Hartley Peavey on TransTube Technology

[Dick Seacup]

Disclaimer: I own one of the original Peavey Bandit 112s with Transtube Technology

 

Came across this PDF (hopefully attached below) on TGP in the middle of a discussion about "boutique" solid-state amps. I thought it was interesting, especially one certain paragraph towards the end, and figured I would share it here. Maybe someone cares enough to read it, maybe not. I will say this, though...while my Bandit 112 doesn't sound exactly like a tube amp, it can sound pretty darn good. Certainly good enough for what I do with it.

chapter_3.pdf

[tulk1]

That was a cool read. Thanks, Dixie. I had a Peavey Bandit back in the early '90s. Never even gave it a thought that it wasn't a tube amp. Sold it when I needed a bigger amp. Now, tho', I'm a snob.

[fxdx99]

Yes, interesting read - thanks. Peavey bandits were one popular amp amongst the bar bands as they were comparatively cheap, sounded decent, and pretty bullet proof. I used a Yamaha solid state 1x12 "2 channel" amp for a good long while when bar-band gigging in the early 80s. Direct out for PA signal, parametric eq... the overdrive channel was really good, but the clean wasn't very 'rich' sounding. Didn't treat it all that well, extreme temps, banging around and it always worked without any maintenance in the 20 years I owned it. Prior to it was using an Ampeg V4 which had a great/full clean sound, but both top and 4x12 bottom weighed a ton so I was very happy to move to the small combo.

 

So yeh, SS can make some good sounds but like tulk, I'm a toob snob all the way now

 

Come to think of it, I've the Yamaha SS on the Turn Me Loose and Little Too Late tracks... always thought that amp had a decent 'rock' sound.

http://www.myspace.com/lynnmariesings

[pegleg32]

Thanks Mr. Seacup, that is a fascinating article for someone like me who does not know a lot about how amps work. I read it with great interest.

[Thundersteel]

I've read a story or two where a band would have a Peavey Bandit mic'd to the PA system. The Peavey was hidden behind the massive wall of empty Marshall cabs.

 

Peavey sure makes reliable amps!

[JeffB]

That last bit about a blind fold test was interesting to me.

A work mate was demo'ing a couple of amps and pulling some great tones. I was out side of the amp room and couldnt see which amp he was using. Finally walked in and there he was plugged into a Peavey Bandit and grinning at me.

I saw the other amps he had lugged in for the test. I was gobsmacked that the amp that had drawn me in was the 112 Bandit.

I asked another workmate what amp he thought was being used. He was guessing it was the Bad Cat 212 but wasnt sure. He walked in and came out looking sheepish and suprised.

The walls of the amp room do slightly muffle the sound but it is by no means sound proof.

The concession I will make is that listening to an amp being played is a totally different experience to sitting there and playing it.

But it did make me stop and think about what I really need as opposed to what I think I need. A decent speaker in that Bandit could open it up even more.

[JeffB]

Another thing that struck me is his description of digital modeling. Obviously he wasnt working on the Vypyr when he wrote this.

The Vypyr for all its processing power doesnt hold up well compared to the cheaper trans tube amps Tone wise or feel wise.

 

Sorry guys I havnt been to work and around many people for 3 weeks. Im finding everything on the web so important that I feel like I got to say something.

[pegleg32]

Sorry guys I havnt been to work and around many people for 3 weeks. Im finding everything on the web so important that I feel like I got to say something.

 

Let her rip Tully, no apology needed!!

[fxdx99]

Sorry guys I havnt been to work and around many people for 3 weeks. Im finding everything on the web so important that I feel like I got to say something.

 

Smile - hope the foot's healing up. Your guitar chops must be awesome with all that playing time on your hands! Happy summer - we've our first big snowstorm today. Spent an hour digging out this a.m. to get to work... the 'net just seems more interesting today as well.

[JeffB]

Let her rip Tully, no apology needed!!

 

 

Smile - hope the foot's healing up. Your guitar chops must be awesome with all that playing time on your hands! Happy summer - we've our first big snowstorm today. Spent an hour digging out this a.m. to get to work... the 'net just seems more interesting today as well.

Thanks

Yeah today I was playing over some backing tracks and the thought occurred to me that I hadn't played so fluidly for a long time. Felt good to reclaim some lost chops and technique.

Also spent time just contemplating what I actually like to play. What made me want to play. What music lifts me and makes me want to play. Whats natural.

Spent so many years playing music for everybody else and what they want to hear forgot what I liked. Spent all this time restraining my natural inclinations.

I sat back and felt like I made some peace with myself or met myself or found out a little about by self. that helped free up my mind and ultimately let me play stuff I wouldnt normally let myself. Seems like I like cheese.

 

edit:

Sorry about the hijack.

[myway]

Still playing my Studio Pro 112 (Transtube) and still enjoying it.

[bolero]

I remember seeing some band once & they had a small POS solid state Fender practice amp cranked up & miked into the PA, sounded amazing, and massive, thru the PA

[JeffB]

I remember seeing some band once & they had a small POS solid state Fender practice amp cranked up & miked into the PA, sounded amazing, and massive, thru the PA

A previuos band I played in the other guitar player always carried one of these around. It payed off one night when his Marshall went down.

He just used the line out to the desk and used his fold back for stage volume. Worked a treat. Sound guy loved it.

[kbp810]

A previuos band I played in the other guitar player always carried one of these around. It payed off one night when his Marshall went down.

He just used the line out to the desk and used his fold back for stage volume. Worked a treat. Sound guy loved it.

 

I personally am a tube man through and through... but I think when it all boils down to it, its really the player that makes the amp.

 

I had a good friend back in the Navy that was just an unbelievably talented player; and to put it in perspective... think Andy Mckee (for anyone that doesn't know who that is I would highly recommend doing a search in you tube - pretty cool stuff). He always played through a solid state bargain bin beginners amp (I think it was a Kustom), and believe me he made that thing howl like no other. Now, not to say he might not have sounded that much better through a "better" amp, but he just did what he could with what he had... and boy did he ever do it well.

 

He made me a believer in the saying that a good player can benefit from having great gear, but a great player just needs his own two hands - now that being said, I am a "good" player, and I'll take all the help I can get - that and I am addicted to always searching out new tones

 

Not sure if that was staying completely within the topic of this thread... just made me think back so thought I'd share.

[iim7v7im7]

Disclaimer: I own one of the original Peavey Bandit 112s with Transtube Technology

 

Came across this PDF (hopefully attached below) on TGP in the middle of a discussion about "boutique" solid-state amps. I thought it was interesting, especially one certain paragraph towards the end, and figured I would share it here. Maybe someone cares enough to read it, maybe not. I will say this, though...while my Bandit 112 doesn't sound exactly like a tube amp, it can sound pretty darn good. Certainly good enough for what I do with it.

 

Thanks for sharing. It is a very interesting historical overview.

 

It's funny, I have played solid state amps for at least 15 years, but I have never considered them for overdriven sounds. I bet there are some that sound good like your Bandit. The thing I am always interested in is "feel". Its the touch sensitivity that I look for when playing the blues. The ability to dig in an play louder and have the amp respond and "sing" with an overdriven tone and the ability to back off and pick few triads or 7th chords lightly and have the amp totally clean up. I also like the spongey feel you get when you get your rectifier to not be able to keep up with the required current demmands of the amp (sag). I have only found this type of touch sensitivity and dynamic range with tube amps.

 

On the other hand when I play jazz, I love the fast attack, great head room and flat frequency response that solid state gives me. I really need to check out some of the newer solid state amps one of these days. I know that Pritchard Amps (http://www.pritchardamps.com/pritchardamps.cfm) are solid state and I hear that they are excellent amps. They are however quite expensive (e.g. $2,500) so that makes one think before trying one of them out.

 

:-)

[rjsanders]

a guy came over here with a Pritchard to compare with one of my Jukes. i plugged in, too, & the Pritchard was nice, but i was pretty underwhelmed for the price.

 

this week i got a V-stack amp. they were s'posed to be the bomb a year or two ago, 'specially with the Trainwreck ("Boutique") model, but despite the 50w rating, my old Roland Cube 30 is way louder, if needed, and generally sounds better. anyway, the V-stack (firstact.com) is being closed out, if anyone wants an interesting coffee table or nightstand for $99.

[yoslate]

I remember seeing some band once & they had a small POS solid state Fender practice amp cranked up & miked into the PA, sounded amazing, and massive, thru the PA

 

 

Well, remember, the "Stairway..." solo was recorded on a small Supro....

[FredZepp]

Thanks Dick Seacup for the great read. There is some very interesting thoughts in that one. A much more thought provoking read than I expected.

 

I admit that I have an old SS Marshall , English made, that has been upgraded with a very old Alnico 12 speaker that sounds really nice. ( supposedly B Gibbons used one of these to record with)

Very tubelike..

(Of course,I love my tube amps also... )

[slider313]

I'm a true tube amp lover and I've yet to hear ANY solid state amp sound as good as a tube amp.

Can a solid state amp sound good? Sure. Does the player have much to do with making the solid state amp sound good? Absolutely. If the same player was to go back and forth between say a Peavey Bandit and a '66 Deluxe Reverb would the soild state amp still sound as good? Maybe. It's all in the ears of the player/listener and my ears don't hear the even order harmonics out of SS amps. In the same respect Peter Frampton runs his signal through an old Ampeg Super Echo Twin JUST for the reverb. I think his tone is excellent and consistant. Remember, not everyone hears things the same, what I find to be killer tone may be your tone killer.