The Best $200 Guitar Amp - The Peavey Special 130 - Ask Zac 142 

Peavey's only crime? Being affordable.

A most excellent episode. When I played with Jerry Reed in the early to mid 1980s we were Peavey road warriors. Nashville 400s and Special 130s were the workhorse amps of the day. They always worked and once you mastered the midrange control you were golden.

My Bandit 65 from the same era is a workhorse. The Special 130 and the Bandit 65 were always pro amps where I'm from. A lot of cats made a whole lot of cash rockin' Peavey. They sounded great and you could hammer rail spikes with the amp and then play yer gig.

Merle Haggard had a wall of Peaveys back in the day…I’ve got to tell you it was one of the best sounds I’ve ever heard ❤ sad that he’s gone

These Peavey combos like this and the Bandits are the sound of my childhood basically. These amps were dirt cheap and widely available. My main rig for a few years was a pair of Bandit 112s and my experience that everybody thought I sounded great, unless they saw what amps I was using.

I am late to this video, but just have to add- the house amp at the Continental Club Gallery here in Austin is a special 130. I always bring my 64 Princeton reverb, but one night it went down and I had to use the Peavey. I was blown away! Many years ago I used an old Peavey Rage practice amp that belonged to the engineer of a session I was on, and I was blown away. I played one of my buddies Peavey Wolfgang EVH guitars a while back and I was blown away. I am ashamed to admit that I went into each of these instances with my nose turned up before being proven wrong. Unjustified bias can be so strong, and I really hope to keep a more open and less pretentious mind in the future. Thank you for this video!

In the early eighties I had a used Peavy Classic 100 with 4 10" speakers - beast of an amp, weight and sound wise. I think I sold it in order to get a small Crate amp - the crazy things we do when chasing tone and didn't have the internet/research resources like now. This channel would have made a huge difference to my 18 year old self back in the day! Keep up the great work Zac.

Glad you made this video. Been trying to narrow it down before these prices go way up. Once people start seeing all these late 80s country acts all using them. Saw Dickey betts playing an old peavey recently.

Man this video was made for me! I love Peavey. I've played my Strat and Tele's through my 84 nashville 400 since 84! Recently acquired an 80's session 500 that might become my favorite. Both of mine have BW speakers and are awesome. Thanks Zac! I've also got a Peavey Falcon and a Reactor that are very nice for the money. Again, I love Peavey.

I’ve gigged and recorded with many silver panel peaveys. Special 130s are great but too heavy for me. My favorites are the Studio Pro series. It’s funny when gear snobs are shocked by the great sound😊

The first Peaveys I ever saw was with a group named David and the Giants in late sixties Mississippi. When I first saw Brent M. with Don Kelley he had two Peavey Bandits. I guess he switched to 130s later. In my circle I think Brent started the trend of playing in stereo. Good job Zac!!! I called some of my dog Fenders Chinese Whistlers because they sucked big time. I did see Robben Ford in NYC with a red knob Twin and sounded really good. A music store in Murphreesboro, Tn told me to take home a Classic 50 for the weekend and I came back on Monday and purchased it.

I know you're a busy man and I really appreciated you presenting Peavey amps in the way you have. One of a musician's greatest limitation is to get hung up on brands as the basis for choosing tools. The Classic line is still one of the best going. Not to be confused with Peavey's Classic hybrids from the late 70s, maybe before and yes they were decent amps as well. Someday, if you get the time, an interesting presentation is the Peavey T 60 guitars which were played more than is commonly known. In it's time it was the most innovative guitar on the market, allowing coil splitting in a very unique way and well as in and out of phase. The complaints today are "too heavy" . No more than a Les Paul. The neck is too thin. The T 60 was a solid built instrument and below the going prices of the big 2 brands of the day. Just a suggestion. I am a prehistoric boomer who appreciates what you do here.

One of the best pseudo Marshall tones I ever heard was a dude using a Boss DS-1 into a Peavey Classic head into a Peavey 4x12. It was fantastic.

It's a sad, sad state of afairs, that Peavey amps sound as good as they do, are made in America, and I wouldnt feel cool having one on stage compared to a Two-Rock or vintage Marshall. You deserve better Peavey!

I have a bandit 65. Never liked the sound, Reverb jangly and horrid. Distortion useless.

i played several peaveys over the years. for a while i was hauling arround my 6x12 peavey cab to play small bar shows. it had a speaker eaten out by mice but still kicked ass. fun days

Part of what makes Zac's videos enjoyable is that, unlike a lot of RU-vidrs, he doesn't MIX HIS VOICE REALLY LOUD or cut out the pauses in his speech. Sounds very conversational and less like an advertisement. God willing, these qualities will catch on again

Shhh, you're gonna make the price of Peaveys go up! Great video Zac, as someone who has loved Lynyrd Skynyrd since I was a kid and never had much of a budget for gear I've played several Peavey amps over the years. The one I have now is a Triumph 60. It was Hartley's answer to the Mesa Boogie, and the 120 watt version was the weapon of choice of Adrian Vandenberg from Whitesnake. Absolutely brilliant amp, two gain stages, spring reverb and a 12inch Scorpion speaker. Ironically I bought it for the great clean channel, but all the insanity you want is right there in the foot switch. Eventually I would love to find a Peavey Roadmaster or a Mace, maybe both. That Special 130 sounds great, a lot of people don't know that Peavey's first commercially sold amp was a transistor amp called the Musician, and it was a hit as well.

The great harmonica player Billy Branch uses a Peavey Special 130 and he never disappoints! Great episode!

Well Done! Still have my Peavey Renown! So heavy! That Chorus was the poor mans Roland 120. Peavey Reliable! We all have heard of the drops Peavey amps have survived!

Special 130 was my amp all through the ‘80s. Never let me down. Plenty loud, good tone. May have to go find another one.

I was into to Southern rock growing up in GA in the 70's. I remember seeing bands like Molly Hatchet and of course Lynyrd Skynyrd with Peavey amps. Also, I remember seeing them on stages for some country slingers as well. I remember seeing them and Ovation guitars allot in those days. The old solid state Peaveys still hold up pretty well - not a bad amp to have and you can pick them up cheap.

Now you make me want to trade one of my expensive gear I never use with it ah ah , that’s what we call G.A.S

Used one at a rehearsal space in the 80’s. I am a tube amp guy, but this Peavey is fantastic!

Wow this brought back some memories! My first amp was a Special 130. I think Dad paid $250 for a used one back in the early 90's. As you can imagine, I was super happy, since I had been playing through my friends' second inputs.

I had a Backstage Plus around that era.......my first "real" amp.

I really love the tone of your playing on that old Telecaster. It may sound weird, but your playing has a very healing sound. I use Peavey T-60 guitars and have since the early 1980's. Glad to see Peavey get their dues for years of great gear Hartley and his crew designed. I'm a native son of Picayune, Mississippi and am proud Hartley did what he did over in Meridian. Hartley Peavey was a manufacturing and engineering genius. He incorporated Computer Numeric Control and modernized guitar manufacturing, years before Fender or others figured this out. A true American innovator.

Peavey totally lit the world on fire with the 5150 in the 90s

I have to admit, I was not expecting you to say that you were from Kingsville Texas. I’m from Hebbronville. I live in Fort Worth now, but I was just doing some research on decent, Inexpensive Peavey amps and stumbled across this. Thanks for the info.

Great episode as always! Would love to see one on all the guitarists James Burton’s has inspired.

I still love plugging in to a Peavey. Check out the Yamaha G100 112 from the same era.

I bought a Peavey Studio Pro 40 new in 1984 . Did a lot of small gigs with that little monster . Still have it . I put a Jensen 12 inch speaker in it a few years ago and it sounds great .

Great amp. I bought one in '84. Still got it. You're point about that midrange/shift control being the key to a great sound is spot on. I couldn't figure it out at first but once I did it made a huge difference. The 130 was apparently used by a lot of steel players also. I use to play with Cal Freeman, Gatemouth Brown's pedal steel player, and when Cal saw it, he told me about it being used by lots of touring musicians, and wanted to buy it if I ever felt like selling. It still works great and seems to be indestructible. One of the guys I play with now uses it.

I had a bandit 65 as a 17 year old and loved that amp, and even recorded an album with it when I turned 30. And it sounded phenomenal. Like a fool I traded it. However, I recently found a Peavey 212 Renown, and I paid a simple $250 for it, and it Rivals my Fender half stack. I love that amp, I have always loved Peavey I never got on the bandwagon of dissing them, and I'm proud to say, I feel 17 years old all over again, loud and proud with this amazing amplifier. Love it! And yes, even with a simple Scorpion speakers American made 1980s Peavy, my bandmates are like, "uh, dang that's loud bro." Hehe.... Built and created an entirely new stompbox pedal unit to go with it. Including an original Tube Screamer stomp box that I also bought when I was 17 , and I swear I don't know that I will ever go back to digital again. Clean and pristine and loud and proud! Peavey amps all day long!

I’ve always felt that Peavey made great amps back then. Even the later red stripe Bandit is a great amp. People still poo poo Peavey products. My thoughts were if Hartley charged more for his amps or guitars he wouldn't have been considered "cheap and budget" gear. It's as if his desire to produce a honest great product for a great price hurt his brand reputation. Sounds stupid I know but some of the big name brands were overcharging for an inferior product at that time. Therefore some people considered Peavey products garbage because of the economical prices. Just my thoughts. I also own a mid 80s Peavey T-60 guitar that really sounds great. I find the neck a little too thin feeling but otherwise a great sounding guitar and a real workhorse.

Been playing a Classic 30 for a few years now. It IS NOT a USA made amp but sounds great and has a lot of versitility. I might mention the looks and build are top shelf.

I wanted to ask you for a Peavey episode for a long time, and you did it! I own a couple of solid state Peavey made in the USA which I really love. Well done, as usual

I had a Peavey Bandit late 80’s to mid 90’s. Plenty of gigs played with it, recorded with it too. They were great, some of the best transistor amps for sure.

Peavey Classic 20 Tweed was my introduction to low-power tube amps with sag. Made in USA, too. Still have it. But the tweed Champ EC took its place when it was issued. Also have the Boogie Mark I but never could get it to "sing" like Santana. Not a fan of MDF unless it is a battery-operated amp. This piece, however, might stimulate well-deserved interest in Hartley Peavey.

I had 2 of these from a church storage unit I got free and let them go. But when I got my bandit earlier this year for $20 I’m never letting it go. 🤠 peavey white stripes rule!

I always joke it’s the poor man’s Marshall. I bought and sold my first amp, Studio Pro 40 many times over the years. I’m on my 3rd or fourth. Each one cost $40. Recently I splurged $60 on a red stripe Studio Pro 112. I have a backstage plus I paid $29 for at goodwill. I think it’s the best amp you don’t have to give a puck about for practice, sketchy venues, or jam nights at the vfw. TNT130 or Combo 300 is the poor mans Ampeg

How many of us are on eBay right now looking for one...?!🤚 Another great vid!

I bought a Bandit 65 in new in 1986 for $249 on sale, I had it for about three years before I sold it for $200. I sure miss that amp, it was plenty loud enough to play with a loud drummer but it was also possible to use it at bedroom volume without it sounding thin and lifeless. I had a Rat distortion pedal, a Ibanez or Boss chorus pedal and Digitech digital delay, it was great fun. I've also had a few other models too, a Rage 158 and an Express 112. I don't know about now, but back then Peavey amps were great value for the money

The Mid/Shift knobs are key. Really allows ya to dial out the boxy nature found in the Bandits. My S130 is from 1982. All stock, still rockin’! 100% support that it’s the biggest bang for the buck. I knew many pickers in the 80s that retired their Twins for Renowns and Special 130s.

Zach, thanks so much for this video. I bought a Special 130 back in 1985 and used it for every gig, rehearsal, and practice. It was my only amp. Kept it through the early 90s. I played Country, Jazz, Pop, Blues, Rock, Prog, Fusion and it worked great for everything I need to play. Played Teles, Strats, and 335s through it. I think I need to get another one. Other than it being heavy, I can't say anything bad about it.

I bought a Special 130 in the 80s from Bourgeois-Tagg/Todd Rundgren/Sting guitarist, Lyle Workman and it served me well for many years.

Peavey bandit and studio 40 are also great amps and can be had for under 100.

Planned Obsolescence - I had a used Roland Cube. I had it repaired. I had it repaired again. The repair people told me that the "main board" had problems. The price for a new board for the old amp was astronomical. Now Roland sells the Katana. I've been told it too would be non-repairable. Then I see this old Peavey that chugs on and on. I'm strictly a beginner amateur, but when I pull stuff from the closet, I expect it to work.

Not a thing wrong with how that amp sounds! I've never played through one, but I have played through a Bamdit 65. Just a good, solid, nice sounding amp. I think part of the prejudice against them is the aesthetic.

My first amp that I bought in the early 80s was a Peavey Studio Pro 40. I paid around $140 for it. I gigged with it in bars. Best bang for your buck piece of gear I have ever owned. I had to get it repaired once and I paid about $60. It is still going strong 40 years later. I lent it to a friend of mine who’s learning how to play. I still think it might be the best practice amp I’ve ever had. Great video Zac!

That was cool. You sound wise/mature your review was concise and very informative. Not much good gear reviewer on RU-vid. Most are sponsored and talk too much while conveying close to zero useful info. Subscribed. Ps. I’m a kid from the 80’s too. We were helpless and left with not much gear option back in the days though I was working had for buying gear like Marshal 2204 (I wish I asked about the Jubilee I saw in the back during the purchase , these amp are expensive today) + there was no RU-vid and I put a lot of $$$ in guitar lesson with a jazz dude going to university, learning Jimi Hendrix, Rush, Metallica and company to show me back how to play it at his best capabilities. Today I realize he wasn’t a rock player at all, let me tell you this. He was a killer musician for studio to live situation, that’s for sure.

Peavey amps will still be in use by survivors of the Great Apocalypse. I have a blue stripe Bandit 65 w/Sheffield speaker that I bought for $40 a couple of years ago. It can get LOUD. There's a USA made red stripe Bandit Studio Pro 112 for sale near me for $60. I'm tempted to go get it.

Lynyrd Skynyrds Entire backliine was Peavy Peavy Peavy. If it’s alright with those boys it’s alright with me..

Another highly underrated Peavey solid state amp is one that I'm pretty sure was around the same time the Special 130 was is the Peavey Express 112. I'm almost certain it is the little brother of the Special 130. I own one of each, and the Express 112 sounds the same as the Special 130, but at lower volumes. Are you familiar with it?? If not, I highly recommend trying one out!

I just picked up a 1983 Peavey Renown 400 Vegas Model with an 15” Black Widow speaker. I never liked Peavey amps as a youngster, everybody had one though. I got this Peavey for free and planned on cleaning it up and trading it in for something else, but thing sounds better than any other Peavey I’ve ever heard! So now I think I’ll keep it, maybe.

I had a Special 130 in college in the mid 80s. Almost got me kicked out of my dorm when I put it in the window, turned it all the way up, and jammed away. I was told people could hear it a mile away. Rock and Roll.

great video i used this amp for 10 years early 80's to early 90's then i bought a mesa markiia and stopped using the amp and sold it biggest gear mistake ever zac is correct the combination of the mid circuit and the saturation circuit made this amp exceptional for fender strats and teles

My line up is a Peavey Classic 50 VT (pre IC-early model) a peavey heritage vtx, a Vox AC30 and my 5150! I’m going to get a hand wound Deluxe reverb and I’m done!

I'd better keep an eye out for the Special 130! 1 of my 1st decent amps was a Peavey Rage. Still got it but doesn't work. Bought it from a pawn shop with a cheap strat copy, for $130 Aussie money which was pretty good too. A Status silhouette Strat copy, w' a ply body. Still have that in storage too. I'd better go & empty my storage shed & sell some stuff. Been collecting Better gear over the years. Also have a "Dead Classic 30". Should buy a set of tubes / Valves to start with. Tech, otherwise. $$$

I have owned many different brands of amps over the last 20 years. Crates, Randalls, Fenders and Marshall’s. I loved my Marshall Class 5 and Marshall Valvestate. I love my Fender Bassbreaker, but my old 1980 Deuce VT 2x12 with Black Widows in it will peel the pain off the walls. That Deuce is built to destroy all eardrums.

I LOVE my Special 130 I bought in Nashville for $125!!!

Zac dammit these used to sell for $20.00 now you opened Pandora's box. You Told the Supersecret- now the price will be Unattainable for a Old Hillbelly Wanker playing a George Benson guitar or a Gibson Lucelle es 335, or a Fender ..or a Harmonica! Now all those Amplifer SNOBS will DITCH them 4,000.00@ amps and buy Peveys, in Berkly and San Francisco Craigslisp has Peavies goin for $14,95 delivered to your dore.

Great info thanks for makeing this video. I gig with a Peavey Special and a Peavey Bandit currently. It's the best designed gigging amp i have ever come across for sure! They are magic and extremly well desinged!

Played many a 130 downtown on Broadway back in the day w/Charlie Vaughn and had to punch them a bit sometimes.. Thanks for the time setting detail about other manufacturers. The Mesa’s back then were way different than what they turned into, like what Charlie Daniels played, which I believe they were Mark 1’s but his were highly modified. You really are a fantastic historian of all things Guitar/country! No surprise and Brad were kindred spirits at Belmont! Thanks for all of the interesting content! Great seeing you last month at the luncheon! You are a fantastic guy, please keep the content coming and teaching us all of this!! Your channel keeps on getting better along with your TrueTone Longe interviews. I watched every moment of the Redd interviews and the Don Kelley stuff!!

Never had a solid state Peavey (although now I kinda want a Special 130), but I will go to my grave defending those old tube amps. Back in the early 2000s I took a break from bands and got rid of my big amp (a 70s Silverface Twin - which I also hated, but not as much as my bandmates hated it). I returned by joining a very loud rock band and needed something big to keep up. I found a used VTM 120 half stack for $200 and it was incredible. But also huge and heavy (and also bulletproof) and it was traded for a Classic 50, which was also great and plenty loud. I then went to a Marshall JCM 900, which - to my surprise - I liked less (I still own it and am getting it serviced so I can put it up for sale as I have no good reason for a Marshall anymore). The VTM sounded a lot more like what I expected from a Marshall than an actual Marshall. The VTM secret is out though: I see heads for sale around $1000 these days. And I see younger bands with Deuces and Classics quite a bit these days. But yeah, whenever people badmouth Peavey, I always have to say "now, wait a minute..."

Saw the "Bottle Rockets" in 2002 the whole band used Peavey equipment Amps and T-60 guitars (multiple colors!) Of course same response, Mr. "Snooty" here thought Oh No!... Well Mr. Snooty got his ass schooled! They were killer with their Peavey gear!!! No more disrespect for Peavey from me! They made the all tube "Rockmaster" head and the totally awesome Classic 30, great amps.

Bro I was literally about to bring up the champ 12, I love them, the drive circuit is very much not for everyone and I think it's only really usable between 0 and 1 but that and the clean channel make for a fairly capable, very portable pedal amp. Also the red knob stuff is about the last fender stuff that had actual chassis mount tube sockets so they're still fairly easy to work on and the champs can be had in snakeskin which looks pretty mean and it definitely does the single ended thing That Peavey sounds good, the only thing that bums me out about them is the 80s-90s ones are becoming a not-so-secret weapon basically since Josh Homme started publicly touting the Decade and they're going up in price at least near me Classic 30s and especially the 410 classic 50s sound really nice when they get warm, my dad had a 30 forever when I was a kid, but working on them is not advisable... There was definitely some space saving that went into that design

Peavey's "Bandit"100watts nothing but crunch!!!!!!

Its such a shame that a Made in USA company managed to make the VERY UGLIEST guitars and amps with absolutely the ugliest logo ever(completely my obviously biased opinion). No doubt that there were some diamonds in all that coal... But Peavey did inspire MANY people to buy gear, play, and then buy GOOD gear, much like Danelectro did years before.

Thanks, Zac!. I've always had a soft spot for Peavey because my first 'real' amp was a Bandit 112 Scorpion equipped. It was rather heavy... haha

I have a 1989 80 watt Bandit that someone put outside for the garbage (when they were moving) on the side of the house next door to my ex-wife who told me about it. It did get rained on a little but not heavy rain enough to affect it. You say your Special 130 sounds kind like a Tube Screamer, well the lead channel on this Bandit sounds very much identical to a standard Rat pedal to me. When you turn the gain down it loses the bass which I think my Rat pedals tend to do. So in a way it’s only good if you have the gain above a certain level but has the most bass completely maxed out. This one does not have a mid control on lead channel which would be great if they did to get rid of honk. The clean side can be made to sound very warm since it has a full EQ-the reverb for a transistor reverb is one of the nicest reverbs I’ve ever heard although not as warm as a Fender tube circuit reverb. I did a stupid thing-I thought it OK to use contact cleaner on the pots ONE TIME, even though I had the correct kind of DeoxIT. After that I noticed the lead channel was noisier unless I’m mistaken. At least it’s not too noisy to use. I felt the same way early about Peavey that they were cheap low level amps. Over the years I bought a couple Peavey preamps a couple reverb pedals, overdrive pedals, plus the red stripe trans-tube Bandit made in America. I never could like the Scorpion speakers, they’re so bright and don’t seem to have lows. Other speakers can be a much warmer sound with more breakup.

I completely agree. There is no musical job, a Special 130 or a Bandit can't do. I just love these amps. I play in a country-punk band. After a Fender Twin and a Marshall Halfstack, I go on with a Special 130, I've never regretted it. The only sad thing is, it surely will survive me ;-)

Hey, you do a great job with these videos, thank you for this. Humbly requesting consideration of dropping the intros at the beginning of all the videos. Maybe its just me, I am doing too much clicking and consumption to avoid practicing.

Zac, my first amp was also some crappy Fender solid state then I got an early 80’s Peavy Classic 50. I used that amp for 3 or 4 years and even played my first gigs with it. I found it in a pawnshop for $150. It sounded great with a good spring reverb. Way better than some of the Fender amps of that period

I have a Stereo Chorus now, I've separated it into a head and can, due to the weight. That's an insane amp for your Dad to buy you!

Myself , went from Fenders to Vintage Clubs back then Yet , all my Skynard Friends played Mississippi Marshalls

Peavey Bravo 1x12 25W all tube EL84’s with spring reverb. Paid $275 on Ebay for it . Best $$ I ever spent on an amp and I own several high end amps. This amp can hang with all of them. Built like a tank.

Hi Zack, What happened to the acoustic amplifiers? I had an Acoustic 160 that came with an EV speaker. THANK YOU

Have a Combo 300 Bass amp with a 115 extension. Bought it in 86. Recently got the power cord frayed in a community room where I left it for anyone to use. I guess it's due for service ( it's first ever). Lol.

Peavey Special 130 is a great amp. I gigged one for years. Versatile, indestructible, sounded very good.

I had a 2 channel Peavy Classic 212 , built in phase shifter think it was 100w , great sounding amp , very loud when you needed the juice. Wish I still had it .

Thanks, Zac. After seeing your review, I went out and found an '85 Special 130 and brought it home last night. $130. Good times ahead, for sure.

Most recent guitar I've been getting to know is an early 80s Peavey T-15. Interesting little touches like the bridge having options for top-load or faux string-through break angles.

I have 2 amps. I know. I know. It's a sin. But only 2. A peavey bandit 112. And a peavey envoy 110. Love them both. I need nonthing else. I'm sure Steve Vai. Anf Joe satriani isn't worried about losing their job to me no time soon.

Thank You Zak! I bought a Bandit 65 in 1981 because I could afford it. It was my first gigging amp and I moved on to other amps a couple years later, but I kept the Bandit in the closet. 2 Weeks ago I pulled the Bandit out to do a stereo setup and it sounds great! The overdrive channel and the clean channel compare very well with modern amps! And, as you pointed out, they Ain't Expensive!

My first guitar and amp (that i saved money and bought) were Peavey. Fat strat and the stereo chorus 2x12. 1984

My first real amp was a Special 130 (I had a Gorilla before that, which was kind of terrible) and I used it all through the 80’s and 90’s while I was in my teens and 20s as a starving punk rocker. I put that amp through hell and it always delivered. For awhile I was using it as a head going into a Marshall 4x12. That amp never let me down.

My first amp was a little Peavey, solid state, learned all my first famous riffs on it. Moved on to 70s Marshall stacks with pedals hitting the front end, which is a whole other thing in itself, but Peavey today has come a long way to creating amps for every possible sound guitarists are searching for instead of just being known as the amp company with one sound.

My 130 is still going strong!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back in the early 80's I played in band and the lead player used a Special 130....it was painfully loud directly in front of it but if you stood just a few degrees off to one side or the other it was not overbearing. Standing directly in front of it. it would blow your ears out...like a laser beam of sound. Peavey amps were always under rated imho..great stuff.

Iconic American Made equipment if they made Canoes they’d be Grumman quality

Good sounding SS amp. Have owned several Peaveys over the years, inexpensive - not cheap 😁. Mine are all long gone and I typically play modelers now (Helix). However, I still own a 1974 MusicMan 112/65.. good to hear you mention that line of amps.

It's no secret why Peaveys were sneered at, and so many noses turned up; firstly, they were and are budget amps, designed to meet a price point rather than light up a player's eyes. That alone condemns them with players who see themselves as elite; only the best will do, and if it comes with extra weight, inconvenience, repair hassles and a hefty price tag, well, that's just the price of fame. But mostly, it was cosmetics. Nobody bought a Peavey because they thought it looked cool, or made them look cool. Start with the logo; it looks like it was drawn on the back of a notebook in shop class by somebody's 13 year-old niece, and that's putting it charitably, though in retrospect, it may have inspired a lot of those death/metal bands with the unreadable logos. And then they never changed it. Up until Hartley passed, it was the same silver side panels and aqua accents; it kept costs down, because unlike every other manufacturer, Peavey never needed to retool or refresh the look in any way; the focus was on durability, you can throw a Peavy amp or head down six flights of stairs and you probably won't even break off a knob. But there was also a performance point; a laser focus on what gigging musicians needed, a page cribbed from the legendary Leo Fender. Peavey made the ultimate blue-collar amp; that's why Skynerd chose them.

I have 2 amps that are workhorses they are early 80s peaveys a special 130 and a Bandit 65 they are built like army tanks i bought them used and have gigged with them over 20 years nothing will touch or compare to old peavey amps except old Fender amps up until 1976 after 76 Fender amps became horrible

I just bought a Peavey pro 40 for $80. It's gonna need to be cleaned and the pots need electrical cleaner, and it's just a great amplifier.

One of the best sounding amps I have ever used. Incredibly powerful and crystal clean.

There plenty available in pawnshops around Pensacola Florida the 80’s models , picked up a bandit for 75 bucks

I have about 5 peaveys. I love them. I had a red stripe bandit, a classic vt 212, a decade, a rage and an audition 20 (which is better than the decade). But now I have another peavey on my list.

Backstage Plus for me. Paid $100 used for it years ago. Reverb tank buzzes too much to use that feature, but it sounds pretty good.

Always appreciated Peavey when I started in the late 80's early 90's. So sad what they have become today though, a shell of what they once was. I have a Peavey Special 112 I still use daily as my garage amp.