Peavey Delta Blues 115

[Fifthstone]

Originally Posted by leond

I agree, thanks for keeping this thread going. I've been playing a 1x15 DB for a while.

I've been using mostly the clean channel. I'd like to start using the distortion channel for some mild break up. What I'm noticing is that the tone completely mushes out. There's no distinction between the individual notes in chords.

Chances are the tubes are ready to be replaced. Do you think that'll help with my mushy distortion. Or will a speaker swap make more of a difference (in this regard).

LeonD

The DB takes pedals very well IMO. If you want light break up and can't take the clean channel to about 4 or 5 for the first sign of grit, drop a pedal in front. Again, I love how the Fulldrive II sounds with this amp.

[Ramblin390]

a weber blue dog sounds great in the classic series, I'm using a greenback in my c-30, try running the blues pro fuzz on- volume and tone at 1'oclock-gain at 10oclock pushing the overdrive channel, goose the bp with a ts also-great early zep tones

[paul14470]

I have a 2x10 DB, I replaced the Blew Marvins with Jensen reissue P10Qs. I also removed the chassis and added some weatherstripping foam on the top side, and sides of the chassis, cuts down on any rattling. All PV had in there was a paper thin rubber strip. I played an outdoor gig Sat with it running around 8, and I use a CMATMODS boost pedal that pretty much stays on the whole time. Killer.
JJ power tubes and Tung Sol 12ax7s. Helps if you tighten all the screws, heard the tube tamer works well also, I have some silicon rings on mine.

[leond]

So for all those with modding experience, what makes the biggest difference, changing the tubes or the speaker?

LeonD

[paul14470]

in mine the speakers made a bigger diff, but I'd do a tube change also. Find a used one and go to town on it.

Also, a graphic EQ in the effects loop can get you where you need to be. But mine is fine now.

[ReginaldBisquet]

Another long-winded update on the misadventures of my Peavey Delta Blues 115.

Fairly active weekend in that I (once again) pitted the amp against a Marshall half stack (playing metal), a Marshall Valvestate (playing blues) and a Peavey bass amp (playing country).

Before heading out, I changed out the power tubes for a matched quad of JJ EL84s. I was very surprised and elated at the difference in tone the amp delivered with the tube switching. The change is subtle: cleans are warmer, especially on the Les Paul. Break up seemed to be about the same as the Sovteks but the overdriven sound was less harsh. I have a recording of a heavy blues riff I did with the Sovteks and the difference is very interesting… not better or worse, just different.

Friday night, I went over to a buddy’s place that has the solid state Marshall half stack. With my current setup, I can say without a doubt that the amp is not made for faster metal style riffs. Maybe it’s the 15” speaker… but when we tried out faster songs (while dropped down to D) I quickly could tell the amp was not going to hold it as the sound was mud. Tried a couple of different settings, but it was no use. Plus, I was absolutely over powered by the Marshall half stack. Even when the Delta Blues was tilted back, I was getting buried… so no surprise there. Still, it was fun to crank out the jams with abandon! The Marshall guy turned down a bit so we could both be heard and then we dropped down to B and played much slower material (think Sunn, Earth). Ahhhhh, the amp really pulled through delivering some very rich, deep tones. At one point, I stood in front of the amp and let the heavy waves of sound wash over me. If it had been any louder, I probably would have been levitating. I used a Monsterpiece NPN pedal while on the gain channel to kick the overdriven sound into heavier territory. I wonder if the Delta Blues 2x10 would have given better results on the faster material.

The next day I jammed with a bass player who was used a Peavey 112 bass amp. He was more a country & blues player, so we decided to tune to E. Used only the clean channel except for one jam where I used the gain channel (only a hint of overdrive) while using a slide. Adjusted the EQ to a more straight-forward setting (all at 50%) and was happy to notice the low end didn’t compete with the bass. I guess I was thinking that when I played my low notes, that it would sound like two bass players… but this was certainly not the case. On the clean channel with the volume set to 4 (amp goes to 12), I was certainly louder than what the bass guy had going… but I could still clearly hear his playing. Did a little chicken pickin’ here and there and the amp delivered clearly and cleanly.

Finally, on Sunday, I jammed with an older blues guy who was using an American Strat with a Marshall 65 W Valvestate. I used the Les Paul as a change of pace (had been using the SG). Again, I stayed on the clean channel and used the MI Audio Blues Pro for any dirt needed. Both of us were surprised at how much more volume was coming out of the Peavey than the Marshall at nearly the same settings. And the tones I was getting…. Wow! He mentioned several times how he loved the tone from the amp and said that it rivaled his Marshall tube head (don’t know which one). The deep, clean tones (especially during rhythm sections) was something the Vavlestate couldn’t match no matter what the other player did. I suspect the Les Paul also had something to do with the deepness of the tones. Nonetheless, we felt it was a glorious tone. I tried out the tremolo again and still feel that it is one of the weaker points of the amp. Reverb played well in both country and blues applications… but only a hint as it gets too much when you set the reverb past 4.

HEY! I just realized that tube rattle was less pronounced after the JJs were installed. Huh. Are the Sovteks really that noisy?

And it’s not over yet! Tonight, going to a rock-a-billy & blues band jam. One guy will be playing an upright bass and another using a basic drum kit. Also bringing a harmonica and plan on running that through the amp when not using the guitar. Very curious to hear the results. Going to pay attention to tube rattle to see if it’s truly not there or I was just not paying attention.

[ReginaldBisquet]

Quick Question:

I was reading through Steve Ahola's "Blue Guitar" guide on mods to a Peavey Classic 30 and it mentions that you can plug in a 1/4" plug into the extension jack to bring the ohms down from 16 to 8. This, according to the guide, makes the amp sound "much more alive".

After searching through the archives, I found this tidbit of knowledge (edited for clarity):

12-22-2006, 11:05 AM
If you want to use an 8 ohm speaker with the Classic 30 (or Delta Blues) on the internal leads, you plug a dummy 1/4" into the extension jack. That way the amp expects an 8 ohm load...which is what you're giving it. You can also plug an 8 ohm internal speaker directly into the extension output, and tape off the internal leads. Same thing...plugging into the output trips the 8 ohm tap, and you're giving the amp an 8 ohm load.

This is a workaround for using an 8 ohm speaker - which is helpful when the speaker you want to use only comes in 8 ohm.

[ReginaldBisquet]

... well, since no one responded, I'll just keep going.

As of tonight, I have installed...



Tom's Tube Tamer!

I mentioned earlier than the amp doesn't give off the strong "tube rattle" sound since I've switched out to the JJs. But... as these are brand new, I didn't feel like waiting around to see if the tube rattle sound came back over time / use / abuse.

The Tube Tamer is $24 (including shipping) and is actually quite simple in its design. Is it worth $24? Not sure yet. I'm curious to see how well it stays attached after two or three tube changes and being subjected to getting jostled as the amp is moved from gig to gig (the item attaches to two existing screws on the amp).

I jammed with the amp for 45 minutes and used the clean channel along with the bridge pickup of the SG. Used lots of bar chords and strong single notes. No rattle at all. The tube tamer did not get hot while the amp was in use.




NEXT: I've ordered a Tube Guard which is expected to be here in another week or two.

[pennylink]

I have nothing to contribute or say about the DB but I admire your enthusiasm and love to read about your experiments and multi-faceted jams. Your wife offering to make you an amp cover out of her old saris is priceless Keep the thread going!

[ReginaldBisquet]

Usage Update
On Monday, I jammed with a fellow who played jump jazz and blues with an upright bass. I had also brought along my new ZT Lunchbox (reviews coming soon), but switched to the Delta Blues because I needed a stronger reverb and a tremolo function for the style of music we were playing. I have said in the past that on either channel, the reverb is good up to a 25% setting while the tremolo is just decent. I would like to take this opportunity to take that statement back.

I was using the clean channel and wanted to get a rockabilly sound (think prime Johnny Burnett) so I dialed the reverb to 50% and let it rip. VERY surprised that the notes came out clear even when playing the faster numbers (for example: Train Kept A Rollin and Racing The Devil). For other songs, the reverb provided a nice flourish to the slap back setting I had with the delay.

Also, I dialed the tremolo to nearly 100% intensity and 95% speed to get a wonderfully lush tremolo effect. Anything below 90% intensity doesn’t quite cut it. I’m now impressed by the tremolo enough to want to use it more often.

Not sure what’s different from this time as opposed to other jam sessions – but I’m very happy with my latest “discovery”.

The 15” speaker was a fantastic complement to the bass player’s eight 10” set up. He played with the volume low (as in not heavy thunder loud) as he was using a full sized, unstuffed stand-up bass and wanted to avoid feedback. I didn’t have to dial in a whole lot of volume to blend with his rig – so it was a fun time.

I had installed a Tube Tamer the other day and have played the amp around at home and with a friend to test how well it “worked”. I was never really sure what difference (if any) it made. However, while jamming with the bass player, I tested the amp with the Tube Tamer off and then played the same progression with it on. Yes, indeed, there is a difference in muting the tube rattle. I mentioned in an earlier posting that the Sovteks rattled a lot while the JJs didn’t rattle as much. So when doing an A/B with the Tube Tamer – I could tell there was still a slight rattle from the tubes with the guard off.


New Problems
At one point, on the clean channel, I had the reverb up to 75% and I had the “boost” function on (normally, I don’t use it). After about a minute, the amp gave off a low-end hum. I turned the guitar down, even unplugged the guitar, but the hum kept going. It didn’t get louder – just remained constant. The bass player said it might be due to the reverb tank not being properly insulated. The reverb tank is in a black bag at the bottom of the amp combo, so I’m not sure what the deal is. When I clicked the boost function off, I turned the reverb down to zero and then back up to 100% and the hum went away. Strange, huh?

UPDATE: Was able to duplicate this by placing the amp about 6 inches from the wall.

Another interesting issue. When hitting certain notes (mostly on the clean channel) – I noticed a metallic rattle from the amp. I thought it was the Tube Tamer not “working” but that wasn’t it. I think (still not sure yet) that it’s the metal braces that hold the tubes in place. Has anyone else noticed this?

[paul14470]

2 things I did to my 2-10 DB...
Take the reverb out of the bag and put some 1" foam rubber on the bottom cardboard. Tape the cardboard to the reverb pan. Put back in bag and re install. Its a good shock absorber.

Remove the chassis and get some foam weatherstripping for doors. Apply at the top and sides of chassis and re install. Don't get anything real thick, the cheap stuff is fine.

[ReginaldBisquet]

Discovering the Effects Loop!

I’ve wanted to do this for quite some time, so I finally found an evening where I could sit down and test out the effects loop. The signal with the Delta Blues goes as follows:

Pre amp > EQ > Reverb / Tremolo > Effects Loop > Power Amp

… with the effects loop being wired in series with the signal chain.

Most people agree that you should run effects such as delay and chorus through the effects loop while dirt pedals and wahs are routed via the instrument. The minor detail, though, is to understand where the effects loop is wired in the signal’s chain. Some amps (I have read) are designed with the effects loop before the amp’s on-board effects while some allow for adjusting the signal from the effects loop – so one can dial in the amount of the effect.

For this entry, I’ve noted where the effects loop is located on the chain AND I should note that the signal from the loop is not adjustable. I should also note that the “boost” function with the Delta Blues is inserted within the EQ section.

We cool so far?

So… I plugged my Carbon Copy Delay into the effects loop and found the delay to sound rich and deep. However, I noticed there was a hum coming from the amp when the effects loop was in use. The guitar is plugged straight into the amp and no other pedals are involved. Removing the cables from the effects loop (of course) cuts the hum. Plug in only the return jack and the hum diminishes but the signal is also killed. When moving the cables around (both by Fulltone) I could remove some of the hum… perhaps the cables are “microphonic”? I also added a noise suppressor pedal before the delay in the effects loop chain and the hum diminished significantly (as expected… but not sure why there is a hum from the effects loop).

Next, I plugged the entire pedal board into the effects loop. My board consists of a couple of fuzzes, delay, octave (green ringer clone) and a wah pedal. Now the hum is louder than before, especially when the reverb is increased. When I engage the boost function, the hum gets even louder. When reverb is turned up to 25%, feedback begins… even with the guitar turned down to zero. On the gain channel – with the boost on – feedback begins almost immediately even without the reverb. Strange. Without the boost function, the reverb causes feedback at about 35% on the normal channel and (again) at near zero on gain channel.

As per the advice of paul14470 – I checked out my reverb tank with the intent of adding additional “shielding”. When I opened up the bag that holds the reverb tank, I noticed that the tank was already covered in a thin foamy cover inside the black bag. According to paul14470 – it looks like the previous owner did his/her own insulation to the tank as this is not how they are housed straight from Peavey.

Went back and plugged the pedal board into the normal channel while separating out the delay and running it through the effects loop as well as running the whole pedal board with the effects loop and including the delay with the rest of the board. Again, I noticed the delay sounded clearer when separated out – however, I also discovered something else….

The octave pedal (a Green Ringer clone from GGG) – when separated from the rest of the chain and run through the effects loop – sounded really fricking awesome! Much clearer, louder, and cleaner. The hum I mentioned earlier was still there but the octave effect was 100% better! Who knew?! So I ran the guitar straight into the amp and only used the octave in the effects loop. With the boost function on – the effect was very aggressive and loud – yet still articulate. No feedback issues even when reverb turned up to 100%. This held true with the normal as well as the gain channel with the boost on or off. The octave was much gnarlier sounding when using the gain channel – and I should note, my issue with the gain channel being weaker than the normal channel was eliminated by introducing the octave via effects loop. I also realized that the pedal has a minor noise gate built in… so the hum that was present with the delay has disappeared but only when the pedal is engaged.

Tried this method again with the fuzz pedals and found miserable results. Tried two different fuzzes and one distortion… all sounded weak… wimpy.

So what have I learned? It looks like, if I want to get the maximum sonic performance of my pedals with this amp, I will need to wire them up as follows:

Guitar > Wah > Fuzz > Amp > Effects Loop > Octave > Noise Suppressor > Delay > Amp

That’s an extra set of cables I need to pick up! Yet the return on using the effects loop is noteworthy.

God blast this quest for tone!!!

Anyone have any comments?

Next week – my 2x12 extension cabinet arrives from AB Cabinets! Looking forward to trying it out with this amp as well as with my new Lunchbox! Oh yeah... and the Tube Guard should be here next week too. Stay tuned!

[rhythmrocker]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your adventures and misadvenrues with you Peavey Delta Blues. A serious contender if I need yet another amp.

Can't wait to hear more!

[ReginaldBisquet]

I opened up the chassis of the amp to see what I could see (as well as add a little extra padding as per paul14470's recommendation). Here's what I found:

[ReginaldBisquet]

My amps have a new playmate - a 2x12 extension cabinet from AB Custom Audio!



When I unpacked the cab and placed it next to the Delta Blues, I was surprised to see how closely the tweed vinyl matched! You would be hard pressed not to guess that these were sold by different companies at different times.

The cabinet features removable casters, removable front grill (front loading), convertible back, large rubber feet. All for less than $200 shipped from CA to TX.

The Delta Blues requires any extension wired for 16 ohms - thus, I had the speakers (a pair of Scumbacks) wired up and opened up the back.

Took the amp to two jam sessions over the weekend - both were stoner doom metal oriented. In both cases - the extension cabinet helped A LOT when pushed up against a 100 W solid state Marshall half stack and a full set of drums. Not the the amp was made louder by the ext cab - it was just fuller. More of the tone was being pushed and (I think) that's what helped me to be heard.

I wish the amp allowed for 8 ohms instead of 16 as I imagine the sound would really travel as the efficiency rating tightened up.

Overall - the cabinet was a great investment. Very solid build, beautiful looks, and pushes more of that great blues tone!