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Peavey Max 110 (100w) Overkill for Beginner/Practice Amp?

Sidewinder7

Sidewinder7

Guest
Apr 3, 2013
357
578
South Jersey
#1
Just getting into it, looking for an Amp. The Peavey 110 (100w) seems to have a good reputation, seems to have great reviews on every site. I wonder though if this is overkill for my use?

I have no plans on playing with anyone anytime soon, just something to practice with in an apartment.

Should I instead be looking for a 15-50w model from a reputable manufacturer?

Perfectly willing to drop $200, but more worried about getting something too powerful for my living situation/skill/use. Would like good quality and a little growth potential if it is not overkill.

Thanks in advance for any advise.
 
#4
Sidewinder7 said:
Just getting into it, looking for an Amp. The Peavey 110 (100w) seems to have a good reputation, seems to have great reviews on every site. I wonder though if this is overkill for my use?

I have no plans on playing with anyone anytime soon, just something to practice with in an apartment.

Should I instead be looking for a 15-50w model from a reputable manufacturer?

Perfectly willing to drop $200, but more worried about getting something too powerful for my living situation/skill/use. Would like good quality and a little growth potential if it is not overkill.

Thanks in advance for any advise.
Click to expand...

A 100w amp makes sense because sooner or later, you will want to play out, so why limit yourself to rig that cannot compete with a drum kit or loud guitars?

A 200 or 300w combo amp is cool if you have the space and funds.
 
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#5
I am not familiar with that exact rig but I am quite positive it has a volume knob, should work fine for any situation.

Peavey is a reputable manufacturer, not many like the tone but you cannot deny the reliability. I put my old Peavey through a window and jammed on it within minutes.
 
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#6
I know where guys are coming from on the "it has a volume knob" comment but in my experience many inexpensive combos do not put out good sound when the volume is very far down. It is hard to get that sweetspot between electronics barely seeing voltage and too loud. You may find yourself rarely exceeding 1 on the volume knob as well as not getting the sound quality the amp is capable of delivering.

Try on in a quiet setting if at all possible.
 
#7
FourBanger said:
I know where guys are coming from on the "it has a volume knob" comment but in my experience many inexpensive combos do not put out good sound when the volume is very far down. It is hard to get that sweetspot between electronics barely seeing voltage and too loud. You may find yourself rarely exceeding 1 on the volume knob as well as not getting the sound quality the amp is capable of delivering.

Try on in a quiet setting if at all possible.
Click to expand...

Eh..........

If it is for practice, I am not looking for the end all be all stage tone.
 
#8
CL400Peavey said:
Eh..........

If it is for practice, I am not looking for the end all be all stage tone.
Click to expand...

But he might be. If the practice rig is the only rig it should sound good, not great but not crud either. It also depends on what one considers practice volume. Where I live practice volume is no louder than a basic TV.

As a relative youngster here with only about 20 years experience with SS amps for both bass and guitar, practice and gigging, I have yet to experience one that did not sound flat when the volume was near minimum. There might be some really nice pro-level ones out there but those are probably beyond this discussion.

Cheers!
 
#9
FourBanger said:
But he might be. If the practice rig is the only rig it should sound good, not great but not crud either. It also depends on what one considers practice volume. Where I live practice volume is no louder than a basic TV.

As a relative youngster here with only about 20 years experience with SS amps for both bass and guitar, practice and gigging, I have yet to experience one that did not sound flat when the volume was near minimum. There might be some really nice pro-level ones out there but those are probably beyond this discussion.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

This is part of why I encourage people to stay away from low end combo's. If the buget is limited, buying something used and of better quality is a better way to go.
 
#10
Agreed, but i am also talking $300-$500 bass heads that don't sound good without a little volume either, through good cabs, not just cheap combos. I have always concluded there just wasn't enough voltage to produce the true sound of the amp.

It depends on what practice volume is for him.

Again, this is based on my experience, yours may differ.


To the OP, i think the Peavey 110 is good for your needs and Peavey is plenty reputable. You have made the correct choice with any company by deciding to avoid the smallest combos in favor of something with a little more cab size and a larger speaker. They all seem to have a little better speaker specified into the 10" and 12" combos whereas most 8" and probably all 6" inexpensive bass combos have as cheap a speaker as they can get away with to get that price down under $100. It is a giveaway when the 1x8 is half the price of the 1x10, the more powerful circuitry does not chew up that much extra dough,
 
#13
MakoMan said:
You'll be fine with the Peavey. The 10" speaker will work well at low volume and won't be 'boomy' in an apartment setting. You'll also have enough volume to jam with a band or use it to play out with PA support.
There's a headphone jack if you really want to go easy on the neighbors!
Click to expand...

I have to agree even though I am not a Peavey fan. Plus the Max is a 'kick back' monitor style box which is something I like a lot for personal practice. Whether seated or standing, you can have your ears on axis with your woofer and get full sound at low volume level.

I would simply recommend playing every bass amp in the $200 range and pick which ever one sounds best to you.
 
#16
I agree that a larger/higher quality amp is better than the smallest entry level amps.

And a 100 watter is also plenty for certain gigs and jams so nothing wrong with an amp that can perform double duty.

My concern is this, pretty much even the smallest 15 watt bass practice amp is going to be too loud for an apartment.

I would strongly, STRONGLY encourage you to invest in a QUALITY set of headphones regardless of what amp you eventually go with.

Most amps now have CD inputs, it's a great way to play along with songs and learn them and play aggresive or whatever and not bother anyone at all.

Heck, my practice area is the unfinished basement of my house in a rural area and I STILL use headphones just to keep from annoying the rest of the family. :)
 

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