Great Amps that get NO RESPECT!??

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by BuddyLee

Musicman amps do not seem to get the love they deserve. And there is all kinds of misinformation on the net about them by "tube snobs". Most of whom have never played out of one and do not know what they are talking about.

Earlier, someone mentioned the Peavy Heritage, which I'd never heard of, but when I read reviews reminded me of Musicman amps -- loud, lots of clean headroom, with SS preamp and tube power amp. Hmmm...

[Bearer]

I've got an old Peavy Backstage Plus that my dad modded a bit by putting in a new (at the time) Celestion speaker. When I tweak the knobs just right, the clean tones I can pump out of the thing are just so bell like and beautiful that even the fender twin reverb in the basement gets a little jealous. For a 30w solid state, I don't think you could do better (as long as you stay away from anything above 50% on the sat knob, anything under 25-50% on the post, and for the love of god do not EVER pull the "thick" switch).

[endzone]

Fender Musicmaster Bass Amp. An all tube, PTP tone monster that you can still get really cheap...like $200-$300.

[mattio]

I just caved in and took home a latest generation Bandit yesterday and I could not be happier. It sounds great and with the different moedes - Classic - Vintage etc you have a lot to play with. I tend to use vintage and I really like both the clean and the lead channel in vintage mode with just a touch of overdrive for my blues. The SS amps I have seem more friendly on lower volumes and the Bandit also has the 25-50-100% power option on the back. I use it in my apartment so 25% is more than enough for now, but when I tested it in the store it was set to 100% and it was so loud I thought it was about to take off I also really like the reverb and overdrive on it. It all sounds great to me.

[Ben Harmless]

While we're on the Peaveys, I'd point out the '70s Classics with the solid state preamp. Those are serious sleepers.

Stick some of those old '70s/'80s Peavey guts into a box that says "Marshall" and a whole lot of metal dudes will line up around the block to buy 'em.

[tristanavakian]

Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead uses a red knob Twin. It's what he could afford at the time, and he made it work. That's what you're hearing on a lot of the recordings, I believe.

[Mike Eskimo]

Bogen PA heads.

This is a $40 Bogen from Craigslist. They're usually about $100 on Ebay.

The two 6V6 one is like a '59 Tweed Deluxe.



Mine actually came w/ a P12 Jensen from 1960.

[strat a various]

Originally Posted by Ben Harmless

While we're on the Peaveys, I'd point out the '70s Classics with the solid state preamp. Those are serious sleepers.

Stick some of those old '70s/'80s Peavey guts into a box that says "Marshall" and a whole lot of metal dudes will line up around the block to buy 'em.

Those were great sounding amps. I remember when they came out, I wanted one but couldn't afford it, so I ended up with a used blackface Fender Bassman with matching 2x12 cab w/ Jensens. You don't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.

[Paul in Colorado]

'70's Traynor Bassmaster. I never thought I'd love an EL 34 amp without reverb so much!

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by strat a various

Those were great sounding amps. I remember when they came out, I wanted one but couldn't afford it, so I ended up with a used blackface Fender Bassman with matching 2x12 cab w/ Jensens. You don't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.

Hold on a second, don't edit that -- I'm writing it down

[1962guitargeek]

Originally Posted by BuddyLee

Musicman amps do not seem to get the love they deserve. And there is all kinds of misinformation on the net about them by "tube snobs". Most of whom have never played out of one and do not know what they are talking about.

Shhhhh

it's a secret......


I miss my old MM RD 110

[Warm Gums]

Laney:
Yes some of the early ones like the KLIPP get an ocassional nod, but most of the UK produced amps are real sleepers. The AOR series is different (maybe MORE versitle) but equal to the JCM 800's that have suddeny become everyones 'darlings'. They are probaly a quarter the price and the combo line has interesting things like a 2x6v6 combo with a 10 that is like cross between a Super Champ & a Studio 15... Its too bad about the somewhat industrial styling.

Up untill a few years ago Laney made a series similar to the Marshall MG's called..... the "Hardcores" (oh boy) but they are really quite nice (and UK made to boot) I bought a 50 watt 1x12 combo for $125 and it was very usable, decent cleans & killer od, good build quality. again it was well...ugly.

[randysmojo]

I played with a guitar player years ago that had an Ampeg Reverbrocket 212. we did a recording with it and it sounded great. I haven't seen one in years, but I'd really like to get a chance to plug into one to see if it sounds like what I remember.

[Faraldi]

The Peavey Bandit 65 (as with a lot of stuff from Peavey) get's relatively no respect...

But wait, think for a moment about those who bash...

In a lot of cases, there are snobs out there who believe the "best" (= highest cost) equipment means the best tone. I currently live in an area where there's a good amount of original music from a wide range of bands. It amazes me how many times I see musicians roll their Mesa half-stacks on stage with their American strats and they sound like they started playing a week ago. Lots of $$ spent by lots of people who are looking for all distortion, all volume out of an ego-stack.

It's not so much the equipment as it is absolutely about the playing and the player.

I love my Peavey's. My new Bandit 112 TT is likely the best amp I've ever played through for it's sound and feel. My 1084 Bandit 65 is very good but the Scorpion speaker is way overrated in wattage capability for what this amp can put out. Because of this the speaker really only sounds good at higher volumes. Thinking of a Blue Marvel like in my new Bandit.

Still and all, it will cost me less than a Mesa and I'll do all I can as a musician to make it sound as good as it can.

It's cool. Let the world keep bashing PEaveys. Just makes them cheaper for me to purchase used!!!

J

[Bhallguitar]

Carvin X100 and Sovtek Mig 50

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLH

Earlier, someone mentioned the Peavy Heritage, which I'd never heard of, but when I read reviews reminded me of Musicman amps -- loud, lots of clean headroom, with SS preamp and tube power amp. Hmmm...

My MM 65 Reverb has a Tube Preamp IIRC. 12AX7A. And two EL34's for power.

I looked up the reverb unit too since it looks to have been replaced. The 65 Reverb uses the same reverb tank as the Fender Twin Reverb.

[woody961]

A yamaha g100-II (twin killer)....or a Kustom K100-2.........

[JohnSS]

I agree w/other Peavey Bandit posts as I also own a Bandit 65.

I think that H&K SS amps like the Vortex are overlooked. Has incredible headroom in clean mode and insane gain in lead mode. I'd take one over a Marshall valvestate in a heartbeat.

[3 Chord]

"Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead uses a red knob Twin. It's what he could afford at the time, and he made it work. That's what you're hearing on a lot of the recordings, I believe. "

I thought he used a pro 85 (or something other than the twin) but you are right, it was a red knob beast.

[Jakedog]

Originally Posted by 3 Chord

"Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead uses a red knob Twin. It's what he could afford at the time, and he made it work. That's what you're hearing on a lot of the recordings, I believe. "

I thought he used a pro 85 (or something other than the twin) but you are right, it was a red knob beast.

It is some such "85" thing, and it isn't even tube, Johnny's amp is one of the red knob solid staters. I'm not a Radiohead fan, AT ALL, but for what they do, he gets some seriously nice tones out of that amp. As nice as anybody in that genre gets at 1/20th of the price.

FWIW- On the red knob "Twin", for every one person I've heard bash it, I've heard a serious player make it sound absolutely amazing. They are not a novice's amp. You have to know what you are doing with it. but if you figure it out, and know how to use it, it will hang with anything on earth. I've heard lots of people make 'em sound bad, so I know where they get their rep. But I've also heard people make Z's and Victoria's sound totally awful. Not the amp's fault. AT ALL.

And don't get me started on the Peavey TT Bandit, or on the Carvin SX series. Spend some time with either, and give them a fair shake. Using them regularly for gigging for quite awhile now, I know them inside and out, and I can cut most boutique tube jobs to pieces with them if the player isn't really on top of his game in regards with how to truly use the amp to it's full potential.

I like my tube amps, and I have a new (to me) boutique head being delivered in the morning. But as hard as it is to be a real player, and really squeeze the best out of a top shelf hand built tube amp (also not for novices), it takes every bit as much talent and touch to make a good SS work for you to IT'S full potenial.

Any amp is a musical intrument unto itself. It's not just something you plug your guitar into to make it louder, that sounds good or bad on it's own.