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Missing the Peavey Tone

C

crackerman

Aug 1, 2008
26
3
www.myspace.com
#1
I am sure I will catch a bunch of crap for this but,

I played through Peavey combo amps for around 15 years. The last one I ran through was a Combo 115 that worked well, but did not have enough power for gigs without PA support. Last year I finally decided to upgrade and picked up a GK 700rbii and then picked up a pair of Aguilar GS112's. I have tried to like the sound that is coming out of the Aguilars, but am thinking that I want to go back to Peavey.

I was thinking about getting a Peavey 215d BW cab. I hear everyone talk about finding the perfect tone, but I find myself trying to get back to the tone that I was getting from my Peavey Combo 115. I am hoping that a 700rbii with the 215d will get me back to, or close to that tone, but with a little more power.

Does this sound realistic or am I most likely going to need a Peavey Head as well? I have been looking for one of these cabs and have not had any luck for the past couple weeks. I have been looking on CL, Ebay, Local Shops, TB. I am guessing this is just a matter of being patient, and waiting for one to turn up somewhere.
 
#2
Oh I relate to this...LOL...I played my Peavey TMAX head for so many years, that my ear just seems to be sync'd to that tone...and every amp I try out I find myself trying to make it sound like my TMAX... Go figure. I'm pretty happy with my Carvin BX500...especially since it weighs about 25 pounds less, but I am keeping my TMAX just "because".
By the way, Im kinda the same way about EMG pickups too
 
#4
i played thru a mark IV head and a 215 black widow cab for years (the deep one not the shallow - they stink)

it's not a bad tone and neither is the good old TNT. wish i never sold the monster.
 
#5
No flak from me, lol! I played Peavey exclusively for nearly two decades-after my 'initial' Ampeg period. It has a certain "workingman's" sound to it...I'm certainly partial to it...if, for no other reason than unbridled appreciation for the job it did for me for all those years.
I feel that the 215D is Peavey's ultimate 2X15...and it is a great cab, period. Score one and see if your GK gives you the sound that you are looking for. In the meantime, if a Firebass, or Max 700 crosses your path, grab it. They are probably the pinnacle of Peavey's US made (box-style) heads. Very stiff power and a thoroughly flexible preamp section.

Kim
 
#6
I've played through a fair number of the working class solutions that many have had experience with over the decades, or more recently on the used market. But over the years some of the more upscale heads (and pres) by Peavey that I've tried have been pretty flexible tonally... so I really don't think of any one Peavey sound.
 
#8
Ain't nothing wrong with Peavey. Even Michael Anthony is using their gear now. Don't worry about the naysayers. Tommy Shannon, Rudy Sarzo, and many other bass players have used Peavey bass amp gear professionally, and still continue to do so.
 
#11
I started out using Peavey, went to GK, Mesa Boogie, SWR Eden, Carvin, Trace Elliot, and several others. I play a Peavey SessionBass head at Church with a Peavey 2x10 TXF cab. Sounds great with my active Fender Jazz basses and Precisions. I keep an Ampeg at the house for gigs during the week. I also notice that most people who put down Peavey are chasing a sound that has left their wallet very empty. I did that for years with SWR, Eden, Trace Elliot, etc. The bottom line is "you as a Player can either play or you can't" No amp in the world or bass in the world will make you a better player. Although some do play better than others. And besides the people we are playing for don't know the difference 99.9% of the time. That's my 30 years of experience and mega $$$$ in spending through the years.

My favorite Peavey head & cab is the Mega Bass head and a Peavey 4x10 TX or TXF cab
 
#12
Thundar said:
Oh I relate to this...LOL...I played my Peavey TMAX head for so many years, that my ear just seems to be sync'd to that tone...and every amp I try out I find myself trying to make it sound like my TMAX... Go figure. I'm pretty happy with my Carvin BX500...especially since it weighs about 25 pounds less, but I am keeping my TMAX just "because".
By the way, Im kinda the same way about EMG pickups too
Click to expand...

I am the same as you !!! I played the T-Max for a long time and sold the head in a weak moment !!!! I now have the Carvin BX500 and this is an excellent head, so light, so powerful !!!!

I am really looking forward to try the VB-3 as well.

I miss Peavey gear, so great, so reliable, sounds good !
 
#14
The 215D-BW is an excellent cab - probably one of the best Peavey ever put out, and can hang with most of the more upscale 215s on the market, IMO... I have one, and also a 700rb-II, and can tell you they work very well with one another... I've since loaded mine with Kappa LFAs, but the original BW drivers sounded pretty good, and are still pulling duty in a pair of wedges for me...

For reference, I also have a Mesa Powerhouse 610 and an SVT410-HLF - and am keeping the Peavey 215, as it gets a great "old school" tone, and is killer for classic rock, blues, 80's rock, etc...

I gigged for many years with a Combo 300 on top of an EV loaded 115 cab, and always got good tone out of that rig... I really like my 700rb-II, and think you'll like that pairing, too...



- georgestrings
 
#15
It's worth a bit of a wait for a 215D BW cab believe me. I managed to pick one up a while back, I paid a bit more than usual but this cab is in near showroom condition. The grill looks like it was just installed and I don't think it was ever taken off before I did, the velcro was holding so tight. Only one small small nick in the tolex or whatever the super tough covering is made of. And someone had installed black corners on it which give it a slightly more modern look. Weighs just a tad over 100 lbs so I can carry it around fairly easily, not to mention the casters make moving it around a breeze. Mine has slot ports on the right hand side of the cab as you are looking at it. Most of the 215D's I have seen have the triangular ports on the right side, not sure what the real difference is. I'll take some good pictures of my cab one of these days, you really can't beat the old school 'sci-fi' looks these cabs have when they are in really nice shape - never mind the heavenly tone!!!

Also an interesting side note" In "The Peavey Revolution" a book all about peavey, there is a listing of peavey products in the back and the 215D is listed as a subwoofer enclosure! Which is strange because they get very nice high frequencies, more than you would ever expect, but they do have a really rich robust deep tone that I really like.
 
#16
i,m using a 700rbii with a peavey115 tvx and an avatar 210,used to have 2 of the 115s and sold for the avatar. not really liking it just wanted a lighter cab. guess the light weight route is not going to work for me tried a peavey 410tvx with the 115 and loved it with the 700rbii so the avatars gotta go. i,m sure a lotta folks don,t care for peavey cabs but i love em
 
#17
I still have the Combo 115 at the house. That thing is 105 pounds, and after getting in a car accident 2 years ago I thought I would try to go the lighter route with the aguilars. If I can find that 215d cab anywhere I will pick it up, then compare it to the aguilars, then if it sounds better I will off the aguilars. I am thinking the 700rb would sound really nice pusing those 15s. I was checking out the Tour 215 online and it is pretty tempting, I could sell of some of the cabs that I have and pick that up. I just kind of dig the look of the old school 215 cab and like the Black Widows, but the tour 215 would be a less weight.

If I could find the old 215d then I could sell off the other speakers and get my first Fender bass. Yesterday I played the Blizzard white Fender P Bass Deluxe, and now I have to have it.
 
#18
Peavey has a reputation for being affordable, which some equate to "must not be that good" which I consider rubbish. If you like the way it sounds and it sounds good with your band and you're not out in left field somewhere then it's a good amp.

I don't consider their cabs to have a certain "peavey" sound to them. I've played through peaveys that were fartboxes and I've played through peaveys that could rival anything that comes with prestige and price.

Their older bass amps did have a certain uppermid blat or clank to some of them and some are gems. I use CS800's to this day.

And to the poster who won't part with his T-MAX, mine ain't for sale either. :D
 
#19
I really wish that there were more people who have played through, messed with the eq and cab/amp models of the Peavey BAM. I really think the BAM is the most versitle amp out there.
 
#20
I have a Peavey Databass amp that i took out of of a beat up combo and rackmounted i used to keep it for a backup it is now my main amp ,if you can find one snatch it ,it is a great sounding amp,and i have played threw many nice amp's.
 

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