Peavey 6505 Head

Rating is for one channel hi-gain amp. It has fx on/off swich in footswich, so it's a lot for me ..you buy what you see, so i'll not rate 5 because it has no midi, 4 loops and eq onboard.
But 8 is because ...there is no clean channel ;)

i go:
Schecter Blackjack c7 ATX (Seymour Blackouts) or Gibson Shred V (EMG85)->6505 /in loop BBE Sonic Maximize 422A/ ->NoisyBox 2x12" (Electro Voice EVM12L)

I make some changes to make clean channel on this amp ...i swapped preamp tubes for Phillips ECC81 on v1 and v6 slot ...and it really works. Clesn is clean ..but it affects lead :(
lead brcome clearer and less noisy, but with less body and punch too :(

but in standard way, there is no clean

Lead is great, i compared it to Mesa Roadster and Marshall JVM410H ...for hours ...and.
6505 is fast, punchy, agressive ...but more noisy than mesa and with less wide bottom
...not so clear as JVM ...but have some character of vomiting drunk gorilla.
And yes there is some fizz in distortion ...but not when you use EVM12L speakers :)) ...i tested mesa rectp 4x12 and peavey 6505 ...and both had lot more fizz than my "little" 2x12" 600W cab ;)

really good, but i put some care ...so i don't really know.

who knows?

I love it, it's cheap ...but it's like buying just lead channel.

Made in 2005....bought it used.

Same features / tone as the 5150.

Still had the org Peavey / TAD 6l6GC's.

12ax7's were a mixture of GT, EH, JJ, probably from previous owner. Replaced with 5 Tung-Sol 12ax7's....much better.

I thought it sounded great until I stuck a MXR 10 band eq in the fx loop. Single biggest improvement you can make short of sending it out to be reworked. Fatter, cleaner, crunchier...ect, yet still has the classic 5150 tone. Also it gets rid of the wicked feedback at louder volumes. Want a huge sound without cracking your drywall, drop the gain / volume on eq and crank up the lead master to 6 or so.

Amp settings lead pre 5, L5, M3.5, H6, R3.5-6, P6-9
MXR- metal setting (tweeked)

I play through a Fender 2x12 cab w/ Celestion G12T-100's

Priest, AIC, STP, Sound Garden, Nugent

Never broken down

Ton of 5150's out there, wouldn't be a problem getting it fixed.

My twin reverb / TS9 will cover anything that the 6505 does not.

Go for 500-700 used, worth the money.

I got this amp because i wanted a decent lead tone and power. This amp does both. Although it only has one EQ i found this to be all i needed for the monster tone it creates. I use this amp at every gig from outdoor stadiums to local pubs and it has the power and tone for both. It sounds great at low volumes and high. I play in a classic rock band with sounds from AC/DC to ted nugent and this amp creates them brilliantly. You could use this amp for blues to hardcore metal that how versatile it is.

I use a 2008 Gibson les paul standard and an es-137 both with normal humbuckers through this monster. What i first noticed about it was the power and low ends. It creates a loud growl rather than a grainy swamp sound like my marshall vintage modern did. The volume is immense you can put it to half of 1 and it will shake the room so volume is no problem. I use the matching 6505 4x12 cab and it makes the gains warm and clear i did use a marshall 1960A cab but it was to messy with the gains. I dont drive it to much usually between 4 and 5 creates a nice classic warm tone.
Lead tones are amazing i use the neck pick up alot and its so clear and huge that it makes you feel good every note you play.

I use this amp at everygig and never take a backup unfortunatley while we were playing it decided to break i found out however this was due to falty plug extensions so it wasnt peaveys fault. Apart from that it is a heavyweight tank of an amp you can drop it or hit it ( not on purpose) and it wont have a scratch.

Very reliable.

When my amp broke i sent it to peavey who fixed it and had it back to me in 2 days because i had a gig. This was very helpful.

They also sent me 2 spare valves for the trouble because of the gaurenty this was awesome.

I hav been playing ten years i am in a proffesional touring band and have been a session worker for two years. Iv owned alot of amps but this one tops them all its brilliant. If it was stolen i would cry then buy another 1 straight way.

I love the tone the power and overall look of this amp its raw, loud and is a tone god just what a guitarist needs.

If you're looking for the best cab for it buy the matching one its creates a perfect clean rockin sound.

To be fair, this amp isn't loaded with features, but that's not what it's made for.

You get a two channel amp, the clean channel has a clean and crunch setting, you get gain for each channel, a 3 band EQ, volume, resonance and presence that that's it, but that's fine by me. I'm not into complex amps with a million and 1 nobs and buttons.

If you want killer tone and don't want to ponce around with a million knobs and switches then this is your amp, although a reverb and a separate EQ's for each channel would be nice.

This amp rocks... hard!
I'm not into having bucket loads of distortion and dropped tunings, but if you are into that kind of thing, it's definitely there.

I run an Ibanez PGM through an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a crybaby into the amp, and in the effects loop, I have a Boss graphic EQ, a Boss DD3 delay, and a marshall chorus pedal and my god does this thing sing. I have the gain on the lead channel set to about 5.5 and that's enough for a singing lead tone with buckets of sustain and a really rich sound.

I kick in the tube screamer for solos because I've found that the more you push the gain up on the amp, you loose a little bit of the sweetness of the tone (yes, sweetness is the best way I can describe it) but with that pedal kicked in you can hold a note for days and it really REALLY screams.

Anyone who has used this amp will know it's SERIOUSLY loud! I say that in a big way! But, the louder you crank it, the better it sounds (as I guess is the case with most tube amps). In the past I've found with some amps, once you really crank them up, they start to loose some of their tonal qualities. With the 6505, this is certainly not the case, crank to your hearts content, stand back and be prepared to be hit in the face with a shed load of volume to a stunning tone.

My only slight issue with the tone is that is it perhaps a bit too top-endy. I have to put the bass up to about 9 to get a really thick tone out of it, but it's no major issue.

I've only had the amp about two months, it's been carted around, rehearsed and gigged and hasn't let me down, although considering it's only 2 months old, I wouldn't expect any amp to, hence, no opinion.

I've not had to seek any customer support so no opinion on this, although it did come with a 2 year warranty.

As I said, I'm running an Ibanez PGM into a crybaby and a wah, into the amp, a delay, chorus and graphic EQ in the effects loop and out into a marshall 4x12 and it really does sing and roar.

It's a stunning amp, built like a tank, all the volume you will ever need and sounds absolutely stunning. I wasn't keen on Peavey amps (when I bought it, I was looking at a Marshall JCM800), but this has completely changed my mind. When the guy in the shop suggested I tried it out, I was skeptical but the tone of this thing completely changed my mind and my preconceptions, a great buy and although not the cheapest amp in the world, it pays for itself a million times over with it's tone.

I have a hard time rating this one. it's hard to say an amp that was essentially created by EVH lacks features. this amp was never intended to do anything other than produce great rock sounds, no matter what level of rock. it is stomp box friendly, the loop works very nicely. these days what other feature do you need other than an effects loop? ALSO, to the guy below me, if they made a half watt version (50 or 60 watts), it would not sound anything like the 120. cutting two power tubes means losing the tightness this amp has, and sacrificing bottem end (which there is more than enough), and 4 power tubes supports bottom end much better than 2.

any ways, i think the first channel is actually extremely flexible. before i got this amp i owned a Rivera knucklehead 55, and the first channel of this amp produces almost every sound that amp did, (the exception being the better than fender clean that the rivera could produce). this channel is great for blues, classic rock, and good 80's lead. with the crunch button it almost has enough gain for modern metal. the cleans are good for a jazz lead, not the best for chords, it gets muddy if you set the eq up for a good metal sound.

the second channel is nothing but gain. set the pre gain at 3 and you have enough distortion for new hard rock, 4.5 and its enough for the most brutal hardcore/nu metal bands out there, which is why nearly every hardcore band out there has at least one on stage. they are bulletproof amps, extremely reliable, come stock with jj tubes and perform as advertised.

The master presence and resonance controls make tone shaping almost effortless combines the the master 3 band EQ. slight adjustments are very noticeable, bright switch really tightens up the rhythm channel.

i use a fender showmaster FMT with emg 81-85 set up, bridge pinned down, tuned to drop C. i also use a schecter 006 with a Duncan distortion. big difference between passive and active pickups with this amp. i like the emg's better for the output. surprisingly they were quieter than the duncans.

i play in a newer metalish/progressive at times band. to hear this amp recorded well go to (chronicles of bobby kemp and three hundred are the 6505, the others are a vht deliverance/mesa dual rec combo, very nice as well)

myspace.com/merciany

my only complaint with this amp is feedback. solution: boss compressor. 90$ and cleans up all noise by 99%, without sucking up alot of the important noise-tone. like i said befor, this amp is a rocker, and just like the people that play them, it likes to get a little wild. if you plug into the low gain setting it helps alot if you don't want a compressor, but you lose some power.

i have seen one of these heads dropped from a full stack (WHILE IT WAS ON) and it didnt even bust a tube. without a doubt one of the most reliable amps available. flawless.

i don't bother trying to "work" with big companies, even if they do want to help it just takes to long. if something breaks i have it repaired by a professional amp builder/tech. (john nau)

If you want lots of buttons, lots of easily accessed flexibility, effects, etc...don't buy this amp.

If you have the patience to find your sound, this can be a very good tool for your tone. I would challenge someone to find an amp that can challenge the 6505 as far as a brutal tone, and cost 1100 or less. im not saying this is the best amp out there. if i could afford a framus then this amp wouldn't see a lot of playing time, but i can't, neither can the average guitar player. peavey did right by their customers, they gave them affordability, great tone, and bulletproof reliability. i don't think you'll be disapointed in this amp if you want great rock/metal sounds.

Almost every guitar center has one, go check one out. hearing is believing.

I just want to ad one thing to this Amp
It sounds great

there is only one thing that is crap, they should have made a 50 watt version because this beauty is way to loud for rehearsals
(Post gain on 2.5) and for any gig that is miced. The only way my Buddy can get the full rich sound out is Amp ist by using a HotPlate. So be carefull when you want to buy one this. Other than that Excellent Head

This is a three-channel all-tube head, but only crunch and lead channels count, as I can't find a clean tone that fits me. Anyway, I bought it because of the lead, so I don??t mind. The crunch channel is perfect for any kind of rock. I play in a death metal band, and this head is exactly what I have been looking for since I play. I really do not miss any feature, appart from a better clean channel, and maybe a slightly more wide E.Q. range. It??s powerful enough to play at small venues, and if you rehearse with the volume at nine o??clock the rest of the band might kill you.....

I own a Gibson flying V, a Dean Time Capsule and an LTD ec deluxe. The Gibson sounds very punchy, whith an awesome high attack, though a bit thin if I play solos with the bridge pickup. When I plug my Dean, the sound is extremely fat and chunky, seems like a strong wind is blowing from the cab(4*12 V30??s). I am really addicted to this combination. Whith the LTD??s EMGs sounds a bit thinner than the flying, though still okay.
I pretty much recommend not to abuse on gain, since over 5 or 6 it could sound fizzy. It??s also good not to elliminate mids. They will give you the desired thickness.
Like most of high gain heads, It is a bit noisy, but all you have to do is muting your guitar between songs.
In a few words, this is, for the price It??s worth, a dream for extreme metal players.
My settings: Pre:5-6 Bass: 6.5 Mid: 3.5 High: 5 Post: 2.1 Res: 7 Pres: 9

The amp arrived to my hands in perfect condition. All I did was re-adjusting the bias a bit. I have been playing it four hours a week for two years, and I haven??t noticed any sound loss. It is very strong and reliable, though the tubes are not the best ones.

I have never needed to deal with them......

I have been playing for 14 years, and I have tested many heads. This is the best in Its price range if you like extreme guitar sounds. There are slightly better amps for a lot more money. Many people hate It, many others love It.My advice: Go, try, and give your oppinion.

I use the 6505 through a Laney GS412LS cab for Extreme Metal from slow Doom to superfast grindcore.

2 channels & a crunch switch. Same EQ on both channels.

I use it to gig in various sizes of venue & to rehearse.

VOLUME! - the biggest feature of this amp is that you can deafen yourself without turning the volume above 5.

It has all the features I need but a 'blend' control on the effects loop would be nice.

I use Gordon Smith Guitars with stock pickups & sold my Laney Tony Iommi signature for the 6505.

This is designed for high gain Metal & it absolutely nails it. There really is nothing else that comes close for the price. I took a long time settling on 'my' sound when I first got the amp because it sounds good however you set it. I'd never scoop the mid because that's where all the really punchy gain is with this amp & the treble gets pretty harsh above halfway. The Resonance control is like a wet dream for any doom fans. Turn it to 10 & you'll destroy the foundations of any building within 100 yards. Also, with a couple of small adjustments of the resonance & presence, I can go from fat Doom to crunchy Grind. The gain can be a bit buzzy at low volume but I don't play at low volume (that's what practice amps are for). However, if you do want to use it in your bedroom, it's not hard to get a good sound at very acceptable levels. The volume increase is surprisingly smooth for a 120 watt amp.
It is possible to get a really good clean tone too but it can take a while to find the sweet spot. I don't use a clean tone with this amp though because I'd rather have great distortion & crunch instead. The clean tone is a bit Fender like with the 'bright' switch engaged.

I've not even owned it for a year yet but I gig a lot & have had no problems at all. I knew they had a great reputation for reliability & I only buy very reliable amps because I often have to play live without a backup. It's very solid & well built. The pre-amp valves are all hidden in a compartment on the back & held in place really firmly. I can't see how a valve amp could be made any more solid than this. It got bashed into a doorframe about 30 seconds after being switched off & I thought a hot valve would have broken as a result. However, everything was in perfect working order afterwards.

Never had to deal with them.

If you have thousands to spend on an amp, you can probably find better sounding amps than this. However, the overall package is unbeatable: Tone, value for money, exeptional quality, stadium volume. My only complaint is that the effects loop could be a bit better. A mix / blend control would make it a lot more versatile & sometimes I get a loud pop when I switch the effects loop on. You might want to fit extra handles so it can be carried with 2 hands. This thing is very heavy & bulky.

I chose this amp after being blown away by seeing various bands using 6505 / 5150's. Also I borrowed one for a gig & was well impressed. I previously owned a Laney GH100s which is a great, tough amp with brilliant overdrive but the Peavey suits the 2 bands I'm in much better & it's more versatile. People remarked on how much better my sound was after the very first gig I used it at. I compared the 6505 to a Marshall JCM 2000 in our rehearsal room & the Marshall sounded flat in comparison. The Peavey has a real edge to it's gain that very few amps can match.

I'd get another if it was broken or stolen. Thing is, it's so solid I doubt if it will ever break & it's too heavy to steal easily.

2006 Made 6505. 2 channels Rhythm and Lead with a shared EQ. There is a cruch button to boost the pre gain on the rhythm channel.
Footswitchable loop
I play iy live 3-5 nights a week.
120 watt all tube. 4 6l6's and 5 12ax7's..

Gibson Les Paul. Original p.a.f. in the neck and a Pat. # in the bridge. I know this review is for my 6505, but I have to explaim how I got there. And I'll NEVER LOOK Back!
I had a XXX for yearsgreat death metal amp with a GREAT clean. That's why you see people touring with 5150's for dirty and xxx for the cleans. Then I started getting a more educated ear. I have played with National acts and been sound engineer on many big oudoor summer festival tours.

After going through many different setups I settled on and went with the Marshall DSL 100.

Sounds Awesome! It is a Marshall that sounds like a true Marshall, actually, 3 different Marshalls. Classic gain sounds like a jtm 45 with it set right. When you push in the button it is very JMP or JCM 800, throw an sd-1 or tube screamer in front of it and hold on. Depending on your settings you get everything you heard back in the day, ZZ, Zep, SRV, AC/DC, Blackfoot, Mollyhatchet, Motorhead...
Go to the ultra gain and you have a hotrodded jcm 800 and with a pedal in front you get the firs 3 Metallica albums, Anthrax, Tesla, G-n-R, again all depending on your settings. Best sounding Marshall I ever owned.
I love it! I hate it!

This thing craps out on me every 8-10 weeks. I play out 4-7 nights a week 4-5 hrs a night. The first time I lost the effects loop, I still made it through the gig. Next time I lost the classic channel, I couldn't switch to it, still made it through the night. Then one night,2nd set, the place is blowing up, we're in such a groove it was out of this world, then, I'm playing air guitar. Still lit up but no output. I did what any rockstar without a tech would do, I gave it shaken baby syndrome and turned it back on and finished the night. My repair shop said it was probably a tube, since we coundn't re create the issue. I retubed it, went to rehearsal before we were gonna open for Marshall Tucker and one of the power tube went nucular! Now I'm 2 hrs. from soundcheck and I have an amp that greenpeace would sue me for. I scrambled and borrowed my friends 5150 (Bulletproof, he hoses it out after every gig and puts it away wet)and it saved me. We went on and it sounded sweet, not Marshall sweet, but sweet in it's own way,,as a side note, it sounded nothing like any Van Halen recored I ever heard, but it sounded great with my Les Paul. I took the Marshall back to the shop and he said that the bias was floating and when it goes away the tube goes Chernobyl. I sold it AS IS and dropped the hammer and bought a brand new one, they are now discontinued by the way. So for $1271.00 out the door I got a five year warranty, YAYYY??? No BOOOO!!!! They only cover Parts, I gotta eat the labor, how do I know you may ask? 3rd gig with the new head, stock power tubes, never touched them The tube ran away again and CAUGHT FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! Kept playing though, It was so Rock n Roll, We wer killing it playing For whom the Bell Tolls and I smelled that smell, you know the one, the smell of electronic DEATH, I turned around and I couldn't tell because of the fog machine, but I could tell because the flames were flickering out from behind the head. I quickly unplugged it and another musician at the gig ran home a brought me his Bogner Shiva (*******) Thanks for kicking me when I'm down. But it saved the gig. So tomorrow morning I am returning this 54 pound piece of fire wood to Sam Ash. I have 6 days left on their 30 day return policy. I hate it. I love the sound but I need the reliability. Iam going back to my old 5150. Everyone can rag on peavey, but, when you hit the standby switch they play and sound sweet too. Not Marshall sweet, but Peavey sweet. Great for getting Skynyrd and .38 special sounds, and on the ultra channel you get moderm Metallica, Godsmack, Lamb Of God stuff.

As far as I'm concerned, I will forever play these 6505/5150 tanks. Take yor time ,learn the amp and turn the knobs, it's in there, the sound you want, it's in there.

Bulit like a tank in Mississippi. Other then tubes, never had an issue.

They are great, they will talk to you on the phone, e-mail. They'll even return your call.
Try that with Marshall.

Playing semi pro for many years! I have owned everything from SLO 100's to bogner Shivas and Exctasy, to VHto Damn near every Marshall out there. JCM 800, 900, 2000 JMP's, Super Lead plexi's. I've had Mesa mark series, single dual and triple recto's. The 5150/6505 sounds closest to the Soldano. But for near $2k more, I'll keep the Peavey. I actually wish it had reverb, but not too tragic.

If it were stolen, I would get it taken care of, I know people. It's amazing how missing gear turns up whe you tell the right people.

I give an 8 because its only to channels and not very versatile

120 watts (rms) into 16, 8, or 4 ohms (switchable)
Five 12AX7 preamp tubes and four 6L6GC power amp tubes
High and low gain inputs
2-channel preamp switchable on front panel or remote footswitch
Rhythm channel: pre-/post-gain, bright and crunch switches
Lead channel: pre-/post-gain
Channels share 3-band EQ
Presence and resonance controls
Switchable post-EQ effects loop
Preamp output
Footswitch included

I play an Ibanez RG470XL fitted with an EMG-81 pickup in the bridge
Drop c tuning (Low CGCFAD High)
I play Hardchore metal and this amp with my guitar give me the sound im after.
It is a little noisy i use a noise supressor to sort that out.
The amp is still a bit of noisy but that is expected with all high gain valve amps.
My amp only ever see's the dirty channel and for the sound im after
(Chimairia..Machine Head..ETC) it dose exactly what i want of it.
I can't realy comment on the clean channel or how versatile the amp is.
Because im not versatile but i would say the the clean channel is not that good.

The way i see it there a Two kinds of amps

1: Amps that can do lots of styles quite well
2: Amps that can do one style very well

And i think this amp is number Two \../ Metal Metal Metal \../

my amp has never had any problems

I have phoned them to ask about extended warrenty they send me out a pre-paid postcard to fill out.
3 years on the amp 90 days on the tubes.

I have been playing 15 years on and off and i know what i wanted out of an amp.
The Peavey 6505 might not be everyones ideal amp but it gives me exactly what i want.
if it were stolen i would get another exactly the same