Help please from Peavey Bandit experts

[BB]

It's been at least 25 years since I last owned a Peavey amp. So, I need some help and advice from those who use and know them.

I stopped by my favorite pawn shop today and picked up a nice looking Bandit Transtube 112S with Sheffield speaker for $60.00

Got it home and fired it up. Some of the pots were scratchy but I was getting some killer blues tones out of it. When I cranked it up, some ghost notes appeared and it took on the effect of an octavia on some notes. So, I took it back and swapped it straight across for a Red Stripe Studio Pro 40 Transtube. Have yet to fire this one up, but hoping there are no issues.

They also have an older non transtube Bandit with green stripes. Looks to be in great shape and I could also swap straight across for it.

So, my questions is, what is the better amp....the older Bandit or the newer transtube Studio Pro?

I really don't need the volume the Bandit puts out (plus, the lighter weight of the Studio Pro is great for my bad back) and for $60 out the door, I should just count my blessings and leave well enough alone.....but if the older green stripe Bandit is a better sounding amp, I'll get that one instead.

So, I need some help from those of you who know and love the various Bandit models and are familiar with the red stripe SP. Thanks in advance!

[wildschwein]

Personally I'd go for the older Bandit if it's in good condition and sounds okay. I have the Red Stripe Studio Pro 112 Transtube (it's actually a 65 watter) and sure it's a great sounding amp with more than enough volume but the older Peavey's are little more solidly made IMO. As well as that Studio Pros are always going for cheap on eBay - there's an abundance of them even out here in Australia, so you can always get one for next to nothing in the near future.

[JayFreddy]

$60? Buy both! lol

The "Teal Stripe" Bandit is one of the best regarded Bandits in terms of clean tones, especially if it has the Scorpion speaker. The Sheffield speaker version is fine too, and lighter to boot, but the ol' Scorps have a mystique about them... Although they are heavier.

If weight is a serious issue and you're happy with the Studio Pro 112, the Studio Pro is probably where you want to be.

However, $60 for either of those amps is a steal. Here in Dallas, either one of those amps would bring at least $120, probably more.

If you can buy both for $120, it's like getting one for free.

[BB]

Thanks for the info Jay & Schwen. The Sp is 65 watts...not 40 as indicated! Must be my old age creeping in! Good to know about the clean tone on the older bandit. Teal stripe....yeah, thats the ticket! It does have the Scorpion speaker. Guess I'll go back and pick it up. I DO NOT need another amp, but the like the guitars I've scored recently, the deals are just too darn good to walk away from.

[BB]

NTW, the Studio Pro works great! In addition to being very quiet in the background noise department, there are no scratchy knobs...no ghost notes.....just great tone from a small, lightweight package. As tempted as I was to keep the "blackface" TT Bandit, I'm glad I swapped it for the SP.

I did not have much time to spend on the OD channel, but the clean tones seem very nice. Plugged my old Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal in and man oh man, what a great blues tone. Nice little amp.

[roscoe10]

An older bandit with a scorpion speaker is the way to go. Great Ballsy clean tone for C&W, useful presence control, lots of great headroom. If you want distortion, I'd recommend running one after a compressor. Without a compressor it's too thin sounding. This is one of the great SS amps of all time, and so cheap it's worth having anytime you can find one.

[JohnSS]

I like & own both Peavey models for different applications and agree with the comments above. The Scorpion equipped Bandits are great rock amps, and the older Peavey saturation circuit yields some good overdrive and sustain tones. Cleans are excellent, and there is adequate headroom for stompbox distortion & OD.

The transtube circuit is an excellent tube simulation and I use it for jazz, blues and low volume church playing. In a number of ways, I think the transtube version is more versatile, but the Scorpion speakers are more heavy duty and can take more abuse. I agree, for $60 each, get both.

[Jakedog]

I love my Peavey amps. I had a red stripe bandit, still have a black and silver TT bandit, and a red stripe studio pro. Great amps. And I agree with the others here, I can tell you without reservation that if I could score a teal strips bandit in full working order for $60, I'd get there so quick I'd leave a vapor trail.

The Scorp is a HIGHLY underrated speaker. I had a Stereo Chorus 2X12 with a pair of those suckers, and it was just amazing clean amp. Probably best clean amp I've ever owned. I ditched it recently because I was tired of trying to move it (it weighed as much as a good sized church, with all the people in it) but I regret selling it, and I'll be on the lookout for another.

[BB]

Thanks again for the great info. If I can get there tomorrow, I'll grab the Teal Stripe Bandit. This Pawn Shop seems to be a half way house for wayward Peavey amps. They also have a 2X12 Stereo Chorus ( that Jakedog described ) sitting there alone and unloved....I'm sure I could get that for a song ( pardon the pun ) too, but not only would my back not take it, I have no room or need for it ....of course, that has never stopped me before!!

Well, hopefully sometime tomorrow I'll be chiming in on the Bandit!

[JayFreddy]

FWIW, "Blackface" is a Fender term... The black Transtube Peaveys are sometimes referred to as the "Black Box" series due to their boxy shape, and also sometimes as the "silver stripe" since the horizontal stripe along the bottom of the cab is silver.

The next series was called the "red stripe", and those came in two flavors, made in USA and made in China. I've heard the new ones called "cod piece" Bandits due to the shape of the logo plate.

Peavey also made at least two different versions of their 212 stereo chorus amp. I don't know much about them other than they weigh a lot, like Jake says, but the ones with onboard digital reverb seem to be the ones that get the best reveiws on the Peavey forum.

Keep us posted on how you make out!

[Will Chen]

Bandit lover here for sho!

[Jakedog]

Originally Posted by BB

Thanks again for the great info. If I can get there tomorrow, I'll grab the Teal Stripe Bandit. This Pawn Shop seems to be a half way house for wayward Peavey amps. They also have a 2X12 Stereo Chorus ( that Jakedog described ) sitting there alone and unloved....I'm sure I could get that for a song ( pardon the pun ) too, but not only would my back not take it, I have no room or need for it ....of course, that has never stopped me before!!

Well, hopefully sometime tomorrow I'll be chiming in on the Bandit!

I had to look at your location when I read this... If that 2X12 weren't so far away, I might have tried to get it. But I don't even want to know what shipping on that beast would be. Probably more than they want for the amp.

[Faraldi]

I've owned a Bandit 65 from like 1984 and I also own a 2009 Bandit 112 TT.

I know a lot of folks like the Scorpion speaker but IMO it was too "tight" sounding for my ears. The thing is that the Bandit 65 is an incredibly powerful amp (I am pretty tight with folks at Peavey and it's common info over there that the "65" was really more like an 80 or 90 watt. They always understate the power (at least back in the day).

So the Scorpion was also a speaker that was rated at something like 150 or 200 watts which is huge for a combo amp. Because of this, one could experience not enough "throw" and movement in the cone at lower volumes (thus sounding tight or thin).

So, I did an experiment and installed a 16OHM driver (Eminence Lady Luck) to see (hear) the difference and it was very nice. There was a little drop in volume but that was what I was looking for.

Other tidbit... the transformer on these older Bandits were variable, meaning you could run a 4OHM load and still keep the same wattage properties. They also are fitted with a protection circuit (not just a fuse) which will shut down the power amp should things get too gnarly. Hell, for a cheap, loud combo that could prop up a house, these PEavey's were a heck of a deal.

I now play mostly through my new Bandit 112TT and I absolutely love it. Brutally loud but it has an attenuator built in for some pretty cool results. I love the Blue Marvel speaker (It's my understanding that Peavey builds all their own speakers) and this amp does extremely well with pedals, clean and also with a modeling board into the power stage.

Bottom line, I don't think you can go wrong with any Peavey. Hartley has built a career on being the manufacturer that is looked upon as the "5th wheel" in this industry. Many people (mostly those who know nothing about equipment) bash the Peavey name. Find a real musician who knows better and he/she will suggest Peavey. I love their stuff.

Side note, if you ever have any questions about their products, you can call them directly and they will spend as much time as you need talking shop. You have guys there for 30 years who love to chew the fat about their products. Their number is 601-483-5365. Ask for Aubrey Fulton or Mike Brown.

[speedy mcfeely]

I have a blue/ teal stripe bandit. It is killer for really punchy cleans. It has a very fendery sound, but takes pedals well, effects loop, and a power amp in. great amp. I spent $110 on mine. If I see on for $60. I'll buy it.

[redstringuitar]

I'd get the Bandit...they sound great and last forever and for 60 bucks, you couldn't do better.
The Stereo Chorus is a wicked sounding amp too, but heavy enough to put you in traction!

[BB]

Thanks again for the info and support guys....I appreciate it very much! Not that it matters, but a little backgound.....I've been playing for 40 some years and spent 1980 to 1990 gigging in various blues, R&R, Top 40, country, oldies, etc bands. I also managed a few music stores during that time and we carried a wide variety of Peavey gear. My main gigging amps for the first five or six years of that period were two Peavey Artists. 6L6's in the power section with solid state preamps. 120 watts with 12" Black Widow speakers. Small, powerful and back breakingly heavey! Although I had the foot switches that came with the amps, I rarely used the distortion side of the amps....instead, relying on an original Tube Screamer for lighter overdrive and a Wahsburn 'Stack In A Box' for heavier drive tones. I sold one of the artists to a friend and the other gave up the ghost in the middle of a solo one night due to a faulty power supply in the 'historic dive' we were playing that night. I was lucky that the house band had there gear there, so I finished the night with a sweet 1965 Fender Super Reverb. Even so, I missed the huge clean headroom the Peavey provided.

I did a few gigs in the mid 80's with a fella that used to tour with Albert Collins. He used two Bandits with a homebrew tele and his tone was stellar. So, I am not unfamilar with Peavey amps. I've used various Bandits, older Classics, Mace's, Renowns, et al over the years.....it's just been a looong time since I had last plugged into one, so I'm somewhat unfamilar with anything Peavey from 1985 on!

A quick aside; There is a music store near me that has the oldest stock of Peavey amps ( most of their biz is in band instrument rentals, keyboards and lessons ) I've encountered over the years. The sad part is they still have the retail prices on them and will not deal! Crazy....so, I'm happy to have a good relationship with the manger & asst manager of the pawn shop (which is 1/4 mile away from the music store) as they are more than willing to give me a good deal on anything in the shop.

[Ed Goforth]

I have the LA 400 and stereo chorus 400, with the same saturation circuit used in the bandit, special 130 etc. I have come up with some mods that I do using mosfet transistors in place of the clipping diodes, and a few other mods and the results are people coming up to me asking what kind of tubes are in that amp? They cant believe it when I say there is no tubes... I use my modified Bluesbreaker pedal in the clean channel, but the other day I tried my mods in the saturation circuit and like the tone much better!
Ed
goforthsound@yahoo.com