Correct Settings for a Peavey Renown 212 Amplifier

Many knobs equal many features.

The Peavey Renown 212 guitar amp is a solid-state workhorse that was introduced by Peavey in 1982. It has a feature-rich front panel that can be confusing to the uninitiated. Peavey keeps the manual for the Renown series and many of its other, older discontinued products on its website, which is a valuable resource.

Inputs

The Renown has two input jacks on the front panel, labeled "High Gain" and "Low Gain." If you would like hard rock or heavy metal sounds, opt for the high gain input. The low gain input will suffice for most other styles. Keep in mind that the type of guitar you use will also affect the result. Guitars with humbucking pickups tend to have a higher output and will produce more gain, or overdrive, than single coil-equipped guitars. Remember to use good quality cables; they cost more, but if you value your tone, it is a small investment with a large payoff.

Sections

The front panel of the Renown is divided into seven sections: Input, Lead Gain, Equalization, Normal Gain, Equalization, Master and the unlabeled switch area. Each section controls a different set of functions. The Lead Gain section controls the amount of distortion provided, and the first Equalization section controls the EQ settings for the Lead Gain section. The Normal Gain and the Equalization have a similar relationship, meaning it is possible to have separate, switchable EQ settings for each channel. The Master section controls the total reverb output of the amp, and is independent of either channel. The switching section contains the on-off switch, LED indicators and a ground reversal switch.

Knobs

Moving left to right across the front panel, the first knob is labeled Pre, and has a Pull Bright feature. The next knob is labeled Saturation, and the next is Post. Moving to the Equalizer section, there's Low, Mid, High (with a Pull Thick feature) and Presence. The Normal Gain section has Pre (with the Pull Bright feature) and Post. The next Equalizer section has Low, Paramid, Shift and High. The next knob is Reverb.

Sample Rock Setting

Bearing in mind that settings on an amplifier are totally subjective, a few suggested settings can be made. For a hard rock type of sound, set the Saturation and Pre knobs in the Lead Section to 8. Control your overall volume with the Post knob. In the Equalization section, try the Low at 6, the Mid at 4, the High at 7 and the Presence at 6. Add reverb to taste. If you would like more high frequencies, pull out the Pre knob, which activates the Bright feature. If you would like more upper mid-range, pull out the High knob, activating the Pull Thick feature.

Sample Jazz Setting

In the Normal Gain section, set the Pre knob to 3 and the Post knob to 6. In the Equalizer section, set the Low to 8, the Mid to 7, the Shift to 300 and the High to 3. This should produce a warm jazz-style tone.

Sample Country Setting

In the Normal Gain section, set the Pre knob to 5, pull the Pull Bright and the Post knob to 6. In the Equalizer section, set the Low to 4, the Mid to 5, the Shift to 1.5k and the High to 8. This should produce a bright, country-style tone.

References

• Peavey: Peavey Renown Classic Series Guitar Amps

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Peavey archived manuals