Peavey Mark III Bass Head

Mine is another early one, made in '78. 2 channels, you can read the other reviews. It was rated at 210 watts I think, and that was generally enough power except in extreme gigging conditions (outside, very loud monitors and drummer, etc).

Back in the day (80's), it was just fine for my heavy metal bands, but it was always limited to just a kind of bla sound. Nothing special. But it was cheap and I was broke, so I made due. The two channels did allow one channel to be distortion and the other clean, but the overdrive was really bad sounding so I never bothered.

Well, it lasted about 5 years and the limiter broke, then one of the cheap toggels they used back then, then the output section went out. I'm guessing the limiter being out contributed to the output blowing. Not exactly armoured, but it was reliable enough. Now (flash forward 20 years), I wouldn't think of gigging or trusting any Peavy equipment. Sorry.

never dealt with them.

Well, it was fine for a beginner, but it's really not an amp for a serious bassist. Nowadays, they're so old, you would be pretty silly to buy one unless you're desperate or just don't have any money at all, then you're still better off getting a cheap Behringer or some other cheapo.

Like some other reviewers, mine is a real early one, with the 1978 copywright on the back . Made around 1979-1980. Sometimes known as the Steve Harris Iron Maiden amp. I guess he did his early stuff on one of these. It has mini-toggle switches instead of a push button for the EQ. Everything on it works. I play it several times a week in the summer months outdoors. I have used my Dean Markley 400B and a brand new SWR workingman's 300 watt head. This amp blows em away.
I play mostly 60's British Invasion-era. (Beatles tribute) The most amazing feature is the two channels. I think this is one of the first bass heads ever made with a direct out. (altho it is high-z)

The two-channel set up allows me to go from my Hofner-style hollow bass to my Rickenbacker 4003 easily. Those are extremely different! I guess the footswitch would be nice, but I don't miss it. The Peavey has a warm yet very punchy tone. The compression really smooths things out and helps with sustain. It can make a cheap instrument sound good. The eq is very extensive, real easy to over-do it. This amp sounds better than most I've owned or tried. I'm glad it's heavy. Loading my gear is about the only exercise I get!!This amp has so much headroom, it never "farts out" like so many others would.

Very reliable considering it is 26 years old! It's only had one breakdown since I've owned it, and I had alot of the pre-amp guts replaced because I love the amp and paid almost nothing for it. Seems a previous owner had done a repair with cheaper home stereo type parts (non spec). Now it's even more powerful and will outlive me. I take it to real high-profile gigs without a backup. No worries. I have the original manual if anyone wants a scan copy. A little old church lady traded this in at the local Sam Ash store for $25 bucks. I used to manage the store, so I bought it from a buddy in there for 35 bucks!! I've had strings cost more than that.

Can't say enuff great things about Peavey. My tech was able to obtain a schematic for this dinosaur from Peavey. Very helpful. Parts are also not a problem from Peavey. Kind of a good feeling that if you own a certain brand that the company will not be out of business in a few years. Like owning a Maytag.

I also play a Peavey Classic 50 guitar amp in another band. It's awesome. The bassist in that band uses my 2 1x18 Peavey bass cabs w/ black widows. Unstoppable. Peavey's may not be "boutique" or high-tech or expensive, but they are a working musician's best friend.

I just wanted to follow up on a comment that I made earlier about it being a very loud 210 watt head (when run at 4 ohms instead of 2). I had a Hartke head rated at 200 watts at 4 ohms before I owned this. So, one might expect a similar output. However, the Hartke head would completely break apart at a very low volulme level-- I mean anything above a volume of about 3. To combat this, I would need to really turn up the compression- which rolled off the low end on that amp. Even then, I could not get the volume above about 6. I thought I had a problem with the speakers because it really sounded like they were shredding. This Peavey head, though, I can crank up WAY past what I was able to do with the Hartke-- I was slapping and popping as hard as I could to see if the speakers could withstand it. The room was shaking, but the sound coming from the amp was just fine. So, with the Hartke I was never able to use the wattage effectively. This Peavey head is really great.

I have seen amps with more "bells and whistles" (the Carvin Redline head comes to mind), however, I am really able to do a lot with this head. This is a Mark III Series head (copyrighted 1978 and manufactured in January of 1980). Two channels, an automix option (mixes both channels), a lot of EQing options, and pre- and post- gain controls. The first channel uses standard passive EQ controls. The second channel uses active EQ controls.

I mainly use a P-bass copy that I had made by USA Custom guitars. It is all mahogany with bartoloni pickups. I also use a couple of Carvin B4 basses, one of which is fretless. In any case, all of my basses are passive.

If I turn the post gain up and the pre gain down, I find a VERY clean sound. If I do the opposite, I can really get a VERY fuzzed out sound. I like to fuzz out channel one and keep channel two very clean then just leave it on automix.

I am very pleased with the sound that comes out of this. I bought the head to replace a Hartke that I had been using. I cannot believe the difference. This head is so much tighter sounding and the low notes really hit you in the chest. I had no idea that my set up could sound this good.

Well, the amp is 25 years old and still going strong. I am lucky to have come across it.

There is no need for a backup with this.

Grumpy's review nails it here. I also found a way to purchase the footswitch off of the website (I am not sure that I really want it, though) and I have found the manual, too (It is very helpful). So, I am happy with Peavey in these regards. So, I will also give this area a nine because I have not dealt directly with any company representatives.

It weighs a ton and is less powerful than I would probably like (300 watts to 2 ohms, but who runs at two ohms??-- 210 watts at 4 ohms). However, as another reviewer noted, it is a VERY loud 210 watts. It can really make the house shake.

I have been playing for over ten years and have owned a number of setups. I plan to keep this head, though, for as long as it will run.

I would buy another without hesitation if something happened to this one.

First and important - there is a Mark III head and a Mark III Series! And there is a big difference. Go to the Peavey web site and access the online manuals for both to compare if you don't know the difference. Mine is the Mark III Series with more watts & tons more features.

Got it from a guy who "wanted something better". Hope he found it.

Made in 1978 in Mississippi. It's extremely versatile for my rock and blues/rock including loud stuff! It has 2 separate channels with the first intended for active input & the second passive. A separate "Automix" middle channel is controlled by a footswitch that also allows you to switch between channels or to engage the automix. Other reviewers say their amp didn't come with one - duh. You can buy them from Musician's Friend or off the Peavey web site for less than $50 last time I looked. The heat sink could be used as an anchor it's so big. It has a Pre-amp out, Line out, Biamp outs with Hi & Low, and a Power Amp input. Low and High equalizers. Channel A has a pre & post gain set-up w/ 3 band eq, and an adjustable crossover knob. It also has a switch to bypass the onboard EQ if your active bass has one you would rather use. Channel B has a 3 band EQ with Shift and switches to use compression or EQ for the passive set-ups. Whew - what a list, eh?

I only use passive set-ups. I have a Dean Edge w/EMGs, Washburn T24 w/stock ABT pickups, Charvel Fusion w/ stock PJ Jackson pickups, and a Lotus Steinberger copy. All sound good, some better than others. The neck thru T24 through this amp at volume thru either my Avatar B410 Kappa Pro, my Avatar B212 or both in parallel can hold sustain long enough to go on a break. It has a notable hum when it's on that reverse grounding does not solve but it disappears quickly with the first note through it. 2 output 1/4" in rear. The "Power" switch has a middle "Off" position and 2 "On" positions to attempt solving most grounding problems and it works - mostly.This head puts out 300 watts thru 2 ohms and 210 thru 4 ohms. I have my set-up going thru 4 ohms and this 210 is either underrated by Peavey or other makers overrate theirs. This sucker is LOUD. The cops came by the second time I played it at mid-volume to admire it at 12 midnite. They said it was real nice but the neighbors wanted to go to sleep and wanted me to do the same. I should have expected it when the garage door shook so hard the automatic door opener engaged.

Unreal. It has been dropped, fell out of a van that took off with the back doors not latched (thanks Tadd). I have used it without backup for years but because of its age and use that I personally have put it through I bought a Behringer BX300T head just in case. The usual popping from dirty pots & sliders was easily solved with a good cleaning.

Never had to. It has never failed me - ever. I did find the manual online for it in Adobe PDF format and printed it - thanks Peavey. And like I said before, they still have the pedal available in 2004 for a 1978 model head! Still a 9 since I can't vouch for friendliness.

I have played at different leverls since I was 14 & I'm 55 now. Not enough room to list all my toys here. If it were lost or stolen I would most definitely be on the hunt for another in good shape. It plays very well in small venues and can still go UP without a problem. My only gripe is the weight. I tore my right rotator cuff in '03 and I swear this thing has gained weight since then. Small gripe, considering. I'd like an effects loop but I can live without it. I have had everything from my first tube Alamo and blonde old Fender lean back Bassman to other Peavey's and the new Behringer. This head is still my first line. And it allows me to keep my passives - being a longtime Harley rider, I like things staying simple.

1989 Peavey Mark III 300CHS. I bought this with a Black Widow 1x15 cab and this is a fairly nice setup. Gives the bass a good growl at high volumes. It has a graphic equalizer, shelving, pre/post gain and an effects loop. 150 watts is plenty for my needs. I wish it had a built in compressor (although it does have a power amp compressor). Solid state only goes so far, its pretty heavy and the cab's weight is shocking for a 1x15

I play a G&L Tribute L2500 though it and at low volumes the power amp compressor starts lighting up. I run alot of bass and the mid boost switch. On the graphic EQ I drop the mids and it gives you a nice setting with plenty of growl, but loads of smooth bass.

I bought mine used and it work, the speaker and input jacks on the head and can were gone, but after they were replaced, its been working good.

I've never dealt with Peavey

If you can find one, buy it, they're dirt cheap, and they work well, I guarentee you'll like it.

great amp for medium gigs. packs a lot of power with 2 channels and 800watts of power. lots of different sounds by tweaking with it's equalizer.

with my yamaha rbx 170, it sounds great. i have crappy speakers right now, but i'm getting new ones in a few mins. =)

i can get really good grunge sounds, with a good "muddy" thump to 'em. but then i can get the nice "twangy" sounds with slap bass, it's just an all around awesome amp.

it's been around for decades, of course it's reliable! it's shocked me a couple of times, but that's because i'm just stupid...

i give customer support a 10, because i've never had to deal with them...thank god. i hate customer support reps.

if you can find one for under $250, GET IT!

Just bought mine......wow. It was made in 1979 seven years after i was born. My Peavey Mark 3 has two channels, with a third input that automatically mixes the two together for a third sound. It also has channel switching, with footswitch input. (I NEED A FOOTSWICHT FOR IT BADLY THOUGH!) because I play every style of music I can. If anyone has an original switch I'd be interrested. I use all the features plus add my own.

This may sound strange but, I use mainly my Gibson Les Paul through it. This amp mixed with a Gibson...There's no sound i cannot get especially when i hook up my effects and Hendrix Cry Baby Wah. When you set this amp's settings up right along with the toggle switch on the Les Paul your in for a treat. Not to mention the Peavey Mark 3 is 800 watts output; 400 per channel. I tell you when I want to get loud all I have to do is hit the switch, And when I want super clean I just click off my distort pedal. But if want Deep Blues with a Bass thump on my fiddle I just switch the Les Paul to the rythem channel and rock with it, switch back to the lead pickup and I'm off with the Wah into Voodoo Chile lead with the amp screamin' for more. Also on my off nights I also play my Washburn B-20 Bass through it. Plus when I feel like an open Jam night I just take my Electric accustic out with a mic. I play the Accustic through Low channel and Sing through the High channel. The Amp then works like a small P.A. system for me.

Depend on it? it's been around almost as long as I've been alive..Get the picture.

I have not delt with the company. (But I would like to get an original pedal for it.)

I've been playing for 14 years now, along with singing, writing, playing the mandolin, bass. If this amp ever got stolen from me 'd be very, very upset. I think I'd have every cop in town looking for it. Sometimes I do also play my Godin Artisan ST through this amp also, For the Godin has the floating Floyd Rose term. system on it. If you play Guitar, Bass, or Sing, (I haven't tried my keyboards though this Amp yet but I'm sure it'll sound just fine.)But if you play and find one of these Amps used....Man, All I can say is GIVE IT A TRY.

Year 1978, bought it new with 2X15 in folded horn reflex Peavey bottom. Been playing all styles of rock since...wow I feel old now 1969-70....yes it does have tne auto-mix function and you set both channels differently and then combine them for a 3rd sound. At 300 watts into 2 ohms it does have plently of output...(30V RMS) and thats amplifing the input!!!!!!!!! If you use Bi-amp features the head is mainly a control head for raw power amps ( low out/high out)then you can use the cross-over functions effectively. I feel I should have gotten another bottom when I first bought it, but it does take up room with two bottoms. (TONS of THUMP)

BC Rich Custom Deluxe Mockingbird Bass....1977 model...handmade etc...the combos is as clean as you want it to be....can sound like a upright or get down and dirty....noise can be a issue if the settings are made incorrectly...you can overdrive the input and get feedback in a hurry with the BC Rich running the pre-amp. It can take the power and be clean on the other hand, but you need the room or the reflected frequencies will distort the outputs at the speakers themselves. (don't crank it in a closed area) The amp can give plenty of bite could use a horn array to help the upper end though...(speaker fault not amp)

The amp is a Tank and built like pro unit should be....one failure in 25 years. This was due to lending it out and it wasn't correctly warmed-up. As with any good amp you need to let it warm-up so the internal temps equalize before you drive it hard. Cooling isn't the issue here.

No troubles in this area....repair was a snap at a good shop. Parts came right in. Don't remember how long the warrany was it had to be outa warranty though.

Been playing since the late 60's, Had a 63 Strat as my first guitar, gave that to my brother, Have a Gibson Bird from the 60,s (64). Played a Fender P Bass. Got rid of that. Bought the BC Rich new and have not had another Bass since. I bought the Peavey Mark III Bass Amp because it was a amp that could be expanded on if needed and was the best sounding amp I could get at the time. Today you would be hard pressed to find a better amp. It is smooth or rough and built to take the demands of the road or stage or home.

I don't know what year the amps was made, but it is a Peavey Mark III. I play mostly rock or acid/rock (Manring styling). This amp is very versatile. I can cut/boost low/high with the push of a button. The EQ is great help and the amp has a high gain and low gain input. No FX loop or channel switching. It's plenty loud for where I play, which is usually around town and practice. It's all solid state.

I have a Warwick Streamer STD. It has 2 passive MEC soapbars. I get tons of thick low end while still keeping plenty high end to shine. It doesn't give a lot of noise unless it's in the high gain input. It has more gain. The cleans are great, no distortion unless boosted way up.

Built like a rock. Old as I am, and looks brand new. Never had to have it fixed.

Never had to use them.

Been playing 6 years and been through all kinds of amps. Beat out a Sunn, Fender, Mesa and a Marshall to my ear. Same good sound, but less the price, less the hasle. My search is over. I intend to try to find some other Mark series heads for a stereo setup. You can't go wrong here.

175 watts bass. Two inputs, one is for guitar the other is for bass. You can also plug both in for a really full sound. It's basic, but there are enough controls to get at whatever sound you need. There are pre and post volume switches, a five band equalizer, and two shelving switches.

I have used this amp with both the bass and the guitar, and it works with both. Sounds great clean, but I love the fuzzy distortion. I wouldn't expect this from a solid state amp. I practice in my garage which is covered in foam sound proofing, but the low roar keeps my neighbors hating me. This could easily handle any small to medium sized gig.

I've only had it for about a year, but these things are made for keeps. Everything is solid, but I can't give it a 10 until I've had it for 10 years and can still say nothing has changed.

Never dealt with them.

If you are looking for a great amp, with no fuss, this is it. It produces a beautiful sound that will make your neighbors crazy. The high sound is clean too, so it's best to have a cab that can take full advantage of the punch. I'll probably never have to buy another amp, unless I become rich and famous, but I'm not looking for an amp loaded with features; that's what the effects loop is for. If you want an amp with reverb or anything like that, get ready to really open your wallet and lose your music to the electronics.

This amp was designed in 1978 and mine was built in 1980. It's solid state, split into two independant channels. Both have a high and low gain input. Both also have pre and post gain, with eq inbetween. The first channel has passive equalisation while the second has active. It also has a tidy little feature called automix, which allows you to run the bass through both channels and adds another great sound to the setup. It is possible, provided you can find a footswitch (mine came without) to jump between both channels. The second channel also features a non-adjustable Peavey DDT compressor, and then both channels are fed back into a six-channel graphic eq. Overall you can get a huge variey of sounds from this excellent amplifier. I use a '92 Rickenbacker 4003, a '91 ESP Jazz, a '88 Aria Pro II fretless and a '99 Squier Precision. I've found that the Rick just blows the arse out of most amps (most recently a Trace), regardless of the input gain setting. This isn't the case with the Peavey. Every bass sounds just fantastic and meaty, it has a very warm, yet clean sound and getting a superb tone seems to be very, very easy, regardless of what's plugged into it.

I plugged this in and didn't change a thing and it just sounded amazing! You can get a huge, and I mean seriously huge, range of sounds from this amp. It is a remarkable piece of electrical engineering. As mentioned before, I use a Rick, an ESP, an Aria Pro II and a Squier, and they all sound amazing. The compression deals with the Rick's sometimes excessive power with ease. The ESP has the best sound coming out of a bass I've ever heard. From smooth and clean to dirty and powerful with ease, just by adjusting the power of your play (I use my fingers mostly, rarely with a plec. For a 20 year old amp there's barely a hiss coming out of it.

I bought this for #100 Irish pounds (that's about $120 of your US dollars) in an outdoor market, and everything worked. It's 20 years old and every knob and slider feels like it's built to last... still. Only one pot has a little bit of crackle which is easily dealt with. This thing feels like you could feck it out a window, drive over it, burn it and it'd still sound sweet.

I've never had any dealing with Peavey but I was able to download the original user manual, complete with wiring schematic, from their website. That impressed me, greatly.

I'd be happy with this amp if I'd paid ten times what I did pay. This is a class piece of work. If you see one, buy it. It'd be worth getting fixed if it was broken. I bought a fantastic bargain and I've no intention of changing it. Now, if only I could lay my hands on a bloody footswitch...

400 watts of solid state power I think mine is an eighties model (well they're on to the MArk VI now). two non switchable channels one with compressor (simple on off one no nob with it) 8 or 16 Ohm speaker outs compressor channel has bass treble and mid nobs other one only has bass and treble. Both have gain and master and switches for the eight band graphic no loop but does have five inputs two for each channel and one mix. Fits the bill for my quiet loud pop grunge psychedelia. wish you could switch channels and have one set for crunch (but I use my supa tonebender for that anyway) also adjusting the compression might make it actually useful. mix input was useful 'til it broke. it doesn't have XLR outs whic annoys sound folks sometimes but it does have a slave jack and a direct out

Use it with my epiphone thunderbird copy (no pick ups changeds or anyhting) and coloursound supa tonebender through a trace elliot new 4 x10 (one of the furry green ones) and it does the job mighty fine. pretty noiseless clean but feedbacks nicely when you have it really loud and want it to. the actual grunt noise the amp makes on its own with the gain up isn't bad but it is solid state and a bass amp so the idea is that it deosn't make that noise isn' it. very loud indeed although, putting it in different inputs on the same channel makes a difference sometimes but not others it is old and the plug is falling off the back of it so it does buzz abit occasionally. had someone play a really modified p bass with an EMG preamp set up through it recently and it was grunting like a stick pig (a good thing) with my music master weeny fender it sounds pretty cool too especially with loadsof fuzz V reminescent of gratitude by the b boys. Used it in the studio in preference to a hartke rig that was just too clean and icey sounding. It's not as good as teh SVT II i hired for the first lot of recordings we did though but then it only cost #100

Dependable it's old and the only time it broke was when the plug fell off but I fixed it in a trice. otherwise it's had beer in it been left in sheds etc etc and never really given a problem in the last two years. before that it was in a rehearsal studio for years so I guess it has seen an awful lot of hours. it's the only amp I've had for the last few years and I have never had any trouble with on the other hand our guitarists valvestate has a habit of breaking all the time

dunno bought it off of a dodgy german geezer

been playing bass for yurs and yurs (ten about) bought it cos I was hiring it from the rehearsal place to gig with and the boss man was closing the place down, #100 quid was a bargain for something so functional i had thougth I would upgrade fairly quickly but it does sound really cool we recently expanded from a three to a four piece and I am thinking of getting another cab to cut through more I own this head an epi thunderbird tobacco sunburst, a dearmond jetstar, red, a nice selmer treble 'n bass valve amp that I got for a song as well and a fender musicmaster (black early 70's). I do wish it was switchable as the amp overdiven sound is nice for a bit of crunch which combined with my fuzz action would make for some interesting sound options. I need to get the thing serviced as bits of it (nobs, plugs sliders on the graphic the mixer input) have all gone west due to be bashing it about abit, so some creativity with a pair of pliers is sometimes neccesarry for tone adjustment otherwise it's a winner