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How is the Peavey Max 115 II?

S

squireguy

Jul 17, 2013
35
0
#1
I've been thinking...and I went to the store today to try out the Peavey Max 115 II. My god, it sounded amazing. However, I wanted to know a few things about its sound and reliability:

-First of all, and most importantly, how reliable is it?

-Does it crap out at like half volume? Because that's what I'm afraid it'll do...I got the chance yesterday to try out a Rumble 150 at any volume, and when I got it up to like 50%, it was neither loud nor good-sounding. So maybe it was just a defective product, but I'm getting weary of the Rumble now. I wasn't able to try out the Max at more than volume 1.

-What purposes are best suited for the Max? Practice? Gigging? Etc?
 
#3
I've owned several Peavey amps over the years and found them to be great amps in terms of both sound (and especially) reliability. However, the Max series seems to be geared to the low end of the market. I don't have any personal experience with that series, but if it didn't sound good to you in the store, then I would pass.
 
#4
It IS a powerful amp...It was really loud at anything past volume 1. And there is a good deal of bottom end...not as much as the Rumble, imo.

And Mossmatic, that's good to hear. It DID sound great at the store as well.
 
#5
Wow! I might just buy this combo over the Gk Mb115 then. I found a used MB115 for $200. It is light but only 200 watts while the Peavey is 300 watts and only 15 pounds heavier.

I can also get the Peavey for $250 out the door easily.
 
#9
Just got back from Guitar Center. I demo'd the GK MB115-II, GK MB210-II, and the Peavey Max 112-II. Let's just say the MB115 is the winner. The tone and bottom end is just so smooth! I did not like the MB210 or the Peavey 112.

I now have my eyes set on the MB115 :)
 
#10
I own a Peavey Max 112-II and like it a lot. I'm using it with electric upright in a folky-country band. It sounds great, has a nice high impedance input for piezo pickups, good sounding DI, built in tuner, plenty of EQ, and is REALLY loud. If it weighed 10 lbs less it'd be perfect, but that's the trade-off at that price point I suppose.

It won't compete with a loud drummer and distorted electric guitars, but it easily kept up with an acoustic guitar, one clean electric guitar running through a small combo, and a restrained drummer in a 200-seat venue.
 
#11
Jtaing562, congratulations! I COULD buy the MB, but it's just not for my taste.

And jasonbraatz, I have a question, since you have experience with the Max products: Would you recommend that I buy a non-returnable Max 115 II? Because the only store that sells them also has a no-return policy. I'm a bit annoyed at that, but it is what it is.

And finally, my brother is being an a@s again. He says that because the Max 115 II is 300 watts, it's not a practice amp, and he is therefore against me buying me. I honestly don't know what to do with him. He pretty much controls what I buy, and if I don't buy something he agrees on, he'll be angry at me forever.
 
#12
It does have a volume knob and the 12, at least, is very well controlled at low volumes. I use it to rehearse in the second floor of a 100 year old victorian flat with two unamplified acoustic guitars and two unamplified singers, no worries and no neighbor complaints. (Although the cable car that runs right outside the apartment probably desensitizes all the surrounding folks to noise.)

However, I'd say that unless you're getting such a killer deal that you could flip it easily on Craigslist, I'd stay away from non-returnable stuff. You'd probably do fine with the 112, and you can pick that up for $249 off MF.com. The 112 and 115 sound the same.
 
#13
I own the Peavey Max II, and I am very impressed with it. It has good bottom end, decent power, and great tone. The line out has a great balanced sound to it. I have been playing for 30 years, and I've used a lot of different amps, but this amp is perfect for small to medium sized venues.
 
#14
I know this thread is old but here is my experience.
Bought one and was defective. Sent back.
Received second one. Was defective as well.Tried to get my money back but store only gave credit.
Called peavey rep from the store as well as the store manager and both made it out as i didnt know what i was talking about and wouldnt help me out.
Contacted a peavey guy on talkbass. Sorry but i forget his name right now.
He guided me through taking it apart so i can inspect it myself.
Missing a screw on the transformer and the transformer was loose and vibrating badly against the wood.
Also misc. loose screws attatched to magnet on the speaker.
Talkbass peavey guy got me the parts i needed and i fixed it myself. Such a great person and was the only one who would help me.
Amp is fixed no vibration noise and a couple weeks later at a gig it dies.
Take to warranty center an hour away and wait for weeks for it to be repaired.
Got sick of it and sold it on kijiji for 200$ which with tax i was out 140$
Now about the amp....
It did sound good, very versatile. Good do growly, fat and thick, and agressive punk mid treble sound as well.
A little heavy but not too bad at all.
The built in tuner pretty much was blah.
Very unreliable and hard to get it to be stable.
Very loud for a single 15 i will give it that but if you went past noon on master with the gain up to 10-12 o'clock it farted out easily but then again it was plenty loud before that.
Overall though the yorkville xm200 that i replaced it with when it died blew the peavey out of the water.
 
#15
It would be an outstanding purchase for the money and Peavey has been building rock solid amps for 40+ years. Read all the amp complaints and count how many Peavey complaints you find compared to other brands. If Peavey's reputation for building solid gear holds up, you should be confident in this purchase.

I've been buying Peaveys since 1979 and I've never had one fail at a show, I've abused many of them, and I've regretted selling many of them.

Go to Musicians Friend and Sweetwater Sound and read the great reviews about these great combos. I wish there were some videos on Youtube demoing the amps.

I would tell your brother the amp is a "convertible," capable of quiet practice situations, as well as stage shows.

Peavey is just plain good stuff. Money well spent.
 
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