Peavey 6505 MH: Mini-Compact Tube-Driven Tone, Guitar Amp with Legendary Tone, Modern Tech and Portability

All things went as it should without a hitch an happily playing my peavey

I don't get why everyone loves it so much. I returned mine, I have a Blackstar tube half stack and the overdrive channel just sounds terrible to me. I'm wanting a good metal tone tone straight from the amp, without having to use amp sims and pedals. This did not do it for me. I currently get good metal tones from a Spark 2 which I run straight into the clean channel of the Blackstar and it works great. I just wanted to see if there was something better. I've tried the Line 6 Pod Go and it's metal tones were terrible also. I'll stay with the Spark amp sims until I find something better.

This is hands down the best mini-head for classic rock. IMO, it is a loud 20 watts that you can gig with in a 3-piece. I used to own a 20W Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket and this is as loud as that, and I gigged fine with a loud 5 piece (rhythm, lead, bass, drums, keyboard). Of course, you can always mic it if your band is too loud. As for the tone, it's is AWESOME. People complain about the clean channel (rhythm) not being Fender, of course not—nothing beats a blackface reverb clean, but it's great as it is. Just keep the pre-gain 12 noon and under, and at 20 watts you have some nice headroom. I like the crunch switch in the clean channel, which adds touch sensitive break up, which is perfect for classic rock and blues. There's also a switch for a Marshall voicing on the rhythm channel, which does a good job of imitation. So for your jazz, blues, and classic rock, the rhythm channel is where you'll live.Now where the amp shines, of course, is the lead channel. Distortion up the wazoo to play ANY style of metal. I won't review that channel because others have already done so. But the lead channel is EXCELLENT. Best metal amp ever.In summary, the Peavey 6505MH is a Jack of All Trades, MASTER OF ALL amp. Get it.Get a good cabinet though. If you play metal you'll want something like the 1x12 closed back Mesa-Boogie Rectifier cabinet, which adds more punch to the mids and bass (I'm assuming you play metal). That cabinet is way heavier than the head, which weighs almost nothing.Before I leave, I have to give Kudos to Amazon Fulfillment. Previous to this amp, I ordered from 3rd party music stores, and TWO AMPS IN A ROW were damaged on arrival. These 3rd party clowns didn't pack the amp well, unlike Amazon, which double boxed the amp.This is The Amp™ to get for practice, home, recording and occasional gigging. 110% recommended.

The amp has overheating problems. According to Peavey is a problem with the design. They are trying to solve the problem, but until they get it, you are buying a hot lottery

Rythm channel crunch disengaged: Very good clean sounds. Did not expect it to be this good. Its a real proper clean sound. Very sweet sounding. Readily breaks up (smoothly) with high input signals but quickly and easily turns to semi-prestine clean with just rolling down guitar volume or gain knob or even selecting a low output pickup. Perfect for clean rock verses or with use with drive pedals.Rythm channel in crunch mode:Starts of as a slightly crunchy tweedy kinda blues overdrive, all the way to being a proper high gain solo lead tone, superb for solos of Satriani/Iron Maiden/Malmsteen/Judas Priest/Insert 80s rock solo here. In the middle gain position however it goes from sounding like a well defined crunchy rythm (think Scorpions "rock you like a hurricane" ) to clean with just your guitar volune knob. Incidentally this mid gain position turns pretty clean on crunch button disengaged and on my middle sigle coil pickup. and is very crunchy and overdriven on crunch button engaged (perfect for rythm) on my neck/bridge humbucker. Without changing volumes on guitar.The lead channel has TONES of gain. Gain for miles. Even with gain nob on 2-3 its has enough gain for van halen/satch/via/Yngwie solos. It always has sooo much gain. If you turn the gain up it changes the feel and tone, the gain is so high all the time that the gain knob is more of a tone shaping feature than an actual measure of gain. This amp does VERY heavy metal really well but it's not a heavy metal amp per say. All the youtube videos, no one shows you the exceptionally sweet bluesy, classic rock, hard rock and plain old-school metal (not death metal) this amp can do with excellence.Finally its VERY easy to get a good ton out of this amp, 1 watt really works loud and clear for home, but turn it to 20 watts.. on 20 watts its freakin LOUD.

I was looking for an amp that can give me great metal tone and whenever this topic comes up, Peavey amps like the 6505 + and the 5150 always come up. So then I started looking into the MH head. I was attracted by the price, the size and what everyone had to say about it. I had played thru a 5150 III before and thought the leads were really good and the tone was killer. What attracted me most I think was the gain rating that these amps have. I was pleasantly surprised at how much power this thing actually has. I play music in the neighborhood of Lamb of God, Slayer, Randy Rhoads style leads, Pantera etc. It is versatile and can do much more. I like that it came with a foot switch and the amp is very heavy and well built. I was worried that because of its size it would somehow lack in the sturdiness department. I play it thru an Orange cab and have yet to even try the 20watt mode. I normally play in 1watt or 5 for practice. As I mentioned, I underestimated this amp and it is totally up there in terms of great tone, affordability and quality.