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Topic: I've had it with Peavey |
Charles French
From:
Ms.
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 1:10 pm |
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| My Delta Blues amp has crapped out once again. I've had this thing in the shop 3 times. This fourth time will be for the same problem as the last time. I noticed the last time I played thru it that it sounded like crap. I was looking at it today and noticed all 3 12ax tubes are out. I replaced them with 3 new ones and still nothing. Likewise I have a Peavey XR 600 E mixer. The reverb has never worked. I've had it in the shop probably 3 times, they fix it and before I can get thru one nite it's out again. Well I guess it's time to go amp shopping and I won't be buying a pv! |
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Tony Palmer
From:
St Augustine,FL
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 1:20 pm
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I wonder if some mfr's, no matter what product ...amp, steel, guitar, etc. should have a procedure to just throw in the towel sometimes and just replace a defect with a new unit?
I'm sure in the case of Peavey, it's not for lack of trying to fix it, but maybe some things can't be fixed.....??
In defense of Peavey, I've found the COMPANY to be highly reputable and responsive, but on the other hand, there's NO worse musician's nightmare than having an amp crap out on a gig. |
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Bobby Rountree
From:
San Angelo, Texas, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 1:31 pm
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I hope you have tried sending the amps to Peavey in Missippippi. I have sent several amps to them and the repairs were correct the first time and the price was surprisingly low. I had the same experience as you with a Fender amp that I loved....It went out. I Had it fixed by the
Fender dealer here twice...it was never returned to the original sound quality that it had. I finally gave up and sold it.
Perhaps Mike Brown at Peavey would like to weigh in on this one........Good Luck |
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Dyke Corson
From:
Fairmount, IL USA
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 1:35 pm
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| I have sold MANY brands of gear at my stores and other stores I have worked at over the last 30+ years and have found NO company that stands behind their products better than Peavey. Have you ever sent your equipment back to the factory? Sometimes local shops are missing soemthing. Tubes go bad - that problem you will find with ANY company. The spring reverb pan problems are also common among other brands, most of them use the same parts. Please consider sending your gear to Meridian for a very reasonable solution to your problem, I think you will be very happy with the results. |
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Al Terhune
From:
Newcastle, WA
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 1:37 pm
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Don't give up on Peavey. You have a lemmon, and they should replace it. I can't think of a better-built amp than the Peavey. But, as was said, with all manufacturers comes the occasional lemmon...
Hang in there.
In Peavey we Trust,
Al |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 2:20 pm
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I've done amp repair (in Nashville) and there are those that come back because the same thing failed. There are those that will come back because if has failed again but it's a totally unrelated problem but all the customer knows is "it's broke again" (and this is true for electronics, auto's or whatever).
However, since you are apparently in Mississippi, a call to Mike Brown at Peavey and possibly a trip to Meridian to drop the units for repair. I highly recommend the factory repair shop, their prices are competitive and work is guaranteed.
Mike Brown's toll free number is 1 (877) 732-8391 x 1180 |
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Charles French
From:
Ms.
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 3:41 pm
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| At this point I'm really just fed up with continually having trouble with this amp. You could say I've lost faith! Meridian is about a 3 hour drive one way. That makes 6 hours round trip just to drop it off. Count all the other 6 hour round trip drives plus gas. This is starting to be a losing proposition. The bad part is that I've got jobs to do and no amp. This amp cost me a job once already. Played in the middle of nowhere and the amp wouldn't make a sound and nowhere to borrow one. I'm about ready to run over it with my 4-wheel drive pickup. |
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Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 3:56 pm
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Well sending the amp back to the factory probably would be the solution for Charles but that's not always a practical solution. It certainly isn't in my case because to ship my Session 400 Ltd to Meridian and back would cost me a fortune. My problem with Peavey and a lot of other manufacturers is that they name authorized service centers for their brands which are not up to par due to inadequate training on specific brands or models. I believe that there needs to be tighter control over who gets to be an authorized service center. Additionally, the service centers should have to requalify on a regular basis as their in house personnel changes and new products emerge.
I say this because I sent my Session 400 Ltd to a Peavey authorized service center (Servicetek Electronics in Moncton, New Brunswick) to have a Peavey mod kit installed and to have an intermittent loss of connection problem tracked down and fixed. I specified that the connection problem was intermittent and asked to have the amp thoroughly tested until they isolated the problem. Well after spending a lot of money on shipping I got the amp back with the mod kit installed but the first time I turned it on I had exactly the same problem with the loss of conncection. (which according to Mike Brown is a simple matter of a switching jack staying open). I've since found a workaround which just involves using a patch cord to span the pre-EQ effects loop in and out jacks on the front panel. But the point is I paid a lot of cash to this "authorized" Peavey repairer and through either ignorance or carelessness they didn't fix my amp. When I contacted them about it they offered to take a second look but they refused to pay to ship it back to them. I wonder how many of these places there are?
I like Peavey products and in a lot of ways I think they do a good job, but they really need to have much higher standards for their service centers. [This message was edited by Bill Miller on 24 December 2004 at 03:56 PM.] [This message was edited by Bill Miller on 24 December 2004 at 04:12 PM.] |
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Al Terhune
From:
Newcastle, WA
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Posted 24 Dec 2004 5:35 pm
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Well, Charles, I certainly know what it's like to be at the end of my rope with an entity I'm paying money to, whether it's a restaurant or manufacturer, and I've burned my share of bridges (with no regrets), so, maybe it's just time to say to hell with Peavey and move on to another reputable tube amp maker (if you want to stick with tubes). Personally, as I've kind of stated, I'm a HUGE Peavey fan and sing their praise every day. I love all the stories of how they've fallen down flights of stairs, fallen off the backs of moving trucks, etc., and still work. Sorry you got a explative deleted one.
Good luck, and Merry Christmas!
Al[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 25 December 2004 at 05:10 PM.] |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 3:24 am
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Being an "Authorized" repair center does not automatically mean they are "super techs" and will fix everything correctly or even know about all the known issues with a certain model.
I was the "factory repair center" for Ampeg in the early 70's in Nashville (Little Roy Wiggins Music Store). I had a lot of the "tech bulletins" but not all and had a good stock of Ampeg spare parts, but it still came down to my technical ability and how I did a repair job. There is no "factory training", just the tech's own ability.
e.g. I've done several Nashville 400 "mod kits" and when I do one, along with replacing the parts supplied in the kit I also check all jacks, clean all the pots, clean the Molex connectors, check the power supply and filters,etc, not just repace the parts and put it back together. There are many amp repair centers that would only do what the amp was in there for (such as the mod kit) and nothing more.
As far as being 3 hours from Meridian, that is really not a big issue. That close, I'd rather just take it in, than pack it up and ship it and hope it makes it there in one piece. Also, when you take it in, you can talk to the techs and explain what the problem is and the history.
I now do a lot of PC support and I hear "horror stories" from users about EVERY PC vendor, Printer vendor, etc. Some are justified but most are "self inflicted" problems that are blamed on the PC. I used to manage a large network and a hardware help desk and almost all the "repeat problem" machines were caused either by the users or the environment (AC power Air Conditioning (lack of), etc, not "lemon" PC's. |
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Larry Behm
From:
Mt Angel, Or 97362
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 8:28 am
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Charles send the amp head only to PV for repair.
Buy another amp or amp head of choice and take it with you as a spare.
Buy a DI so you can run right into the PA should this happen again.
These are just a few options for the future. Just because you have other newer gear does not mean you will not ever have a problem like this again.
Larry Behm |
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Charles French
From:
Ms.
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 12:12 pm
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Well I dragged my old 64 Super out of the closet. I thought I had problems with it. Turned out to be one of the tubes. I scratched up 2 6l6's and a 5U4 Ruby tubes. Stuck em in and man that thang is kickin!! Not bad for a 30 year old amp. They don't make em like they use to!!
Jack wrote "As far as being 3 hours from Meridian, that is really not a big issue"
Let's see---> 3 hrs drive time, an hour to drop it off, 3 hrs drive back= 7 hrs drive, plus a tank & a half of gas at 1.74 a gallon times a 28 gallon tank= $73.08 times going back to pick it up = 14 hrs of driving and 146.16 in gas, plus repair cost! "Not a big issue"---> Is to me!
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Mike Simpson
From:
Gilbert, Arizona, USA
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 1:37 pm
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You had a 64 super in the closet and you were playin through a peavey delta?
Sounds like you had the wrong amp in the closet all along... 
------------------
Big Mike http://www.blueswizards.net
[This message was edited by Mike Simpson on 25 December 2004 at 01:38 PM.] |
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Charles French
From:
Ms.
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 2:03 pm
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Yea, I know Mike. I love that Super. I bought the Peavey for a spare and started using it more to cut down on beating my Fender around in the back of a pickup truck. Still that's no excuse. I need to get a road case for the Super and ah young strong back to lug that heavy muther around.
By the way, a friend of mine told me there was a guy in Nashville that can really tweak my Super. Can't recall who it is at this moment. |
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Mike Simpson
From:
Gilbert, Arizona, USA
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Jack Francis
From:
Queen Creek, Arizona, USA
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 3:05 pm
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I have mentioned the identical problems that I had with the "Authorized Peavey Repair" here in Mesa...(MANY trips and much $$ to
M-TRONICS.)
Finally sent my NV-400 to Peavey and it works
great now.
Better training for thier service people out here would be REAL nice. |
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Mike Simpson
From:
Gilbert, Arizona, USA
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 7:13 pm
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For the record all of the peavey stuff I've had has always worked with no problems.
Jack, Did you or your family used to live in Casa Grande?
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Big Mike
http://www.blueswizards.net
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Jack Francis
From:
Queen Creek, Arizona, USA
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 8:22 pm
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Mike...
Originally from the Bay Area..to Reno area, then to Mesa in 1990.
Jack |
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Dyke Corson
From:
Fairmount, IL USA
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 9:27 pm
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| Charles if you just send the chassis out of the amp it won't cost much at all to ship it. You can bet Peavey's bill won't be a big one! |
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Scott Appleton
From:
Ashland, Oregon
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Posted 25 Dec 2004 11:04 pm
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had a session 500 for 10 years and it developed a intermittant. it took 3 dismantlings to find the problem. the Modualr jacks were corroded. so I cleaned them and it worked untll i sold it.
I had a black face twinn that i had trouble with the
transformer .. blew a few speakers .. fried the choke when someone splashed a beer in the back .. that amp sounded great but it had problems.
i think its part of the gig .. allways carry two amps to a gig that is too far from your house to replace.
I have one of the old acoustic 100 w tube amps and i really love its sound for 6 string instruments .. but it
craps out now and again. i paid 100 $ in a resale shop and put another 100 $ into it. My backup amp is a flextone and that thing never quits. I just got a Peavey nashville 112 for steel so i will be carring
the flextone and the 112 to gigs from now on.
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Mullen S12 Almost Mooney
71 Tele, Regal 45
Sho Bud S10 NP
Line 6 Flextone 3 + JBL D130, Nash 112 |
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Frank Parish
From:
Nashville,Tn. USA
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Posted 26 Dec 2004 5:40 am
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I've got a man here that so far has fixed every Peavey or Fender I sent to him and at a price you can live with. He specializes in Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes piano repairs/rebuilds too. You can find some pretty old pianos with that old tone you're looking for from time to time at his shop. I recently had an old Musicman over there and it works perfectly now and again at a price I could live with. You need somebody that has either built these amps or really knows their stuff when it comes to what you're working with. I'd send it back to Peavey and if they can't fix it, then trash it. I had an old 7 channel stereo PA head that had a high pitch ringing I couldn't get fixed and Hartley Peavey replaced it with a new one when he heard it himself. Here's three places to send it.
Far Out Music in or very near Clarksville, Indiana. (maybe Sellersburg) Get in touch with Kenny Deewees. He's been a dealer for over 20 years and has a 3 day turnaround on anything but Hammond organs and he fixes them too.
Peavey Electronics-Meridian Mississippi
Mike Brown
Darrell Combs-Nashville, Tennessee
615-262-5419
I go to Darrell for most everything in amps and so far never had to go anywhere else. Darrell's been fixing this stuff for me for over 20 years and has a guy that helps him keep up when he gets behind and he knows his stuff too. He won't work on Evans amps.
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 26 Dec 2004 6:00 am
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Just a semi-obvious reality----any world-class high volume (quantity, not loudness) operation needs to have a wide service network. But that doesn't guarantee a competent service network. As Jack says (sort of), you can put together a service team with credentials up the wazoo but that doesn't mean you they will know squat about looking at an amp and figuring what's wrong and how to fix it (look at how many idiots have Harvard or Yale MBA's who couldn't balance their own checkbooks).
I'm sure it drives PV nuts to hear stories like this.
Their track record for amps that can take the abuse we dish out is pretty good. The occasional unit that just can't take it is, I suppose, inevitable.
Just remember, after rattling that Fender around in the pickup, to seat those tubes back in the sockets nice before plugging it in. And remember not to lift with your back. Or with your legs. Lift with your rented teenage roadie.
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Charles French
From:
Ms.
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Posted 26 Dec 2004 7:28 am
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I probably shouldn't have posted this message. I'm sure Peavey is a reputable company and will stand behind their products. I was just so tee'd off when this amp went out again. The amp is only 3 or 4 years old and to have this much trouble is distressing. It's not like I can just run down the street to have it repaired. I live 120 miles from the nearest Peavey dealer.
Between this amp and the mixer I mentioned that the reverb has never worked in, I've just lost faith in the reliability of the newer products. I will have to say you couldn't beat old Peavey. I had a Bandit amp that never gave me a minute of trouble. Also the old mixers were virtually indestructible. I have two SP-5G speakers that I am very pleased with. But then everyone I know that has the new 4-6 channel mixers have the same problem with the xlr connectors pulling out of the sockets. So why is this a problem with the newer mixers? I'd like to know why the older Peavey products were more reliable than the new.
Most everyone I know have the same concerns with the newer mixers vs the older ones. I've never heard anyone comment on how indestructible the new mixers are. Every mixer I see has most of the mic sockets missing. Ok, I didn't mean to get on a bash, just expressing my concerns. I don't have a vendetta toward Peavey and I'm probably a minority in dis-satisfaction. I understand that all electronics are subject to problems. I initially bought from Peavey because of dependibility and price. But with repeated problems with 2 out of the 3 products I have has caused me to think otherwise.
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Gary Carriger
From:
Victoria, Texas
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Posted 26 Dec 2004 8:22 am
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Charles,
I can understand the frustration of mutliple attempts at amp repair. Had the same problems trying to get an older Session 400 repaired in Corpus...took it to several repair shops (some more than once). They never came close to success.
Took the head part out and shipped back to Peavy....no problem. In about a week and half, my amp was back and continues to work great after about 4 years.
Send it to Peavy.....
Gary |
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Jon Jaffe
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 26 Dec 2004 10:02 am
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| Charles, Peavey is in Mississippi and you are in Mississippi. Shipping an amp has to be more cost effective than driving. Peavey is one of the few large to medium scale vertical (they make most of their stuff and assemble it in the same place) manufacturers left in this country. Their feature/price ratio has always been superb. They have had dedicated steel guitar products for at least 30 years. To me the quality has become better over that time. A call to Meridian will always get a person on the other end of the line that cares. Give them another chance, this is a home grown company we need to support. |
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