Peavey Valveking Royal 8

[piebaldpython]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-Valve-King-Royal-8-5W-1x8-Tube-Combo-Amp-481661-i1383113.gc

Hmmm.....5w of tubes with a headphone jack to boot!!! 8" speaker though. The Harmony Central reviews are pretty glowing though. ahahahhahaha

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Dang, with a headphone jack too! Vedddy interestingk!

 

[Radioboy950]

yes, but at that price point, this could be better for a little bedroom jammer:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Palomino-V8-5W-Class-A-Tube-Combo-Amp-103046553-i1146109.gc

 

[oldguy]

Justa brought this amp to our attention a long time ago, the price hadn't even been announced yet. There's a Peavey dealer about 30min. south of here, and they have yet to stock one. I wanted to try one out, but never had the chance yet. They look like a good alternative to the ValveJr.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Man, there are soooo soooo many options these days..I came along with G.A.S. at the right time!!! I wonder how many low watt amps have appeared in the last 2-3 years.. what a treat to us newbie Guitar heros!!

 

[marnold]

Man, there are soooo soooo many options these days..I came along with G.A.S. at the right time!!! I wonder how many low watt amps have appeared in the last 2-3 years.. what a treat to us newbie Guitar heros!!

You are so right. When I got my AD30VT, it was the closest thing to a real all-tube amp in its price range. These days you can go Epi, Fender, Peavey, Black Heart, and probably others that I'm forgetting. Good times!

 

[mikew]

Some dude on Harmony Central is selling a used one for $100 plus shipping, and no it's not me. But if you are interested, that's not a bad price to try it.

 

[wingsdad]

The Royal 8 was intro'd at Winter NAMM a year ago -Jan. '07. My local dealer ordered 4 of them, 1 with my name on it. After Peavey fed Guitar Center & Musicians Friend, they finally filled orders for the small fry, and mine came in May. Sweet little amp. Headphone jack works OK as a line out, too. 5W & 8" Speaker is pretty common (Epi VJ, Champ). 12AX7 pre, EL84 power.

I only had it a month, then in flew a mint Tech21 Trademark60 1x12. Had to make a choice; traded back the Royal 8 to not lose a great deal on the T21.

I'd buy it again, though.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Seems like everybody has to have a 5W tube amp in their product line these days. I'd like to be able to line up several different 5 watters and try 'em out back to back. Somehow I don't see my local GC accommodating that wish, though....

 

[marnold]

Seems like everybody has to have a 5W tube amp in their product line these days. I'd like to be able to line up several different 5 watters and try 'em out back to back. Somehow I don't see my local GC accommodating that wish, though....

You are exactly right. If one of us can't, a guitar mag absolutely should. From what I've read (and this is without seeing any of them firsthand nor being an electrician), the Blackheart seems to have the best construction. Besides tone I'd like to see them compare construction, transformer size, etc. too.

 

[piebaldpython]

Anybody know how "accessible" the tubes are for changing or servicing??

 

[wingsdad]

Anybody know how "accessible" the tubes are for changing or servicing??

I had it long enough to give alternate tubes a shot. Easy as pie, Pie.

Not enough room to switch to a 10" speaker, though. And no Ext. Spkr Out, either. It is what it is. A nice little tube amp with enough volume to rattle windows in a 10x12 room. And piss off my wife...

 

[piebaldpython]

Peavey Vk8

TUNG just said the Palomino V8 has a SS opamp in front of the 12AX7 tube. Anybody know if the VK8 has any solid state in it??? Just curious. Anyone know how the VK8 compares to the Palomino???

 

[tunghaichuan]

TUNG just said the Palomino V8 has a SS opamp in front of the 12AX7 tube. Anybody know if the VK8 has any solid state in it??? Just curious. Anyone know how the VK8 compares to the Palomino???

The Valve King 8 has an all-tube signal path, no SS devices like the Palomino. There are SS diodes in the power supply, but I don't see that as a problem.

The Palomino is probably gainier with the opamp driving the front end. It is like and extra gain stage. The VK8 has less over all gain. To get it to distort, you probably have to crank it up.

EDIT: I wouldn't get hung up on the fact that the Palomino has an SS device in the preamp. Let your ears be your guide. If it sounds good to you, then it sounds good. There are so many variables like speakers, voltages, transformers, etc. It might be cool to put in a socket for the TL-072 opamp to try different kinds. I believe Burr Brown makes a substitute. It's probably very spendy though.

tung

 

[piebaldpython]

Vk8

Tung, dude you are awesome and much thanks. It's a 3 way race with the Palomino, VK8 and the Fender SCXD. Big DUH, but if I got either the Palomino or VK8, I'd also get a Line 6 Pocket Pod or Korg PX4D multi-FX processor.
Tung, just a side note here; based on your NAME, are you involved in the Chinese Fighting/Health Arts??? Chi Kung on my end here put an end to years of chronic colitis.

 

[tunghaichuan]

Tung, dude you are awesome and much thanks. It's a 3 way race with the Palomino, VK8 and the Fender SCXD. Big DUH, but if I got either the Palomino or VK8, I'd also get a Line 6 Pocket Pod or Korg PX4D multi-FX processor.

If it were me, I'd go for the Fender SCXD. From all accounts, it's well built and sounds good. The FX are the icing on the cake. Plus, I like 6V6s better as a general rule. Not that there is anything wrong with EL84s, I just like 6V6s better.

Tung, just a side note here; based on your NAME, are you involved in the Chinese Fighting/Health Arts??? Chi Kung on my end here put an end to years of chronic colitis.

I studied baguazhang a while back, it is a form of qigong but also has martial arts applications. Tunghaichuan is a bastardization of D'ong Hai-Ch'uan, the founder of baguazhang. I've studied taijiquan and a bit of xing-yi as well. Love those Chinese interal arts.

Small world, man. I have chronic colitis as well. I'm more into yoga for that though.

tung

 

[piebaldpython]

Vk8

Thanks for the amp recommendations. Funny thing is that if the SCXD didn't have the FX, just the amp models, I'd have been all over it. ahhaha Silly me, right?


Tung, thanks again. I did a little Pa-Kua myself, just as a heath benefit form. Tai chi was too slow for my tastes. The rapid footwork and circularity of Pa-Kua appealed to me. For fighting, it's jujitsu and arnis.

 

[tunghaichuan]

Thanks for the amp recommendations. Funny thing is that if the SCXD didn't have the FX, just the amp models, I'd have been all over it. ahhaha Silly me, right?

Another thing about the SCXD: it has a larger speaker. That 10" speaker will sound better than the 8" speaks in the Crate and Peavey amps.

Tung, thanks again. I did a little Pa-Kua myself, just as a heath benefit form. Tai chi was too slow for my tastes. The rapid footwork and circularity of Pa-Kua appealed to me. For fighting, it's jujitsu and arnis.

I'm a big fan of the various grappling arts, having been a wrestler in high school. I've always wanted to study Brazilian Jiujitsu and judo, but my health problems make that impossible.

There is a local guy that teaches Silat, another bladed SE Asian fighting art. "Uncle" Bill DeTours. That guy is in his 70s, and I wouldn't mess with him, for any reason. He has real, practical experience fighting with knives. I've always found the Filipino/Indonesian arts interesting: kali, arnis, escrima, silat, etc.

tung

 

[piebaldpython]

Peavey Vk8

So, the VK8 doesn't have a line out, therefore, everything (pedals, modellers, FX stations) has to come thru the INPUT. Is the lack of a line out enough of a deal breaker if I wanted to run a Line 6 Pocket Pod too??? I know the Palomino V8 has a line out and that some here run their RP250's into that. Just curious.

 

[tunghaichuan]

So, the VK8 doesn't have a line out, therefore, everything (pedals, modellers, FX stations) has to come thru the INPUT. Is the lack of a line out enough of a deal breaker if I wanted to run a Line 6 Pocket Pod too??? I know the Palomino V8 has a line out and that some here run their RP250's into that. Just curious.

It looks that way. The VK8 doesn't have an FX in. The line out jack on the PV8 has an input for an FX device according to this manual:

http://www.crateamps.com/pdf/manuals/V8_Palomino.pdf

Plugging your FX into the front of the VK8 will cause the two 12AX7 gain stages to color the sound. This may or may not be a bad thing; you'll have to try it to see if it works for you. The nice thing about the line out/FX insert on the PV8 is that it bypasses the opamp and first 12AX7 gain stage. The signal is routed into the second 12AX7 gain stage which drives the EL84 so you get less coloration.

tung

 

[piebaldpython]

Peavey Vk8

Oh geez, OK, hope this doesn't sound dumb (ahaha); so if I had the Palomino, I could run the guitar and pedals into a Y cable, the run one end into the input and the other end into a Line 6 modeller and then run that into the Line Out?????
I wouldn't know how that would affect the Peavey as I'm trying to decide which one I'm gonna get. Can I assume the the Fender SCXD would be similar to the Palomino, in terms of hooking up pedals and modellers???

 

[tunghaichuan]

Oh geez, OK, hope this doesn't sound dumb (ahaha); so if I had the Palomino, I could run the guitar and pedals into a Y cable, the run one end into the input and the other end into a Line 6 modeller and then run that into the Line Out?????

Maybe I'm just dense, but I can't seem to wrap my head around that. The Palomino does have an FX loop, they just lable it "line out." However it is a single stereo jack, not two dedicated in and out mono jacks. If you're hooking up pedals and a Line 6 modeller, it might get complicated. It would also depend on what type of pedals you had as to how to hook up the various in and out connections.

I wouldn't know how that would affect the Peavey as I'm trying to decide which one I'm gonna get. Can I assume the the Fender SCXD would be similar to the Palomino, in terms of hooking up pedals and modellers???

I just checked the product manual for the SCXD. The line out is just that, a dedicated line out only. That amp doesn't have and FX loop.

tung