In-Depth & Hands-On
REVIEW: Peavey Windsor Studio Class A Tube Amp Cary Feb 25th
Well, I have to send out a huge Thank You to EGR reader Jarrod Perkins, who was kind enough to submit the following review of Peavey’s new Windsor Studio Class A 15-watt tube amp.
Peavey’s entire Windsor line continues to garner great reviews, and I’m happy to see that Jarrod’s experience was no exception––with boutique Class A’s running in the thousands of dollars, it seems incredible that Peavey is selling these beauties for just under $400.
Thanks again, Jarrod. And without further ado…
Before the Purchase
I had been in the market for a new amplifier for a few months, as my Fender Blues Junior just wasn’t cutting it for me anymore. The Fender had a nice smooth tube sound, but tended to record very mid-dy, could not achieve a very high gain (not that it was supposed to), and had a broken reverb unit. The things I was looking for in an amp were:
A. A single 12“ speaker
B. A recording line out
C. The ability to get a good crunch at low volumes
D. A sub $500 price tag
Tubes were optional, although I had grown to love the gritty tube break-up sound. But I started playing guitar in the 80’s where a solid state Crate was all the rage. I do lots of home recording at all hours (hence the low volume requirement) , and play a handful of live gigs on electric guitar. I am a songwriter before a guitarist, so you must excuse the poor playing in the following audio clips. 
I tested out and/or researched quite a few amps before I settled on the Peavey. A few Fenders which were all OK but didn’t blow me away. A Line 6 Spider that had tons of features but the tone just sounded… well, fake. A Mesa Boogie that was too high gain for my liking, a Vox Valvetronix that wasn’t bad but had too many buttons, etc… I read the description of the Peavey Windsor and thought ”Wow, that sounds exactly like what I’ve been looking for!“ The only downer is that no stores in my area stocked it, so I had to order it unplayed.
Plugging In
I got the amp three days later and unboxed it. The first thing I noticed is that it was much bigger than my Blues Junior. However it wasn’t too heavy and the handle seemed very sturdy AND comfortable. I plugged it in and let it warm up for a minute in standby (a feature my Fender did not have). When I turned it on, I got a few weird hums and pops (the power tube wasn’t properly seated, an easy fix with no more problems).
The first thing I noticed upon hitting a chord is that this guy has ALOT more gain than my Fender did. With the ”pre“ volume on 4 and master only on 1, I got quite a bit of crunch. I had to have the ”pre“ on 8 or 9 on my previous amp to get this sound.
Another immediate sound difference I noticed was the decrease in bass from my old amp. The Windsor is an open backed amp, so I had to crank the bass up to 11 (12 is the max) to get the sound I like. I tried the reverb, and while it at least worked, it really leaves something to be desired. It just sounded kind of cheap and ineffective. Luckily, I normally don’t use much reverb, or at least add it in later on recordings.
The amp also comes with a footswitchable ”preamp boost“ (no footswitch is included, although I had a generic one lying around) which I was excited about for live playing. However, I was initially disappointed with the boost. I had a great tone going before the boost but the instant I hit the switch, it’s like someone turned the Mid control up to 100. There is no way to adjust the EQ of the boost (it’s not a separate channel), so you either like it or you don’t. The good news is the first time I played the amp live, the boost sounded PERFECT. I guess Peavey knew what they were doing after all. For studio playing, I find myself always using the amp non boosted, which can get you some amazing tones.
A Closer Look
There are a couple of cool features on this amp I haven’t discussed. The first is an XLR out with built-in mic simulator. This can be used for recording or put into a PA system, but it does not silence or change the tone of the amp (in theory). That’s good, but what if I do want silent recording?
That leads me to my next feature, which is my favorite thing about the amp: the Power Sponge. This is basically the same feature that the Princeton Recording Amp has (for $600 more). It allows you to turn the actual volume down as low as you want without affecting your tone at all. So you can run your XLR out to a recorder while basically silencing your amp (it won’t 100% silence it, but it’s so quiet it wouldn’t wake a sleeping baby in the same room).
I’ve found that the Power Sponge seems to do almost nothing until it gets close to 20% power, then it rapidly decreases the volume. When I do this & record with the XLR out, I said it doesn’t change the amps tone ”in theory“. What I mean by that is the mic simulator DOES give you a different sound, but it is more in the EQ than the tone. The sound in my recorder is deeper and bassier than what was previously coming out of my speaker.
The last feature is one that tubeheads will really like: the ability to interchange power tubes from EL34 (stock), to 6L6GC, 6550, 6CA7, KT88, KT66, KT77, KT90, or KT100. I haven’t yet changed the tube, but this is an exciting possibility.
Sound Clips
I recorded a few clips with two different guitars to give you a taste of the amp. They were recorded up close with a Zoom H2 recorder and sound a bit thin to me (I guess due to where the recorder was placed), but fairly realistic. The first four clips are recorded with a PRS CE22, the last two clips with a Fender American Deluxe HSS Strat.
1 - PRS - Preamp volume on 3.
2 - PRS - Preamp volume on 4 and footswitch ”boost“ added in the middle.
3 - PRS - Preamp volume on 8.
4 - PRS - Clean with reverb.
5 - Strat - Preamp volume on 4 and footswitch ”boost“ added near the end.
6 - Strat - Preamp volume on 6.
Overall
Although it’s not the worlds best amplifier, I feel that for under $400 you’d be hard pressed to find a more versatile and feature packed tube combo amp.
Sure, it could use some work on the Power Sponge adjustment, maybe pull back the gain a bit in the preamp, and a complete reverb overhaul, but these are things I can live with.
This is a great amp for someone (like me) who wants one multi-purpose amp to use for recording and small to mid-sized gigs. It may not have the power of a vintage Twin Reverb or the gain of a Dual Rectifier, but it hands down beats both of those amps in sheer versatility.
- New Class-A From Peavey: The Windsor Studio Amp
- Peavey’s ValveKing 212 Combo Takes Guitar World’s Gold Award
- Epiphone Giving Away A DOT Studio!
- Epiphone Faded DOT & Worn Firebird Get Guitar World Magazine’s Gold Award
- Epiphone Unveils New DOT Studio
- Epiphone Giving Away A Les Paul Studio!
- Gibson Les Paul Studio
- Gibson Announces Guitar Of The Week #24 :: Firebird Studio
- Crate V1512 & V5212 Reviewed At Vintage Guitar Magazine
- Carr Unveils “Mini” Version Of The Class A Mercury Tube Amp
- Gibson Announces Limited Edition Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio
- Gibson Unveils Robot Les Paul Studio & Robot SG Special
Howdy! Care to Comment?
February 25th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
This is the only small tube combo you’ll find out there that also has the vibrato/tremolo feature. The Fender Deluxe Reverb is the next up at over twice the cost (the new Princeton’s don’t).
I don’t know how Peavey can afford to put so much value in their products, but they’ve been doing it for a long time.
February 25th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Great work Cary! Looks and sounds like an outstanding value. Interesting that you thought the Boogie had too much gain. I dial mine down quite a bit and don’t use the “contour” setting (which turns the Mesa into a metal amp IMO). With the “bright” on it sparkles like a classic AC30 in the clean channel.
The changeable tube make this Peavey an amp to grow with.
Are you planning to gig soon? I think this amp is probably loud enough to play over a hard hitting drummer.
February 25th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Actually, this amp does not have a tremolo feature. At least not that I’ve found! The six knobs are Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Reverb, and Master. If it DOES have it, tell me where it is!
February 25th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for the kudos Rick, but I can’t take credit––reader Jarrod Perkins submitted this review. He did a great job, and I really appreciated the help.
I’ll let him answer your questions
February 25th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hey Rick, I’ve played one gig with it but I it was with a moderate-volume drummer. I also ran a line out into the PA for a fuller sound. But to directly answer your question, I think it could compete with a loud drummer in a small venue. For larger gigs, I would run a line out into the PA if that’s possible. Jarrod
February 25th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Hmmm. I had high hopes for this but I’m not 100% sure. Of course when you figure the price is less than a couple ‘booteeek’ guitar pedals it’s an awesome deal. I think I’ll wait till someone comes up with some mods for the fizz in the distortion. It seems like that’s something Peavey always has problems with.
Thanks for the review.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Whoops! I was thinking of Peavey’s Delta Blues Combo. The Delta is a 30 watt tremolo equipped, 2 channel with one 15” speaker. Powered by 3- 12AX7’s and 4 EL84’s, it’s priced identical with Fender’s (tremolo-less) Hot Rod Deluxe at around $600.
February 26th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
The Delta Blues is also made in the USA (in TN). This guy comes in under 400 because Peavey outsourced the build. I liked the first clip, sounds nice with a the slight breakup. I’d have to hear more, but it sounds like one of the reasons that I sold my Delta Blues applies here, bump the preamp and it is in fact a little fizzy (like dbell mentioned). Don’t get me wrong, you crank the Delta without preamp, and it sounds flippin’ awesome. But WAY too loud for my home use. I prefer the crunch I get with a Blues Junior at home at lower volumes.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Mike V - Yeah, there is that slight fizz but like you said, with low preamp & cranking the volume, you get a great sound. And it’s too loud for me too, but HERE is where the Power Sponge comes in handy. You can drop the “actual” volume. I didn’t think to record any clips using it, but I should’ve. I normally record with the preamp on 2 or 3 and the master on 4 or 5 and use the Power Sponge. Great breakup.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Thanks for the review, what kind of clean head room are you getting? Clearly a Class A, with the Pre-Amp on 1and master on 5-6 how does it sound? I have Classic 30 and love the clean but dislike the drive…
February 29th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Quite alot, actually. I really have to dial it up to 8+ to get breakup that way. I just played live with the pre on 3 and the master on 7 and got a gorgeous sound.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Hi Jarrod thanks for the great review. Does this amp have the ability to play clean with less attack and then dirty up or distort when the attack is harder without using the boost?
March 6th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
It does, especially with a single coil. Humbuckers tend to be a little dirtier all-around.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Hi jarrod, thanks for the response. I bought this amp and I have changed the tubes out to groove tubes in the preamp and the power to 12ax7’s and a 6l6 black plate #5 in the power. I also changed out the speaker to acelestion gold G12. I cannot describe to you the tone and power change this amp has gained. I have also recorded with it and have gotten great results. I have also experienced the break up and clean exchange it does a wonderful job of that. What a pain to change the tubes but well worth it. Thanks for the review and info it was very helpful. I am off and running with this amp and I don’t intend to look back.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Q-Dime, I’ve been curious to do this exact thing, a Celestion & new tubes. Why would you suggest the 6L6 over a EL34/84? I’m no tube genius here.
Thanks!
Jarrod
March 20th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Hi jarrod, call me quinn, I chose the 6l6 because the EL 34 are a little darker sounding and seem to accomadate the lead attacks very well and the 6l6 lends itself to rythym playing a little better. I like a brighter sound and the groove tube especially the black plate breaks up nicely. Changing the preamp tubes really makes a difference. Really the choice of tubes for me is about taste of tone and sound. I am a fan of a modern rock sound. I like vintage music but I prefer to play modern sound, does that make sense? If you get the chance to listen to both tubes in the same amp you’ll see what I mean. I had a classic 50 212 combo and it had EL34’s in it. I wasn’t particulary fond of the sound and would have changed tubes but I found this little powerhouse and then made the changes to it. I hope this helps and great talkin to ya.
March 23rd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
hi, ive been looking at getting the head version of this amp with a cab. I dont really need a halfstack but 15w (even tube) is a little too low for my needs. So long as its more or less the same thing can u give me some advice please. the only thing stopping me buying this amp is i hear the cleans are practically non existent. From what i hear u need to roll down the guitar volume and really lower the preamp which isnt a problem but how clean can it really go. You had one clip with a nice warm clean tone but can u get it to really sparkle? i wonder would changing the driver tube to a 12au7 make it easier to get a better clean tone and i dont mind the loss in gain as i have a good od pedal. Know its a lot of q’s but any help wud b really appreciated.
March 24th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Hi anthony, I have been able to get an excellent clean sound but it took a little coaxing. I plugged the cable into the low gain side and then turn the preamp down to between 1 and 2 and then your attack makes the difference from there. I like a little gain in my clean so it doesn’t bother me. I have also been able to clean it a lot by using my compression pedal. I have an MXR. Getting the warm tone comes from cranking the bass to about 10 or 11 and rolling of the mid and treble to about 4 or 5. As you said you could change the drive tube and that would help as well. I hope this helps.
March 24th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
thanks - i think ill wait to try one in a shop before buying
March 28th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I just bought the Windsor Studio this morning from a local shop. The only one they had. Musicians Friend has sold out of these twice since it finally became available in February. I’ve had my eye on the Windsor Studio since last year, when it was announced.
I’ve been playing for more than 40 years, and I’m a Vox lover since the 1960s. I’ve played just about everything out there over the years, but that sweet, warm Vox tone has always been my favorite. (My last purchase was a Vox Valvetronix AD50VT, which I love, for what it is - the best hybrid modeling amp out there.)
I mention this only because when I first heard the Windsor Studio, I was alarmed that it sounded rather “thin”, relative to the Vox sound. But that only lasted for about 5 minutes, then I fell in love w this little beast!
With my experience, I can say, undeniably, that you will not find a better all tube Class A combo than this. The Windsor Studio is a great amp, and for $399, is unbelieveable!
Some of this has already been covered, but here we go: the “Sponge” attenuator is a godsend, as I now live in an apartment (full on, this thing is LOUD!) Yes, for a clean sound, the preamp volume must be kept at 3 or less, but w the Sponge and Master volume full on, it’s plenty clean and plenty loud! You need to work w the Sponge, preamp volume and master volume, as they are interactive.
I find the best EQ settings to be: lows and mids almost full on, treble at unity gain, and boost engaged (a bit more volume, but boosts the mids a bit more, also). Set Reverb to taste. I find the Reverb to be just fine - sounds great!
Last, but not least, I’ve played my Peavey HP Signature thru it, and prefer the neck setting (which I usually do) and my lite ash Strat, which sounds superb on the split neck/mid setting. And, by the way, save your tube screamer for another amp that needs it. The Windsor Studio can scream naturally. I have yet to try my Les Paul Standard, Epi Casino and Tele thru the Windsor, but I doubt I’ll be disappointed.
I highly recommend this little wonder of a $399 boutique amp! Peavey has set a new standard w the Windsor Studio! I hope this has been helpful, as there are few reviews yet available. See it, hear it, love it, buy it!
March 29th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Just a few things to add/change since I’ve had the amp for a day, giving me time to discover a few new things. Don’t overlook the importance of rolling off/on your guitar’s volume. This will clean things up a bit at any setting, and allow you to crank it back up to dirty up the sound. Also, try both the high gain and low gain inputs. Can make a difference, depending on how hot your pickups are. My preferred EQ settings are now: bass full on, mids around 4 or 5 (removes a bit of “cupping” sound), treble at about 8. I now prefer not to engage the Boost as it adds that cupped, too much midrange sound back into the mix.
I suppose what all of this suggests is that you gotta play w the settings to find your personal favorite. I jumped the gun in writing my thoughts yesterday. I was excited about having bought it, but should have waited until today. Sorry about that. This is a simple amp as far as bells and whistles, but, believe me, spending some time experimenting will be well worth it! And, I forgot to thank Jarrod for his review - so, thanks, Jarrod!
March 31st, 2008 at 10:27 am
Hi, big G I see you have joined the windsor family, welcome! lol I play a 72 tele thinline with EMG’s and this amp accomadates the guitar beautifully. The effects loop handles my pedals very well also. Thought I would say hi. Have a great one !
April 1st, 2008 at 9:39 am
Hey, q-dime. Thanks for the welcome! That Tele Thinline is a great guitar! I must admit I’ve never heard one w EMGs mounted, but I can imagine the sound you must be getting! I didn’t mention pedals above. The only ones I use are a Dunlop 535q wah, Boss Distortion and Digitech Bad Monkey tube overdrive. I run ‘em between the guitar and the amp input. They’re all three dead quiet, and great at what they do. Although, w the Windsor, I only use the Wah, and, so far, rarely. Thanks again, man! Keep on lovin and livin the music!
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:50 am
Just a bit more input here. I’ve never had to call Peavey abt any of their products I own - never had a problem. I have owned a business, so I know how much positive feedback means to a company, so I decided to call Peavey w props and thanks. Asked to talk to a tech, R&D guy, and was put right thru. The guy couldn’t have been nicer as we talked for abt 15 minutes, abt Peavey’s business philosophy, design philosophy, etc. They’re still a privately owned company, so no stockholders and $ bottom lines to deal with! Still a true mom n pop store in this BIG business world. Ya gotta love that! I have absolutely no doubt that if I, or you, should have a problem w a Peavey product, it will be handled quickly and w courtesy. Dig it! And thank you to Peavey!
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Big G,
When I read your first post I was thinking “Mids all the way up AND boost?!?”, then I see you found that a bit midd-y as well.
I’m currently using a TS808 Tubescreamer and a MXR Dyna-Comp, but I think I will get a MXR volume boost and not use the preamp boost as much. I heard a recording of me playing live and the amp simply SPARKLES until I hit the boost, then it muddies up.
Glad you like the amp, it’s a great little package!
Jarrod
April 4th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Hi Jarrod, hey did you make any mods to your amp ( speaker, tubes) ? I know we had briefly talked about it I was just curious to see if you had done anything. Have a great one!
April 4th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Hi Jarrod, hey did you make any mods to your amp ( speaker, tubes) ? I know we had briefly talked about it I was just curious to see if you had done anything. Have a great one!
quinn
April 4th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Hey Jarrod, Yeah, I jumped the gun in my first post. But is a good example (somewhat to my embarrasement) of how important it is to play w all settings on the Windsor Studio. Truly a great little amp! Thanks for the response!
April 4th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Jarrod and Big G, Hi I forgot to mention to you that I also use the MXR 10 band EQ, which not only has volume but a gain as well. I keep this pedal on all the time and if you were to hear it you would see why. Of course I am running EMG”S and an EQ so the amount of tone I am getting is phenomenal. Anyway a great EQ might help a little more than just a volume pedal it’s worth a shot, just thought I would mention it. laterz and happy playin.
Quinn
April 4th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Jarrod and Big G, Hi I forgot to mention to you that I also use the MXR 10 band EQ, which not only has volume but a gain as well. I keep this pedal on all the time and if you were to hear it you would see why. Of course I am running EMG”S and an EQ so the amount of tone I am getting is phenomenal. Anyway a great EQ might help a little more than just a volume pedal it’s worth a shot, just thought I would mention it. laterz and happy playin.
Quinn
April 4th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Jarrod and Big G, Hi I forgot to mention to you that I also use the MXR 10 band EQ, which not only has volume but a gain as well. I keep this pedal on all the time and if you were to hear it you would see why. Of course I am running EMG”S and an EQ so the amount of tone I am getting is phenomenal. Anyway a great EQ might help a little more than just a volume pedal it’s worth a shot, just thought I would mention it. laterz and happy playin.
Quinn
April 4th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Sorry about the repeats somethin is going on with my computer !!??!???
April 5th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Thanks for the info fellas, I also am fooling around with a Windsor studio, I just put a Vintage 30 in and it made a big difference, no more fzzfarts from the speaker a little cleaner/sweeter. I’m hoping a planned tube swap this wk will improve clean headroom & bass, I have a line on a KT90, and a pair of KT88’s. I’m trying to keep the mod$ down, fortunatley the speaker was a spare. This could be a cool little amp, the speaker is really small mag.
April 14th, 2008 at 4:47 am
hey toe joe, I hear ya about the $, I think I moded mine for more than the amp costs LOL. Anyway, I know my speaker swap made a huge difference. I used a celestion gold, good to hear from ya have a great one.
May 5th, 2008 at 5:56 am
Hi Cary, I have been doing some more experimenting with my amp and I found that if I changed the preamp drive tube to a 12AU7 this increases the clean headroom significantly. The break up doesn’t start until the knob is @ 5-6 and with the master volume at full and the preamp @ 3 the sound is sparkly. I thought I would share that. Have a great one.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Well, just one more little input here. This amp is just a heck of alot of fun to play thru! I did end up buying a Vox AC15, and I love it! But I find that I play thru the Peavey more often! For what it’s worth! Enjoy, guys!