My Peavey VC/L-2 Modification Story...

[JohnRoberts]

I know I am digging up an old thread here, but do any of you gents in the know, have knowledge as to whether the T4 out of an LA-2A would work in the VC/L-2? I know Peavey claims that they had a custom EL in their unit and my concern is that the correct replacement may not be available when the one in operation wears out.

I don't know what a T4 is, but if you're talking about the gain element, the one in the VC/L was indeed tooled up special for Peavey. The price for the original gain elements was silly expensive and out of the question for production use. I don't expect these to be identical but they were modeled on the original parts, and used in a similar circuit topology. 

I don't know for a fact (not one of my products), but I wouldn't be surprised if they have similar characteristics.

JR

 

[zmix]

I know I am digging up an old thread here, but do any of you gents in the know, have knowledge as to whether the T4 out of an LA-2A would work in the VC/L-2? I know Peavey claims that they had a custom EL in their unit and my concern is that the correct replacement may not be available when the one in operation wears out.

I don't know what a T4 is, but if you're talking about the gain element, the one in the VC/L was indeed tooled up special for Peavey. The price for the original gain elements was silly expensive and out of the question for production use. I don't expect these to be identical but they were modeled on the original parts, and used in a similar circuit topology. 

I don't know for a fact (not one of my products), but I wouldn't be surprised if they have similar characteristics.

JR

Two comments I'd like to make. 

First, As John stated the GR element was created in house by Peavey because the t4-b was mad expensive at the time.  The GR element in the VC/L-2 is a simple EL panel with two CDS cells sandwiched by a piece of black foam rubber. It is not socketed as the T4 is.
These days the EL panels are readily available in the form of those 'glowing' nightlights.

Secondly, what makes you worried that the GR element will wear out?

 

[Crash]

I know I am digging up an old thread here, but do any of you gents in the know, have knowledge as to whether the T4 out of an LA-2A would work in the VC/L-2? I know Peavey claims that they had a custom EL in their unit and my concern is that the correct replacement may not be available when the one in operation wears out.

I don't know what a T4 is, but if you're talking about the gain element, the one in the VC/L was indeed tooled up special for Peavey. The price for the original gain elements was silly expensive and out of the question for production use. I don't expect these to be identical but they were modeled on the original parts, and used in a similar circuit topology. 

I don't know for a fact (not one of my products), but I wouldn't be surprised if they have similar characteristics.

JR

Two comments I'd like to make. 

First, As John stated the GR element was created in house by Peavey because the t4-b was mad expensive at the time.  The GR element in the VC/L-2 is a simple EL panel with two CDS cells sandwiched by a piece of black foam rubber. It is not socketed as the T4 is.
These days the EL panels are readily available in the form of those 'glowing' nightlights.

Secondly, what makes you worried that the GR element will wear out?

OK, let me reply to a really old thread, since the question was asked and I neglected to answer. I had read about others with LA/2A's claiming that as the gain reduction element aged, the unit started to behave in a different manner.... Started to sound different. This is what set me down the path of curiosity on the Peavey and what components it might share in design.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Not my area of expertise but I believe you are correct...

I don't know how much this varies from vendor to vendor, or if life curves are strictly inherent to technology.

JR

 

[Crash]

Well, here we are almost a year down the road and lo and behold, my unit has started doing odd things. The unit no longer exhibits the same compression between the two channels. To get the same amount of compression, channel 2 has to be set almost a full number higher on the ratio knob. I swapped tubes bewtween the channels to make sure it was not a tube and the channels' behavior never changed so I am down to the El panel or the CDS cell I assume. Anyone know what the specs are on the CDS cell? I think there are about 38 choices on digikey and I am not sure which one I would need.

I have an email into the parts department at Peavey but that has been like pulling teeth to get info. I am still awaiting to see if they have any parts for this old beast but I am not hopeful on this one.