Hartley PEAVEY about chinese quality

[birdmang]

I can attest to Peavey's reliability, I put my old TKO through a window and still used it for practice that night.

However, I have yet to hear a tone I would consider anything better than adequate from a Peavey.

I have almost no experience with Peavey's bass gear, but I've played with a number of people who use Peavey guitar amps like the XXX, Valveking, and Delta Blues and they always had some pretty great tones going. I'd imagine it's the same with their bass gear: the budget end stuff will be passable in the tone department and the higher end offerings will be better. You just don't see as much of the higher end Peavey stuff.

 

[Spectrum]

Good OP, but did it have to be all boldface?

As for Peavey quality, I still use the Basic 40 combo amp I got in 1985. (Still have the instruction book and receipt for it even, found in a file cabinet!). I also had a 2x15" Scorpion cabinet that I wish I'd have kept as a backup. Back then I was a teenager and lots of musicians my age were using solid state Peavey stuff. Beer spilled on it, dropped off the backs of trucks, generally abused and beat to hell and I never saw any of it fail.

I agree the sound isn't for everyone, depending on which model you have. My practice combo sounds decent when you crank it up, which isn't saying much.

I prefer my Ampeg sound, but I don't trust it the way I trust Peavey stuff.

 

[Bassic Playing]

I have almost no experience with Peavey's bass gear, but I've played with a number of people who use Peavey guitar amps like the XXX, Valveking, and Delta Blues and they always had some pretty great tones going. I'd imagine it's the same with their bass gear: the budget end stuff will be passable in the tone department and the higher end offerings will be better. You just don't see as much of the higher end Peavey stuff.

An old teacher of mine had a little Peavey tube combo guitar amp, sounded amazing. As for bass, the guy from Dragonforce uses a Peavey 810 and tour 700 head. I caught them at a festival, and his tone was massive and punchy, with really good note definition. I don't think the top range Peavey stuff sounds mediocre. And if anyone has heard one of their new tube heads, they'll know that Peavey can come up with the goods.

 

[seamonkey]

"I've NEVER encountered any "magic." I believe that what people don't understand they consider magic, but if you UNDERSTAND techniques and technologies, then it becomes SCIENCE. "

Totally beautify industry expert commentary!

IMHO - there's no magic to building old designs in the US. We don't want old stuff here, or low skilled soldering jobs. We want the new technologies, long lasting healthy jobs, which actually isn't going to be same old hardware. Lower number of hardware choices are not actually needed anymore. China and other countries in the world also want the new technologies. There's a change happening.

 

[SirMjac28]

Peavey is responsible for launching many careers because their gear was affordable and reliable as far as the sound quality of Peavey gear? I think many musicians actually think the audience can hear every little nuance of their playing and tone within a band setting most only care that it's loud enough,you play it correctly and the notes are lower than the guitar.When most of the audience comes up to you after a show and say " I liked it but you would have sounded soooo much better with an Ampeg and a Fodera" then worry.

 

[Bassic Playing]

most only care that it's loud enough,you play it correctly and the notes are lower than the guitar

Hahahaha that's an awesome way to put it.

 

[B-string]

IDK I did "dress the stage" with my Ampeg V4-B under my G-K 800RB that was actually doing the work. Just to have people come up and say how much they loved the "Ampeg tone:.

 

[hopsbb]

First amp I ever owned was a Peavey 15watt practice amp.Bought it new in the mid 90's.It was surprisingly loud for a small practice amp.Sounded fine.In the end the speaker blew.My fault though.

I also used to own a Peavey Predator guitar that I wish I never would have got rid of.I loved that guitar.It played and sounded great.

I now own a set of Peavey Rb15 neo pa speakers and a peavey ipr 1600 power amp.Its my bands main pa for outside gigs and it has yet to let us down.

I think Peavey is an underrated company by alot of ppl.My advice to anybody looking for dependable gear at a decent price is to buy Peavey.

 

[nutdog]

Our band is using the BL's Peavey XR600C (early 80's vintage, he bought it new) and a pair of 2x12 Peavey speakers. This rig has done at least 1500 gigs with never a glitch (other than having to repair a power cord). I have a pair of powered Peavey PR12P (the earliest model) that work just fine. Peavey isn't pro-gear, really, but it's pretty darn durable.

I have an xr600c from the 90's. Every one of the xlr connectors came out when pulling out mic cables. Peavey offered to fix it if I shipped it to MS but the shipping costs were prohibitive. They shipped the parts but they were the wrong parts. My dad ended up doing the repair with non peavey parts. I still use it in the basement but it hums.

Also have two wedges with the 15 inch black widows. The woofer quit making sound. Was a problem with the pcb. Fixed it but it quit again.

Nothing amazingly durable about peavey in my experience.

 

[BazzTard]

However, I have yet to hear a tone I would consider anything better than adequate from a Peavey.

THIS.

So what if I can drop a Peavey down a flight of stairs and it still works (I did, it did) if it sounds like crap, and it does.

I liken it to my very first cell phone, sure it made phone calls just like my iPhone does, but it is a heavy,ugly brick that sounds horrible.

 

[nutdog]

However, some of the best tone I've heard was at a wedding. Squier 5er, peavey deltabass, Mesa 410.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I had such bad experiences with Peavy equipment failing in the late 70's early 80's that I'll never buy another Peavy product just on principle.

This is a joke, right?

.....Peavey isn't pro-gear......

Bull crap.

Peavey is the most underrated brand put there. Never as sexy as JBL, CV, Fender, Crest, Altec, Mesa, Ampeg, etc,. etc. More like the Chevrolet of band gear. But their gear keeps running and running. Rental houses have gobs of Peavey stuff that has the crap beat out of it as it has been in service so long. They are a huge company, worldwide. They recently bought Crest. You don't get to be a privately held company with such longevity and reach like that unless you know what you are doing.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Again, it isn't the best, but for most, it shows how durable they are, and the sound is decent. I may actually try some to see where they are now.

 

[Bassmunnky]

Great gear- I had a TnT that lasted 15 years- I got rid of it because the exterior was shredded- and you couldn't recover an amp for cheap and then got the Mark III-

no amp I've ever owned matched Peavey reliability


I'm holding out for the new "mega" and Mini Max-

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I had such bad experiences with Peavy equipment failing in the late 70's early 80's that I'll never buy another Peavy product just on principle.

Same here.
And this notion that "Chinese quality" is the only question... very silly.

 

[buldog5151bass]

If they weren't so $&&%$-in' heavy - 52 pounds for a 2x10, I might try one out for ha has.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

I think Hartley answered the question very well. A harsh reality that some people in America don't want to swallow, is that we're not always the best at whatever we are doing. The movie Gung Ho comes to mind, where a country with a different approach to their production may surpass American standards in time. I've owned several Asian-made instruments and they are fantastic.

 

[petrus61]

If any kid just starting out asked me what amp to buy, I would tell him "Buy a Peavy". My earliest memories of them was seeing the logo on the PA in my elementary school auditorium. Years later, my very first bass amp was handed to me by a drummer I met one day...a 60watt TNT. The first studio I ever recorded in had one of those Millennium amp monstrosities and it's still there, fully functional after what is easily 20yrs with no service.

I no longer play Peavy, but if I were looking for rugged, dependable gear on a budget, they would be the first stop for me.

 

[DWBass]

Growing up, I knew plenty of folks using Peavey combos, amps and cabs. Mostly guitarists though. I owned a Microbass and a TNT130. Never a single issue with either. I gigged the TNT all over NYC for many years. Bought it new in the early 80's and just sold it a few years ago. I did buy one of those BXP AC Milleniuum 5 strings. Was an ok bass. I traded it away for a Jazz bass.

 

[modulusman]

I have owned a boatload of Peavey gear over the years, {basses, bass amps, PA speakers, mixers, amps and rack gear.} All was pretty good for the money. I got rid of it all except a Peavey Distro. Too bad they can't make a decent powered speaker.