NAD Peavey Windsor Studio [Archive] - Guitar Discussion Forum

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DeanEVO_Dude

January 16th, 2011, 09:07 PM

Yesterday was NAD for me!! :thumbsup :happy I picked up a new (floor demo) Windsor Studio for $301.99. I had been looking at the Valveking 112 but chose this one instead because of the flexability with different output tubes.

So far, I like it, alot... Does not seem to do clean tones very well, though, but that is what my Fender is for, right? LOL. Anyway, any opinions? thought? On a side note, I have grown to like the Peavey tube-amp offerings. I may still pick up the Valveking at some point down the road...

Thanks.

Tig

January 16th, 2011, 10:09 PM

Excellent buy at $300! I've never had a chance to play one, but most people like 'em.

Ch0jin

January 17th, 2011, 12:10 AM

You don't have to sell me on Peavey, I've been rocking an Ultra60 for quite some time. Fantastic amps. Congratulations on your NAD :)

jim p

January 17th, 2011, 05:58 AM

The reason you do not get a clean sound from the amp is all the gain in the pre amp section. A quick way to change that is to just remove the cathode bypass caps from the triodes in the preamp section. Peavey will send you a PDF of the schematics for the amplifier if you call them. On the #4 post here http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=16271 I listed the caps to remove to reduce the gain. Even with the lower gain there is still plenty of gain in the preamp for preamp overdrive. The Windsor head has the same preamp section so it also is set up for overdriven preamp all the time.

DeanEVO_Dude

January 17th, 2011, 05:04 PM

I just need a few more $, then I can get the Valveking also... anyone care to donate to the "Scott WANTS a new amp" fund?

Thanks guys. I will look into the mods Jim. The other thing that I was thinking about doing is taking out the "Power Sponge", some others have stated that doing that will open up the amp quite a bit. Besides, it is not like a Fender amp, in that you turn the volume control from all the way off to "2" and it is at "wake the dead" volume.

Take care all.

Duffy

January 19th, 2011, 04:14 AM

Great amp. I would not take the power sponge out. It is very nice to have and can be used for tone shaping. My mini collosal has one too and it works well.

FrankenFretter

January 19th, 2011, 08:08 AM

I do not believe this amph exists. If it did, there would be pictures!

:worthless

(Happy new amph day!)

Brian Krashpad

January 19th, 2011, 12:46 PM

Sean has a point.

:poke

DeanEVO_Dude

January 22nd, 2011, 07:13 AM

Ok, ok... I will prove that the amp exists, some time later today...

By the way, another new amp entered my abode on Thursday... A beautiful, Crate Vintage Club 50 2x12 in whit tolex. This is one of the USA made ones, by St Louis Music. It needed a little repair, input jack resoldered, so last night I did the task, and while I was in there, I did the other jacks and the pots as well. I must say, this is not the most disassembly-friendly amp made. On a side note, back in the late 80's, my aunt used to work for St. Louis Music, she did up all the catalogs back then. I remember her showing my her new Mac computer and all the stuff necessary to do the task... Just curious, anyone out there have one of their catalogs from the time period?

DeanEVO_Dude

January 24th, 2011, 08:43 PM

Ok, as promissed, tho a little late...

The Peavey Windsor Studio...

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/thum_111994d3e389d550cc.jpg (http://www.thefret.net/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1882)

Ok, the amp exists!!

Ch0jin

January 25th, 2011, 12:40 AM

DeanEVO_Dude

January 25th, 2011, 06:38 AM

Nice one! I doesn't really have anything to do with your new amp, but I'm always on the lookout for cool cloth covered cables and I spied that red/black one and the blue one you have there. What brand are they if you don't mind my inquiry? (I'm use a Fender 'Vintage Voltage' when I'm not running curly)

Ahh, yes... I like them as well. They are from GFS. They come in 10, 20 and 30 foot lengths with gold tips. The red is the GFS logo.. those are the 10 footers. Available directly from the website, reasonable price and shipping.

*edit* the red are not the GFS logo, they are just little stripes, still cool tho. The blue one came from a local guitar shop, it is more of a plasticized cloth or nylon but quite nice still. The GFS cable only come with straight plugs on both ends, the blue one has a 90 on one end and straight on the other.

Brian Krashpad

January 25th, 2011, 08:08 AM

Ch0jin

January 25th, 2011, 08:45 AM

@dean_evo Cool, I actually grabbed one of the GFS 6" patch cords in fluro green when I bought a tuner there a little while ago. Cheaper than I can make them!

@Brian They do use a different logo, at least from time to time. My old "The Bass" head has the lightning style, but my Ultra60 has a much cooler block style logo.

sunvalleylaw

January 25th, 2011, 05:38 PM

BK, what's wrong with the lightning bolt! Delivering rock like the god of Thunder!

Congrats on the NAD!

Katastrophe

January 25th, 2011, 06:41 PM

Congrats! I love the look of the Windsor line.

The one I tried sounded like it was covered by a blanket, extremely dark and muffled, no matter what I did. I think now that it was because the amph was a floor model and had been fairly well beaten upon.

Maybe I oughtta try another one sometime soon, eh?

bcdon

January 25th, 2011, 07:07 PM

Congrats! Nice score!! :dude

DeanEVO_Dude

January 25th, 2011, 08:38 PM

Thanks everyone. I am enjoying the amp very much, I especially like the fact that it has an effects loop. Kat, I don't find this amp to be dark, it gets very midrangey when the Boost is activated. It also has external speaker out puts.

Ch0jin, which tuner did you get? I got the little blue one, the GFT-60, I really like it, but I wish that it was chromatic, not just a bass and guitar tuner. It responds very fast, large display, and very accurate.

Brian, I like the logo! Best part of the amp!! LOL

Katastrophe

January 25th, 2011, 08:43 PM

Cool... My guess is that the floor model I tried was pretty well beat. I'll try another one out on my next outing.

DeanEVO_Dude

January 25th, 2011, 09:14 PM

Here is a link to a review (yeah, I know, it comes from the Peavey site, but whatcha gonna do, right!). It is in PDF format so it is easy to read, gives some good insight to the amp and its performance, including on stage, and the features.

Oh, and speaking of features, one thing about this amp... The reverb (spring tank in the bottom of the cabinet) does not seem to have the "life" that my Fender has... can't really describe it exactly... very curious.

*edit* http://www.peavey.com/assets/literature/reviews/03597430_8213.pdf

Ch0jin

January 25th, 2011, 09:25 PM

Ch0jin, which tuner did you get? I got the little blue one, the GFT-60, I really like it, but I wish that it was chromatic, not just a bass and guitar tuner. It responds very fast, large display, and very accurate.

Brian, I like the logo! Best part of the amp!! LOL

I got the GFT-90 the sexy black one. For the money it can't be beat imho. I owe several NPD reviews at the moment, but I'm re-doing my whole board so when that's all neat and functional I'll introduce a bunch of my new toys ;)

I know it's purely subjective as I've never played the amp you have, but my Peavey Ultra112 (maybe 13/14 years old or so now) has a spring reverb tank too and I remember when I was testing it, that my other choice, I think a blues junior hot rod, had noticeably better reverb. I even took it for service after a month thinking there had to be more reverb on tap, but the tech told me it was working fine. Although the schematics would be quite different, if you hear anything about improving the 'verb, I'd love to hear it.

Oh and on Logo's, here be mine....Very sexy (http://www.peavey.com/assets/literature/manuals/80300498.pdf)

Duffy

January 26th, 2011, 01:11 AM

Try an aftermarket Acutronics reverb tank?

Ch0jin

January 26th, 2011, 02:38 AM

H'mm could be a good option. Even their biggest unit is 16.75" which at a quick measure would easily fit in my ultra. I guess the trickiest part is trying to determine the correct input and output Z to get the right model (I suppose I could just email Peavey). I'll put it on my ever increasing 'to-do' list :)

Wow, just saw THIS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlVtpUf_xIs) YouTube video of the Accutronics Type 9 in action. That amp has more reverb on "5" than mine does on "10"

jim p

January 26th, 2011, 06:13 AM

The reverb problem may be the drive or recovery circuit and not the tank. Also Accutronics is now owned by Belton so there reverb tanks may not be what they were.

Duffy

January 26th, 2011, 11:20 AM

Actually I had heard that accutronics was sold or moved, but I don't know what the quality now is or what manufacturers use them at present. I'm sure, however, I have seen accutronics advertised as the reverb unit in amps currently in production.

I had the reverb tank replaced in my tweed Hot Rod Deluxe by a professional, expert tech. He said that it was an accutronics but that they were not what they used to be. I'm not sure what he replaced it with but it sounds real good.

I also use a Digitech Hardwire reverb pedal that is actually real good in my opinion, although I'm sure there are better ones available.

Good luck with the reverb ideas.