Peavey T-MAX head

[shiftybz]

thos amp does sound great.
i have the tube side on 6 ant vol about half, and the green light by the power switch goes red.....is this safe?

 

[will33]

thos amp does sound great.
i have the tube side on 6 ant vol about half, and the green light by the power switch goes red.....is this safe?

That's the DDT compression circuit kicking in. It means you're up towards full output and it's starting to squeeze the signal. Limit some for speaker protection. It won't hurt the amp to play it that way, provided your speakers can handle it. It's not a hard limiter, but squeezes more the higher juice you send it. And yes, great amps. Mine isn't for sale and won't be. I still regularly play it.

And a nice thread from the dead, with a couple attempts at resurrection along the way.

 

[cflbass]

I saw one of these used on GCs website for 179.00.
Im curious to take the plunge....owning two (and possibly three) Peavey Megabass heads I'd like to see how this one sounds.

The most underrated amp manufacturer IMO....boutique amp sound at a fraction of the price

 

[arthur31686]

Wow old thread. Wondered why there was an angelfire site linked

 

[will33]

I saw one of these used on GCs website for 179.00.
Im curious to take the plunge....owning two (and possibly three) Peavey Megabass heads I'd like to see how this one sounds.

The most underrated amp manufacturer IMO....boutique amp sound at a fraction of the price

I would love to have another one for 179. Wouldn't think twice.

 

[georgestrings]

I saw one of these used on GCs website for 179.00.
Im curious to take the plunge....owning two (and possibly three) Peavey Megabass heads I'd like to see how this one sounds.

The most underrated amp manufacturer IMO....boutique amp sound at a fraction of the price

"boutique"??? - I've owned nearly every Peavey bass amp made, and am still a fan of their products - and the company in general - but "boutique"??? - I don't think so, dude...

Any functioning T-Max under $200 is a bargain, IMO - they're a versatile, powerful amp... They are also a bit on the heavy side, and will fill most 2U full depth amp racks...


- georgestrings

 

[georgestrings]

That's the DDT compression circuit kicking in. It means you're up towards full output and it's starting to squeeze the signal. Limit some for speaker protection. It won't hurt the amp to play it that way, provided your speakers can handle it. It's not a hard limiter, but squeezes more the higher juice you send it. And yes, great amps. Mine isn't for sale and won't be. I still regularly play it.

And a nice thread from the dead, with a couple attempts at resurrection along the way.

Yeah, they're great amps - definitely one of the best Peavey ever made... IIRC, they were one of the 1st to incorporate a 2 channel preamp scheme - with switching or blend between a tube and SS preamp - pretty innovative, actually... I had a pair of them I gigged for a couple of years, and they worked really well - very reliable... I sold 'em both when I got into G-K amps, but those Peaveys made me money, and never let me down...


- georgestrings

 

[shiftybz]

can someone explain the ohms thing, ie, i use 1 8 ohm marshall cab at rehersal, and i could use a bit more volume, is it ok to plug 1 8 ohm cab into each of the 2 speaker jack outputs? would this be running on 4 ohms.....and louder? i have a 2x15 and 4x10 marshall silver jubilee 1987 cabs.

 

[georgestrings]

can someone explain the ohms thing, ie, i use 1 8 ohm marshall cab at rehersal, and i could use a bit more volume, is it ok to plug 1 8 ohm cab into each of the 2 speaker jack outputs? would this be running on 4 ohms.....and louder? i have a 2x15 and 4x10 marshall silver jubilee 1987 cabs.

Yeah, two 8 ohm cabs would equal a 4 ohm total load when used that way...


- georgestrings

 

[robthebassgod]

Hi All,

I've been a long-time lurker on TalkBass for many years, but I finally had to make an account to ask for some help. I bought a Peavey TMax Bass Head a year ago and the thing is unbelievable! I love the tone, I love the power, but the one thing that is driving me insane is the fan in the back of the amp. It's completely worn out! I am in desperate need of a new one, so I emailed Peavey to find out how much it would cost to get a new fan. They quoted me $50!!! I was wondering if anyone knows of any comparable fans that won't cost me more than a kidney

I'm really tempted to rip a fan out of an old computer and try to stick it in there, but I wasn't sure if anyone had any suggestions on the topic. Thanks, everyone!

 

[mech]

.....how much it would cost to get a new fan. They quoted me $50!!! I was wondering if anyone knows of any comparable fans that won't cost me more than a kidney...

$50 is not a bad price at all for the type of fan used in the T-max. It's a 3", 30 CFM, 120 VAC fan. The fan is the heart of the cooling system and it would be best for the reliability of your amp to use one from Peavey rather than taking a chance on another type/brand working.

.....I'm really tempted to rip a fan out of an old computer and try to stick it in there...

Computer fans normally run on 12VDC and would not be at all compatible with the fan power supply in the T-max, which is 120 volts AC (alternating current).

mech

 

[klejst]

Just picked up a T-Max, love it! Sounds awesome, good variety of tone controls and I love the two channels and option to combine the channels.

 

[Thundar]

I would go ahead and shell out the $50...it'll be worth it, IMO. I have a Tmax that I have used for over 10+ years and it still rocks...but the fan noise is crazy.

 

[will33]

Hi All,

I've been a long-time lurker on TalkBass for many years, but I finally had to make an account to ask for some help. I bought a Peavey TMax Bass Head a year ago and the thing is unbelievable! I love the tone, I love the power, but the one thing that is driving me insane is the fan in the back of the amp. It's completely worn out! I am in desperate need of a new one, so I emailed Peavey to find out how much it would cost to get a new fan. They quoted me $50!!! I was wondering if anyone knows of any comparable fans that won't cost me more than a kidney

I'm really tempted to rip a fan out of an old computer and try to stick it in there, but I wasn't sure if anyone had any suggestions on the topic. Thanks, everyone!

You need the fan or you risk burning up the amp. I wouldn't use it until you get the fan replaced, although, you don't have to buy one from Peavey if you can find a better deal elsewhere like mouser or parts express or some such place.

It must be the same dimensions, run on 120 volts AC and move at least 30 CFM of air. More wouldn't hurt but it can not be less. Fans also have a db rating, the lower the number, the quieter it runs. It may be possible to find one that runs quieter than the original, which I admit is noisy. Doesn't bother anything playing live but would cause problems in a studio.

Also look at how yours and the new options are mounted, meaning which way the bolts go, their size and location, and also what type of wire connectors are used to find an easy, drop-in replacement.

These things are great amps...well worth the price of a new fan.

 

[robthebassgod]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll take a look online at some comparable fans and if I strike out, I'll drop the $50 through Peavey. Thanks again!

 

[jazzmanb]

Yeah, two 8 ohm cabs would equal a 4 ohm total load when used that way...


- georgestrings

The tmax is full power at 2ohms rather than the conventional 4.its 350w at 4 ohms

 

[georgestrings]

The tmax is full power at 2ohms rather than the conventional 4.its 350w at 4 ohms

Correct -and that's some of the loudest 350 watts you'll ever hear, IMO... I think a majority of Peavey bass amps are 2 ohm capable, actually...


- georgestrings

 

[will33]

Most do yes., not necessary with the T-max IMO. If ya wanna get crazy, running 3 good cabs off it at 2.67 will get just stupid loud and the amp will push them all night long with nary a hiccup.

 

[eldoryder]

My turn to resurrect this thread! I just bought one of these from a good TBer and I can't wait to get my hands on it. With any luck, I'll get a visit from the Brown Truck today. I have been very encouraged by what I've read here and in other threads about this seemingly indestructible amp!

I'm going to be running a 4 X 10 Hartke cab loaded with vintage Jensen speakers (8 ohm), & a 2 X 10 Ampeg MINI-fridge cab (8 ohm). If I'm reading this right, when running both cabs together, I should set the selector for 4 ohms, right? Are there any other recommendations any of you other longtime T-Max users have for me concerning this amp?

TIA for any advice.l

 

[georgestrings]

My turn to resurrect this thread! I just bought one of these from a good TBer and I can't wait to get my hands on it. With any luck, I'll get a visit from the Brown Truck today. I have been very encouraged by what I've read here and in other threads about this seemingly indestructible amp!

I'm going to be running a 4 X 10 Hartke cab loaded with vintage Jensen speakers (8 ohm), & a 2 X 10 Ampeg MINI-fridge cab (8 ohm). If I'm reading this right, when running both cabs together, I should set the selector for 4 ohms, right? Are there any other recommendations any of you other longtime T-Max users have for me concerning this amp?

TIA for any advice.l

I haven't had one in a few years, but IIRC, there is no switch - it's just an amp that will carry down to a 2 ohm load... The only thing I notice about your proposed setup is that the drivers in your 210 will be seeing twice the wattage of those in your 410... The ideal setup in a 410 + 210 rig is to have the 410 @ 4 ohms and the 210 @ 8 ohms, for an overall load of 2.67 ohms - that way, all 6 drivers are seeing the same amount of wattage...

In your case, make sure the 210 is on top, and pay attention for it's drivers starting to distort - if you do that, you'll probably still be OK...


- georgestrings