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Peavey VALVEKING 100 Head ==> New amp review


Deuterium

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I thought I would post a brief review of the Peavey ValveKing 100 amp I just purchased.

 

I got this for a steal from my local Guitar shop. I have given my local store a LOT of business over the years, and have developed a good friendship with the guitar department manager. This amp is new, and normally sells for $ 549 USD. I bought it for $ 399 USD...which is a killer price.

 

I have it connected to a Vox V212BN 2 x 12 cabinet with Wharfdale speakers. The Valveking has a nice serial FX loop, in which I run a Rocktron Xpression (for some reverb and echo effects). The head has a built-in spring reverb...but I prefer the Rocktron Xpression's digital Reverb effects.

 

There are several unique, and very cool things with this amp.

 

On the back, is a "Texture" control...which is a dial that modifys the amp's power section to operate in Class A/B or single-ended Class A. The dial is infinitely adjustable, so you can mix the operaton of the 4 x 6L6 power tubes. When it is completely counter-clockwise, it puts the amp in Class A mode...and when adjusting it clock-wise, it progressively switches over into Class A/B mode. I have it set at Noon...which gives a way cool mix of both.

 

The Clean channel is very nice, and also has a bright switch to add even more chime and sparkle. But who uses the Clean channel?

 

It is the Lead channel that is happenning !!

 

There is a HUGE amount of gain capability in this amp, and you can dial in as much or as little as you want...with all levels sounding very articulate (from mean to scream). The ValveKing has a very pronounced mid-range voicing....which I love, because it is just what you want for Lead / Solo based playing style. The amp has an excellent Master Volume circuit...and I can achieve excellent gain and sustain at low volume levels.

 

The Lead channel's normal gain tops out at a level I would compare to a boosted JCM 800. However, there is ALSO a Gain Boost switch, which pulls in another pre-amp tube. When this is engaged, the total gain level is comparable to a 5150.

 

I prefer to set my amp's gain (without the boost switch engaged) at around noon...and boost with the DOD 250 pedal. With the DOD bypassed, this gain setting on the amp provides a very sweet bluesy overdriven tone, which is a tad beyond just "breaking up", but below the threshold of real pre-amp distortion clipping. With the DOD engaged, it yields a wonderful, Yngwie-esque violin like overdrive, with gobs of sustain and rich harmonics.

 

Additional tweakability to your tone is provided by the amp's "Presence" and "Resonance" control dials. The "Presence" influences the amp's high end frequency response, where as the "Resonance" influences the amp's low-end frequency response. These two controls allow for fine tuning the tone, and tailoring the amps tone to a particular speaker cabinets strengths.

 

In short, a very cool amp, with incredible "Bang for the Buck" value.

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Nice review!!

 

I have a Valve King 212 and I can get GREAT tone from it as long as I run an EQ in the effects loop and dial out the harshness.

 

I can get it to sound very smooth yet crunchy..... very Marshall-like!

 

I'm very happy with mine. No thoughts of ever selling it. :thu:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

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Could you do us a favour?


Chuck a high-gain distortion pedal in front and tell me how it sounds? Considering one as a stand-in until I get a decent amp again.

 

 

Despite the low price, I wouldn't characterize this as a "less than decent" amp...although I am sure that's not what you really meant.

 

This amp, IMHO, has tone every bit as good as an amp costing 3 times as much (or more).

 

As far as your request...I don't own a high-gain distortion pedal. The closest to that would be a SD-1. I do like the SD-1 in front of certain amps...but not this one. I have found that, on amps which have a well defined mid-range voicing, a "cleaner" OD pedal sounds better than a true distortion pedal. With this amp, I particularly like the DOD 250 clone (Analogman DOD YJM 308 with 741 mojo mod) as well as the Digitech Bad Monkey. There is (for me, anyway) almost too much gain available in this amp...especially when the gain boost switch is engaged. Putting a high-gain distortion pedal in front of this, would most likely produce a "Nu-Metal" or "Death-Metal" tone, which may work for rhythm "chugga, chugga" type riffing...but would SUCK for lead / solo oriented playing.

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I thought I would post a brief review of the Peavey ValveKing 100 amp I just purchased.


I got this for a steal from my local Guitar shop. I have given my local store a LOT of business over the years, and have developed a good friendship with the guitar department manager. This amp is new, and normally sells for $ 549 USD. I bought it for $ 399 USD...which is a killer price.


I have it connected to a Vox V212BN 2 x 12 cabinet with Wharfdale speakers. The Valveking has a nice serial FX loop, in which I run a Rocktron Xpression (for some reverb and echo effects). The head has a built-in spring reverb...but I prefer the Rocktron Xpression's digital Reverb effects.


There are several unique, and very cool things with this amp.


On the back, is a "Texture" control...which is a dial that modifys the amp's power section to operate in Class A/B or single-ended Class A. The dial is infinitely adjustable, so you can mix the operaton of the 4 x 6L6 power tubes. When it is completely counter-clockwise, it puts the amp in Class A mode...and when adjusting it clock-wise, it progressively switches over into Class A/B mode. I have it set at Noon...which gives a way cool mix of both.


The Clean channel is very nice, and also has a bright switch to add even more chime and sparkle. But who uses the Clean channel?


It is the Lead channel that is happenning !!


There is a HUGE amount of gain capability in this amp, and you can dial in as much or as little as you want...with all levels sounding very articulate (from mean to scream). The ValveKing has a very pronounced mid-range voicing....which I love, because it is just what you want for Lead / Solo based playing style. The amp has an excellent Master Volume circuit...and I can achieve excellent gain and sustain at low volume levels.


The Lead channel's normal gain tops out at a level I would compare to a boosted JCM 800. However, there is ALSO a Gain Boost switch, which pulls in another pre-amp tube. When this is engaged, the total gain level is comparable to a 5150.


I prefer to set my amp's gain (without the boost switch engaged) at around noon...and boost with the DOD 250 pedal. With the DOD bypassed, this gain setting on the amp provides a very sweet bluesy overdriven tone, which is a tad beyond just "breaking up", but below the threshold of real pre-amp distortion clipping. With the DOD engaged, it yields a wonderful, Yngwie-esque violin like overdrive, with gobs of sustain and rich harmonics.


Additional tweakability to your tone is provided by the amp's "Presence" and "Resonance" control dials. The "Presence" influences the amp's high end frequency response, where as the "Resonance" influences the amp's low-end frequency response. These two controls allow for fine tuning the tone, and tailoring the amps tone to a particular speaker cabinets strengths.


In short, a very cool amp, with incredible "Bang for the Buck" value.

 

 

 

I am lovin my V/K head as well. I am still trying to find out from other V/K owners what pre-amp tubes were stock in theirs. Mine came new with 2 EH tubes and 1 JJ. I thought that was unusual to come from the factory that way, but maybe mine was a return and the first owner changed some tubes. It does have the Ruby power tubes.

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I am lovin my V/K head as well. I am still trying to find out from other V/K owners what pre-amp tubes were stock in theirs. Mine came new with 2 EH tubes and 1 JJ. I thought that was unusual to come from the factory that way, but maybe mine was a return and the first owner changed some tubes. It does have the Ruby power tubes.

 

 

Interesting. Mine has Sovtek 6L6s

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I don't think the boost is from an extra tube being engaged; it's diode clipping. And I'm also not quite sure how this classifies as a master volume head; it's got independent volume and gain on each channel, but not a global master volume like on the JSX or Carvin V3. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what the true definition of "master volume".

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i dunno. my friend had a valveking, and i thought it sounded muddy. *shrug*

 

 

It gets muddy if u dime out the gain with the boost on. But put the gain around 6-7 with the gain boost on and it sounds great and theres plenty of gain.

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The two at the GC here in Phoenix had ruby's all around. I was very surprised by this amp. I was prepared for some buzzy killer bee action, but the gain was pretty darn nice, the amp was a little loose for my taste, but for the $$, pretty much a no brainer.

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I don't think the boost is from an extra tube being engaged; it's diode clipping. And I'm also not quite sure how this classifies as a master volume head; it's got independent volume and gain on each channel, but not a global master volume like on the JSX or Carvin V3. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what the true definition of "master volume".

 

 

Well, you may be correct about the gain boost switch...it could be added gain from diode clipping, I don't know for certain. I do know, however, that it sounds good...and sends this amp into nuclear meltdown when engaged. I personally prefer the tone of my DOD 250 pedal (or Bad Monkey) when the amp is just beyond breaking up, but nowhere near the highest gain setting. Like I mentioned in post, I leave the gain at 12:00...and that is without the gain boost switch engaged.

 

The fact that it has independent volume and gain on each channel accomplishes the function of having a "Master Volume" circuit, in this amp. In other words, you can get massive distortion (gain) and sustain despite having the volume level at "one".

 

Cheers,

John

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Hmmm...I see the point with the whole master volume thing. Kinda like my buddies Blue Voodoo. Theres a gain and volume for the gain channel, and jsut a volume on the clean channel. When I threw my V-amp into the fx return, none of the volume knobs did anything for the volume, kinda like the master was just at a fixed level.

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It gets muddy if u dime out the gain with the boost on. But put the gain around 6-7 with the gain boost on and it sounds great and theres plenty of gain.

 

 

Yeah, it sounds like dog{censored} if you dime it with the boost, but is that really surprising?

 

I think the best sound is like the OP said; noon with an external boost. The internal boost is meh, but with an SD-1 (as how I ran it) or something similar, it sounds pretty killer.

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I had read in some other posts that the early heads shipped with Sovtecs and were changed to Ruby's later on. Have you opened it up and looked at the pre-amp tubes?

 

 

It is very possible that this amp had been in stock for some time at my local guitar store. I am pretty certain I saw this head (I assume it was the same one) at least 6 months ago. I am sure the fact that that it hadn't been sold, was at least part of the reason for the great deal I got on it.

 

I just double-checked, and confirm that it does indeed have 4 x Sovtek 6L6 power tubes. I can't see the preamp tubes, as they are inside an aluminum sleeve. I would have to open up the chassis, and remove the protective sleeves to see the make of the pre-amp tubes...and alas, I am far to lazy to do that, since the amp is functioning just fine.

 

Do you know if there were quality reasons for Peavey's switch to Ruby's on the power tubes...or was it supply issues? The Sovtek 6L6s in my amp seem to be working just fine, and they have a normal glow when powered up (which is identical between all four tubes).

 

The amp is very quiet (for a high gain amp).

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a friend has the 2X12 combo and new tubes and speakers did WONDERS for that amp. The tubes tightned the tone up immensely and the speakers (he used an eminence cannibis rex and wizard) really brought the dull overdrive channel to life.

 

My suggestion is to get a new set of tubes for that bastard. SED winged C 6L6GC's and some good preamp tubes (not JJ's) and you'll be set.

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a friend has the 2X12 combo and new tubes and speakers did WONDERS for that amp. The tubes tightned the tone up immensely and the speakers (he used an eminence cannibis rex and wizard) really brought the dull overdrive channel to life.


My suggestion is to get a new set of tubes for that bastard. SED winged C 6L6GC's and some good preamp tubes (not JJ's) and you'll be set.

 

 

Your comments are appreciated, and no disrespect intended...but I wouldn't have bought the amp (even at the killer price) if I didn't like the amp's tone and sound, as it currently is. Certainly, when the tubes go bad, I will take your advice and invest in some nice SED 6L6s. But for now, the Sovtek's sound just fine (to me). I have of course changed or "up-graded" power tubes in my amps, in the past,,,but UNLESS the power tubes were going bad, I just didn't notice an appreciable difference. I realize I may be in the minority on this issue, and perhaps others, like yourself, are more sensitive to tonal differences between manufacturers of power tubes of the same type. I just don't seem to notice this to the same degree.

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It is very possible that this amp had been in stock for some time at my local guitar store. I am pretty certain I saw this head (I assume it was the same one) at least 6 months ago. I am sure the fact that that it hadn't been sold, was at least part of the reason for the great deal I got on it.


I just double-checked, and confirm that it does indeed have 4 x Sovtek 6L6 power tubes. I can't see the preamp tubes, as they are inside an aluminum sleeve. I would have to open up the chassis, and remove the protective sleeves to see the make of the pre-amp tubes...and alas, I am far to lazy to do that, since the amp is functioning just fine.


Do you know if there were quality reasons for Peavey's switch to Ruby's on the power tubes...or was it supply issues? The Sovtek 6L6s in my amp seem to be working just fine, and they have a normal glow when powered up (which is identical between all four tubes).


The amp is very quiet (for a high gain amp).

 

 

 

I can only remember some posts with people commenting about the earlier ones have Sovtecs and Peavey changed to Ruby's on the newer ones. There are many reasons why that could happen.

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I can only remember some posts with people commenting about the earlier ones have Sovtecs and Peavey changed to Ruby's on the newer ones. There are many reasons why that could happen.

 

Hey Stratman: I see from you sig. that we both have not only the VK 100, but also the Roland Cube 30 as well as Fender Strats (mine just have scallops :cool: ). I don't have the Remington, but I do keep 'em safe with 3 x dogs (English Setter, Gordon Setter, and English Springer Spaniel) :):wave: :wave:

 

P.S. I love Mastiffs

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If you like it, that's all that matters man. I wish I were as easily pleased
:(
I can't even imagine how much money I've wasted on tubes trying to find a good combination that I like.

 

part of that might be because tubes don't make the biggest difference in an amp. You'll hear way more of a difference right away with speakers than with tubes.

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