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PEAVEY 80'S AND 90'S AMPLIFICATION

#41
This is a trip down memory lane, for sure. The cover catalog is SO Miami Vice and was so cutting edge at the time. The look of all that new tolex is a sight to see. Thanks for posting this mini vacation to the past.

I agree that the MKVI (that's the one with chorus) and "only" 150 watts through an Ampeg 810 was some of the best tone I remember. That was the house rig at my buddy's studio. It still is, actually to this day.

By the way, I STILL have my MKIV running strong that I got for $25 bucks !
 
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#43
Stewie said:
If I could find a clean MkIV head and a 215 cabinet for reasonable money, I’d rock it again for sure. My back would hate me, but my brain would be grinning :). To me, that is “the look” , and sound of a bass amp from my formative years
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It did look cool, but I don't know if I'd get it again. Maybe if I were opening a museum of all the stuff I've had over the years. In my late 50s, though, I would not look forward to moving it, and its really overkill (not Overkill) for what I'm doing now. Good memories, though.
 
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#44
MrB64 said:
It did look cool, but I don't know if I'd get it again. Maybe if I were opening a museum of all the stuff I've had over the years. In my late 50s, though, I would not look forward to moving it, and its really overkill (not Overkill) for what I'm doing now. Good memories, though.
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I just found an empty, near mint deep 215 for $30. Had to talk myself out of it. Would be cool in the practice room, but I’d have to carry it downstairs :(
 
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#47
GBBSbassist said:
Cool stuff. I still have my Peavey Megabass amp sitting in the garage. I tried to give it away a few years ago and no one wanted it lol...
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The store I used to work at had one that was used. It sat for years and years. I think it was about $150, but the owner of the store wouldnt lower the price because he didnt want to lose money.
Just lower the price to move it out!!
 
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#50
I could see myself dusting off an old peavey head and dragging it around at some point, but I will never haul one of those cabs or combos ever again, lol.

It's just a slow death hauling that weight around.

On the way to the gig: Grab the handle and heave-er that guy out of back and two hand it to the stage area.

Later that night: Just sitting in the car at home dreading dragging that dead weight across the yard, through the door and into the house before collapsing in bed.
 
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#51
I started playing out with a TKO 60 and 4 string Foundation, but pretty quick went to a MK IV and a 215D. That lasted through a 4 string Dyna and then a Dyna fiver. I did some shows outdoors in high summer in NW Florida where humidity is so high at sundown water drips off stuff so I picked up an MIM J and another MK IV and 215D. I sold the bass and one of the stacks the night of that last show, then took a break for a while. When I started back I had a Fender J Plus and my rusty trusty MK IV and 215D, but not long after I got a steal of a deal on a SWR Basic 350 and Hartke 410XL which I used for ten years before taking another break. When I started back I picked up another MIM J and used a house supplied MK IV with an old Peavey 215 PA cabinet. I changed jobs and picked up a second hand Carvin BX500 with a couple of Avatar 126 boxes and have been using that pretty much since then.
 
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#52
Aaah yes, the old 80s Peavey bass rig. I had a 1x15 Combo 300, then later I got a Mark VI head (with built in chorus effect!) and an extremely heavy 1820 bass cabinet which consisted of 2 10” and 18” speakers. Black Widow equipped!! That rig never seemed loud enough.
 
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#54
Giffro said:
As i mentioned in the welcome message the Peavey MarkIV amp head isnt mentioned in the listing for some unknown reason and it is the very amp I have used for the past 30+ years and still going strong. Picture shows my Peavey MKIV and Peavey 1820 cab. Second pic is when I was checking them out in the 80's for purchase.

View attachment 4658635
View attachment 4658636
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I used that EXACT setup back in the late '80s-early '90s after my MusicMan 150B was stolen. Ugh! HEAVY. Absolutely hated the way it sounded but it was extremely dependable and , yes, bullet proof.
I think a guitar player buddy of mine still has it in his jamitorium!
 
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#58
I've always found it a bit strange that Peavey never gave the direct sales model a shot. It worked pretty well for Carvin for decades, and in my view, Peavey's gear was at least on par with what Carvin built for years, and arguably better...

I'm sure in their 1980s heyday, with their "for musicians on a budget" angle, they were moving a decent amount of gear in the brick n' mortars, but I have to think they were generally lagging behind the more highly-regarded brands. And when they really started to see the writing on the wall - whenever that would have been (late 1990s? 2000s?), you'd think they'd have maybe pivoted to a new business model. Perhaps they'd have even been able to keep building stuff in the USA?

In fact, had Peavey transitioned to a direct sales model, they could/very likely WOULD now be the leader in that segment, given that Carvin is essentially a shadow of what it once was (ie., they don't build a single bass or guitar amplifier anymore).

My first "real" amp was a good ol' Peavey TKO75. I'd love to get my hands on one again, for nostalgia's sake if nothing else...:bassist:
 
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#59
Wow this post is awesome. I’ve been an ampeg guy for 35 years or so but I ran my share of Peavey products around the same time or slightly before. Firet was the Century head into a 2x12 monster cab. I used to run my SVT into an 1810 cabinet. Full range and prayed every day that I wasn’t going to blow it up. Awesome sound and I also ran the Mark four into that same 1810 and also ran a Mark six that had stereo chorus I believe, and that DDT compression. I also ran that Mark six into a 1989 4 x 10 Peavey cabinet that is still the best sounding 4 x 10 I’ve ever played through.
 
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#60
AudioTaper said:
The store I used to work at had one that was used. It sat for years and years. I think it was about $150, but the owner of the store wouldnt lower the price because he didnt want to lose money.
Just lower the price to move it out!!
Click to expand...

I have a MegaBass and a T-Max sitting in my gear closet....have owned them for 25 years or so and both still work perfectly...too bad I dont still have the two 410TX cabs :bassist:
 
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