I was the Security Director for Peavey Electronics for several years, and what blows me away is how generous Hartley and Mary Peavey were, and how ungrateful the entire city of Meridian is/was. Peavey was a staple of the economy in Meridian for decades, but everyone runs them down for outsourcing parts from China (manufacturing remained in the U.S. until 2019), but nobody talks about Fender (manufactured primarily overseas) or Gibson (sourced primarily from Chinese parts), or Gibson's Epiphone line (actually built completely in China). Peavey refused to leave Meridian despite business analysts telling him he needed to for economic reasons, but he loved his community. He held out as long as he could, but when he finally gave in to the inevitable, everyone turned on him with a quickness. It's sad to see such an accomplished businessman treated like he was.
Folks….this guy did not work for peavey. He’s never worked. He’s all over RUclips claiming to be allsorts of things. He claims to be a sea lion trainer at sea world, among other things. Absolute fraud Don’t listen to a word it says🤡🤛🏻it needs a good hefty kicking
We always had a joke " Peavey gear can fall out of the truck on the way to the gig, you plug it in and play the gig" Tough as nails amps and pa gear. People talk smack about them, but you couldn't find less expensive, more reliable gear. Always able to dial in a great tone with a Peavey amplifier.
What left a bad taste in people's mouths on Peavey moving manufacturing to China, was when they were covered in the show Undercover Boss, Hartley Peavey promised his employees their jobs were secure and they would continue building equipment in the US... then days after they announced, all manufacturing was going to China.
@Ottophil yeah, but not everyone can afford Friedman. Either way, pretty sure if Peavey raised prices instead of moving manufacturing to a cheaper labour market, they could have still maintained a competitive price and people would have paid it for the simple fact it was made in USA and not costing a fortune.
If there amps were good people would buy them regardless of price. Same way it is with guitars USA made Fenders and Gibsons sell like hotcakes and nobody balks at the price.
It was his son-in-law that made the promises, and Fender, Gibson, and almost everyone else moved out of the U.S. looong before Peavey finally had to do it. They have been, in my opinion, unfairly slagged.
Peavey gets no love in the USA. I live about an hour from the original Peavey plant in Meridian MS. I have had several late 70s and early 80s Peaveys. I had a Classic 30, I still have an early Peavey Artist 240 with the metal knobs. SS front end and four 6L6s for the power section. Sounds fantastic to this day. I saw one sell locally recently for about 300 USD. That is crazy low. Peavey made good gear for the working musician. Peavey was in every music shop in Mississippi. They are so under appreciated and undervalued in my opinion.
It wasn’t just Mississippi. Peavey was everywhere in the South. I can’t speak for outside the South, but I grew up in GA near the AL border (so I went to a lot of music stores in AL) and growing up my family traveled a lot to TN, KY, and FL and Peavey was in all the stores there, too.
Peavey never really had that iconic sound. I had a 70's Mace (or Deuce?) and it had a good 70's rock sound and liked fuzz. It's a good reliable amp. It's not a Marshall. It doesn't nail that Zeppelin sound. Also had a 90's Classic. Super versatile and a great jam session amp. It's not a Blackface Twin. It doesn't do that blues sound. Carvin has a bit of the same problem. Good build quality, a nice sound, and reasonably priced. They don't have that iconic sound that people chase.
They were in most music stores in the U.S.. Most bands had some sort of Peavy in their backline. They were already on a down hill trajectory when the Undercover Boss came out and that turned everyone off from them.
It's because their gear was butt ugly, even their logo lol I'm telling you- I'm from the South where in the 80s the entire STAGE was all Peavey. But...their p.a. stuff is what hurt their reputation, not their amps. Hartley was essentially copying the old Vox Thomas Organ recipe for soild state, punchy, bright, responsive amps.
I think that undercover boss show really did a number on them. It wasn’t just that they closed shop, it was how they did it. They had a guy on there that had another job offer but didn’t take it because they told him they were keeping the shop open. I think if they had waited a few years or a decade to close the US shop it would’ve gone over better, but it was like less than a year or so and they closed it and fired everyone. Anyways, I have non-US Red Stripe Studio Pro (that you convinced me to buy a few years ago for $110 😁) and I think it’s great. Peavey had some marketing material back in the day that showed how the transtube circuitry worked and how it was different than other brands. It supposedly mimicked a tube’s response very well(and based on the reviews seems to be true). As for them making a comeback, I just don’t see them doing it unless they REALLY hype the made in USA aspect. Pull a Fender, make like everything overseas by HYPE THE HELL out of the US stuff. Make your mid-grade stuff in Mexico, and bottom barrel over seas (yeah I know the Japanese and Korean Fenders are spectacular, we’re talking Squires and lower here). I like the reissue idea as well. Nostalgia is a powerful tool. Apparently even god awful cassettes are making a retro-comeback because of Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus, musicians are about as nostalgic as you can get. They need to lean into that. They have good older products too so they’d have some staying power, unlike cassettes.
I own a Peavey Triumph 60, which apparently is a rare thing to have here in Germany. I bought it used about 25 Years ago and i love that lil Bastard.😁🇺🇸💪
In MY BAND, (HARD WEAR) , in upstate N.Y. - I bought nothing but Peavey equipment in the mid 70’s. All our competing bands used Marshall or EMC amps and speakers. I would allow other musicians to try them out from time to time. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, they were all blown away by the shear volume and clarity of sound quality !!! Glad to see that Peavey is making a come back. 😊
I’m like a lot of guys that used Peavey amps back in the 70’s and 80’s, thought they were really good, totally reliable! I owned a Mk IV Bass amp with 2 channels and was able to run in a bi-amped set up! I’ve looked for one of these for years but they’re always ratted out and cost more than I paid for mine new! When Peavey was made in the US, they were great; I miss those amps.
They promised that 😅 one employee his job was safe and wanted to keep him, he already seen the writing on the wall and had another job set up , they lied to him ,he stayed and they days later closed the plant …
I have a Peavey Deuce VT twin. US made 1980’s four 6L6 tubes, called the Mississippi Marshall at the time. Way powerful and beautiful Rich tone. Tried to sell it a while back on marketplace, little interest and in fact I had people respond to my add with comments about how Peaveys are not worth anything over $200! Four new tubes and checked over! I have kept it!
Thanks for your support with the channel folks. This podcast is not sponsored, if you enjoy it please have any thoughts on Peavey and if you're planning on Playing Live soon (or already do). Get a deal on some used amps and save a bunch! ► Peavey Amps Guitar Center - guitar-center.pxf.io/xkxR9O ► Peavey Amps Reverb - tidd.ly/3WPMxxd (affiliate links to Reverb & Guitar Center)
I had Peavey Bass Amps. One with 6 x 10” speaker and one with a large 15” combo. Great sounding and never failed. From the 80’s. They were cheap and frowned upon but totally reliable.
I have a Pacer that I refurbished last year after owning it since 1975! New Electolytic Caps and solder touch up , a good cleaning and new Grill cloth and chrome corners! Also a Hellatone 60W Speaker!
My first ever "proper" amp was a Peavey Bandit 112. The original version - it was utterly BRILLIANT. I was 18 and am now 52. I bought it used - used it for 10+ years - sold it and it came back to me in a part x about 10 years later and still AMAZING! Utterly mind blowing quality and incredible tone. This is pre red stripe - made in USA with celestion speaker. Lovely
@@mikewithers299 I did build a special cart to just roll it around my house! It was so heavy but it did sound really nice. These type amps are what made Peavey popular at the time!
@gregmiller7123 I'm gonna put casters on mine just bcuz I injured my back doing construction in the '80's. But yea the first time I brought it home and turned it on it screamed at me! Checked the volume after putting my heart back in my chest and turned it down to one 🤣🤣
Former Peavey Fanatic here. I've had Peavey guitars, amps, and pedals since I started playing guitar. With amps, started with the Audition 20 following after the Renown 400. I still have my Renown, but my meat crusher amp was the Silver Stripe Bandit with the 112 SX (Peavey never made an Ext. Cab for the Red Stripe) and still have it since it first came out. Obviously, The Block Letter 5150 and the Classic 50/410. I think after the disaster on Undercover Boss, they never recovered after that (I loss all respect for Peavey after that). I still collect Peavey but only the USA stuff. They have reissued one of their guitar called the Vandenberg (which I've always wanted). As far as amp to reissue, My choice would be the Stereo Chorus 212. That amp is a Monster.
Found a 212 cheap at a local pawn shop. I would hate to have it shipped, as it weighed a metric ton and for sure would get dropped a lot. Those are the heaviest amps ever, and the kids delivering them would pull a groin muscle for sure! 🤣
I live just outside of Meridian. I worked for Peavey from 88’-90’, those were some great times for the company,not just for Hartley but for the employees as well. My first tube amp was a Triumph 60 head with matching 2x12 cab loaded with Scorpion speakers. The tones were awesome out of that amp. I worked in the speaker manufacturing plant #3 btw…
First amp was Backstage Plus in the mid '80s. Since then: Bandit 75, Bandit 112 solo series, Sterio Chorus, Studio chorus, Triumph120 1×12 combo, 5150, XXL 2×12 combo. They were all awesome.
I love old school Peavey. A 1984 Bandit is my main amp. I think the current Peavey skepticism is warranted. As a company that makes solid gear for working musicians, part of their credibility was their business model. Meridian MS is a working class community. They were a multimillion dollar company that made gear for working class folks, by working class folks. That brings credibility and show’s integrity. When they made the move to overseas manufacturing, tons of Mississippians lost their jobs. The Undercover Boss episode then revealed that they no longer cared about people. It was all profits, no matter who got hurt. In sum, they betrayed their people, and in turn, their customers. Who cares if their current amps are good. There are a lot of good amps out there. What matters is people, and Peavey has some work to do before they regain trust.
I had 2 Peavey Bandit 65s, both were made in 1985 or there about....I used them for quite a while and ran them in stereo, police were called on several occasions :p
Totally agree! I remember hearing an interview with Hartley Peavey where he said that Peavey doesn't do reissue's because he thought that every newer model was better than the one's before it. I couldn't disagree more! Mace and Deuce were the best. Now with the invent of IR's, we can get those tones at any volume. Good call on the Mace.
I had a Peavey TKO80 bass combo back in the early 90’s. I loved that amp so much… I should have never gotten rid of it. Super great tone, which I still strive for these days. Tough as nails too!
I proudly bought Peavey amps all my life, still own several, and still prefer them. I believe if one wants "southern rock sound," it's in a Peavey. I agree with your opinion, Shane. I believe Peavey should offer a few reissues. I also believe that in marketing Peavey is latched too exclusively onto the metal/high gain scene. Back in the 80s it seemed almost all major country players were using Peavey, Merle Haggard included. I wonder why they stopped marketing as much to the country, blues, and pop scene.
Bought a Special 130 in 1982. Still have it, still great. Hundreds of gigs and treated horribly Clean the pots twice. Had to replace the speaker cause it rotted out after getting wet. One loose wire. So 42 years of service and still going strong. I also have a Peavey Express teal stripe. Perfect little practice amp. Gotta love em
I have never played a Peavey Amp. But my understanding is they made a quality product was was bullet proof and reliable. It would last for years and be very dependable. And it was more affordable than a Fender. The only problem with Peavey Amps was it did not say Fender on the front of it. What Peavey should have done is stayed off that TV Show Undercover Boss and quietly outsourced their manufacturing. That caused a lot of bad publicity for them. And it is all over the internet. I agree with you Shane. They need to do a reissue of their best selling amp or amps. I think a reissue would sell. If possible make one in the USA for the publicity to win the public back. I could see a reissue selling very well for them. They made some of the best amps ever made. Some of those amps were the best amps ever made from what I have seen and talked people over the years say. Also their price points always come in lower than the market leader fender and you get quality and good value with peavey. The stuff lasts.
My first serious amp was a Peavey Musician 400 with the 610 cabinet. Absolutely loved the sound of that thing. I wound up selling it for a loss to a band that had their gear stolen out of a club they were playing at in Knoxville, Tennessee. A year later, the band hit it big with their first of many hits in the '80's. Wish I still had that stack, though.
I had a 'silver stripe' bandit back in '95 while still in H.S. Great amp but sold it after a few years. I then picked up another one a few years ago on the cheap. After watching this I dug it out tonight, removed the chassis, cleaned all the pots that had dead spots, reassembled and works perfectly. I've got two gig this weekend and going to take it out for both. The 90's we're a great time for Peavey. The Classic series, Transtube, Ultra series and the 5150. Session bass amps. Steve Cropper even had a signature Peavey Tele.
I am retired now but I was primarily a semi pro bass player. I always thought Peavey made the best value, best sounding giggable bass amps. I used to know Trevor Burton(ex The Move)and he used to swear by a Peavey amp which was aimed at pedal steel players. I can't remember the model name but it was very loud and had tremendous headroom.
I have a backstage 1x12 combo that I bought at a pawnshop for $80. It’s an older made in the USA amp and just kicks ass. It’s been on many stages with me and always sounds good and never fails… I also have a heritage 2x12 that is an older USA made model with a built in phase shifter. Peavey is an American icon, lynryd skynyrd played peavey amps. They have been in my life from the start… 🎸🤓🗽🥓
I have a Peavey Classic 100 50 watt 4x10 amp manufactured in 1974 which I bought new in 1975. It has been a great amp. I still have it! It is 50 years old and still has all of it's original parts. There are blemishes on covers from playing out for a while in my younger days but all speakers are fine and still sounds great! I have fender amps and boss amps , but still go back to that one for classic southern rock.
I loved my old Classic 50 2x12!! I also had the Classic 30 head and that was great too!!! Heck, even the Rage 158 solid state amp I had as a kid was fantastic for learning!
I first got turned onto Peavey by Scott Grove, and bought up several T models for a song. These were the same guitars I’d see being played on Hee-Haw back in the day. My main amp has always been my Peavey Studio Pro 40. I think it’s an ‘84 model. I got it repaired a couple years ago and I wouldn’t trade for almost anything. Great cleans and I pull some fantastic hairy driven tones! I love and miss the old Peavey.
I still have an early 90's Peavey Classic 50 in a head version. It's an excellent amp. You can pick these up in several versions fairly cheap as well. Built like a tank.
The Peavey Bandit was my first decent amp. Later I got a Peavey 4 x12 stack for my first real gig. They gave us musicians affordable reliable gear. That gear in the 80’s lasted 7 years. It lasted much longer than my band and music career. Peavey will always have a soft spot in my ❤
I had a US Classic 50 that I used throughout the 90s, one of the best amps I ever owned... like so many guitars, looking back I should have never sold it.
Special 130, Backstage 30, Classic 50 410, Classic 50 212, Decade, Stereo Chorus 400. Those are the Peavey amps I owned through the years. Still wish I had all of them, especially the Special 130 and Stereo Chorus 400. Also owed one of the Chorus pedals, the CNC-1. It was a great pedal.
I bought a Peavey Megabass head in 92 on the recommendation of my teacher who had the money/endorsements to play whatever he wanted. He told me to rent one for that nights gig. I did and was blown away...."Peavey?" Didn't matter. Since then I've owned SWR, Eden, Markbass, Roland, Ampeg....the Megabass is still one of the best amps I've ever played thru. Bought a second one from Guitar Center used in mint condition for about 200 bucks. They're worth 10x that and will rival any boutique amp out there.
Grew up in South Jackson went to Forest Hill when it was a great school. Live in Madison now. Used to shop all the time at Morrison Bros and Mississippi Music. I had an active pickup Peavey generation series (sort of like a Tele) that was fantastic. Had Bandits, Classics, still have the Artist 240 and have a ton of Gibson and Fender Guitars and amps and vintage gear. However, while more collectible, and probably, truthfully, better, it was not what I could play or afford when I was growing up. Peavey was where it was at. My band had a 16 channel Peavey Board in the early 80s with 200 watts per channel! We had a set of Peavy SP-1s and SP-2s.... We thought we had it made. We played po-dunk places around Philadelphia (all the other band members were from Philadelphia MS), yard parties at MSU on game days, and played private parties in Fair Cabins and a few times on the main stage at the Neshoba County Fair. Never made a lot of money. Mostly just covered expenses and equipment. Peavey has a lot of childhood memories and was just good work-a-day gear.
My bass virtuoso brother is climbing the walls trying to get his hands on a American Peavey Cirrus 5 String!!! He owns 3 Ken Smith's and yet he is OBSESSED! Those basses could Definitely make a comeback!!!
Never tried their solid state stuff...loved my Peavey amps from the 70s. Cheap enough to make giggling possible in my late teens. Even our PA was Peavey! Only solid state I ever owned was a Sunn Solo II and its tone as I recall was crisp and ice pick sharp and very very loud!..had to go back to Peavey tube and others. I will try one the bandits if it shows up in my local store.
I definitely agree that playing at home or playing live are two different animals. It takes a couple of songs to settle the nerves and get the fingers working. Sound check is very important.
My first ever amp was a Bandit 65, which is laugh worthy. Great amp but not the right one for novice bedroom practice. My parents yelled at me if I turned it up to 1! You read it right--1. But college came and I found out how fun it was to turn it up to 3! 😂 Yes, I'd like Peavey to pull a Fox with Family Guy and realize what products are continuing to sell and do well on the used market, and revive the USA manufacturing of these. I'd love to see them make a Classic 10 with a 10 inch speaker and 10-12 watts of power. Thank you, Shane!
I have a Marshall and a old Bandit and love it. I also have a pa system I bought in the 80s and still going strong. The thing about Peavey was back in the day they were always innovative. PA to bass amp and guitar amp and so on.
The original Lynyrd Skynyrd built quite a sound, using Peavey amps, I’d say. I have a Peavey Red Stripe Bandit and a 112 Red Stripe EFX, and the 212 version. Also 3 Peavey USA Strats that I’ve modded the heck out of. Love my Peavey gear!
I've got a Peavey "Revolution 112," a USA-made silver stripe Bandit with spring reverb and an extra gain channel. I'll never get rid of this amp! The cleans are awesome, and the middle "crunch" channel sounds better than many OD pedals I've tried. Hard to believe how inexpensive the Bandits still are. Love these podcasts, Shane thx man
Very Cool, Thankyou Shane. Awesome video, so much Useful and Interesting Information. After seeing intheblues Peavey 'Redstripe' Bandit video's I was Lucky enough to pick up a Peavey 158 'Redstripe' for $40- on Marketplace. WOW was So Impressed, Amazing. A few weeks later picked up a Peavey 'Redtstripe' Bandit 112 for $80- Australian.... OMG... this amp is amazing, It is a Different World .... WAY TOO Loud for my only home use, LOL. But still SO Happy to Own these Peavey Amps. All The Best. Cheers
The Peavey 6505 series is still a go-to amp in the metal world. The Invective series is also quite interesting, though I haven't played one. John Fields is still doing design work for the company and is still an innovator.
My dad worked for Peavey for 20 years ending in 2006. It was around that time they were really cleaning house firing a lot of reps and other staff. There is some weird family drama behind the scenes where Hartley doesnt want to pass on the company but is pretty much retired. The company is basically is on auto pilot coasting on past glory.
I love my Peavey C30. I bought it for 400 in cash converters about 10 years ago, USA made. The chrome has all gone from the control panel and it gets bloody hot, so careful where I put it. But the little bastards is loud as, and it rocks hard. I had a slight mod done where the cap at c18 was swapped out for a sprague orange drop, and this helped level out the high end. Alas, I think Peavey shat in their own nest when they shafted their employees and went to China. If I ever buy a new amp, I would deliberately avoid Peavey. Cheers for the podcast Shane 😊
My first electric guitar was a Peavey T-60 that I purchased new in 1978. My first amp was a 20W Peavey Studio Pro that I purchased new in 1981. I still have them both and they're both good instruments. I have other guitars and amps now, made by other companies, and some are objectively better. But those two things both have a unique spot in my collection of gear, and I still like them. I've been confused by the trajectory of the company over the years and wonder about its future. I've long since abandoned the prejudice that things not built in my home country are no good -- great instruments, amps, and other gear are made all over the world and it is cool to see those things. Yet I still wish for US companies to still keep a place in the market, especially if they have something unique to offer like Peavey did.
I have a Peavey Renown 400 and I owned the original Peavey Renown back in the day. Absolutely stonking solid state amps. The preamp in them is seriously good, great spring reverb and crazy loud if you want. Extremely versatile. You can pick them up for around $400.
My high school always had Peavey amps for school jazz band. They could take a serious beating. My very first guitar was 1st Generation Peavey Predator which was stolen in college. A few years ago I picked one up on EBay for $250. All original parts including the Kahler tremolo. I swapped out the stock pickups for Seymour’s. I will never get rid of this guitar! Bring back the 80’s guitars! I would be tempted to buy all of those models. Are you listening Peavey? Do during a big Anniversary?
Live sound tech since 89. One of the absolute standout guitar amps I ever put a mic on was a beat up old Peavey 100 watt 2x12 combo which had never been revalved. Original owner. We had several good paying gigs in a row so he gave it some TLC and fitted a full set of new tubes. Fark!! Amazing tone and punch for an open back cab. It’d shake ya trousers like a Marshall half stack.
I used to own a Peavey Stereo Chorus 400. A very heavy and very LOUD amplifier. Recently I was at my ear, nose, and throat doctor. He noticed I was wearing a Fender t-shirt. He went on to tell me about growing up with Hartley Peavey while I had an endoscope up my nose. Interesting conversation, I just wish he had brought it up at a different time
I remember playing at jam nights in Brunswick with MBAS and I played with your friend Brian a few times! I was a 13 year old kid back then I’m 37 now 😂 love ya work mate!
I threw caution to the wind and ponied up for a 6505Ii amp last year. I play all of its 120W through a twin ten, quad 12 and two metal horn cabinet. The ridiculously powerful head drives the cabinet combination to ear bleed levels. Peavey has had a rough road over the years but good examples are a fine investment…
I have got a original 1970s peavey head...its still kickin ass..still works and sounds great..ive never done anything to it.. its never broke,.,it works great for bass or guitar and vocals...2 channel..i cant even turn it up to 2..its sooo loud lol...awesome..
I live in Alabama, and I'm disappointed Peavey moved out of Mississippi. But I still hate that so many people have counted out their overseas-made stuff too. For all the hype all the Boss and Line 6 modeling stuff get, Peavey had those original Vypyr digital amps and not only did they sound great, they were LOUD. The newer Bandits are still great, and at $500 USD, I'd take it over a $500 digital modeler any day of the week, even if I'd still rather have an older red- or silver-stripe.
I remember when Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa were doing ads for Peavey. A few years later, I bought a used Peavey Predator and a brand new 1st generation Transtube Blazer 158, both made in the U.S A. It was quality stuff. For a beginner, I had it good!
I’ve got one of those 15” Delta ones. Admittedly I never use it just because I have so many amps but it’s a great sounding amp and it looks fantastic. I should haul it into the loud room come to think of it.
I used a Peavey MK4 bass amp from the mid 80’s till early 90’s in my band. Great solid state amp , quiet, powerful at 400watts into either 2 or 4 ohms. Bought it second hand and sadly sold it for what I paid for it. Matched to a Gauss 15 “ box. USA made. Thanks for the video. Rob - Canberra Aust.
If i had one Peavey reissue amp to choose it would be the Butcher. It was the first PV i ever heard walking down the street back in the '70's. A half stack that sounded like a JCM 800 and made in America. Ive owned a bunch of amps, but ive always had great tones and luck with my PV's.
Thanks so much for your segment on transitioning to performing. I am about to start playing live in the middle of a fellow muso's sets during his gigs. After that, would like to try a blues jam gig and I found a lot that was valuable in what you spoke about. Cheers mate.
For the longest time, Peavey was mostly synonymous with country music. That stuck with the brand and created limitations in the rock market. It improved later on, but that stereotype did affect the broader market.
I own a Budda Superdrive 18, which was purchased by Peavy. It was an early boutique type amp, very reminiscent of a hot rodded AC15. Still my primary amp 20 or so years later. Peavy could do well to introduce them as a Peavy amp.
I have two Peaveys one Bandit 112 teal stripe which I use almost exclusively & a 112 special which has a lovely tone & building knock-down loud but is very heavy so I only use that when loud is needed but what I've really wanted for a long time is a 130 special but don't see many about anymore & when I do they're gone before I can do anything!!
My first guitar was a made in usa peavy strat and she still rips. I put fender noiseless pups in it, and I don't think I'll ever need another strat. I've always been quite happy with her
Had a Peavey Bass PA speaker with the 18's in them, can't remember the name in the 80's. On the way to our gig traveling 70 mph one flew out of my truck and skid for about 100 feet and when it was starting to slow down it hit a bump or crack in the road and flipped for another 50 feet. We laughed so hard but were freaking out because the cement had shaved a hole where you could see inside the speaker. Well, we hooked it up and it worked for years lol. Name any other speaker that would have done that on the planet. JBL HORNS would blow if you walked past them. One more thing i had a CROPPER CLASSIC GUITAR THAT Hartley made and it was possibly the finest guitar I've ever had as a fulltime working musician for the last 44 years.
I've used Peavey amps for decades. Started with a Classic VTX, a couple of Renowns, a Bandit, and now an Envoy for practice and unfortunately a Classic 50 and two Valvekings(50 & 100).The tube amps unfortunately gave me more trouble than the solid state amps but the tube amps sounded so good. I'll eventually get my Classic 50 fixed but Peavey no longer make transformers for ValveKings. If they can go back to making the transformers or sell the patent to a third party I'd be happy.
Bought a bandit 65 a few years ago after watching some of your reviews of the bandits. Still my best sounding amp. Not too heavy either. 175.00. Will never sell it
Got mine used 25 years ago. It's been a faithful amp. Now she's ready for a recap at 38 years old. I would say it served 2 players very well in that time. Got 3 others to fill in while I rebuild it 😊
Hi mr After 40 years of playing a lot of amp...i return home😉 Peavey studio pro 112 red stripe... heaven. Put some reverb and delay on the fx loop.....
Although known mainly for amps, I love Peavey guitars and you don't really hear much about them. I now have 3 after recently acquiring a US made Peavey Falcon which is fantastic to play
1990's Classic 20 owner, I'd buy this again in a heartbeat. Easily the best sounding small amp I've ever owned. Also had the Mace and Deuce in the 80s, glad I don't have to cart them around anymore though...
To be fair their lower end stuff has been overshadowed by a surge in other brands. Their high end stuff is still regarded as some of the best. A 6505+ is still my holy grail. Most of the older stuff that was popular was known as everyones first amp and basically just student level and just good for the money. My first decent amp was a envoy 110. A current bandit 112 goes for $650 before taxes far from budget and its pretty plain jane compared to a katana for instance.
I was the Security Director for Peavey Electronics for several years, and what blows me away is how generous Hartley and Mary Peavey were, and how ungrateful the entire city of Meridian is/was. Peavey was a staple of the economy in Meridian for decades, but everyone runs them down for outsourcing parts from China (manufacturing remained in the U.S. until 2019), but nobody talks about Fender (manufactured primarily overseas) or Gibson (sourced primarily from Chinese parts), or Gibson's Epiphone line (actually built completely in China). Peavey refused to leave Meridian despite business analysts telling him he needed to for economic reasons, but he loved his community. He held out as long as he could, but when he finally gave in to the inevitable, everyone turned on him with a quickness. It's sad to see such an accomplished businessman treated like he was.
Hartley was a good man it’s Marc that i thought was the problem.
Folks….this guy did not work for peavey.
He’s never worked.
He’s all over RUclips claiming to be allsorts of things.
He claims to be a sea lion trainer at sea world, among other things.
Absolute fraud
Don’t listen to a word it says🤡🤛🏻it needs a good hefty kicking
We always had a joke " Peavey gear can fall out of the truck on the way to the gig, you plug it in and play the gig" Tough as nails amps and pa gear. People talk smack about them, but you couldn't find less expensive, more reliable gear.
Always able to dial in a great tone with a Peavey amplifier.
What left a bad taste in people's mouths on Peavey moving manufacturing to China, was when they were covered in the show Undercover Boss, Hartley Peavey promised his employees their jobs were secure and they would continue building equipment in the US... then days after they announced, all manufacturing was going to China.
I switched to friedman. It sounds better anyway
@Ottophil yeah, but not everyone can afford Friedman. Either way, pretty sure if Peavey raised prices instead of moving manufacturing to a cheaper labour market, they could have still maintained a competitive price and people would have paid it for the simple fact it was made in USA and not costing a fortune.
If there amps were good people would buy them regardless of price. Same way it is with guitars USA made Fenders and Gibsons sell like hotcakes and nobody balks at the price.
The part rarely mentioned is there’s no heirs.
It was his son-in-law that made the promises, and Fender, Gibson, and almost everyone else moved out of the U.S. looong before Peavey finally had to do it. They have been, in my opinion, unfairly slagged.
Peavey gets no love in the USA. I live about an hour from the original Peavey plant in Meridian MS. I have had several late 70s and early 80s Peaveys. I had a Classic 30, I still have an early Peavey Artist 240 with the metal knobs. SS front end and four 6L6s for the power section. Sounds fantastic to this day. I saw one sell locally recently for about 300 USD. That is crazy low. Peavey made good gear for the working musician. Peavey was in every music shop in Mississippi. They are so under appreciated and undervalued in my opinion.
It wasn’t just Mississippi. Peavey was everywhere in the South. I can’t speak for outside the South, but I grew up in GA near the AL border (so I went to a lot of music stores in AL) and growing up my family traveled a lot to TN, KY, and FL and Peavey was in all the stores there, too.
Peavey never really had that iconic sound. I had a 70's Mace (or Deuce?) and it had a good 70's rock sound and liked fuzz. It's a good reliable amp. It's not a Marshall. It doesn't nail that Zeppelin sound. Also had a 90's Classic. Super versatile and a great jam session amp. It's not a Blackface Twin. It doesn't do that blues sound. Carvin has a bit of the same problem. Good build quality, a nice sound, and reasonably priced. They don't have that iconic sound that people chase.
They were in most music stores in the U.S.. Most bands had some sort of Peavy in their backline. They were already on a down hill trajectory when the Undercover Boss came out and that turned everyone off from them.
It's because their gear was butt ugly, even their logo lol I'm telling you- I'm from the South where in the 80s the entire STAGE was all Peavey. But...their p.a. stuff is what hurt their reputation, not their amps. Hartley was essentially copying the old Vox Thomas Organ recipe for soild state, punchy, bright, responsive amps.
@@ahoneymanvery well said!! Their gear was reliable and good, but never GREAT- lacked character and personality.
I bought a Peavy back in the late 80s. I used it for my college band. I still own it.
I think that undercover boss show really did a number on them. It wasn’t just that they closed shop, it was how they did it. They had a guy on there that had another job offer but didn’t take it because they told him they were keeping the shop open. I think if they had waited a few years or a decade to close the US shop it would’ve gone over better, but it was like less than a year or so and they closed it and fired everyone.
Anyways, I have non-US Red Stripe Studio Pro (that you convinced me to buy a few years ago for $110 😁) and I think it’s great.
Peavey had some marketing material back in the day that showed how the transtube circuitry worked and how it was different than other brands. It supposedly mimicked a tube’s response very well(and based on the reviews seems to be true).
As for them making a comeback, I just don’t see them doing it unless they REALLY hype the made in USA aspect. Pull a Fender, make like everything overseas by HYPE THE HELL out of the US stuff. Make your mid-grade stuff in Mexico, and bottom barrel over seas (yeah I know the Japanese and Korean Fenders are spectacular, we’re talking Squires and lower here).
I like the reissue idea as well. Nostalgia is a powerful tool. Apparently even god awful cassettes are making a retro-comeback because of Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus, musicians are about as nostalgic as you can get. They need to lean into that. They have good older products too so they’d have some staying power, unlike cassettes.
Well said
I own a Peavey Triumph 60, which apparently is a rare thing to have here in Germany. I bought it used about 25 Years ago and i love that lil Bastard.😁🇺🇸💪
In MY BAND, (HARD WEAR) , in upstate N.Y. - I bought nothing but Peavey equipment in the mid 70’s. All our competing bands used Marshall or EMC amps and speakers. I would allow other musicians to try them out from time to time. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, they were all blown away by the shear volume and clarity of sound quality !!! Glad to see that Peavey is making a come back. 😊
I’m like a lot of guys that used Peavey amps back in the 70’s and 80’s, thought they were really good, totally reliable! I owned a Mk IV Bass amp with 2 channels and was able to run in a bi-amped set up! I’ve looked for one of these for years but they’re always ratted out and cost more than I paid for mine new!
When Peavey was made in the US, they were great; I miss those amps.
You sir are not a loser, and never will be ! ❤
Blues On.... 💙
Peavy has always been a solid product.
Peavey classic has been my go to tube amp for years now thanks to your reviews!
One of the best American made guitar T60
I remember Peavey having a bad disaster when they were on "Undercover Boss" . Hopefully Peavey amplifier and guitar start building it here.
You remember correctly!
dude, that episode was infuriating, how the owners did those people.
Yeah from what I remember they actually got worse after the episode.
I still will never buy one because of that employee f@#$ over.
They promised that 😅 one employee his job was safe and wanted to keep him, he already seen the writing on the wall and had another job set up , they lied to him ,he stayed and they days later closed the plant …
I have a Peavey Deuce VT twin. US made 1980’s four 6L6 tubes, called the Mississippi Marshall at the time. Way powerful and beautiful Rich tone. Tried to sell it a while back on marketplace, little interest and in fact I had people respond to my add with comments about how Peaveys are not worth anything over $200! Four new tubes and checked over! I have kept it!
Good on you, mate! That amp is a monster…enjoy it and give it to your grandkid when he/she graduates from High School.
He/she will love you for it!!!
Thanks for your support with the channel folks. This podcast is not sponsored, if you enjoy it please have any thoughts on Peavey and if you're planning on Playing Live soon (or already do).
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I had Peavey Bass Amps. One with 6 x 10” speaker and one with a large 15” combo. Great sounding and never failed. From the 80’s. They were cheap and frowned upon but totally reliable.
I picked up a '78 mark iii bass head at a pawnshop for $100, one of my better purchases. They don't make 'em to last like that anymore
I have a Pacer that I refurbished last year after owning it since 1975! New Electolytic Caps and solder touch up , a good cleaning and new Grill cloth and chrome corners! Also a Hellatone 60W Speaker!
My first ever "proper" amp was a Peavey Bandit 112. The original version - it was utterly BRILLIANT. I was 18 and am now 52. I bought it used - used it for 10+ years - sold it and it came back to me in a part x about 10 years later and still AMAZING! Utterly mind blowing quality and incredible tone. This is pre red stripe - made in USA with celestion speaker. Lovely
I own the Peavey Stereo Chorus 212 with foot pedal
I did too and loved it! But I sold it when my doctor told me not to lift anything over 500 lbs.! 🤪😂
@gregmiller7123 it's just under 500 lbs without the big azz footswitch! Why was he giving you such a hard time?? 🤣🤣
@@mikewithers299 I did build a special cart to just roll it around my house! It was so heavy but it did sound really nice. These type amps are what made Peavey popular at the time!
@gregmiller7123 I'm gonna put casters on mine just bcuz I injured my back doing construction in the '80's. But yea the first time I brought it home and turned it on it screamed at me! Checked the volume after putting my heart back in my chest and turned it down to one 🤣🤣
The old Peavey pacer were great. Allen Collins from orignal Skynyrd had one in the early 80s as his favourite practice amp.
Former Peavey Fanatic here. I've had Peavey guitars, amps, and pedals since I started playing guitar. With amps, started with the Audition 20 following after the Renown 400. I still have my Renown, but my meat crusher amp was the Silver Stripe Bandit with the 112 SX (Peavey never made an Ext. Cab for the Red Stripe) and still have it since it first came out. Obviously, The Block Letter 5150 and the Classic 50/410. I think after the disaster on Undercover Boss, they never recovered after that (I loss all respect for Peavey after that). I still collect Peavey but only the USA stuff. They have reissued one of their guitar called the Vandenberg (which I've always wanted). As far as amp to reissue, My choice would be the Stereo Chorus 212. That amp is a Monster.
I had a Stereo Chorus 212 and it was great…and loud! 😵💫
@@gregmiller7123 that particle amp always eludes me when I see it on the market for sale.
Found a 212 cheap at a local pawn shop. I would hate to have it shipped, as it weighed a metric ton and for sure would get dropped a lot. Those are the heaviest amps ever, and the kids delivering them would pull a groin muscle for sure! 🤣
@@mikewithers299 Yup. That's the brutal honest truth about most of the 212s regardless of the model.
I live just outside of Meridian. I worked for Peavey from 88’-90’, those were some great times for the company,not just for Hartley but for the employees as well. My first tube amp was a Triumph 60 head with matching 2x12 cab loaded with Scorpion speakers. The tones were awesome out of that amp. I worked in the speaker manufacturing plant #3 btw…
My Bandit 65 has a 12" Scorpion in it. Love that amp. It's a classic piece of history for me.
First amp was Backstage Plus in the mid '80s. Since then: Bandit 75, Bandit 112 solo series, Sterio Chorus, Studio chorus, Triumph120 1×12 combo, 5150, XXL 2×12 combo. They were all awesome.
I covered a HS gymnasium with a backstage plus. Great solid state even cranked!
I love old school Peavey. A 1984 Bandit is my main amp.
I think the current Peavey skepticism is warranted. As a company that makes solid gear for working musicians, part of their credibility was their business model. Meridian MS is a working class community. They were a multimillion dollar company that made gear for working class folks, by working class folks. That brings credibility and show’s integrity.
When they made the move to overseas manufacturing, tons of Mississippians lost their jobs. The Undercover Boss episode then revealed that they no longer cared about people. It was all profits, no matter who got hurt.
In sum, they betrayed their people, and in turn, their customers. Who cares if their current amps are good. There are a lot of good amps out there. What matters is people, and Peavey has some work to do before they regain trust.
I am just now recapping my bravo 112 that I bought in 93. I will never give it up.
I had 2 Peavey Bandit 65s, both were made in 1985 or there about....I used them for quite a while and ran them in stereo, police were called on several occasions :p
If police were called you were doing something right! 🤣🤣
Reissue of the Mace would be sick!!
Totally agree! I remember hearing an interview with Hartley Peavey where he said that Peavey doesn't do reissue's because he thought that every newer model was better than the one's before it. I couldn't disagree more! Mace and Deuce were the best. Now with the invent of IR's, we can get those tones at any volume. Good call on the Mace.
I had a Peavey TKO80 bass combo back in the early 90’s. I loved that amp so much… I should have never gotten rid of it. Super great tone, which I still strive for these days. Tough as nails too!
I proudly bought Peavey amps all my life, still own several, and still prefer them. I believe if one wants "southern rock sound," it's in a Peavey. I agree with your opinion, Shane. I believe Peavey should offer a few reissues. I also believe that in marketing Peavey is latched too exclusively onto the metal/high gain scene. Back in the 80s it seemed almost all major country players were using Peavey, Merle Haggard included. I wonder why they stopped marketing as much to the country, blues, and pop scene.
Bought a Special 130 in 1982. Still have it, still great. Hundreds of gigs and treated horribly Clean the pots twice. Had to replace the speaker cause it rotted out after getting wet. One loose wire. So 42 years of service and still going strong. I also have a Peavey Express teal stripe. Perfect little practice amp. Gotta love em
I have never played a Peavey Amp. But my understanding is they made a quality product was was bullet proof and reliable.
It would last for years and be very dependable. And it was more affordable than a Fender. The only problem with Peavey Amps was it did not say Fender on the front of it. What Peavey should have done is stayed off that TV Show Undercover Boss and quietly outsourced their manufacturing. That caused a lot of bad publicity for them. And it is all over the internet.
I agree with you Shane. They need to do a reissue of their best selling amp or amps. I think a reissue would sell. If possible make one in the USA for the publicity to win the public back. I could see a reissue selling very well for them.
They made some of the best amps ever made. Some of those amps were the best amps ever made from what I have seen and talked people over the years say. Also their price points always come in lower than the market leader fender and you get quality and good value with peavey. The stuff lasts.
Picked a 112 red stripe up for a poultry £50 last week. Just needed the pots cleaning. Fantastic amp 👌 🎸🎸🎸
My first serious amp was a Peavey Musician 400 with the 610 cabinet. Absolutely loved the sound of that thing. I wound up selling it for a loss to a band that had their gear stolen out of a club they were playing at in Knoxville, Tennessee. A year later, the band hit it big with their first of many hits in the '80's. Wish I still had that stack, though.
I had a 'silver stripe' bandit back in '95 while still in H.S. Great amp but sold it after a few years. I then picked up another one a few years ago on the cheap. After watching this I dug it out tonight, removed the chassis, cleaned all the pots that had dead spots, reassembled and works perfectly. I've got two gig this weekend and going to take it out for both. The 90's we're a great time for Peavey. The Classic series, Transtube, Ultra series and the 5150. Session bass amps. Steve Cropper even had a signature Peavey Tele.
That Cropper Tele is an absolute monster!
I am retired now but I was primarily a semi pro bass player. I always thought Peavey made the best value, best sounding giggable bass amps. I used to know Trevor Burton(ex The Move)and he used to swear by a Peavey amp which was aimed at pedal steel players. I can't remember the model name but it was very loud and had tremendous headroom.
Peavey Roadmaster head with a 4x12 cabinet in the late 70s. Sounded great. Versatile too. Large and heavy though. Great amp.
I have a backstage 1x12 combo that I bought at a pawnshop for $80. It’s an older made in the USA amp and just kicks ass. It’s been on many stages with me and always sounds good and never fails… I also have a heritage 2x12 that is an older USA made model with a built in phase shifter. Peavey is an American icon, lynryd skynyrd played peavey amps. They have been in my life from the start…
🎸🤓🗽🥓
I have a Peavey Classic 100 50 watt 4x10 amp manufactured in 1974 which I bought new in 1975. It has been a great amp. I still have it! It is 50 years old and still has all of it's original parts. There are blemishes on covers from playing out for a while in my younger days but all speakers are fine and still sounds great! I have fender amps and boss amps , but still go back to that one for classic southern rock.
I seriously hope peavey sees this and does exactly this!!! That would be the best decision they’ve made in YEARS
I loved my old Classic 50 2x12!! I also had the Classic 30 head and that was great too!!! Heck, even the Rage 158 solid state amp I had as a kid was fantastic for learning!
I first got turned onto Peavey by Scott Grove, and bought up several T models for a song. These were the same guitars I’d see being played on Hee-Haw back in the day. My main amp has always been my Peavey Studio Pro 40. I think it’s an ‘84 model. I got it repaired a couple years ago and I wouldn’t trade for almost anything. Great cleans and I pull some fantastic hairy driven tones! I love and miss the old Peavey.
I still have an early 90's Peavey Classic 50 in a head version. It's an excellent amp. You can pick these up in several versions fairly cheap as well. Built like a tank.
The Peavey Bandit was my first decent amp. Later I got a Peavey 4 x12 stack for my first real gig. They gave us musicians affordable reliable gear. That gear in the 80’s lasted 7 years. It lasted much longer than my band and music career. Peavey will always have a soft spot in my ❤
I had a US Classic 50 that I used throughout the 90s, one of the best amps I ever owned... like so many guitars, looking back I should have never sold it.
Special 130, Backstage 30, Classic 50 410, Classic 50 212, Decade, Stereo Chorus 400. Those are the Peavey amps I owned through the years. Still wish I had all of them, especially the Special 130 and Stereo Chorus 400. Also owed one of the Chorus pedals, the CNC-1. It was a great pedal.
I bought a Peavey Megabass head in 92 on the recommendation of my teacher who had the money/endorsements to play whatever he wanted. He told me to rent one for that nights gig. I did and was blown away...."Peavey?" Didn't matter. Since then I've owned SWR, Eden, Markbass, Roland, Ampeg....the Megabass is still one of the best amps I've ever played thru. Bought a second one from Guitar Center used in mint condition for about 200 bucks. They're worth 10x that and will rival any boutique amp out there.
Grew up in South Jackson went to Forest Hill when it was a great school. Live in Madison now. Used to shop all the time at Morrison Bros and Mississippi Music. I had an active pickup Peavey generation series (sort of like a Tele) that was fantastic. Had Bandits, Classics, still have the Artist 240 and have a ton of Gibson and Fender Guitars and amps and vintage gear. However, while more collectible, and probably, truthfully, better, it was not what I could play or afford when I was growing up. Peavey was where it was at. My band had a 16 channel Peavey Board in the early 80s with 200 watts per channel! We had a set of Peavy SP-1s and SP-2s.... We thought we had it made. We played po-dunk places around Philadelphia (all the other band members were from Philadelphia MS), yard parties at MSU on game days, and played private parties in Fair Cabins and a few times on the main stage at the Neshoba County Fair. Never made a lot of money. Mostly just covered expenses and equipment. Peavey has a lot of childhood memories and was just good work-a-day gear.
My bass virtuoso brother is climbing the walls trying to get his hands on a American Peavey Cirrus 5 String!!! He owns 3 Ken Smith's and yet he is OBSESSED! Those basses could Definitely make a comeback!!!
I picked up a couple of Peavey KB1's a few years back for my synths. Have been top notch for me.😁🎶🎹🎶Play On
Never tried their solid state stuff...loved my Peavey amps from the 70s. Cheap enough to make giggling possible in my late teens. Even our PA was Peavey! Only solid state I ever owned was a Sunn Solo II and its tone as I recall was crisp and ice pick sharp and very very loud!..had to go back to Peavey tube and others. I will try one the bandits if it shows up in my local store.
I definitely agree that playing at home or playing live are two different animals. It takes a couple of songs to settle the nerves and get the fingers working. Sound check is very important.
My first ever amp was a Bandit 65, which is laugh worthy. Great amp but not the right one for novice bedroom practice. My parents yelled at me if I turned it up to 1! You read it right--1. But college came and I found out how fun it was to turn it up to 3! 😂
Yes, I'd like Peavey to pull a Fox with Family Guy and realize what products are continuing to sell and do well on the used market, and revive the USA manufacturing of these. I'd love to see them make a Classic 10 with a 10 inch speaker and 10-12 watts of power. Thank you, Shane!
I have a Marshall and a old Bandit and love it. I also have a pa system I bought in the 80s and still going strong. The thing about Peavey was back in the day they were always innovative. PA to bass amp and guitar amp and so on.
My favorite amp I had was my Bandit 75 back in 84'. Loved it. Sounded great and man it was LOUD!! Lol.
The original Lynyrd Skynyrd built quite a sound, using Peavey amps, I’d say. I have a Peavey Red Stripe Bandit and a 112 Red Stripe EFX, and the 212 version. Also 3 Peavey USA Strats that I’ve modded the heck out of. Love my Peavey gear!
Bought my redstripe bandit in 2017 for $120 cdn..I have since sold it but it was such a great amp
I've got a Peavey "Revolution 112," a USA-made silver stripe Bandit with spring reverb and an extra gain channel. I'll never get rid of this amp! The cleans are awesome, and the middle "crunch" channel sounds better than many OD pedals I've tried. Hard to believe how inexpensive the Bandits still are.
Love these podcasts, Shane thx man
I really love the 80s and 90s Peavey solid states. I have an '81 Bandit I put a Celestion Creamback in and it sounds SO GOOD!!!!!!!
Very Cool, Thankyou Shane. Awesome video, so much Useful and Interesting Information. After seeing intheblues Peavey 'Redstripe' Bandit video's I was Lucky enough to pick up a Peavey 158 'Redstripe' for $40- on Marketplace. WOW was So Impressed, Amazing. A few weeks later picked up a Peavey 'Redtstripe' Bandit 112 for $80- Australian.... OMG... this amp is amazing, It is a Different World .... WAY TOO Loud for my only home use, LOL. But still SO Happy to Own these Peavey Amps. All The Best. Cheers
The Peavey 6505 series is still a go-to amp in the metal world. The Invective series is also quite interesting, though I haven't played one. John Fields is still doing design work for the company and is still an innovator.
Great pod cast and I agree with you I have a Delta Blues and a classic 30 both US made I love their tone and build quality.
My dad worked for Peavey for 20 years ending in 2006. It was around that time they were really cleaning house firing a lot of reps and other staff. There is some weird family drama behind the scenes where Hartley doesnt want to pass on the company but is pretty much retired. The company is basically is on auto pilot coasting on past glory.
I love my Peavey C30. I bought it for 400 in cash converters about 10 years ago, USA made. The chrome has all gone from the control panel and it gets bloody hot, so careful where I put it. But the little bastards is loud as, and it rocks hard. I had a slight mod done where the cap at c18 was swapped out for a sprague orange drop, and this helped level out the high end. Alas, I think Peavey shat in their own nest when they shafted their employees and went to China. If I ever buy a new amp, I would deliberately avoid Peavey. Cheers for the podcast Shane 😊
Ive got a red stripe Bandit in my practice space. Paid a hundred bucks for it. What a steal. It is such a flexible amp. I love it.
My first electric guitar was a Peavey T-60 that I purchased new in 1978. My first amp was a 20W Peavey Studio Pro that I purchased new in 1981. I still have them both and they're both good instruments. I have other guitars and amps now, made by other companies, and some are objectively better. But those two things both have a unique spot in my collection of gear, and I still like them. I've been confused by the trajectory of the company over the years and wonder about its future. I've long since abandoned the prejudice that things not built in my home country are no good -- great instruments, amps, and other gear are made all over the world and it is cool to see those things. Yet I still wish for US companies to still keep a place in the market, especially if they have something unique to offer like Peavey did.
I have a Peavey Renown 400 and I owned the original Peavey Renown back in the day. Absolutely stonking solid state amps. The preamp in them is seriously good, great spring reverb and crazy loud if you want. Extremely versatile. You can pick them up for around $400.
My high school always had Peavey amps for school jazz band. They could take a serious beating. My very first guitar was 1st Generation Peavey Predator which was stolen in college. A few years ago I picked one up on EBay for $250. All original parts including the Kahler tremolo. I swapped out the stock pickups for Seymour’s. I will never get rid of this guitar! Bring back the 80’s guitars! I would be tempted to buy all of those models. Are you listening Peavey? Do during a big Anniversary?
Live sound tech since 89. One of the absolute standout guitar amps I ever put a mic on was a beat up old Peavey 100 watt 2x12 combo which had never been revalved. Original owner.
We had several good paying gigs in a row so he gave it some TLC and fitted a full set of new tubes.
Fark!! Amazing tone and punch for an open back cab. It’d shake ya trousers like a Marshall half stack.
I used to own a Peavey Stereo Chorus 400. A very heavy and very LOUD amplifier. Recently I was at my ear, nose, and throat doctor. He noticed I was wearing a Fender t-shirt. He went on to tell me about growing up with Hartley Peavey while I had an endoscope up my nose. Interesting conversation, I just wish he had brought it up at a different time
I've been playing live for decades. The most recent version of my band is so much fun. It is true that you are only as good as your weakest link.
I remember playing at jam nights in Brunswick with MBAS and I played with your friend Brian a few times! I was a 13 year old kid back then I’m 37 now 😂 love ya work mate!
I threw caution to the wind and ponied up for a 6505Ii amp last year. I play all of its 120W through a twin ten, quad 12 and two metal horn cabinet.
The ridiculously powerful head drives the cabinet combination to ear bleed levels.
Peavey has had a rough road over the years but good examples are a fine investment…
I have got a original 1970s peavey head...its still kickin ass..still works and sounds great..ive never done anything to it.. its never broke,.,it works great for bass or guitar and vocals...2 channel..i cant even turn it up to 2..its sooo loud lol...awesome..
Had a Peavey mark iii and 18" Peavey Black Widow cab,it was sick
I was a Peavey fan Boi back in the 80s/90s. Loved them and owned many 👍😎🎸🎸
My old blue stripe Bandit was back in the the firsr new amp I bought. Still have it... Great amp...
I live in Alabama, and I'm disappointed Peavey moved out of Mississippi. But I still hate that so many people have counted out their overseas-made stuff too. For all the hype all the Boss and Line 6 modeling stuff get, Peavey had those original Vypyr digital amps and not only did they sound great, they were LOUD. The newer Bandits are still great, and at $500 USD, I'd take it over a $500 digital modeler any day of the week, even if I'd still rather have an older red- or silver-stripe.
I remember when Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa were doing ads for Peavey. A few years later, I bought a used Peavey Predator and a brand new 1st generation Transtube Blazer 158, both made in the U.S A. It was quality stuff. For a beginner, I had it good!
I’ve got one of those 15” Delta ones. Admittedly I never use it just because I have so many amps but it’s a great sounding amp and it looks fantastic. I should haul it into the loud room come to think of it.
I used a Peavey MK4 bass amp from the mid 80’s till early 90’s in my band. Great solid state amp , quiet, powerful at 400watts into either 2 or 4 ohms. Bought it second hand and sadly sold it for what I paid for it. Matched to a Gauss 15 “ box. USA made. Thanks for the video. Rob - Canberra Aust.
If i had one Peavey reissue amp to choose it would be the Butcher. It was the first PV i ever heard walking down the street back in the '70's. A half stack that sounded like a JCM 800 and made in America. Ive owned a bunch of amps, but ive always had great tones and luck with my PV's.
Thanks so much for your segment on transitioning to performing. I am about to start playing live in the middle of a fellow muso's sets during his gigs. After that, would like to try a blues jam gig and I found a lot that was valuable in what you spoke about. Cheers mate.
For the longest time, Peavey was mostly synonymous with country music. That stuck with the brand and created limitations in the rock market. It improved later on, but that stereotype did affect the broader market.
The best amp for beginners, and pro guitarists! I play Peavey for about 35 years now! ♨️
I own a Budda Superdrive 18, which was purchased by Peavy. It was an early boutique type amp, very reminiscent of a hot rodded AC15. Still my primary amp 20 or so years later. Peavy could do well to introduce them as a Peavy amp.
I have two Peaveys one Bandit 112 teal stripe which I use almost exclusively & a 112 special which has a lovely tone & building knock-down loud but is very heavy so I only use that when loud is needed but what I've really wanted for a long time is a 130 special but don't see many about anymore & when I do they're gone before I can do anything!!
My first guitar was a made in usa peavy strat and she still rips. I put fender noiseless pups in it, and I don't think I'll ever need another strat. I've always been quite happy with her
Had a Peavey Bass PA speaker with the 18's in them, can't remember the name in the 80's. On the way to our gig traveling 70 mph one flew out of my truck and skid for about 100 feet and when it was starting to slow down it hit a bump or crack in the road and flipped for another 50 feet. We laughed so hard but were freaking out because the cement had shaved a hole where you could see inside the speaker. Well, we hooked it up and it worked for years lol. Name any other speaker that would have done that on the planet. JBL HORNS would blow if you walked past them. One more thing i had a CROPPER CLASSIC GUITAR THAT Hartley made and it was possibly the finest guitar I've ever had as a fulltime working musician for the last 44 years.
I've used Peavey amps for decades. Started with a Classic VTX, a couple of Renowns, a Bandit, and now an Envoy for practice and unfortunately a Classic 50 and two Valvekings(50 & 100).The tube amps unfortunately gave me more trouble than the solid state amps but the tube amps sounded so good. I'll eventually get my Classic 50 fixed but Peavey no longer make transformers for ValveKings. If they can go back to making the transformers or sell the patent to a third party I'd be happy.
Bought a bandit 65 a few years ago after watching some of your reviews of the bandits. Still my best sounding amp. Not too heavy either. 175.00. Will never sell it
Got mine used 25 years ago. It's been a faithful amp. Now she's ready for a recap at 38 years old. I would say it served 2 players very well in that time. Got 3 others to fill in while I rebuild it 😊
I just bought a Peavey Rage 158 for my son because it was the first real amp I owned back in 1985 or so.
Peavey Rage 158 would be a great reissue with modern small aux input jack
Hi mr
After 40 years of playing a lot of amp...i return home😉
Peavey studio pro 112 red stripe... heaven.
Put some reverb and delay on the fx loop.....
Although known mainly for amps, I love Peavey guitars and you don't really hear much about them. I now have 3 after recently acquiring a US made Peavey Falcon which is fantastic to play
I have the T-20 bass and I love the sound from that guitar. Can't afford them now as they have gotten so expensive
1990's Classic 20 owner, I'd buy this again in a heartbeat. Easily the best sounding small amp I've ever owned. Also had the Mace and Deuce in the 80s, glad I don't have to cart them around anymore though...
I have a Peavey 20W classic head and it's amazing...does anything I need. Great piece Shane...thanks.
Great advice about playing live, mate. Absolutely bang on!
To be fair their lower end stuff has been overshadowed by a surge in other brands. Their high end stuff is still regarded as some of the best. A 6505+ is still my holy grail. Most of the older stuff that was popular was known as everyones first amp and basically just student level and just good for the money. My first decent amp was a envoy 110. A current bandit 112 goes for $650 before taxes far from budget and its pretty plain jane compared to a katana for instance.
Peavey has just released a Classic 20 combo Chinese-made tube amp. It's tweed, but has front facing knobs and inputs.
Great podcast, grew up with peavey amps, built like tanks, always reliable.