So what's wrong with Peavey?

[vikingrat]

Most of it isn't made in the states at all. Hartley can talk a great game but in the end it's BS. There is good and bad but it's no different than any company that out source their products. Vox for example. You like it that rules. You got something at a killer price and it works for you. I Don't think that Mr Peavey stays up to many nights thinking about QC. That's what the retailers do.

[Fenezz]

 

Everybody raves about their products. I've had a Peavey Delta Blues 210 myself and I loved that thing. Anyway, everybody knows the deal. Very excellent products, great prices, made in America. So what's wrong with them? I ask that because if something wasn't wrong with them, they'd sell more and be more expensive. Instead, they seem to always top the charts for "underrated" and "best value," which isn't exactly the race you want to be running. Other than the 5150, it just doesn't seem like any Peavey products have reached legendary status. Why? Is it the logo? Because the logo does suck.

 

 

IMO, Peavey has always been the Chevrolet type workhorse -- nothing fancy, but it works. Their mics, amps, boards, cabs, power amps all get the job done. You can buy a 70's or 80's mixing board and power amps cheap, and while the stuff is nothing fancy, it will probably be around far longer than most of the brand new chinese-made stuff.

[RUExp?]

 

Most of it isn't made in the states at all. Hartley can talk a great game but in the end it's BS. There is good and bad but it's no different than any company that out source their products. Vox for example. You like it that rules. You got something at a killer price and it works for you. I Don't think that Mr Peavey stays up to many nights thinking about QC. That's what the retailers do.

 

 

That's more recent though. They resisted using overseas labor as long as they could but in the end they had to in order to compete.

[Brainfertilizer]

 

My Nitro came out around the same time as the Vandenberg, and is a *way* better guitar. To be fair, though, my guitar is a limited edition neck-thru model. The standard bolt-on Nitros were no great shakes. http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p146/one4rich/Gear%20Pics/?action=view&current=PeaveyNitro001.jpg

 

 

Well, better guitar or not, the Nitro never achieved icon status.

 

And I'd have to disagree that your guitar is better. It could be....I like the on/off switching you have there. I also have the same style switching on my Hamer USA Chaparral and on my MIK Westone Corsair, but neither of them are as good as my Vandy, so switching alone can't win the day.

 

Personally, I prefer the 24 frets, ebony fingerboard of the Vandenberg; it looks like you have a Peavey-licensed Floyd Rose...I prefer the Kahler 2700 mine has (although not all Vandys had them, true). Maybe you have the 2700, too...I saw a few YouTube vids of Nitros with the Kahler.

 

I also love the unique violin cuts on the Vandy, and the body seems to be slightly larger than the Nitro, which I also appreciate.

 

The action is extremely low, and the tone rocks on my Vandy, so the Nitro is probably as good, but really can't be better.

It may just be personal preferences, but the Vandy definitely commands more on the market than the Nitro...saw a baseline Vandy go for $800 a few months ago...and the neck-through signature models, if you can find one (I haven't seen one on eBay in years) probably go for close to $2k. Though since I haven't seen one available, that's a complete swag on my part.

 

Still, the important thing is you love your guitar and I love mine. I wouldn't trade, I'm sure you wouldn't either.

[D Carroll]

Because they are just okay. The classic series doesn't "blow fenders out of the water" they are different amps.

[svejkist]

The logo comes in handy. If you need to during a gig, you can yank it off and use it as a ninja Shuriken.

 

It's Klingon for "quality."

[diceman1000]

 

I guess that for many years, I wouldn't have considered Peavey. It's a bit like Crate. You get burned and you start hatin'.

 

 

ya know, i was just talking to a friend about this saturday,,, the Crate SS stuff, less the Power Block and Flex Wave, is {censored}... but ALL of their tube amps are decent and the Vintage Club series is flat out BADASS!!!

[diceman1000]

 

Because they are just okay. The classic series doesn't "blow fenders out of the water" they are different amps.

 

 

well, my Crate VC3112 stock will blow a Fender HRD stock out of the water:o:D

[MojoFilter]

 

I guess that for many years, I wouldn't have considered Peavey. It's a bit like Crate. You get burned and you start hatin'.

 

 

This, most definitely.

 

The Peavey company of the 80's turned a lot of people off, especially those who used their amps. Their amps had very few selling points: they were cheap, and they were near-indestructible. Most beginners knew they were garbage, and couldn't wait to get rid of them when they could afford something better. Ask anyone who played through an 80's Peavey Bandit, with the infamous "Saturation" knob.

 

The guitars were better than the amplifiers, but the look of the T- series put a lot of players off.

 

They've come a long way since the 80's: their guitars have undoubtedly improved, but the amps have improved to a degree that they're now in line with the majors, and across genres. The 5150/6505 series is pretty much a standard for metal, and the Delta Blues 1x15" and Classic 30/50's are absolutely viable alternatives to people that play lower gain.

 

I think they've largely wiped away any lasting stigma of the 80's by now. Their growth almost parallels Hyundai: when they started out, they were awful, but they completely turned their products around.

 

Some other companies from that era really haven't: Dean, Crate, B.C. Rich.

[diceman1000]

 

This, most definitely. The Peavey company of the 80's turned a lot of people off, especially those who used their amps. Their amps had very few selling points: they were cheap, and they were near-indestructible. Most beginners knew they were garbage, and couldn't wait to get rid of them when they could afford something better. Ask anyone who played through an 80's Peavey Bandit, with the infamous "Saturation" knob. The guitars were better than the amplifiers, but the look of the T- series put a lot of players off. They've come a long way since the 80's: their guitars have undoubtedly improved, but the amps have improved to a degree that they're now in line with the majors, and across genres. The 5150/6505 series is pretty much a standard for metal, and the Delta Blues 1x15" and Classic 30/50's are absolutely viable alternatives to people that play lower gain. I think they've largely wiped away any lasting stigma of the 80's by now. Their growth almost parallels Hyundai: when they started out, they were awful, but they completely turned their products around. Some other companies from that era really haven't: Dean, Crate, B.C. Rich.

 

again, Crate tube amps are sadly overlooked... as are Dean guitars... and yes, i have experience with both...

[CoqBelliqueux]

ya know, i was just talking to a friend about this saturday,,, the Crate SS stuff, less the Power Block and Flex Wave, is shit... but ALL of their tube amps are decent and the Vintage Club series is flat out BADASS!!!

 

It's quite a gamble, really. Marshall seems to get away with its MG line because their other amps are iconic, but some other brands have to get split, otherwise you lose customers as soon as they need to upgrade. Everyone I know has had a Crate stop working. The Rage 158 by itself has the power to ruin Peavey. Even lower-end Jackson guitars can damage Jackson, they're just so terrible.

 

Attract customers with a brand name and risk losing them later on when they're disappointed?

[D Carroll]

well, my Crate VC3112 stock will blow a Fender HRD stock out of the water:o:D

 

My gibson vrt-15 can blow a vc3112 out of the water

[MojoFilter]

 

again, Crate tube amps are sadly overlooked... as are Dean guitars... and yes, i have experience with both...

 

 

So have I. In my opinion, there are better choices for the money than either of them.

 

My favorite Crate product of all time was discontinued: the Power Block. The Power Block was a killer idea for working musicians as an emergency backup amp, and they potentially could have sold a million of them. Why they were discontinued, I'll never know...

[BoneNut]

 

They've come a long way since the 80's: their guitars have undoubtedly improved, but the amps have improved to a degree that they're now in line with the majors, and across genres. The 5150/6505 series is pretty much a standard for metal, and the Delta Blues 1x15" and Classic 30/50's are absolutely viable alternatives to people that play lower gain.

 

 

I never played Peavey's old line but was very impressed with the Classic 30 I bought a few years ago. I'm not much of a brand whore but I've had a couple of well known and highly regarded tube amps. At the end though, the C30 turned out to be the keeper. Yeah, it's modded and that wasn't cheap at all but it's the best sound I've ever gotten from a tube amp... and that's saying quite a bit.

 

In retrospect, maybe I should have bought the one with the 15 inch speaker, that had a better out of the box tone but I'm 100% satisfied how my C30 turned out. I think a lot of times we disagree about gear because we listen too much to our gear with our eyes instead of our ears.

[MojoFilter]

 

I never played Peavey's old line but was very impressed with the Classic 30 I bought a few years ago. I'm not much of a brand whore but I've had a couple of well known and highly regarded tube amps. At the end though, the C30 turned out to be the keeper. Yeah, it's modded and that wasn't cheap at all but it's the best sound I've ever gotten from a tube amp... and that's saying quite a bit. In retrospect, maybe I should have bought the one with the 15 inch speaker, that had a better out of the box tone but I'm 100% satisfied how my C30 turned out. I think a lot of times we disagree about gear because we listen too much to our gear with our eyes instead of our ears.

 

 

The Classic 30 is a great gigging amplifier. I see quite a few people around where I live using them. Those and Fender DRRI's...

[fretmonster]

My mid-nineties vintage Delta Blues amp runs hot, has no tube guard and is heavy and awkward to move, but it ain't goin nowhere I don't take it. I actually had to think twice about a trade for a 69 champ (great harp amp) from a friend that is determined to get his own Peavey Delta Blues, but in the end I couldn't do it because it is just such a warm three dimensional sounding amp that's just perfect for Blues and Classic Rock.

[Furtive]

 

The good stuff and the {censored} have the same name, that's what. After hearing my friend's Rage and my own Bandit, I'd never buy Peavey again.

 

 

An old Bandit is probably the best used amp anyone can find for $100. Put a good speaker in it and it sounds fine.

[foose4string]

This, most definitely. The Peavey company of the 80's turned a lot of people off, especially those who used their amps. Their amps had very few selling points: they were cheap, and they were near-indestructible. Most beginners knew they were garbage, and couldn't wait to get rid of them when they could afford something better. Ask anyone who played through an 80's Peavey Bandit, with the infamous "Saturation" knob. The guitars were better than the amplifiers, but the look of the T- series put a lot of players off. They've come a long way since the 80's: their guitars have undoubtedly improved, but the amps have improved to a degree that they're now in line with the majors, and across genres. The 5150/6505 series is pretty much a standard for metal, and the Delta Blues 1x15" and Classic 30/50's are absolutely viable alternatives to people that play lower gain. I think they've largely wiped away any lasting stigma of the 80's by now. Their growth almost parallels Hyundai: when they started out, they were awful, but they completely turned their products around. Some other companies from that era really haven't: Dean, Crate, B.C. Rich.

 

Peavey made some decent gear in the 80's too, but your basing your opinion of them based upon the lower end gear they offered at the time. Just like today, better Peavey stuff got overlooked for Marshall or Fender. Also, Peavey was a staple for country and blues players and geared much of their product line towards that genre. Is it possible a Roadmaster would have changed your mind? I have a TNT150 bass amp from the mid 80's that I'll never part with. I gigged that amp for many years, and it is still going strong after 25+ years. Just a good sounding, rock solid bass combo IMO. Hand truck not included.

[profgalen]

I have an old 70s Peavey Duce that I refuse to sell (I've had offers). But at 130/w it's usually to big to gig. It's got to be cranked to shine, but when it does....

Very ugly though.

[foose4string]

 

An old Bandit is probably the best used amp anyone can find for $100. Put a good speaker in it and it sounds fine.

 

 

Yeah, I'm not sure where the Bandit hate is coming from. We must be spoiled by the modern hybrid and modeling amps. Obviously not the best thing Peavey ever came out with, but it was also priced accordingly. That was a lot of power for a little budget SS combo at the time. Not the greatest soundingthing out there, but what was the alternative, Crate and Gorilla?

[MojoFilter]

Peavey made some decent gear in the 80's too, but your basing your opinion of them based upon the lower end gear they offered at the time. Just like today, better Peavey stuff got overlooked for Marshall or Fender. Also, Peavey was a staple for country and blues players and geared much of their product line towards that genre. Is it possible a Roadmaster would have changed your mind? I have a TNT150 bass amp from the mid 80's that I'll never part with. I gigged that amp for many years, and it is still going strong after 25+ years. Just a good sounding, rock solid bass combo IMO. Hand truck not included.

 

Perhaps, but you couldn't find a higher-end Peavey amp at music stores around me during the 80's. Places simply didn't carry them. They were widely viewed as entry-level by the music stores themselves, both the guitars and the amps.

 

Amps? You saw a ton of Marshall, Fender, some Randall. The best you could find from Peavey was a solid-state 2x12", and it was always cheaper than anything by those first three. The only other entry level amp brand that I saw regularly were the old wood-stripe Crates, which were just as bad as the Peaveys, but slightly less expensive.

 

Electric Guitars? You saw a ton of Gibson, Jackson, Kramer, Hamer, Charvel, and B.C. Riches. Shit, it was hard to find a place that actually carried Fender Strats during the 80's.

 

Thems were the times...Metal was king, and the product lines were represented as such.

[CoqBelliqueux]

 

An old Bandit is probably the best used amp anyone can find for $100. Put a good speaker in it and it sounds fine.

 

 

POS

[Matt Gnarly]

I think part of it is aesthetics, like others have said the logo is tacky, the trucker girls on the XXX are horribly cheap looking, I really don't like the light up logo on my 6505+.

[MojoFilter]

 

Yeah, I'm not sure where the Bandit hate is coming from. We must be spoiled by the modern hybrid and modeling amps.

 

 

I think it's justly deserved. I played on a friend's Bandit 1x12" for a year before I bought my own amp. I knew it sounded terrible, even then. The cleans were flat, sterile, lifeless and dull. The "gain" channel? Harsh, metallic, piercing with absolutely no smoothness or definition. The reverb was pitifully bad.

 

I recently had rehearsal space in a full-blown warehouse, and my bassist dug an old Bandit out from his house and had it laying around. We plugged it in for about 10 minutes, and unplugged it quickly after. It was as bad as I remembered it back in the 80's.

 

I think their only saving grace was that they were cheap...affordable to a 14 year-old, without too much trouble. The modern equivalent of that amp is the Fender FM212R...it has almost exactly the same sonic characteristics...and it's just as cheap.

[DRPool]

Say what you want but for me the price/value equation is crazy in my favor with these two rigs.