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Peavey Tour VB-2 All Tube head. need comments!

#201
So, I bought this amp without hearing more than sound clips online. This weekend I happened to be in a music store and lo and behold they had one! Albiet for much more than I paid.

Anyway I got to play around with it and I am now even more excited to get my VB-2. This is an incredibly/surprisingly well built amp for the price point. Even for full price! The controls are sturdy and layed out really well and it feels like a tank.

Also I don't think my brain registered how heavy this thing is until I had to pick it up. What a beast.
 
#203
This is my first tube head, so I wasn't prepared! I am considering getting a road case with wheels on it so I can push this sucker around with my foot. hah

Isn't the VB-3 something like 37lbs? I wonder how they managed to get 75 more watts into it while dropping the weight 20lbs. Insane.
 
#204
panama said:
Also I don't think my brain registered how heavy this thing is until I had to pick it up. What a beast.
Click to expand...

The dogbone handles are a nice feature and make it pretty easy to move around. I'm a medium-sized guy (6' 175lbs) who spends his days sitting in a cube,and I don't have much trouble with it.

The transformers in this amp are huge -- that much iron adds some weight.

panama said:
Isn't the VB-3 something like 37lbs? I wonder how they managed to get 75 more watts into it while dropping the weight 20lbs. Insane.
Click to expand...

That's a net weight. The VB-3 ships with a pair of dwarven roadies to help you move it. Amp + Roadies - lifting capacity of Roadies = 37 lbs.
 
#208
So, I got to play around with the VB-2 last night a bit and I am super happy with it. I think so far the best way I can describe the tone of this amp is "meaty". It has a very warm, thick, creamy sound to it. I had it set to the suggested classic rock settings in the manual: low 10, mid 3, shift 600, high 0. This setting seems a bit extreme, but sounds so nice playing on my own! In a band setting I'll need to boost the highs and mids.
 
#211
Love the link Bobby, James was the man! I love that tone and the think it matches those settings quite nice. I end up using this setting for a lot of stuff I do, or stay in a similar setting around it based on the song. Love it.
 
#212
The mid shift toggle on this amp is where it's at. Totally the key to the versatility.

I'm not too technical when it comes to amps and their hz and ghz or whatevers, but when this amp is set to 400 or 600hz it is so buttery good. I am staying away from 200hz because it seems better for brighter tones and I like rib cage rattling tones. Plus I play with a pick and 200 is just too bright. 800hz seems like it would be great for reggae and dub with the high and mid cut.
 
#216
It's nteresting hearing about people's EQ settings; I barely use my EQ.

I run lows at 5.5, mids at 6, and highs flat. My EQ selector is at 600.

Maybe it's my cabs or my basses, but I just don't feel the need to mess with the tone I'm getting out of the amp.

Now my Classic 400 (esp. the "Clean" channel) is VERY bright sounding, so I have to EQ some of the highs off of it.

But they are both lovely, loud, toneful amps.

P.S. To the poster who commented on the weight of the VB-2, you're welcome to come lift my Classic 400! It's almost DOUBLE the weight of the VB-2...

No, I'm not joking (at least not about the weight, I probably don't want you dropping by my house just to lift my amp...)
 
#218
PSPookie said:
Really? Fascinating. Do you have any more info about how the mid shift toggle affect the center frequency of the other EQ bands?
Click to expand...

50 | 200 | 4K
70 | 400 | 5K
80 | 600 | 6K
100 | 800 | 7K

The high center changes a little depending on cut or boost.

Boost is +12dB and cut is -15dB for low and high on all mid shift settings. The mid boost is always +12dB and the cut is always -30dB. All controls boosted equals a +12dB flat boost on all settings because of the filter crossover points. The mid shift does nothing to the knob center flat response.
 
#219
BbbyBld said:
50 | 200 | 4K
70 | 400 | 5K
80 | 600 | 6K
100 | 800 | 7K

The high center changes a little depending on cut or boost.

Boost is +12dB and cut is -15dB for low and high on all mid shift settings. The mid boost is always +12dB and the cut is always -30dB. All controls boosted equals a +12dB flat boost on all settings because of the filter crossover points. The mid shift does nothing to the knob center flat response.
Click to expand...

Thanks
 
#220
Somewhere, once, I seem to recall a smallish thread discussing the cabinets people are using with the VB-2. I cannot find it at the moment (maybe I am imagining...) so, since this seems the be the burgeoning VB-2 megathread, I will post this here hoping for no ill repercussions.

I have, somewhere read, of several folks with VB-2's using ported cabinets. In general, the "looseness" of tube amps doesn't seem to go so well with the "looseness" of ported cabinets (NOTE the gross generalization...sorry but you gotta start somewhere). Is the VB-2 just "tighter" in the bottom, naturally, or does the resonance and presence "tighten" things up (like the switches on the back of a Mesa Dual/Triple Rec, or do some folks just like the deeper reach vs tight response tradeoff.

I ask all of this because I have never owned a full tube amp and would really like to give one a go. Everything I read makes me think that the VB-2 would be a really great place to start. The problem I have is that my only cabinet (at the moment) is a 12", 6, tweet ported box. I would hate to form a dislike for the all tubedness because of a just horrible cab pairing. I have no issue getting a new cab but for the lack of unlimited funds, the two will not be able to happen simultaneously.

My primary music "gig" at the moment is playing in my church praise band. I personally like/listen/play in a more "vintage" manner (50's-70's rock, blues, r&b, fingerfunk...no slappin' for me) and I think that tubes are just the next step in me developing...my sound (for lack of a less cliche phrase).

Thanks all for any info.
 

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