Come On....Peavey?

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Peavey like any other company has had it's good products , and it's so so products....All in all , Peavey has made some pretty darn good gear !!.....You do have your NAY sayers out there that would never be caught dead playing a Peavey , or the ones who cover up the Peavey Logo to be smug ....If you have to rely on a Logo to make good music , than you really need to re-think your capabilities as a musician .... I have a HOUSE full of musical instruments, and a LOT of them are Peavey simply because they are well made , and sound and play GREAT !!....I have boutique gear also , but I always come back to a lot of my Peavey gear ...Something that NO OTHER COMPANY has is Mike Brown !!..... Show me one rep from ANY company that cares and is right there in the trenches with you like Mike Brown .... It would really be interesting to see how many professional players out there have owned Peavey now and in the past ??.... I'll bet that more players have owned Peavey gear more than ANY other cmpany out there .... I don't care if Peavey spells there Logo backwards, and makes it twice as BIG ....As long as they can produce great gear , at a competitive price , that's all that matters to me !!.......Jim

Mickey McGee · From: Phoenix,Az

My guess for most amps and gear produced would be Peavey and Fender.

Jim Peters · From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.

The actual name,"Peavey", just doesn't have a good ring to it, from a marketing standpoint. I own a NV112, a Bandit, 2 sets of speakers an xr6oo Pa head, and a TKO 65 bass amp. Low price, great reliability, especially the PA stuff. The DDT compressor is pure genius. My plaing out amp is a SF Deluxe, or a Reverend Hellhound(now that's a name!). Both my sons use PV classics.
It's all in a name.JP

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

oh yeh..you 'oughta hear the Fender solid state amps...

ugghhh....

Peavey had the Duece back in the early days and I'm just here to tell ya it gave the TWINS a run for the money on the bandstand..

Actually with the overdrive it was more bandstand friendly..

and just as heavy....

and VERY LOUD....

I don't think the Duece or the Classics from that era ever got the recognition that they deserved..Those amps still ROCK today...and are great values if you can find one complete...

Anyone who ever compared a Fender Tube amp to a Peavey Solid state was off the cliff anyway. That is not and is never a fair comparison...

Todays Classic 50's are two of the best guitar amps out there...

value, performance and tone..Killer...

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 14 April 2006 at 02:29 PM.]

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 14 April 2006 at 02:31 PM.]

Rick Garrett · From: Tyler, Texas

I recently sold an Evans 120 watt parlor amp and went to a Peavey Nashville 112. Me and my super slide have never been happier.

In Dallas I mentioned to Mike Brown that the Peavey's I've had in the past (Nashville 1000 an Session 500) sounded good but I didn't like the buzz thing they had going on when you turn the amp on. The Evans was almost completely quiet till you hit the strings and I really like that. My new 112, turn it on and you hear a hiss that goes away after a few seconds. That just bugs the living crud out of me BUT, the tone of my guitar through that little dude makes it worth listening to that tiny little hiss. I loved the tone of the session 500 too but this 112 really sounds better to my ears than anything I've played through to date. Am I satisfied? Yes I am and I intend to buy another 112 within the next few weeks just so I can hear two of them together. I think it'll be a real blast to make a HUGE sound come out of such a small guitar. There were plenty of real heavy weight pickers in Dallas this year playing through the little Peavey 112's and that helped me make the decision to give the 112 another look. So far I couldn't be happier.

Rick

www.bobbygarrett.com

Larry Robinson · From: Peachtree City, Georgia, USA

I own a Peavey Bandit 65, Bandit 112, and and Evan AE100. I've owned SF Fender Twin Reverb and Peavey Nashville 400. I play 6 string guitar. My experience has been if you play with quality speakers, i.e JBL, Altec, EVM, BW, Eminence, you get quality sound. I put a D-120 in my Bandit 65 and it sounded ever bit as good a TR which had 2 JBL-d-120 speakers. I use EVM12L with my Evans. The speaker is the voice of the amp. The D120 and D130 frequency response was up to 17Khz which gives it the sweet sound. John Hughey told me he won't use anything but JBL D130 speakers and buys all he can find. I believe Lloyd Gren also uses JBL speakers. Just my 2 cents.
Larry Robinson

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

Tony's got it right about those Dueces........wicked amps! The phaser was just killer on those.......nice tube warmth and lots of balls. I'd like to have one again. Sometimes I price them on Ebay, and I always keep a look out in the used stores.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

In the blues, rockabilly, jazz, country-rock, Americana, and other circles I have travelled in the last 20 years, I am usually the only one onstage with a Peavey amp. The vast majority use old Fender, Gibson, Marshall, Mesa, Ampeg, or something similar. Some of these guys have comments about Peaveys, and I've seen riders with "No Peavey".

Frankly, I think that is pretty narrow-minded. In addition to lots of Fenders, I have owned various Peavey guitars, amps, and PA equipment over the years. The quality has been excellent, and if I pick the right type of amp, I can usually dial in my sound. Of course, no point in trying to dial in a crunchy blues tone on a Session 400 - it can be made to sound great playing blues, but it's different. But the Deuce or Classic, with appropriate tone tweaking and perhaps the right speakers, can give a good approximation to that tone just fine. On the other hand, they also have their own tone - this is a good thing. Where is it written that all guitar tones must be Fender, Marshall, or Vox? I think southern rock is based on the Peavey tone, emanating from those early Skynyrd records where I believe they used Deuces or Maces. It's got a bit more honkin' midrange, but still more of an American tone than the typical Marshall-style "British sound".

As far as durability goes, I think these older Peavey amps are just as much workhorses as the SF Fenders. Personally, I prefer the older construction techniques. I try to avoid thin, wave-soldered circuit boards, but that seems to be where most mass-marketed amps have gone.

At one time, one of my favorite blues players, Big Jack Johnson, played a Peavey Patriot through something like a Classic or Special 130 amp. I had a Patriot just like his, which my blues buddies who insist on an old Strat through a BF or Tweed Fender howled at. I just told them - look, it sounds and plays great, and cost $149 brand new with a hard case in 1987. Jack showed up to a show a couple of years later with that Patriot, and they shut up. He made that thing talk. Listen to his LP "The Oil Man" - that's that Patriot - some of the finest modern blues ever recorded, IMO.

I try very hard not to listen to a guitar or amp with my eyes, although I sometimes fail and get taken in by a looker. But really, I want sound and durability. Currently, I have 3 Peavey amps in my arsenal. For steel, if I have to play a loud outside gig without a large PA, nothing touches a Session 500, IMO.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

"I think southern rock is based on the Peavey tone"

Gotta argue with that one, Dave. Skynyrd was the ONLY band using Peaveys way back then. Duane was using a 100-watt Marshall, with JBL D-120's in the cabs, Dickey Betts was running a 50-watt Marshall head---THE rig to have was a Les Paul through a Marshall.

Tim Harr · From: Dunlap, Illinois

I think that many players who do not like Peavey may not undrstand how to set the EQ section properly.

After All Fender has Bass - Middle - Treble .... that whole "Shift" knob may throw some off completely..
;-)

Who knows....?

BTW I have owned the same NV 400 for 15 years. I have had other NV 400s, Session 500, and now I own a NV 112. I love that NV112. Also my first guitar amp (circa 1979) was a Backstage 30.

GO Peavey!

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Steve, I suppose this is mostly definitional. I guess I view the Allmans and similar bands like Wet Willie as much blues-rock bands as southern-rock bands. In any case, this is a very different different strain and different sound than bands like Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, and 38 Special. That's the sound I'm referring to, and I think there was plenty of Peavey equipment onstage.

I guess I view Skynyrd as the center of the southern rock universe, YMMV. I believe Molly Hatchet endorsed Peavey back when - I seem to recall seeing ads. I imagine that Mike Brown can fill us in. No doubt, some of these bands used a combination of Peavey, Marshall, and other brands. That is sort of my point - the Peavey rock amps of that era are quite comparable to Marshalls of that era, which is why I never understood the stigma. I've used them side by side - I notice some differences in their cranked-up signature tones, but they both rock when you plug in a nice Les Paul.

I'll tell you one thing - those old Deuces, Maces, Classics, and Vintage series amps are a bargain, and they get the job done if you're playing hard rock and roll. I find nothing "cold" about one of these when they get cranked up. To me, those nice old Marshalls also sound pretty cold until they get cranked.

Keith Cordell · From: San Diego

I gotta say, before anyone else decides to deride other companies (Fender and Gibson are not in any way Japanese owned, they are headquartered in the states and Fender at least has great service) that there are a lot of great gear providers, Peavey among them. Let's not engage in trying to lower the other guys to make our pet faves look better. I personally use a Session 400, but am not a real "Peavey guy". I don't spend any energy knocking them though, as they seem to work out fine for lots of people. It always pays for a player to look around a bit before just grabbing what other guys like or use.

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

I like the overdriven Marshall sound for pedal steel. Maybe that new Windsor head would be the way to go for a Peavey 'steel amp'.

I don't want anything to do with any of their steel amps (i.e. Sessions, LTDs, Nashvilles) if they can't get a decent overdriven sound.

Al Terhune · From: Newcastle, WA

And "Fender" has a good "ring" about it? It's a car part -- and one you don't mind screwin' up...expendable. Don't get me wrong -- I love Fender. But to judge a product by it's name...

Peavey has made strong, great-sounding amps in the 70's, 80's, 90's, and the...2000's. Not a whole heck of a lot has changed. It was correctly stated earlier in this thread: Some don't know how to properly e.q. amps.

Let's put it this way: Nothing can last four decades if it ain't good, if not great. That's simply a fact that can be argued, but not won to the contrary. You might hate or dislike that product, but try to tell the millions who've kept it alive. You'll lose that argument (unless you're uneducated and don't understand supply and demand). Proof's in the puddin'. Viva la Peavey. I just bought the 8th Peavey I've owned/own, an 8" speaker Decade, and for fartin' around playing lap with a singer w/an acoustic guitar, it's incredible. Light and sounds like an amp that weights 30 pounds instead of about 8.

Al
King of the Peavey Amps in Newcastle WA (sorry, Gerald)

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

So Leslie, go grab a new Classic 50 and crank it up ..

or seek out one of the original Classics or Dueces...

Stage volume or overdrive will not be an issue...

Bandmates and people screaming at you for playing too loud may be the issue...

Jim Peters · From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.

The name issue isn't from me, just an observation. The zillions of youngsters looking for equipment want to be "cool". Peavey just isn't a cool name. I love PV stuff, and Carvin, Fender, Gibson,Larrivee, etc. etc.Both of my sons have PV classics, one a 4x 10, one a 2x 12, both amps kick serious butt! JP

Al Terhune · From: Newcastle, WA

Jim -- you're right, and what I should have ended that first paragraph with is:

I think Peavey has a great ring to it.

But as all previous threads, including this thread, have pointed out, that's all in the opinion of the speaker. Actually, much like John Deere. When I was growing up in the 60's/70's Indiana, people made fun of the name John Deere. Now it means quality, American-made. I've made a prediction that in the future, Peavey, too, will earn this type of recognition like John Deere has.

Al

Darrell Owens · From: California, USA

If you saw the recent post of Mr Emmons sitting behind his new Zum, look closely, there is a Peavey VMP2 preamp sitting behind him. Could that be a clue?

Hartley Peavey has been making steel players sound good for a long time. My first Peavey was a Session 500. I got it from Zane Beck. There is another clue!

I have several amps, but if it is earth rattling power and tone to the bone, that 500 still does it.

I am even beginning to like the logo.

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Darrell Owens
www.darrellowens.com

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I still say it's all a vanity thing.

Take any Fender amp you want, put it in a Peavey cabinet with a Peavey faceplate, and let some lead player try it, and the first words out of his mouth would be...

"This amp just ain't gettin' it!"

Do the same with some hard-rocker heavy-metal player, put Marshall innards in a Peavey cab, and they'd say...

"This thing is nowhere, dude!"

Al Terhune · From: Newcastle, WA

Bingo-city-bingo, Donny. Yep.

Al

Jack Francis · From: Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

Funny thing,,the last recording session that I did with my Strat, I used my Seymour Duncan Quadratone amp. (50W, 4 EL84 tubes)

Listening to the end results, I sounded EXACTLY like my recordings with my old Fender Twin...I would venture to say that most all of us shape our sound to what we "HEAR" no matter what we use.

My son is into Van Halen and told me that when they opened for Ted Nugent back in the day, after their sound check, Ted was blown away by Eddie's sound. He asked if they would let him fool around with Eddie's guitar and amp..when he was done he was amazed that he sounded EXACTLY like himself.

I go to steel shows that give a wide range of steel amps and what a shock, every body sounds great to me.

Paul Arntson · From: Washington, USA

I just bought my first Peavey, a NV 1000. I have been a die hard fender tube guy since 1964 (!). But my Excel pedal steel (I am trying to learn) just sounded terrible thru a fender amp. Too much coloration on the sound. So I bought the Peavey and I am amazed. It is light and LOUD and very clean. My tele works fine thru it too.

I had a question when I first got it, and Mike Brown personally emailed me within a day with the answer. You can't beat that for incredible customer service. I am really now a Peavey fan. I think they are really doing a great service for musicians everywhere.

Paul Arntson

Henry Nagle · From: Santa Rosa, California

At my junior high school we had electric guitars (3) in our marching band. We played a Kinks song and a Chuck Berry song. We used small Peavey battery amps and used bicycle tire tubes to carry them like back packs. Turned up to 10. Those amps sounded pretty great bouncing off the walls of downtown buildings. I haven't been super fond of Peaveys for six string since then except for a tweed 4x10 classic 50 that a bandmate of mine uses. It sounds great for guitar and pedal steel..

ajm · From: Los Angeles

"The only place I've seen their amps used by guitar players (other than the sellout by EVH)......."

How was this a sellout? Please explain, since maybe you know something that some of us don't.

"If you saw the recent post of Mr Emmons sitting behind his new Zum, look closely, there is a Peavey VMP2 preamp sitting behind him. Could that be a clue? Hartley Peavey has been making steel players sound good for a long time."

I'd say that Mr. Emmons and others like him have probably returned the favor and made a few Peaveys sound good, too.

A lot of these comments are valid. IMHO the early Peavey company made it's money and reputation by building reasonable sounding and rugged amps for a good price. However, with that fame and money come a certain stigma, like it or not. No different than the famous rock (or country or whatever) player trying to prove that they are capable of playing a different style convincingly.

Now that Peavey is trying to acheive a reputation as a builder of REALLY good sounding pro amps they are running into the same thing. FWIW, I tried out a used Classic 30 the other day. For me, I'd love to compare it side by side with some higher end amps, because it sure did have the sounds that I look for. And I love Van Halen as much as Buck. There are a thousand great guitar sounds, and some of them were in that Classic 30.

Speaking of the side by side thing, see my post about the LA Amp show in May.

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Artie McEwan

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Thanks much for all of the support! Maybe it's just that we are just the smart musicians who know what is a good value for the money. Turn it on, and it works!

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