Comments on: REVIEW: Peavey Windsor Studio Class A Tube Amp

By: Gtrain

Gtrain — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:17:01 +0000

Similar to BDB, I still have 12ay7 in preamp, and traded the previously mentioned 6AC7EH fat bottle (which is good) for a Gold Lion KT66. The speaker does make a difference. For me it was a G12H30 clone. I’m enjoying it even more than before.

By: BDB

BDB — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:38:22 +0000

Too anyone interested, I just got done putting an Gold Lion KT88, a Electro-harmonix 12ay7 in the right preamp tube socket(looking at the back of the amp), and a Eminence Legend 1258 in my Windsor Studio and then I blocked off most of the back with 1/4″ plywood. I finaly have the amp that I thought that I was buying two years ago! It now sounds great to my ears and the upgrade didn’t break the bank!

By: Gtrain

Gtrain — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:12:05 +0000

Oops, thats sparkle not spckle at the top end.

By: Gtrain

Gtrain — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:06:18 +0000

O.K. I’m new at playing electric,but I know a good sound. So at first with the stock tubes I did not like the all dirt, and flab base of the 12ax7′s and the JJ EL34. So I, stuck an MXR 10 band in the loop, and switched the V1 for a 12ay7 and the power tube for a 6AC7EH fat bottle. This thing now rocks loud and distorted! It also has more headroom for clean, more base, and more spackle at the top. I’m not sure another speaker would make a difference?

Super happy!

By: Conti

Conti — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:18:11 +0000

I bought this amp these days after testing it at a store here in Austria. Singing and playing rythm guitar in a Rockabilly band, it was hard for me to find an amp with clean sound and enough headroom, but also with that dirty mojo small tube amps use to have.

If you want to get a very clean, loud sound with lots of headroom out of this amp, you have to modify just the following things:

- Replace the speaker with an Eminence 1218
- Replace the power tube to a Sovtek 6550 WE
- Replace the preamp tubes with low gain types (e.g. TAD003)

Here we go!
Cheers, Co.

By: Joe K

Joe K — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:27:20 +0000

Just a clarification (and this is in the factory info somewhere): the “boost” isn’t really, but simply a by-pass of the tone stack. None of the EQ controls work with boost on, and the “boost” comes from not losing gain going through the tone filters.

I bought this amp last year for occasional use in one of the smaller rooms at our church (when I play guitar rather than my primary bass duties), and I’ve been tickled with it. Can get low enough for practice keeping a decent tone w/o peeling plaster off the walls. I can set up a nice tone and run the transformer-driven XLR (down-stream of the power tube) to the board w/o losing most of it as with most preamp line outs, and independently control the stage volume where I need it.

I play several different SG’s (older & new) through it, and it is nicely responsive to varying attack. This is one of very few amps I’ve personally used that yield an audible difference in the “hi” and “low” sensitivity inputs. It’s almost worth setting up an A/B switch that would come close to simulating a channel or gain change.

The F/X loop is great, as I run a BBE and a programmable (MIDI-switchable) digital delay on it. I’ve even messed with using my ADA MP-1 tube preamp plugged both into the front (major multi-stage gain!), and the back (by-passing the Windsor preamp, and going straight to the power amp). Not necessary, but workable.

I haven’t needed to try an ext/aux speaker cabinet, but having the option using the impedance switch is nice.

This is the first Peavey product I’ve ever owned. Got a bad taste for them after questionnable reliability in the 70′s & 80′s, but modern stuff can’t be fairly compared to that previous era. Incredible features for cost, and plenty of usable tone options – what’s not to like? OK, they could have thrown in the footswitch… ha!

By: Senior Deville

Senior Deville — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:42:32 +0000

I have had this amp for 6 months now. I liked the sound of it stock, but I agree with the comments about it being a bit thin sounding and lacking in bottom end. This amp does not do pristine cleans, BUT I love a creamy clean(ish) sound with sanpaper around the edges and this amp shines in that category. Metal players can seek elsewhere but blues and classic rock players can rejoice in this amp’s lovely tones.
So I first swapped the stock JJ EL34 for a mesa 6L6GC and that provided a bit more headroom (able to turn the amp louder before it starts to break up). And then I swapped 2 new Ruby 12ax7 in the preamp for the stock ones. Again the sound was sweeter and more defined. Finally the coup de grace, A Celestion Blue Alnico speaker replaced the stock Blue Marvel. Now here this! The amp sings with the most prestine of tones! The highs chime like bells and you can hear every articulation in every slight move of your fingers on the fretboard. It is like an instrument in itself! The bottom end is very much improved but with this open back cabinet, there is a limit to what lows can be attained. Still I found a significant improvement to the lows, and extreme improvements to the mids and highs. I plugged in my 1966 Fender Jaguar and tone-tears were streaming down my face!
So my upgrades have cost me roughly the same as the amp itself, but the pleasure of tasting different tubes and experimenting with different tones has been a delight and I am loving this Class A amp!

By: Russ

Russ — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:53:47 +0000

I am changing the stock speaker with a greenback. In doing so I noticed that it is glued in as well as screwed in. Any ideas?

By: Gearhund

Gearhund — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:24:26 +0000

The stock Eminence speaker in the Blues Jr. does sound middy. Replacing it with a Jensen C12N makes a huge difference and is cheaper than a new amp.

http://www.oldtonezone.com/category/blues-junior-videos/

By: Jarrod

Jarrod — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:34:17 +0000

I’ve owned both a Blues Jr and an AC15. I feel like the Blues Jr is a more solidly put together amp and the build quality is more along the lines of the AC15. I think it would be reliable, as much as any other foreign made tube amp. But if I was going on tour with 1 amp for an extended period, I’d go for a Blues Jr, HotRod or a Classic 30.

By: rocking cholo

rocking cholo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:43:51 +0000

Hi Jarrod, I’m glad you’ve found the amp you’ve always wanted.
One little question, do you think it’s an amp that will last, I mean, is it decent enough to stand next to a blues jr, voxAC15, some hotrod stuff or a peavey classic30? Or do you think it’s almost like that but it never really copes to do so?

cheers

By: Jarrod

Jarrod — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:39:23 +0000

Since this review, I sold the amp and picked up a Vox AC30, which I’ve always wanted. It’s the CC2 version, so it has a master volume & can get great distortion at low volumes. But this little Windsor was a great amp for awhile.

By: Dale Goble

Dale Goble — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:15:41 +0000

I have been looking at this amp.
I really like the power sponge idea.

Iam new to amps and would like to know if you can change
the tubes or speaker to get a good Blues sound out.
The clips I have found on the Web sound ok in blues
but not like the blues Jr.

And which tubes/speaker would get the best results ?
Dale

By: Joe krueger

Joe krueger — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:42:40 +0000

I have a question for q-dime, which 12ax7 tube is the preamp drive tube that you changed to a 12au7 to get more headroom before breakup starts? Can this cause problems, what brand of 12au7 do you use. Have you tried recording out of the XLR out yet? How does it sound. I’m going to be purchasing my very own Peavey Studio amp soon and will also be nodding it with a celestion Gold speaker and new tubes. I play at church and we have to keep the stage volume way down, so the XLR out and power sponge will be a God send. Thanks for any tips. Joe

By: rocking cholo

rocking cholo — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:21:38 +0000

Hello everyone,

I was very pleased to read this review and the comments with the mods you guys do and tips and tricks. I’m a bit curious wether you still have, and love, the amp, or not.

It’s not released in Europe yet, (it’s taking so long !) but normally he should be in stores week 41.

Thanks to cary and the other guys, I hope it will please me as much as it pleases you.

greetz