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Willis Music Oxmoor Product Profile
Product:
Peavey Valve King 212 Tube Combo
100 watts of power, 7 tube operation (4- 6L6GC, 3- 12AX7), clean and gain channels each with independent EQ, selectable Class A or Class A/B running, 2 12” speakers, adjustable damping, spring tank reverb
Hartley Peavey has probably done more to advance the building of musical equipment than any other company owner since Leo Fender. He has continuously strived for affordable innovation and demands durable “bang for the buck” gear on anything bearing his name and logo.
The Valve King line is a new twist on Peavey’s successful 6550 (formerly 5150) and Classic series of tube amps that offers players the highly prized sound of a tube amp at very affordable pricing. Along with that relaxed cost comes a new features usually only found on amps costing a great deal more; specifically, selectable running type.
Peavey’s “Texture” knob is located on the rear of the amp and allows the user to choose between Class A or Class A/B operation. What’s that? Simply, a Class A amp has all tubes running at full output constantly while a Class A/B one acts similar to a piston engine where one tube runs while another rests, then so on. There is a noticeable sound difference, and better yet, the user can choose any point in between to create a totally unique personal tone. Very cool!
The Valve King is aimed at bridging the gap for players looking for a classic clean tone and a wide assortment of distortion capabilities. Through a Dean Hardtail the clean sound was brisk and sharp. If you’re looking for mellow warmth this is not the amp for you, but if a defined, bold sound is your desire you’ll be thrilled. There was plenty of headroom to keep unwanted breakup out and the tone controls offered ample sound options.
The gain side moves from a stylish 70’s crunch to blistering saturation very quickly. Peavey has obviously tweaked this amp to appeal to players wanting to embrace the modern distortion tones and has succeeded. Surprisingly, increasing the volume didn’t cause the “squashing” so common with extreme distortions, and the Hardtail was wailing with no problem or feedback issues.
The Resonance and Presence controls offer fine tuning for thickening or brightening the tone at lower levels; a nice carry-over from the original Edward Van Halen 5150 design. These were quite useful with distortion; less so with the clean channel since there is less compression without distortion.
It’s a no-brainer in the eyes of most guitarists when they see something that’s too good to be true. That’s not the case here, and Peavey is counting on the fact that they’ve crafted a very reasonably priced tube amp to prove it. Moderate weight; great sound options and pure innovation in running mode selection; play it for yourself and let your ears decide.
Reviewed by: Mike McAfee
Contact reviewer at: oxmoorstore@willis-music.com
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About the Contributor:
Manager Mike McAfee is a 13 year plus Willis veteran who has hand picked each employee on his floor because they excel in providing a superior experience to every customer. The confidence, knowledge and courtesy you encounter lives up to an environment tailored for each department of their store. The home-like piano experience alone is worth a visit, and no other store in town carries the stock or selection of Willis’ Oxmoor location. Please accept Mike’s personal invitation to see first hand how hard we’ll work to make sure you’ll always come back home to Willis Music at Oxmoor Center.
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