I am tracking down information on the Peavey Musician amp 400 series. I bought one new with the Peavey 410 cabinet around March 1974 and used it until June 1977 when I sold it. It was too loud (140ish watts into a 4 ohm load) and I was tired of hauling it up to our 2nd floor apartment.

I decided to track one down and use it in my studio.  I plan to make a couple of mods to the amps.  To my surprise, there are three versions of this amp.

Version 1 (Mark I)

This one does not have the Master Gain/Reverb knobs. It does not have Parallel/Serial inputs.




The foot switch has a DIN 3 pin plug. Per the schematic, the foot switch has three foot switches.  It appears in the Peavey 1973 catalog. 

Peavey refers to the Mark I as "A Series". This label is found on the amp schematic. 



The user manual is on the Peavey website, Archived Manuals, under the M section as "Musician".


Version 2 (Mark II)

This one DOES have the Master Gain/Reverb knobs. It DOES have the Parallel/Serial inputs.




The foot switch uses a 7 pin DIN plug and it has 5 foot switches. Peavey refers to the Mark II as "B Series". This label is found on the amp schematic.  The user manual is NOT on the Peavey website.


Version 3 (Mark III)

The Mark III Musician has the Peavey Mark III series design:




I do not know what kind of foot switch it uses. All the manual says is that it uses a "DIN" plug.

The user manual is on the Peavey website, Archived Manuals, M, as "Mark III Series Musician".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.  Where should I put an Effects Loop connectors for the Mk II model? The schematic is HERE .

2.  What is the best place to put a master volume control for the Mark I model?  The schematic is HERE

3.  Does anyone have the user manual for the Mark II Musician?

4.  Does anyone know the dates of introduction for any of the Musician models?


Thanks!

My Fender Frontman 25R project continues.  I need to add a microphone level XLR balanced output to feed it to to the PA mixer board in it's own channel.  My Carvin SS bass amp has such an output that I use all the time.

The signal level from the pre-amp to the power amp I assume is line-level which is too hot to use.  I could use a DI box but I would prefer to just have an XLR socket on the back of the amp and avoid using a microphone. Use would be primarily for live gigs.

Ideas?

TIA!

Quote from: Tassieviking on August 17, 2024, 02:13:48 PMI would place the loop between R55 and C33, that way you have resistance on the OP-amp side.
I myself would remove R55 and mount the wires in the holes where R55 was, then I would place R55 in the middle of the wire that goes to the send plug.
You don't have to cut any traces if you do it that way.

Tassieviking,

Thanks.  I'll take that approach.


Tony

Quote from: phatt on August 17, 2024, 08:29:59 AMI don't believe I mentioned Diodes as you don't need them,, maybe I'm having a brain fart? (head scratch)
 ...

Phill,

My bad.  I re-read your post and no diodes are mentioned.  It's my brain fart, not yours. Sorry.

Tony

I have a nice  25 watt Fender Frontman 25R ss amp with an external Peavey Black Widow 12" speaker.

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The iPod plays backing tracks for guitar & lap steel practice & my wife likes the headphones!  I upgraded the amp with a 10" Weber 10F150 speaker.

https://www.tedweber.com/10f150/

The amp is loud enough for small venues and a reasonable drummer

I would like to add an FX loop to the Frontman 25R.

I found this 2019 thread on doing this to a Washburn ss amp:

https://www.ssguitar.com/index.php?topic=5199.msg40778#msg40778


Member phatt posted a solution using two jacks & 2 diodes.  I have twp questions:

1. Where are the diodes placed? How are they oriented?

2. What value diode should be used?


Here is the schematic to the Frontman 25R amp:

https://www.manualslib.com/download/1059221/Fender-Frontman-25r.html

I think I would insert the FX loop just before R55.

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Here's how I think it should be wired but I do not know where to put the diodes

You cannot view this attachment.


Any other considerations that I might have missed?

Thanks!

Hi all!  It's been a long time since I have logged in.  A lot has passed since 2017.  Medical issues have hit me fairly hard. I had open heart surgery and am finally back to walking. Our youngest daughter had a long breast cancer battle and didn't make it.  We buried her last year.  We also lost a grandchild.   I also got back into pedal steel/lap steel guitars.  So the 3210 has sat.  I will get back to it - it's on the project list but I have more pressing projects.

Thanks for your understanding.

I fixed all the broken links due to PhotoBucket shutting down posting images to forums.  I now host the photos on my own domain.

Just a quick update.  I'm still working on the 3210 but a number of higher priority projects have jumped in front of it.  I did invest in a new ESD soldering station and I love using it.

I hope to get back on it in a week or two.  Thanks for all the help.

Thanks all for your responses.  I am away in Alabama for a vacation with family and will not be able to post any new pictures of the 3210 until next week.

Please understand that the amp will ONLY be use with a 4 ohm load.  The two cabs are Marshall 1965A 4x10" and a Marshall 1965B modified with a 15" Weber California.  I currently use a Carvin VT50 head with it.



So I need to have the head able to drive a 4 ohm load without failure.

When I said that I have 6 other amps it meant that I am in no rush to use the 3210.  I don't have to have the 3210 working tomorrow.

When I get back home I will post some more photos of the interior & the heat sink.

Quote from: Enzo on April 21, 2017, 11:36:54 AM
Make sure I understand, you bought a used amp that at least was claimed to work.  You have not even plugged it in, and you are proposing to tear it apart and replace half the insides?


WHY?


Online discussions may demonstrate that WHEN these amps fail, it is more often blown outputs than other parts, but how many of these worked flawlessly their entire lives?  Those amps never get mention online.  SO it is like hanging around a hospital emergency room to decide what your life is going to be like.   There is a difference between "these blow up" and "this is what burns on the ones that blow up".

You measured a couple caps in circuit, and they both are within 10% of value.  They could have measured the same the day they were new.  it isn't the value that wears out, it is the ESR and leakage inside.

A beefier rectifier bridge would just mean that someing else burns up when you have an output failure.

Enzo,

Why?  Because I'm cautious.  I have no idea how long the amp has set or the past history of the amp.  In the tube world techs never just plug in an amp that they know nothing about.  They put them on a variac and bring the voltage up  s l o w l y.

The 3210 has a past history of failure that is well documented here and elsewhere.  So let's do this again:

I'll just plug it in and see what happens. 

Me: "I bought an amp I knew nothing about it and plugged it in and now it doesn't work.  Help! "

Enzo: "You bought an amp that you knew nothing about and plugged it in without checking to see the history of these amps?  Their failures are well known and had you been a bit more cautious we could have helped you avoid a catastrophe".

Sometimes Enzo you can be a real PITA.  In spite of your electrical genius.

I have 6 amps floating around here and I don't need the 3210 right away.  And yes I will replace known components that have a history of failure.  Before I even use them.  Like the brakes on my 1990 Ford Ranger I bought used and had dropped off at my mechanic and had them overhauled right away. I don't like catastrophes.

So I will replace the output MOSFETs and then run the 3210 at 4 ohms and see what happens.

Also, I've been sick for the past year due to my injuries in Iraq and I have not been able to do much like I used too.  So the 3210 had to wait a while.

Hello all!  The Marshall 3210 MOSFET amp was my first decent amp that I bought around 1990 with the Marshall 1965B 4x10 cab.  Never had an issue with it. I sold it in 2000 to my nephew (who I understand still has it) but recently acquired another 3210 (vintage 1990, Y0xxxx) a few months back off of the local Craig's list.  I have yet to plug it in although the seller said he had been using it regularly and had verified that all functions work.





I have both the Marshall 1965A & 1965B cabs that I use with my Carvin VT-50 tube amp head.



The Marshall cabs are 8 ohms each so using them both would put a 4 ohm load on the 3210 amp.

Last night I did a bit of research on the 3210 head's past problems and found out that they have a tendency to blow the MOFETs taking out the rectifier & a few other parts with them.  This seems to occur when you put a 4 ohm load on the 3210.  I always ran my old 3210 with a single  8 ohm cab so I never had the problem.

1. Before I plug it in, should I put a 16ohm speaker load on it first?  Or should I give it a shot with an 8 ohm load?  No way will I start out with a 4 ohm load.

2. As a preventative measure should I replace the MOSFETS with a pair of Exicon 10N20 & 10P20 before I run it with a 4 ohm load?  They are cheap at $35 for a pair.


My current MOSFETs

http://www.ebay.com/itm/282407099589?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

3.  While I am at it, should I replace any caps that have been problematic in the past?  Or just replace them all?  I checked the filter caps.  One read 1980 mf, the other read 2160 mf.


Filter Caps

4.  The board looks clean an un-modded.  No sign of a previous repair.  The ICs are not in sockets - they are soldered to the board.  Should I socket them and stock some replacements?


My 3210 board

5.  Should I beef up the rectifier with an 8 amp one?  Any recommended replacements?

As I plan on keeping this amp for the next 10 years at least, what spare parts should I stockpile?

Thanks!

For the past couple of years the Peavey Bandit 112 Silver Stripe (1996-1999) has been my main amp.  I like the way the Transtube circuit sounds. I've finally gotten it set up the way I want it.



It's paired with the Peavey 112SX external speaker cabinet.  I've replaced the Peavey 1230 speakers with a Weber 100w Blue Dog in the Bandit and a 100w Silver Bell in the external cab.

Next to it is my rack:



The top half is a Samson power amp driving my 1996 Rocktron Chameleon.  The bottom half is for my MIDI guitar.  The Yamaha MIDI interface feeds the Alesis QSR sound module which is driven by a Samson 1U power amp (120a). The cabinet was custom made by J Designs and holds the two Peavey 1230 speakers from the Bandit & 112SX cab.

http://www.jdesigncabs.com/

I added a 1U mixer so I can now play backing tracks through the rig.  I had to swap out the 2U Samson amp for a 1U amp to make room for the Peavey LM mixer.

I made a custom snake to run power and signals to my pedal board.  The length is the same as the Peavey foot switch, about 14 feet.  120v AC power, guitar signal to Bandit, effects send and return cables, guitar to Chameleon cable, and a 7 pin powered cable to the ADA MIDI foot switch are all bundled together.  The pedal board has a power master switch on the top and power comes from below.

Overall view:



All my gigging guitars have their own wireless transmitter on them and they all are on Samson VHF Channel 1.  The guitar signal goes from the Samson SR-2 reciever to the Morley ABC box IN.  Channel A goes to the Bandit, Channel B goes to the Rocktron Chameleon, and C is used for mute/Rocktron XTune tuner.




The main pedal  board has all the boost, distortion, OD, and amp sim effects that go into the Bandit front end (normal guitar input).



Time based effects like delay & chorus are on their own sub-board and go to the effects loop of the Bandit (not shown is the NUX Looper that is all the way to the left, the last device in the effects loop chain).



The ADA MC-1 midi foot switch lets me instantly get 10 different sounds from the Rocktron Chameleon.

So that's a rundown of my rig.  It breaks down into manageable parts that I can carry where as my tube gear is way too heavy.

Quote from: J M Fahey on November 03, 2011, 07:31:00 PM
Congratulations.
As I mention everywhere, the *main* difference between Tube and SS amps is the kind (meaning $$$$$) of speakers fitted to each.
Day and night.
There even is a You Tube where they plug a 1/2W , LM386 based "Smokey" amplifier into a Marshall 4x12" cabinet.
Only comment: WOW!!

In a Marshall 2x12:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFps-PY-hBA

Marshall 4x12:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG6rpoN56Lc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KSWa7N1xGY

Good speakers are the key!

Super!!  Thanks so much!  I will get working on it.

OK, I figured out what I will do.  I am buying another Peavey Bandit 112 Silver Stripe.  It has an effects loop and can take a 4 ohm load.  It has more power than I need (100 watts @ 4 ohms, 80watts @ 8 ohms) but that's why there is a vol knob on it  .  It is the same vintage as my Envoy 110.

I found one on my local Craig s List for $120 and I bought a matching external cab off of eBay for $150 shipped.

I emailed Weber speakers and were are discussing new 12" speakers - A Blue Dog and a Silver Bell seem to be the best candidates thus far.

Here's what the rig will look like when done:




Project Done!

Thanks for all the advice and help!