TNT. They're a lot louder than the TKO and will carry a drummer if you push them. But a lot of older bass combo amps show up on Craigslist and locally, so go ahead and ask if you've got a question about what you find.
ANY old USA Peavey is an EXCELLENT decision. I agree that the TKO weighs a TON ! The Basic 40 is like 60 lbs !
For ME, as long as the cab is good, everything else will be acceptable or great. The Peavey MKIV through the Peavey 210 / SWR is a killer rig that @Black_In_Mind has.
My buddy has a Peavey MKVI (the one with chorus and graphic EQ) through an Ampeg 810 and it is the BEST $500 rig I've ever played through.
For ME, as long as the cab is good, everything else will be acceptable or great. The Peavey MKIV through the Peavey 210 / SWR is a killer rig that @Black_In_Mind has.
My buddy has a Peavey MKVI (the one with chorus and graphic EQ) through an Ampeg 810 and it is the BEST $500 rig I've ever played through.
Love this!!. That head was my first real amp back in the mid 80's. I had it paired with a 118 inverted horn I could squeeze in my dodge colt hatchback. Man did that thing rattle walls and piss off neighbors when I practiced.
Thanks for that memory
Like many others, the TKO 65 was my first bass amp (used of course). I did a good amount of blues gigs in small clubs with this amp in a 4-piece blues band. We had a good and disciplined drummer but one of the guitarists was a bit loud (not surprising to most here I am sure). I loved my TKO 65 and only sold it when I got a Randell B500 head and a Kustom 1x15 cab (early 80ish with a EV SRO speaker). My ex-wife required me to sell something if I bought something :-(.
A couple years ago, I was rescued by a TKO 65. I was playing a outdoor show at a campground and for some reason, the drummer though he was to bring his TKO 65 from the rehearsal room. I brought an Ampeg B2R and a Fender 4x10 V2. Of course I used my rig.
However, the Ampeg started acting up, cutting out at odd times, finally being unusable. So I got the TKO 65 running and it actually did a reasonable job without any PA support.
A couple years ago, I was rescued by a TKO 65. I was playing a outdoor show at a campground and for some reason, the drummer though he was to bring his TKO 65 from the rehearsal room. I brought an Ampeg B2R and a Fender 4x10 V2. Of course I used my rig.
However, the Ampeg started acting up, cutting out at odd times, finally being unusable. So I got the TKO 65 running and it actually did a reasonable job without any PA support.
