After a rocky start I've really gotten attached to mine. I've gotta wire up a footpedal to switch channels and then I'm gonna start gigging with it.
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Peavey Tour VB-2 All Tube head. need comments!
- Thread starter iplaybasstexas
- Start date
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Ah, I really love using the footpedal with my Peavey MAX preamp to switch channels (or blend them). Really opens things up without having to use stompboxes. A good footstompin' time, fersure!
I've owned SVT-3Pro, SVT-4Pro, SVT-6PRO, SVT-CL, B4R, AD200B and hands down this amp as been the most impressive for the money.
It sounds great and provides what it is! I do suggest switching the main tubes to the Ruby EL34BHT, the phase inverter to Jan-GE 5751, and the remaining pre-amp tubes to taste (JJ ECC803S works nicely!)
Honestly, I was so impressive, I bought two and sold my Orange AD200B. Yeah yeah... I'm crazy, but sound is sound, and the VB-2 does its job well.
The only complaint I have is that I wished the chassis was build more like the Peavey 6505. Just not a fan of that tear drop front.
It sounds great and provides what it is! I do suggest switching the main tubes to the Ruby EL34BHT, the phase inverter to Jan-GE 5751, and the remaining pre-amp tubes to taste (JJ ECC803S works nicely!)
Honestly, I was so impressive, I bought two and sold my Orange AD200B. Yeah yeah... I'm crazy, but sound is sound, and the VB-2 does its job well.
The only complaint I have is that I wished the chassis was build more like the Peavey 6505. Just not a fan of that tear drop front.
Really? Is that for a new-in-box one? I've gotta check out my nearby GC if that's the case. I really want a second one.
I think I agree with a lot of people that switch between the two channels is really useless. Peavey should have put a post and pre on the overdrive channel. It is worth dialing up "IF" you leave the overdrive channel on but not switching between the two.
Also, GC has them on a clearance blowout for $469.00 (price in Dallas Texas), but you will have to order it. I still have another one on order coming from Peavey (both that I have came brand new straight from Peavey). From my understanding, there are only 3 in stock at a GC. 2 in CA and 1 in OKC.
OH!! just if you want to know, the first one I got was Designed and Built in U.S.A!!! Also, the stock tubes were <<power>> JJ EL34 (x6), <<pre>> JJ ECC83S (x2), <<phase inverter>> EH ECC81 (x1)
Also, GC has them on a clearance blowout for $469.00 (price in Dallas Texas), but you will have to order it. I still have another one on order coming from Peavey (both that I have came brand new straight from Peavey). From my understanding, there are only 3 in stock at a GC. 2 in CA and 1 in OKC.
OH!! just if you want to know, the first one I got was Designed and Built in U.S.A!!! Also, the stock tubes were <<power>> JJ EL34 (x6), <<pre>> JJ ECC83S (x2), <<phase inverter>> EH ECC81 (x1)
I have seen them in the Pasadena and San Bernardino stores tagged as clearence. They guy in San Bernardino said they had one in the back as well as the floor model. I didn't ask any details because I really can't spend any money on that stuff right now and if I stuck around and played with it I may have done something stupid.
I'm a long way from MA so you may want to call your local GC and see if they have one. But I'm not joking when I said $499.00. If they don't have one in your local GC you can buy the head out here through your local store in MA and get get it shipped to you. I believe inter-store shipping is pretty cheap.
Yea, I was just squeezing in that fact just because SO many people just keep refering back to the vid that says it was built in China and not reading other posts 
I just ordered this amp today along with a Ampeg B-410HE. I was concerned about the amp being 225 watts with the cab rated at 200wRMS/400 peak. But the guitar tech said as long as I'm not pushing it max volumes I should be fine. I doubt it would ever have the gain or master up past half way. What are your thoughts on this?
Recently got a new tube amp (went with a bassman 100), but along the way I played both Peavey and Traynor... I would take the Peavey, no question, and even though I got the Bassman, I still kind of want a peavey. You can probably get the peavey for cheep too!!!
The two amps are very similar. The Traynor felt a lot lighter, but I thought the Peavey sounded way better. Played both with a Jazz bass, both thru an Ashdown single 15cab. Played the Peavey thru a matching Peavey 8x10 also, and it came alive with that cab!
Set them flat, and they both sound pretty good. Start messing with the knobs, and the peavey sounds different, but still good. After some knob turning, the Traynor starts to sound bad. Here's my example... With everything pretty flat, Master up to 10 and just adjusting the pre-amp for volume, both amps sound all right. If you do the opposite, eq set flat, crank the pre-amp, and use the master for volume adjustment, the Traynor sounded bad! Flat, no mids, just all muddy - I don't know that you would ever run you amp like this, but it just tells me that the Traynor pre-section is not voiced very well. Same when you start to mess with the EQ and color sections. Again, if you crank anything too far one way with the Peavey, it sounds different, but still pretty good. If you crank anyting too far one way with the Traynor, it starts to sound bad.
The Peavey drive channel is kind of weird. It sounds pretty cool if you set the Drive pre-amp very very low, and run the master up - you can get a low volume dirty tone. But at louder volume, it's just nasty distortion (not in a bad way), but it's a pretty specific tone. Good for some players, but I don't see the majority of the bass community making use of this (esp since a lot of people use stomp boxes).
So, like I said, the Peavey has a lot of different voice, they all sound different, but good. The Traynor has one voice that sounds pretty good, but if you start messing with the knobs too much in any direction, starts to sound weird.
Never though I would own any Peavey gear, but I say get the Peavey!
It's a poor mans SVT. To get a decent grind I push the gain to 6 and master 5 low about 7 mid 5 high 7 resonance 4 presence 7. Played thru a Ampeg B-410HE with an EB-3 and vintage Mustang. The 74' mustang sounds bright, crisp and oh so warm. The EB-3 just has this gnarly grind that I can't seem to stop playing with.
