I need a new amp!

[louisgtr]

If you've never had a tube amp before and will be using it around the house, keep in mind that many tube amps don't sound all that great at bedroom volumes as opposed to when the amp is cranked and the power amp section is kicking in. VH's sound was all about the power amp working hard. I've never played through one, but I hear that the Peavey XXX's sound good even at bedroom levels. The 40w combo version would probably work out pretty well.

 

[mbgreene]

Didn't think I could do this but it's part of my therapy.

High, my name is Michael, and I've seen bad concerts

Yes, I actually saw A Flock of Seagulls in concert
Binghamton 1983, a college senior, I should have known better.
Although I can't remember if they played their own show or doubled with the B52's - much of that part of my life is still foggy. I saw them both that year.

You guys know the same sad story, Girlfriend into newwave
show right on campus, she wants to go..... I want.....well....
So I go

Yes, it was a STIFF price to pay but
Hey at least I never went to see Kajagoogoo I had to draw the line

On the other amplifier end I've heard decent things about the Reverend Hellhound and now the new Kingsnake for the money (under $1K), although I don't know if they would be rumbly enough for what your looking for Brent, I'm using the AL with MM90's. I think they are more set up it the old F$%^&er mode. I'm also still trying to find one local to play through.

 

[deadringer]

If you've never had a tube amp before and will be using it around the house, keep in mind that many tube amps don't sound all that great at bedroom volumes as opposed to when the amp is cranked and the power amp section is kicking in. VH's sound was all about the power amp working hard. I've never played through one, but I hear that the Peavey XXX's sound good even at bedroom levels. The 40w combo version would probably work out pretty well.

You're right about the Triple XXX. I have one now that I run through a Mesa Recto 4x12 and it kicks arse at low volumes. I was actually surprised at how well it handles bedroom volumes. I've had the 5150 and it really needed to be opened up and played loud to sound right. At low to moderate volumes it was kind of thin and bright. My Dual Recto was better but still always sounded 50-75% better at high volumes.

I have another suggestion. Right now I have a little Peavey Prowler sitting in my closet collecting dust. It's two channel and all tube with a 12" speaker and it sounds great. It's not too heavy and it sounds great a low volume. This things were kind of sleepers really. I bought it off a guy who was giving up guitar. It has a cool Peavey tube sound that it right in there with the 5150 and the Triple XXX. You can find them on Ebay once in a while or you could PM about mine. Just a thought.

 

[SteveB]

I've been dying to try a Peavey XXX head. I think I want one, based on audio clips I've heard. Unfortunately, none of my local stores have one. I think the GC in this area may have one that I can try, though.

 

[slukather]

A Peavey Classic 30 comes to mind, man those amps sound great, even at low volumes l was impressed with it.

Scott.

 

[slukather]

6505 = 5150
6505+ = 5150II
6505 combo = 5150 combo

Cool, thanks for clearing that up. Maybe the 5150 doesn't have a decent clean channel, but l'm pretty happy with the clean channel on my 5150ii.

Brent? Hmmm....

Lawrence Welk Trio
Guy Lombardo
The Go-Go's
The Bangles
Human League
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
Simply Red

Sorry, had too.

Scott.

 

[eliot323]

My two pennies/cents worth:

1. Cornford Hellcat Combo: 35 watts 2 channel vintage/modern tone and gain monster. Footswitchable reverb. Series effects loop. EL84s. As Cornford say, "there's none more brown". It's not cheap but it is FAB!

2. Mesa Boogie F50: this is my favourite Mesa (until they do the Stiletto in a combo version...)

eliot323

 

[deadringer]

I've been dying to try a Peavey XXX head. I think I want one, based on audio clips I've heard. Unfortunately, none of my local stores have one. I think the GC in this area may have one that I can try, though.

If you do go for the Triple XXX you owe it to yourself to get some EL34's for it. I bought mine used and the guy already had a quartet of JJ's 34's in it. He sent me the stock 6L6's just for backup.

I played it for a couple of weeks and was just loving it. It sounds like a 5150 and a Dual Recto had an illegitimate love child. Yet there is this certain Marshally tone in there too, especially on the Crunch channel.

Anyway, after the first couple of weeks I decided to see what the 6L6's were like. YUKKKKKK!!!!! I was amazed at the difference. Quite frankly, had I heard the Triple XXX at a store with stock tubes I wouldn't have bought it. With the JJ's in the preamp and the JJ's 34's in the power this thing is way cool.

I bought it because I have been using my Vetta rig as my main and was starting to wonder if my previous tube snobbery was unjust. I found my Triple online for very cheap and figured I'd try it out. I knew I could get what I paid for it if I hated it so I went for it. The Vetta will be going up on Ebay soon. I still want a Mesa Mk IV but I think I'd keep the Triple too.

 

[dwf1004]

Cool, thanks for clearing that up. Maybe the 5150 doesn't have a decent clean channel, but l'm pretty happy with the clean channel on my 5150ii.

I think they put some effort into that when creating the II. The 5150 was created without clean in mind, though I've found that if you push out the bright and crunch buttons, and nickel the pre and post, you get a really good clean without any breakup, unless you beat the h*ll out of your strings.

 

[brentrocks]

thanks for all the input guys!!!

i think i'm gonna take a trip to the guitar store and try some out! i'm gonna look into the 6505 and the XXX combos and see what they are like! sound like those would best suit my needs!!!

thanks again!!!

 

[thrill74]

deadringer, 2nds on the Triple XXX! I had that up until just a few days ago when I got a El Diablo 60. Peavey really got it right with the Triple X.
brentrocks I guess just try out what you can. The Peaveys don't really break and sound great. I happen to like my Genz Benz. The best distortion from a Mesa, for me at least, came from a F-50. CRUNCH CITY! I would like to see what the new Peavey amps sound like though. The Valve King and the Penta.

 

[SteveB]

gonna try a JSX

I'm going to try the Peavey JSX out this weekend (time permitting). My local Peavey dealer has one. It's based off the Triple X and already has EL's instead of 6L6's. Plus, my dealer indicated that he would make me a sweet deal on the JSX. It's probably his demo and he will sell it to me for the same price as a XXX or very close to it.

 

[lock-ny]

I actually played the JSX tonite and it was a nice sounding head, not as thrashy as the XXX but more refined sounding. My XXX with an EQ in the loop and EL34's in there is the best tone for me at the moment, brentrocks, I also checked out the XXX super 40 FX and it was awesome, definitely give that a try if your looking for something smaller than a head and a cab -

 

[slukather]

If you do go for the Triple XXX you owe it to yourself to get some EL34's for it. I bought mine used and the guy already had a quartet of JJ's 34's in it. He sent me the stock 6L6's just for backup.

I played it for a couple of weeks and was just loving it. It sounds like a 5150 and a Dual Recto had an illegitimate love child. Yet there is this certain Marshally tone in there too, especially on the Crunch channel.

Anyway, after the first couple of weeks I decided to see what the 6L6's were like. YUKKKKKK!!!!! I was amazed at the difference. Quite frankly, had I heard the Triple XXX at a store with stock tubes I wouldn't have bought it. With the JJ's in the preamp and the JJ's 34's in the power this thing is way cool.

I bought it because I have been using my Vetta rig as my main and was starting to wonder if my previous tube snobbery was unjust. I found my Triple online for very cheap and figured I'd try it out. I knew I could get what I paid for it if I hated it so I went for it. The Vetta will be going up on Ebay soon. I still want a Mesa Mk IV but I think I'd keep the Triple too.

Um, did l log into the wrong forum, l thought l had logged into the Ernie Ball forum, but l must be in the Peavey forum.

Anyway.

That was like my 5150ii, i loved the sound l got, but people kept telling me to put jj's in the pre-amp, and l did, and it just opened up the sound. Now l just pretty much use a dry sound, my petrucci into my 5150, and it sounds killer, l might add some Delay from time to time, but l get so many great comments on my sound.

But l wonder if they fixed the no clean channel on the new 6505's, cause there were alot of complaints about the orginial 5150 not having a clean channel. Well EVH wasn't known for his clean sound.

Scott.

 

[thrill74]

I really like the "Fat" switches on the JSX. Roll back the gain on the crunch a.k.a. the classic 50 channel and Billy Gibbons jumps out!

 

[dwf1004]

Scott,

I have ecc83's in the pre of my 5150, and I also put in a matched set of JJ 6L6GC's...yum.

I run with a tad of reverb via my G-Major, and that's it. Very nice...

There are no changes to the amps; they are just repackaging them and throwing them out. So, the 6505 lives with the same non-clean.

 

[Lew]

I'll second the Cornford recomendation as I am sure Steve would,but they are very expensive in the states due to the exchange,where as they represent fantastic value over here.

 

[brentrocks]

Well, i was on the way to the guitar store this weekend (sat morning)

My bro-in-lawe calls me as i'm heading out the door. He says, "dude you wanna got to flint with me to my pee-wee hockey game?" (he's a coach) I'm like yeah, sure. (figured i'd got look at amps after)

We go to the game, go to a bar for lunch afterwards with some of the parents (by the way, hockey moms are F***in HOT!! )

After quite a few beers, i wasn't in good driving condition to go try out amps, so maybe next weekend!!

 

[slukather]

Scott,

I have ecc83's in the pre of my 5150, and I also put in a matched set of JJ 6L6GC's...yum.

I run with a tad of reverb via my G-Major, and that's it. Very nice...

There are no changes to the amps; they are just repackaging them and throwing them out. So, the 6505 lives with the same non-clean.

I bought a set of jj 6l6's to try with my 5150ii, they cost me a fair bit too, but l went back to the sovtek 6l6's. But the jj's in the pre-amp stage, sound killer.

You are like me with my 5150ii, l pretty much run a dry lead sound. My sounds just my Petrucci - volume pedal - 5150ii. Thats pretty much what l'm running at the moment. I have a g-major in the loop, and l might add some delay every now and then. My clean is dry with a touch of chorus. and rhthm is a bit of compression and delay. But then l have other presets for parts of covers songs, like one patch has got **** loads of delay, then another some phase etc.

I thought they might out a clean in the "new" 5150, because alot of people complain that it doesn't have one. It might sell more if it did.

Scott.

 

[dwf1004]

Hear ya, and I add in a Phase 90 and a Crybaby in the front. I only call on them from time to time, but good to have -- you can see my whole setup at http://www.fulwilder.com .

I have a patch that does like 18 repeats of a delay (my group does a cover of the No Doubt version of It's My Life, and I only use it for the solo and the pick slide going into the last chorus -- man, talk about being quick with your feet there! )

Yeah, shame about the clean...did you try my nickel approach I mentioned on the rhy. channel? It's not F****r clean, but I'm pretty pleased with what I can get out of it.