Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

[Red_Label]

Re: Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

Uggghhhh... I remember them well from back in the day. They weighed too much and weren't capable of getting the modded Marshall tones that I was looking for in those days (and in these days). Even though I was a youngster, without a dime to my name, and hadn't developed an ear for tone... I still knew enough to know that they weren't very good for what I wanted. The Butcher was the closest that Peavey came to that in the 80s. It had a JCM800 2203 thing going on, though (contrary to the claims of Peavey fans) the Butcher certainly wasn't anywhere near as good as a real 2203. I've owned a fair amount of Peavey gear over the years. Other than the sweet quilt-top HP (EVH) guitar that I owned, I can remember very little of it and that's probably because I'd rather forget. Oh... the Peavey Nightswan and Vandenburg were good guitars too.

[timmytwang]

Re: Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

Yep, I'm the bloke who regards the Mace 320T as better than my 60 odd Fender amps - without hesitation or qualification. I also regard it as better than my JCM800 2204. I'm glad you felt the need to retract your earlier statements regarding the build quality. You are now correct. They are indeed built to last.... The 320T is FAR better built than the JCM800. The only thing that I've changed in my amp is the bizarre way that Peavey attached the Transformers to the Chassis. This is all that needs modifying... and incidentally, the ancient 320T I picked up all those years ago has not had a single cap changed and neither does it need it. Caps don't always need to be changed and I don't believe in changing caps if there is no problem.
How does it sound better than my Fender amps?? Simple - by sounding very different. The Cleans are ANYTHING but 'sterile'!! That is simply an uninformed comment and makes me question whether you've ever heard a 320T through a decent pair of speakers. The cleans are snappy, woody, alive, 3D and superb. I don't want to sound like every one of the gazillion Fender users on the planet. I want an amp that grinds and actually responds to a twist of the volume knob or sharper pick attack. The 320T does both - it has amazing cleans and is incredibly dynamic. That is what I get when using the Parallel or Series inputs on my 320T. Yes, the distortion is very raw and not 'refined'. I am not a metal player and I don't want smooth, 'refined' distortion. I want edgy, dynamic and SUBTLE distortion in an amp when it is poked. It allows me to go from crystal clean to angry with a hint of POWER TUBE distortion, not the 'refined' 12AX7 distortion that others seem so enamoured with. Yes, the Black Widows sound good. I have run mine with EVs which were amazing. I now run a pair of K120s and a spanked Strat never sounded so thoroughly spanked! Chime, grind, clank - every nuance in the book! I hope you find a 320T Maniac. Spending some quality time with a 320T will hit just about anyone like a dose of smelling salts. And yes, I re-affirm, that I've owned well over 60 Fender tube amps. They continue to come and go and the Mace 320T stays. (I still have a 64 Bandmaster, 71 Twin, 73 Bassman, a Dual Showman... but they are not my go to amps). The Mace 320T tops the lot - BOTH for durability AND tone.

[dave74]

Re: Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

Yep, I'm the bloke who regards the Mace 320T as better than my 60 odd Fender amps - without hesitation or qualification. I also regard it as better than my JCM800 2204. I'm glad you felt the need to retract your earlier statements regarding the build quality. You are now correct. They are indeed built to last.... The 320T is FAR better built than the JCM800. The only thing that I've changed in my amp is the bizarre way that Peavey attached the Transformers to the Chassis. This is all that needs modifying... and incidentally, the ancient 320T I picked up all those years ago has not had a single cap changed and neither does it need it. Caps don't always need to be changed and I don't believe in changing caps if there is no problem.
How does it sound better than my Fender amps?? Simple - by sounding very different. The Cleans are ANYTHING but 'sterile'!! That is simply an uninformed comment and makes me question whether you've ever heard a 320T through a decent pair of speakers. The cleans are snappy, woody, alive, 3D and superb. I don't want to sound like every one of the gazillion Fender users on the planet. I want an amp that grinds and actually responds to a twist of the volume knob or sharper pick attack. The 320T does both - it has amazing cleans and is incredibly dynamic. That is what I get when using the Parallel or Series inputs on my 320T. Yes, the distortion is very raw and not 'refined'. I am not a metal player and I don't want smooth, 'refined' distortion. I want edgy, dynamic and SUBTLE distortion in an amp when it is poked. It allows me to go from crystal clean to angry with a hint of POWER TUBE distortion, not the 'refined' 12AX7 distortion that others seem so enamoured with. Yes, the Black Widows sound good. I have run mine with EVs which were amazing. I now run a pair of K120s and a spanked Strat never sounded so thoroughly spanked! Chime, grind, clank - every nuance in the book! I hope you find a 320T Maniac. Spending some quality time with a 320T will hit just about anyone like a dose of smelling salts. And yes, I re-affirm, that I've owned well over 60 Fender tube amps. They continue to come and go and the Mace 320T stays. (I still have a 64 Bandmaster, 71 Twin, 73 Bassman, a Dual Showman... but they are not my go to amps). The Mace 320T tops the lot - BOTH for durability AND tone.

K120? Who makes those?,,,,or are you meaning the celestion k100?
Have you tried the Butcher reissue from a few years back? Just wondering what you think of it if you have, or even the original Butcher.

[Ascension]

Re: Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

This is the "real" Mace (mine). These are amazing and the ones the bands went towards in the 70s. The VT series sounds different and is quite loud, as is mine. I toured with both and they sound a bit different from each other. Both good, but my preference is for the original version with the silver knobs and no on board effects. That's why I kept my head.

Had the combo version of that amp back in the day and bought her new. Those amps were THE sound of Southern Rock!!

[timmytwang]

Re: Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

K120? Who makes those?,,,,or are you meaning the celestion k100?
Have you tried the Butcher reissue from a few years back? Just wondering what you think of it if you have, or even the original Butcher.

The K120s are vintage JBL Alnico speakers - my personal faves. Haven't tried the Butcher reissue.

[dave74]

Re: Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

The K120s are vintage JBL Alnico speakers - my personal faves. Haven't tried the Butcher reissue.

OK. I learn something new everyday. JBL K120 alnico

[jeremy]

Re: Tell me about this old Peavey MACE VT Series Amp...

why do you like the k120 more than the d120f?