Peavey Amps for Jazz

[JRguitar]

I know Bobby Broom used to use old peavey SS amps, before he started using henriksen amps.

I have a peavey special 112. It's heavy, but has a great jazz tone! And they're mostly indestructible.

[BobD]

Most of the talk concerning affordable SS amps seems to revolve around Roland cubes. I like cubes, they have good clean sound but I don't really like paying for all the added stuff that I'm not gonna use(ie distortion models). So I was looking around for affordable SS amps that are more basic or non modeling and have at lest a 10" speaker. I keep coming up with amps from Peavey. Models like the Bandit 112, Envoy 110,Studio Pro 112 are all pretty basic SS amps and are wickedly cheap used.

Peavey has been around for ever but they don't seem to get any love on the jazz forums. The tele forums I read seem to like them but not overly. So what's the deal with Peavey?

[mr. beaumont]

Some of the older peaveys are pretty good SS amps, loud, very clean, a little bright for my tastes (many of them were excellent steel guitar amps) The technology is lacking though, as modern amps are doing everything those peaveys could at half the weight.

The modern Peavey SS amps (with "trans-tube" technology or some crap)get some love, particularly the bandit. I don't get it. Sounds like a cheap SS amp trying to emulate a "tube-like" clean channel. It fails, IMHO.

[kawa]

I bought ENVOY 110 for testing and got the good Jazz Tone.

These are setup of the each amps for same tone by footswitch compairing system.

From the thread "What is your Jazz Setup"

Guitar:Gibson '67 ES-175DN V8 T10

Strngs:Gibson SEG-1040ML

Shield Cable:Belden 9778

"Amps & Settings" Amps were tilted by legs or stand.Sound check point was flont of speaker(Mic set point)

Fender '66 Vibrolux Reverb(Speakers Jensen C10NS):T2 B3.5

Fender Twin Reveb 100W(Speakers:Rola): T1～2.5 M6～8 B1～2 Master Max(Equal to without master)

Fender Twin Reverb '65 Reissue(Speakers: Eminence):T1 M6～8 B3

Peterson P-100G-MkⅡ(Speaker:Eminence ME-10):Gain 1～3( Volume use) L/MIn M1/Min M2/-4 H/-2 Master/Max(Equal to without master)

Polytone MIni-BruteⅡ: Master/Max B/+1 M/+2 T/+1 Gain/2～4(Volume use) Contour/10～11( O'clocK) Program/edge Tone color switch/

Center

Peavey Envoy 110(speaker:Bule Marvel)(Ser.G0113936):Modern mode B3 M2 H0

Important things: Balance for solo tone and backing tone.

LIke to guitar,not like to electric piano.

and I know the super long seller over 40 years famous BANDIT 112.
Barney Kessel and Jim Hall were used on the stage in Tokyo.

I think the current model of BANDIT 112 is very good with enough power and sound.

[backliner]

Left flat, Peavey amps tend (to my ears) be pretty crisp, but you can dial them in better for jazz.

I've had a few in years past. They're pretty dang reliable. Sleepers, if you ask me.

[docbop]

I have an old Peavey Bandit teal stripe and best money I have ever spent. It works for anything I've used it for a bass (practice), keyboard, and guitar amp. Is it a great sounding amp no, but it can be dialed it for a good sound for anything I need it to do. Other amps have come and gone for me, but my Peavey is a tank and just keeps working and working. You can find the old American made Bandit's for good prices used and great utility amp.

[redbeard]

I've played Peavey amps for quite a while now. I've got an old Renown 400 solo series 2x12 combo that I believe is 210 watts. Very loud!!!! Every Peavey amp I've had has been trouble free. Actually looking for a Bandit right now so I can trade off my Fender G-DEC 30. By the way, I also play a '79 Peavey T-60 which is an awesome guitar. Can't go wrong with Peavey.

[backliner]

I had a Renown. Heavy, but reliable.
T-60's are cool guitars with a lot of tonal options in there.
I had a T-27 once that was pretty cool too. Only time I ever got a Duane Allman sound was with that.

[RonD]

I use Envoys in my teaching studio. Very reliable and with a little tweaking, you can get a pretty good Jazz sound. Oh, and they're cheap!

Cheers, Ron

[gary mitchell]

I have an old Bandit 65, I got at a Garage sale it was year old. Ive used that amp for everything I bought at first for church. I just cant seem to let go of it. Its a nice little amp, not my favorite but nice. My favorite amp is my Fender Twin Custom with a 15 in it.

[billyj]

I had a mid-60's Twin years ago that I foolishly traded away. Great amp but I traded for a Stereo Chorus 400 when Peavey became the amp of choice. Thanks.

[6stringjazz]

I had a trans tube Bandit for a while. It sounded good for jazz, and light compared to a tube amp. Not as good as my Clarus, but very good none the less.

[mattymel]

i would play a SS peavey over ANY roland amp. they just have a more traditionally jazzy sound to my ear. easily comparable to a polytone. and...what other reliable amp can you find for like $150? i keep one in my trunk all year long and it does the gigs where im too lazy to bring the real tube gear. if it breaks...oh well. ongodly heavy though, but i HATE loading amps in my car.

[kawa]

Bandit112

Envoy110

[billyj]

After reviewing these posts, I guess I did not do too badly with the VYPYR 60. It not only sounds good with my Epi but also with my '72 (if you can believe the online Gretsch S/N listings) Super Chet. Now, if I can just learn to play Misty and The Christmas Song before I head for that final Big Gig in the sky, I can leave this earth a happy player!

[kris]

I use Peavey Classic 30.This is a great amp for jazz guitar.
I use typical arch-top jazz box with it and Ibanez As-200.
Great Sound!!!
Kris

[musicalbodger]

An '82 Peavey Special 120 has done me proud for jazz, rock, free improv, etc. in clubs, pubs, parties and open air festival gigs since I bought it new. Never turned it up beyond 4 — it is loud. Very versatile and gives a great jazz tone. Heavy, though, so I use a Jazzamp 110 now.

[mrblues]

I have a Roland Cube 60 and a PEavey Delta BLues. I also had ROland JAzz Chorus 80 (japanese model), and other amps (which were definetly not for jazz) but comparing these 3 with my Epiphone Joe PAss (an old model, bought used, Gibson qualifying papers were added to it), I would say the Peavey is the one what i like most. Okay its maybe my 2 cents, but I like the sound of the all tube amps. The sound of my Peavey seems more jazzy to me than the sound from the Rolands.

regards,
laci

[billyj]

Thanks for all the info. Looks like Peavey is more acceptable than I thought it would be. Thanks. Billy

[mangotango]

I use Peavey Classic 30.This is a great amp for jazz guitar.
I use typical arch-top jazz box with it and Ibanez As-200.
Great Sound!!!
Kris

I used to have one of these, the first model. It was a nice little amp and I used it more for blues & rock, but could get a very usable tone with my Epi Joe Pass.

Except that one day it just made lots of funny fuzzy noises, and then it died. Once it was fixed, I traded up to the Vox valvetronix I current ly have as my Non-Jazz amp (though even that works well for the J word).

[redbeard]

I just picked up a new Peavey ValveKing 112 combo as a Christmas present to myself, and so far I love it. This is my first all tube amp so I hope it proves to be as reliable as my Renown 400. Only time will tell.

Gary

[Hugh Walter Jennings]

Was never a Peavey amp fan until yesterday. Went to a shop to trade in a MIM Stratocaster for a more Jazz friendly guitar and saw an old Delta Blues 210 sitting on the floor.

It came home with me, and the Strat I still have with it's very low output Klein S6 p/ups (4.3k-4.6k-5.0 k) sounds very nice through the clean channel.

I'll eventually get a dedicated jazz rig, but for now, sounds like heaven.


BTW, Peavey made an amp called the Austin. Something crazy like 200-200 watts. 212 combo. I was going to check one out one day, but when I picked it up to drag it into the demo booth, reality set in. Way too heavy.

[entresz]

Usually I gig with either a DV Mark Little Jazz or a Quilter Aviator Twin Ten.
The DV Mark is voiced fairly flat, designed for an uncoloured sort of tone. The Quilter is "kind of" voiced like a Fender.

Last night I decided to bring out my old Peavey Bandit 65. It was an open jazz jam session - I'm in the backing band for it.
I ran my Junior Barnyard preamp in front of it to get a bit of that octal-tube character for 40s/50s sound. I do this with my other amps too. It adds some compression and attenuates the top end in a very subtle but flattering way. You can sound bright, but it's no longer harsh if that makes sense.

Anyway, I had one of the best tones I've had for a while using that old Peavey. It was a warm, fat, punchy sound. The DV Mark can sound a little bland at times, and the Quilter has a slight "honk" to the mid range which at times I get tired of. The Peavey had this lush round sounding midrange, but minus that honk. Oh- and the spring reverb is so good. I forgot how great a nice spring reverb sounds. Both the Quilter and DV Mark have digital reverbs, it's just not the same.

Tonight I'm gigging with a big band, for the electric guitar parts I'm going to use the Peavey with the Jr Barnyard Preamp. Usually I'd use the Quilter, but I really want to hear how the Peavey sounds.

[citizenk74]

I've had friends with the Bandit 65s and they all sounded great. In fact, all the Peavy amps in my listening and playing experience have been very good. And they are built to last. My own early-production Classic 50 has required exactly one fuse replacement (and one trip to the amp vet to rectify the glitch) in its long history. Gigged with it for years and years, finally giving it to my Grandson after getting my DRRI. It is still going strong.*

*Of course I take very good care of my amps. Always use a cover to ameliorate thermal shock. Always use a handcart. Transport in a heated vehicle. I use scads of foam rubber and blankets to minimize jostling. Never drop or slam an amp. Etc. Gently, gently!

[jorgemg1984]

I had one in the past, with a scorpion speaker - excellent amp. It there's a nuclear apocalipse, all that will be left will be cockroaches and bandit 65s, they are indestructable.