I've been playing a VK for over 10 years...its been gigged and moved around all over the place and still runs strong and I only had to have it fixed once (which was kind of my fault). With an EQ in the loop and an OD up front this amp turns into a monster. I don't plan on replacing it unless I have to.
I am the same way mine, Ive had mine about the same 10 years and I also put an eq pedal in the effects loop and a tube screamer in the front and I have been happy with it ever sense.
Im buying one in 7 days guy selling it is holding it for me (which is awesome) i think id prefer a hughs and kettner switchblade or the 6505 100 watt heads or the invective but my budget isnt there yet. I cant wait to see which one of my cabs pairs best with the valveking head, my windsor 4×12 or my mesa 2×12 or my line 6 4×10 or even my oversized B-52 LS-100 4×12 cab. Its gonna be alot of fun testing it out. This one has had the mesa mod? Not sure what thst consists of but i love mesa's so i dont think it will be a bad thing.
cant argue with you on that . ive had many a different gear over the years and while you may find something that sounds a little better you will never find another brand as tough as peavey . they can take a beating
When I used to have a Valveking, our other guitar player in the band laughed at me when I brought it into rehearsal. But then I plugged it in and got a pretty good tone out of it. The key is putting a patch cable into the effects loop and kicking in the buffer if you don’t use the loop for anything like you did here. It actually surprised me. My other guitar player was pretty impressed with it. I really looked up to him because he was a few years older and was a killer guitar player. So I was happy that he approved!
@@SilentNightBodomNight Yeah it did! And he gave me the best compliment I could have gotten. He said “Well buddy. It’s not the gear anyway. It’s the player and you sound really good”. Like I said, I looked up to him as a player because he was older, more experienced and a killer guitar player. So that boosted my confidence a notch or two.
Your understanding of amp controls with how well you explain how to use them is next level. Since I've subbed to your channel, I've come to regret selling EVERY...SINGLE...ONE...of my Peavey tube amps I've ever owned. 🤣🤣🤣🤔😭
This is the perfect amp to me, I bought it as a back up back then but I quickly realized that I wanted it as my working horse for its very neutral and flexible tone, better than any of the high end tube amps I owned. The only amp In my collection that can nail the brown sound, for example my JCM 2000 is a one trick pony compared to the VK.
I purchased this amp from Kyle. I love it, thank you Kyle! I'm modifying the fixed bias circuit for adjustable bias right now. Tone will improve when I bias it hotter around 35-36ma at the power tubes. It runs very cold for 6L6GC from the factory around 30ma. The mod is very simple, you need a 15k resister and a 50k trim pot. You remove the resister that keeps the fixed bias set and solder the resister and pot in series where the bias resister use to be. The mod can be found on the net.
@@SilentNightBodomNight I just did the "R100" bypass mod on it. Suppose to improve the gain channel tone when boost is engaged. Sounds a little better.
@@jriff79guitar I need to do both of these mods too. I'm fairly satisfied with the tone now, but at the end of the bias and basic mods it should absolutely be a ripper
Fluff's channel is good for the gear lulz (Rate or Roast, Ridiculous Reverb Listings, etc.), but for serious demos of high gain amps (cheap or expensive), this channel is where it's at. Standard tuned guitars, consistent mic placement/audio production, and informative & entertaining host in Kyle. Been subbed since the first vid I stumbled across. You deserve way more subs, my man!
@@earlofcockgobblingshire3666 I grew up in the 80's and early 90's when detuning one's guitar meant "E flat" lol. I'm gonna take a guess that you are a bit younger.
@@allgamingnetwork9448 put a patch cable in the effects loop, and put a dummy jack into input #1. I also recommend a 5751 preamp tube in location V2, it makes the gain knob a bit more useable as well as creating a little bit of clean headroom on the lead channel.
I found one of these in a pawnshop for under 85 dollars. I bought it for a backup head for the various Carvin's that I use. I had a hard time with dialing in a good 80's hard rock sound. Your demo was great and I am eager to pull this one back out to see if can dial it in better. Thanks a million and good work on the video. Much appreciated.
Weird question is your pickup selector upside down or did you play this on the neck pickup on accident? This was a cool video to watch man. Keep the killer content coming
I’m not sure how much modding the aml improves the tone but, I’m happy just utilizing my HX Stomp in the 4CM to get it dialed in really well. I’m using a compressor into a horizon drive into the amp, and from there I have an EQ in the loop followed by a noise suppressor and then my delay and reverb run in parallel to keel everything super clean. I still have one space on my chain that I’m not sure what to do with just yet but, for the core sound it works really well.
The VK 100 was/is a great starter tube amp, not gonna kill your budget and will get your foot in the door of the tube head world trust me its a giant upgrade if you are coming in from solid state amps
stop reading titles then pretending u know something the original vk has identical gain as the 6505 maybe to some spoiled kid with 3 marshalls its a beginners amp but to blue collar gigging musicians its a great midrange workhorse i see them everywere on stage built like a tank
Uhhh, Can't really have identical gain stage as the 6505+/5150 II because it's totally different,6505+ has 6 12ax7 preamp tubes that signal path runs through to create another gain stage but the VK 100 has same power section tubes with 4 6L6's ,It only has half the preamp tubes (3) in comparison to the former which has (6) gain stage. So it looks similar has similar controls, power section,etc. In conclusion, The gain stages are so different the vk can't be a 6505+ but like Kyle said it is a great substitute or backup because they can get close with od/eq/retubeing it won't be identical and nor should it be,it's a different amp, different tone,and once dialed in has its own crunchy sound. If you want it to sound like the 6505+ just trade in the vk add a couple hundred dollars extra and you can get the 6505+ head now on GC used site for $599,(2 to choose from) but after the GC video from Kyle maybe use his affiliate code save a bit and help out Kyle while you're at it. (Makes sure it a real one, though). Either way I e owned all the Peavey heads from around this time (XXX,6505+,3120, ultra+, vk,etc.) and to be honest they all have their own sound voicing but the VK is no different,I ended up selling the aforementioned heads unfortunately but kept a vk100 just like the reliability and always performs flawless anytime I need it so don't be a 6505 fanboy and try to tell us they have the same identical gain stages as the vk because anyone who is on this site knows better. Had 10+ 6505's through out the years and and they are amazing hi gain amps but that is what Peavey labeled them as ultra high gain amplifier but the VK doesn't say that. They get a bad rap but enjoy that Valveking loud and proud because even though it was a economical tube head in comparison it has far outlasted The following amps they were far newer B-52 atx 100 Bugera 6262 Carvin V3,and a Randall rd100. Not same gain as the 6505+ Has own unique darker crunchy tones not found in the forme.(With boost/eq) Super reliable! Still have the same tubes it came with and have never had a problem with it. But a retube does make a big difference especially with a set of jj's preamp tubes.
This is the OG valve King and no it's not the same gain as 6505/5150. Not even close to the same. Where do you get such confidence in you ignorance ?@@SwedishMeattball
Glad I finally managed to watch this one! I've had my valve king for a couple years and was able to get some decent sludge tones. I use it more as a power amp anymore, now that I have more to work with, but definitely think these are underrated.
Pulled a schematic (for the 50W combo), these have diode clipping and ss buffering on the fx and reverb to reduce the # of tube gain stages. The AB power section is a self-split design rather than the typical (for high gain amps) long-tailed pair phase inverter, removing another triode. This is clearly a budget amp by design before you even talk component specs. FYI shorting the fx loop brings the transistor buffer into the signal chain.
IIRC the gain boost specifically is the diode clipping stage. It is basically putting on a bad overdrive pedal that you cannot fine tune in front of the tube stages. You'll get better results by turning it off and use an actual overdrive pedal where you can control how hard the diode is clipping and how much the pedal is hammering the front end of the amp.
Amazing amp, I always recommend replacing the V2 12ax7 tube with a 5751 and upgrading your others 12ax7 tubes. I use the amp in a sludge band and after the lowered gain stage tube you can stack in fuzz or gain pedals without completely overloading the gain channel.
@@shitforshat8601 no, I have not. Just used for live only, and I have not used the cab sim USB out either. However if you have a VK combo or a 4x12 cab I do not recommend using the factory VK speakers. They're rubbish
I agree with Jason French, I am still running stock Ruby 6L6s, replaced V2 with a tung sol 5751 and the rest of the ax7s with Electro-Harmonix and can get anywhere from Smashmouth to slipknot with an 11 band eq in the effect loop, dummy plug in the vacant input jack and an original Japanese Zoomdriver 5000 stomp box that still slays most modern pedals🤘🤘🤘
In the late 00s I saw this amp on so many stages with younger metal bands. It was a decent choice for broke teens who wanted an actual tube amp in an age where modeling wasn't what it is today.
That's the era I decided to get a Crate GX solid state amp. Best $20 I ever spent. I'd prefer it's distorted tones over any tube or modelling amp. It sounds like Tomb of the Mutilated. It's not the same as it's Ampeg cousin, it's a little bit darker but the high end is harsher. They compliment each other well.
I had one back in the day when I was first getting into jamming with a band. I could never really get it to sound the way I wanted it to however, I really had no idea about how to dial an amp in. I want to pick a 212 up now and upgrade the speakers to celestions or eminence. I think with a noise gate and od in front and a parametric eq in the fx loop you can probably do just about any metal tone you need.
This amp owns!!! Picked it up for 160 and i truly think that people who dog it don’t know how to dial in an amp or they suck at guitar!! Just jump it and put a boost in the front and it sounds massive like a 100 watt tube amp should sound
I bought a valveking a couple years ago just to try it out and I actually liked it. I picked it up for around 240 and for that honestly I think it was amazing, especially considering it's all tube. I ended up selling it however. Still good stuff
I loved this amp....I had the head and the 1x12 combo. It is the best road amp that takes to any pedal....ever built I used to literally plug my guitar straight in, then I got a wireless. People thought I modded it but I didn't. Everyone, I mean everyone were shocked to see I had nothing but the amp for my sound. Noob after noob being shocked by how my sound was awesome and at that time....I was using a stock Ibanez JS100 with the knobs all at noon and gain at 1 o'clock. Of course it's not a Peavey 5150 but dam......it was a great amp especially for the price. I would suggest this amp for anyone. You're a noob if you need more gain but the amp will take the pedal nicely
I had this amp in the 2000s. I now have a 6505+ To make my ValveKing sound good, I put JJs for all my 12ax7 and Ruby as my 6L6 Also I ran a Sonic Stomp in the effects loop
I’ve also gigged extensively with a Valveking 100 head. With a dead plug in input 1, and then guitar plugged into input 2, that’s where the tone on this amp is supposed to be. It’s got a really great tight throaty tone
@@shadesofgold24the dead plug in Input 2 only causes the High gain Input 1 to act like the low gain of Input 2. It doesn't really make the tone more clear.
Love my VK100. Had it rebuilt from the chassis up after the 3rd time it stopped working. Heavier gage wiring point to point, new capacitors and ceramic tube ports. . Haven't had a problem in over 5 years. . Instead of an 12AX7 I used the AT7 on the clean side. Super clean but at the same time too clean for pedals.
What are the problems you discovered that made the amp stop working ? I had the 12 inch combo vk crap out on standby and fixed it with my dad help but the head crapped out the same way, on standby and we couldn't figure it out. That's why I ask what you discovered about yours the maybe could help me.
I just picked up a VK head for free and it happened to have the Mesa mod done. Absolute night-and-day difference from stock. It doesn't even feel the same after the mod - bigger, fatter, clearer, just so much better. Seems to be a pretty easy mod to do. Only thing left is to add adjustable bias because the tubes run wayy too hot (48mA) as-is. Also, they don't seem to like V30's. Need something with less of a mid spike and more extended highs. Not necessarily more highs, but you need the frequency to extend bigger before it rolls off. Eminence Legend V12s are perfect for it.
@@belligerentamateur they're super easy to mod, all the component names are printed on the board so you don't have to hunt through schematics and compare them constantly. Bias mod took me an hour to finish, not too bad. There's a girl from Cali that does videos on how to safely work on tube amps and they're the most helpful I've found.
Used to have the 50w combo. With the fx loop jumper and a tube screamer I was within swinging distance of older thrash sounds, made the marshall snobs in my friends group turn heads a couple times. Stock speaker was trash tho.
Fun fact … just about every chunka- chunka metal song is based on the t.v. Show bonanza s intro music . The rhythm intervals and timing are identical . Only the the melody line differs as metal uses more minor pentatonic scales
i bought one for a backup for my marshall jcm 2000. loved it. great classic rock amp, blues amp, blues rock, 90s metal. . Beyond metal is no longer music. its just noise. i like it better than classic 50, hot rod deluxe, or blues deluxe.
Need to demo the Peavey Mace. 6 (!) 6L6's,that's 160 watts of Mississippi Marshall. Provides an other-worldly clean tube bed for things like Fractal and soft-amp setups. 6 6L6's is another level of harmonic and response dynamics. You are exactly right about many of the PVs lacking clarity. They are some of the most basic tube circuits. That means they can easily be modded by stacking AX7's in a pre-position and getting some better EQ circuits and wider range pots to open it up more. Those old PVs can be worked with, turned into monsters.
Some people may like farty I haven't played my 112 vk in forever...got a hellatone v30 in it and typically use it as a clean pedal platform...it definitely shines in a straight up rock band situation (or country) rather than metal in my opinion, especially if you use the amps dirt...it's a solid amp for sure but it does have limitations... depends on what you try to use it for I suppose.
Throw a decent compressor a noise gate and the secret sauce a boss metalcore for taste and you have a usable amp i have the same amp with two matching 4x12s and i just use the clean channel and run my metalcore and the other pedals mentioned and occasionally a carbon copy delay. That makes it a bit more giggable gig able however the hell ypu say it yall get what i mean
I've had the the 50W combo version of this since 10'. Used it for a pop punk style band and it worked great for just that. Few years ago I replaced the speaker to a Eminence Red Coat and had all the tubes replaced. That really was the trick! Highly recommend this amp
Got a very clean VK100 for $100 on FB marketplace. I replaced that hideous faceplate with an old school Peavey decal, threw an EQ in the effects loop, pretend the lead channel and the hilariously bad reverb don't exist, run an assortment of my favorite distortion/overdrive/ fuzz pedals into the clean channel (no bright + EQ knobs at noon), and turn the volume up to 5 or 6 to get tubes cookin. The power section starts overdriving very nicely around there with my signal going in around unity, and I'm absolutely good to go for all kinds of rock, doom, and metal tones. I have owned a lot of different heads over the decades- some very pricey indeed- and I don't miss any of them, with the sounds I get out of my current setup.
This amp does need a little help from a overdrive. I use a Kartakou warmer OD on it. You can also conture the tone a bit with the texture knob on the back. It does have a issue with the flub, but you can EQ it out. The R100 mod I just did on it helps out the gain channel tone when the boost is engaged. For a budget amp its pretty decent and it does have that Peavey voicing that Kyle mentions in the video. The R100 mod helps to clear up that buzzy fuzzy effect on the gain channel. You can replace the R100 resister with a piece of pcb circuit board wire. Super easy.
@blasher4 I sold this amplifier to a guy after I modified it. Got an offer I could not refuse. I would recommend searching the net for instructions. There are a couple of forums that have links.
@blasher4 This was 3 years ago. You are going to have to research the mods and decide whether you are up for a little soldering. I can't do a demonstration. I literally looked up these mods and found a pdf step by step that was linked in a forum. But if remember correctly, yes, I believe it has the same effect as putting a patch cable in the effects loop. You are relieving resistance in the circuit, just hard wiring it. But like I said, it's been 3 years. Sorry, I can't be much more help.
@@jriff79guitar thanks man. I’ll probably just keep the cables in fx loop if it has same results. I also have a dummy input into 2nd input. Is there any other mod you would suggest to clear this thing up?
I've been playing, recording and gigging the sh*t out of this Valveking VK100 (combo version) for nearly 10 years, it sustained countless of hard falls when transporting to venues (no anvil), even a dog pissed on it one time, no problem. Tonewise is nowhere near "boutique" and you'll be a fool if you expect that from this amp, but one of the best things about the valveking is that is very simple to get a usable tone. Literally you can just set everything at 12' and it will be fine to start with, its not like other amps that you have multiple of choices, knobs, switches, channels, and you need time and experience to get the best out of it. Its reliable and sounds really good. Recommended if you're on a budget.
Great amp for a rock & roll bar band. Has that AC/DC, JET, maybe even Scorpions vibe. I had the 100 watt head and also the 1x12. Tube screamer and a noise gate and you're good to go. I didn't like it for recording though.
As a Valveking owner (it was a gift), I can say, the real thing that kills the Valveking isn't the amp, it's the speaker cabinet, the stock speaker cabinet is kinda terrible
My favorite amp now ,, El cheapo VK 100 with Voodoo Lab sparkle drive ,,, all knobs set 11 o clock with a MXR 10 BAND IN LOOPER and VK gain at 3 1/2 ,,to 4 ,,, 10 o clock position ,,, has a unique. Solid state tube hybrid feel 👶🎤🙏😁👶🎤🙏😁. Does not even need a noise gate with clean electricity
So after the bias mod using a 15k resister and 50k potentiometer I was able to rebias the power tubes safely around 35ma. However, I noticed the JJ 6L6GC had a slightly varying miliamp voltage reading. It has been my observation that either the tone sounds better set around 33ma with the possibility of it needing new tubes because of variance power tube voltage. This sounds very good on full power class A/B with the texture knob all the way up, or clockwise. It also sounds better using my ZoomG3N TS9 simulator over the Kartakou warmer OD for some reason.
I have 3 Peavey valveking 112 50 watt with texture knob on the back to passe from classAB'modern to classA real vintage real good tube on a budget ,mesa Guy snob ,real good Peavey cheap & durable
After owning one of these combo 212s and tweaking around with it i find she runs better with external cab and eq in the front and a decent multieffects unit but i do recommend messing with the threshold and parametric eq thn of course jump the loop i mean this thing is definitely a beast waiting its time to be unleashed im getting some serious testament sounds out of her rn doing all of this i hope this helps someone 😊i mean the sheffield 1230 2x12 cab out sure does help shit
Is your pickup selector switch mounted backwards? There’s no way that tone is from the neck pickup but the switch is in the neck position. Just wondering. Cool demo!!
I’ve previously owned a VK for a year or 2 and it was pretty sick. This certainly does not seem to have any bite like I remember. I used to record with a 2 channel triple recto and them blended was amazing...wonder if I had a modded one? In any case I spray painted the mesh grill silver and it looked so badass.
I have a Windsor I don't like the way it sounds I can dial in a decent sound but I use it as a power amp I run my line six pod into the return and it works great for that and for the money I spent in it 500 and got a marshal cab granted it had rocket 50's in it but replaced them with better speakers I also got the pod with it so for 500 in my opinion was worth it
I’d imagine that an EMG 81 would sound much clearer and tighter on this amp. Makes me wonder if it’s worth a buy since you can get these for very little even still.
Ive got 3 guitars with emg active 81/85s im buying this amp used locally for 300$ next week. I cant wait to try it with my mesa 2×12 and my windsor 4×12 cabinets and my ts9dx turbo tubescreamer
@@codysroom6303 I ended up getting one two months ago now and did a few mods on it. The R100 and Mesa Mods. After that ... as well as getting the tubes that I prefer installed, it’s a fantastic amp. To me, it’s about as good as something like a 6505 but with a better clean channel. To get the gain a little more similar to a 6505 though you really need a boost/tube screamer or something though.
I guess it depends on the player. Both amps are great. I have modded my vk gen 1 (50 W combo, removed C149). Now beatiful brightness. Unlimited gain at 12 o clock.
I've kept one of these in the pile for a few years. They're so damn cheap it's almost a "Oh why the hell not" kind of purchase. I think mine was a little over 200 after tax. I don't play it that much because I have a lot of better amps but at 200 bucks it punches way outside it's weight class.
A few things to add here. I think this is supposed to be a jcm clone. So it's a mid heavy amp. How I set mine up. All eqs bass middle treble to noon then adjust resonance and presence to taste. Resonance to 11 o'clock presence to 2 o'clock takes the blanket away in my opinion. Also try cranking the mid eq all the way and you will be like wow. I think it sounds great with shettfields and v30s in my opinion. Also a volume pedal or eq pedal in the effect loop works wonders. A 3120 in my opinion is the amp to get but this is 2nd in my opinion not bad at all
I think you are really underestimating the versatility of the amp. And that is the place where this amp reigns over anything else i have heard. Most amps have a "tone", but this one can morph the tone. And if high gain is what you want, and feel it lacks a bit, you can always use a pedal like most ppl that don't use rectified amps use. But for me, rectified amp distortion sounds so dull, it's a perfect tone, that it sound artificial and it had no body. I always destroyed the other guitar player tone with mine live and on rehearsals. I agree you have to put in some work to get a heavier tone that doesn't sound muddy, but the resonance plus gain, plus booster button, plus less bass and more mids and highs with prescence gets you there. The effect loop trick sounds cool. I used yo have this amp and i did almost everythigng yuu can with it but i mever knew that trick. Use the clean channel and put the volume all the way up and see how you can play amazing blues. Ok too much volume? Use one of those volume diminishers (i dont know the exact term in english since i speak spanish) that go between the cab and the speakers, to like 25%. Definitely going to get this amp again wheni get the money. And i think import is the way if you ssay ypu can get it for like 400 bucks. I have used, jcm 700, 800, 2000, peavey 6505 and would still use this one instead. But the only thing i get a question is: if you crank up the loop effect with the cable, then you can't use a delay for example? Or can you put it directly on the guitar line?
I recently found a XXL solid-state head for a bargain price, my cousin wants it for his 13 year old son who's been playing guitar for a few years now. Seems kind of like a mix between a Supreme and a Triple XXX. If you do one solid-state amp review that would be a good one
Thanks for this video, I am enjoying going through your videos. I was wondering if you have your pedal settings online somewhere? I'm a little new to gain pedals, I've only used them as subtractive
hey man! With overdrive pedals, I pretty much always start with level all the way up, gain all the way down, and tone at noon as a base, adjust from there
When some mean gain they mean drive , like that driving sustain, if an amp feels too choppy , it gives them the impression that gain is low. i know that because that was my perception before i really got to own or play on alot of tube amps for myself. i found i liked the line 6 pod pro , because it had a separate distortion gain knob and a drive knob that basically produced long sustain, instead of it dying off too shortly even though there was all this gain going on. something i absolutely hated with the rocktron 'gainiac'. It is an example of high high gain capability, yet it falls off immediately after notes are struck. There is a fine balance to achieve for amp players for the amp to feel right in response to their playing , especially for those whom listen while they play, like a chef tastes food they create to know what it tastes like. i could probably say for any given riff or even passage in a song i would like to adjust drive . With the pod , and any amp we must choose our amp or adjust to a Compromise. Recordings don't require compromise in the drive adjustment, howeveer realtime does. This is one of the most important things with an amp and to many that they just have not identified it or yet. The character and grit and grind and sawdust and powder, well those are sprinkles on top for a player like me, and i do not reject those characteristics as noises. There is a difference between 'noise' and noises of 3D texture in the sounds the amp makes and is part of tonal qualities registered in an amplifier for any use. No pun intended on the paragraph.
Just bought one from GC Quit almost immediately Getting a mod from thermite too help it out.. Kinda hoping too rectify issues you point out.. GC killed 3/5 amps I bought Just horrible packing mainly and ups don’t give a sheit
The last gain stage feeds back into itself. The boost opens that to full throttle. It's a really fun amp when you do the mods.Not 50 of them though... Bias,soldano mod, remove diodes & remove texture know. Skip the others.I love ab'g it with my 5150. K100's and stay away from jj power tube to get rid of the smeary mid range also for the win. My 5150 could care less what power tube mostly.
bi passing the peavey circuitry and putting an od pedal or distortion pedal into the effects loop works pretty good. sounds like classic acdc. they messed up the preamp on this badboy.
@@belligerentamateur never.. I like free gifts.. I also like your Peavey VTM and if you decide to part with her. I will gladly buy. Was my first amp and would love to get another one that hasn't been modded before my death. Lol.
I've been playing a VK for over 10 years...its been gigged and moved around all over the place and still runs strong and I only had to have it fixed once (which was kind of my fault). With an EQ in the loop and an OD up front this amp turns into a monster. I don't plan on replacing it unless I have to.
I hear you man! It definitely works and can sound good
I am the same way mine, Ive had mine about the same 10 years and I also put an eq pedal in the effects loop and a tube screamer in the front and I have been happy with it ever sense.
Im buying one in 7 days guy selling it is holding it for me (which is awesome) i think id prefer a hughs and kettner switchblade or the 6505 100 watt heads or the invective but my budget isnt there yet. I cant wait to see which one of my cabs pairs best with the valveking head, my windsor 4×12 or my mesa 2×12 or my line 6 4×10 or even my oversized B-52 LS-100 4×12 cab. Its gonna be alot of fun testing it out. This one has had the mesa mod? Not sure what thst consists of but i love mesa's so i dont think it will be a bad thing.
cant argue with you on that . ive had many a different gear over the years and while you may find something that sounds a little better you will never find another brand as tough as peavey . they can take a beating
When I used to have a Valveking, our other guitar player in the band laughed at me when I brought it into rehearsal. But then I plugged it in and got a pretty good tone out of it. The key is putting a patch cable into the effects loop and kicking in the buffer if you don’t use the loop for anything like you did here. It actually surprised me. My other guitar player was pretty impressed with it. I really looked up to him because he was a few years older and was a killer guitar player. So I was happy that he approved!
I was gonna say I bet those tones shut him up lol
@@SilentNightBodomNight Yeah it did! And he gave me the best compliment I could have gotten. He said “Well buddy. It’s not the gear anyway. It’s the player and you sound really good”. Like I said, I looked up to him as a player because he was older, more experienced and a killer guitar player. So that boosted my confidence a notch or two.
Love stories like this!! Truly is the player and not the gear.
I always patch cable my loop on my vtm 120, sounds great
Hey i just picked one of these up cheap. Can you explain in lamens term I you did ? Kicking in the buffer ? patch cable ? Effects loop?
Help !
Your understanding of amp controls with how well you explain how to use them is next level. Since I've subbed to your channel, I've come to regret selling EVERY...SINGLE...ONE...of my Peavey tube amps I've ever owned. 🤣🤣🤣🤔😭
This is the perfect amp to me, I bought it as a back up back then but I quickly realized that I wanted it as my working horse for its very neutral and flexible tone, better than any of the high end tube amps I owned. The only amp In my collection that can nail the brown sound, for example my JCM 2000 is a one trick pony compared to the VK.
I purchased this amp from Kyle. I love it, thank you Kyle! I'm modifying the fixed bias circuit for adjustable bias right now. Tone will improve when I bias it hotter around 35-36ma at the power tubes. It runs very cold for 6L6GC from the factory around 30ma. The mod is very simple, you need a 15k resister and a 50k trim pot. You remove the resister that keeps the fixed bias set and solder the resister and pot in series where the bias resister use to be. The mod can be found on the net.
Are you trying to run the tubes hotter?
@@SilentNightBodomNight yes, I'm going to bias it at 36ma per tube. It runs at 29-30ma from the factory. Too cold.
@@jriff79guitar Nice idea!
@@SilentNightBodomNight I just did the "R100" bypass mod on it. Suppose to improve the gain channel tone when boost is engaged. Sounds a little better.
@@jriff79guitar I need to do both of these mods too. I'm fairly satisfied with the tone now, but at the end of the bias and basic mods it should absolutely be a ripper
Fluff's channel is good for the gear lulz (Rate or Roast, Ridiculous Reverb Listings, etc.), but for serious demos of high gain amps (cheap or expensive), this channel is where it's at. Standard tuned guitars, consistent mic placement/audio production, and informative & entertaining host in Kyle. Been subbed since the first vid I stumbled across. You deserve way more subs, my man!
Appreciate you man! Thanks for the kind words and I'll do my best to keep delivering!
As someone who can't stand how high standard tuning is, you are praising the thing I dislike about this channel most
@@earlofcockgobblingshire3666 I grew up in the 80's and early 90's when detuning one's guitar meant "E flat" lol. I'm gonna take a guess that you are a bit younger.
Man you didn't mess with texture knob from the back. It helps the break up from the power section.
I love mine killer amps. Killer.
I've owned 3 of these. Super underrated amp. They definitely chug with a little help from a boost. I think they sound crunchy as hell
would a tube screamer suffice or would you recommend anything else with it
@@allgamingnetwork9448 a tube screamer is more than enough
@@allgamingnetwork9448 my rig explained, plenty sir!
@@allgamingnetwork9448 put a patch cable in the effects loop, and put a dummy jack into input #1. I also recommend a 5751 preamp tube in location V2, it makes the gain knob a bit more useable as well as creating a little bit of clean headroom on the lead channel.
Eq in the loop will work for troubled applications
I really like the valveking a lot! Definitely worth it for how much they go for used!
I found one of these in a pawnshop for under 85 dollars. I bought it for a backup head for the various Carvin's that I use. I had a hard time with dialing in a good 80's hard rock sound. Your demo was great and I am eager to pull this one back out to see if can dial it in better. Thanks a million and good work on the video. Much appreciated.
DAMN that's a steal man! I got a decent deal myself, $250 for the head/matching cab
Patch cable the Fx loop and try boosting with a rat, should get you into 80's territory right straight away
@@jasonfrench8851 Thank you. I will give that a shot.
It sounds great. No harshness coming through my speakers. It would cut through great in a mix I should imagine.
Weird question is your pickup selector upside down or did you play this on the neck pickup on accident? This was a cool video to watch man. Keep the killer content coming
Never owned a valveking, but have played several and have always had fun with them. you can't lose considering you can get them $250 used all day
Agreed!
very underrated, great value too, put a boost on there it should not be overlooked.
I always found that putting a BBE sonic maximizer in the FX loop seemed to help quite a bit on the valve king and the windsor.
I have simply removed C149 which makes the amp (50 W combo) brighter. Great amp, loads of gain, no pedal required. Really great amp.
I’m not sure how much modding the aml improves the tone but, I’m happy just utilizing my HX Stomp in the 4CM to get it dialed in really well. I’m using a compressor into a horizon drive into the amp, and from there I have an EQ in the loop followed by a noise suppressor and then my delay and reverb run in parallel to keel everything super clean. I still have one space on my chain that I’m not sure what to do with just yet but, for the core sound it works really well.
I did the bias mod, R100 and mesa mod and this thing slays
The VK 100 was/is a great starter tube amp, not gonna kill your budget and will get your foot in the door of the tube head world trust me its a giant upgrade if you are coming in from solid state amps
stop reading titles then pretending u know something the original vk has identical gain as the 6505 maybe to some spoiled kid with 3 marshalls its a beginners amp but to blue collar gigging musicians its a great midrange workhorse i see them everywere on stage built like a tank
Uhhh,
Can't really have identical gain stage as the 6505+/5150 II because it's totally different,6505+ has 6 12ax7 preamp tubes that signal path runs through to create another gain stage but the VK 100 has same power section tubes with 4 6L6's ,It only has half the preamp tubes (3) in comparison to the former which has (6) gain stage.
So it looks similar has similar controls, power section,etc.
In conclusion,
The gain stages are so different the vk can't be a 6505+ but like Kyle said it is a great substitute or backup because they can get close with od/eq/retubeing it won't be identical and nor should it be,it's a different amp, different tone,and once dialed in has its own crunchy sound.
If you want it to sound like the 6505+ just trade in the vk add a couple hundred dollars extra and you can get the 6505+ head now on GC used site for $599,(2 to choose from) but after the GC video from Kyle maybe use his affiliate code save a bit and help out Kyle while you're at it.
(Makes sure it a real one, though).
Either way I e owned all the Peavey heads from around this time (XXX,6505+,3120, ultra+, vk,etc.) and to be honest they all have their own sound voicing but the VK is no different,I ended up selling the aforementioned heads unfortunately but kept a vk100 just like the reliability and always performs flawless anytime I need it so don't be a 6505 fanboy and try to tell us they have the same identical gain stages as the vk because anyone who is on this site knows better.
Had 10+ 6505's through out the years and and they are amazing hi gain amps but that is what Peavey labeled them as ultra high gain amplifier but the VK doesn't say that.
They get a bad rap but enjoy that Valveking loud and proud because even though it was a economical tube head in comparison it has far outlasted
The following amps they were far newer
B-52 atx 100
Bugera 6262
Carvin V3,and a Randall rd100.
Not same gain as the 6505+
Has own unique darker crunchy tones not found in the forme.(With boost/eq)
Super reliable!
Still have the same tubes it came with and have never had a problem with it.
But a retube does make a big difference especially with a set of jj's preamp tubes.
This is the OG valve King and no it's not the same gain as 6505/5150. Not even close to the same. Where do you get such confidence in you ignorance ?@@SwedishMeattball
Glad I finally managed to watch this one! I've had my valve king for a couple years and was able to get some decent sludge tones. I use it more as a power amp anymore, now that I have more to work with, but definitely think these are underrated.
Pulled a schematic (for the 50W combo), these have diode clipping and ss buffering on the fx and reverb to reduce the # of tube gain stages. The AB power section is a self-split design rather than the typical (for high gain amps) long-tailed pair phase inverter, removing another triode. This is clearly a budget amp by design before you even talk component specs.
FYI shorting the fx loop brings the transistor buffer into the signal chain.
IIRC the gain boost specifically is the diode clipping stage. It is basically putting on a bad overdrive pedal that you cannot fine tune in front of the tube stages. You'll get better results by turning it off and use an actual overdrive pedal where you can control how hard the diode is clipping and how much the pedal is hammering the front end of the amp.
Amazing amp, I always recommend replacing the V2 12ax7 tube with a 5751 and upgrading your others 12ax7 tubes. I use the amp in a sludge band and after the lowered gain stage tube you can stack in fuzz or gain pedals without completely overloading the gain channel.
Have you recorded anything with this head? I’m looking at getting one of these and also play In a sludge band.
@@shitforshat8601 no, I have not. Just used for live only, and I have not used the cab sim USB out either. However if you have a VK combo or a 4x12 cab I do not recommend using the factory VK speakers. They're rubbish
I agree with Jason French, I am still running stock Ruby 6L6s, replaced V2 with a tung sol 5751 and the rest of the ax7s with Electro-Harmonix and can get anywhere from Smashmouth to slipknot with an 11 band eq in the effect loop, dummy plug in the vacant input jack and an original Japanese Zoomdriver 5000 stomp box that still slays most modern pedals🤘🤘🤘
In the late 00s I saw this amp on so many stages with younger metal bands. It was a decent choice for broke teens who wanted an actual tube amp in an age where modeling wasn't what it is today.
That's the era I decided to get a Crate GX solid state amp. Best $20 I ever spent. I'd prefer it's distorted tones over any tube or modelling amp. It sounds like Tomb of the Mutilated. It's not the same as it's Ampeg cousin, it's a little bit darker but the high end is harsher. They compliment each other well.
I got mine in 2009 or 10 and i still have it till this day i don't think ill ever get rid of it.
I had one back in the day when I was first getting into jamming with a band. I could never really get it to sound the way I wanted it to however, I really had no idea about how to dial an amp in. I want to pick a 212 up now and upgrade the speakers to celestions or eminence. I think with a noise gate and od in front and a parametric eq in the fx loop you can probably do just about any metal tone you need.
Back on the day 90s I use to see many well know death metal band using this amp I always always wanted one but I never did get one😂
I’d still play this head over a modeling amp.
This amp owns!!! Picked it up for 160 and i truly think that people who dog it don’t know how to dial in an amp or they suck at guitar!! Just jump it and put a boost in the front and it sounds massive like a 100 watt tube amp should sound
Great video, probably the best on YT of the Valveking. Subbed
Thanks Ben!!
This amp sounds better with really high output pickups. Also so sort of EQ in the effects loop.
Nice job kyle....love hearing all the different characteristics of each amp demo.
Thanks Steve!
I bought a valveking a couple years ago just to try it out and I actually liked it. I picked it up for around 240 and for that honestly I think it was amazing, especially considering it's all tube. I ended up selling it however. Still good stuff
I loved this amp....I had the head and the 1x12 combo.
It is the best road amp that takes to any pedal....ever built
I used to literally plug my guitar straight in, then I got a wireless.
People thought I modded it but I didn't.
Everyone, I mean everyone were shocked to see I had nothing but the amp for my sound. Noob after noob being shocked by how my sound was awesome and at that time....I was using a stock Ibanez JS100 with the knobs all at noon and gain at 1 o'clock.
Of course it's not a Peavey 5150 but dam......it was a great amp especially for the price.
I would suggest this amp for anyone.
You're a noob if you need more gain but the amp will take the pedal nicely
This is one of my low key favorites.
Please do a Windsor next!
Currently searching for one!
I had this amp in the 2000s.
I now have a 6505+
To make my ValveKing sound good, I put JJs for all my 12ax7 and Ruby as my 6L6
Also I ran a Sonic Stomp in the effects loop
I used to run that for cleans and a XXX for dirty tones through XXX 4x12s
I’ve also gigged extensively with a Valveking 100 head. With a dead plug in input 1, and then guitar plugged into input 2, that’s where the tone on this amp is supposed to be. It’s got a really great tight throaty tone
Shadesofgold24- i just bought one for the same reason as i wanted to try a tube amp. What do you mean a "dead plug" in one of the inputs??
@@williamshaftner6631 just a plug or cable with nothing attached at the other end.
@@shadesofgold24the dead plug in Input 2 only causes the High gain Input 1 to act like the low gain of Input 2. It doesn't really make the tone more clear.
Love my VK100. Had it rebuilt from the chassis up after the 3rd time it stopped working. Heavier gage wiring point to point, new capacitors and ceramic tube ports. . Haven't had a problem in over 5 years. . Instead of an 12AX7 I used the AT7 on the clean side. Super clean but at the same time too clean for pedals.
What are the problems you discovered that made the amp stop working ? I had the 12 inch combo vk crap out on standby and fixed it with my dad help but the head crapped out the same way, on standby and we couldn't figure it out. That's why I ask what you discovered about yours the maybe could help me.
I just picked up a VK head for free and it happened to have the Mesa mod done. Absolute night-and-day difference from stock. It doesn't even feel the same after the mod - bigger, fatter, clearer, just so much better. Seems to be a pretty easy mod to do. Only thing left is to add adjustable bias because the tubes run wayy too hot (48mA) as-is.
Also, they don't seem to like V30's. Need something with less of a mid spike and more extended highs. Not necessarily more highs, but you need the frequency to extend bigger before it rolls off. Eminence Legend V12s are perfect for it.
Can't beat free! Wouldn't mind modding mine, either.
@@belligerentamateur they're super easy to mod, all the component names are printed on the board so you don't have to hunt through schematics and compare them constantly. Bias mod took me an hour to finish, not too bad. There's a girl from Cali that does videos on how to safely work on tube amps and they're the most helpful I've found.
@@TheKLeifheit13what the name of the girl.??
@@jcalzada74 her channel is Fazio Electric
Would be sick to hear all the peavey amps in the same video
Used to have the 50w combo. With the fx loop jumper and a tube screamer I was within swinging distance of older thrash sounds, made the marshall snobs in my friends group turn heads a couple times. Stock speaker was trash tho.
Fun fact … just about every chunka- chunka metal song is based on the t.v. Show bonanza s intro music . The rhythm intervals and timing are identical . Only the the melody line differs as metal uses more minor pentatonic scales
Got mine in ok condition plus a 212 cab loaded with Eminence Red, White and Blues for 200 euro. One of the best deals I've ever made. 😁
i bought one for a backup for my marshall jcm 2000. loved it. great classic rock amp, blues amp, blues rock, 90s metal. . Beyond metal is no longer music. its just noise. i like it better than classic 50, hot rod deluxe, or blues deluxe.
The valve king is my main live amp. I absolutely swear by it
Need to demo the Peavey Mace. 6 (!) 6L6's,that's 160 watts of Mississippi Marshall. Provides an other-worldly clean tube bed for things like Fractal and soft-amp setups. 6 6L6's is another level of harmonic and response dynamics.
You are exactly right about many of the PVs lacking clarity. They are some of the most basic tube circuits. That means they can easily be modded by stacking AX7's in a pre-position and getting some better EQ circuits and wider range pots to open it up more. Those old PVs can be worked with, turned into monsters.
Some people may like farty
I haven't played my 112 vk in forever...got a hellatone v30 in it and typically use it as a clean pedal platform...it definitely shines in a straight up rock band situation (or country) rather than metal in my opinion, especially if you use the amps dirt...it's a solid amp for sure but it does have limitations... depends on what you try to use it for I suppose.
Enjoying these videos. It's hard to find quality, modern representations of what many of these sound like.
Throw a decent compressor a noise gate and the secret sauce a boss metalcore for taste and you have a usable amp i have the same amp with two matching 4x12s and i just use the clean channel and run my metalcore and the other pedals mentioned and occasionally a carbon copy delay. That makes it a bit more giggable gig able however the hell ypu say it yall get what i mean
I've had the the 50W combo version of this since 10'. Used it for a pop punk style band and it worked great for just that. Few years ago I replaced the speaker to a Eminence Red Coat and had all the tubes replaced. That really was the trick! Highly recommend this amp
Got a very clean VK100 for $100 on FB marketplace. I replaced that hideous faceplate with an old school Peavey decal, threw an EQ in the effects loop, pretend the lead channel and the hilariously bad reverb don't exist, run an assortment of my favorite distortion/overdrive/ fuzz pedals into the clean channel (no bright + EQ knobs at noon), and turn the volume up to 5 or 6 to get tubes cookin. The power section starts overdriving very nicely around there with my signal going in around unity, and I'm absolutely good to go for all kinds of rock, doom, and metal tones. I have owned a lot of different heads over the decades- some very pricey indeed- and I don't miss any of them, with the sounds I get out of my current setup.
I had a Jackson Soloist with Dimarzio Super Distortion fixed the fuzziness. I also had a 12 band EQ to go with it. It’s not a bad amp 👍🏽
This amp does need a little help from a overdrive. I use a Kartakou warmer OD on it. You can also conture the tone a bit with the texture knob on the back. It does have a issue with the flub, but you can EQ it out. The R100 mod I just did on it helps out the gain channel tone when the boost is engaged. For a budget amp its pretty decent and it does have that Peavey voicing that Kyle mentions in the video. The R100 mod helps to clear up that buzzy fuzzy effect on the gain channel. You can replace the R100 resister with a piece of pcb circuit board wire. Super easy.
Could you do a demonstration???
@blasher4 I sold this amplifier to a guy after I modified it. Got an offer I could not refuse. I would recommend searching the net for instructions. There are a couple of forums that have links.
@@jriff79guitar so if you do the mod directly using a wire, are you saying it sounds the same as if you have a guitar cord going into fx loop?
@blasher4 This was 3 years ago. You are going to have to research the mods and decide whether you are up for a little soldering. I can't do a demonstration. I literally looked up these mods and found a pdf step by step that was linked in a forum. But if remember correctly, yes, I believe it has the same effect as putting a patch cable in the effects loop. You are relieving resistance in the circuit, just hard wiring it. But like I said, it's been 3 years. Sorry, I can't be much more help.
@@jriff79guitar thanks man. I’ll probably just keep the cables in fx loop if it has same results. I also have a dummy input into 2nd input. Is there any other mod you would suggest to clear this thing up?
I've been playing, recording and gigging the sh*t out of this Valveking VK100 (combo version) for nearly 10 years, it sustained countless of hard falls when transporting to venues (no anvil), even a dog pissed on it one time, no problem. Tonewise is nowhere near "boutique" and you'll be a fool if you expect that from this amp, but one of the best things about the valveking is that is very simple to get a usable tone. Literally you can just set everything at 12' and it will be fine to start with, its not like other amps that you have multiple of choices, knobs, switches, channels, and you need time and experience to get the best out of it. Its reliable and sounds really good. Recommended if you're on a budget.
Great amp for a rock & roll bar band. Has that AC/DC, JET, maybe even Scorpions vibe. I had the 100 watt head and also the 1x12. Tube screamer and a noise gate and you're good to go. I didn't like it for recording though.
As a Valveking owner (it was a gift), I can say, the real thing that kills the Valveking isn't the amp, it's the speaker cabinet, the stock speaker cabinet is kinda terrible
Its just a tube head. What speaker cabinet are you talking about?
@@MrDalegray When you get the 100 watt head and matching 4x12 cabinet
They were also sold as combos. I have a 100 watt vk combo
😂The cab is heavy Burch ply and it's awesome ! The speakers the valve king used weren't the best but they aren't crap that's for sure.
I made a mod video for this amp. Great amps. Subscribed.
My favorite amp now ,, El cheapo VK 100 with Voodoo Lab sparkle drive ,,, all knobs set 11 o clock with a MXR 10 BAND IN LOOPER and VK gain at 3 1/2 ,,to 4 ,,, 10 o clock position ,,, has a unique. Solid state tube hybrid feel 👶🎤🙏😁👶🎤🙏😁. Does not even need a noise gate with clean electricity
My buddy swears by the ValveKing, he calls it a sleeper amp. Guess we will find out soon..
Interesting, your comment is older then the video. Gotta love UA-cam.
@@SilentNightBodomNight yours is too aparently
So after the bias mod using a 15k resister and 50k potentiometer I was able to rebias the power tubes safely around 35ma. However, I noticed the JJ 6L6GC had a slightly varying miliamp voltage reading. It has been my observation that either the tone sounds better set around 33ma with the possibility of it needing new tubes because of variance power tube voltage. This sounds very good on full power class A/B with the texture knob all the way up, or clockwise. It also sounds better using my ZoomG3N TS9 simulator over the Kartakou warmer OD for some reason.
Interesting. Curious to see if you mod anything else on that
You need a JSX on the channel
I own a Peavey Invective MH also Made in China and it sounds kick ass comparing to that thing!
I like the valve king above all that except for the old 5150 combo !
I have 3 Peavey valveking 112 50 watt with texture knob on the back to passe from classAB'modern to classA real vintage real good tube on a budget ,mesa Guy snob ,real good Peavey cheap & durable
Eq in the effects loop huge help
I would put a graphic eq like: source audio or a parametric tune the lows there.
Love that amp!! Great pedal platform too!!
I thought that last tone sounded pretty damn amazing honestly.
No harder to dial in than a Dual Rect!! Nice vid man
After owning one of these combo 212s and tweaking around with it i find she runs better with external cab and eq in the front and a decent multieffects unit but i do recommend messing with the threshold and parametric eq thn of course jump the loop i mean this thing is definitely a beast waiting its time to be unleashed im getting some serious testament sounds out of her rn doing all of this i hope this helps someone 😊i mean the sheffield 1230 2x12 cab out sure does help shit
How and where did you record the amp sound? Great thing checking through the EQsettings.
I have a VK II 50 Watt Combo.
Sounds amazing with a V30.
Is your pickup selector switch mounted backwards? There’s no way that tone is from the neck pickup but the switch is in the neck position. Just wondering. Cool demo!!
Wondering same¡!!1!!
I’ve previously owned a VK for a year or 2 and it was pretty sick. This certainly does not seem to have any bite like I remember. I used to record with a 2 channel triple recto and them blended was amazing...wonder if I had a modded one? In any case I spray painted the mesh grill silver and it looked so badass.
Yessir, this one has a wiring issue that I haven't resolved yet
These pop up in my area all the time for fairly cheap
Its under rated as far as I'm concerned. I used one for years before upgrading to a triple xxx.
a dummy load on input 1 also helps for some reason.
Glad i found a Bugera 6260-212…im just dabblin and it sounds good to me.
Did you mod your toggle switch to be the bridge pickup in the up position? Mega weird xD
Es posible que tuvieras conectada la pastilla del mastil todo el tiempo?
I like your videos. You do a great job demoing some metal rigs with thrash riffage.
Just bought one along with 4x12 peavey VK cab for less than 300$
I have a Windsor I don't like the way it sounds I can dial in a decent sound but I use it as a power amp I run my line six pod into the return and it works great for that and for the money I spent in it 500 and got a marshal cab granted it had rocket 50's in it but replaced them with better speakers I also got the pod with it so for 500 in my opinion was worth it
I've gotten pretty awesome tones using a dimed out HM-2 on my VK 212
Boss gt 1 sounds perfect with this amp idk why people cant dial it in i mean this amp does it all if you olay with it
I’d imagine that an EMG 81 would sound much clearer and tighter on this amp. Makes me wonder if it’s worth a buy since you can get these for very little even still.
Ive got 3 guitars with emg active 81/85s im buying this amp used locally for 300$ next week. I cant wait to try it with my mesa 2×12 and my windsor 4×12 cabinets and my ts9dx turbo tubescreamer
@@codysroom6303 I ended up getting one two months ago now and did a few mods on it. The R100 and Mesa Mods. After that ... as well as getting the tubes that I prefer installed, it’s a fantastic amp. To me, it’s about as good as something like a 6505 but with a better clean channel. To get the gain a little more similar to a 6505 though you really need a boost/tube screamer or something though.
I had 2 of these , never did fully dig them. I had a Peavey XXX that I liked much much more.
Now the real question is, which is better the Peavey Transtube Supreme or the Valveking?
I guess it depends on the player. Both amps are great. I have modded my vk gen 1 (50 W combo, removed C149). Now beatiful brightness. Unlimited gain at 12 o clock.
I've kept one of these in the pile for a few years. They're so damn cheap it's almost a "Oh why the hell not" kind of purchase. I think mine was a little over 200 after tax. I don't play it that much because I have a lot of better amps but at 200 bucks it punches way outside it's weight class.
In your opinion, which tuba combo amp is best for less than 2g's. Low wattage is ok. Which has the best sound?
Where are you keeping the texture knob on the back set to? I feel like you kinda glossed over that and I'm tired of fighting mine lol
A few things to add here. I think this is supposed to be a jcm clone. So it's a mid heavy amp. How I set mine up. All eqs bass middle treble to noon then adjust resonance and presence to taste. Resonance to 11 o'clock presence to 2 o'clock takes the blanket away in my opinion. Also try cranking the mid eq all the way and you will be like wow. I think it sounds great with shettfields and v30s in my opinion. Also a volume pedal or eq pedal in the effect loop works wonders. A 3120 in my opinion is the amp to get but this is 2nd in my opinion not bad at all
The Windsor was the newer Peavey take on a JCM circuit. This is it's own thing. Thanks for the comment!
Shit the valveking I used to have was sick dude for real that shit was heavy
I think you are really underestimating the versatility of the amp. And that is the place where this amp reigns over anything else i have heard. Most amps have a "tone", but this one can morph the tone. And if high gain is what you want, and feel it lacks a bit, you can always use a pedal like most ppl that don't use rectified amps use. But for me, rectified amp distortion sounds so dull, it's a perfect tone, that it sound artificial and it had no body. I always destroyed the other guitar player tone with mine live and on rehearsals. I agree you have to put in some work to get a heavier tone that doesn't sound muddy, but the resonance plus gain, plus booster button, plus less bass and more mids and highs with prescence gets you there. The effect loop trick sounds cool. I used yo have this amp and i did almost everythigng yuu can with it but i mever knew that trick. Use the clean channel and put the volume all the way up and see how you can play amazing blues. Ok too much volume? Use one of those volume diminishers (i dont know the exact term in english since i speak spanish) that go between the cab and the speakers, to like 25%. Definitely going to get this amp again wheni get the money. And i think import is the way if you ssay ypu can get it for like 400 bucks. I have used, jcm 700, 800, 2000, peavey 6505 and would still use this one instead. But the only thing i get a question is: if you crank up the loop effect with the cable, then you can't use a delay for example? Or can you put it directly on the guitar line?
I recently found a XXL solid-state head for a bargain price, my cousin wants it for his 13 year old son who's been playing guitar for a few years now. Seems kind of like a mix between a Supreme and a Triple XXX. If you do one solid-state amp review that would be a good one
For sure, the XXL actually sounds great IMO
I got a supreme and a nice beefy cab and never wanted more. Very versatile head with its voices and adjustable speaker flex.
Thanks for this video, I am enjoying going through your videos. I was wondering if you have your pedal settings online somewhere? I'm a little new to gain pedals, I've only used them as subtractive
hey man! With overdrive pedals, I pretty much always start with level all the way up, gain all the way down, and tone at noon as a base, adjust from there
You know about the knob in the back?
Or does mine have a mod?
When some mean gain they mean drive , like that driving sustain, if an amp feels too choppy , it gives them the impression that gain is low. i know that because that was my perception before i really got to own or play on alot of tube amps for myself. i found i liked the line 6 pod pro , because it had a separate distortion gain knob and a drive knob that basically produced long sustain, instead of it dying off too shortly even though there was all this gain going on. something i absolutely hated with the rocktron 'gainiac'. It is an example of high high gain capability, yet it falls off immediately after notes are struck. There is a fine balance to achieve for amp players for the amp to feel right in response to their playing , especially for those whom listen while they play, like a chef tastes food they create to know what it tastes like. i could probably say for any given riff or even passage in a song i would like to adjust drive . With the pod , and any amp we must choose our amp or adjust to a Compromise. Recordings don't require compromise in the drive adjustment, howeveer realtime does. This is one of the most important things with an amp and to many that they just have not identified it or yet. The character and grit and grind and sawdust and powder, well those are sprinkles on top for a player like me, and i do not reject those characteristics as noises. There is a difference between 'noise' and noises of 3D texture in the sounds the amp makes and is part of tonal qualities registered in an amplifier for any use. No pun intended on the paragraph.
Nice.....did you use the NECK pickup in this entire review?
very good in depth tour
Just bought one from GC
Quit almost immediately
Getting a mod from thermite too help it out..
Kinda hoping too rectify issues you point out..
GC killed 3/5 amps I bought
Just horrible packing mainly and ups don’t give a sheit
12:50 part of it is the Mesa Cab my man
The last gain stage feeds back into itself. The boost opens that to full throttle.
It's a really fun amp when you do the mods.Not 50 of them though... Bias,soldano mod, remove diodes & remove texture know. Skip the others.I love ab'g it with my 5150. K100's and stay away from jj power tube to get rid of the smeary mid range also for the win. My 5150 could care less what power tube mostly.
Sounds killer dude, as always !
Thanks man!
bi passing the peavey circuitry and putting an od pedal or distortion pedal into the effects loop works pretty good. sounds like classic acdc. they messed up the preamp on this badboy.
Had one given to me.. wasn't bad at all. Gave it to a friend's son who was getting good at guitar. He still plays it.
Can't beat free
@@belligerentamateur never.. I like free gifts.. I also like your Peavey VTM and if you decide to part with her. I will gladly buy. Was my first amp and would love to get another one that hasn't been modded before my death. Lol.
Do u think an MXR Eq would "boost" this amp and make it sound THAT good???