Questions for Mike Brown...

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 28 Sep 2005 4:41 am

Mike.. I am interested in Peavey tube amps,have owned several over the years and have always found them VERY reliable and GOOD sounding.. I would like to know if any of the Peavey Classic amps like the Classic 30 or 50 or Delta Blues can be converted to a tube rectifier circuit with a minimum of hassles.. Is this something that an amateur can do, or is it best left to a serious amp tech?... I am very interested in trying this mod unless its not feasable.. I know old Fenders can have this mod performed, but I am not sure about late model Peavey tube amps with a PC board design.. I would certainly welcome your comments on this...

also, I am in the process of trying to get my hands on a Peavey Firenza guitar w/ P 90 pickups... They are getting hard to find and prices are going up... They are VERY well thought of by MANY guitarists, and are considered an excellent P 90 guitar for the money... I am scouring ebay... Any info you can give on these guitars would be well appreciated also,,, bob

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 28 Sep 2005 6:24 pm

Bob, converting a solid-state rectifier amp to a tube rectifier is a couple hours work, even for an experienced tech!. It's certainly not a job for an amateur. Most techs will not even tackle this job, as it requires punching a new hole in the chassis, and installing a socket, tube, and extra wiring for the new rectifier. Expect to pay at least $200-$300 for this kind of mod.

It may improve the tone for straight guitar work, but it will probably also lower the output, slightly.

Ken Fox · Post by **Ken Fox** » 28 Sep 2005 6:39 pm

Having repaired both the Classic 30 and the Clasic 50 amps I would not try such mod!

Al Carmichael · Post by **Al Carmichael** » 28 Sep 2005 6:46 pm

Not to mention that you'd need a different power transformer with taps for a rectifier tube.

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 29 Sep 2005 5:27 am

Bob, it's do-able, but there's not really enough room(in the chassis)that would be considered safe. A suitable alternative using resistors in the rectifier circuit could also be done, however by the time someone chops up their amp to add a real tube rectifier, chances are they won't be real receptive to this idea. There is a certain amount of design involved.

Thanks for asking and for your support of Peavey products.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 29 Sep 2005 5:55 am

Thnaks for the help Mike, guys... It was just an idea... I can actually "hear" the sound of a tube rectifier. has such a compressed sound... however, its not worth THAT much hassle.. better off going and digging up an old amp that was MADE with a tube rectifier circuit.. personally, I don't understand why it isn't done anymore... you can hear a difference... bob

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 1 Oct 2005 2:14 pm

My Vox AC30 had a tube rectifier and it caused me so much hassle that my amp tech just took it out and installed a solid state rectifier, tweaking it to come as close as possible to the sound of the tube rectifier. The sound was a little different than before, but at least there was no worry with it breaking down before an important show.