Peavey ValveKing II Combo 50

General

The Peavey ValveKing II 50 is the slightly taller and wider sibling of the ValveKing 20. While it has all the same functionality as the 20, this 50 Watt Combo gives enough power to fill larger venues. In 2013, Peavey blessed the ValveKing Series with a number of fresh upgrades to transform them into highly versatile tonal magicians. This particular ValveKing is loaded with Boutique standard tubes that deliver sound to match and yet comes at less Boutique-standard price. The Peavey ValveKing II 50 has a warm and organic voice with complex dynamics thanks to three 12AX7 tubes in the preamp and two 6L6GC tubes in the power amp, each of which is monitored by the built-in TSI Tube Monitor complete with LED indicators to let you know when a tube needs changing.

Peavey ValveKing II Combo 50: Two Channels of Tube-Driven Joy

This combo amplifier is loaded with a 12-inch speaker and two switchable channels with a dedicated 3-band EQ and volume control per channel while the built-in reverb is shared. Through the Clean channel, you get an extra Bright pot to add a little extra sparkle, and the Lead channel comes with its own Gain/Volume-Boost option for that extra edge during solos. The Texture pot, previously found on the back-side, has been given a more prominent place on the front panel with the fresh name, Vari-Class. Here, you can tip the ValveKing into a Class A or Class AB tube-amplifier emulation and everything in between. The Master section includes a Damping pot for adding a thicker low-end or high-end to the tone as preferred.

Power Attenuator, Line-Out and USB

Since this is the 2013 version of the ValveKing Series, it gets an inbuilt Power Attenuator that can switch the power between 50, 12 and 2 Watts so that this combo can maintain its tube-sound at super low volumes. The bespoke Peavey MSDI (Microphone Simulated Direct Interface) means you have no problem jacking directly into the mixer or PA without the fuss of mic-ing up the amp and, for direct connection to a computer, the ValveKing II 50 even offers a USB output. To finish, there's an FX loop and two speaker outputs switchable between 4, 8 or 16 Ohms so you can expand your set up with a speaker cabinet.

• To read an extensive review by Guitar Interactive magazine click here.