Played a Peavey 3120 Today

[Fartknocker]

Wow, one badass amp. Nice chugga-chugga-chugga!

It was at Guitar Center, for $999 with a 4x12 (which is probably junk)

 

[Fartknocker]

Yeah it was nice!

 

[ejecta]

I played one too about 2 weeks ago. It was not bad at all for those heavy tones. Like you siad nice chugga chugga. Kinda seems to me to be along the lines of a working man's Mesa Rec.

 

[Fartknocker]

I played one too about 2 weeks ago. It was not bad at all for those heavy tones. Like you siad nice chugga chugga. Kinda seems to me to be along the lines of a working man's Mesa Rec.

Sounded good at low volumes, too.

 

[K Odell]

I have plans on getting one. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

 

[ke2]

I hope it`s going to be priced around the same as the 6505, they are actually affordable even in VAT-buttrape Norway.

 

[ranalli]

It's apparently just a rebadged XXX w/ EL34s.

 

[Chris O]

Necro-bump...

I got to check out one of these yesterday, and was beyond impressed with it. If it is indeed a XXX Redux, they sure did a good job of hiding everything that sucked, cuz I hated the XXX. If I needed another amp, I can't think of another amp that I'd get over this one in the under $1500 price range. It sounded like a great Marshall mod - nice mid-range snarl, without the fizz. Gain as far as the eye can see, but very usable up to about 2:00, when it got a bit too compressed in both crunch & lead channels. It was voiced quite pleasingly. Great for people with Marshall ears. I can't think of another amp in the sub $1000 range that comes close to this one, and it is Made in USA to boot! This was also one of the only tube amps I've played where I think I could just plug straight in, no effects, and be pretty happy with what I was hearing. Played it through a crappy Peavey cab too, so I can only imagine it would be better through my GB loaded Marshall 425a.

I gotta think this would be a GREAT AMP for any gigging guys out there who want to leave the Cameron's and Friedmans at home so they don't get wrecked. I really thought it was that good! If I didn't have an AxeFx, it would have come home with me, and been the best $700 I ever spent on an amp.

Edit: re-read another post, and while it can do the chugga-chugga thing, I didn't find this amp to be particularly Mesa-ish in character at all.

One other thing - the clips online really do NOT do this amp justice. It's WAAAYYYYYY better in person.

 

[apophis]

i have a XXX...with proper tubes its pretty good.....it gets bashed probably because of the crappy stock tubes and user error in handling the active EQ's, they are extremely sensitive

 

[blackba]

I never considered the Peavey Triple XXX since I didn't like the cosmetics. Glad to see they changed them up.

 

[Chris O]

I never considered the Peavey Triple XXX since I didn't like the cosmetics.

There's that too...

That said, nothing about this other than the name "Peavey" said anything "XXX" to me.

 

[maddnotez]

i have a XXX...with proper tubes its pretty good.....it gets bashed probably because of the crappy stock tubes and user error in handling the active EQ's, they are extremely sensitive

That was my issue exactly, tried it in store before I even knew what a tube was. Thought it was the weakest amp ever....

Im gassing to try one with good tubes, what do you use in yours?

 

[chunktone]

i have a XXX...with proper tubes its pretty good.....it gets bashed probably because of the crappy stock tubes and user error in handling the active EQ's, they are extremely sensitive

+1.
I've had one for quite a while, and can get some very usable tones out of it.

 

[apophis]

i have a XXX...with proper tubes its pretty good.....it gets bashed probably because of the crappy stock tubes and user error in handling the active EQ's, they are extremely sensitive

That was my issue exactly, tried it in store before I even knew what a tube was. Thought it was the weakest amp ever....

Im gassing to try one with good tubes, what do you use in yours?

Same tube setup i used on my old ultra +....

V1 Tung sol RI
V2 JJ 12DW7
V3 Tung sol RI
V4 Sovtek LPS as phase inverter

Powertubes: Either JJ or winged C 6L6's, jj has more bass depth, but winged C has a clearer tone and i prefer the more detailed mids....They also say Kt77 rule in this amp but i have not tried them

Cabinet: Vader 412 or Fatbottom 412 (eminence speakers+peavey amps=very happy coouple)

 

[apophis]

tube in bold is no typo, look it up....also forgot that CRUNCH channel is where its at...boost it if you like

 

[MississippiMetal]

It's still made in the USA and priced so low because minimum wage in Mississippi is comparable to that of the 14 year old chinese factory worker.

 

[nwright]

I never considered the Peavey Triple XXX since I didn't like the cosmetics.

There's that too...

That said, nothing about this other than the name "Peavey" said anything "XXX" to me.

It is a XXX. The only difference besides cosmetics is the 3120 ships with EL34's (XXX was 6L6's). I played a 3120 side by side with my XXX both through the same cabs and to me they sounded the same. My XXX had EL34's, though. IMO the amp does the chugga chugga better than the 5150/6505 in terms of thickness and definition.

Also, the XXX II is a rebadged JSX.