Peavey Amps - Garage Storage

Bruce Meyer · Post by **Bruce Meyer** » 28 Sep 2004 7:44 pm

A question for Mike Brown and others: I'd like to keep my Nashville 1000 and 400 in my insulated but unheated garage during the week between weekend gigs. I'm in the Chicago area, so many of you know what the winters are like. Is this O.K. for the amps or will I damage them?

Steve Alcott · Post by **Steve Alcott** » 28 Sep 2004 9:26 pm

I was told a long time ago not to have an amp spend the night where I wouldn't want to.

Sonny Priddy · Post by **Sonny Priddy** » 29 Sep 2004 2:34 am

By No Means. SONNY.

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Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 29 Sep 2004 5:24 am

The concern is that condensation will cause damage to any paper parts(speaker cone) and rust on the metal parts(inside and out). I don't advise that you store any amp outside or in the garage during the wintertime. Hope that this helps.

Francis Chamberlain · Post by **Francis Chamberlain** » 29 Sep 2004 12:21 pm

This has always been a question in my mind, if it would harm a musical amplifier to sit in the garage while not in use. I would have guessed that it would not do any harm since some of the finest stereo equipment are in cars and by far most of them sit in unheated garages or even outside in all kinds of bad weather for years without a problem.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Sep 2004 3:36 pm

Well Francis, that's the difference. Automotive sound systems are designed for those temperature and humidity extremes. Guitar amps, on the other hand, definitely are not!

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 29 Sep 2004 3:39 pm

I have for years left my band equipment in unheated storage areas. I have used carvin and peavey PAs, EVs100 monitors, and my SF Deluxe with absolutely no problems, except that the cord are stiff till they warm up! Just my experience. JimP

Ricky Littleton · Post by **Ricky Littleton** » 29 Sep 2004 4:23 pm

FYI - the Molex connectors are a ripe haven for condensation and subsequent corrosion. Loads of intermittent contacts, so just don't be surprized when you bring it out of hibernation.

Just my $0.02 worth...

Ricky

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Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd, Peterson VS-II Tuner
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah, PX4 Pandoras Box

Bruce Meyer · Post by **Bruce Meyer** » 29 Sep 2004 6:19 pm

Thanks guys. It looks like I'm taking a chance leaving them in the garage. I'll probably continue to lug them inside, upstairs. Thanks.[This message was edited by Bruce Meyer on 29 September 2004 at 07:19 PM.]

Francis Chamberlain · Post by **Francis Chamberlain** » 29 Sep 2004 6:46 pm

I have to add one other thought to this subject. How about the road bands that haul their equipment around in the bottom of the bus. They go from hot to cold and cold to hot.

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 29 Sep 2004 9:00 pm

What Francis said.Or an unheated trailer as in 18 wheeler.Think about South Texas in the summer and Maine in the winter.
Remind me to never to buy a Peavey amp from a road player.

[This message was edited by Bobby Boggs on 29 September 2004 at 10:01 PM.]

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 30 Sep 2004 2:38 am

After being relieved of a new amp and steel by a low-life burglar at one of the clubs where I worked many years ago, I started "taking everything down" after each job and storing it in the trunk of my car between jobs.

Except for the rare occasions when I did a complete string change (or heaven forbid, learn a new song) all of my equipment "lived" in the trunk of my car the year round. The only problem I had was being careful not to get a hernia hauling all that stuff in and out of the trunk!

Edited p.s.: The amps stored in my trunk were Fender tubes and the steel was a Fender 1000.....but,in my later and more cautious years I always unloaded my equipment into my climate controlled house!

www.genejones.com [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 30 September 2004 at 08:24 AM.]

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 30 Sep 2004 5:00 am

The Molex type of connector was the widely used connector during the early 80's and this is why we used it on a lot of our amp designs of that era. I might add that that from my point of view, the Molex connector has been very reliable on my Nashville 400 that I purchased in 1985 as I have never had a problem with it. I'm just lucky I guess.

For some time now, we have been using IDC type of connectors which have been very reliable.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation[This message was edited by Mike Brown on 30 September 2004 at 06:20 AM.]

Blake Hawkins · Post by **Blake Hawkins** » 30 Sep 2004 5:21 am

Like Gene, when I was in the Army, my Fender Deluxe amp and my D-8 steel guitar lived in the trunk of my 1954 Nash Rambler. I was in Georgia and Alabama and had rusty screws and rusty hinges and locks.
The electronics survived OK. (I still have that gear)
I wouldn't give that same treatment to my Peavey NV400, 'cause I know the molex connectors and the switches on the jacks would get corrosion and give trouble.
I have some road musician friends down here in Florida who keep their equipment in a shed between gigs. It is in pretty rough shape, but it still works. They have Fender Twin Amps and Peavey PA Gear.
I always keep my stuff in the house now.
Blake

Scott Appleton · Post by **Scott Appleton** » 30 Sep 2004 7:23 am

My advice after years of amp repair for a certified
warrenty station in California is NEVER leave an amp
anywhere where it can rust. Yes you can service the amp after a road trip. Clean up all the connections,
spray the metal parts with protectant etc. This will give you more life from the amp. You will have to do this at least 4 times a year if you leave the amp in the conditions you indicate.

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Mullen S12 Almost Mooney
71 Tele, Regal 45
Sho Bud S10 NP
Line 6 Flextone 3 + JBL D130

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 30 Sep 2004 12:40 pm

A long time ago I was given the best advise on care of instruments & amp's that I have ever heard. "don't leave any instrument or amp anyplace that you would not leave a baby"
JE:-)>

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 1 Oct 2004 4:57 am

A lot of it has to do with where you live too, ie; the humid South, salt water coast, etc..

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 4 Oct 2004 12:52 am

for the most part of my over 40 years of playing..all of my amps lived in the garages of the homes that I lived in Ct. and North Carolina. The Fenders, the Peaveys..etc..never had an issue with them.

I think it is more important to maintain the amps every now and then..keep them clean and under covers. I'm of the opinion that these amps..and probably many others are not made for timid situations.

I keep my amps under the normal cloth covers and a heavy "Mother Of Cardboard" box cover as well. During transportation these "Mother of Cardboard" box covers will certainly protect the tolex etc from trunk scars..if your amps are new when you start..they will still look new long after "YOU" don't look new anymore ! The amps are also on 3" risers off the ground as well. This cuts down on all the homeless critters that may want to live under the amp.

Now the guitars..thats a different story..

and like Gene..I learned a cheap lesson 30 years ago..leave nothing to chance..I pack it up and take it with me after every gig. I'm still of the opinion that if you don't pack it and take it , someone else can and may.

Mike Brown did raise a good view though..much of this has to do with some of us that may live in a very corrosive humid area..

t

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 4 Oct 2004 4:18 am

Bruce,
On Tony's "mother of cardboard"...It may sound a little "redneck", but if you could find a cardboard box, or build a box with liteweight plywood that would cover all your stuff, you could leave a 100w lightbulb inside,that would provide heat/moisture control. It will surprise you the heat a 100w bulb will produce,an old pumphouse trick a lot of people around here use.

Bill

Jim Peters · Post by **Jim Peters** » 4 Oct 2004 9:51 am

The rust and moisture doesn't come from the cold, or the hot, it comes from moving from cold to hot. Just going on an hour drive to a gig in the winter, with your equipment in your trunk will produce condensation. When you play and the equipment warms up, eventually all the moisture should evaporate. Moving equipment from basement to car to gig to car to basement again could in theory be worse than leaving it in a garage or shed, only warming up once. My guitars always come in the house. None of my amps have ever failed due to rust or condensation. JimP

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 5 Oct 2004 4:49 pm

I have to agree with Jim. Condensation only comes after moving from cold to hot. Electronic components will function within their specified thermal range which is from sub-zero to about 110 + degrees Farenheit. While there can be problems from corrosion of connections, I think the main problems come from going from cold to warm rapidly and then having current jump across a path inside the amp. My understanding is that minerals in the moisture like saline are the biggest danger.

Also, Bruce...If you think your amps will last say 15 years instead of 20 years, by leaving them in the garage, thats alot of saved money in chiropractor fees not to mention avoiding all that pain of carrying those heavy amps up stairs. I'd leave 'em in the garage.

Bruce Meyer · Post by **Bruce Meyer** » 5 Oct 2004 7:36 pm

Thanks to all who have replied above. You've given me far more and better information than I expected.

Tom Furlong has hit the nail on the head, in my opinion. It seems like there may be some risk of long term effect on the amp, but to save my hauling in the amp (and up to the second floor, by the way) keeping them in the garage looks like a reasonable risk.

Bill Bosler · Post by **Bill Bosler** » 6 Oct 2004 5:26 am

I have a Peavey Musician 400GH amp and a 15" BW speaker cabinet that have lived in an unheated shed for more than 15 years. It's cold as hell in the winter and hot as hell in the summer. Neither one has ever failed me.

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 6 Oct 2004 6:59 am

Bruce;
I live in Minnesota. My Peavey's get packed in the band trailer, (since we dumped the tour bus,) and it stays there whenever we're not working. So it's even there when it's 40 degrees below zero, (or more,) in the winter. AND it's still there when it's 95 degrees in the summer.

Your amp should weather fine. Mine can take the cold here and it doesn't get near as cold in IL as it gets here in MN. My only advice to you is to let it warm up before you turn it on!

For the second time today I'll say, Peavey amps are pretty resilient.

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My best,
Ernie

www.buddyemmons.com

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 6 Oct 2004 9:04 am

I bought a '70 Vibrolux Reverb from a buddy who garage stored it for about 4 or 5 years before I got it. Worked fine... but I had to get rid of 4 or 5 dirt dobber nests and the former home of some small mammal first.