# Peavey Bandit 112 (Silverstripe)



## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

I have a Bandit 112 (Silverstripe) that I got really cheap but looks like left in a damp basement for years. Many nuts and screws soaked a few days in WD40 and cleaned up really nice. Dismantled the entire think and scrubbed/cleaned everything, got out all the years of grunge and dust.

Pots though... dry, scratchy and a few stiff ones.

Removed the board for better access and used 3/4 of a can of contact cleaner and got them clean and smooth again. Mostly.

1 crackles and I've sprayed it numerous times. 1 feels good, then the next day stiff again until you rotate it a few times. 1 is a dual gang and no hole for spraying into.

The rest are ok now, maybe a bit of dryness in a few but very little. Widening the split though, I did break one in half... JBWeld steel epoxy was used on that to put together, not sure how well yet though.

I know forums seem 50/50 on WD40 because leaves a film but, in this case maybe I need the film?

Other option, which I have 0 issues in doing, is to replace them all with ones from DigiKey or Mouser, Tayda or whatever. Peavey replacements are $17USD each, they no longer make the dual gang pot (was told they stopped in 2003) plus the originals had a weird 4.7mm shaft not 6mm. I had one before and ended up using heat shrink tubing on the shafts for a set of new knobs... luckily I kept what few originals were left because needed them for this one. Probably sell them for more than what I paid for the amp. 

Anyways... I can find Bandit 112 diagrams, but not mine... mine has 12 pots not 10. Plus trying to find matching values is tricky, at least all from 1 brand... Bourns makes most what I need but can't find a few values.

So... for those who fix amps... what would you do next? Keep spraying with cleaner? Switch to WD40? Replace with Peavey (btw after shipping/exchange... $45.75/pot) or possibly mix/match brands and replace all with new 6mm shaft pots (about $3CAD per pot).


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

There should be no shortage of potential donor Peavey amps around. I've bought a working Peavey for $7.50 not so long ago, but put out an ad for some broken ones. The tone stack and controls like presence get less wear than gain, volume, and reverb for instance.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

THRobinson said:


> So... for those who fix amps... what would you do next? Keep spraying with cleaner?


If time is not a consideration, I would disassemble the pots and manually clean them, re-lube and assemble. 12 pots will take a few hours...by the 12th pot, you'll be an accomplished pot rejuvenator.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

$7.50? for a working amp?

I don't know if it's weird that it was that cheap, or weirder that it wasn't $7 or $8, but rather $7.50... who sells used stuff and doesn't round it out to the nearest dollar?



Problem would be finding one cheap, not having the same pot issue. Plus the pots in this have a weird shaft size. I bought a set of knobs for the Red Stripe Bandit (for my previous amp) and they just fell off. The 2 main problem pots luckily are easy to find but then mis-matched knobs. OCD won't allow that.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Paul Running said:


> If time is not a consideration, I would disassemble the pots and manually clean them, re-lube and assemble. 12 pots will take a few hours...by the 12th pot, you'll be an accomplished pot rejuvenator.


I debated that... de-solder, open up... possibly use the sonic cleaner.

That said, I'd like a backup plan in case I mess up. New pots I'm fine with... just not finding 1 or 2... especially the weird one.

I debated using the sonic before on guitar pots and I think made a post here or another site to see if that would work, or, would it damage the pots more since I'm not sure what the conductive strips are made and if the vibrations would deteriorate the material off. Not sure what to use either... isopropyl would be pricey to fill the tank with, maybe distilled water and a splash of Simple Green (purple)? I use water and the purple Simple Green for tuners/bridge parts.

Side note... Simple Green cleaner/degreaser is good, but I learned from working on a motorcycle carb rebuild, the the green can/will discolour certain metals. The purple heavy duty Simple Green, not only works better so can use less of it, but doesn't discolour metal. Not really relevant but hey, may help someone someday.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Free Audio Service Manuals - p / peavey / peavey-bandit /


Browse manuals in p/peavey/peavey-bandit/. Read directly or download PDF. No login, no charge and no limit.




www.audioservicemanuals.com


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

THRobinson said:


> $7.50? for a working amp?
> 
> I don't know if it's weird that it was that cheap, or weirder that it wasn't $7 or $8, but rather $7.50... who sells used stuff and doesn't round it out to the nearest dollar?


I told him I'd give him whatever cash I had in my picket at the time - I was meeting the guy in a parking lot to buy a guitar and it literally rolled out of his hatchback in the rain. I think it was all change.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Don't spray wd40 into the pots. Use Deoxit. You might have to remove a pot to get the cleaner in, or find a way to get gravity to help get some to flow into it. Some of them you might have t spray where the lugs come out, which of course faces the board.

Maybe reflow the solder where the pots connect to the circuit board. I've fixed 2 completely dead Peaveys doing just that.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Paul Running said:


> Free Audio Service Manuals - p / peavey / peavey-bandit /
> 
> 
> Browse manuals in p/peavey/peavey-bandit/. Read directly or download PDF. No login, no charge and no limit.
> ...


Ah, there we go... the one looks like mine for sure. I Googled and tried finding it before, but every time I found one, it had 10 pots not 12. Newer model I guess. I think mine's the 1st Transtube 112.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Bummer, Bourns just messaged back about that dual gang pot... nothing that they make matches or will work.

C100KX2 DUAL REV. AUDIO... dual pot - a combination of a linear 10K pot and a reverse audio 10K. Original Peavey part numbers 71190542 31190542.

Peavey amp part site tech said it was used on mine only for 1-2yrs, so Peavey discontinued it almost 20yrs ago. If I replace all the pots... THAT is gonna be the problem pot.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Bandit 112









Peavey 31190908 Bandit 112 Volume Pot


Buy the Peavey 31190908, Bandit 112 Volume Pot at Full Compass Systems. 0% Financing and Free Shipping on thousands of items!




www.fullcompass.com


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Peavey Parts;









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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Latole said:


> Bandit 112
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I looked there, they seem to have a few random pots for various models, but not a full set, and I don't think they'd work without modding. They do seem to have the weird dual gang pot though.

Mine are like this... though once the nut is threaded on I think it's stable enough without the bracket. May be able to transfer the bracket if the pot is the right size. The Bourns ProAudio I was looking at were 17mm not 16mm but if soldered in at the right height would work.

LINK


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

THRobinson said:


> I though once the nut is threaded on I think it's stable enough without the bracket.
> 
> LINK



I agree .


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Repairing a Peavey Bandit 112 Guitar Amp


Today were going to look at a fairly common and easily performed amplifier repair. The amp in question is a 1980's vintage Peavey Bandit 1...




idiy.blogspot.com


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

I have the service manual


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Latole said:


> I have the service manual


Thanks, @Paul Running already sent a link. Though I can tell by how clean that image is and the font used, it's the wrong one. If you look at the diagram and count the number of pots, I'll bet it's 10 not 12. That's the one I kept finding when I was looking.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

tomee2 said:


> Don't spray wd40 into the pots. Use Deoxit. You might have to remove a pot to get the cleaner in, or find a way to get gravity to help get some to flow into it. Some of them you might have t spray where the lugs come out, which of course faces the board.
> 
> Maybe reflow the solder where the pots connect to the circuit board. I've fixed 2 completely dead Peaveys doing just that.


+1...and do it soon. WD40 is really good at removing things....like the carbon trace found in pots!
You can apply it as stated from the opening where the legs come out or, if you're a good shot, through the end stop crimp at the top of the pot. There's just enough room to spray in there as well.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

I think it's all good... Just finished re-assembly. Worked before, hopefully tomorrow when I test it again it still does. 

Just curious, is flushing pots a good or bad thing? I see posts about people doing it all the time, but got someone in another forum getting a bit "testy" insisting that anyone who recommends contact cleaner for pots is full of crap. I agree, if any lubrication is inside it'll get flushed out but, apart from desoldering and dismantling, what else are you supposed to do?


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Cleaning the pots does not damage them if you use a good contact cleaner. I use Deoxit D5.
Ot do a very good job.
WD5 Contact Cleaner is not available in my area. I have no opinion on it.
Too many people use the wrong product and due to lack of knowledge in electronics don't understand what they are doing.
But I would not do it if the pots do not need it, especially if they have to be desoldered.

The more a pot is used/turned the less it will need cleaning and the longer its life will be


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

THRobinson said:


> ust curious, is flushing pots a good or bad thing?


It's a blind operation. You can't see the effect unless you disassemble the pot. If I believe that a pot is good quality and wish to refurbish it, I will disassemble it and manually clean it. Typically, the more energy that you put into a project, the more reliable the outcome...thoroughness.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

So, if cleaning it fully... What do you use once open? Contact spray then 3-in-1 on the moving parts? Isopropyl and SuperLube grease? 

They work for now but next time I crack them open.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

I use alcohol and Kimwipe tissue or Q-tips for cleaning. Inspect the resistive track for wear with an eye loupe; check and clean the wiper, resetting tension if required; re-lube the control shaft with a dab of Li grease and assemble.


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## Robhotdad (Oct 27, 2016)

THRobinson said:


> I have a Bandit 112 (Silverstripe) that I got really cheap but looks like left in a damp basement for years. Many nuts and screws soaked a few days in WD40 and cleaned up really nice. Dismantled the entire think and scrubbed/cleaned everything, got out all the years of grunge and dust.
> 
> Pots though... dry, scratchy and a few stiff ones.
> 
> ...


Let me suggest something. Find another used one at a fair price and build a new one from the best parts of both. I've done this with a Classic 50 and it really worked out well.


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## THRobinson (Jun 29, 2014)

Well, thing is that if my 27yr old amp's parts are failing, buying another 27yr old amp means also 27yr old parts. If not already failing, they're probably close.

I flushed the heck outta them with contact cleaner but if they start acting up again I'll probably de-solder them all, open them up, clean and lubricate them and put them back in.

I finished reassembling it a few days ago. Everything cleaned and scrubbed, vacuumed, and the tolex armour-all'd. Looks almost new again and knobs all tested fine. We'll see how long they last though.


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