In the spirit of sharing, I wanted to offer a mod to kids and other guitar players out there who want a great tone but cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on tube amps and cabs.

Posted are three jpegs (see links below) containing the details for a modification to the Peavey Windsor 100 watt head. This is a slight variation from the mods posted by DougH (internet search Windsor Shiva preamp, Windsor Power Amp and Power Supply mods). Doug's mods are proven by many people.

Firstly, pick up a used Peavey Windsor 100 watt head for less than $200 wherever possible. They are out there. Secondly, print off the pictures below and bring your newly acquired amp and the specs to a certified guitar tech. Do not perform mods if you are unqualified. This mod shouldn't cost you more than $250 with parts and labor. If the tech is asking for over $300 he/she is quoting too much. The most expensive addition is the Hammond choke that costs roughly $40. After the completion of the mod you should have a 100W tube amp with incredible tone for under $500.

This "Clean to Mean" modification to the Windsor head maintains the single channel construction. Using humbucker pickups with Alnico 2 magnets, the amp's tonality ranges from crisp cleans to raging thick overdrive ringing with a full dynamic sound. After the mod the amp will exhibit plenty of headroom, rich harmonics, feedback and sustain that is simply controlled by the guitar's volume knob.

Personally, I keep the master volume dimed and connect the speakers through a 200 watt attenuator. The preamp is set at 12 o'clock and the guitar is plugged into the high gain setting. The tubes used are strictly ECC83's and EL34's.

http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/...0w_mod_pg1.jpg
http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/...0w_mod_pg2.jpg
http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/...0w_mod_pg3.jpg

The Windsor Head's architecture is highly desirable for modifications and is extremely durable.

Thanks DougH for freely sharing your knowledge and making some of us a little bit smarter.

Have fun and keep rockin'!