Peavey transtube

[airborne]

Hey guys. Just a quick info check on the 'transtube' series of guitar combos. Was playing with a few today (Bandit, Rage), and I gopt curious. Was wondering what's going on inside, with construction etc. Can't seem to find detailed information on what exactly 'transtube' means, if its just tube emulation and where in the circuit the amps associated with 'pre' and 'post' gain are. The bandit sounded pretty damn ballsy to me when driven moderately hard.

[Tim Armstrong]

Yeah, they're solid-state amps. I think they use FET transistors, which are somewhat more tubelike in their response...

Cheers, Tim

[Tim Halligan]

its just tube emulation


Well those two words have put me off completely...


Cheers,
Tim

[airborne]

Well, they put me off as well, but the bandit did sound pretty decent.

[Slipperman]

Well, they put me off as well, but the bandit did sound pretty decent.

The Peavey bandit was a hilariously great 'personal practice' amp back in the day... you just couldn't get it "LOUD" in a real rehearsal situation... Kinda like the Lab Series L5(for those of you who are older than Satan).

In studio I've found the Bandit pretty 'garbled' sounding by the time you get it where ya wanna get a small combo's overall SPL.

Best regards,

SM.

[crunch]

Oh shit...

Man, I had a Lab Series L5 in the early 80's... Well, I think it was an L5, was it a 2x12" dealy? cuz mine was and was heavier than fuck. Man, that thing sounded like shit... I had that for "about 10 minutes" along with one of those 4x12" Fender cabs and a Little Big Muff with the "diamond" thing in the cabinet... It didn't help. It was horrible. THEN I got a twin, which also didn't sound very good (too dumb to realize it needed tubes, etc...) but it wasn't bad with a tube driver and a tube screamer to hide the deficiencies...

Ok, I'm old.

Thanks Slippy.

Thanks a fucking lot.

[Calvin]

I also had a Lab Series L5, and I kinda actually LIKED it. I then moved on to another solid state series of amps, the S112 and L112 combos from Gallien-Kruger. Yes, they used to make guitar amps, and I'm not talking about those lame little stereo amps with all the effects and all. These combos sounded GREAT for solid state amps, particularly the first one I owned up until I blew an output transistor. Was never the same, even after repair. I keep looking on ebay to see if anyone's selling one, but they appear to simply no longer exist.

[Tim Halligan]

The Peavey bandit was a hilariously great 'personal practice' amp back in the day... you just couldn't get it "LOUD" in a real rehearsal situation... Kinda like the Lab Series L5(for those of you who are older than Satan).


I used to have one of the old Peavey Bandits back in the day...hell, I even had a "Backstage 30" at one point.

Kill me.

...and apparently I'm also older than Satan.

I remember.


:lol:

Cheers,
Tim

[Brendo]

THEN I got a twin, which also didn't sound very good (too dumb to realize it needed tubes, etc...)

Well shit, you wouldn't get much sound at all without them...

[Bivouac]

My first two amps were transtubes. The first was a "Rage", the second was a "Special 212". I thought pretty highly of them at the time (that Special 212 rocked a good couple of high school talent shows), but after upgrading to a 70's Marshall JMP, there really was no turning back :)

Those amps are sitting at my parent's house; I really should give them to someone who could use them...

[blackieC]

Oh shit...

Man, I had a Lab Series L5 in the early 80's... Well, I think it was an L5, was it a 2x12" dealy? cuz mine was and was heavier than fuck. Man, that thing sounded like shit... I had that for "about 10 minutes" along with one of those 4x12" Fender cabs and a Little Big Muff with the "diamond" thing in the cabinet... It didn't help. It was horrible. THEN I got a twin, which also didn't sound very good (too dumb to realize it needed tubes, etc...) but it wasn't bad with a tube driver and a tube screamer to hide the deficiencies...

Ok, I'm old.

Thanks Slippy.

Thanks a fucking lot.


Dude...

I played a couple of gigs with a Lab L7, which if I remeber correctly, was the 4-10 version of the L5.

In my not-so-fucking-humble opinion, it was the best solid-state amp I have ever played through.


If your L5 sucked, then I'm sorry for your misfortune, but didn't BB (and that's King, not Kong) use L5's for the better part of a decade?

[Cosmic Pig]

The L5 was the best sounding solid state for a few years, but thats saying fuck all.

The bandit... now there was an amp worthy of the Peavey name, again saying fuck all. I like the company though.

Transtube... played one, sounded like a Bandit with a Zoom 505 pedal.

But it's all bullshit anyways. Its in the fingers. I once played through a mid 70's 30 watt Traynor solid state, was the most godawful sounding pile of crap I'd ever heard. A no sustain fuzzy hiss with lumps of mid squirting out of a single 10 like a greasy hangover dump.

Then the guy who owned it played it and it sounded cool and distinctive. Amps need to be matched to the player, so if ya dig it play it.

Cos.

[Brendo]

just to clarify... the bandit was a transtube.

[airborne]

yeah, i was quite confused for a second.

[Cosmic Pig]

ah. See there ya go, I'm so old I didn't know they ressurected that horrid little amp in the transtube series.

"yeah, i was quite confused for a second."

Ha Airborne. The trick is to find the comfort zone in the confusion to wait out the inevitable. I've been confused for years but it doesn't stop me from posting my fool ass off. I used to be a guitar player, now I'm a producer, but deeming it thusly hasn't helped. What has helped is seeing that most people are also confused and full of shit. Therein lies the Zen of confusion; believing your own bullshit.

I am an expert, and when I truly believe that, I become one. But between you and me I have no idea wtf I'm on about. Truths poke out at rather inopportune moments that poke holes in the Zen of confusion, hence the constant backpedaling.

However, if the amp sounds good when you play it then get it. But remember, you will love a good amp instantly, the fact that you question it's sound makes me think it might not be the amp for you. Or whoever's asking about Transtubes. Ahhh the sweet scent of confusion. I am as one with the universe.... ommmm....

Cos.

[AxeSlash]

I must say that I have never liked the (current) Bandits. I've seen and heard many, and they always sound like shit to my ears.

That said, I have absolutely NOTHING against solid state amps. I run a rack rig that has a valve pre and an SS power amp. For years I ran one of the very first Marshall Valvestates (before they went to shit and soiled that particular line's name), and to this day the base distortion of that is unbeaten IMHO. Just a shame the frequency response of it sucked donkey bollocks. That had an SS power stage.

There's a lot of different valve/SS combinations, and here are my opinions (based on the view of a heavy metal guitarist):

valve pre + valve power: useable but generally muddy.
valve pre + SS power: like all valve, but tighter and less muddy. Can be fizzy if misused.
SS pre + valve power: SATAN. Avoid at all costs. Loose as fuck.
SS pre + SS power: Scratchy, needs a lot of work to sound good.
Digital SS pre + anything else (especially valve power): One should be shot for even considering it.

I had the misfortune of having to deal with a Pod + Mesa valve power amp in my band a while back. I spent forever trying to get something useable out of it with no luck. Diediedie.


All of that said, it's personal preference. The above is purely based on my personal opinion, ignore at will.

[dwoz]

I had an old fender bassman 50 gathering dust, and one of those old MusicMan HD-130 amps, holding the closet door shut. I traded 'em in for a Behringer ultrafex and a line6.

GOD DAMN, those FOOLS at BanjoCenter gave me a HUNDRED BUCKS APIECE for those crappy old amps...

The new ones sound GREAT, because the guys in Avril's band are using them.

dwoz

[airborne]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, pig. Just for clafirication, I'm not looking to buy the bandit, I just felt like gossiping about what the hell was inside it :lol:

[Tim Halligan]

I had an old fender bassman 50 gathering dust, and one of those old MusicMan HD-130 amps, holding the closet door shut. I traded 'em in for a Behringer ultrafex and a line6.

GOD DAMN, those FOOLS at BanjoCenter gave me a HUNDRED BUCKS APIECE for those crappy old amps...

The new ones sound GREAT, because the guys in Avril's band are using them.

dwoz

There's a fine line between humour and bad taste.

You just crossed it.

:lol:


Cheers,
Tim