Come On....Peavey?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 Feb 2000 9:17 pm

Anyone else surprised that we now have 24 posts on this thread... and none of them are from Mike Brown? We know he reads this stuff. How 'bout a comment, Mike?

Joe E · Post by **Joe E** » 15 Feb 2000 6:56 am

How About it Mike?

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 15 Feb 2000 7:43 am

I've used Peavey for years for PSG. I still own a Nashville 400 and an old Session 400 for a backup. I've had these amps for years and they still work great. If tomorrow they both go out, I can get them repaired locally and cheaply. If they both had to be replaced, I certainly can't complain that I didn't get my moneys worth.
As far as a Peavey guitar amp goes, I used to have the Special 130. Killer little amp for guitar (got stolen off the gear trailer). Also this amp sounded absolutely great on the steel but not quite enough power. Now that I have the POD, my Nashville 400 is my new guitar amp (and the only amp I have to haul to the gig.

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 15 Feb 2000 7:43 am

I've used Peavey for years for PSG. I still own a Nashville 400 and an old Session 400 for a backup. I've had these amps for years and they still work great. If tomorrow they both go out, I can get them repaired locally and cheaply. If they both had to be replaced, I certainly can't complain that I didn't get my moneys worth.
As far as a Peavey guitar amp goes, I used to have the Special 130. Killer little amp for guitar (got stolen off the gear trailer). Also this amp sounded absolutely great on the steel but not quite enough power. Now that I have the POD, my Nashville 400 is my new guitar amp (and the only amp I have to haul to the gig.

Ronald Riddle · Post by **Ronald Riddle** » 17 Feb 2000 9:28 pm

We that play pedal steel from day one have graduated to the finish sound as to Peavey
as a fine choice for the accomplished steel player.The proof is in the equipment.
Peavey is my choice for steel guitar after a lot of time spent in the field and having an better than average ear for the finish sound. Ronald Riddle

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Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 14 Apr 2006 5:53 am

I must've overlooked this thread! I was searching for another subject and found this. Thank you very much for standing up and being counted here! This is flattering and the feeling is mutual. I'll make it a point to copy Hartley on this thread.

Thanks Again.

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 14 Apr 2006 6:13 am

Yea, it's kind of strange how Peavey got a bit stigmatized in some circles. My personal experience with Peavey has been quite positive. I'd even say that the ethic and mentality that the great Leo Fender brought to large scale musical gear manufacturing back in his day can perhaps be best demonstrated today by Hartley Peavey's efforts over the past 30+ years. The extreme reliability of the product, the fantastic service department, and the strong effort to avoid "selling out" can still be seen today with Peavey. It's clearly a tough business to survive in with so much competition utililizing foriegn labor and manufacturing. Yet Peavey seems to be able to strike that good balance of remaining as domestic as possible while surviving and thriving on a big scale. You can also see that their R&D really cares about the real world players both novice and pro, and they aren't just focused on pushing tons of junk for kids thru Guitar Center. Keep it up Peavey!

Brad Sarno

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 14 Apr 2006 6:17 am

Peavey guitar Amps have never really been accepted in main streem of the 6 string music industry. Mostly, because they never really could compete with the sound of amps like Fenders. Unfortunate but true.

What?

Yeah, and the moon is made out of cheese!.......

Man.

Robert Leaman · Post by **Robert Leaman** » 14 Apr 2006 6:20 am

Fortunately, I can afford to buy any car except a Bugatti, Rolls, or Bentley but I drive an American made Cadillac. As well, I can afford any amplifier(s) on today's market but I use an American made Peavey. I cannot buy a bigger bang for my buck than a NV1000. Maybe its tone differs from other amps but I like it and for me, that's all that is necessary since only my opinion counts with me.

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 14 Apr 2006 6:36 am

Joe E.,

I live up the street from you in Bolingbrook. I am a Pedal Steel player and guitarist.

If you ever need any assistance with your PSG give me a shout.

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Tim Harr
Carter D-10 8/9, PODxt Pro; Webb 6-14E Amplifier; 65 Fender Twin Reverb

http://groups.msn.com/TimHarrWebPage

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 Apr 2006 6:42 am

Joe, I just want to acknowledge and commend you for being open minded enough to listen to your own ears and not to the crowd you were hangin' with. A lotta guys, faced with a similar situation, would not have stood up in the room and declared themselves to be impressed. My hat's off to ya, pal.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 14 Apr 2006 6:57 am

I think with the advent of seriously fine-sounding modelers like the PODxt and the Digitech Genesis, the technology behind the new lightweight amps like the World and the Crate and that bitty Fender head, and the new lightweight neodymium speakers, we're going to see a drastic change in what people will be hauling around over the next few years. Sprung spines will be a thing of the past when you can get 300 watts of great sound out of thirty pounds of gear. Whichever manufacturers are paying attention to this are going to do very well for themselves.

P.S.: http://www.mesaboogie.com/Reviews/BassPlayer-Scout/BassPlayer-Scout.htm [This message was edited by David Mason on 14 April 2006 at 08:02 AM.]

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 14 Apr 2006 7:15 am

hey Joe, I think you better go plug your 6 string into a Classic 50 2x12 or 4x10..

then get back to us...

I think you will be most suprised...

t

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 14 Apr 2006 7:29 am

I've been using Peavey amps since the 70's, when they were endorsing many Nashville players with free/discounted equipment. It was quite a change, going from tube (Sho~Bud) to solid state, but I got used to it and have been happy with the sound. The only downside I've found with Peavey amps is the reverb always goes out.

C#
www.calsharp.com www.calsharp.com/music/index.html

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 14 Apr 2006 7:55 am

...Peavey guitar Amps have never really been accepted in main streem of the 6 string music industry

Yes, and there's a reason...it's called "vanity"!

No other group of musicians values cachet as much as guitar players. They are really one of a kind in the music world.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 14 Apr 2006 8:00 am

Peavey = Exceptional service too!!!

Mickey McGee · Post by **Mickey McGee** » 14 Apr 2006 8:13 am

Hey Joe where you go'n with that Peavey in your hand-Ha!Old song,anyway,what I remember about Peavey amps is this-in the early 70's and 80's Peavey ate Fenders lunch everbody switched from Fender to Peavey(because they are built like tanks) and all the music stores were full of Peavey amps- not so nowdays-I have lived in Calif.and AZ nowdays you can't find Peavey amps in all the music stores-you can find some Fender amps-I know of only one store in the Phoenix area that stocks Peavey amps-why is this?Most stores stock amps that were made in China,line-6,Vox,Zoom,Zuts,Puts- you get the idea.In the 1970's and into the 80's Peavey had a big market share of the biz NOW the only people playing Peavey amps are steel players and guys that have held onto the old Peavey amps-thats the way it is here in Phx.AZ.BTW the one store that stocks Peavey amps in Phx.is "Note Works".

Marlin Smoot · Post by **Marlin Smoot** » 14 Apr 2006 8:29 am

I got my first Peavey in 1976, it was a Musicians Head and had a ton of power. Later After I got into steel guitar, the only amp I have ever used for steel is Peavey. I've also owned the Special 130 and a 2x12 amp with tubes (can't remember the name).

I've also owned (and still do) Fender Twin's and Mesa Boogie's...but not because I didn't like Peavey for guitar, I just wanted something different for guitar.

Many will agree that the Tele and Fender Twin are a great match, that's not to say Peavey amps wouldn't do the job but I like how the Fender tele/twin look together on stage too.

Like many of you, I've played in bands that have used Peavey amps and PA gear and I've heard of Peavey gear needing fixed from time to time, but I have never been in a band that had a problem with Peavey equipment.

Peavey - turn it on and it works - and more than can do the job. I love Peavey gear, I love the Fender gear and I love the Mesa Boogie products too which I think are Fender products on streiods. There are still some other amps for 6 string guitar I would love to try too including Matchless, Bad Cat, Boogner, and especially Komet just to name a few.

I love the way Peavey supports the PSG community. Long live Mike Brown!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 14 Apr 2006 8:51 am

I find what Donny said to be really particularly accurate..., especially for guitar players..

"Man I got me an AC30 with Celestians"

"It Rocks dude"...

"oh ..uhh..does anybody know what chord this is" ?

I've pretty much owned two brands of amps over the past 30 years..

2 or 3 Fenders and 6 or 7 Peaveys...

Currently have 1 Fender and 3 Peaveys...

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

Mickey McGee · Post by **Mickey McGee** » 14 Apr 2006 9:14 am

I still see a lot of Peavey PA systems being used-Peavey has sold a bunch of PA's and the old ones are still in use again,built like a tank.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 14 Apr 2006 9:17 am

Most six string rock guitarists remember the horrible sound of those solid state Peaveys from the eighties that they had to play thru at one point or another, and will never again give Peavey the time of day.

Dont get me wrong, nothing against Peavey, just analyzing the market here as i see it.
I think their steel amps are very nice, and their equipment in general is good value for the money. but the stigma definetly exists.

How to overcome that stigma and get more players to check out Peavey amps for rock guitar? I think they are definetly on the right track with the Windsor, their cabs, and some of the EVH stuff....

on a side, note my buddy has a beautiful old Classic 100 4x12 that is just gathering cobwebs. I think all it needs is new tubes but he wont even bother to have it looked at. He just says "yeah it sounded great when it worked"

Mickey McGee · Post by **Mickey McGee** » 14 Apr 2006 9:50 am

Joe E.said: "Peavey amps seemed to have been built for a guy who couldn't afford a Pro amp but was to good for a begginer amp." In a Word I would not agee with this-In the 70's in Calif.everybody were using Peavey and for awhile Fender faded away when I moved back to Phx.everybody here were using Peavey amps and PA's and they still do although a lot of the Pro players(guitar that is)are using the Dr.Z amps and such like that.I'm sorry to say Peavey lost a big share of the music biz by the late 80's-this is how I remember how things went.My 2 cents worth.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 14 Apr 2006 10:05 am

The vintage Fender tone is ground zero in the 6 string world. Peavey solid state amps don't have that sound.

In the distorto rock world, Marshall is the benchmark. Peavey solid state amps do not sound like a Marshall amp.

THAT is the biggest reason why 6 stringers have not buddied up to Peavey.

Now for what I think about Peavey amps. Great value for the money. Nicely built and great service. Good tone and very reliable. I found a Classic Chorus solid state amp at a yard sale one morning a few months ago for $50 that had never been out of the guys basement. I loaded it into the back of my exporer and took it to show that night I was playing and it sounded just fine. I needed the sound of a nice flat jazz tone with no distorto and the amp delivered. For steel guitar, Peavey has done a wonderful job delivering to the demanding Steel community. Great gear.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 14 Apr 2006 10:47 am

I dont think its as much that they didnt sound like Marshall or Fenders as it is they just didnt sound good.

I blame The Rage

When the Windsor comes, out if its any good, it should provide "distorto" rockers with a Marhsall alternative at a reasonable price (actually an insanely great price), and maybe do alot to rverse the stigma. we'll see...

[This message was edited by Ben Jones on 14 April 2006 at 11:52 AM.]

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 14 Apr 2006 11:14 am

"Funny, I hear a lot of guitar players bad mouthing Peavey amps, but when you look at what they are playing, it's a Peavey amp (and mostly all solid state)."

I don't know ANY guitar players locally that use Peavey equipment, other than beginners and a few country guys. In the blues, rock, country-rock circles it's Fender, Marshall, Vox, Bad Cat, Matchless, Holland, Top Hat, Mesa, Bogner, Reverend and the odd Crate thrown in the mix (I'm missing a few I know...)....but almost never Peavey. For PA boards, maybe - when on a low-budget.

I was shocked with all the Peavey usage when I started on this board. But apparently they've done a good job with SS, clean-sounding amps. They do not do so well with warm sounding tube amps IMO - their Classic, Vintage and other lines are really cold sounding for 6-string IMO.

The only place I've seen their amps used by guitar players (other than the sellout by EVH) is in the country world for clean Tele twang.

I will say that they have done a heck of a job at making amps affordable. I would not put their build quality at the same level as the boutique houses or custom-shop point-to-point guys, but they don't play in that market. They DO play in the music-on-a-budget market well...but even semi-pros seem to avoid their guitar amps except for the country players. I've never been able to get good tone out of anything of theirs - passable, yes, and the audience probably can't tell. But if I can tell I don't use it.