Peavey Microbass

Older model, new one have red faced trim, 20 watts, hi-mid-bass eq knobs, 8" speaker, headphone jack.

With my 4 string Jazz copy it does just what I wanted it to. Light weight amp to carry to the bar for jamming with acoustic guitars and maybe an electric giutar now and then. The amp gets loud enough before it runs out. The tone it good and tight with the pickups I have in my bass. A S-D stacked humbucker in the neck and a straight single coil jazz in the bridge. Both are passive. I can get the Thump of an upright for the country to the low growl for the new stuff.
Now with my Curbow 5 it is a different deal all together. The Curbow is an active pickup and a 5 string. This little amp does not have the range to reach the low B string on anything past the 5 frett. The amp was not really designed to get to 30Hz, not really any in this price range will handle an active 5 string very well.
All in all it is a very good little amp with plenty of sound that is VERY portable.

I have one of the older models and it works everytime it is plug in. Most all Peavey equipment is like that.

Never had to deal with them on this amp but have on a PA. They handled the problem professionally.

Been playing 4-5 years, played in several cover bands. Played in the US and in Europe (USAF).
I have two 4 string and one 5 string basses, a couple of guitars, amps from Marshall, Legion Sound, Peavey.
If this were stolen or lost, YES I would get another one. It does just what I need it for, small acoustic bar jams. It straps to the ***** bar of my Harley, bass gets slung over the shoulder in a gigbag.

Not too many features but fine for practise. Reasonable 3 band EQ. If you need more features, buy something bigger.

Great. I thought it was good for it's size & now I've recorded with it & the engineer said it was great for its size I'm convinced.
I've also done small gigs with it & it's been great. I do mostly Jazzy stuff on electric & stand-up at low volumes. It can carry a Jazz tone just fine.

I un-screwed some screws by mistake & created rattles. I soon fixed them & I've never looked back. Very reliable. I've played through this baby regularly for several years.

Overall this is a great piece of cheap gear in my opinion.

Peavey MicroBass III
Made in USA, 2003

20 Watts, 8" Blue marvel speaker, single input, volume control, 3 band eq low/mid/high, headphone jack, external speaker jack

Without the external speaker connector I would give this amp a feature rating of 4. It is very simplistic, nothing more.

This amp sounds far better than amps anywhere near its $130 price range. I've compared it against Crate, Behringer and Fender. This amp does not register low B on a 5 or 6 string bass well at all. However, drop D on my 4 string basses sound great, both passive jazz and active musicman. Use the external jack to connect a 10 or 12 to resolve the low B problem.

There isn't much control through the onboard 3 band eq, it really only refines what you get from your bass eq. Adjust the high to far and you'll get hiss. But overall the amp is very quiet.

Volume is incredible for its size and loud enough to fill the entire house. It only distorts if you push it too far, which seems easier to do with active pickups.

I've had it for three years and it still works great. I did have a few strange problems with it that I have never sent it back to Peavey to resolve. The power jack wiggles a little and if the amp is left plugged in for 3 or more days it begins to hum without it being turned on. I just keep it unplugged when not in use. Its still under warranty for another 2 years I guess I could just get it fixed but just haven't gotten around to it.

I've only dealt with Peavey on my Grind 5 bass regarding a treble pot. They sent a replacement within days and never asked a question regarding warranty.

Its a nice amp and does what it was designed to do. Provide basic yet solid amplification. The price of $210 included a Peavey Milestone III bass and accessories. It was a great deal.

Year unkown. Standard black cab, couplke of knobs, 10" speaker. I am a beginner and hide it behind a chair in the living room so my wife won't get upset by a bigger unit. Single channel, no real effect, some know equalizer stuff, headphone jack. For a practice amp, this thing is just great.

I picked this up out of a pawn shop for $75 in like new condition. there were several other branks there in the same size, also used. I tries them all, and was hoinestly amazed at the clarity of the peavey. had i not done a comparison, i would have bought any of the others for about $40, but this thig sounded twice as good as the rest.
I would never try to gig with it, or evben do a practice with friends, but it sounds great on the hardwood floor at home.

no idea as I haven't had it long or had it seviced.

no idea, same as above.

I have been playing for a few months (practicing really). I use an Ibanez actice pickup ATK 300 thru it, and just pickedupa an NS upright. both sound fine. Nothing really to love or hate here, just to know it sounded much better than many others and the price was cheap.

My Peavey Microbass amp was made in 2000. This amp was intended to be a bed-room or room practice amp and nothing more. I have never tried using it in any kind of show situation obviously for its limited power. The amp pretty much suits my need though, it's got everything an amp of that kind should have. I use this amp in my bed room for regular practice and it has just enough volume and power to fill a room. It's got a a 3 band Eq. and headphone jack, it's all you need for the application.

I use this amp with a variety of basses Fender p,J, Sting Ray 4 and 5. The sound of the amp is alright but you dont need to turn it up past 2 to get the right amount of volume needed to fill the room. Maybe it's just my amp in particular but when you turn it up past two it starts to overdrive which I found quite amusing. I tend to leave it no higher than 2 on the volume, trust me 2 will fill the room plenty and enable you to still jam along with cd's and what not if you want. Other than that it's just straight forward bass amplification nothing more or less for it's intended purpose.

I'd say you would be able to rely on this thing mine hasnt broken down or blown a speaker yet. I cant really imagine myself bringing it to a gig but if I did I'm sure it would work fine. I dont know how good it would sound though in that environment. If it's one thing Peavey have in their corner, that they dont make up for in sound, at least is solid construction.

Never had any problems with the unit, so I have never had to deal with Peavey.

I have been playing for nearly seven years now and I own two other amps including this one. The other two amps I own are a Peavey TKO 115 S and an Ampeg SVT Classic with 810E cab etc...I play in a generic rock and blues band at the momment but I am big into metal and have played in a few local metal bands. If it were lost or stolen I would probably buy it again, it's a great amp for the applicaton. An amp like that is what you would be using most of the time anyway. I actually use that amp the most out of all my amps, even the SVT!...Cause when you think about it the SVT is a band amp, it's meant to be turned up loud or at a decent enough volume which usually is way too loud for the rest of the house...I love the SVT sound at all levels but it's really meant to be played in band practice or live. But yeah I'd definately recomend the Peavey Microbass amp for anyone really, pros or beginners alike.

This one is a 2004, made in China.
It has surprisingly a SEALED enclosure and is equipped with an 8" noname woofer.
It has no features except volume and basic tone controls.

I use it with my piezo miked double bass for small acoustic gigs and for home practice. It works excellently for this purpose, complementing the acoustic sound from the double bass.
I also use it with my 5-string electrics. It actually handles the B-string beautifully! I guess this is due to the sealed enclosure, which doesn't loose control below the resonance frequency! Smart move, Peavey, to abandon the vented enclosure!
It gets quite loud for practice and it distorts nicely. The compressor seems to work as intended.

I did disassemble the amp:
The noname 8" speaker element does not at all look trustworthy.
- The potentiometers are ONLY secured to the circuit board, NOT to the front panel. The knobs are so loose that they feel like some cheap toy. They also move very easily so you may change the setting inadvertently.
- The operational amplifiers are socket mounted, which is not reliable!
- The rest looks fine, a stable box, a nice circuit board, a heavy transformer.

I would never use this thing on a gig without backup.

Dont know but it is a big brand so I expect service and spare parts to be available.

I have been playing for 30 years semiprofessionally. My main rig is a SansAmp BassDriver connected to a 2 x 200 W PA amplifier with various speakers Peavey, Trace Elliot, Eminence, ElectroVoice..

I hate the wimpy potentiometers.
I love the sound.
I would replace it.

One of the best practice amps I've ever touched considering the price. Even then it's still hard to beat. simple 20 watt amp i think its really 15 watts though. amp, speaker, 3 band EQ, and a head phone jack.

A peavey fury P-bass with fender nickle round wound strings. sounds good produses the lows well enough. quite quiet actually. It's a bedroom amp nuff said.

Tough lil bugger. The guy I bought it from bought it used. I bought it for $40 bucks bout 4 years ago. Oh and the handle is good.

n/a

A bedroom amp says it all but a darn good bed room amp. If you have a youngster in your life who is wanting to start or if you are looking to start. You may not find a better starting point even new it's less then $100 american.

Mine appears to be a late 80's to early 90's vintage (mostly black and silver with a little aqua on the amp face/old Peavey logo). Basic practice amp at its best: 1 input, 1 volume, 3-band EQ (passive), headphone jack and power switch with indicator. This one was built before the CD-input jacks became standard, so hard to fault Peavey for not including them. A couple of things do stand out, though: 1) long power cable (about 10' or so), and a "ported" or "slotted" cabinet that seems to help focus the lower frequencies a bit. Nice touches when compared to other small practice amps.

Due to the "bass response port/slot" at the bottom front of the cabinet, this unit projects lower frequencies a little better than several of its competetors. That being said, this is definitely a practice amp...only! I found that major swings in the tone controls only had a minor effect on overall tone. As well, response drops considerably if you jump down to the B-string on a 5-string bass. The Microbass handles 4-string basses very nicely. The tone and volume are nothing to brag about, BUT they are perfectly acceptable for the size and wattage rating of this unit. Although I can only recommend it as a practice amp, I can say that it does a nice job when I plug in my acoustic bass. In my case, I push the mid- and low-EQ to 10 and drop the treble. This has allowed me to sit comfortably in the pocket at acoustical jams/shows where I had to compete with several instruments (sans drums). I used to use my Ampeg BA-112 (better tone and volume), but the Microbass does a good job at half the weight and bulk. You'd have a hard time finding better volume/tone at this wieght/price.

After owning over a dozen peavey amps and rack pieces (and another dozen speaker units), I'd damn near proclaim them indestructable. In this case, the amp has held up very nicely for a unit that's about 15 years old. The only issues I can find are a couple of scratchy pots. This is the only amp I carry to small, acoustical gigs.

Best in the business. These guys have answered (in great detail) several of my dumb questions (and a couple of headscratchers) over the last 8 years. Customer support is one of a handful of reasons that I buy Peavey equipment whenever possible. I also like the fact that you can find almost all of their literature (including obsolete models) on-line.

Doggone decent little amp for the price. No question that I'd replace in-kind if lost or stolen! Better tone and volume than most amps in this wattage class/price range). Nearly indestructable. AND, around here, Peaveys are a dime a dozen. Even if it does go south on me, I'll be able to find a replacement at a fair price.

This amp is basic in its features, but has everything you need: bass, mid, high eq, volume, headphone jack and speaker out. The amp is light and compact - you could bring it with you for any occasion. I'd use this in choir practices, jamming (without drums) and acoustic/piano accompaniment. Jamming with a guitar isn't any problem - you will be heard. Add in another guitar and drums and it becomes difficult to hear yourself. It is not suitable for gigs etc. Having said that when you crank it up you get a sound louder than you'd expect for an amp this size and wattage. A 'line out' jack would be a useful addition. My friend Aaron (owner of Peavey Special 112) and I (were recording once with the band and had to resort to mic-ing the amp up, and that's something we won't try again. The bass had to be DI'd (straight from bass to the mixer), so here a line out would be handy.

The EQ offers a wide variety of bass sounds - from 'underwater' bass to a more Phil Lynnot style-twangy bass. The EQ is responsive; any small change will affect the sound alot. It offers a good sound for Thin Lizzy, U2, Blink-182 and the like. The tone is generally clean, and suitable for choir backing, solo/piano accompaniment etc. I'd imagine it wouldn't suit metal as well as it has a more clean, less biting tone. I play with a Fender Precision bass and have been playing for a little over a year now, and while I wasn't impressed with its appearance at first, it proved a great buy. It's not just a beginner's amp; if you're doing small jams, doing small gigs, practicing etc. it's very handy.

As I said, this amp isn't gigable. In all the time I had it, it worked fine. It has a sturdy build and there are no loose components, flimsy knobs etc. However once it was out of my care for a while and when it was returned wasn't in working order! Speaker problems! This could have been something that was developing for a while, but in a short time deteriorated to no sound at all. Andrew, of the Rangers, has the same amp and at max volume it distorts. It was not used for a long time, and this might be the explanation for it, although it wasn't abused either. At lower volumes, it's fine though.

The warranty the shop offered is for two years, which doesn't cover speaker damage. I left it in to be looked at after I noticed a deterioration in the sound, but the technician didn't find any major problems. It's in for repair again now and I'm waiting to see what they'll say this time. There's little information on the Peavey website about this amp, though manuals are to be found if you look hard.

This was my first amp since the inception of 'The Psychedelic Rangers', a mixed (not heavy) rock band. The fact that it is a sturdy, compact, light, and yet fairly loud amp makes it a gem for some occasions. It beats having to haul around a bigger, more awkward amp if it's only for something small. I've alot of praise for the amp for these reasons, and most other musicians agree that you get a louder, more full sound than you'd expect out of it. Not for high volume practice sessions, or gigs however! It simply cannot compete with a loud band. So you will have to invest in a bigger amp if you're taking to the stage or the band start to crank it up. While my Microbass isn't in working order at the moment, I miss how easy it is to transport it and set it up. I'm using 60W Carsbro Bass Beaver now, which is a good performer, but isn't as easy to move around. I recommend this amp if you're a beginner, or involved in choir etc. - at the right price. Because you will have to invest in a more powerful one sooner or later.

I wish that it had RCA inputs for a CD player. Otherwise, everything that I think one needs for a practice amp - bass,mid, treble (passive) tone controls, gain, headphone, ext. speaker.

I'm very surprised by the output of this amp. It's obviously going to have a compromised low end due to it's low power and small speaker, but still I am very pleased with it's tone and volume for practice situations.

The tone knobs are passive - that is, they are 'cut-only'. I turn them all the way up - so that there is no cut. Then, I adjust the tone from my bass. I use a Dingwall 5 and a Hamer cruise (j-bass). My opinion is that using it this way gives the best response. I occasionally will roll back the treble a little.

I've only had it for a short time, but my experience with other peavey amps has been very good.

They have an excellent website - their manuals are online - and they've been very responsive on their web-forums and via email.

I think that for portability and tone, it's a great value. Comparing it to other units in it's price range I was won over by it's sound and weight. Other units had effects, which wasn't important to me. My only enhancement request would be for an RCA line-in.