Any First Hand Reviews on the Peavey JSX Mini Colossal Joe Satriani Guitar Amplifier

[Procreatur]

what about the valve jr? 5 watts, easily replaceable and easily modded. and 5 watts is rated at clean levels, not distorted. overdriving the tubes provides extra power. probably around a 7-9 watt peak. plenty loud, in fact too loud for bedrooms.

[randy rhoads jr]

yea i'd be tempted to just pay a bit more and get a tiny terror for that price. especially being an orange, which are known for making a great amp. not saying that peavey makes bad amps, i own 2 of htem and like them both, just orange is usually a bit higher quality amp.

[BATSBREW]

DavidMgT -

 

thanks!

[peavey_impact]

 

yea i'd be tempted to just pay a bit more and get a tiny terror for that price. especially being an orange, which are known for making a great amp. not saying that peavey makes bad amps, i own 2 of htem and like them both, just orange is usually a bit higher quality amp.

 

 

Tiny Terror - Chinese

 

JSX Mini Colossal - American

 

Take that for whatever its worth.

[Verne Andru]

Kinda sad when the only argument that keeps coming up in favor of the JSX MC is it's MIA. Lot's of quality stuff coming from overseas and still tons of junk coming out of american factories.

 

There are lots of choices as seen here: Low Watt Tube Amps

 

I went with the Palomino V8 because it has a 10" Celestion, an FX loop and it was MIA. They're going for $199 all day at GC/MF and a few simple mods - under $50 - and you've got tons of clean headroom and crunch to spare. Supercharging a V8

 

There are several new contenders, like Fenders new Champ series and the yet to be released Peavey Windsor Studio, that are much better value than the JSX IMHO. I personally think it's overpriced for what you get but to each his own.

[peavey_impact]

 

Kinda sad when the only argument that keeps coming up in favor of the JSX MC is it's MIA. Lot's of quality stuff coming from overseas and still tons of junk coming out of american factories.

 

 

Uhhh no. Thats not the only argument. I said in an earlier post that it sounds {censored}ING GREAT. This is all the argument I need: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1763105&highlight=mini+colossal

 

I've only had about an hours worth of test drive with it but I could totally see its potential. Its a killer amp. The power soak is a badass feature.

[Verne Andru]

Quite a few of these amps sound really good. I believe most reviewers have stated the 8" speaker sounds kinda boxy - just like every other 8" combo amp I've heard. At $500 there is much better value out there without looking very hard.

 

But we've butted heads on this one before and will have to agree to disagree. $500 for an 5 watt combo with an 8" speaker - I don't think so. Not even if the sig artist was GOD himself!

[Squier Fat Telecaster]

MADE IN USA

 

I'm gonna try one when I see one....

 

Add a nice 2x12 cab for more oomph

[BATSBREW]

yep, i've heard quite a few of those amps verne keeps referring to, and think they sound like ass.

 

i'm quite impressed with the recorded quality of the mini, enough so to post a song with the amp all over it.

talk is cheap.

[Verne Andru]

 

yep, i've heard quite a few of those amps verne keeps referring to, and think they sound like ass. i'm quite impressed with the recorded quality of the mini, enough so to post a song with the amp all over it. talk is cheap.

 

 

DV8

 

:poke:

[fuzztone]

I love mine.Love the vintage tremelo and the built-in Power sponge.It is the Perfect amp for me.

 

[peavey_impact]

DV8 :poke:

 

 

No wonder you hate on the MC so much, man. I could get the tones you like with my Roland Cube

[Verne Andru]

No wonder you hate on the MC so much, man. I could get the tones you like with my Roland Cube

 

Perhaps you'd like the tone better if I did an Allman Bros. rip-off? LOL.

 

I don't hate the MC, just think its way too much coin for what you get.

 

You guy's work for Peavey or something? You're really mercenary in your zeal to foist this thing on unsuspecting buyers. Lighten up - there's much more out there and after looking at all the options people want a MC, that's great. But let them weigh the pros and cons and comparison shop.

[GAS Man]

It's cool to see this , and the jousting, come back a few times since I'm the proud father.

 

I'm taking it in still.

 

[peavey_impact]

 

Perhaps you'd like the tone better if I did an Allman Bros. rip-off? LOL.

 

 

I don't see what the Allman Bros has to do with anything. The clip you posted is just not impressive whatsoever.

 

 

I don't hate the MC, just think its way too much coin for what you get.

 

 

Look at the Tiny Terror, its like $150 dollars more, and its a MIC tube head. You think its worth the price?

 

 

You guy's work for Peavey or something? You're really mercenary in your zeal to foist this thing on unsuspecting buyers. Lighten up - there's much more out there and after looking at all the options people want a MC, that's great. But let them weigh the pros and cons and comparison shop.

 

 

No I don't work for Peavey. Actually I do not own a single piece of Peavey gear. On the contrary, you are the one who enters every MC thread and tries to sway people away from it. You have a perpetual chip on your shoulder, so it seems.

[Verne Andru]

The Batsbrew clip you do seem to like is a clean tone in the style of the Allman Bros. and the guitar is heavily processed with tons of verb and other effects. My clip, which quite a few people do like based on the thousands of downloads it's had, is more grindy that takes advantage of the tube OD. Obviously I won't include you as a fan and I'll strike you off my xmas list.

 

I wouldn't recommend the TT either. If it had an FX loop, that might be a different story but as it is it falls short of the market as well, IMHO.

 

If you'll notice, while I use a V8 personally, I always steer viewers to the Low Watt Amp Shootout thread which has a pretty comprehensive list of available alternatives. If, after looking over their choices, they decide the MC is for them, then all the more power to them.

 

So, no chip - I just don't like seeing innocent people getting ripped off by marketing hype.

[BATSBREW]

don't know what you're talking about verne.

 

(i wonder if you do, as well....)

 

there's zero effects on the rhythm guitars.

 

there's a touch of long delay on the solo.

 

and that's it!!

LOL

 

there's nothing clean about the heavy section.

 

my guess is, you only listened to the opening section, which is all acoustic guitar, with reverb.

 

wow....

it's like you have a personal axe to grind over this issue, and can't even be bothered to listen to the entire clip.

 

:poke:

[Verne Andru]

 

don't know what you're talking about verne. (i wonder if you do, as well....) there's zero effects on the rhythm guitars. there's a touch of long delay on the solo. and that's it!! LOL there's nothing clean about the heavy section. my guess is, you only listened to the opening section, which is all acoustic guitar, with reverb. wow.... it's like you have a personal axe to grind over this issue, and can't even be bothered to listen to the entire clip. :poke:

 

 

I listened to as much of the clip as I could. I'm on dialup and couldn't find a way to download it, just stream which doesn't work well at my end.

 

No chip and no personal axe to grind. I just hate seeing innocent people ripped off by marketing hype and monomaniacal posters. You like the amp - great! It's your lack of objectivity that I find bothersome.

 

Low Watt Tube Amps

[BATSBREW]

and as far as 'working for peavey'?!!

 

LOL

 

yeah, i'm waiting for my sales commission.

 

LOL again....

 

people can listen to my tune, to your tune, to satriani's thing on utoob, or whatever, and decide with their ears, or better yet, decide from first hand experience, which is always the best.

 

but when i was younger, or before i could afford to get all the stuff i wanted, i would have loved to have had an amp like this that had a built in XLR direct out cab sim........

 

and i would have appreciated all the available conversation, and sound examples, that anyone would have bothered to post.

 

my effort here, was only to give some examples of this amp, which i happen to think is fine, for the use of anyone who could use an amp like this.

 

 

 

i sure didn't come into your post, slagging your effort.

you pretty much started that little tirade.....

 

 

i've got an ass kickin' recording rig ('81 mesa boogie mark2b, (2) 1x12 closed back cabs with greenbacks, a demeter isolation cabinet with a celestion vintage 30, weber mass, etc) so it's not like i'm searching for the 'ultimate' home recording tool.

 

 

 

you do realize of course:

that you can buy a palmer PDI-09 for $160 that will probably sound quite a bit better than the built in peavey unit, but then again, it's another 160 bucks.

 

the speaker, is totally irrelevent.... if you're buying this amp to record, why not simply use the xlr out?

 

and if you want to mic up your favorite cab, the amp has speaker outs for that too!!

but when i recorded the tracks for this, as i described, there was literally no sound coming off the amp, which is perfect for silent recording.

[Verne Andru]

Hey BB, let's try getting flat with this. I didn't slag anyone's effort. If you reread this thread you'll see you were the first to take a shot followed by PVI. I've been very restrained in my responses.

 

I've said what I always say in threads like this - the MC is way too much money for what you get.

 

That's my opinion, which I'm free to express just as you are free to express yours.

 

What's the big deal? Quite a few other posters say exactly the same thing - the trem is meh and the 8" speaker sux - and you guy's don't say boo.

 

For some reason when I do, it's like the end of the world and the {censored} starts getting flung.

 

Look at the list of alternatives in Low Watt Tube Amps. Look where the MC sits relative to its cost and features. It just doesn't work IMO. If PV were to drop the price to around $250, it would be a great value. If they were to release a version with a 10" speaker [i can ignore the trem] for what they're charging for the current iteration, that would be OK value. But as it is, it's kinda not really happening - IMHO. It's way too much coin for what it is.

 

This is my opinion, not the end of the world. Lighten up.

[BATSBREW]

yep, i've played at least half the list there....

 

there's not a one of them (in the same price range, or below) that sounds as refined as the little mini.

 

now, i've said it before, i'll say it again...

 

i don't care about the 8" speaker.

 

it's irrelevent.

 

if anybody really wants to mic up a cab, they're going to go into a better cab, no matter what the head is.

 

so for recording purposes, it's a moot point.

 

the real issue between your list, and the mini, is this:

 

 

how many of them come with a speaker cab/sim-direct out?

for recording?

 

 

ok, now, how many of them come with a built in attenuator?

 

only then, do you get to the good stuff, which is, how good it sounds at clean, saturation, and wide open, either direct, or through your favorite speaker cabinet.

 

if peavey dropped the trem, it wouldn't be the product that joe satriani designed.

 

you'd have to ask HIM, if he thinks the trem is 'meh'.

 

guys that don't like trem, aren't going to care one way or another.

 

and even if you put a 10" speaker in it, it's not going to sound as good (with ANY brand 10" speaker) as it does with a good 1x12 cab and a 12" speaker, or a 4x12 for that matter!

 

so talking about taking the 8" out in favor for a 10", well, you're still missing the boat when it comes to what the MINI is really all about.

 

 

now, go back to all your '250' dollar amps, and add these items:

 

-A 100% passive circuit built-in transformer-balanced XLR direct output with a unique microphone simulator

 

-the Power Sponge: a unique control that allows the user to adjust the nominal output power level of the amplifier. It can be used in conjunction with the volume control to attain infinite combinations of power amp and preamp distortion at any volume level. This control DOES NOT affect the level of the Microphone Simulated Recording output and provides an appropriate load to the amplifier at all settings.

 

until you try this out and experiment with it, and feel what it does, you just can't know.

 

-multiple impedence outputs (4,8, or 16 ohms Selectable Impedance)

 

-Optical Tremolo Circuit

 

-a buffered effects loop

 

 

 

ah!

now we're talking apples and apples.

[Verne Andru]

 

yep, i've played at least half the list there.... there's not a one of them (in the same price range, or below) that sounds as refined as the little mini. now, i've said it before, i'll say it again... i don't care about the 8" speaker. it's irrelevent. if anybody really wants to mic up a cab, they're going to go into a better cab, no matter what the head is. so for recording purposes, it's a moot point. the real issue between your list, and the mini, is this: how many of them come with a speaker cab/sim-direct out? for recording? ok, now, how many of them come with a built in attenuator? only then, do you get to the good stuff, which is, how good it sounds at clean, saturation, and wide open, either direct, or through your favorite speaker cabinet. if peavey dropped the trem, it wouldn't be the product that joe satriani designed. you'd have to ask HIM, if he thinks the trem is 'meh'. guys that don't like trem, aren't going to care one way or another. and even if you put a 10" speaker in it, it's not going to sound as good (with ANY brand 10" speaker) as it does with a good 1x12 cab and a 12" speaker, or a 4x12 for that matter! so talking about taking the 8" out in favor for a 10", well, you're still missing the boat when it comes to what the MINI is really all about. now, go back to all your '250' dollar amps, and add these items: -A 100% passive circuit built-in transformer-balanced XLR direct output with a unique microphone simulator -the Power Sponge: a unique control that allows the user to adjust the nominal output power level of the amplifier. It can be used in conjunction with the volume control to attain infinite combinations of power amp and preamp distortion at any volume level. This control DOES NOT affect the level of the Microphone Simulated Recording output and provides an appropriate load to the amplifier at all settings. until you try this out and experiment with it, and feel what it does, you just can't know. -multiple impedence outputs (4,8, or 16 ohms Selectable Impedance) -Optical Tremolo Circuit -a buffered effects loop ah! now we're talking apples and apples.

 

 

As I've said before and I'll say it again, in all the time I've been hanging around musicians and this board I have never heard ANYONE say "boy, I'd sure like a 5 watt tube amp with a trem and an 8" speaker."

 

In just about each and every case, people prefer reverb over trem and a 12" speaker over an 8". 10 is a reasonable compromise which at least gets you out of the "boxy" territory.

 

If the speaker is irrelevant, don't put one in. Release it as a head. Since the speaker is there, it will get noticed and if it is bad, which it is, it will be a negative mark against the amp. It's there, so it's relevant and it sux.

 

As I've stated before, this "power soak" is marketing bumpf for a $5 L-pad.

 

Optical trem is meh - reverb is what the market wants.

 

Multiple impedance - really doesn't matter a whole lot on a tube amp. Makes a big difference on a SS but all it will do is change the sound a bit unless you go down to unity gain at which point you'll fry the output section. But you can do that even with multiple outputs.

 

Crate V5, V58 and V8 all have effects loops and those are $199 amps.

 

I can add a transformer balanced XLR output to any amp for as little as $89. Same thing with cabinet simulation for $180.

 

I built my DI, that works just fine, with 2 resistors and a trim pot for going between line level and instrument level for under $5. And I can jack the output of my V8 directly into the instrument jack on a higher output amp for tube crunch and all the volume I'll need - can't do that with a MC.

 

As I demonstrate in my Supercharging a V8 thread, trem/reverb aside, I have all the features of the MC, plus a 10" speaker and instrument line out off the power section for well under what a MC costs. And the V8 is MIA.

 

Apples to apples, the MC just doesn't stack up, sorry.

[DavidMgT]

I just got one on ebay -- paid about $100 less than the mega store price. It is not in the same class as my other amps--even my Ampeg Jet that cost roughly the same. The tonal nuance just isn't there.

As a recording amp, however, it has worked quite nicely. I like the fact that it breaks up very nicely and in fact sounds better directly into my Onyx 400F through headphone monitors than through its speaker.

[BATSBREW]

you'd argue with a brick wall, wouldn't you vern?

 

ok, i'll play.

 

 

 

As I've stated before, this "power soak" is marketing bumpf for a $5 L-pad.

 

 

nope, that's not the same thing.

do a bit more digging on this one......

doesn't react, and doesn't sound, the same as a variable attenuator.

if you've ever experimented with the higher end Palmers, you'll know that its' true.

an L-pad will pad, as it's supposed to, but it's pretty limited, and doesn't do the same thing as the sponge.

not even close.

but you've never tried it, have you?

 

 

 

10 is a reasonable compromise which at least gets you out of the "boxy" territory.

 

 

not to my ears.

a 10" driver, is not going to give you the low end range that even the xlr direct out on the mini gives.

 

in fact, even my 1x12 w/greenback, doesn't have quite the low available on the direct.

 

 

 

Optical trem is meh - reverb is what the market wants.

 

 

nobody ever said this was marketed to sell to the 'most' people.

Satriani made it quite clear, in all the reviews and marketing, that he was wanting something with a vintage vibe.

i know from experience that the few low priced tube amps that have reverb, sound terrible with it, and you'd be better off recording the amp dry, and adding quality effects on mixdown.

 

how many players do you know, that use the trem a lot of the time?

nobody you say?

exactly, that's what clouds your mind on that issue.

some folks, love the trem, and that's why he put it on there. not for mass appeal.

 

 

 

Multiple impedance - really doesn't matter a whole lot on a tube amp.

 

of course it does!

it becomes more apparent with higher wattage amps, and at concert volumes, but it still remains, that the impedence matching is critical to the efficiency (or lack of) of the amp to the speaker.

having options, allows many different hookups possible. what's wrong with that?

 

 

 

the other issues:

 

those transfomer balanced xlr's you talk about, straight out of the box, sound terrible.

i know, i experimented with those years ago.

to get one to work right with a tube amp, requires quite a bit more design.

sure, it'll work, but i wouldn't want to use one. they have to optimized for the specific application, which in this case, is recording out.

 

cab sim.... well, you pretty much reinforce my point there.

it's already in there, and IT DOESN'T sound like ass.

i've tried a mess of the cab sims out there, and most just dont' cut it.

not for me anyway....

how you voice a cab sim, and how it interacts with the output of the amp, is really key.

 

 

and on effects loops, if you've played enough amps, you'll know that some effects loops just sound awful, while others work wonderfully.

i can't say as to how well the fx loops on the v5, v58 and v8 sound....

i've never used the loop.

but i know the mini fx loop works exactly as described.

 

i'd like to hear a clip of your DI you built, and a/b that.

if it sounds good, then it is good.

 

taking the output of a tube amp, into the input of a higher watt amp is pretty silly.

i've seen amps fried doing things like this.

 

can you point me to a soundfile so i can hear this supercharged thing?

the pictures with all that add on stuff looks quite silly, but hey, if it works, it works.

[Verne Andru]

 

taking the output of a tube amp, into the input of a higher watt amp is pretty silly. i've seen amps fried doing things like this.

 

 

Not if it's done properly. As long as you load the signal down to instrument level, it's no different than coming straight out of your pedal board. I run my V8 into a 70's era Yamaha G100 210 and it just roars without a hiccup.

 

The L-pad works just fine. It puts a sliding resistive load on the output so there is always a balanced load on the output transformer. The sine wave is exactly the same regardless of where the L-pad is set, amplitude aside.

 

What they do on those "cabinet simulators" is put some band-pass filters in the signal chain so the high-end is stripped out. You can easily do that at the desk or once you've got the signal captured.

 

None of this is rocket-science. Tube amps have been around for at least 100 years now and all they doing is recycling old ideas with new names. It's marketing, not technology.

 

And, from what I'm hearing, most of the people that are using MC have bought them at a discount and are using them for recording heads. Great - but that just adds to my argument that they should release it as a head and drop the price.