Check out some of my music: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html Check out more amp reviews: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHNo5bubVjV1OW04gkqU8rM.html
I still regret selling mine - when you have the footswitch, this thing is incredible. The boost works on clean and dirty channels, so you really have 4 switchable sounds live. Especially if you don't use a lot of modulation or time effects, you can (and I have) played sizeable spaces with just this amp (especially if you're mic'd up).
I got this amp and I got a Peavey Express 112 teal strap from the 90', they both sound really good for practice and gigging, buy one if you had the chance. Greetings from Argentina.
The pickups in his mahogany strat are stacked humbucker made by Seymour Duncan(I think, maybe DiMarzio) they arent the problem, but I do think a mote traditional style humbucker like an SD-100 or a JB or wtf ever that's not a stacked strat PU would be a slight improvement. And I believe they are insanely high resistance too. The problem is that the stock speaker is shit and the gain channel is a waist of time. Stack a TS into a high gain distortion pedal and run thru the clean channel on modern voicing with the tube emulation on 100%. You'll be like "Oh...ok, now I get it. There is a reason why some swear these amps are bad ass..." It defies normal logic. I had a blackstar hr-5r with an upgraded 12" and I loved to run a ts-9 into the gain channel and it sounded amazing. And the clean channel with a ts-9 into a soul food was beautiful for John mayer to JImi or SRV. But the peavey transtube is a totally different story. The blackstar is more like a marshall to me. Run a clean boost overdrive into the gain channel and enjoy. But the peavey TT is more like a non master volume fender tube amp to me like an old deluxe or twin. The clean channel is a great pedal platform amp. The gain channel is total shit. It's a tease. Its or you're kids to play with because you won't let them use your pedal board because it's too fragile and expensive for them.to be trusted to use Period.
@@bobby1970 It's actually not the same. The old transtube were not "digital" amps, they were analog and they used a modified transistor designed to bleed off excess DC voltage into AC signal when it starts to smack the amps voltage rails. Digital amps don't have input power transformers. That's the big metal thing that is mounted on the outside of the amps cage. It converters the input DC power to an audio signal which has to be AC power to drive the speaker. The analog transistors.are designed to bleed the excess DC current when driven too hard. That's why ss amps sound so harsh at high gain because there is no bleed off for the DC current, which is what tubes were used for because they convert the excess current into power and.thats why tubes light up brighter the harder you drive the.amp. As far as how digital amps achieve a similar effect,.I don't know. But it's class D it's super efficient and can sound clean even at high output volumes. The affects including the amp model distortion choices are control by a DSP program that just adjusts to the selection and you have to spend forever manually changing the preset to sound the way you like. But I still feel that peavey makes one of the best "swiss army knife" digital modeling amps. But I'd get the higher wattage with the 12" version because the 8" is weak and the lower volume ones crap out early. But, it all.means.that the modern "transtube" system in the vyper series is not.the same, no transformer because it's a digital amp. It's like the "tubelogic".system that Roland uses to emulate tube sound works the best of the digital processing systems but I think the old analog transtube amps nailed it. With a good speaker upgrade choice and the right pedals it can sound much better than cheaper tube amps and even rival some of the mainstream nicer tube amps (no hand wired or boutique amps) but it's something that shocks some people to see how good it can work. Check at the UA-cam. Channel ",in the blues" it's an Australian guy who compared those amps to many of the other tube emulation amps and even against some tube amps. It's worth the time..
Every rock/metal guitar player MUST have one Bandit 112. I bought mine back in 2013 (made in USA) red stripe version. I paid used $140 in mint condition. I have replaced the Sheffield 1230 speaker with Mega Boogie Black Shadow celestion speaker (UK made) bought from ebay. It stands up against my very loud rock band and the sound is unreal. I also use it for live gigs. a Monster amp hands down! I throw my pedal board into the clean channel only. Even though the dirty channel is crazy good also.
Bandits are legendary. My first amp was silver stripe 80s (I think), and lost it along the way somehow. I remember noticing that Thurston Moore used an old Bandit for his solo gigs, pretty consistently for many years. FWIW
I recently got this amp and I am currently happy with it since its a start for me and I dropped the line 6. I actually got to hear a tone change when I switched guitars that I couldnt tell when i would use the line 6. Thanks for this review
Ditch the overdrive channel. But it’s a great little amp to use in the clean channel as a pedal platform. Use an “amp in the box” plexi type pedal and you’re there! Now, I used to have an OLD Peavey Bandit back in the mid 80’s and the overdrive channel was much better than this one. Cool and informative video. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
The bandit sounds good clean and very good with good quality distortion pedals. The overdriven channels sound mediocre but not horrible if you factor in the low cost of the amp. A good practice amp or budget gigging amp for a garage band guitarist.
In the top 3 for me 1. JCM 800 2. PEAVEY Bandit 3. VOX AC30 But, If I was stuck on a deserted island and I could only have one amp, it would be a bandit!
I recommend anything Peavey for beginners. Esp the ones made in Mississippi when Hartley was hands on with operations. My first amp was a Peavey Classic 4-10. Very affordable...and reliable
If you like it stock like it came from Peavey it some models will blow your mind with a better speaker and no you don't have to spend big bucks to get a much better speaker. Serious give it a try you will be amazed at how much better it sounds. Most Peaveys never had very good speakers and by now most bandits are getting pretty old and most likely have been played loud and hard so it only makes sense to replace the speaker.
I had a feeling that this amp would not be for you. I have it, and I like it a lot. But my playing style is very different than yours. For me it's fairly light, small, loud and I can get good tones from it. And it is what I can afford. And when I'm gigging a lot I don't have to worry about a tube going out.
THANKS Dennis, I just serfed round the Yey Tube n Me too have the amp, and its very good! and how in the hay is Elmo gonna his favourite amp, or video his words back, :::I dont know but I know..., ::: WEIREDO!, Iva had experience with this amp live and omg , ! Elmo seems not weird but for this vid he seems..., I mean its the Peavey Bandit 112 Trans am,,,,,
I like my amps to be simple and that's why I love old school Marshalls . Had many an opportunity to buy Peaveys but always put off by the relative complexity, despite bullet proof build quality. My one foray into complexity - a Line6 Spider IV 75Watt - has been a disaster and my preferred amp at the moment is an old MG30 DFX . In the house the Micro Cube rules though.
The Orange Micro Dark is my favorite for at home sounds...but that's because it's a sleeper bass amp too. It's very simple and also very versatile. The micro dark also has an effects loop
Don't know why nobody's impressed with the Modern overdrive setting. It's all I use. Both the vintage and hi-gain settings have way too much midrange/mushy tone for my taste. Also, I notice the hi input works best with single coil pickups, the low works better with humbuckers. You also get in increase to 100 watts with the use of an 8-ohm extension cab. This amp has been a workhorse for me.....
I read on the forums that these newer bandits are not as good as the older generations (Teal stripe, silver stripe and red stripe). I have the Silver version from the late 1990's. It has fewer voicings. I only use the clean and mild gain channels with an OD pedal. It weighs a ton and has a Sheffield speaker instead of a Blue Marvel. I haven't played these newer Chinese versions, but I see them listed for sale all the time...there must be a reason for it.
It's probably because of the speaker differences between the two generations, would be my guess. I've heard that some people have upgraded the speaker to a high quality aftermarket speaker, and that dramatically improved the sound.
Not sure how it works with the newer bandit amps as I have never played thru one, but I know on the older ones ya pretty much leave the gain side alone. All the best sounds come off the clean side, including the gain sounds. The louder it gets the better it sounds. Just some food for thought. Great review and playing as always.
I own the silver strip bandit 112 but cant use it much because it has a short and cuts in and out. But I didnt pay a penny for it. Sounds like its worth the fix.
I have a 70's Peavey 40-Watt with Scorpion Speaker still Sounds Good Clean. I Use it for Keyboard More than Guitar. They Make Some Good Stuff, I have a Few of Their Guitars a Falcon and an HSS Mid Price
It’s not just about gigging if one knows how to set this amp up well it sounds absolutely insane I love this amp The modern mode is terrible I use classic
@@lucid_delirium976 eminence legend v12 is perfect for what you want. Cuts the high end fizz and boosts the bottom end. Worked great in my red stripe Bandit.
@@andyc5729 I did a deep dive into some amp/guitar forums and came across your suggestion too! Now I'm really considering it. I have the modern bandit (bought like new with the pedal for 200$). Would you say its a better replacement than the texas heat for this particular bandit? I play post punk/alternative mostly. Really dig the amp for my playing style. (But that top end fizz must go).
@@lucid_delirium976 no idea tbh. The eminence legend is what Soldano used to use in their SLO cabs. It’s basically a Celestion vintage 30 in that it has strong lows, mids and a tapered off high frequency which fattens up the fizz. I found With all the noon the speaker sounded like the PV stock on 3 o clock bass. Treble was just warmer.
Not tried one of these but was interested how it might sound, so thanks for reviewing Elmo. It sadly sounds a high powered mushy solid state and definitely not the quality of the older 70's / 80's Peavey combo's that can still be picked up reasonably priced secondhand.
Living in a three bedroom-house and having five kids obviously keeps you on your toes in terms of furniture and arranging your house as to get the highest possible effectiveness. From that perspective a 1*12-amp is always interesting. This is not the one to get me to trade in my 4*12. Especially since my two oldest might be moving out in a few years 😁. Other than that, interesting review and hyvää joulua, Elmo Löylyator Karjalainen 🎄
Sounds pretty nice for me. Of course, is not a Mesa, but for the money and being a solid state, it’s nice. Also, it’s a matter of taste... I pretty much liked the dirty channels. Anyone?
I've had one of these for a couple years and there are things I like and things I don't like *cough* Modern *cough*, but I think overall you can get a sound that you like out of it. Right now I have the clean channel on Classic, and the lead channel on Hi-Gain with the pre gain on like 3. And I bounce back and forth between that and the Classic setting depending on what I'm playing. I set the gain fairly low, no more than 5 or 6 really, and I use an EHX Hot Wax to drive it. It's just enough of a boost to get the saturation I need while also giving me a nice clean tone with I switch back to the clean channel. Even with the "tight" damping, the amp is still pretty bass heavy compared to distortion pedals I've put through it. Maybe a little EQ pedal in the chain would help that. But overall a good amp, especially since they're so cheap.
Ahahhh...A review of a bandit, in which the reviewer doesn't just play the same small handful of chops as in all their reviews... Great review. I loved it and the humour fits well (".)
I picked up a red stripe bandit USA model back in January 2021. 200 bucks. I remember they also had this bandit as well (the one in the vid) for 30 bucks more. Needless to say, I went for the red stripe hands down. Not saying that the newer bandits are bad or anything like that, but once you hear how good the red stripe is in person, its hard to not go for the classic red stripe!
It's a shame that they don't still make the red stripe amps anymore. I heard that the sound quality is less in the new Bandits, because the speaker is different now. Hopefully that's the case, because it would be worth it to me to upgrade the speaker in the newest generation Bandit, if I can make it sound just as good or better than the red stripe Bandits.
Hey Elmo just wondering as I myself have never played through a Plexi but maybe I am biased as I do own a Teal stripe Bandit from the early 90s and love it and don't know how this amp sounded in the room but to me sounded pretty good through my tv speakers on your video, anyway thank you for your great videos although your comedy video about the Fender Champion 50xl is my all time favourite video ever on youtube and if i ever have money to waste on a joke i will definitely buy one of those Champion 50 XL's just to turn the bass all the way up and treble all the way down like you said to just to laugh when i am in a bad mood, LOL
I watch so many of your reviews and others of amps it's really a search for the Holy Grail , I mention for me, living in a small flat, I would love a VOX AC10 at least but I would never ever be able to properly enjoy it, without finding myself on the streets, I never see a purpose of buying something you cannot use it to it's full potential, just a waste of money, finding that amp is the Holy Grail for home users,
For strictly home use? Blackstar HT-1 or Marshall DSL-1. This one, for the same price, is good at home and gigging. I wish the Vox AC10 had a low power switch. If it did, I'd already own it. But if you really want a vox for your situation, check out the mini super beetle.
Orange does a good solid state; CR120. I liked it...for a solid state. If you get a chance it may surprise you for a solid state. Solid state can be good for jazz players, I generally find them to kind of lack character, they just get louder, and they do get loud, but there's no change in tone when you up the volume, for obvious reasons...they're solid state. .
I Agree! I own one, and as Elmo here demos, the Clean Classic and Warm are just great with a strat neck pup! I use OD pedals for more overdrive...VERY LOUD, DRUMMERS BEWARE!
I, for one, cherish my Vypyr VIP as much as my Princeton Reverb '65RI. TransTube does sound very good to me and has supposedly been blind tested against tubes.
Squire did you ever own the original Vypyr Amps?I have the original Vypyr 15w,30w and 75w and i still like the high gain tones i get out of them,i wonder how the newer VIP Vypyrs sound compared to the older Vypyrs?
@@jimsimmons2674 Unfortunately, no, I missed out on the originals but only because I wanted the option of the VIP3 Bass guitar handling capability with its heavy duty speaker. I love "artificial" high gain tones anyway, like a carefully adjusted setting on a Metal Zone even, but the Vypyr tones don't sound artificial at all to me compared to tube amps. In fact, some highly regarded tube amps sound more "artificial" to me than the Vypyrs do. Weird, isn't it? Love Trans Tube though and Mr. Peavey is a genius that makes gear, as he attests, "reasonably priced, but Not cheaply done".
112 sounds familiar, definitely solid state. I had an '80s version Peavey Bandit 65, a great amp for what I needed at the time. Played Fender, Gibson, PRS/Fralin pickups through that amp and all of it worked.
I'm a little surprised you didn't like it, but I hadn't realised how much they cost new! As a sub £100 used buy I think their pretty good, but I agree, you can do far better for £350, that's used classic 30 money!
Had one of these at one point, got it for about 130 US bucks and sold it later for 115. I’d say it was worth the fifteen bucks! I hear the older US-made Red/Silver stripe models sound better, I’d love to get my hands on one but they have really gone up in price as UA-camrs have rediscovered them. Good review as always, Elmo!
My first amp was a silver stripe peavey bandit 112, I lent it to a friend who was starting a band, then I moved to another city, and I lost sight of it, I don’t know who currently owns it, 🤣
Elmo, you got some good sounds out of that amp! I had a Peavey Special which is the higher 🔋 powered version of the Bandit back in 1982! This was my third amp, the first being a classic Ampeg Jet (1962?) For what it was I thought it was cool, certainly better than my next amp. I thought I needed a half stack...any half stack, so I got a lumbering Ampeg V4, which had no drive channel and sounded bad with my Boss Distortion pedal. I gather the new Peavey has more features, but I wonder if it sounds similar to the one had, for what it's worth, I've never met an amp that didn't require some eq tweaking, some more than others, Bruce.
It's a great amp, but need 2 mods; a master volume - it's quite easy to do via the efx loop.The mic out is less than optimal, because the amp needs to be cranked to deliver a strong signal. I tapped the efx out with a Di. box with a speaker sim. Now I can set the 2 channels to my liking, get a good line out sound, AND, set the overall volume from the master volume. ;-) Oh, and it's reliable, big time. Having tube amps fail live makes you appreciate this ;-)
@@MrPolevaulter I would say that's unusual ;-) Do you have your amps teched often? I have spent way too much money on amp techs. There must be a balance between expenses and income unless money comes flying in your window all the time ;-)
@@christianboddum8783 Haha :D Money doesn't fly around my place :D No I basically never have them looked at. Then again they're Plexis, so they're pretty reliable.
The main problem is that, as much as I like Peavey's products in general, I feel they added too many 'switches to nowhere' on this model. Was it really necessary to put 'Warm,' 'Classic,' 'Ga-Ga,' and 'Goo-Goo' on each channel? One other thing, I suspect Peavey doesn't really want anyone using an Overdrive, or distortion, with their amps, and never did! 😂
Maybe if you weren't so busy looking down you nose....Try Dave Simsons channel for a Bandit red stripe review, with single coils and humbuckers. He has no bias with respect to cost, or solid state. Some friendly advise, Elmo: Don't review amps that you have inherent bia's about. All your suffering as you slog through, does not show you in your best light.
This amp is serviceable AFTER replacing the stock speaker, which is very peaky and harsh. Be mindful that you will experience cabinet buzz, the metal faceplate under the logo will vibrate against the amplifier, bad design. You get what you pay for, but it is a very impressive sound for that money.
@Luke You can get the Bandits used for $250, a speaker upgrade is about another $100, for that money you'd be hard pressed to find anything better. Many gigging musicians use these amps, and plenty of pros will attest to the quality sound.
@@MrPolevaulter I thought about getting a "Katana Artist MK2". I wonder if it would be better than the Bandit? It has something called Tube Logic technology. The Bandit has TransTube technology.
30 years ago I had 2 Peavey Bandits run in "stereo"...well through an Aria Stereo chorus... loud but never liked a lot of low end. Crazy thing is , they were around £350(€400) in 1990!! And it was one clean channel, one lead with no voicing options, no damping. ...and the gain channel was not good!!
Hello from the USA. I also played two bandits in stereo out of my Digitech RP200. One amp in the kitchen , one in the back bedroom , like 30 feet apart . The whole setup came from pawn shops, those were some fun times!
I see other youtubers praise this amp. Could it be that you looked at it the wrong way? Many SS amps don't colour your sound and interact with your pedals like a tube amp does, it just amplifies the sound you are putting into it. So if you want it to sound like a pushed plexi you need a pedal that sounds like a pushed plexi, not try to push the amp when it sounds like a plexi starting to break up. I was thinking of getting something a bit different from my Blackstar HT20 tube amp that was cheap and reliable that I could toss around... Had a peavey envoy but did not like it so I sold it. The cleans was very clean and sterile, and the overdrive was harsh. Guessing the Bandit might be similar, just bigger and louder...
@@bobby1970 I'm no expert and haven't tried that many amps, but the Bandit does get a lot of good feedback from other UA-camrs that claim it is a good pedal-platform. Intheblues used a Fender Mustang III v2 for a long period of time before he switched to the Bandit. He has a lot of videos on both those amps. I found a Mustang III v1 for a really good price and think it is a good amp without pedals. I have a few pedals and have no complaints, but I don't use pedals much as it has a lot of options so you can tailor the sound to your liking. Only pedal I use on it is an EQ-pedal in the loop to reduce some of the unpleasant high frequiencies that are typical for distorted tones on SS/modeling amps.
Har haft en sån här, modern kanalen är fan förjävlig :D Föredrar min gamla teal stripe. Även Red stripe... Bandits från 80 och 90-talet, både utan och med transtube teknologin, är definitivt bättre än den du spelar på, speciellt på overdrive och distortion. Men det är i princip alltid clean-kanalen+en bra od pedal som låter bäst!
I kind of wonder what could have gone wrong here. 🤔Really. The overdrive sounds worst than the cheapest 5 inch practice amp combo bought at the supermarket on sale. None of the rest of the demos on YT sound as bad, quite the opposite.😅
Nice démo elmo of the Peavey bandit and im not a fan modern distorsion channel im, classic guy like Malmsteen,vanhalen,and im poor i buy peavey i want Marshall i dont like de new distorsion!i used to have Three bandit!
Made a comment here and it disappeared. Maybe UA-cam doesn't like me or I hit the wrong button. At any rate new ones go for about $450 US or about $580 Can.
100% agree with you Elmo. The current Peavey's are not for me either. To my ear they sound like software plugins at all volumes... Peavey had some significant changes to how and where they build their amplifiers. This being said, i still own a hand built Bandit 112 and Special 212 from 1996/1997 which, while now needing new capacitors, are the most beautiful clean amps for playing cleans and as the foundation for taking pedalboards. I wouldn't say they were cheap as the 112 alone cost $900 AUD in 1996 and a Marshall JCM 900 was not much more in price then... so must have to guess there is a large gap in quality from then and now with this range of Bandits...
@@bobby1970 certainly loads more features and great sounds. It comes down to personal preference though. The mk2 certainly sounds very smooth and cuts well in a mix with bass and drums, for me I find it a little weak at live levels but it is very nice to record with
I hear the tones vary depending on which generation of the amp you have. I have one of the Red Stripe Bandits and like it, but I tend to use the more vintage sounds. My little Envoy is just all kinds of f u n ! But I haven't played with the Silver Stripes or the new ones. Maybe the distortion voicings are better on the older models. You can also make the clean channel break up with the T-Dynamics knob on the older ones. I guess the new model doesn't have that feature.
Have You driven the orig speaker in? cause it makes a whalw of a difference, and I also read the original Peavey speaker is vevy gooD ! luckily Ive got 2 Tech 100 watter speakers for "spares", but to demo an amp just out of the box is not vevy good now is it?!
Don't go that route, the speaker is quite good, and and a different speaker will not make it into a glorious tube amp, just a cheap amp that you never will be overwhelmed by anytime... choose wisely and spend your money right. I like my Bandit because it is loud and clean and reliable. I've used it in a Worship setting and it was good there, at the moment it's semi retired since I've gone Helix FRFR. But for a simple small gig with a pedalboard, I know what it will deliver ;-)
Huh? Any Peavey Bandit, no matter if it's the OG, the Teal/Silver/Red stripe or the newest one, they're all solid as hell for what they are, if anything the older versions (especially the early 80s version which you mention) are better then these new ones imo.
These amps are very popular in my area on small stages with country guys. Or guys that play country. Some guys actually use it as a pedal platform. I've had many peavey amps over the years, but only the renown 2 x 12 was a solid state and it weighed ad much as a battleship, and was soooo loud. The only other amp louder was the 120 watt peavey 2 x 12 tube amp I had that gave you a hernia carrying it. 😂🤣 Their tube amps rock. Love the 5150 class amps personally. If you used the clean channel with a fav distortion pedal it might work, but once you buy both you might as well buy a tube amp by peavey or anyone else. I'm really wanting to try an Engle amp. I've also not tried a bogner. Great video sir. The Katana is cheaper at 50 watts new and much better. IMHO. Hope you and yours are well my friend. Is it cold there? It's freezing here in the midwest my friend. Good news is the vaacine is being distributed and maybe in a month or so we will not have to live indoors all the time and we can burn these fucking annoying masks. 🤣😂🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟💖💖💖🤟🤟🤟
Probably late for the comment, I have a few amps, and looking for another for the herd.... for someone who runs a pedalboard and gigs, what would you recommend, this peavey bandit, bugera v22, or fender pro Junior? I haven’t tried the new bandit or pro Junior In in person. I guess mainly looking for fullness and at least a little headroom.
I have the Bugera V22... sounds fantastic, but it burns the tubes. I’ve sent it to 2 techs... none of them could fix it so far... it sucks! I will get rid of it and buy the Bandit and.... no more freaking tubes. Hope this helps you. Cheers!
I’m not a fan of Peavey guitar amps. No real reason. I’ve always been a Marshall, Randell, Roland, Mesa, Vox, Orange, Fender and recently Boss kind of guy. I didn’t really think this demo was as good as it could have been. Seemed like you, the Elmo guy just hurried through this one.
You're doing it wrong. Turn your tube emulation to 100% (rear panel right side, I think) to the left of that set it to "tight". Put a TS style op-amp (not preamp style like bb preamp!) And use it as a clean boost (gain 0, output maxed) and run that into a high gain pedal (I use a blackstar dual LT, American setting full on with the red channel) and run that into your high input...... Wait for it.... Use the clean channel , modern setting. Never use the gain channel, it's a trap for posers. Oh, and swap the speaker for a swamp thing... Or a mojotone greyhound.(I highly recommend, what I use in my red stripe studio pro) or use a (gross sounding, hehe) greenback loaded 4x12 cab since I'm sure that you have a hat sitting around anyway. That blue marvel is really a blue turd and it robs that amp. If after all that you don't think this amp is friggin seriously bad ass..... Then it's you, cause it's not the amp. These amps are bad ass, but do require specific knowledge and a mod. I run a TS 808 clone into a blues driver clone into a klon clone into a blackstar dual LT into a BBE sonic stomp. My rig sounds very nice. But that amp you bought does sound terrible. But it's because your using the gain channel. The gain channel sucks. Get a passive attenuated pedal for $35 and use the effects loop and you magically noe have a master gain for the clean channel. Don't ever turn the tube emulation below 50% unless you're only using a clean boost (eg:ts-9) to get like edge of breakup. These amps do genuinely sound like tube amps you just ain't got the specific experience with it to know how to make it sound right. Tubes are very expensive here, and they are hard to get sometimes. My studio pro is a 20 year old amp. It's my back up. And when one of the power out tubes went bad on my usual amp I broke it back out and realized that I don't need the hassle that comes with tube amps and the constant expense of maintenance and whatnot. I've tried and compared my setup to everything that is high end solid state and this redneck amp made in the heart of Mississippi USA is tough as nails and way ahead of it's time and so far the only thing it hasn't beaten out is a Roland blues cube, mostly because I haven't gotten my hands on one yet.... Katana, nextone, catalyst, tone master(which is actually pretty nice, but very pricey and still just an expensive clean amp- pedal platform, I paid $150 for this amp and put a $100 speaker in it, it's better as it sits than a tone master for only 25% the cost)... And so far I'm not impressed but I'm impressed by my rednecky peavey transtube 65 watt solid state tube emulation combo. For the money, I'd get a bandit and convert to a head and get a build a 2x12 cab with a couple swamp thangs ot red white and blues or mojotone greyhounds or if really feeling frisky 2 legend 1518 and have a peavey version of a bandmaster 2x15. Used peavey bandit-$200 2 good 12" speakers -$250 2x12 cab-$100(homemade) or $200 (premade) Under $700 and seriously loud and badass. Another option (even better) get a used peavey special 212 combo for under $300. It's basically the 2x12 combo version of a studio pro or get an EFX 212 combo, it's essentially a studio pro with built in digital effects that suck. Don't use them except reverb (buy a reverb pedal tho) . Both are basically 65watts by two channels and are 2x12 combo. It's the same tone stack as the bandit. The only real difference between transtube of the same gen are the wattage output and cab size. But that is a $250 or do used tough as nails and bullet proof more than gigable rig and for another $250 for some good speakers it will drown out your drummer and shock all those pretentious and smug amp snobs. But seriously, I truly like you and your channel, I enjoy your content. With the exception of this video tho. You've got the stuff to try again. I'd highly recommend a bandit to a budget minded gigging guitar player. It's a great value and it's very durable and it sounds great. And basically no need for any reoccurring maintenance costs. With a peavey transtube there is no need for a back-up amp. Have a lovely day
Check out some of my music: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html
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I just got Bandit red stipe. I allready have Bandit silver stripe .
Got my first one back in 92 and got a newer version early 2000s.these are great gigging amps,a couple of pedals and ya done..
Maybe you should try a guitar with ...humbuckers instead of single coil pickups for the high gain channels ,that would greatly improve your sound 👍
High gain setting, gain on 5 and a clean boost pedal in front. Excellent 80s metal tone. 👍
I still regret selling mine - when you have the footswitch, this thing is incredible. The boost works on clean and dirty channels, so you really have 4 switchable sounds live. Especially if you don't use a lot of modulation or time effects, you can (and I have) played sizeable spaces with just this amp (especially if you're mic'd up).
I got this amp and I got a Peavey Express 112 teal strap from the 90', they both sound really good for practice and gigging, buy one if you had the chance. Greetings from Argentina.
Watched a bunch of videos on this amp over the last few days. I'm liking it!
Best work horse amp ever made.
Yes i agree the trans tube really does give the vypyr amps that analog tube tone and the high gain tones benefit a lot from this technology!
I'm sure it does the same thing in this amp also, since it has TransTube technology.
The pickups in his mahogany strat are stacked humbucker made by Seymour Duncan(I think, maybe DiMarzio) they arent the problem, but I do think a mote traditional style humbucker like an SD-100 or a JB or wtf ever that's not a stacked strat PU would be a slight improvement. And I believe they are insanely high resistance too. The problem is that the stock speaker is shit and the gain channel is a waist of time. Stack a TS into a high gain distortion pedal and run thru the clean channel on modern voicing with the tube emulation on 100%. You'll be like "Oh...ok, now I get it. There is a reason why some swear these amps are bad ass..."
It defies normal logic. I had a blackstar hr-5r with an upgraded 12" and I loved to run a ts-9 into the gain channel and it sounded amazing. And the clean channel with a ts-9 into a soul food was beautiful for John mayer to JImi or SRV. But the peavey transtube is a totally different story. The blackstar is more like a marshall to me. Run a clean boost overdrive into the gain channel and enjoy. But the peavey TT is more like a non master volume fender tube amp to me like an old deluxe or twin. The clean channel is a great pedal platform amp. The gain channel is total shit. It's a tease. Its or you're kids to play with because you won't let them use your pedal board because it's too fragile and expensive for them.to be trusted to use Period.
@@bobby1970
It's actually not the same. The old transtube were not "digital" amps, they were analog and they used a modified transistor designed to bleed off excess DC voltage into AC signal when it starts to smack the amps voltage rails. Digital amps don't have input power transformers. That's the big metal thing that is mounted on the outside of the amps cage. It converters the input DC power to an audio signal which has to be AC power to drive the speaker. The analog transistors.are designed to bleed the excess DC current when driven too hard. That's why ss amps sound so harsh at high gain because there is no bleed off for the DC current, which is what tubes were used for because they convert the excess current into power and.thats why tubes light up brighter the harder you drive the.amp. As far as how digital amps achieve a similar effect,.I don't know. But it's class D it's super efficient and can sound clean even at high output volumes. The affects including the amp model distortion choices are control by a DSP program that just adjusts to the selection and you have to spend forever manually changing the preset to sound the way you like. But I still feel that peavey makes one of the best "swiss army knife" digital modeling amps. But I'd get the higher wattage with the 12" version because the 8" is weak and the lower volume ones crap out early.
But, it all.means.that the modern "transtube" system in the vyper series is not.the same, no transformer because it's a digital amp. It's like the "tubelogic".system that Roland uses to emulate tube sound works the best of the digital processing systems but I think the old analog transtube amps nailed it. With a good speaker upgrade choice and the right pedals it can sound much better than cheaper tube amps and even rival some of the mainstream nicer tube amps (no hand wired or boutique amps) but it's something that shocks some people to see how good it can work. Check at the UA-cam. Channel ",in the blues" it's an Australian guy who compared those amps to many of the other tube emulation amps and even against some tube amps. It's worth the time..
It sounds great. Guarantee you couldn't tell the difference b/t this and a tube if you were blind folded.
You know you're insanely good when it looks like you're "tickling" the guitar 7:16 and incredible flurries of notes come pouring out!
Thank you! :)
Every rock/metal guitar player MUST have one Bandit 112. I bought mine back in 2013 (made in USA) red stripe version. I paid used $140 in mint condition. I have replaced the Sheffield 1230 speaker with Mega Boogie Black Shadow celestion speaker (UK made) bought from ebay. It stands up against my very loud rock band and the sound is unreal. I also use it for live gigs. a Monster amp hands down! I throw my pedal board into the clean channel only. Even though the dirty channel is crazy good also.
Bandits are legendary. My first amp was silver stripe 80s (I think), and lost it along the way somehow. I remember noticing that Thurston Moore used an old Bandit for his solo gigs, pretty consistently for many years. FWIW
I recently got this amp and I am currently happy with it since its a start for me and I dropped the line 6. I actually got to hear a tone change when I switched guitars that I couldnt tell when i would use the line 6. Thanks for this review
Cheers :)
It's a matter of taste. This guy loves Yngwie Malmsteen. I love the Peavey Bandit. One of us must be right?🌵
Or we could both be wrong :D
I can’t get my Bandit to sound as bad as you managed 😂
Ditch the overdrive channel. But it’s a great little amp to use in the clean channel as a pedal platform. Use an “amp in the box” plexi type pedal and you’re there! Now, I used to have an OLD Peavey Bandit back in the mid 80’s and the overdrive channel was much better than this one. Cool and informative video. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Thanks! Merry Christmas (belated)!
What is a plexi type of pedal? I don't understand what that is.
The bandit sounds good clean and very good with good quality distortion pedals. The overdriven channels sound mediocre but not horrible if you factor in the low cost of the amp. A good practice amp or budget gigging amp for a garage band guitarist.
The overdriven channels sound a lot better in this amp, if you upgrade the speaker to a "Texas Heat" speaker.
I totally disagree. I can make the overdriven channel sound great on mine.
In the top 3 for me
1. JCM 800
2. PEAVEY Bandit
3. VOX AC30
But, If I was stuck on a deserted island and I could only have one amp, it would be a bandit!
Where would you get the elecricity in a deserted island though?
@@Xero6969 solar panel.. the island has a lot of SUN rays
@@bewusstsein3527 awesome
I recommend anything Peavey for beginners. Esp the ones made in Mississippi when Hartley was hands on with operations. My first amp was a Peavey Classic 4-10. Very affordable...and reliable
I know many experienced players that gig professionally that choose Peavy
I am not a beginner and I still play my peavey bandit
If you like it stock like it came from Peavey it some models will blow your mind with a better speaker and no you don't have to spend big bucks to get a much better speaker. Serious give it a try you will be amazed at how much better it sounds. Most Peaveys never had very good speakers and by now most bandits are getting pretty old and most likely have been played loud and hard so it only makes sense to replace the speaker.
I’m lucky to own a 1985 Marshall Reverb 75 with the Celestion Side Winder 12” speaker. It works for me. This amp looks & sounds tempting.
I had a feeling that this amp would not be for you. I have it, and I like it a lot. But my playing style is very different than yours. For me it's fairly light, small, loud and I can get good tones from it. And it is what I can afford. And when I'm gigging a lot I don't have to worry about a tube going out.
Fair enough!
THANKS Dennis, I just serfed round the Yey Tube n Me too have the amp, and its very good! and how in the hay is Elmo gonna his favourite amp, or video his words back, :::I dont know but I know..., ::: WEIREDO!, Iva had experience with this amp live and omg , ! Elmo seems not weird but for this vid he seems..., I mean its the Peavey Bandit 112 Trans am,,,,,
@@MrPolevaulter thats fine!!!!
@@kimmolingonheimo Come on man. Elmo's cool. Every guitarist has different needs for what they do. There's no need to insult him.
I like my amps to be simple and that's why I love old school Marshalls . Had many an opportunity to buy Peaveys but always put off by the relative complexity, despite bullet proof build quality. My one foray into complexity - a Line6 Spider IV 75Watt - has been a disaster and my preferred amp at the moment is an old MG30 DFX . In the house the Micro Cube rules though.
Yep. The Micro Cube is just so good.
The Orange Micro Dark is my favorite for at home sounds...but that's because it's a sleeper bass amp too. It's very simple and also very versatile. The micro dark also has an effects loop
Don't know why nobody's impressed with the Modern overdrive setting. It's all I use. Both the vintage and hi-gain settings have way too much midrange/mushy tone for my taste. Also, I notice the hi input works best with single coil pickups, the low works better with humbuckers. You also get in increase to 100 watts with the use of an 8-ohm extension cab. This amp has been a workhorse for me.....
I read on the forums that these newer bandits are not as good as the older generations (Teal stripe, silver stripe and red stripe). I have the Silver version from the late 1990's. It has fewer voicings. I only use the clean and mild gain channels with an OD pedal. It weighs a ton and has a Sheffield speaker instead of a Blue Marvel. I haven't played these newer Chinese versions, but I see them listed for sale all the time...there must be a reason for it.
There might be something to what you say.
It's probably because of the speaker differences between the two generations, would be my guess. I've heard that some people have upgraded the speaker to a high quality aftermarket speaker, and that dramatically improved the sound.
Upgrade the speaker and it’s a total game changer for that model.
Not sure how it works with the newer bandit amps as I have never played thru one, but I know on the older ones ya pretty much leave the gain side alone. All the best sounds come off the clean side, including the gain sounds. The louder it gets the better it sounds. Just some food for thought. Great review and playing as always.
09.53 I think I prefer it tight! awesome quote.
Cheers!
That's what she said.
I own the silver strip bandit 112 but cant use it much because it has a short and cuts in and out. But I didnt pay a penny for it. Sounds like its worth the fix.
Nice! "I'll see the light tonight" at 7:00 minutes in!!!
That sounded damn good, regardless of the amp. He sounded almost exactly like Yngwie himself.
I have a 70's Peavey 40-Watt with Scorpion Speaker still Sounds Good Clean. I Use it for Keyboard More than Guitar. They Make Some Good Stuff, I have a Few of Their Guitars a Falcon and an HSS Mid Price
It’s not just about gigging if one knows how to set this amp up well it sounds absolutely insane
I love this amp
The modern mode is terrible I use classic
Any recommendation (better than Texas heat) to take the sizzle out of the top end?
@@lucid_delirium976 I use the stock blue marvel speaker so I don’t really have a good recommendation for you sorry
I mostly play 80s metal
@@lucid_delirium976 eminence legend v12 is perfect for what you want. Cuts the high end fizz and boosts the bottom end. Worked great in my red stripe Bandit.
@@andyc5729 I did a deep dive into some amp/guitar forums and came across your suggestion too! Now I'm really considering it.
I have the modern bandit (bought like new with the pedal for 200$). Would you say its a better replacement than the texas heat for this particular bandit? I play post punk/alternative mostly. Really dig the amp for my playing style. (But that top end fizz must go).
@@lucid_delirium976 no idea tbh. The eminence legend is what Soldano used to use in their SLO cabs. It’s basically a Celestion vintage 30 in that it has strong lows, mids and a tapered off high frequency which fattens up the fizz. I found With all the noon the speaker sounded like the PV stock on 3 o clock bass. Treble was just warmer.
Not tried one of these but was interested how it might sound, so thanks for reviewing Elmo. It sadly sounds a high powered mushy solid state and definitely not the quality of the older 70's / 80's Peavey combo's that can still be picked up reasonably priced secondhand.
Yeah, it wasn't great :(
@@MrPolevaulter In case you don't post again before the 25th ... Here's wishing You and your family a veryy Merry Christmas ... Chris.
@@Chris66JTM45 Thanks! A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too 😊
Living in a three bedroom-house and having five kids obviously keeps you on your toes in terms of furniture and arranging your house as to get the highest possible effectiveness. From that perspective a 1*12-amp is always interesting.
This is not the one to get me to trade in my 4*12. Especially since my two oldest might be moving out in a few years 😁.
Other than that, interesting review and hyvää joulua, Elmo Löylyator Karjalainen 🎄
Ha en riktigt god jul min internationella kollega :)
Sounds pretty nice for me. Of course, is not a Mesa, but for the money and being a solid state, it’s nice. Also, it’s a matter of taste... I pretty much liked the dirty channels. Anyone?
I've had one of these for a couple years and there are things I like and things I don't like *cough* Modern *cough*, but I think overall you can get a sound that you like out of it. Right now I have the clean channel on Classic, and the lead channel on Hi-Gain with the pre gain on like 3. And I bounce back and forth between that and the Classic setting depending on what I'm playing. I set the gain fairly low, no more than 5 or 6 really, and I use an EHX Hot Wax to drive it. It's just enough of a boost to get the saturation I need while also giving me a nice clean tone with I switch back to the clean channel. Even with the "tight" damping, the amp is still pretty bass heavy compared to distortion pedals I've put through it. Maybe a little EQ pedal in the chain would help that. But overall a good amp, especially since they're so cheap.
Happy Holidays to You & Yours.... Merry Christmas Elmo and a happy new year🤟🏻🎶🎸😎🎄
Same to you!
its not 80w its 100 watts. And it can sound killer,perfect with a lil tweeking.
Ahahhh...A review of a bandit, in which the reviewer doesn't just play the same small handful of chops as in all their reviews...
Great review. I loved it and the humour fits well (".)
I picked up a red stripe bandit USA model back in January 2021. 200 bucks. I remember they also had this bandit as well (the one in the vid) for 30 bucks more. Needless to say, I went for the red stripe hands down. Not saying that the newer bandits are bad or anything like that, but once you hear how good the red stripe is in person, its hard to not go for the classic red stripe!
It's a shame that they don't still make the red stripe amps anymore. I heard that the sound quality is less in the new Bandits, because the speaker is different now. Hopefully that's the case, because it would be worth it to me to upgrade the speaker in the newest generation Bandit, if I can make it sound just as good or better than the red stripe Bandits.
really! Putting a very good guitar amplifier DOWN! nice going....
Hey Elmo just wondering as I myself have never played through a Plexi but maybe I am biased as I do own a Teal stripe Bandit from the early 90s and love it and don't know how this amp sounded in the room but to me sounded pretty good through my tv speakers on your video, anyway thank you for your great videos although your comedy video about the Fender Champion 50xl is my all time favourite video ever on youtube and if i ever have money to waste on a joke i will definitely buy one of those Champion 50 XL's just to turn the bass all the way up and treble all the way down like you said to just to laugh when i am in a bad mood, LOL
I watch so many of your reviews and others of amps it's really a search for the Holy Grail , I mention for me, living in a small flat, I would love a VOX AC10 at least but I would never ever be able to properly enjoy it, without finding myself on the streets, I never see a purpose of buying something you cannot use it to it's full potential, just a waste of money, finding that amp is the Holy Grail for home users,
The Bugera V5 is something you can play really quiet if I remember correctly.
@@MrPolevaulter I am leaning heavy towards that amp I love your reviews they are honest no bullshit
For strictly home use? Blackstar HT-1 or Marshall DSL-1. This one, for the same price, is good at home and gigging. I wish the Vox AC10 had a low power switch. If it did, I'd already own it. But if you really want a vox for your situation, check out the mini super beetle.
Orange does a good solid state; CR120. I liked it...for a solid state. If you get a chance it may surprise you for a solid state. Solid state can be good for jazz players, I generally find them to kind of lack character, they just get louder, and they do get loud, but there's no change in tone when you up the volume, for obvious reasons...they're solid state. .
Yep.
Try a vintage Yamaha amp if you really want a surprise. Amazing amps.
I bought the latest model used hooked it up to a boss me 50 I would put it up against any amp.
These are great amps.
I Agree! I own one, and as Elmo here demos, the Clean Classic and Warm are just great with a strat neck pup! I use OD pedals for more overdrive...VERY LOUD, DRUMMERS BEWARE!
I, for one, cherish my Vypyr VIP as much as my Princeton Reverb '65RI. TransTube does sound very good to me and has supposedly been blind tested against tubes.
Squire did you ever own the original Vypyr Amps?I have the original Vypyr 15w,30w and 75w and i still like the high gain tones i get out of them,i wonder how the newer VIP Vypyrs sound compared to the older Vypyrs?
Fair enough :)
@@jimsimmons2674 Unfortunately, no, I missed out on the originals but only because I wanted the option of the VIP3 Bass guitar handling capability with its heavy duty speaker. I love "artificial" high gain tones anyway, like a carefully adjusted setting on a Metal Zone even, but the Vypyr tones don't sound artificial at all to me compared to tube amps. In fact, some highly regarded tube amps sound more "artificial" to me than the Vypyrs do. Weird, isn't it? Love Trans Tube though and Mr. Peavey is a genius that makes gear, as he attests, "reasonably priced, but Not cheaply done".
112 sounds familiar, definitely solid state. I had an '80s version Peavey Bandit 65, a great amp for what I needed at the time. Played Fender, Gibson, PRS/Fralin pickups through that amp and all of it worked.
Cool :)
Fantastic video
Haha, I have here the Peavey Bandit, one, one, two. Haha!
I'm a little surprised you didn't like it, but I hadn't realised how much they cost new! As a sub £100 used buy I think their pretty good, but I agree, you can do far better for £350, that's used classic 30 money!
Yeah. You can definitely get better for the money.
So cool! Thank you! I am looking for an amp for a better quality of my youtube covers!!!
GREAT
Cool bananas :)
What's your budget and what style do you play?
@@MrPolevaulter Between the 100 and 200 euros
@@NeverMars You probably could find a used Bandit for that price, depending on where you live ofcourse.
it's a keeper elmo !!!!
For clean channel is fair enough
But not for gain drive. If you nice preamp pedal or nice analog pedal I will consider the amp
Had one of these at one point, got it for about 130 US bucks and sold it later for 115. I’d say it was worth the fifteen bucks! I hear the older US-made Red/Silver stripe models sound better, I’d love to get my hands on one but they have really gone up in price as UA-camrs have rediscovered them. Good review as always, Elmo!
Cheers! Yeah, I don't think it's worth what it costs new.
The Peavey Express is the same as a Bandit 65 watt. Can find them pretty cheap when you find them.
I use mine clean with pedals, a very good amp for JAZZ strat, lots of headroom : )
I really forgot how very good this amp is! Thank You Elmo! : )
furthermore: the amp sounds better than the Riverside... : )
My first amp was a silver stripe peavey bandit 112, I lent it to a friend who was starting a band, then I moved to another city, and I lost sight of it, I don’t know who currently owns it, 🤣
By the way, I used to plug a boss gt3 multifx into the loop channel and I got good tones with that combination
I think you still technically own it 😂
Nice démo of Peavey bandit but the modern stuff is not my stuff !
Elmo, you got some good sounds out of that amp! I had a Peavey Special which is the higher 🔋 powered version of the Bandit back in 1982! This was my third amp, the first being a classic Ampeg Jet (1962?) For what it was I thought it was cool, certainly better than my next amp. I thought I needed a half stack...any half stack, so I got a lumbering Ampeg V4, which had no drive channel and sounded bad with my Boss Distortion pedal. I gather the new Peavey has more features, but I wonder if it sounds similar to the one had, for what it's worth, I've never met an amp that didn't require some eq tweaking, some more than others, Bruce.
Cool bananas :)
It's a great amp, but need 2 mods; a master volume - it's quite easy to do via the efx loop.The mic out is less than optimal, because the amp needs to be cranked to deliver a strong signal. I tapped the efx out with a Di. box with a speaker sim. Now I can set the 2 channels to my liking, get a good line out sound, AND, set the overall volume from the master volume. ;-) Oh, and it's reliable, big time. Having tube amps fail live makes you appreciate this ;-)
During all my years of playing I've had tube amps fail on me once.
@@MrPolevaulter I would say that's unusual ;-) Do you have your amps teched often? I have spent way too much money on amp techs. There must be a balance between expenses and income unless money comes flying in your window all the time ;-)
@@christianboddum8783 Haha :D Money doesn't fly around my place :D
No I basically never have them looked at. Then again they're Plexis, so they're pretty reliable.
I never understood why some amps have a mic out? I can understand why, if it was a mic in.
The main problem is that, as much as I like Peavey's products in general, I feel they added too many 'switches to nowhere' on this model. Was it really necessary to put 'Warm,' 'Classic,' 'Ga-Ga,' and 'Goo-Goo' on each channel?
One other thing, I suspect Peavey doesn't really want anyone using an Overdrive, or distortion, with their amps, and never did! 😂
Maybe if you weren't so busy looking down you nose....Try Dave Simsons channel for a Bandit red stripe review, with single coils and humbuckers. He has no bias with respect to cost, or solid state. Some friendly advise, Elmo: Don't review amps that you have inherent bia's about. All your suffering as you slog through, does not show you in your best light.
This amp is serviceable AFTER replacing the stock speaker, which is very peaky and harsh. Be mindful that you will experience cabinet buzz, the metal faceplate under the logo will vibrate against the amplifier, bad design. You get what you pay for, but it is a very impressive sound for that money.
@Luke You can get the Bandits used for $250, a speaker upgrade is about another $100, for that money you'd be hard pressed to find anything better. Many gigging musicians use these amps, and plenty of pros will attest to the quality sound.
I don't think it's good for the money. You can get the Tube15 for less, or a Katana.
@@MrPolevaulter I thought about getting a "Katana Artist MK2". I wonder if it would be better than the Bandit? It has something called Tube Logic technology. The Bandit has TransTube technology.
@@bobby1970 I didn't much like that one either, although I did like it more than the Bandit.
@@MrPolevaulter I wonder what a good solid state amp would be to buy? What do you recommend?
30 years ago I had 2 Peavey Bandits run in "stereo"...well through an Aria Stereo chorus... loud but never liked a lot of low end. Crazy thing is , they were around £350(€400) in 1990!! And it was one clean channel, one lead with no voicing options, no damping. ...and the gain channel was not good!!
Hello from the USA. I also played two bandits in stereo out of my Digitech RP200. One amp in the kitchen , one in the back bedroom , like 30 feet apart . The whole setup came from pawn shops, those were some fun times!
Cool bananas :)
How much was the big valves amps (jcm 800) at that time (1990)?
@@vitorugovitorasso4062 Can't remember.
@@believernumber9 Hi, I was just wondering, does having a stereo setup like that sound a lot better than just one amp?
I see other youtubers praise this amp. Could it be that you looked at it the wrong way? Many SS amps don't colour your sound and interact with your pedals like a tube amp does, it just amplifies the sound you are putting into it. So if you want it to sound like a pushed plexi you need a pedal that sounds like a pushed plexi, not try to push the amp when it sounds like a plexi starting to break up.
I was thinking of getting something a bit different from my Blackstar HT20 tube amp that was cheap and reliable that I could toss around...
Had a peavey envoy but did not like it so I sold it. The cleans was very clean and sterile, and the overdrive was harsh. Guessing the Bandit might be similar, just bigger and louder...
What solid state amp or amps do you recommend that will work well with pedals, sound quality wise?
@@bobby1970 I'm no expert and haven't tried that many amps, but the Bandit does get a lot of good feedback from other UA-camrs that claim it is a good pedal-platform.
Intheblues used a Fender Mustang III v2 for a long period of time before he switched to the Bandit. He has a lot of videos on both those amps.
I found a Mustang III v1 for a really good price and think it is a good amp without pedals. I have a few pedals and have no complaints, but I don't use pedals much as it has a lot of options so you can tailor the sound to your liking.
Only pedal I use on it is an EQ-pedal in the loop to reduce some of the unpleasant high frequiencies that are typical for distorted tones on SS/modeling amps.
Har haft en sån här, modern kanalen är fan förjävlig :D Föredrar min gamla teal stripe. Även Red stripe... Bandits från 80 och 90-talet, både utan och med transtube teknologin, är definitivt bättre än den du spelar på, speciellt på overdrive och distortion. Men det är i princip alltid clean-kanalen+en bra od pedal som låter bäst!
Jo, overdriven lät verkligen inte bra.
I like Studio Pro 112 Red Stripe better than all Bandits. I had them all in the past.
I kind of wonder what could have gone wrong here. 🤔Really. The overdrive sounds worst than the cheapest 5 inch practice amp combo bought at the supermarket on sale. None of the rest of the demos on YT sound as bad, quite the opposite.😅
He has dissed a bunch of great amps.
Now for the magic question!!! How does it compare to the Code???? Or maybe the K.... oh , I didn’t mean that 🤐
The Koad?
@@MrPolevaulter , YES!!! The Koad it is! Merry Christmas to you and yours ‘This Guy’🤐
Elmo I love your brutal honesty. Good review.
I appreciate that.
Finally, the one person/reviewer on youtube who doesn’t like this amp!
Better off with a Peavey classic VTX. Would wipe the floor with this. Check out Johan segborns review.
I know the older ones are better but it’s hard for me to find one in my area so I have this one and I love it
Nice démo elmo of the Peavey bandit and im not a fan modern distorsion channel im, classic guy like Malmsteen,vanhalen,and im poor i buy peavey i want Marshall i dont like de new distorsion!i used to have Three bandit!
Great video and playing :)
Thanks!
So, pedals work good with this amp? I've always been told that most solid state amps don't work with pedals all that well.
They can. Although for me, this amp didn't really work at all.
@@MrPolevaulter I just then got curious all of a sudden, and would like to ask, do you like the "Boss Katana Artist MK2" amp?
I’ve got a Peavey Bandit (Red Stripe version) and it takes pedals really well. It also sounds awesome, much better than the new Bandit’s.
Made a comment here and it disappeared. Maybe UA-cam doesn't like me or I hit the wrong button. At any rate new ones go for about $450 US or about $580 Can.
Cheers!
$450-new, or $100-$200 for the silver or red stripe used.
Cheers!
@@MrPolevaulter just saw a used red stripe for $120
Can you make a video on testing pedals on it i have a vypyer 40 and it will not work with any pedal
No, sorry. Sold it.
100% agree with you Elmo. The current Peavey's are not for me either. To my ear they sound like software plugins at all volumes... Peavey had some significant changes to how and where they build their amplifiers.
This being said, i still own a hand built Bandit 112 and Special 212 from 1996/1997 which, while now needing new capacitors, are the most beautiful clean amps for playing cleans and as the foundation for taking pedalboards. I wouldn't say they were cheap as the 112 alone cost $900 AUD in 1996 and a Marshall JCM 900 was not much more in price then... so must have to guess there is a large gap in quality from then and now with this range of Bandits...
Yeah, probably is.
What do you think of the "Boss Katana Artist MK2" amplifier? Is it better than the new Bandit?
@@bobby1970 certainly loads more features and great sounds. It comes down to personal preference though. The mk2 certainly sounds very smooth and cuts well in a mix with bass and drums, for me I find it a little weak at live levels but it is very nice to record with
we bought it...owww
If you can't get good toanz it's you...not the amp
I hear the tones vary depending on which generation of the amp you have. I have one of the Red Stripe Bandits and like it, but I tend to use the more vintage sounds. My little Envoy is just all kinds of f u n ! But I haven't played with the Silver Stripes or the new ones. Maybe the distortion voicings are better on the older models. You can also make the clean channel break up with the T-Dynamics knob on the older ones. I guess the new model doesn't have that feature.
Have You driven the orig speaker in? cause it makes a whalw of a difference, and I also read the original Peavey speaker is vevy gooD ! luckily Ive got 2 Tech 100 watter speakers for "spares", but to demo an amp just out of the box is not vevy good now is it?!
Nope. But I know what breaking a speaker in does to the sound. If I did this full time, I might have time to do it, but I don't, so I didn't.
Wonder what it’d be like with a better speaker and humbuckers?
With humbuckers, not great. A better speaker might improve it.
Don't go that route, the speaker is quite good, and and a different speaker will not make it into a glorious tube amp, just a cheap amp that you never will be overwhelmed by anytime... choose wisely and spend your money right. I like my Bandit because it is loud and clean and reliable. I've used it in a Worship setting and it was good there, at the moment it's semi retired since I've gone Helix FRFR. But for a simple small gig with a pedalboard, I know what it will deliver ;-)
@Luke that’s why I got a 5150 and a Mesa combo on the way
It cost about $250 in 2021, or cheaper with some negotiating...lol.
It is better than Scorpion or sheffield?
Haven't tried those.
should I buy this to get a entombed sound,I got a mt-2 with it.
Dunno.
The beginner’s gear these days is amazing compared to the garbage we had in the 80’s.
The peavey bandit in 1984 was a curse to own. “Saturation” 🤢
Haha :D
But yeah, beginner gear these days certainly is better.
Huh? Any Peavey Bandit, no matter if it's the OG, the Teal/Silver/Red stripe or the newest one, they're all solid as hell for what they are, if anything the older versions (especially the early 80s version which you mention) are better then these new ones imo.
@@ilikepotatoes1345 you do you
@@MrPolevaulter I had a rock-man soloist for practice back then. I was lucky.
my older marshall valvestate 8040 sounds way better, i've never liked too much peavey stuff and this bandit that i owned is no exception.
These amps are very popular in my area on small stages with country guys. Or guys that play country. Some guys actually use it as a pedal platform. I've had many peavey amps over the years, but only the renown 2 x 12 was a solid state and it weighed ad much as a battleship, and was soooo loud. The only other amp louder was the 120 watt peavey 2 x 12 tube amp I had that gave you a hernia carrying it. 😂🤣
Their tube amps rock. Love the 5150 class amps personally. If you used the clean channel with a fav distortion pedal it might work, but once you buy both you might as well buy a tube amp by peavey or anyone else. I'm really wanting to try an Engle amp. I've also not tried a bogner.
Great video sir.
The Katana is cheaper at 50 watts new and much better. IMHO.
Hope you and yours are well my friend. Is it cold there? It's freezing here in the midwest my friend. Good news is the vaacine is being distributed and maybe in a month or so we will not have to live indoors all the time and we can burn these fucking annoying masks. 🤣😂🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟💖💖💖🤟🤟🤟
It's not cold yet at least. Dark and rainy.
Yeah, the masks are annoying 😂
Take care man 👍
@@MrPolevaulter You too brother!
@@hoosierdaddy2308 so do have your booster now?
Can you buy a ceriatone yeti to review? 😜
Probably not :D
Probably late for the comment, I have a few amps, and looking for another for the herd.... for someone who runs a pedalboard and gigs, what would you recommend, this peavey bandit, bugera v22, or fender pro Junior? I haven’t tried the new bandit or pro Junior In in person. I guess mainly looking for fullness and at least a little headroom.
I'd say definitely not the Peavey. Fender och Bugera out of those.
Thank you man! Much appreciated
I have the Bugera V22... sounds fantastic, but it burns the tubes. I’ve sent it to 2 techs... none of them could fix it so far... it sucks! I will get rid of it and buy the Bandit and.... no more freaking tubes. Hope this helps you. Cheers!
How do you compare to a valve king head?
Haven't tried those.
How’s the scallops feel?
Great. I have a a video on the topic if you're interested.
I’m not a fan of Peavey guitar amps. No real reason. I’ve always been a Marshall, Randell, Roland, Mesa, Vox, Orange, Fender and recently Boss kind of guy. I didn’t really think this demo was as good as it could have been. Seemed like you, the Elmo guy just hurried through this one.
Sorry to hear. I just didn't really like the amp. I did like the Peavey 6505 mini head.
Would this be good for small gigs
Sure. If you like the sound.
Liked it up until the gain channel lol
You're doing it wrong. Turn your tube emulation to 100% (rear panel right side, I think) to the left of that set it to "tight". Put a TS style op-amp (not preamp style like bb preamp!) And use it as a clean boost (gain 0, output maxed) and run that into a high gain pedal (I use a blackstar dual LT, American setting full on with the red channel) and run that into your high input...... Wait for it.... Use the clean channel , modern setting. Never use the gain channel, it's a trap for posers. Oh, and swap the speaker for a swamp thing... Or a mojotone greyhound.(I highly recommend, what I use in my red stripe studio pro) or use a (gross sounding, hehe) greenback loaded 4x12 cab since I'm sure that you have a hat sitting around anyway. That blue marvel is really a blue turd and it robs that amp. If after all that you don't think this amp is friggin seriously bad ass..... Then it's you, cause it's not the amp. These amps are bad ass, but do require specific knowledge and a mod. I run a TS 808 clone into a blues driver clone into a klon clone into a blackstar dual LT into a BBE sonic stomp. My rig sounds very nice. But that amp you bought does sound terrible. But it's because your using the gain channel. The gain channel sucks. Get a passive attenuated pedal for $35 and use the effects loop and you magically noe have a master gain for the clean channel. Don't ever turn the tube emulation below 50% unless you're only using a clean boost (eg:ts-9) to get like edge of breakup.
These amps do genuinely sound like tube amps you just ain't got the specific experience with it to know how to make it sound right.
Tubes are very expensive here, and they are hard to get sometimes. My studio pro is a 20 year old amp. It's my back up. And when one of the power out tubes went bad on my usual amp I broke it back out and realized that I don't need the hassle that comes with tube amps and the constant expense of maintenance and whatnot. I've tried and compared my setup to everything that is high end solid state and this redneck amp made in the heart of Mississippi USA is tough as nails and way ahead of it's time and so far the only thing it hasn't beaten out is a Roland blues cube, mostly because I haven't gotten my hands on one yet.... Katana, nextone, catalyst, tone master(which is actually pretty nice, but very pricey and still just an expensive clean amp- pedal platform, I paid $150 for this amp and put a $100 speaker in it, it's better as it sits than a tone master for only 25% the cost)... And so far I'm not impressed but I'm impressed by my rednecky peavey transtube 65 watt solid state tube emulation combo. For the money, I'd get a bandit and convert to a head and get a build a 2x12 cab with a couple swamp thangs ot red white and blues or mojotone greyhounds or if really feeling frisky 2 legend 1518 and have a peavey version of a bandmaster 2x15.
Used peavey bandit-$200
2 good 12" speakers -$250
2x12 cab-$100(homemade) or $200 (premade)
Under $700 and seriously loud and badass.
Another option (even better) get a used peavey special 212 combo for under $300. It's basically the 2x12 combo version of a studio pro or get an EFX 212 combo, it's essentially a studio pro with built in digital effects that suck. Don't use them except reverb (buy a reverb pedal tho) . Both are basically 65watts by two channels and are 2x12 combo. It's the same tone stack as the bandit. The only real difference between transtube of the same gen are the wattage output and cab size. But that is a $250 or do used tough as nails and bullet proof more than gigable rig and for another $250 for some good speakers it will drown out your drummer and shock all those pretentious and smug amp snobs.
But seriously, I truly like you and your channel, I enjoy your content. With the exception of this video tho. You've got the stuff to try again. I'd highly recommend a bandit to a budget minded gigging guitar player. It's a great value and it's very durable and it sounds great. And basically no need for any reoccurring maintenance costs. With a peavey transtube there is no need for a back-up amp.
Have a lovely day
Holy shit,.you read that long as diatribe?? ......Naw,.you just being nice and liking everyone's comments.... Rock on, Elmo!