Anybody Play their Balls through a Peavey JSX?

[greenwizard]

I'm considering a lot of amps right now and trying to find something decently priced that will do my JP justice. Does anybody have experience with the JSX head or combo? I'm looking for a wide range of tones, the ability to get good sound at low volume, and the ability to get enogh sound to cover small venues.
Any comments appreciated
Greenwizard

 

[Spudmurphy]

No I can't specifically comment on that amp - but I'm getting great sound at low volume using my Mesa - and it has more headroom than my Marshall in venues.

 

[greenwizard]

I'm considering Mesa as well, although I haven't looked at the F50 much.

 

[Axilla]

Hey greenwizard,
this may be a hard nut to crack from Kuwait, but I can only recommend to look for a used "Peavey Bravo 112" (was only built from '91 - '93). Upgrade that with a Celestion V30 or a G12T-75, maybe exchange the tubes and you're in heaven with tones from warmth to highest gain. 25 watts out of 2 EL84s, but loud as a b!tch with my Celestion Vintage 30...
These little treasures get a little harder to find nowadays, but are worth every penny and you won't have to spend a fortune on them.
Best small combo bang for the buck - period.
My humble 2 cents...
Cheers
Axel

 

[Roxy]

I had the JSX Combo, and its a great amp. However, I'm much happier after replacing it with a Mesa Boogie Stiletto Ace Combo. The Mesa offers much better build quality, a more "chimey" tone, and a overall more vintage feel. The closed-back cab is awesome with a Vintage 30 supplied. The emerald green and tan finish looks killer too. At about the same price, I recommend trying it out. I bought mine in February, and the honeymoon period is far from over. Go over to YouTube and search for the Petrucci Guitar World lesson where he plays the "Under A Glass Moon" solo on a Stiletto Ace Combo. Sold!

 

[MusicManJP6]

I used to play a XXX and it sounds good, but it's not very versatile. The same goes for the JSX. Although it sounds slightly better than the XXX, it is only slightly more versatile. I would recommend a Mesa Boogie amp if you can afford it. I picked up my Mark IV short head used for $799, but I got lucky. They usually go for much more. I have picked up 2 thiele cabs and an open back cab since then, and I am very pleased with my tone and the amount of DIFFERENT tones the Mark IV can put out. It's not an instant gratification amp like the JSX or XXX, but it sounds great once you understand how all the knobs work and interact.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[Rokstar]

You may want to try out a Vox. The DA series is really nice as a practice amp. Lots of great sounds with lots of bottom end in a very cheap amp. The AD series have a tube in them and are good at low volumes and should work for small venues too! I have a DA15 and I'm quite in love with it...

 

[courtjestre]

MusicManJP6,

That's a great deal for a Mark IV. I am also shopping for a new amp and tried a few of the Mesa models. I really liked the Stiletto Ace Combo, but want to try a few others. I also like the JSX combo although it does require a lot of tweaking to get what you want. I found it to be fairly versatile. Has anyone ever played through a Fuchs? I hear great things about them.

 

[Larry]

I believe BP said "friends don't let friends buy Peavey"

and I can't agree more. Peavey build quality is just not up to par with many other amp manufacturers.

 

[JohnnyD19]

I believe BP said "friends don't let friends buy Peavey"

+1 anyway who needs Peavey when you can get a MESA i would recommend the Lonestar (original or special is your choice) or a Mark IV

 

[Beach Radio]

I hate to say this but....

When I was searching for a small tube amp I asked some people for their opinions and basically I was told not to buy a Fender, Peavey, Marshall, Traynor, Mesa, Ibanez, Fishman, Roland, Rivera, Randall, Carvin, Crate... just about every brand out there I was told a horror story about.
So is anyone in universal agreement about what is a really good small tube amp?????

I believe BP said "friends don't let friends buy Peavey"

and I can't agree more. Peavey build quality is just not up to par with many other amp manufacturers.

 

[fogman]

BP said "friends don't let friends buy Peavey"

I can't get this out of my head since the day he said it.
Thanks BP.

When I was searching for a small tube amp I asked some people for their opinions and basically I was told not to buy a Fender, Peavey, Marshall, Traynor, Mesa, Ibanez, Fishman, Roland, Rivera, Randall, Carvin, Crate... just about every brand out there I was told a horror story about.
So is anyone in universal agreement about what is a really good small tube amp?????

Everybody has their two cents and their preferences.
I think it boils down to your budget and tone you're after.

 

[beej]

I think it boils down to your budget and tone you're after.

Bingo.

Work out your feature list (e.g. FX loop, # channels, reverb, size), price and availability of repair shops and that'll go a long way.

I've been through a ton of amps but have fallen in love with Guytron- I have a head and a 1x12 combo. It's important to play through enough of them that you know what you want. Need a great clean and gain channel? What kind of sound? Fenderish, Marshally, Voxy, Mesaish?

There are a zillion amps to cover every kind of sound and requirement. Make a shortlist and spend a day at local shops trying out the ones that come closest.

 

[MusicManJP6]

Bingo.

Work out your feature list (e.g. FX loop, # channels, reverb, size), price and availability of repair shops and that'll go a long way.

I've been through a ton of amps but have fallen in love with Guytron- I have a head and a 1x12 combo. It's important to play through enough of them that you know what you want. Need a great clean and gain channel? What kind of sound? Fenderish, Marshally, Voxy, Mesaish?

There are a zillion amps to cover every kind of sound and requirement. Make a shortlist and spend a day at local shops trying out the ones that come closest.

That is the best advice yet! No one knows what tone you are after better than you!

In Peavey's defense, I did not have one bit of trouble out of my Peavey XXX in the 3 years I had it. It was heavier than sin, but that isn't really a build quality issue.

courtjestre: I know! I couldn't have been any luckier. I could throw it on ebay and get $1300 out of it EASY. Mark IV's are hot right now. Of course I wouldn't do that at the moment, but I could!

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I have had a Peavey Bandit that has lived in the boot (trunk) of my car for over 4 years. Hot, cold, rain or shine its lived in there quite happily. I use it as a backup at gigs, and has got me out of a number of sticky situations! Apart from one knob snapped off, and a few scratchy pots, it works beautifully.

 

[robelinda2]

yes i must say ive since gone off Peavey now too, maybe after the 'friends' comment, but also after going back to the store that had a classic 30 and comparing it to a Traynor, goodbye Peavey.

also i do love my Marshall Bluesbreaker 2x12 combo A LOT!

 

[SteveB]

I've always had a Peavey amp around somewhere.. but I never really liked the sound of them.

However, I do have the Triple X head and it sounds great with my JP6.

I'm sure it's not as good as a Mesa, but I don't have that kind of amp budget.

I tried the JSX head with my JP6, but the thing squealed like a stuck pig (feedback) even at low volumes, and the JSX was noisy as hell.. it needs that built-in noise gate.. damn!

I'd love to try a Mesa Lonestar or a Guytron., though.

 

[greenwizard]

I've been finding the JSX at cheaper prices than most mesa's which was why I was considering it. But now that Poppa has recommended against it I'd never live with myself if I bought one. But I'd still like your guys advice on buying an amp.
I play a lot of different styles (hard rock, classical rock, funk, metal) so I'm looking something for something very very versatile, and preferably with a good clean channel to accomodate stompboxes.
Mesa has always sounded good to me but I was worried about the classic "it doesn't sound good till you turn it to 11" complaint. Is this just in regard to one particular amp or their whole line and have you guys had that problem?
I'm hoping to spend something in the vicinity of $1000 but I'm willing to go up a bit for a good deal. I'm still undecided about whether to get a combo or a head+cab. It really depends on the amp. Actually I could use advice here as to what you guys prefer.
I'm moving out of kuwait and going to college in the USA now. In kuwait there has been no opportunity to buy a decent amp so you could assume I know nothing about amplifiers (it's close enough to the truth). I'm not too picky but mainly I'm looking for a full sound (think Steve Morse's solo from "Sometimes I feel like Screaming).
Sorry guys, I know that's a lot to think about, but I trust your opinions and I need something to keep up with my JP!
Thanks,
Greenwizard

 

[Larry]

I say this in every amp thread... Orange Tiny Terror with a Orange PPC2x12 cab its great. It can cover pretty much any ground, it is a low wattage amp (7/15watts switchable) so you can crank it without making the paint come off the walls and get that great power tube distortion everyone is so nuts about. For me its the best amp I ever bought. The only downfall for me is it's a single channel amp. The only complaint I have ever heard is there is not a lot of clean headroom personally it think you could play a small bar or coffee shop with ease. Anything larger would have to be miced. The price is perfect for what you are looking to spend I picked up the head and cab for a little over $1,000 out the door.

It is worth taking a look at. Also make sure to use a good cab. not some junky cab or a combo amp speaker

 

[fogman]

I say this in every amp thread... Orange Tiny Terror with a Orange PPC2x12 cab its great.

Something then tells me that you may be saying it again!