New (old) Peavy Bandit 65 solo series

[RFR]

Yeah, picked one of these up for a hundred bucks. A 1983
Super clean, came all original with cover and footswitch.

I used to be in a band where it was running a Marshall and the other guitarist had a 2 12 Peavy combo. He had the sparkly clean and I had the crunchy. It was a great combination in the band mix.

Never really dug solid state amps but they have their charm.

But this Bandit I picked up, I'm really impressed with. It's loud, has great clean tones, is real responsive, and on the grit channel you're right into 38 Special ( the band) tones. With subtle gain staging it sounds great and cleans up when you roll off the volume.

For years I guess they've been selling cheap cause they're 'sleepers' with only a small cult following.

If so, count me in as a cultist. Lol
I'm suprised. It's a great amp, and I've got a few nice tube amps. This fits in the big leagues along side them.

Anyone else got experience with these hidden gems?

 

[arcaxis]

Sold one I had back in 2001 to fund something else (Fender amp I think). Sold it $150 for it back then. Loud amp and it did have a unique sound with the 'Saturation' knob.

 

[RFR]

Yours looked pretty clean! Did you like it?

Initially I just got it to leave at the rehearsal space. I'm tired of lugging my expensive tube anps.
Drummer is always complaing I'm too loud, so I figured this 'little combo' wouldn't do loud and would be a good pedal platform.

I was suprised! Sucker's louder than it looks, and sounds better than I thought.

Anyway, for one Benjamin, can't go wrong. Half the price of some pedals.

 

[ecc83]

I poke my nose in (wanted or not!) at <thefretboard.co.uk> and IIRC the Bandit has been mentioned a few times as one of few really good sounding solid state amps.

The place is full of Limeys like me but there is great wealth of knowledge residing there about amps and their troubles.

Dave.

 

[RFR]

Yeah, I'm pleased.

 

[jimistone]

Yeah, I'm pleased.

i like peavey amps. I had a bandit that I gigged with for a while. it was bullet proof and sounded good. I sold it because its overkill for a project studio...plus the crunch channel is so-so IMO.

i now have a peavey Bravo tube amp that is killer and a peavey classic 30 tube amp that is great.

 

[jimistone]

those old peavey cs800 p.a. amps are the best sound system amps ever made IMO.
electrical spikes, speakers, getting accidently disconnected, drinks getting spilt on them, getting thrown in the back of a van by drunk and tired musicians.....

they still keep goong like enegizer bunnies.

i still have one from the early 1980's that works perfect.
It is very beat up and road worn....not pretty...but works like a brand new one.

It did quit on me one time. I took the cover off and blew the dust out of it with an air hose....worked like a brand new one after that.

 

[Chili]

I still have a Bandit. 1x12, but no clue what the wattage is.... Great clean channel, horrible fizzy distorted channel. I heard a while back that they are great amps for that clean country sound.

I never use mine. In fact, it is sitting in the attic wrapped up in plastic. Maybe I should sell it.....

 

[RFR]

Playing around with mine over a few rehearsals, I've figured it out.
Clean channel great.
Dist channel ok. But with tweaking, pretty good.
I have discovered that setting the pre low, and the saturation low is pretty good. You get that fendery on the verge of break up sound that you can clean up. Just roll off your vol and/or soften your picking attack and it cleans up nicely like a tube amp.

Where I've found it to shine is as a pedal platform. When I stack overdrives, I'll use the low sensitivity input.

All in all, it's a great amp to just leave at the rehearsal studio. And it keeps up with the drummer real well. Have never turned it up past 3.

As far as tone???? Well it does pretty well, and besides, what's it all really matter once the drummer and bass player kick in. They're usually the ones fucking up the song anyway.