Slight Dilemma - Peavey vs. Fender

[Miles]

I use telecasters and I use pedals for OD. I don't need/use reverb.

So, I'm basing both of these contenders based upon their reliability, clean tone, and ability to take pedals.

I currently own a Peavey Classic 50 4x10 and a Bassman RI LTD. I need to sell one to get a smaller club rig since I've got the mid-wattage 4x10 base covered.

Pitting them up against one another, I'm finding the Peavey has a nice PHAT midrange while the Bassman's Jensen Alnico speakers make my pedals sound very crisp on the top end with less midrange. Bottom end is somewhat equal between the amps.

That said, I know the fender is slightly better built. Jacks and tube sockets are chassis mounted on the Bassman. Yet, reviews and experience with Peaveys suggest that they are built to last despite more PCB mounted components.

So, I'm kind of leaning towards my Peavey soundwise while my head is telling me that the Bassman is more reliable.

What would you do?

[justnick]

That's a tough call. Both outstanding gigging amps to be sure.

If you don't tend to use the OD channel of the Peavey, I'd keep the Fender. I lean toward simplicity in a club rig and find the Fender to do very well with pedals in general. Agreed the mid-range voicing is different, but it's not unworkable with the right pedals (you can get a tone similar to the Peavey), and you have the option to really add to the mids by swapping out two or four of the speakers. The Bassman is a lot lighter.

And yes, the Peavey is quite reliable, but there's a lot more to fail on it too.

Tough call but...Bassman.

OK so, i just checked out your myspace, and have to revise a bit.

BTW, love the guitar tones on "Primitive," in fact, love the whole sound and song. A bit reminiscent of The Tragically Hip.

To get a tone like that with the Bassman, I agree, would take a bit of work with a pedal, or a whole TON of volume, or that and a speaker swap.

What did you use for that tone? I agree that you are getting an excellent and distinctive tone. So, I'd stick with that rig if it's your live rig. The sound is most important.

n

[Sean French]

Well, you have both.
Only you will know which suites your needs better.
Who cares what reviews and internet hype says.
It's up to you and your prefences.

So, which do you choose?
That is the answer.

[adkteleman]

I love both Peavey and Fender amps. But...I am more of a Fender man and would go with the Bassman. The Peavey is a great amp but for my taste the Fender edges it out!

[Miles]

Originally Posted by justnick

That's a tough call. Both outstanding gigging amps to be sure.

If you don't tend to use the OD channel of the Peavey, I'd keep the Fender. I lean toward simplicity in a club rig and find the Fender to do very well with pedals in general. Agreed the mid-range voicing is different, but it's not unworkable with the right pedals (you can get a tone similar to the Peavey), and you have the option to really add to the mids by swapping out two or four of the speakers. The Bassman is a lot lighter.

And yes, the Peavey is quite reliable, but there's a lot more to fail on it too.

Tough call but...Bassman.

OK so, i just checked out your myspace, and have to revise a bit.

BTW, love the guitar tones on "Primitive," in fact, love the whole sound and song. A bit reminiscent of The Tragically Hip.

To get a tone like that with the Bassman, I agree, would take a bit of work with a pedal, or a whole TON of volume, or that and a speaker swap.

What did you use for that tone? I agree that you are getting an excellent and distinctive tone. So, I'd stick with that rig if it's your live rig. The sound is most important.

n

Thank you for the kind feedback! I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to check that stuff out. I actually recorded that with an old Fender Prosonic head and my Gibson Trini Lopez.

To get that tone live, I currently use my older modded Traynor Bassmaster head through a 4x10 Marshall 1965B cabinet and a Big Muff. It NAILS that tone and then some. The Prosonic couldn't get wound up enough to sound large in live settings without getting fizzy or overpowering the mix in an unpleasant way. The Traynor and Muff put up that wall o' sound while staying within a good stage volume pocket. I hit an MXR micro amp for more insanity at the end.

I prefer to use a pedal rig since I can have variable dirt settings and voicings while not mis-stepping since I sing the lead vocals.

What's funny - the Peavey and the Bassman are actually my backup amps to the Traynor. I have used them both live and again...they're pretty close.

Another part of the dilemma - Our 2nd guitarist plays 2 Victoria 45410 Bassman clones! I do not, however, step on his toes in the mix when I use my Bassman since his dirt voicings are MUCH different. He also tends to use Les Pauls and I use telecasters. I do pull out my Trini Lopez for some of our softer tracks to play strictly rhythm undertones.

[justnick]

Oh, my pleasure.

Well you clearly know how to get great sounds so I doubt you'd be unhappy with either choice. But since you know how to get your sounds, go with your ears--keep the Peavey.

I've never been happy with a gear decision based mainly on non-musical considerations and I'm almost always happy with the choices I make based on musical ones.

As for stepping on toes, I also think that that is mostly about arrangements anyway, not gear. Plenty of great two guitar bands using similar sounds--as long as the parts are right.

[solitaire]

Both the Peavey and the Fender are 410 right? Can't you use the Peavey speakers with the Fender instead? Or buy different speakers for the Fender. That's what I would do had I been in your shoes. But then I more or less always reckon with replacing speakers when I buy amps, so I don't see that as sacrilage at all.

[Miles]

Originally Posted by solitaire

Both the Peavey and the Fender are 410 right? Can't you use the Peavey speakers with the Fender instead? Or buy different speakers for the Fender. That's what I would do had I been in your shoes. But then I more or less always reckon with replacing speakers when I buy amps, so I don't see that as sacrilage at all.

Both are 4x10s. However, Peavey speaks are 16ohms each, Bassman's are 8ohms each.

I'm not in a position right now where I'd be able to sell one and buy speakers for it. One needs to go and I need a smaller club rig/emergency backup rig. Then, I need to pocket the extra [family savings $]

[Miles]

other thoughts?

[teleman55]

Both are good amps. Go with your ears. If you've got the time and the space, do some gigs with both with an a/b switch. That would answer your question. Also, if you keep the Peavey, get a Deluxe Reverb for your smaller amp.

[CharlyG]

This sounds crazy, but Fender just because I loathe the Peavey logo.

Love the brand tho. And, truth be told, ima Fender amp guy, just don't like their axes.

[mikey808]

this is a no-brainer. a modernized IMO "decent" amp vs. one of the most classic amps ever made. don't get me wrong, in my experience the classic 50 is a great amp for the money but comparing the two is like comparing a ford taurus to a porsche...... my $0.02

[Miles]

Interesting and instructive input. I really appreciate it.

Porsche (bassman) vs. Taurus (Peavey) - not terribly sure about that. My Bassman has PCB in it too. All pots are mounted to it. Those LTDs are certainly not truly comparable to the reliability and craftsmanship of true old Bassmans or even Victorias and Clarks.

That said, it does have a couple of components that are chassis mounted (jacks & tube sockets). So, I suppose that's slightly beneficial.

The Peavey is built well, but just about everything is PCB mounted. I realize that's not necessarily a definite that it is less reliable, but it's something that I'm grappling with.

Soundwise - I keep coming back to the Peavey. The midrange is stronger and more lush while the Bassman has a high end sizzle that can't be dialed out.

The Sound: - I'm using these amps for dirty rock and I run a RAT and Muff Pi into these things. So, I need something that can give a pedal a nice voicing, but not make it shrill on the top end. With the Bassman, it's hard to dial out that natural extreme presence that it has without pulling out necessary upper mids while using higher gain frequencies. While the Peavey's speakers and voicing are naturally more pleasant in mids [possibly because of the EL84s?] and my dirt boxes sound much more natural through it right now.

Also, using a Telecaster, I need something that has some midrange to it. I'm also on an extremely limited budget.

Meanwhile, the Traynor head makes both amps look pretty inferior.

[james...]

Some observations.

-Both amps are very very well made. Don't let name brands or "QC" be a factor here. The Peavey is just as well built.

-Contrary to what some people might think, these are two very different sounding amps. The Peavey is much more Vox than Fender. Although if there's one Fender amp that resembles the tone of the classic, it's the Bassman. The Peavey has more midrange because of the el84's yes. At the end of the day, the Peavey sounds a lot more british than people let on. It's simply not an american sounding amp. Then again, the bassman isn't exactly the model american tone either.

-If you don't need 2 channels, keep the bassman. Both amps take pedals well but it's a crime not to use both channels of the classic. However, if you like the idea of pedals+channel switching, then the classic is great. It will obviously have more midrange too.

-Again, I want to stress this...the Classic is a great amp that many people will attest, rivals even the most boutique offerings. Just don't expect it to cop any timeless sounds. It's about 40% bassman and 60% Vox/Marshall. But it is a great amp that is by no means a cheapy. If you want classic tones, play a bassman or some other classic amp.

-To be fair, the peavey's really need a speaker switch before they become true beasts. I have tried everything from V30's to Alnicos to greenbacks. They love good speakers.

[Miles]

bump