NAD!! Peavey Classic 20w Mini Head

[Dante]

My new favorite amp.

This thing sounds pissed...as in angry, not drunk. Like what your Fender DeVille would sound like if you could get it above 3 without killing birds nearby. The chicken-knob EQ section is surprisingly useful, as in, the freqs sweep very wide, allowing you to dial in a big variation of tones. This thing will go all the way to Metal and clean up like a Fender twin. Very chimey, especially with single coils. Very bottomy and low without going wooly..tight and responsive.

I used the parametric EQ in my G system to dial in a Classic Rock tone and a Modern Rock tone. I have a Metal EQ setting that I only use for a couple songs. It may seem like I'm limited - with only one gain level for all three 'voices' - but, I can clean it up by picking softer and get the grit by banging the strings. It's a spongy feeling tube amp (EL84s I think).

I've been practicing at home with it switched to 1 WATT  ???  and it'll keep up at band practice at 5 Watts. I guess I'll use the 20w setting for gigs, but I may not need to, I think the 5w is plenty loud enough for stage volume (I'm mic'ing my cab). Here are a couple pics for posterity, one with flash to show what's going on in the 1x12 speaker cab. The pic on the 4x12 is to give you an idea of the scale of this tiny little thing I call a Pee Wee Classic.

[rnolan]

Nice one Dante  :whoohoo!:

[Dante]

Just a quick follow up review; this amp still kicks arse!

I've gigged with it a few times now, used the 20w setting every time. I didn't have it maxed out, more about 3/4...which is nice. The boost on my G-system is more than enough for my solos (I think it's set at 5 or 6 db). Rolling back the guitar's volume knob is really nice - totally get another tone out of that. By far, the most useful amp in that respect.

I've been running my gain a bit higher than before, to get a pseudo fuzz sound vs. my typical super OD sound. The amp just begs for it, it wants to solo all the time :) and I find my solos more enjoyable with the tones...so I embellish more, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Whatever

This is a sweet little amp, just add good effects (I haven't used the amp's reverb at all). If you have a chance, nab one. They're pretty affordable if you're in the market for a little head (did I say that?)

[Dante]

BUMP

I have been playing this amp nonstop for awhile now. It is amazing. I cannot talk highly enough about the killer tones I get. It works with every guitar, it's easy to adjust on the fly for a weird room, it's tiny, lightweight and easy to carry.

I found the matching 1x12 cabinet for it, which honestly, is big enough to be a 2x12. The big cab gives this thing girth. I can keep up with my very-heavy-handed drummer at 20w. I find that 5 watts is more than enough for practice and recording. 1 watt is great for practice at home.

I control it with my Boss MS3, which is basically a multi-fx with 3 fx loops and amp switching capabilities. So, I can use it to control the amp and provide effects at the push of a button. Again, I only have one gain, but it's amazing how clean it gets with the volume knob turned down - and all points in between.

The pitch effects in the MS3 are meh..., so I got a pitch fork, which I find to be better than a Digitech Whammy pedal. Simply plug in the expression pedal and that thing rocks the harmonies, octaves, and weird whammy bends. The Mojomojo pedal is my 'classic rock' tone. The Wah has a Vox wah, Morley wah, and Crybaby. It also has a very nice Rotovibe that I use a lot, the pedal controls the speed. The solo button is a home made thing that sometimes shorts out and gives me instantaneous solos - haha - I need to fix it. It's not connected right now, I have a way to hit the solo with each patch.

Pix for posterity - enjoy

[rnolan]

Very cool Dante 

[Harley Hexxe]

Cool little rig Dante

     I read in a tech manual many years ago when I was learning about building amps, that the ideal cabinet size for a 12" speaker is three cubic feet. That's why my favorite 2x12 cab is a 1976 Fender 2x12, that looks like a 4x12 cab. It's one of the cabs that goes with my Fender 400PS head, and loaded with two Altec G-17H speakers. I used to use this cab with a small rack rig at gigs locally, and it was one of the most killer sounding rigs ever.

     Thanks for the review on the MS3, at least I have a better idea what something like that can and can't do. For pitch effects, I would always turn to the best on the market which would be Eventide. That's just my personal preference.

Harley 8)