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Peavey MegaBass Club

Stev187

Stev187

Peavey MegaBass Club!
Jan 11, 2011
965
130
Lansing, MI
#1
megaback.jpg

This might end up being a small club, but I think the product is worth it. This is a club devoted to the Peavey MegaBass Digital Bass System. A very popular product, this is a bi-amp head with two 200w amplifiers, a selectable crossover, on-board chorus and extremely versatile controls.

Rules:

  1. Membership is open to current and former MegaBass owners.
  2. Photo required; compelling narratives from former owners can substitute for pictures (something more than, "yeah, I used to own one.") But if you still own it, we need to see it.
  3. You need to ask for a number--I won't just give you one. "May I have a number, please?" will suffice. :-)
I'll hand out numbers and we'll have fun. The MegaBass is an awesome bass amp. You can pick these up pretty regularly in the $150 - $200 range, and it's just a super versatile gigging head. If you have info or memorabilia about this head, please post it to this thread. It might turn into a great resource for interest in this unit.

Here's a fairly detailed video demo of the amp that I recorded this evening (very low production values... sorry).

Peavey MegaBass [demo] - YouTube

The unit in the video was made in 1990. It is super clean. I bought it from a fellow TB member and had it serviced by Peavey in Meridian, MS. I believe these were made from 1986-1992 or so. If anyone from Peavey sees this and has information about the production, please share it with us. There are a few of us out here who just love this amp.

Peavey MegaBass manual:
Invalid Link Removed

Some good photos from an old Elderly Instuments listing:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I'll start the parade of pics with proof that I can join the club (that's me in 1990 playing a MegaBass on public access TV):

steve_bass_1990.jpg


I'll take #1, but I reserve the right to transfer it to someone more deserving (say, for example, Hartley Peavey or a famous dude who played one back in the day).

--Steve

P.S. In the video, I say it has a 9-band EQ; obviously a screw up, as the EQ is 7-band.
 
#2
Well, I guess I qualify. This was my beast up until 2008, when I sold it for PC parts. :(

URL]


That`s a 1516 cab underneath.
I bought it used in 96, from my guitarists shop. Ran my Samick 5str FL through it. Sounded great.
Hauled it all around southern Ontario for about 10.5 years, hardly using it. Brought it back with me in the van (also in the pic) along with everthing else we could stuff in and on it.
The van is now also gone, lost in a fight with a moose.
When I sold it, I found out one of the 8`s was not working, and only got $220 for the set. :bawl:

sigh. Wish I still had it, sorta.

Number ?
 
#6
great demo on youtube - it is a very versatile unit - I've got AlphaBASS and Classic 400 but the MEGABASS are the workhorses - can run anything in and can drive anything out - picked up a CETEC Gauss Big Tweet the other day and ran it bi-amp with various bottoms and the combination just really sang!
 

Attachments

#11
BbbyBld said:
There was actually a Megabass II that was never released. We have one floating around here somewhere.
Click to expand...

Thanks for checking in, Bobby! I am such a fan of this amp. I would love to know how many of these you guys made, the production years, etc. I agree with you--it was ahead of its time. A very important bass amp.

Please tell anyone who cares that my experience with having my MegaBass repaired and checked out by your techs was very pleasant. Your company is great to work with. I am very proud of this amp!!!

Any chance you could tell us about that MegaBass II? I'd love to see one. I don't suppose you'd ever sell it???? :bassist:

Here are the current MegaBass club members:

1 - Stev187
2 - Ayce
3 - jpknox
4 - MNAirHead

--Steve
 
#12
Count me in. Best amp I've ever owned. Pics to come
The 200 watts is conservatively rated....Im using a Tour 700 as a backup right now and its rated at 700 watts. I have to run both post and pre past 1200 on this amp to get the same output that I do on my mega at 9oclock and 1200. Not complaining, as this a great amp as well but it doesn't have the clarity or the power that the MB does. I don't know why the Mega puts out such a ridiculously high output at such a low setting. Its spoiled me for all other amps.

Still going to try a Genz Shuttle, but my mega will always be part of my quiver and like the OP I too am looking for a used one.
 
#14
MNAirHead said:
I'll buy the ii when it's located
Click to expand...

I beat you to it on the offer, MNAirHead... Bobby says it's non-functioning and not for sale. :) Still, if he locates it again he might snap a pic for us.

For those of you looking for a used one, I check often and they come up pretty regularly in varying condition. A pretty clean unit just popped up on Guitar Center's used site for Invalid Link Removed. Check it out if you're looking.

At any rate, I am glad we started this club. Like many of you, I place this head up there with some of the sought-after bass amps that have become quite pricey. It sounds great, has tons of headroom, and it's hard to imagine a more versatile amp for a gigging bassist, particularly if you play through lots of different types of cabinets.

Here's the updated club roster:

1 - Stev187
2 - Ayce
3 - jpknox
4 - MNAirHead
5 - cflbass

Keep the anecdotes coming!

--Steve
 
#15
I wanted to thank Bobby Baldwin for dropping into this conversation. Here's Bobby doing a demo of the VB-2.

Peavey VB-2 Bass Amplifier - YouTube

He sent me some cool info about the MegaBass, and I don't think it's secret, so here it is for the thread. First, here's what he said about the MegaBass II:
We have a graveyard of never released products. I found the Mega II in there a while back. It was not functional and I doubt we could sell it. It was higher power and I think it had a bridgeable power amp. It had the same chassis paint style. I'll snap a picture if I come across it.​
And here's a general comment about the original MegaBass:
One of the reasons the Mega sounds like it does is that it uses a class d power amp that was designed from the ground up with audio quality as a top priority, because a lot of people were against class d back then claiming that the audio quality was inferior to traditional class AB amps. Peavey invested a lot in the technology and had something to prove.​
.
Thanks for weighing in, Bobby!

--Steve
 
#16
Interesting read. That explains why the MB sounds so good.
Steve, are you going to buy that head? I sent GC an email asking about the condition of it. If you don't want it I'll pick it up.

I also noticed your a doubler....have you tried your upright thru the Megabass? I don't have a pickup yet for mine, I only play it acoustically.....I'd imagine it would sound pretty good since the amp doesn't color the sound.
 
#17
cflbass said:
Steve, are you going to buy that head? I sent GC an email asking about the condition of it. If you don't want it I'll pick it up.
Click to expand...

Go for it! I am tapped out at the moment, so I passed it on so others could snag it. Looks clean. Somebody has one on eBay right now for much more (and it looks really chewed up).

It's been years since I played my DB through a MegaBass; I recall not liking it that much, but that was probably due to non-amp related factors. For one thing, the cabinets I had at the time were huge honkin' rock and roll things (Mesa/Boogie & Hartke). I also had a very fickle transducer for my DB back then (Fishman BP-100). When I did play amplified, I preferred one of those GK 200 MBs (sold mine to my DB teacher who still uses it). Most of my upright gigs were acoustic.

--Steve
 
#18
Stev187 said:
Go for it! I am tapped out at the moment, so I passed it on so others could snag it.

--Steve
Click to expand...

Done! I called GC and had them hold it while I returned my Tour 700. A great amp at 250.00, but the MB at 150.00 was just too hard to resist. I also saw that beat up one on ebay and was contemplating it, but the clerk said theirs was racked and in great shape.

While I was at my local GC doing the trade another 150.00 MB popped up in Nashville with a four-star rating. I called them and somebody was already in the store purchasing it....it lasted about five minutes on their site.

The good news is, I had 250 in credit.....so I bought a Musicman OLP 5 string for 175...at 325 I have a killer bass/amp backup rig.

GC has come a long way from their "used car salesman" approach that kept me away from them for years. Their prices and return/exchange policy are great.

I'll post pics of my dual MB rig when it arrives
 
#19
Got one, bought it new for $900 in 1990 or 91. Still using it with an 80's trace 115 and an SWR jr Goliath 210. Have had it in a rack with a DBX163X and a Sabine tuner since it was new. Not impressed with any new stuff. I'll keep the MB and buy another for a spare.

If it dies I will gladly send it to peavey and have it refurbed for a few hundred bucks and run it for another 20 yrs!
 
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