why peavey?

This forum is for talking about all kinds of Peavey guitar amplifiers.
XloydtilldeathX666
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why peavey?

Post by XloydtilldeathX666 » Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:34 pm

im just interested in knowing why other people love peavey.

for me i could give two shits about all the endorsements, and i dont care at all about the modeling amps.

it just seems that every time i research getting an amp or a specific sound, no matter what i start out interested in, i always find that for what im after the best combination of quality, tone, and price is peavey. i like that most stuff is usa made too. beyond those reasons it also seems to me that i find out alot of the tones i love live or on record came from peavey equipment, and usually they are the more unique ones.

why do you love peavey?
ultra plus
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vtm 60
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bastardized 410 cab
rock master preamp
supreme 160
valveking royal 8
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vtm 120

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e-merlin
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Re: why peavey?

Post by e-merlin » Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:57 pm

Guess I'll start. It has as much to do with tone as anything else. I get closer to the "tone in my head" with Peavey amps than I do with anything else. I can't even get close with any Marshall I've tried. I've owned several Fender amps, too. Fender amps have a great clean tone, but they might as well be paperweights when it comes to distortion. Peavey amps, have a certain sound that gets me very close to what I want to hear, and the combination of components I'm putting together get me right there. Spot on. No compromise.

I have owned many amps from many makes, and I always came back to Peavey. So, I stopped going away.

I own several Peavey amps, including the Bravo 112, VTM 60, and 5150 Combo. All of them give me something different, but all have a certain tonal quality in common. I still need to add a 3120 head with 6L6 power tubes in order to get "my" tone, but I am somewhat patient when I finally find exactly when I need. Part of my tone equation is in the speaker cabinets, and I have those, specifically, two Peavey Classic 412es cabinets. Nevertheless, until I get my 3120 and get it dialed in, I'll still get great tone from Peavey amps, and no amount of discouragement or outright ridicule will change the tone in my head. And, make no mistake, there is ridicule. When you play a Fender Telecaster through a Peavey 5150, there's always someone who has to ask, "Why?"

One question I have in reciprocity, is, why do so many from your generation use the Biblical number 666 when it's a man's number and refers to man's imperfect governmental systems?
"Tone is in the fingers, chops are in the woodshed." e-merlin

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XloydtilldeathX666
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Re: why peavey?

Post by XloydtilldeathX666 » Tue Feb 02, 2010 10:19 pm

you should look into if the rockmaster preamp has the traits of the 3120 you are after, if so, you may be able to get your tone quite a bit cheaper.

***i had typed alot of stuff here in regards to the 666 question. i decided to delete it because im here to talk gear, not politics or religion.

i feel dirty saying i dont want to talk politics or religion.. haha
Last edited by XloydtilldeathX666 on Tue Feb 02, 2010 11:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ultra plus
xxl head
vtm 60
412 ms


past -
bastardized 410 cab
rock master preamp
supreme 160
valveking royal 8
revolution head
vtm 120

XloydtilldeathX666
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Posts: 1428
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:18 am
Location: kentucky

Re: why peavey?

Post by XloydtilldeathX666 » Tue Feb 02, 2010 10:48 pm

really we should all remember that peavey draws all types. from beer drinking classic rock playing heathen good ole boys, to contemporary christian church bands, to satanic death metal dudes, to hymn loving country dudes.

we should probably just stick to peavey and leave religion alone.
ultra plus
xxl head
vtm 60
412 ms


past -
bastardized 410 cab
rock master preamp
supreme 160
valveking royal 8
revolution head
vtm 120

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scootercaster
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Re: why peavey?

Post by scootercaster » Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:07 am

I think the better question is "Why NOT Peavey?"

Peavey amps (C30 & 50, Bravo & Triumph in particular) very simply get the hell out of the way.

They do not interfere with what I'm hearing in my head.
They simply give me what I'm looking for every time.

Why wouldn't you want a Peavey over any other choice?

They sound great and you plug them in and they work. Every time.

Simple. Beautiful. Reliable. 8)
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-George Bernard Shaw

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scootercaster
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Re: why peavey?

Post by scootercaster » Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:16 am

XloydtilldeathX666 wrote:we should probably just stick to peavey and leave religion alone.
"A gentleman never publicly discusses religion, politics or his maladies"

I wish I knew who said this.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-George Bernard Shaw

mattr_4_president
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Re: why peavey?

Post by mattr_4_president » Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:59 am

Built Tough. American Company. Its not a fender or marshall. This is my sound, period.
Ibanez S520EX
Washburn KC70V
Aria Pro II
Peavey Valveking 100H
Peavey Express
Custom 4x12 Cab with Eminence Texas Heat
Ibanez TS9
Boss NS1
Boss GE7

DigitalJedi
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Re: why peavey?

Post by DigitalJedi » Wed Feb 03, 2010 8:12 am

I have had my first Peavey (Vypyr tube 120) for about a year now. Always liked the 5150 and 6505. Now I realized that Peavey has an amp for any sound you want. They are priced much better than other amp companies too.

I look at at this way. I play Ibanez guitars because you can pick them up for cheap and they are usually made very well with quality materials except for hardware and sometimes pickups. You replace all of the hardware and put in your choice of pickups and you've spent $800 on a guitar that plays like it cost $1500. I think it is the same with Peavey for me. Got the Vypyr tube 120 and thought it sounded pretty good. Started replacing tubes and looking at extension cabs or speaker swaps. Will end up with the exact amp I wanted for a fraction of the price of some high end amps.
Peavey Vypyr Tube 120 combo
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frettish
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Re: why peavey?

Post by frettish » Wed Feb 03, 2010 8:16 am

Eveything Peavey that I've ever owned was made in the USA and that goes a long way with me. My first amp was an old Bandit and while it didn't have the greatest sound to it, it had a good sound for an SS amp. It was rugged, very loud and I didn't pay much for it. Most of the Peavey gear I've owned was had for a decent price and the quality was always good. Even my little Rage with a Jenson mod speaker in it sounds pretty good for a practice amp, although it rarely gets used. I paid 30 bucks for it and it was like new.
I searched for a Bravo for a long time before I found one and if I could find a second one, I'd buy it too. To me that amp is just plain magical. It nails every sound my ears want to hear and it's the only amp I've ever owned that doesn't need pedals. It is by far my favorite amp.
So I guess price, sound and USA made quality are the main reasons for why Peavey.
I think a big reason for the Peavey stigma is appearance. Especially nowadays, with all the prissy guitar players wanting "sexy amps".
Their loss is our gain though.

electroman
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Re: why peavey?

Post by electroman » Wed Feb 03, 2010 8:28 am

My first tube amp was a 84' Marshall JCM 800. It was a well built amp but there were many limitations. No effects loop, no reverb, single channel, required a boost and most importantly sucked at low volumes. Unless you had blood trickling out of your ears it did not sound overly impressive. When I was in collage it saw very little use so I sold it. I got by with a little YGM3 traynor amp.

Fast forward to 2007, I needed a new amp for playing in my band, the old Traynor was becoming a some what collectable and was in need of a major over haul so I started looking around. I work part time at an electronic shop repairing music gear, amps, keyboards, pedals etc. Thats when I came across the JSX. I had to repair one which was basically turned out to be a bad tube. I have worked on alot of different current model amps an Peavey hangs very easily with the so called big boys. I find you pay alot for the name on the front of the amp.

I was very impressed with the build, the way circuit boards are layed out, the fact of how easy it would be to repair and of course it sounded great.

I shopped around and anything that had 3 channels and all the features that the JSX had were at least $600 to $700 dollars more. And they did not sound any better, in fact the JSX had the tightest non flubby overdrive I had ever heard in a tube amp. I so bought one brand new. Very happy I did.

I also retube alot of Classic 30's they are a great little amp. Might get one of those when the wife's not lookin!!! I am 41 but the ol Metal head in me wants a 6505 really really bad.

Need to win the lottery!!

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Re: why peavey?

Post by tenniso » Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:15 am

Excellent gear and pride of ownership since i am from Mississippi(tupelo).

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Re: why peavey?

Post by MississippiMetal » Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:33 pm

Gear is tough, I like to represent, since I'm also from Mississippi (obviously), and I'm not one of these guys who likes to swing from the Marshall bandwagon. Someone once said on here that Peaveys are great in that they have a neutral pallate of tone, which allows you greater freedom to achieve a sound you may like. This is in contrast to Marshalls and Fenders and Bogners, who have signature sounds that can't really be deviated from.

claskowski
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Re: why peavey?

Post by claskowski » Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:03 pm

Why Peavey?

Great products for the price - made in Mississippi. My first amp (still own it) was a BackStage Plus, bought it with a Predator Plus in 1985. Both still going strong. Only change to either was changing the bridge pickup in the Predator to a DiMarzio ToneZone and a refret. The current Predator EXP - same neck dimensions with very little deviation. Love that one as well. My VK112 - awesome and very under-rated valve amp. Couple of little tweaks and it is my main amp. I can pull nearly any tone I want from it without using pedals. The biggest surprise for me was when I purchased a Peavey SRP-16 reverb pedal. IMHO - the best reverb I have ever used and highly under-rated.

I am a serious guitar gearhead - own twelve guitars, six amps, nearly 200 stomp boxes and many other 'toys'. Peavey products have consistently been the bar that they are measured against.

The customer service has always been first-class, not a single complaint after 25 years. But one of the best things that Peavey offers is the forum. It is nice to go somewhere that questions are answered and the level of maturity is very high (compare to HC or some of the others-whoa!).

Bottom line - my next gear purchases are all going to be Peavey. Definitely going to get one of the new HP-SC guitars. Also going to start hunting for a red-stripe Bandit and VTM-60. Last item on the wishlist is a Classic 50 (actually - top of the list).

These are all reasons why I have used and will continue to support Peavey with my hard-earned money.
Peavey 1985 Predator Plus
Peavey 2007 Predator Plus Exp
Peavey Bandit Red Stripe
Peavey ValveKing 112
Peavey CSR-2
Peavey SRP-16
A couple more Guitars and Amps
Several dozen stompboxes

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dino_j
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Re: why peavey?

Post by dino_j » Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:10 pm

I'm not very much of a 'brand' person when it comes to musical equipment. I purchased a Royal 8 a few years ago based on its size and sound. As I researched amps for my next purchase, the C30 rose to the top of my choices. It was really a coincidence that it was another Peavey. The criteria I was looking for this time was size (I wanted something under 50 lbs), volume, and it had to be tube. I also wanted to buy U.S. made if possible.

The C30 has far exceeded my expectations, it is by far the best amp I've owned. It is the first amp I've had that I really like both the clean and dirty channels. It is very loud. It looks as good as it sounds (that's not really important to me, but it amazes me the number of people who think it's an old amp because of the tweed).

I can't say for sure the next amp I buy will be a Peavey, partly because I intend on playing this amp as long as it will last! Anyone who knocks Peavey equipment gets an earful from me...
"I'm too old to give up, but too young to rest" - Pete Townshend

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Chad
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Re: why peavey?

Post by Chad » Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:56 pm

I got started with Peavey due to a combination of live performances I'd heard (Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot, .38 Special, and others) and word of mouth from friends.

Once I'd bought my first Peavey, a Decade about '83, the amps just became a part of me. I don't know if they always matched the sound in my head or if the sound in my head was formed by playing them when I was just learning to play guitar, but I can most easily sound like myself through a Peavey amp.

My Heritage and VK112 will give me the basis I need for any sound I want and my modest collection of 8 stomp boxes and an ABY can easily take me the rest of the way.
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