The Peavey Amp Shootout!

[Ancestor]

What a great thread! I love Peavey amps. They're some of the best amps for playing metal that a person can have. I like the 5150 a LOT, but I'll go with the JSX. It has an integrated noise reduction that works really well, and I don't think I'd even need an outboard EQ.

My friend has been trying to convince me to get one, but I can't afford it.

 

[Shannon]

I voted XXX, I LOVE IT! Put some JJ is in that som'bitch and stand back.

The lows will send you running for the hills, the highs are sweet, and the mids cut, but are far from harsh. I NEED to do some clips, so you all can hear...it's so great live. It doesn't do blues well, but you can coax it by dropping the gain a bunch...but this is a metal amp. I like the stock speakers, but when i plugged into my Mesa 212 w/V30's it was a whole new game. The low end wasn't as boomy, and everything seemed to tighten up and compress a bit more (for the better)...so, i'd say a XXX head with a cab with v30's and you'd have a match made in heaven...hands down.


EDIT: The cleans with the JJ's are surprisingly sweet. No fender or Mesa Nomad , but crystal clear, punchy and with a strat it can get pretty damn funky.

Yep. Another thing I heard was that a change of tubes & speakers (if you own the combo) really unleashes the XXX's potential.

 

[theunforgiven246]

i love my 5150 combo i think it sounds great and i have the gain, bass, and mids at 5, treble at 6, volume between 0-1 (cant be too loud), resonance at 6 and presence at 10 and i think it sounds fucking awsome!

 

[Battle-axe]

Jeff, can the ValveKing do super hi-gain METAL tones with a nice thick low end? Some say it can, others say it's more for the hard-rock Marshall worshipper's crowd. Do tell.

Sound clips would be even better.

I'd be interested in this too. Those VKs r jst too tempting for the price.

 

[XEN]

The XXX is a badass amp. It is one step past the Ultra Plus, and I loved having that one. The "medium" gain channel on the XXX is way hotter than the Ultra Plus yellow channel. It could handle heavy metal rhythm really well, leaving the ultra channel available for just leads, where the Ultra Plus yellow channel to me is much more toned back. I like it either way frankly, but for METAL grind and a decent clean, the XXX is it (with an overdrive, a noise reducer, and a BBE, but I use that combination with EVERY amp).

I really need to hear the JSX lead channel to give a good opinion on it, but after seeing it being used on the Arch Enemy dvd I think it has what it takes. True, the XXL is a great sounding amp. For the money, it does metal really well. My wife actually asked me why I wasn't breaking out my wallet to buy one when I tried it once. She told me she liked it way better than the Diezel VH4-S I had just spent 30 minutes on, since for a tenth of the price it was just as expressive to her ears... to mine too for that matter.

I also love the 5150, but we're talking apples and oranges. The 5150 is loose as hell, but the high end can be a little grating to my ears. My wife actually called the tone of the combo version nasal. I know it might sound funny, but I take my wife's opinions on tone very seriously. She has to put up with my playing so if she thinks the tone is annoying she'll let me know. She also grew up in a family of naturally talented musicians and could pick up any instrument of any kind and play it as if she'd been playing it for years on the first try. I keep asking for her to trade that ability for my ability to learn foreign languages... she won't pony up.

For giggles and shit, here's her top five most and least faves, and she is right (husbands, learn that, they are right!):

Top 5:
Mesa Mark IV (everything else is way down on the list to her)
VHT GP3/2902 combination (I played through it at the Musikmesse and she was sold right away)
Mesa Triaxis/Simul 2:90 combination
Peavey XXX
Peavey XXL

Bottom 5:
Anything Marshall makes except the valvestate amps (she loves Static-X)
5150 (yeah, she just doesn't like it, no matter how much I do)
Line 6 HD147 (I tried it out at the Frankfurt Musikmesse and she HATED it)
Engl (she actually walked out of the music store I was trying the out in - she said the tone was terrible and when she saw the price tag she got pissed off and left)
Diezel VH4 and Herbert (I like them, she hates them - she says that for the price they should not only give you better tone, but they should put out sexually!)

 

[Jeff]

Jeff, can the ValveKing do super hi-gain METAL tones with a nice thick low end? Some say it can, others say it's more for the hard-rock Marshall worshipper's crowd. Do tell.

Sound clips would be even better.
Hell, sound clips of ALL the amps would be killer.

And guys, USE THE POLL PLEASE!

You're going to have to wait until Wednesday, when I get my cab. Then I'd be happy to record some shiznit for ya. Based upon playing it in the store though, I'd say yes, it'll do hi-gain metal.

This song was all XXX:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/song...songID=2668416

Good stuff man! I love the tone. The XXX definitely does the gain well.

 

[7StringofAblicK]

IMO, the only way to go Valve King is with the head and get a cab. The stock speakers in the combo aren't bad...but they won't do metal at high volume.

Now, with a good cab, that thing will do a good midrangy metal, but it's voicing isn't as brutal as an XXX, 5150, etc.

The JSX in my opionion is a great amp, but, the OD channels are less aggressive to me. The noise gate doesn't really work like i thought it would...it seems my XXX is just as quiet as the JSX with the noise gate all the way up. The cleans are great, but with good tubes in a XXX you can get good cleans.

For Metal, i think a XXX owns a JSX...but for more of an 'all you can do in one amp' the JSX is voiced better.

 

[Drew]

Mesa Mark IV (everything else is way down on the list to her)

...

Diezel VH4 and Herbert (I like them, she hates them - she says that for the price they should not only give you better tone, but they should put out sexually!)

Um, your wife is cool.

 

[XEN]

Um, your wife is cool.

She is man. She's been training in boxing, muay thai, and escrima since she was a little girl, she's an expert marksman, even has the German Army award for marksmanship on top of her expert certification in the Army, she loves any music as long as it's played with excellence, she is a total gamer (we've been on WoW ever since it came out, each with our own accounts), she's a budding artist and sculptor, and she's an incredible mother to our 4 month old, oh, and she's full blooded Hawaiian, descendant of the royal priesthood. I am a VERY lucky man.

Oh yeah, and she loves Peavey amps! hehe

 

[zimbloth]

The XXX is a badass amp. It is one step past the Ultra Plus, and I loved having that one. The "medium" gain channel on the XXX is way hotter than the Ultra Plus yellow channel. It could handle heavy metal rhythm really well, leaving the ultra channel available for just leads, where the Ultra Plus yellow channel to me is much more toned back.

No way man, I have to disagree there. The orange channel on the Ultra Plus has TONS of gain. It sounds a lot more open and clear than the Ultra channel, but its still heavy as bricks if you set it right. You can also turn the gain up and get a saturated sound like the Ultra channel if you want. The XXX 'medium gain' sounds too close to to the Ultra channel, whereas with the Ultra it has a totally different voice but still has infinite "hotness" at your disposal as well.

Either way its a win win. The XXX/JSX/Ultra plus/etc are all amazing.

 

[XEN]

Well, actually you said it the way I meant it , so amen to that!

 

[noodles]

I used a XXX in my last band: ABove The Fray.

Listen to Falling on Me. I used the ultra channel for rhythm, and the crunch channel for lead. I plugged into a Marshall 1960AV (V30s) cab, shoved into a sound-proofed corner, with more sound-proofing behind it. I close mic'ed with an SM57, and played my trusty '87 Soloist, with an EMG 81 in the bridge (at the time). The amp was totally stock.

To me, the XXX is all about the crunch channel. Extremely useable, it nails the hot-rodded Marshall sound. The ultra channel sometimes tended to be too much, and overtime, I grew to hate it. Just too solid state sounding to me. The clean channel was horrible. I think the JSX was a big improvement, and I'd love to hear one with 6L6's instead.

The 5150 owns all in terms of rhythm. Without Division's Mesa endorsement, I probably would be playing through one. I actually still want one in my arsenal.

 

[Jeff]

I used a XXX in my last band: ABove The Fray.

Listen to Falling on Me. I used the ultra channel for rhythm, and the crunch channel for lead. I plugged into a Marshall 1960AV (V30s) cab, shoved into a sound-proofed corner, with more sound-proofing behind it. I close mic'ed with an SM57, and played my trusty '87 Soloist, with an EMG 81 in the bridge (at the time). The amp was totally stock.

To me, the XXX is all about the crunch channel. Extremely useable, it nails the hot-rodded Marshall sound. The ultra channel sometimes tended to be too much, and overtime, I grew to hate it. Just too solid state sounding to me. The clean channel was horrible. I think the JSX was a big improvement, and I'd love to hear one with 6L6's instead.

The 5150 owns all in terms of rhythm. Without Division's Mesa endorsement, I probably would be playing through one. I actually still want one in my arsenal.

You're endorsed by Mesa? damn! lucky dog. I am burning for one of those new Stilletto 50watt heads. I actually wish my ValveKing was 50w, as I think 100w is still too much for most small clubs.

 

[angryman]

I've been using the 5150 mkI for years & love the tone i get, although i'm really interested in trying out an OD pedal up front, i hear it's supposed to thicken the tone out a bit & tighten up the low end a touch, is this true?

If thats the case can someone give me a few tips on which OD to get & the best way to set it up please?

 

[Jeff]

I have a Boss DS-1 that I am going to be sending to Keeley for the Seeing Eye mod, which replaces the components with better parts, as well as smoothing out the tone and adding a couple options. It's what Vai uses, basically.

I will try that with the ValveKing, and I'll definitely post the results.

 

[angryman]

^
I can't imagine a DS1 would work very well with the 5150 i think it'd be really fuzzy cos' there'd be more gain.

 

[DSS3]

I have a Boss DS-1 that I am going to be sending to Keeley for the Seeing Eye mod, which replaces the components with better parts, as well as smoothing out the tone and adding a couple options. It's what Vai uses, basically.

Erm... not really. Vai has said many times before that he really only uses the DS-1 on slower stuff, and it "doesn't track very well at all" when playing faster stuff, so he uses a Keeley modded TS9DX.

 

[angryman]

I hear of alot of Guitarists using the Maxon OD 808 do they really make that much difference ?

 

[Ibanez_fanboy]

i want a jsx... its like my dream amp

 

[Jeff]

Erm... not really. Vai has said many times before that he really only uses the DS-1 on slower stuff, and it "doesn't track very well at all" when playing faster stuff, so he uses a Keeley modded TS9DX.

I was going by this pic from vai.com:

But I guess he's changed since then.