6534 Amp

[GAR]

Common over here as well, there seems a turning point there in the early 80s when you couldn't get decent affordable amps, Fenders weren't selling, and it was solid-state everything.

I hear you bout the trust issue I feel that as well. But the fact they've got the balls to reintroduce Tru-Sonics (if they are the real deal boat-anchor alnicos) and as good as that amp clip sounds thru the monitor, it's bound to sound better thru a real cabinet and I am eager for the first time to check out a Peavey head AND cab.

[ELVIS]

This amp sounds much better to me, but the peavey is nice as well...

[Nitro Express]

Looking at the price in Euro's I think it's also partly due to our exchange rate being a bit shitty at the moment.

I have a natural distrust of Peavey that I'll need to get over which was brought on by the misery of dozens of times having to try and get a good sound out of Peavey Bandits in various rehearsal studios and borrowed backlines back 20 years ago when they were standard issue here for some reason.

The good old Peavey Bandit. Bullet proof, reliable, inexpensive and hard to get a good tone out of. Our high school had them but I had my trusty Fender Champ which pissed all over the Peavey Bandit. Peavey was known as a country western and southern rock brand. Nobody wanted Peavey stuff in the 1980's unless you were Molly Hatchet, Lynard Skynard, or Hank Williams Jr. Our dream amp was a Marshall. Everyone seemed to have Fenders. My first big amp was a Super Twin with a 15 inch extension cab driven by a Tube Screamer. I got booted out of the high school auditorium for playing it too damn loud. LOL!

[Nitro Express]

What was cool about that old Fender rig is it could do double duty. Sometimes it was a guitar amp and other times it was a bass amp. It worked great for both. I still like the sound of 15 inch speakers. It was loud as pure doom though.

[Nitro Express]

Peavey's real expertice was making high powered, bullet proof solid state power amps and speakers that could handle the load. For the money they had the best PA's made in the 1970's and of course if you can make good PA equipment you can make good bass equipment. Their guitar stuff was petty steril and I don't think they really understood tweaking guitar cabs and amps until they started working with Eddie Van Halen. Peavey got a lot better after they worked with him and continues to get better.

[Nitro Express]

You can get good guitar equipment for less money now than you could when I started playing in 1978. There were some god awful amps in the 1980's and they had stopped making tubes and the Soviet Union hadn't opened up so they were making solid state amps out of necessity. Good tube amps that were affordable came back due to demand and cheap available Russian made tubes. So amps got better due to the Berlin Wall coming down and that's the truth of it.

[GAR]

Ive had a 61 bassman, a 68 and a 73 bassman 100 and Ive only been cool with the Vibrochamp.

Don't know how Ed got anything decent out of a Bandmaster - fenders are 9 times out of 10 clean-only amps and when you find one that has something, you'll find it's been tweaked/

[Nitro Express]

btw I was taught shut-down from a few amp techs was the right way to do it, your way.

Their theory is, you give the filter caps a chance to dissipate instead of hard shutdown which they say risks over-capacity peaking that can cause micro-pilferations of the mylar/electrolytic paste barriers which may or may not shorten it's life.

Tubes aren't affected, Ken Bran and Jim Marshall told me that.. though I feel because they couldn't explain "why" they might be incorrect. Jim told me "doesn't matter one way OR the other, if you want to hit standby before shutdown it won't help or hurt anything. The standby is there to prevent cathode stripping from cold start operation letting 'em warm up you see."

So regardless of possible tube or caps shock from hard shutdown, I also rely upon advice from a few pro players who say: when you shut off, just hit both switches simultaneous. Yeah, I hear a low "klunk!" when the final stored energy hits the speakers, but I figure that's what the 1amp fuse is for. I mean, that slight pop is nothing compared to the way the speaker jumps from a Hush-silenced stillness to a full chord roar. Nothing at all like it.

So that's why I hit both Standby and Power at the same time, but only Power on first for a minute before doing Standby.

I have three Peavey heads and they all have a bleeder resistor built into the circuit. There's a relay switch that sends the stored capacitor voltage to the bleeder resistor when you turn off the power switch on the amp. You can hear it click off when you turn the amp on. So on the new Peavey's you just turn them off without going to Standby and the amp bleeds the power off to the resistor. It's also a neat safety feature incase somebody opens the amp and starts poking around in there. They won't get zapped. The instruction manual does suggest putting the amp on standby and letting it warm up for two minutes before playing.

[Nitro Express]

Ive had a 61 bassman, a 68 and a 73 bassman 100 and Ive only been cool with the Vibrochamp.

Don't know how Ed got anything decent out of a Bandmaster - fenders are 9 times out of 10 clean-only amps and when you find one that has something, you'll find it's been tweaked/

Ed would warm up with a Fender amp. I worked security for a VH show in 84 and peeked into the tuning room and both him and Mike had Fender amps in a big road case. It was a combo of some kind but it sounded nice and crunchy, fat, and would scream. It really sounded great. I would love to know if it was stock and what he had done to it.

[Nitro Express]

Ive had a 61 bassman, a 68 and a 73 bassman 100 and Ive only been cool with the Vibrochamp.

Don't know how Ed got anything decent out of a Bandmaster - fenders are 9 times out of 10 clean-only amps and when you find one that has something, you'll find it's been tweaked/

I never was big on bassman amps. Too flabby sounding. I like a good Twin Reverb and I love a good Dual Showman. In fact, I still have a Dual Showman and I run an old Alembic preamp infront of it. Sounds great!

[Seshmeister]

This amp sounds much better to me, but the peavey is nice as well...

That amp is just over half the price of the Peavey here so a no brainer...

[ELVIS]

And it says Marshall...

[Nitro Express]

And it says Marshall...

The 6534 isn't a Marshall clone. It's more like a Soldano clone with EL-34 tubes in the power section. Marshall or Peavey both a good family owned companies that still make good products. Look at Gibson and St. Louis Music. Like Leo Fender once said, "Never sell your company because you will just sit back and watch other people ruin it." Amazingly Jim Marshall is still alive. When I was at Marshall you could smell his cigar smoke drifting out of his office. I couldn't believe the old man was still at it.

[Seshmeister]

He's 87!

[GAR]

Last two years running, I hung with Terry. I didn't ask if his mom n dad came - I think the year before he attended on a Saturday at NAMM but he's getting up there.

Terry runs it now pretty much, youll see him in the youtube factory tours talking about the differences between the old and new Tolex glues.. the new ones which SUCK by the way.

[GAR]

That amp is just over half the price of the Peavey here so a no brainer...

Tell your government to evict all the third-world's dregs, vote conservative, detach from the UK and EU teat, fuck the global-warming lie bullshit and actually make products in Scotland - then you can get rid of that whopper of a VAT keeping you all in virtual serfitude which will permit you to buy American products at a 1:1 basis.

Here in the US it's 5% percent duty, and ALL.. A L L the EU think that's an unfair advantage.

I'll tell you what's unfair now... no duty. Marshall sells an amp to Spain, the Spaniatards pay nothing but buy a Peavey, Metro, Mojave, Goodsell or Freyette and you have to pay double from US to UK.

And it's all the Americans' fault.

[Seshmeister]

The conservatives are the 3rd sometimes the 4th party here.

The US puts big import tariffs on stuff too which is why people are saying Marshall amps are expensive over there.

[GAR]

That's not true! It's 5 percent import duty - check it yourself online.

I did that 10 years ago myself, the classification is consumer electronics - I see guys buying vintage used FROM the UK and paying no duty, person-to-person using the mails.

Getting an amp from there to here however, it's $275 postage.

[GAR]

Hmm I wonder does Peavey have a Custom Shop - you could have someone on the board pick up a used 5150 head off Craigslist for $400-550, have it sent to Peavey for a 6534 board, trannys and extra tube upgrade, then have it sent from there to Peavey's Oakley Hay Corby Northants UK facility as a "repair order" getting it in with a container shipment, paying no duty and no shipping.

[Seshmeister]

That's not true! It's 5 percent import duty - check it yourself online.

I did that 10 years ago myself, the classification is consumer electronics - I see guys buying vintage used FROM the UK and paying no duty, person-to-person using the mails.

Getting an amp from there to here however, it's $275 postage.

My understanding has always been that US import duty is higher than that in the EU.

I just checked and it's only 2% to import guitar amps so much less than the US.

So we still don't really know why this amp is so expensive here. As I said it's kind of irrelevant anyway as they aren't likely to sell many with the competition from Marshall...

[GAR]

I thought the whole idea behind joining the EU is by joining economies, you eliminate tarriffs and duties? No?

[Seshmeister]

No.

You eliminate tariffs and duties between countries who are in the EU.

If the US wants to join the EU then that would be great. The US has a history of trade protectionism and you can't expect the EU to have it's goods taxed by the US but not tax yours back obviously.

[Seshmeister]

That's also why your idea of Scotland leaving the EU as an independent country was baloney. We couldn't survive outside because we wouldn't be able to competitively export into it and would face all the US barriers on the other side of the Atlantic and would be in a weak negotiating position to get them lowered.

[GAR]

Eh, well let's hope the current dissent leads to dissolving the EU and things going back to the way they were, it's cheaper in the long run I believe to just have a simple tarrif without the complicated Ponzi-stacking of one border tax if you do it this way, but not if the other.. or none at all if there is no "border."

[Nitro Express]

No.

You eliminate tariffs and duties between countries who are in the EU.

If the US wants to join the EU then that would be great. The US has a history of trade protectionism and you can't expect the EU to have it's goods taxed by the US but not tax yours back obviously.

Actually the globalists want us to join the EU. No thanks. There's a time and place for tariffs and we are nuts if we don't put some on China soon.

[Nitro Express]

He's 87!

His son gave us a tour. I was expecting Marshall to be much bigger but I got a kick that you can go and have a cup of tea while they service your amp. Very British and very cool!

[Nitro Express]

Hmm I wonder does Peavey have a Custom Shop - you could have someone on the board pick up a used 5150 head off Craigslist for $400-550, have it sent to Peavey for a 6534 board, trannys and extra tube upgrade, then have it sent from there to Peavey's Oakley Hay Corby Northants UK facility as a "repair order" getting it in with a container shipment, paying no duty and no shipping.

[Diamondjimi]

Fuckin A Hartley's da man...

[Diamondjimi]

[Diamondjimi]

[GAR]

Looks like the upgrading of used 5150's to a 6534 idea is actually feasible, unless as we see in clip 3 Hartley's just running hot air.

"Once an amp leaves shop here, I never want to see it again that is, I don't want to send it off to find out it breaks down."

Great. "of course, handwiring of an amp is a more costly way to do it but these socalled gurus don't have to charge 3x as much" excellent.

Hartley shoudl be able to find a price on retromodding his garbage 5150's into this new adequate design, then if all those clips are the truth.

[Nitro Express]

Apparently the 5150 is what Eddie wanted at that particular time. A buzz box to cover up Sammy's singing. From a reliability perspective, I never know of anyone having any problems with the old 5150. Modding one over to EL-34's would involve resoldering some pin connections and maybe changing some resistor values.

[Nitro Express]

That's also why your idea of Scotland leaving the EU as an independent country was baloney. We couldn't survive outside because we wouldn't be able to competitively export into it and would face all the US barriers on the other side of the Atlantic and would be in a weak negotiating position to get them lowered.

I could keep you afloat by drinking single malt and playing golf.

[VanHalenFan5150]

I heard the original 5150 is really, REALLY, buzzy and noisy... Noise gates are a must when you own the stack I imagine

[Nitro Express]

I heard the original 5150 is really, REALLY, buzzy and noisy... Noise gates are a must when you own the stack I imagine

I heard that about the block faced one but never played through one. I use a 5150 II which is voiced different and has a better clean/crunch channel. My amp isn't noisey at all but I used real good Dimarzio cables and my guitar is shielded real well. I dial in a real nice crunch tone that cleans up with volume knob and run the lead channel pretty hot. Every time I hit the button I go HOLY SHIT! because the sustain and harmonics really take off. It's like I have my main setting with the boost from hell. I love it.

[GAR]

Apparently the 5150 is what Eddie wanted at that particular time.

This amp is more the amp I'd like to see EVH with, his 5 years is up with FMIC who haven't given him the better transformers, and he owes Hartley an apology.

Maybe something's up for the #4 designation.. a placeholder for it's future endorsee - as in a 5150-IV?

Are we seeing the beginning of the planets aligning here?
Will Ed use it for VH7 somewhere?
Could it be Ed made more money in 1 year at Peavey than in 5 years combined with FMIC?

OR: Will Hartley do what he did to the public, with introducitn a first-year run with the good transformers then pulling a switcheroo after?

I only see one way of sustaining this kind of high-gain production: some Chinese company, or a Chinese production-contract transformer factory affilliated with a decent American or British designer, is making a really decent higher-voltage tranny set and Peavey's using 'em because you can't make money selling an amp for 1400 retail when you got nearly $200 of fabrication costs in the heavy iron.

[VanHalenFan5150]

Like several other dudes here posted, Ed should let Fender or Marshall recreate his dying Super Lead Plexi head and make a signature model out of an exact copy... Now THAT, I would buy

[GAR]

You can get that anywhere.. there's a kit by Metropolous you can buy and assemble from parts for $1000, or a really good one ready to go for $1600 by Goodsell that's a dead-on 68 plexi.

Also, there's that David Brey guy who mods any chassis with a Plexi board and trannys.. "exact copies" are literally everywhere, and where they are not you can modify.

[VanHalenFan5150]

But Marshall isn't a letdown when it comes to signature amps, you see. Not only that, but they are one of the most trusted names in the business...

[GAR]

At your age, just save up and get a JCM900 - it's the same chassis from the JCM800, workable to modify into a Plexi circuit.

You should find one in functional condition around $450 - 650 depending on how maintained its condition.

Another candidate is anything older, or a Plexi reissue of later years, used about $800 and up.

I wouldn't recommend newer amps than a 95, their pots are just crap, trannies are shit and everythings' a circuitboard assembly. Doubt me just look on youtube, lotsa guys show their chassis and demo those amps, their not what the fancy badge purports em to be. It's one thing to get the fancy badge into your bedroom, you think "ah it's gonna sound great" then start grabbing at straws for reasons to compromise why it doesn't.