Peavey ValveKing II 20

Flexible all-tube 20W combo

By Phil O'Keefe

Tube amplifiers have remained popular with guitarists for ages and Peavey has been making cool sounding tube amps for many years, so when I was offered a chance to check out their new ValveKing II 20 1x12 combo amplifier, I jumped at the opportunity. Let's have a look at the details.

What You Need To Know

• The ValveKing II 20 has two channels, each with its own individual set of passive Bass, Mid and Treble controls. A front panel Channel Select switch lets you switch between the Clean and Lead channels, or you can use an optional footswitch for channel switching. 

• The Clean channel has its own Volume control, as well as a Bright switch. Engaging this gives the amp a nice, bright chimey jangle and edgy breakup when the volume is pushed - perfect for mid-60s British Invasion tones. With it disengaged, the ValveKing II 20 is capable of generating rounder, fuller-tone (double-entendre intended) type sounds from the Clean channel.

• As with the Clean channel, the Lead channel has its own Volume control, and also a Gain knob, which lets you dial up the amount of overdrive you want while controlling the Lead channel's output level with the Volume knob.

• There is also a footswitchable Boost (selectable from the front panel with a push-button switch) and a second switch that adds even more gain to the Lead channel's Gain knob's range. There is plenty of gain on tap - rockers and metalheads are going to love the ValveKing II's thick, saturated tones. In fact, the Lead channel gain is so high that I initially wished there was a bit more overlap between the Clean channel's crunchier settings (with the volume turned up high) and the Lead channel's lower-gain settings. In the studio, re-patching between the ValveKing II 20's two inputs really helps here - Input II is designed for higher gain pickups and allowed me to get some of the classic light-breakup lead tones I was seeking from the Lead channel, even when using a Gibson SG Standard with 57 Classic humbuckers. The Boost and Gain switches also help, and there's a huge range of gain available, depending on how you have everything set. If you desire a heavily distorted sound, this amp is capable of giving it to you without any need for assistance from a dirt pedal.

• The power amp section of the ValveKing II 20 uses a pair of EL84 power tubes, producing 20 watts. A rear panel switch allows you to run it at 5 watts or even 1 watt, which is great for smaller gigs, recording, and bedroom practice. And unlike some "attenuators", the low-power settings actually sound good on this amp.

• Another really innovative feature is the Tube Status Indication (T.S.I. ™). The Valve King actually monitors the health of the two power tubes, and a pair of LEDs on the front panel keep you apprised of their condition, turning red when the amp is in standby or when there is a fault with a tube, and green when the amp's active and the tubes are functioning normally. They can indicate when the tube is under-current or over-current, and can save you time and effort troubleshooting if one of the tubes should happen to develop problems at a gig.   

• Peavey's patented Vari-Class control allows you to go from regular Class AB operation to a simulated Class A operation, or anywhere in between. This changes the response and breakup characteristics of the amp, and as you move this control further counter-clockwise, the amp responds more like a Class A amp, with less power and earlier breakup, and an even sweeter sound.

• There is also a Damping control that works by changing the damping factor of the power amplifier. It can tighten up the lows or give them a looser feel and fuller sound, depending on how you have it set. This adds even more sonic flexibility to the amp.

• The Reverb, Damping, and Vari-Class controls affect both the Lead and Clean channels. The reverb is full, sweet and drippy sounding, and it has plenty of range. Like the channel switching, it can also be switched in and out with an optional footswitch.

• The back panel has a wealth of features too, including a buffered effects loop (also footswitchable) and parallel speaker jacks with selectable impedance.

• Guitarists who record are also going to love the Valve King 20's speaker defeat switch and MSDI (Mic Simulated Direct Interface) XLR output. There's even a USB port with mic simulation so you can record the Valve King 20 directly into your computer.

Limitations

• There is not a huge amount of overlap between the maximum grit available from the clean channel and the lower-gain settings on the lead channel. As previously noted, you can get around this in various ways, but if you need to rely heavily on "in-between" type mid-gain tones from both channels in a live setting, you may need to look elsewhere, or use an overdrive pedal to augment the main clean and lead sounds. Fortunately, the amp "takes" pedals quite well.

• I was disappointed to find out that there are no footswitches included with the ValveKing II 20. Admittedly they would add to the base cost of the amp, but I feel that the footswitching features add so much functionality and convenience (especially for live gigs) that at least one switch is going to be a must-have for the majority of owners, and I'd strongly recommend budgeting for one or two footswitches if you purchase this amp.

Conclusion

This is a really cool all-tube amp! While it's versatile, and can be used for a variety of musical genres, I think that due to the highly saturated tones that it can generate, players who like heavier musical styles are going to particularly enjoy it. About the only thing Peavey doesn't include is a pair of two-button TRS footswitches, and I'd definitely recommend purchasing them along with the amp - they add a lot of additional versatility to an already flexible and great-sounding amp that is perfect for recording and practice, and yet still has enough power and tone to serve you well for playing club gigs with a rock band. The ValveKing is a really sweet sounding amp that gives players a ton of tonal options and features at a very reasonable price. Well done Peavey!



Resources

Musician's Friend Peavey ValveKing II 20 20W 1x12 combo amplifier online catalog page ($749.99 MSRP, $549.99 "street")

Optional 2-button footswitch ($45.99 "street")

Peavey's ValveKing II 20 product web page