From experience with Peavey amps, having tried their ValveKings and Classics, as well as owning a TransTube 258 EFX since May 2004, for a practice amp I'd definitely recommend the Peavey TransTube series. As was mentioned, in a reply to my Les Paul post, there's really nothing cookie cutter to the different series of Peavey amps.

In my choosing the Classic 50/410 (50W, 4 10" Blue Marvel speakers), over the ValveKing 112 (50W, 1 12" ValveKing speaker), it came down to the differences in the Lead channels. I don't really need the lower volume distortion that's available from the Lead channel of the ValveKing, and when I played on the Lead channel of the Classic, I went into the zone...and especially playing 2 of the display guitars that I already have at home (Ibanez Artcore AG75TBS & Ibanez JTK2 Jet King). With that, I realized that the Classic 50/410 will bring out the best in all of my guitars, and caused me to rethink wanting to sell my Ibanez guitars. I can't knock the Peavey ValveKing series, however. It's just that for as little as I'd actually need distortion, I'd do better with a good pedal. One plus, for both the Classic and ValveKing amps, is that the Clean channels are super clean, without being super dry.

Then there's the Peavey TransTube series. In the nearly 3 years that I've owned my TransTube 258 EFX (25W, 1 8" Blue Marvel speaker), my only complaint has been that the Clean channel can sound super dry, almost too sterile. This is where it's a good thing that it's a modeling amp (EFX), however, and I usually switch to the Chorus effect, and tweak it up to a healthy dose. While I may not need a lot of distortion, I do a bit of practicing on the Lead channel of my TransTube 258 EFX. With some healthy EQ settings, the Chorus effect and Reverb both maxed, I can get some good Music Machine fuzz, when playing "Talk, Talk." Again through experience, I would recommend the Peavey TransTube series, over the Vox Valvetronix series, as a practice amp. The FX controls on the TransTube amps are much easier to tweak.

Matt

Fast Cars & Loud Guitars!

After having read many reviews on Peavy amps, I'd have to say the Peavy Bandits almost always get top reviews and are definitely worth considering.

Peavey amps are generally extremely reliable as well as being built like tanks, virtually indestructable.

Great bang for the buck.

SurfCat

I have a Peavey VTM60 Head and Peavey 4x12 cab that has had two speaker replaced with vintage 30's. Although the VTM60 head was more popular with the metal crowd in the 80's. I have found that the Low Gain input and changing the HIGH dip switches on the amp response to off make this rig quite tasty. I am going to be busting it out at our next show to see if it may be my new live rig. It is a trip not to have a master volume. Volume is controlled via Pre and Post Gain dials.

-RT

I'm a long time Peavey user. I could never understand the disdain that often seems to be shown for them in the USA. Here in the UK, their after-sales service reputation is legendary - whilst Fender's is unfortunately appalling.

The Delta Blues in the picture (I have two - 1 2x10, 1 1x15) got thrown off a stage by an irate soundman about two years ago (I wasn't there or he would have followed it) and a couple of gigs later a valve blew and took out the output transformer. I drove it to Peavey's factory and it was delivered back to me THREE days later fully repaired and re-valved throughout at no cost.... and I'd had it over two years at the time.

That's the only problem I've ever had with the two of these in the 4-5 years I've had them and they have both done hundreds of gigs,

IMO To get the best out of them you need to use a 16 ohm extension cabinet with a warm sounding speaker like a G12H in with them as the Blue Marvels are a little bright alone - and the available volume_ really_ shoots up with the extra speaker.

http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns

Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery.

i have used them for years and i've never had one blow up or go nutz on me. my son uses a bandit and has never had any trouble with it. while i prefer american made peaveys, i've had good luck with the chinese ones too. here in the south hartley peavey is our version of leo fender. hartley really liked leo and took his original credo to heart---good amps and guitars for working musicians. hell my daughter has a peavey version of the strat. she loves it! while i have my current blues jr and jagmasters, it would be no problem to go back to a bandit and or a peavey guitar. wouldn't phase me a bit and it might tick off the surf nazis! besides i haven't forgotten some of the crappy fenders of the 70s and 80s. peace

When you've got 7or 8 valves driving a decent speaker, that's probably going to sound pretty good regardless of how much it cost or who made it. Sure, like all companies, Peavey have made some poor sounding stuff in the past - I think the Scorpion speakers were a mistake particularly - but they have made some really good stuff too.

The Classic (all valve) range of which the Delta Blues are part can sound fantastic (though see my proviso on speakers above). Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam used to use two Delta Blues - you can see them in their live video.

When Peavey started putting the Sheffields (which are really good Celestion style speakers) into the (solid state) Bandit, then that amp was superb value for what it was....I had one as a spare/rehearsal amp and was suprised at how good it could sound. I teach guitar and have often recommended them to students.

The spec of the Valve King looks stunning for what they cost. I'd like to have a look at one.

http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns

Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery.

estreet

rattlesnakeralph
This is an older post but I bought a Valveking recently because I needed a smaller more compact amp for smaller gigs. I couldn't stand lugging my Silvertone 6x10 1485 all over creation. The lead channel if fine for blues or metal but the clean channel was perfect for what I needed. If anyone wants to hear what it sounds like for Surf click on my Octomen page, I'm using the clean channel for Yellow Jacket with only a reissue reverb in front of it. I was going to check out a Super Sonic head and cab or an older Bandmaster as a 2nd bigger amp but I think I might just grad a cab with a 15 for my Valveking.

Well I've been thinking of buying a Valve-King head - given their incredibly reasonable tag for their spec., but then a 50w Valve King combo came on e-bay and I won it for an insanely low price. I was half thinking of re-selling it at a profit and still buying the head. Anyway, knowing we had a rehearsal tonight I thought I'd try it out to see what stuff this range is made of. Not expecting too much from the Chinese speaker I nearly changed it for one of my vast collection of 12" drivers before using the amp - but I decided to give the original a try seeing as how it looked pretty businesslike and sounded really nice at home.

I agree with Rattlesnakeralph... these make excellent surf guitar amps. They may even be the great undiscovered surf amp. The clean channel has a very warm mellow tonality that really sounds good with single coil pickups. The Fender Jag sounds beautifully rounded through it with loads of mid-range 'punch' to cut through with definition - and the Fender Tank comes through with a great tone that is never harsh like it can be through harder sounding amps. I was amazed at the volume and 'size' of the sound out of such a tiny thing - The 50w combo is very portable and light to boot. The supplied speaker sounds great and the internal reverb - although by no means a tank - is bright and surfy too: certainly good enough for rehearsals.

I'll wind up before I sound too much like I work for Peavey, but I was really knocked out by the tone of this .. and our other guitarist, who uses a vintage AC30, tried it and was very impressed too. Suffice to say I'll be keeping it.... not only that I think there's a pretty strong chance that I'll have bought the 100w 2x12 version for bigger surf gigs by the end of the week too.

You couldn't make one of these for the price they charge for them - amazing value.

That's a bit of refreshing news for me as I've got a Valve King 1x12 on the way! It's slated to arrive here on Thursday. I based my choice off a lot of online reviews (with the proverbial grain or pound of salt), and thought the Peavey offered a good value. Pretty much decided it had the most bang for the buck in the 1X12 tube driven 50 watt range. Something cool for home practice and for small gigs, it saves some serious lugging. Nice review estreet and thanks for the details!

Check out Rat Surf Radio - Surf Trash Garage Punk PODCAST!
http://www.ratsurfradio.com

rattlesnakeralph
The only thing I did different with my Valveking was that I swapped out the Electro Harmonix 12AX7's for a different set. Bobby Kyle had my Silvertone retubed around 92' I don't know what kind of 12AX7's they used but they were high gainy and microphonic. I had already taken them out for a set of the Electro Harmonix. I thought the Valveking was a bit mellow so I put these tubes in there. They gave it a touch more volume with more high end. I really dig this little amp, you can't beat the price for what this thing can do.

I got mine today...I'm in love with it already and I haven't really tweaked it much at all yet. I am diggin' it though, the clean is sweet although my Jazzmaster is down at the moment, this little baby is pretty darn smooth and the verb is not bad at all. I spent the last couple of hours rockin' out with my Les Paul...dirty front porch blues...man this thing rocks in a nasty kind of way on the gain channel!

Check out Rat Surf Radio - Surf Trash Garage Punk PODCAST!
http://www.ratsurfradio.com

Estreet, here's an old thread about that very subject

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I am now playing trumpet with Prince Buster tribute band 'Balzac'

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

Hell man, I've got nothing but love for Peavey amps, and guitars!
While playing a 15 year working job in a Country Rock group during the 80's and into the 90's, my main working rig was a Peavey Deuce 212 amp paired with a Peavey T-60 guitar.
Now, we played every Fri/Sat. night for 15 years... and I never had issues with the amp or the guitar..None. I absolutely loved the sound I had for the music we were playing.

My son Kenny, the other guitarist in Crashmatics, uses a Peavey Classic 50. Paired with a Fender Jazzmaster, it sounds incredible, and gets fantastic surf tone.
The surf nazi's can say what they want. They probably have had little to no experience with Peavey Tube amps... or just cant bring themselves to admit that there are amp companies out there that equal Fender in alot of ways.

Fin Doctors
Crashmatics

Last edited: May 17, 2011 19:58:00