What is the single best change for a Peavey XXX head to improve sound?

[Mustaine-who?]

 

I had a Peavey XXX and it was VERY picky about cabs. I had the XXX cab and sold it really quick because it sounded so horrible, non exsistant low end and just weak sounding. A V30 Randall cab made it rock. I think it still had a bit to much fizz in it for me though.

 

 

I agree with this...

 

I was playing mine through my VHT FB...which I think I can say is a pretty good cab. Sounded good. Picked up a Mesa w/V-30s...holy hell...took the toanz to another level. Really matches well with the amp!!

[Viesczy]

I've found every EL34 tube I've tried in my XXX made too "honky", the mids were just too much to my ears and it made the crunch/lead sound too much a like to me. I'd say stick with a quality 6L6, and honestly the biggest thing is settling into the active EQ on the crunch/lead and use it with the dampening switch on the back.

 

I can't remember the brand 6L6 I have in mine right now, Ruby or JJ if memory serves me, but I too have it running warm on the bias too. That helped to take some of the stiffness out of the tone too.

 

Good luck with the XXX, I prefer active EQs and I love an underdog amp. Now lemme wax poetic fanboy about the Genz Benz El Diablo, I have the head and the 60/30 combo and :phil: as I can dial in tones that cut, that are brutal, that are clean, and the tickle every musical fancy.

 

Derek

[sahlomonic]

 

Switch to EL34's. Run lower gain preamp tubes. Slam the front with a tubescreamer or clone. Turn the master all the way up and manage volume with the channel volumes. Throw an MXR 10 band eq in the loop to tame the fizz and bump in some low mids.

 

 

Pretty much this. And add a Genz Benz cab plus an ISP Decimator and that's the standard package for the XXX. When I had my XXX I did all of that minus lower gain preamp tubes, and I almost wanted to keep it. I think the active EQ was too much of a pain to try and dial the amp in.