70s Peavey

[Valvehead]

Anyone familiar with these amps ? I have a early 70s? Peavey Classic , 100 series here . 2 - 6L6 and ss preamp , 2x12. There are 2 cables soldered to the 1st two input jack and they come out of the bottom of the chassis , with male 1/4 plugs...What the hell? Did someone add this ?

anyone got a schematic ? cant find one online

[tedmich]

homemade FX loop? I'd get rid of them!

This B series may be the schematic
https://www.audioservicemanuals.com/...ies-schematics

or maybe the A series
https://www.audioservicemanuals.com/...ies-schematics

[g1]

This might be the schematic. It looks like someone just added some 'mult' cables, so they can run the same source to other gear.

[Enzo]

You left out the most important picture, the input jacks. Peavey Classic was a very common amp. It came in two versions, A and B. Both had four input jacks. The older A series had two jacks for Normal and two for Bright. The later B series had four jacks: Normal, Bright, Series, Parallel. WHich is you?

Looks like someone removed two jacks and added their own for this mod. Those cables are not remotely stock. I can't tell from the photo, but it looks like the two end jacks are simply wired to the new cables which go out and end in 1/4 plugs.

[Valvehead]

looks like mine is the A

i removed those extra cables and now i have signal . Surprisingly , everything works after a pot cleaning , except the rev tank is dead . What a horrible sounding amp (the overdrive) ...people actually like these things ??

[Enzo]

You have a fifty year old amp that you are just now getting sound out of, and you are claiming they sound bad and why would anyone like them? How about rebuilding the amp before that judgement. You may not like it anyway, but at least give it a fair shot.

In my experience with 70s era PV amps, those small electrolytics in the preamp have not aged well. I rarely see these amps that do not need ALL of those replaced. I refer to the little 2uf 35v caps that are all over the preamp. Once those are replaced, go through and check the circuit voltages. The schematic has numerous voltages around the circuit.

[vintagekiki]

Peavey schematics

http://adrsoundsense.co.uk/technical/schematics.html
Classic A Series.pdf
Classic-B series.pdf

https://www.audioservicemanuals.com/p/peavey/

https://el34world.com/charts/Schematics/Files/Peavey/Peavey_Schematics.htm

https://www.schematicsunlimited.com/p/peavey

https://www.thetubestore.com/peavey-schematics

https://forums.peavey.com/index.php

[TomCarlos]

Valvehead.... Can you pull back and take a photo of the inside chassis facing the front then back? Maybe someone will see something else that might need your attention.

Once you replace the caps and confirm voltages, perhaps you can then tackle the reverb. But the way, the reverb tank.... is it screwed into the bottom of the cabinet or on the bottom side of the chassis? And what is the reverb make, number, number of springs? If I am not mistaken, this amp uses the full size reverb tank (and not the smaller grey color 2 spring tanks found in many of the Peavey solid state amps).

[tedmich]

here is a partially functioning (reverb is out) 1974 type A

tube heaven gain monster it is not

[J M Fahey]

tube heaven gain monster it is not

Was tube gain monster even INVENTED in 1970?

Gimme a break.

[tedmich]

Was tube gain monster even INVENTED in 1970?

Gimme a break.

I was being hyperbolic, but there were considerably heavier sounds coming from Marshalls at the same time

and years previous. The advent of higher gain SS preamps would take a while for sure! But the Classic wasn't for that, obviously. They can sound quite nice when fixed up as Enzo has said.

[Leo_Gnardo]

tube heaven gain monster it is not

HA! I remember those. True the so called "overdrive" was awful. OTOH may have been inspired some rancid punk rock tone mid 70's.

Good advice from Enzo, replacing all electrolytics on the board. I'll try to remember this should I encounter Peaveys of this period again.

Points to tedmich for posting Robin Trower video, one of my all time fave guitarists. Still going in the *seventh* decade of his career!

[vintagekiki]

Valvehead....

I'm not Valvehead, but I can help

http://www.chambonino.com/work/peavey/pea6.html
The story of a Peavey classic 50 amplifier

https://forums.peavey.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=40769
Old Peavey Classic 2x12 (2x 6L6GC) Hybrid

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/peavey-classic-100-series-tube-amp-137845083
Peavey classic 100 series tube amp chassis 50 watts 6l6

https://forums.peavey.com/viewtopic.php?t=50919
Recently Acquired a "Classic" - looking for more info on it

https://forums.peavey.com/search.php?keywords=classic+100

[glebert]

What a horrible sounding amp (the overdrive) ...people actually like these things ??

Only tangentially related, but I have come to love the Peavey hybrid overdrive for bass. I picked up an Artist VT chassis and made it into a head and it works awesome for bass or as a guitar pedal platform.

[Valvehead]

here is a partially functioning (reverb is out) 1974 type A

tube heaven gain monster it is not

sounds like he stepping on a distortion pedal to go to distortion..mine sounds nothing like that.

enzo may be right on the worn out parts