Marshalls and Peaveys

[vonFrenchie]

Hey everybody

I am currently looking for a new amp to play. Something between 50 and 150 watts (so 75 percent of the heads on the market) that is tube powered. I am stuck between the Peavey Valveking and the Marshall MA50.

I had an old Peavey Musician 400 that was an absolute tank but I'm not sure if Peavey has kept up that quality, specifically with such a low price to their VK.

I am kind of partial to the Marshall because many of the guitarists I look up to; Dan Auerbach, Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher, Eric Clapton... you get the point, play various Marshalls.

So I just want to know has anyone played either or both and if so what are your thoughts on them?

[cynical1]

Well, I'm not sure anyone builds them like they used to...and I'm not the best one to offer reviews on new equipments because in over 30 years of playing I never bought a new anything...

My thinking was always that if it survived the guy before me, and he was a working musician, the odds were he didn't pound his equipment into dust. I don't know too many working musicians in my close circle of friends anymore, but when I was playing they were always a pretty upfront and honest bunch of folks.

I always liked Peavey...in fact, in my mind, it's the best manufactured item to ever come out of Mississippi...I'm sure I'll hear about that later...

Another point is that with the economy in the current state it's in, there is a plethora of used gear out there. This should allow you to jump up a grade or two buying used that can become expensive when you buy new.

You're close enough to Chicago to have your pick from the bigger music stores. Yeah, it's a pain getting out there, but it can be worth it if you find a diamond for a cubic zirconia price.

There's always eBay and Craig's List. A search for 50-75 miles around you should produce quite an array of options.

Well, that was a long way around to saying nothing...hope it helps...

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[JohnH]

Hi VF - both of those are budget lines of tube amps. The Valvekings have been out about 4 years, while the Marshall MAs are brand new designs. Both are asian built, which explains the good prices.

I deduce that you are after a head, I have only tried a VK combo, and found it dul sounding compared to the Marshall DSL combo that I then bought (in 2006).

The MAs are still an unknown quantity to some extent, so there is no substitute for trying them. But if you want a rock solid Marshal head, at a reasonable price, Id recommend a DSL head, UK built, and there are still quite a few around, particularly the 100W - its the real thing.

For a bit more, the current flagship Marshall heads are the Vintage-Modern and the JVM. the VM would be my choice for calssic/hard rock. Also recent from Marshall, the JMD series, again asian built, with digital preamp and tube output, which seem promising - a great concept giving you lots of built in variety.

John

[sydsbluesky]

In my experience, the term "Marshall Tone" should be pronounced "High-End-Marshall Tone"

I have an AVT, which was their amp at the MA price point a few years back, and it sounds great, BUT it doesn't sound like the amps any of those guitarists played. Not even close. Clean sounds better, actually.

I played a Haze not long back.. obviously, since they also just came out... and it sounded like it needed a beano. I hated it. VK owners seem to have a love/hate relationship with their amps, or so harmony-central would have us believe. I didn't play one on the reviews alone when I was looking for a tube amp, but then again, it was too powerful for my search at that time anyway.

Peavy 3120, I think it's called, has a great bloodline behind it... Similar to the 6505+, but it's voiced to the brit stuff. Still has gobs of gain that will come in handy for a guy trying to play some Randy Rhodes.

Also touted to have a better clean channel than the 6505+... and for about 400 bucks cheaper? 1 grand, but second hand will probably work out to about as much as one of those others new... with luck!

But in the end I have to agree with JohnH. DSL all the way. It's a well built head and has been around a while, so it shouldn't be a huge problem to find one used... with luck! Oh, and they sound like a reasonable approach at that "High-End-Marshall Tone."

Just expect to run a pedal in front if you wanna do that Bilzzard of Oz thang.

[ijustwannastrat]

A Marshall for $700? What's wrong with it?

Personally, I like the whole "save for a bigger, better one" approach. It's crazy, but I've heard good things about it.

Personally, my bigger better is a Bogner Shiva. I found that Sweetwater sells them. I'm trying to find one that I can test out first, maybe find a good cab (I've heard Mesa makes the best cabs).

The way I figure, Ghostbuilt Les Paul + Bogner Shiva = ;D

EDIT: Not that you really care what I personally want, but I still stand by the idea of saving for bigger and better.

[cynical1]

I tend to agree with strat here. Buy it right, buy it once...buy it cheap and buy it twice.

A compromise is settling for less then you want and just leads to the hunt for another amp in short order.

HTC1

[vonFrenchie]

I'm not a fan of DSLs or JCM900s. They are too brittle for my taste. I like to play with a deep roar and not a high squeal. As for JCM800s in the Milwaukee area there is one... for 1250 dollars. There is a JCM600 for 800 dollars but I don't even know what they sound like.

Pretty much all the JCM 800s I see on ebay fall under 1 of three categories. Rare one offs like the white heritage 800s, the Kerry King model and vintage amps that are in the 1000+ range. I would pick up the Kerry King model but I like having a clean channel and mids. The KK model has the mids already scooped out to give the amp his "signature tone."

As for AVTs, they are solid state with a tube to "add a warm tube tone." Its like adding salt to spam to me. I'm looking for sirloin, not bologna.

I know the Peavey 3120s are really good for drop tuning, partly because the amp's main endorser, Rusty Cooley, is a 7-string player. They would give me a super thick and meaty tone. The main problem I have is they are way too hot for me and way too new for me to afford.

I would by a Bogner or Soldano or a vintage Marshall like a Super Lead or Bluesbreaker but I have to pay 5000 plus per semester for school. I wouldn't want to have to pay close to half of that on an amp.

I am perpetually stuck in the $900 or less range. The combination of car insurance, gas, school and food are holding me back. I have found some Egnater amps that fit my budget. Anybody know anything about these? I know that Bruce Egnater designed the Randall MTS modular series, thats about it.

[Teleblooz]

VonF - I haven't owned either, but I have friends that have had both. On a bang-for-your-buck basis, it's hard to beat the Peavey Valveking. My buddy has been gigging with a VK50 combo for years. Not only does it sound great, but it's built like a tank. This is consistent with my own experience with Peavey products in general. I had a couple of their bass heads over the years when I was still a bass player, and found them to be pretty much indestructible.

On the Marshall side, I'm inclined to vote with sydsbluesky. Marshalls can get "that tone", but you pay through the nose for it. Their more affordable models just aren't quite there.

[sydsbluesky]

Hrmm... Haven't played any Egnaters.

The only problem I have with the VK is that if I were gonna go Peavey, then I would go 3120... but I freakin love those.

...Laney has a 50 watt tube head. One of the best amps out there that hardly anyone uses. I found a great sound clip of a guy playin' a VH song through one with a LP and no pedals. Was very... very nice.

Laney GH50 head. Around 1K new.

[vonFrenchie]

I have never played a Marshall that cost less than a grand new so I probably shouldn't buy a "cheapo" Marshall without really giving it time.

I am going to look for the Laney GH50 somewhere, thanks for the recommendation Syd, and an Egnater Renegade. I would buy a VK but I feel it isn't quite there and I don't want to invest the money to put it to the proper level. I don't like the diode clipping, 4 gain stages and cheap tubes.

One thing I really like about the Renegade is the 65/18 watt switch. I can gig with it and practice with it. But I always have liked Laneys for some reason, can't tell you why though.

[flateric]

Don't buy anything till you get your hands on a Blackstar valve amp. Get a small one (<50W) so you can really crank it to get the best tone. My fellow guitarist has a superb mesa boogie dual rectifier head and he spends more time fussing about with all the channel settings than actually playing it, and he can't take it up above 1 or 2 cos its so loud, so the valves never really get going.

[ijustwannastrat]

How much does a good attenuator cost? If you wanted to go from gig to bedroom, that could be a good investment...

[sydsbluesky]

A good attenuator is in about the ballpark of what I paid for my 5w blackstar head, if I remember correctly. Yes, Flateric has an excellent point. Blackstar has a 20w version of the head I own from them, more or less, that was just released. The price is well within the acceptable range... Only problem with Blackstar, is that their artisan series is 1500+ and their venue series doesn't seem to have a 50 watt member at this time. They have a 100 watt for like 850?

I remember hearing the deal with Zakk Wyld's dad hooking up a toaster between head and cab, but no clue if there is anything to it.

People cry about their wah pedals sucking tone... what do they have to say about a toaster, I wonder?

[cynical1]

Apr 23, 2010 15:14:05 GMT -5 sydsbluesky said:

...I remember hearing the deal with Zakk Wyld's dad hooking up a toaster between head and cab, but no clue if there is anything to it...

As I recall, you're using the toaster resistor coils. The only thing I recall about attenuators is that it's real easy to forget you're driving the Hell out of your amp and you can take out the tubes or the OT over time.

I did find this site for some DIY attenuator projects

Dummy Load and Power Attenuator Projects - The Best DIY Project

DISCLAIMER: I haven't built any of these project, and can't promise one leg won't get shorter then the other. As stated above, use of an attenuator can make you forget you're driving your amp harder then it sounds. Bad things can happen.

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[chuck]

try out a Peavey VTM60 .
you can find 'em on the Bay of Ease for $200 - $300 regularly.

those old beasts are built like tanks , and are extremely versatile single channel tube amps .