Peavey International Series 15's

[72 bonne]

I have a chance to get a pair of these for a hundred bucks.

My concern is if they will be enough power to put a rock band through for a small-medium sized club. vocal, guitar, bass, and kick drum.

 

Here's what I know so far:

The speaker cabinets are a three way system containing Black Widow 15 inch woofers. The system is older, age unknown, but works perfectly. The cabinets measure 21 1/2" wide, 16" deep and 29 1/2" tall. I estimate their weight at about 70 to 80 pounds each.

 

[soul-x]

They were a decent box for their era, Peavey's attempt at a more professional speaker. But they're just so big, heavy, and awkward compared to today's offerings.

 

That's also their veneered install version which doesn't have any handles or grills, pole mounts or anything, so there's really no way to handle, transport, or place them anywhere without banging them and yourself up.

 

Probably not what you're looking for.

[agedhorse]

Install version, they made a portable version too. Very heavy.

[Coaster]

there is a pair of the portable version at the pawn shop. they have been there for years.

[72 bonne]

thanks for the quick reply.

 

I should also add that we probably will only be playing out approximately 6-12 times a year, and it's very possible we could rent a sound guy with his own equipment for those nights.

 

So I guess I'm thinking more for just band rehearsal and running mostly the vocals and bass player through these.

The bassist has a hard time lugging his big amp down my treacherous set of stairs every week. So maybe just have him go straight the mixer board instead.

[Coaster]

i'd buy them for $100 practice speakers, but i'd make sure i could get replacement drivers for those horns - i dont know what is behind those but i am sure someone else here does.

 

BTW i have a pair of the 18" subs of that era. big, big, and more big.

[soul-x]

22As and HT94 compression drivers crossed at about 1200 and 8000 respectively. 1505-KA BW on the low end. The supertweeter, which is kinda a JBL wannabee ring-radiator, is definitely the weak link in terms of robustness, but the other stuff is pretty hard to kill.

[soul-x]

Even as a practice speaker, you're going to need to find some way to point them at you. They're obviously not a floor monitor, and this configuration doesn't mount on poles. An awkward box, almost an enormous cube, similar in shape and size to a lot of single 18 subs.

[Coaster]

the ones at the pawn shop have pole cups. did peavey offer them this way? if so it may not be terribly difficult to add a cup to each.

 

unless of course these install versions are fallaparticle board(?)

[soul-x]

The portable ones had handles, pole adapters, grills, corners, and ratfur. Decent ply box. The install ones were maybe sawdustboard veneered in oak with ply baffles? Not quite sure.

[Coaster]

maybe someone from peavey can chime in on the material, the veneered surface does look suspiciously like particle board but i have no reason to believe it is or isnt.

 

its probably ok even if it is as many other speaker cabs are sawdust board with pole cups.

 

frankly i've always wanted to hear what these speakers sound like out of curiosity.

[soul-x]

I think they sound pretty good. Similar in output, but a lot more more HiFi than SP2s. Pretty decent attempt at internal crossovers, especially for Peavey. Biampable.

 

Lots of them have dead tweeters, though.

 

These things are a lot bigger and heavier, and differently shaped than any of the cabs you are probably thinking of (Yamaha Club, etc). I'd guess 100 lbs + and nearly 2 ft wide at the baffle. If particleboard, I'd be pretty wary to put them on stands. Hell, even the portable ones would make me a bit nervous.

[72 bonne]

Our current sunn 12's that we use now are pointed at us for practicing purposes so that shouldn't be a problem, but the sound just sucks really bad because they are junky speakers inside them.

 

So based on sound quality what would one compare them to nowadays.

I've used newer peaveys at an outdoor gig a couple years ago with BW's and liked the sound, should I expect the same with these?

 

I don't mind the fact that they are big and bulky. I do like the fact that their only a 100.00.

[soul-x]

If everything is working properly, you will not find a better sounding speaker for $100 a pair.

 

Soundwise, I'd say they are not unlike a lot of the current production upper-M.I. grade boxes, excepting about twice as big and heavy.

[agedhorse]

IIRC it's particle board.

[72 bonne]

There's not a lot of info for these speakers on google to go by so I think for the price I might just get them. I'll let you guys know what I think of them afterwards.

I haven't read any negative reviews as far as sound goes so that is good I guess.

 

Are a three way speaker better for vocals than a two way is or does it not really matter?

I don't know a lot about this stuff but I don't see many three ways speakers in the middle price ranges.

[soul-x]

There's plenty of both good and bad speakers of either design.

[Unalaska]

Parts are basically still available, if you need a cheap set for practice and don't need to move them then yeah, it's $100. BUT, any driver you replace (3 per cab) will be $50 for each horn and $125-150 per 15. So the replacement cost is high. Not saying I wouldn't do it in you case but I'd check them out thoroughly first.

[McPBrain]

I've had a pair since the early 90's. Mine are the carpet covered HC series. They tip the scales at a hefty 86 lbs.

 

They're not a bad sounding speaker at all. As someone noted, they are more hi-fi than the older SP2s and I think less harsh since the tweeter is reducing the midrange horn to duty below 8K. I normally use them with a pair of subs, but I did an outdoor wedding on the lake this summer requiring a pretty good amount of coverage and they performed admirably.... Certainly worth $100/pair...

[Gordon Sound]

I had pair of these and was always pretty pleased with the performance. i would buy the install vertion for $200 for a home stereo

[72 bonne]

Just got back from buying them.

Not only did I get the speakers and they sounded great but I ended up buying the powered mixer he was selling too for another 100.00.

It was a peavey xr600c.

This guy was actually selling these for his local church who was just about ready to throw them away simply because they upgraded their system.

 

This guy was also a luthier who makes custom acoustic guitars and basses from scratch. Unbelievable hospitality he gave me and my buddy as we walked in on him actually making an acoustic. They were the most beautiful acoustics I have ever seen.

Unfortunately the 20 or however many he had at his house were all left handed so I didn't get the joy to actually play any, just hold them. He played for us though and they were incredible sounding.

 

I''ve now met two luthiers in my local area in the past week. The other guy I met last week made electrics, Bacorn Guitars. The funny thing is, I haven't met any custom guitar builders in my whole life and now I met two.

 

Here's the powered mixer we got.

I'm stoked, can't wait to rehearse with these things this Friday night.

Thanks for all your input guys!

[Coaster]

you got a steal. nice work.