Peavey ValveKing Combos - Versatile tube tone you can afford

Before I'd ever picked up a guitar, I was a sucker for sweet tube tone. It was the identifying factor in the sound of my favorite guitarists: Van Halen, Hendrix, Slash, Clapton . . . the list goes on and on. As I became a player and began to learn more about what defines a guitarist's individual sound, I learned that not all tube amps are created equal. Different power structures dramatically affect the way an amplifier sounds. Peavey has created the ValveKing series of amplifiers to give guitarists the powerful, scorching tone of a Class A amp and the lush, warm sound of a Class A/B. Best of all, they are priced for the masses. I couldn't wait to get my hands on one and put it to the test!

First impressions

Musician's Friend sent me both the 50W 112 and the 100W 212 ValveKing combos. I immediately took note of the front panels and their many controls--something I wasn't expecting from such value-priced tube amps. Both amps have Lead and Clean footswitchable channels, each with its own volume and three-band EQ. Reverb with a level control also comes standard on both combos, as well as Resonance and Presence controls to further hone your sound. And if that wasn't enough, there are also footswitchable gain and volume boosts on the Lead channel.

Inside, the 212 has three 12AX7 preamp tubes and four 6L6GC power tubes. It's armed with two specially voiced 12" ValveKing speakers, but it will happily accept external cabs via the dual parallel outs in back. The 112 uses three 12AX7 preamp tubes and two 6L6GC power tubes. As its name suggests, it has a single 12" ValveKing speaker.

In addition to the 112 and 212 combos, Peavey also has a ValveKing 100W head and 4x12" ValveKing cabinet if you want to go the half-stack route. The ValveKing 100 head has the same power and features as the 212 combo.

The best of both worlds

One knob that piqued my interest was the Texture control. In their natural state, the ValveKings are true Class A/B amps. As you move the Texture knob, half of the power tubes are phased out and the gain of the driver tube (the last preamp tube in the circuit) is increased. This results in killer distortion and breakup without the need for increased volume.

I plugged my guitar into the 112 first to get an idea of what the smaller combo was capable of. Its 50 watts created an incredible amount of volume, and the ValveKing speaker responded well to everything I threw at it. In fact, it sounded better than the 2x12" 65W British combo I normally play (which doesn't have the amount of controls a ValveKing does, I might add).

With my guitar favoring the high end, I found that by tweaking the Resonance and Presence settings and turning the Texture knob more to the A/B side, it de-emphasized the squeal and delivered a rich, warm tone that I was surprised to get from single-coil pickups.

Big brother

After thoroughly rocking the 112, I couldn't wait for rehearsal to see what its larger sibling could do. I play in a power trio, which requires me to wear a lot of different hats as a guitarist. Using the aforementioned Brit combo puts me in the position of settling on tones that aren't always ideal. I love the fat crunch it delivers for something like a Fu Manchu cover, but the clean sound I use on SRV's "Lenny" sounds muddy compared to Stevie's legendary original.

As we worked through our set, I made minor tweaks to accommodate what we were playing. For our 10-minute-long, King Crimson-inspired original "Eternal Serpent," I turned the Texture more toward the Class A setting and it immediately gave me the bright, biting tone I'd always wanted to use for that particular tune without drowning out the other players. Whether it was full-on rock or atmospheric jazz, I was able to coax the appropriate tone from the ValveKing. And when I needed a quick burst of gain, a simple tap on the footswitch engaged the Lead channel's boost and took things to the next level. Having such a flexible amp really made playing more enjoyable. Instead of thinking how much better things could sound, I was able to focus on my playing knowing that the audience was hearing exactly what I wanted them to hear.

The final analysis

The ValveKing combos perform at a level I would only expect from tube amps costing much more. Both combos pack a major punch, and the versatility provided by the Texture control creates a huge array of tones to fully express your musical ideas. Combined with features like separate EQs per channel, external speaker jacks, reverb, and very friendly price tags, the ValveKings are a no-brainer for any guitarist who wants to experience a new level of tube power, tone, and control.