Peavey 6505 Plus Head

2 channel 120 watt all tube head, six preamp Tubes JJ/EHX and four 6L6 Ruby powertubes , FX Loop, I think made in 2007, bought second hand but in new condition. I'm using it with a Marshall Mode Four 400 watt cab (The MF400A version), I'm playing in a Pub Band at the moment doing stuff like Metallica, Grinspoon, Silverchair, Foofighters all the usual popular pub Songs, though i'm mainly into metal but this thing rocks for anything with searing distortion and awesome leads... Hard Rock, Death Metal you name it and yes Van Halen haha. It's not that versatile but if you know how to work the EQ good you can get some different sounds.
It would of been cool if the 6505 came with a half power switch to run it on 60 watts to get that powertube breakup earlier cause this thing is insanely loud, I only use it on about 2 when playing along to songs and 3 or 4 at band practices and gigs. I've only had it around 7 or 8 a few times. Having that power under your belt is very reasuring for me haha, knowing that you can obliterate any small animal within a 1 mile radius.
The one feature I love is the FX loop on/off button in the foot switch, this is great if you have multiple pedals in your loop. I'm only using a MXR Carbon copy delay at the moment (Great pedal by the way) and a dunlop WAH in the front, but this is gonna come in handy when I get more pedals, there will be no tap dancing turning them on and off all the time haha.

Man this amp is killer, just brutal distortion, the clean channel is ok but not the best but is still very usuable, this channel is shared with the crunch mode which I don't use much but can be used for stuff like ACDC, Airbourne, Led Zep, Hard rock stuff. Now the lead channel is what my ears crack a fat over, Im running a Gibson Les Paul Std with Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz fitted and it is just awesome, chords are just thick and punchy but still have clarity and the bass response on this is excellent, especially for chugging, You can feel the thump in your chest if you stand or sit next to it close enough. The artificial harmonics just scream out and solos just cut right through anything. The amp I was using before this was a Marshall DSL50, the clean channel on it was great but the Distoriton channel was a little lacking, I had JJ's in it too with a good bias and it was just kinda fizzy and thin at times, the 6505 just has a beter quality sounding distortion, it sounds and feels bigger and has a lot more oomph. The DSL is still a good amp though, If the 6505+ had the clean channel of a DSL it would be perfect.

I've only had for about 2 months so I can't really comment, it feels very solid and reliable, I've read other reviews with people very happy with their 6505's holding up to night after night of abuse and gigging so thats very reasuring. I would still gig with a backup but the other guitarist in the band is going to be using the DSL50 so i can't afford another 6505 seeing as they are $3000 new here in australia.

Can't comment cause, i've never had a reason too contact them.

I've been playing for a bit over 4 years and have a small collection of guitars... strats, Epiphones, A gretsch and ibanez and other ones which will never stop growing and yes all guitarists should know you can never have enough gear. I'm extremely happy with this amp, the distortion is absolutely killer and just makes me play so much better and keeps me inspired to practice for hours everyday cause it sounds that good. If it were lost or stolen I would headbutt a brickwall for losing it or hit the person over the head with it if I ever found them cause it weighs a freakin tone. If you are after an amp with unbelievable punchy, searing and chugging distortion haha, check out the 6505+ or the 6505. You wont look back!

First off, just like you-I read these reviews quite often but have never felt the urge to comment until now. I recently purchased a used 2006 model 6505+ head. No mods or anything. 2 channels (clean has crunch select).

I am using a Anderson Pro Am, Suhr Classic, plus a Les Paul Studio through this head. All have humbucker pickups.
This is where the lesson in humility came in. I also own a Mesa Rect-O-Verb, 2 Marshall MarkIII 900 heads with Soldano Hot Mods in them, and a Splawn Quick Rod. THIS AMP SMOKES THE OTHERS! It sounds awesome. No Tube Screamer, Super O.D., Sonic Maximizer, etc... just straight in. I do have a Nano verb in the loop (which is footswitch selectable) for delay. The clean channel is decent,but that isn't what this amp is for.
I play metal/hard rock and this thing sounds terrific!!!

Not too crazy about the power and standby switches, but they may last forever-who knows? Seems like a fairly solid built amp. As good as the Marshalls anyhow. The Peavey products that I've used in the past have been well built.

Never used them but their website is very informative.

I've been playing metal for about 25 years. I'm not a pro, but I can get around the neck. My scores don't average to a 9-but the sound quality of this amp warrants the score. If you play metal,this is your amp!

This is the new version of the Peavey 5150II.

* 120 watts into 16, 8, or 4 ohms (switchable)
* Six 12AX7 preamp and four 6L6GC power amp tubes
* Footswitchable lead/rhythm channel select and effects loop
* 3-band EQ, resonance and presence controls on each channel
* Rhythm channel: pre-/post-gain, bright and crunch switches
* Lead channel: pre-/post-gain controls
* Preamp output
* Footswitch included

Let's be honest here; if you're buying this amp, you're buying it for metal/hard rock. This thing kills with distortion. There is a reason so many metal bands use this amp, and that's because the tube distortion is amazing; there is no need to have a distortion pedal. You want crunching lows or piercing leads with a lot of sustain, this amp will do it.

With that said, there are some flaws.

The clean tone leaves a lot to be desired. It takes a lot of tweaking and certain know-how to get it to "sparkle". Get yourself a good cabinet (I'm running a Mesa/Boogie cab with V30's in it) and either a delay/chorus/reverb pedal and you'll notice a HUGE change in the clean. But, if you want it to just sparkle, get a Fender amp or look elsewhere.

Also this amp is LOUD. I'm talking, turn the post volume past 2-3 and you're piercing eardrums. You'll have no problem cutting into the mix of things. But, with that amount of volume and the amount of gain this amp pumps out a noise suppressor is NECESSARY.

I'm using a Boss NS-2 and I just turn the threshold at about 3 o'clock (I have to have it that high because I also have a Schecter C-1 Hellraiser with active pickups and this thing will feedback like crazy without the right control). Do this and you won't hear a sound for those dramatic pauses when you need to kill the distortion in a split-second.

I use this thing live too, and it's perfect. You'll hear yourself just fine and deafen those who are silly enough to stand right in front of it. It's reliable and has been used to record in studio with stock tubes (there fairly good).

I've been gigging without a backup for some time, and this thing has never crapped out on me. (Though I need to get a backup pretty soon, because you never know when something weird can just happen.) I'll tell you what HAS crapped out on me: not having good cables.

But, this amp is amazing. I haven't had the money to get an ATA case for it yet, so I've been lugging it around to gigs with no protection on it AT ALL. And it works just fine. It's built like a tank, tubes are completely covered and it has a metal grill where the pre/power knobs are at.

My only complaint is that this is a heavy head, and having one leather strap to carry it by makes me nervous. I wish more heads had the carrying handles like a Genz-Benz El-Diablo.

This amp won't break unless I purposely do it, nuff' said.

Haven't had to deal with them, and I've had this head for about a year. That's a good sign.

Been playing for 13 years and I've tried Mesa's and Marshalls, high-end Crates, Randalls and Laney's and this is the sound I wanted. We don't play "death metal" like a lot of bands on here do, we're much more a Sevendust sound. But for metal, no matter your subgenre, this thing will work for it.

If it were stolen I'd buy another in a heartbeat, and then hunt down and murder the person who stole mine.

I love the distortion and I love it's reliability. The clean tone is very "meh". And I wish it had a hard ATA case it came with, but that's okay. I'm also a fan of the power plug being attached to the head and non removable (this keeps people from walking buy and ripping out the cord and killing a show!).

I wish it had a reverb effect on it somewhere.

For the price of this head, you won't find better. And hell, you won't find better for double the price either. This is one amazing amp.

Not sure the year this was produced but it was a floor model from the music store I currently work for. This 2 channel beast acts as a three channel if you consider the crunch feature on the rhythm channel. Pre and post gain as well as three band eq on each channel plus resonance and presence for each channel, crunch and bright switches on the rhythm channel. Mine came stocked with a pretty nice tube selection, 4 Ruby 6L6GC's in the power section and 5 JJ's ecc83 plus an Electro Harmonix 12AX7LPS located second from the left if looking at the preamp tubes from the back. Comes with a three button footswitch for channel, crunch and fx loop switching. Switchable impedance 4, 8, or 16 ohms, bias testing and adjustment, etc. The last amp I owned was a Mesa Boogie Mark IV and after I had spent a considerable amount of time (roughly 1 month of tweaking) I finally got a tone I was happy with on all three channels. I'm not fond of tweaking and like ease of use...this amp has it. I didn't have to spend much time dialing in a tone I was pleased with and it didn't seem to vary from use to use as I had experienced with the Mesa.

I use this amp for all three projects I'm currently involved with. The first is a southern metal/hardcore project which I use an older LTD KH203 with a pair of EMG HZ's tuned to dropped D. The sedond project is more of a dirty rock project and I use an LTD EC300 with HZ's tuned to standard. Both projects play original material and I had a different set up for my tone relying mostly on the lead channel. The third project performs mostly covers ranging from Wilson Pickett to Alice In Chains which is where the versatility comes into play with the 6505+. I have heard people say this amp doesn't clean up which is a misconception. The rhythm channel has a nice "tube" clean sound, it's not a solid state clean which sounds overprocessed to me but instead a true warm clean tone. From what I understand, this is a throwback to the first generation of 5150 heads. Over time as Eddie's hearing diminished he lost the ability to hear higher frequencies which is the reason for the brighter sound of the following generations of the 5150 series. This amp has a killer range of tone and for what I play is the perfect head. I didn't find the amp to be very noisy at all although I have heard that from many people. My suggestion, replace the tubes, I think mine is less noisy because of the 12AX7LPS which has a tighter coil to reduce noise. As far as gain...this is one brutal head. I had use the rhythm channel at a show because a resistor failed in the preamp in the lead channel and was able to get very close (pre dimed with the crunch pushed in) to the tone I get on the lead for my southern metal/hardcore project. The lead channel blows my mind...sick overdrive and very easy to dial in. Mine was a floor model so the tubes were very nicely broken in but a brand new head will sound harsh until you reach that point. Also, I play out quit a bit from small clubs to theaters and was able with only using a 412 cabinet to meet the demands of every location.

I have only had one problem with the head which was a faulty resistor. It had been the floor model and had been on display for almost a year prior to me purchasing it. I work in the music store where I purchased it and had seen the abuse it took from some of the knuckleheads who tried it. Anything from turning the power on without running the head in standby first as well as turning it off without letting the tubes cool down to running a bass guitar through it and using a speaker cable as an instrument cable. This head took some light abuse from our customers but our service tech said the problem with the resistor had nothing to do with use and was covered under warranty. I feel I can depend on this head and wouldn't see the need to bring a spare as a backup. I usually have it in the trunk of my car (which has crappy suspension) to transport it to my various projects' rehersals and know Peavey products can take a beating and still work like new (I still run my Peavey 412 stero cabinet that I purchased roughly 10 years ago with the stock speakers and it sounds great). The only thing not covered under Peavey's warranty was the tube that went along with the resistor and shipping to our service center.

I have dealt with Peavey customer support on different repair and purchase situations and they are top notch. For those of you who have been forced to sit through 2-5 minutes of on-hold music...well Peavey plays nothing but rock haha. I did have it serviced for a faulty resistor and it was covered under warranty but tubes and shipping will not be covered. I believe the warranty is 5 years.

I have been playing for 15 years and own a small Tubeworks 7100 practice amp as well as my two LTD's and a Taylor Big Baby acoustic guitar. Like I said, I did own a Mesa and although I liked the sound it was very stressful taking so much time to dial it in and had to sell the Mesa to cover gas bills when I wasn't playing in any projects. To be honest, I don't miss the Mesa and when I realized I needed to purchase an amplifier I tried a number of heads from Marshall to Fender to Bogner to Peavey. I was down to a Marshall JCM 2000 TSL and the Peavey and kept coming back to the Peavey. I have also played through a Framus Cobra and a Bad Cat and wasn't very impressed to be completely honest. I love the overall raw tone and miles of gain as well as the versatility of this product and wouldn't say I hate anything but it would be nice if they included reverb on the unit as I had to purchase a Holy Grail to cover the aspect of my playing needs.

2 channel, rhythm and lead. Has the most tonal characteristics since the Marshall JCM 800 hit in the 80's. I've tried every amp under the sun, had a 5150 II and came back full circle to this amp b/c you can't match the sizzle and personality of this amp. Amp only good for hard rock and metal IMO. So loud that you really can't turn volume past 1 in a home/practice situation.

Here's how I ended up with this amp:

2005 bought a 5150 b/c the tone and sizzle blew me away.
2006 got rid of it b/c i was frustrated with the noise while not playing and the fact there's not a lead boost.
2006 bought a Krank Revolution but returned 2 weeks later b/c of crap sound and microphonic feedback.
2006 bought a new Engl Powerball of the web b/c of the 4 channel and built in noise gate. Sold two months later b/c tone had no personality and it lacked bottom end punch.
2006 bought a Mesa Dual Rectifier b/c of the sound features and lead boost-great amp but the tone was not me.
2006 Fell in love with a Marshall JCM 2000 but then struggled to get the gain needed for metal. put Boss SD-1 in front and held me over til now but I never matched the tone of that 5150 and kept thinking of trying again.
2008 decided to do a side-by-side on the new Fender EVH and the Peavey 6505+ and hands down the Peavey won out. 1/2 the price (has one less channel and the clean is mediocre but who cares!). The 6505+ is kinda noisy but not nearly as noisy as the 5150 and it's only when not playing so just kick off the lead channel during idle times and there's no issue at all. I cranked the gain to 10 and still have unbelievable note definition and clarity. There hasn't been an amp with this kind of signature tone since the JCM 800 (and perhaps Mesa in the 90's). this amp stamps your name all over a bands sound and for me having a notable tone is the key to being a player. No wonder a slew of great players from Nugent to Steve Stevens and many new metal bands prefer this amp!

brand new but don't anticipate probs

No experience here

By far the best amp for the buck on the market today providing you're looking to play rock or metal. I played side-by-side with the new Fender EVH but couldn't justify the added cost. The Peavey had more personality as well.

3 channels, all tube, by-passable effects loop, lots of volume. Covers a large variety of music styles.

I mostly use Les Paul's with Alnico 2's, a few hot-rodded strats by John Suhr with Suhr pickups, and a Strat with the EMG Luke setup. Cabinets are Mesa standard 4x12's, and/or Mesa 2x12's with V30's or Greenbacks. This amp really sounds great, and I am a bit disappointed with myself for not buying one much earlier on. I do a lot of session work requiring many different sounds from gig to gig. Most of I have spent silly amounts of money on very high end boutique amps to get practically the same sound that this amp puts out stock.

First off, I've read so many threads that the clean on this amp is horrible. NOT TRUE. Maybe so if you're using super hot pickups (like the EMG's or similar), but hot pickups will distort even the cleanest of amps. With medium output pickups like the Alnico 2's or the Suhr's, this amp gets a wonderful clean with a Vox-type chime to it with great sustain. I run the pre gain between 5-6, volume on about 3-4, MXR Carbon Copy delay in the loop, and I get a beautiful clean with just a hint of grit. It's LOUD too! You can get it even cleaner by running the pre gain lower, and upping the volume, but you start to get in the way of the crunch channel.

The crunch channel is my favorite. With the pre at 6, I get way more than enough gain here for almost all rock sounds, including hard rock and metal. This channel has awesome Marshall-esque tone to it, with a punchy midrange, tight bottom end, sweet highs, and great harmonics. Sounds awesome in a mix, cuts right through without being harsh on the ears, and stays clear. It also cleans up great and gets a killer blues tone. It sounds killer with all of my guitars. A+ for this channel.

The lead channel is on the verge of rediculous, but is amazing at the same time. I mainly use it for leads, but it is sometimes too much. I run the pre at 5, and the volume around 3-4 live. Is can be so smooth and get very brutal keeping a tight low end with great sustain. I had a Diezel Herbert for many years and it was a really awesome amp with a massive low end. It did everything very well, but it didn't have the "sizzle" that this amp does on the top. I think this amp is more forgiving, cuts better in a live mix, and has a feel which makes it much more fun to play. The only thing I'd comment on is the midrange voicing of this channel. There isn't a big sweep here, so there is always a sort of scooped nasaly sound no matter how high you dial the mid in. It still has a very cool sound to it that is very unique. You just better have good control over your volume knob, or volume pedal, 'cause it'll squeal like a pig if you let go of it. The EMG's on my strat are WAY too much for this channel, and it becomes just a gainy mess with much less clarity and definition.

I've had a Classic 50 for maybe 10-15 years or so, and it is still as good as the day I got it. I also have a Peavey Penta, which might be the absolute best sounding Marshall copy I've ever heard, but is so damn heavy to lug around. I've never had a problem with either one other than tube changes, so I expect the same from this. Peavey makes amps that are meant sound killer, and hold up to the demands of working/touring musicians.

Haven't dealt with them because I never had to.

I've been playing guitar for nearly 20 years, and professionally for the past 8 years. For all of you that tour extensively, you know all of the horror stories of bands getting their trailers stolen with all of their gear inside them. You can't very easily replace a Diezel on the road, and if you're making your living on the road, you most likely can't afford another one either. I've been very happy the last six months with the 6505+. It covers the same type of sounds the Herbert did, and is a fourth of the price. I actually like playing through this amp much better. It just has a better feel.

I have used pretty much every amp in the book, from Bogners to Victorias to old Marshalls, H&K's, Hiwatts, Buddas, etc. I usually rent some nice hand made boutique amps recording, or get loaners from manufacturers. There are soooooooo many great amps out there, but there are also some AWESOME amps out there that are affordable. I think Peavey's are the only "affordable" amps I've used fall into that category.

I do own a few stupidly expensive amps like a Custom Audio OD-100 Classic and a Divided by 13 FTR 37. The Divided by 13 is the best amp I've ever heard in my life, so it was worth the $4K I spent for the head and 2x12 cab. Both of these serve a completely different purpose from the Peavey, but were "must have" amps for me.

Overall, the Peavey is an absolutely killer amp. Not only does it sound great, it's affordable, and will last forver. Test it out for yourself in a LIVE situation, and I'm sure most will be very satisfied. Amps with this much power are not designed for the bedroom. You might as well get a small Line 6 combo, because it will sound just as good as the Peavey at low volume. You're not going notice much until the Peavey opens up, which is just around 3.5-4 on the volume. It is a whole different amp when loud.

I bought a 2006 Peavey 6505+ at Big Apple Music; I have owned This amp for 5 months. This is a 2 channel amp with a foot switchable crunch so it makes it a 2/3 channel amp. Here are features:

120W
Preamp: 6 - 12AX7s
Power amp: 4 - 6L6s
Foot switchable lead/rhythm channels
Effects loop
3-band EQ
Resonance control
Presence control
4, 8, or 16 ohms

This amp works for me, it gives me the sounds I am looking for. I play in a Progressive Power Metal band and the 6505+ suits my style perfectly. Only wish it had a reverb knob like the combo version. This is a Rock/Metal amp. It can do other styles but if you mainly play Blues/Jazz/Country, there are other amps that will suit that style. better With 120W, it is more power than I will ever need. At home I use the master volume at 3/4, at band practice 2 Max and live I never go past 3 since the cabs are have mics in front.

The sound of this amp is amazing. I use this guitar with an Ibanez RG550 20th anniversary Reissue FR. My guitar is loaded with a Dimarzio X2N on the bridge position and a Dimarzio AirNorton in the neck position. When I first got my 6505+, I really didn't find anything special about this amp except the Lead channel. But now I realize that the more I play it, the more I love the different sounds I can get from this amp. I use no mods and all stock tubes.

It is true that the clean channel is not great but if you turn down the guitar volume a bit, it will be. I lower my guitar volume and switch to my single coil when playing clean and I get a beautiful clean sound. Of course, this is not a Fender Jazz or Laney clean but it is really close and very usable. I can get clean sounds like Opeth, RHCP/Dream Theather/etc.

When using the crunch I switch to my X2N and since my Pre is set at 5, I get a really nice chunky, perfect for alternative and classic rock. The my crunch channel gives a Green Day/Rancid/Against Me! type of sound, very rich.

Now, the lead channel is what everyone is crazy about. Im one of them too. This is the reason I bought this amp and I love the beefy heavy tone more than anything. It is great for solos too, when I switch to my AirNorton. This I have my Pre on the lead set at 7 and it is more than enough to play Hard core/Trash/Death/Black metal. I use it to get sounds like Necrophagist/Behemoth/Symphony X/Pantera.

I gig and tour with this amp. I never bring backups, that is how much I trust this amp. It UPS proofed too! :P

The Best company I have dealt with. Great honest forums too. I found answers to all my questions in less than 24 Hours.

I have been playing for 8 years. I have own a few other tube amps. I had a Peavey Triple XXX, a Madison Divinity and a Laney TT100H. I was never satisfied with none of these so I sold them. However, the 6505+ is here to stay. If it were lost/stolen I would definitely buy another one. This amp is has more gain and it is better assembled than my past amps. Also, Peavey customer service is more helpful. At first this amp may seem very straight forward and plain. Some people even call it a $900 distortion pedal but when you take the time to fully explore it and experiment different sounds, you will find many other great sound and will make this amp more versatile.

New '07 head. I'd call it a 3 channel amp. Clean w/ dirt, Rythum, Lead. No Reverb. Effects on/off via pedal. Wish it had an effects level, wet/dry mix control.
I've only had it a week now so we're still on our honeymoon.
This head came with Ruby Power tubes and Westinghouse pre's. The preamp tubes are mounted to a flexable circut board so be carefull when changing them

Jackson SL2H (JB in the bridge, 59 in the neck) - Boss OD3 out front. Rocktron Tsunami, Ibanez DE7, MXR 10 band in the loop.
Marshall blue 30th 4X12 with Celestion 75's

This is what I always wanted my Marshall's and Laney's to be. I could never acheive this type of tone from them. The low/low mid voicing of this head is awesome.
The Clean is just ok....If you dial it in. I adjust the rythum channel to my liking. Then when I switch to Clean I have a nice Bluesy dirt type sound. Turning down my guitar vol it cleans up a bit.
The Rythum channel is great. I can get Classic Rock tones, Brown Sound, Classic Metal, '80's hair, etc. and it can get heavey as a mofo. With a boost out front this channel alone is bout all I need.
Lead channel? I've not had a head to rival it. Very usable gain. No need for my Gain to be above 5. I can get this channel real close to the Rythum channel if I want but I elect to make this my Heavey A$$ Dark, Death, Black, Power, MetalCore whatever channel to vibrate things off the shelf in my house when I want.

I can also get some very nice, smooth, thick and creamy lead tones from this head with my Jackson. With my 10 band in the loop the tones and sounds are expanded greatly. Damn near endless.

BTW, this peticular head it not noisy at all to me. I guess it can be if the gain on the Lead channel is way up. This head can be mushy and muddy if your not careful. I just keep the Resonance down below 6 and the Mids above 4. Rythum Gain no more then 6 and the Lead Gain no more the 5.5 and be prepared when

This is like my 3rd or 4th Peavey. Never had a problem with any.....Except a XXX that sounded like poo straight out of the box. Perhaps it was biased cold from the factory or it could have been the new speakers in the XXX cab. Don't know. I gave it up after a couple of weeks. I'm not bashing the XXX. It just wasen't for me.

Never needed it

Been playing for over 20 years on and off. I would defentaly buy this head again. Love it! Baddest amp I've owned yet.

Been a Marshall guy for years. Gone thru 3 TSL's, 2 DSL's, 900, 2 30th Anny's. Also 3 Laney's, other Peavey's, Modeling amps. SolidState's, etc. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

So far this is it. My dream amp has always been the SLO. This may be as close as I get. Maybe one day.

For the value? Let me think about that...10!

Bought it a month or two ago for $800. Its a few months old. 6 gain stages, a fairly gritty clean (which I like) and a decent crunch channel. But as the other reviewers have said, you dont play this amp for anything but the super overdriven tones that it so wonderfully produces. This head is amazing.

The clean is a little gritty so dont expect a Fender-like sparkling clean tone. Its totally usable though and I really like it. The crunch channel is pretty good for older classic rock sounds and the like and shares the rq with the clean channel. But the lead channel is where this amp shines. Simply amazing face-melting distortion and sounds so good you wont want to stop playing.

This amp is not like a Mesa with its hair-dryer sounding distortion (which is a great sound as well) but more of a tighter, more percussive sounding gain with alot of attack. I play a couple of strats loaded with humbuckers and its my dream amp. I wouldnt trade it for the world.

I cant imagine anything taking this amp out. Every other Peavey I have ever owned took massive amounts of abuse and kept asking for more. Very heavy, very solidly built.

I had a question about some noise I was hearing (bad tube) and posted my question on the Peavey forums and had a reply within 24 hours from a Peavey rep. Cant ask for more than that.

Buy this amp if you are even remotely into heavey music (metal, metalcore, death metal, etc.) and you wont be disapointed. This will be the last amp you will buy.

This amp is very straightforward. 2 channels and just enough versatility to let you get the sound you want (as long as its heavy or very heavy!!)
Like everyone says the clean isnt unbelievable but I think its works just fine,I wouldnt say it sounds bad its just not great for the price of this amp. But hey this is a metal amp anyway!
Its got 120watts which is very...Very loud when going through a 4x12.
The back has every output you want so it could be used as much more than just a straightforward head e.g. recording out etc.
This amp was perfect for me cuz all I wanted was a damn heavy sound.

Like I said, the clean is fine but its the lead channel that made this head famous. It is great!
I play everything from thin lizzy to slipknot and it can do it all. I use my warlock and Esp kh2 for heavy sounds and with my Gibson V this amp is actually surprisingly good at getting a rock or classic rock sound.
It is true that the head is noisy but thats only when you're not playing and you leave it on the lead channel.
When bands like Van Halen, Arch Enemy, and Metallica have used this head (well the 5150II) its got to mean something and you have to hear this to believe it.

Its been perfect to me, I really cant complain.

Never needed them so they get an automatic ten.

Ive been playing for about 5 years so I still have alot to learn but I know that this head will be around for ALOT longer.
Ive owned marshalls and was never happy until I found my sound with this head. I think I would probably would buy this head again because Im seriously in love with it!!
If there was one head I would choose over this, it would have to be the mesa dual rectifier, simply because lamb of god use em and I absolutely worship that band!!
All i can say is buy it!

6 gain stages. If you're even looking at this amp, you know that's exactly the reason. To me, this amp embodies the "no-frills" attitude of playing guitar. It's got the basic passive EQ knobs for both channels (which is nice compared to the 6505, which only has one set of EQs for both channels. Some say having the extra set of EQs takes away from the sound, but I would say it's negligible, and having the flexibility to fine tune EQs for both channels is more important.)

This amp also has 1 12AX7 tube dedicated solely to the clean channel, with the hope that it would give the 6505+ a smoother clean tone, compared to the 6505.

Oh and what's with Peavey and their ridiculously tacky front faceplates for their heads? The 6505+ has that terrible looking hex plate, which covers up all the logos and everything. If anyone's thinking about the XXX, beware of that too. The faceplate is a clear rip of the Triple Rectifier, with "Triple XXX" on it. So is it a Triple triple X?

This is not a variety amp. It's meant for crushing and expressive distortion and high gain tones, with what I would call an "acceptable" clean channel. My score is basing the sound quality of it's abilities as a hi gain beast. I've tried it with a Gibson SG with the EMG 85/81 combo, Ibanez RG with EMGs, Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, and one of those cheap Ibanezes that comes in those starter packs. This amp definitely favors active pickups. The fullness and warmth is unmatched, and anyone considering this amp should really look into a set of EMG pickups or a guitar loaded with EMGs. Otherwise you aren't doing this amp justice.

I've had it for 2 days, and it's been good so far...

Haven't dealt with them, but I suppose it would be the same as any other mid sized company. I believe it's got a 2 year warranty, and there are plenty of places to get it serviced.

I've been playing for 9 years now, and this amp is the one for me. Others may come and go as my collections grows, but the 6505+ will be my main weapon for hi gain destruction. When I was shopping around for amps, it ended up boiling down to the 6505+, along with the 5150/6505, 5150 II, Mesa Boogie Triple and Dual Rectifier, and some much more expensive "boutique" amps from VHT and Soldano.

First, as much as you could compare the 6505+ and it's brothers to those other amps, it is very different. The tonal characteristics of those amps are pretty different, and part of figuring out what sound is for you, is to really spend a good amount of time playing these amps and figuring out if it can do what you want.

Plain and simple, this amp costs way less than those other amps, was bought brand new, and has to be one of the simplest amps to dial in compared to its more expensive competition. After all, who needs 4 channels and countless knobs?

I'm just looking to rock.

I bought this amp for about $750 or so, new, off a local dealer. Pretty solid price. Well, this amp is electronically the same thing as a 5150II. Only reason its called a 6505+ is because EVH owned the the 5150 trade or whatever. Soo peavey changed the name. This amp is 120watts, 4, 8, or 16 Ohms [selector switch], features 6 12AX7s and four 6L6GC's. It's a two channel amp, rhythm and lead. The rhythm channel features a standard EQ [low, mid, treb], pre/post gain control, a bright switch which when active boosts the treb 3db or so, a crunch switch [activates via amp or footswitch] which adds more gain [adjusted with pre gain knob] to your channel, but not as much bite as the lead channel. The lead channel has as well a standard EQ [low, mid, trb] and pre/post gain controls. Each channel has a power amp EQ which consists of Resonance and Presence controls.
The amp alos features and handy-dandy ground switch. If you ever have a grounding issue, or hear obnoxious noise that a grounding problem would cause; flip the polarity with the switch to + or - [which ever stops the sound]. Now this switch wont stop ALL buzzing, cuz it is a high gain amp, there will be a lil bit of hum when this things cranked.

This amp has a wide array of sounds. It can go from smooth cleans, to snappy cleans, to light gain, and heavey metal. It's definatly a metal head's amp. It gets alot of crunch, and the lead has alot of bite to it. This amp can clean up fairly well, but its no fender cleans [unfortunatly]. with the crunch switch pushed, you can get a decent "marshall" mimic tone, with some tweaking. It's a very versital amp. Definatly fits heavey metal, rock style music.
the amp is a high-gain amp, so it can get pretty noisey but nothing bad at all. And it is VERY loud. Amazing loud.

This amp is SOLID. and decently heavey [48.3 pounds]. But its a very well built amp, i have no worries of it falling apart or something like such.

Never had a problem with the amp, never had a problem with peavey. free 10 for you

Ive been playing for about 5 to 6 years, gone through a fair share of amps and guitar. And i'd have to say im hanging onto this amp for awhile. Its a great amp.

I just bought a 6505+ head and matching 4x12 cabinet. I play in two bands, one's an original metal band and the other is a pub cover band in Adelaide, South Australia. I tried a couple of amps when i was in the shop but i quickly fell in love with the sounds this beast can produce so i got it. Wish it had reverb on the rhythm channel but that doesnt really bother me..

I use a BC Rich USA Mockingbird and an vintage Ibanez Les Paul Custom both fitted with EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 85 (neck). Brutal distortion and this thing is f***en loud!! I run a Ibanez TS808, Boss NS-2 and a Crybaby Zakk Wylde wah in front of the amp and have a Boss DD-3, Boss GE-7, Boss CH-1 and a MXR Phase 90 in the loop..

Strong as an ox..

Not sure, haven't had to deal with them..

;)

this amp has more features then the first one but dont seem to make it any better the bias adjust is usless and the 2nd eq dosnt seem to do much diffrents it does have a nice steel stomp box

ok here is were my beef is it dosnt sound better then the first it sound worse the lead is thin and fuzzy and the clean is the same if you like the lead on the first head dont change up u will be disapointed. there is a popping noise between chanels.in my opinion the first head is the best by far

dont know i got rid of it fast

peavey is always good for support there stuff last forever you dont need them most times

man just stick to the first head its one of the best amps they ever made

120 watts, i'd say 3 channels but really only two. Bought mine in late 2006. Has just about everything an amp head should have. No reverb but that doesn't bother me at all.

I play mostly heavier type stuff. I tried several amps before i bought this one(Cavin legacy,Mesa Dual rec, Marshall Tsl, Dsl, and a few others) This is a really great sounding amp with it's own sound. I know I love the Marshall sound. I had owned a Jcm 900 in the past and Love the jcm 2000 dsl 50. However i wanted something different. I was dissappointed until i heard the 6505. The cabinet has a lot to do with the sound. I didn't really like the 6505 cabs. At the time I owned two older peavey cabs with sheffield speakers, a marshall 1960A cab and two mesa rectifier cabs with V30's. The marshall cabs sounds really nice. A bit piercing though. The Peavey cabs sounded even better. More bottom end. Pretty close to the Mesa cabs without as much speaker breakup. I decided the Mesa cabs sounded best. With two of them hooked up......WoW! Another Great sound is with one peavey cab and one mashall cab running together. I'd say that might have been the best. But since most of the time i plan on running through one cab, the Mesa was best for me. I get a nice tight bottom end, some mids and smooth highs. If i want really bright highs i can turn up the presence past 7. Typically I run the settings as follows....
Pre. 3.5 - 4 (Jackson picup with smooth cover removed is hotter than the emg 81)
bass. 7
mid. 2.5
high 7.5
Post. with band 3-4
resonance 7
Presence 7
Running the pre at 3.5 to 4 is damn heavy. I don't ever see a need to increase this. At rehearshal levels if i let go of the strings there is an awful moan type feed back. A noise suppresser should handle that.

no problems yet

not had to deal with them yet

I have been playing for over 20 years. I really like the tone of this amp. Maybe different tubes might make it sound better maybe not. I satisfied with the sound for now. Well, except for that noise. I run a Charvel model 88 most of the time. I removed the smooth jackson cover on the pick up and it really came alive. About the best picup i've heard. I use a Jackson dinky with emg 81 for back up. I have to turn the pre up from 3.5 to 4 with this guitar. Sometimes i run into a wah,flanger and delay(in that order) then into the amp.

Very simple front pannel, the standby confused the hell out of me because i thought when the standby light was on that the amp was on standby! Apart from me being a dumbass this is amp is a very simple easy amp to configure and use efficiently. I don't like amps with big flashy bits and complicated front panels.
Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the amp this thing absolutely slays!!!!!

Sound quality was simply amazing, both the lead and the crunch sound is incredible (Especially the lead sound.....it simply is so brutal but still retains clarity and a sustain which is more you can state about most of the other amplifiers on the market!) as other people have stated however the clean does sound pretty bland, adding chorus to it and delay does make it sound better but remember who actually does buy this amp for its clean sound?!
Back onto the distortion:
Crunch sounds very nice indeed, think of a sort of old school metal with more balls to it, how ever the crunch sounds brilliant with the gain turned down to play blues and old rock music like ac dc and sabbath.
Lead channle is probably one of the best distortion sounds that I have EVER heard before. It is absolutley brutal!!!! I have only recieved this amp about 2 weeks ago but believe me I have put it through its paces already, when cranked up the distortion still is as searing and remains clear as ever. Perfect for death metal/thrash metal which is what I love to play (think through the eyes of the dead/carcass stuff!)
I'll definiatly give this amp a 10 because despite the clean channel being bland it deserves a ten for the distortion tones that it can pump out!!!

Heres the thing I got this amp out of the box and it was brand new, plugged it into my 4x12 marshall cab and proceeded to dick around with all of the channels to see what sound I got get from this amp then all of a sudden whilst I was blissfully shredding away on the lead channel it decided to basically screw up and remove all of the gain away from the channel while i was still playing through it.
I was not amused after 10 minutes of adctually playing it so i phoned up the shop and gave them quite alot of grief down the phone.
Mustve just been some dick on the depo who threw it in the back of the van or something.

They came the next day with a brand new one to my house and removed the old one free of charge so I was happy again.
Also gave me three years of warrenty with it so I was even more happy.

The first one broke which sucked but the look on my friends face when I blew his mesa of the stage with this beast was priceless. Buy this amp and you will not be dissapointed (unless it breaks on you like it did for me!)

3 channels, lots of basic EQ versatility, and one input. it has a pre amp out, so you can run it into either a mixer, or another clean power amp. FANTASTIC. one head should do it all.

BUT!

this is NOT a JSX, TSL, or FENDER!!!!!

noone buys this amp for multi channel versatility.

THIS IS A DISTORTION AMPLIFIER!!!!!!!!

holy lord...ive been wanting one of these for 6 years...well, a 5150.

i got a JSX, carvin V3, and have had a voodoo modded JCM800 2204, and a stock 2205.

why have i been neglecting myself from this amp!?

IT IS AMAZING!!!

i play metal. megadeth metal. iron maiden metal.

NOT hardcore, emo, or any of that other stupid shit people play this with.

REAL METAL!

this is definitely the ONE to own. maybe not the last one, but definitely the ONE. super distinct sound, and WONDERFUL chord clarity, and sustain.

i have to say...this will end my search for years to come. this is THE amp. i have the gain on the lead channel set around 6, and use a tube screamer for a bit of low cut. i dont like AMP lows...too flabby, most often. the lows are around 3, mids around 2, and highs around 3. sounds like it would be dull, but it PENETRATES the weak, and DESTROYS the speakers with power and beauty.

i just got it today. my JSX haS HAD one PROBLEM SO FAR, and that is that the first power tube section has gone out, and so it needs to be repaired. but after playing EVERY day for a year, at volumes of 5 and above, isnt it EXPECTED?

i havent contacted them yet, and dont really plan to.

i have urged my rhythm guitarist to buy one. its just fantastic. i have been playing for 10 years, and if it were lost or stolen...well...who cares?!

i love everything about this amp. WISH IT HAD A LEAD BOOST!

but i solved that by putting a ZVEX SHO in the loop, and boost it with that.

i cannot believe the sheer power of this amp. its nearly rediculous.

i suggest ANY metal head to try it out, before you even THINK about a mesa.

In stock form, everyone knows the specs to this beast by now.

After the deluxe mod and Ruby matched power tubes and preamps($810.00), a MAJOR loss in gain and crunch in the lead channel. I do not care for Ruby tubes at all. Before the mod, I usually would have the pre-amp gain around 6 and half and Master 3 when playing with my band. Plenty of distortion there. Now after the mods with the preamp gain on 10 and Master volume on 3, it sounds like the preamp distortion is set to 5-6. Big change of the worst kind for me. Changed to Matched power and high gain preamp JJ's from Eurotubes and sounded way better. Some crunch started coming back. Actually, every tube I have tried in this amp sounds better than Ruby tubes. This is the best rock sound I have ever heard.Does not feedback anymore when turned up loud. I do not reccomend Voodoo Amps for metal players though. Not enough gain and the crunch is definetly softenend. The clean channel and rythym cahnnel sound way better though. Before the mod, I would give the stock amp a respectable 7. After the mod, I would have to say I would give it a 6. It does not do what I want it to do. I play major metal and this amp does not cut it. I use ESP Deluxes with JB's and some with EMG81's. Not enough gain anymore. The clarity is greatly improved with the mod and has a great rock sound. Not for the highest gain metal players though. I reccomend talking to Jerry at fjamods.com if you love the 5150 series and want high gain metal guitar modification options. He is the man. I can get that classic Maiden and Priest souped up Marshall tone with ease, but that is about as high as the distortion will get. AC/DC songs sound amazing also.

Seems to work perfect after about a month of having it modded. I purchsed it new in January, and is built very well from Peavey. I haven't had it long enough to give an honest evaluation of reliability. It is up for sale if anyone wants to make offers. E-mail me at mixmastermark_2001@hotmail.com. I can provide any documentation and pictures you need. I would like to put the money from this amp toward another amp asap since I am going into the studio soon to record with my metal band.

Trace and the guys at Voodoo Amps are super nice. The Voodoo Amp mods just did not turn out the way I wanted. This is a rock amp, not a metal one now. 48 hrs try-out return policy is kind of ridiculous considering Musicians Friend gives you a month.

I have been playing for 14 years and play a little of everything. The amp sounds really good don't get me wrong, it just is not for metal(Unless it is very early Marshall Amp 80's metal). Metal is my favorite, and when I talked to Voodoo Amps about modification, this was definetly made known. I play Pantera, Fear Factory, And Justice For All and Puppets Metallica, Nile, etc. etc. I would not go to Voodoo Amps for modification again. It is not for me. I HIGHLY reccomend talking to Jerry at fjamods.com if you want a high gain amp modded for metal. He will charge you a more reasonable price and not so much a loss in gain in the lead channel. I feel I wasted my money for these mods, considering it can't do what I want it to do. Great rock sound, sounds more like a Marshall now than a Peavey 6505+, which I do not like.

This features rating is for the production model before the modification. I play metal and rock mostly and this amp is known for insane gain. It is not vey articulate and is very noisy and fizzy sounding. The clean channel is pretty lame, but I use the rythym channel with low gain as a clean channel which works pretty good. The lead channel is pretty sweet though and can get insanely loud. The effects loop is pretty noisy and I try not to use it if all possible. Overall for a production all tube amp costing around $950.00 it is a pretty good deal.

After the mod, my amp really came alive. Lead work really shines now and is incredibly articulate and cuts like a knife. Mids dial in nicely now and it crunches like crazy. It is very tight in the bass department and does not feed back like crazy when it is turned up loud with lots of gain. I had the deluxe mod(New Mercury Magnetics Output Transformer, Standard Mod, and completely retubed). It sounds incredible now and I love it.

So far so good.

Trace knows what he is doing and is super nice. Best money I have ever spent on music gear.

I have been playing for 13 years and love it. I play and sing in a 2 piece insanity metal band where I need lots of volume and headroom to keep with my drummer. He has the same set as Ray from Fear Factory and is tight on the double bass. I play an ESP H-1000 Deluxe with a Seymour Duncan JB and a 59'. I also have a ESP EC- 1000 Deluxe with dual EMG-81 humbuckers. My baritone is a Schecter Scorpion with Dimarzio Super Distortion Humbuckers. I use Mogami gold cabling along with Monster studio Pro cabling for hooking up the cabinet to the head and instruments to the amp. I use a Furman Power Pro for plugging in my amp which makes a huge difference in the sound. I have a Genz-Benz cabinet which I am changing the stock speakers to Celestion. Get the mod if you love the Peavey 6505 or 5150 but want it tosound the best it can.

This amps is pretty vertatile.It as three channels only the lead and clean i use.

Sounds amazing you just have to dick around with it like anything.The sound stright is desent but i went and bought a ts9 and stuck it infront of the head.Thats when it went from night to day. very heavy think killswitch clean tight heavy metal sound.The clean channel is very butter with the extra tube.better then the reg 6505.

no probelms yet

deff get if you want to save money while obtaining a great rock/metal amp.

This is a amp right up next to marshall bogners and mesas.I was able to actully get a better sound quicker then any amp i've tryed.I think the olly amps out there better are engl,framus,or bogners.but then again you'll pay about $1000 more then this thing.

2 channels 6 preamp tubes, 4 power tubes.
I think the amp is very versatile. Tweak the gain, Res, Pres, and mids to get differnt tones.

Footswitch is cool. Effects loop. I use the amp at home through a VHT fatbottom 2x12.

Sounds Great! I am using Ibanez Prestige customs with Dimarzio Air Nortons and Steve's Specials. Suits my style very well....I like a Savatage type tone and this suits my style a bit more than the regular 5150, which is darker and sounds awesome for death metal. The big factor in sound is the speakers/cab. Many overlook this, but it is huge!!

so far so good

I had a 5150 for about 3 years and decided to get it modded from voodoo amps. Had that for about 2 years. Just wasn't happy with it. Sold that amp and bought the new 6505+ and it has been awesome! I have been playing for 18 years and I have been diggin peavey cuz the bang to buck ratio. I could pop out big money for Splawn, Engl, Framus, but why? I don't play out much and I am more than happy with my tone. Make sure whenever you get a new amp to try it on different cabs. Speakers make a big difference! For what I spent, it can't be beat!

The rythym channel seems like a total waste, exspecialy considering it has a whole power tube dedicated too it, one that on the 6505 (non plus) was on the lead channel, so basicaly they sacrificed some gain to add the rythym channel, and its decent, but most everything i've read here on it already is pretty accurate. I get alot of great metal sounds out of it and I don't use a pedal, my fav setting atm is pre-8, low-7, mid-1, high-2, resonance-7, presence-10 and it basicaly has a warm but not at all muddy distortion sound, if i turn the post past 3, i drown the other guitarist out, he plays on a crate bvh120. I get cleaner (distortion) chuck schuldiner sounds, I get sharper killswitch engage sounds, I get good ted nugent rock sounds, and they all sound GREAT!

I just got this amp today. Perfect timeing actually because we had rehearsal today. Anyway, I am amazed at this amp. Saturday I went and tested it out and was sucked in from the start. I love everything about it. For me personally, this amp is a very versatile amp. I am currently involved with alot of different projects, and it is going to be a very wonderful asset to me. I know everything is reletive, but I am very happy to own this amp. It is a two channel amp; rythmn and lead, with a crunch on the clean channel. There is an effects loop, that I am currently not using. I will be using this amp for live and studio applications. I am just amazed at this product.

Tone, almost too personal to even give an opinion, so I will speak only from my perception. I have been playing guitar for fifteen years now, and only in the last five years have I learned about the wonderful world of tubes. Unbelievable huh! I honestly don't know how that happened, but I am in love with the electric guitar. When I got my first real tube amp, it was like stepping into another world. Thus my tone search began. All I can say, with complete humility, is this is the tone I was looking for. I am a music lover, and so I play alot of different styles; Blues, rock, jam band, country, and anything else I can feel. I play through a G&L Legacy with twinblades, my effects include a MXR Dyna comp, Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, Electro Harmonix Small Clone, and a Crybaby. For me, this a perfect amp. I personally love the clean channel and the lead channel. I am just impressed with the amp all around.

Looks very dependable

Overall, I love this amp. All I can say is, go to a local dealer, and see if this amp is for you.

This is a Peavey 6505+ made in 2005. I bought this amp off of Music123.com in B quality ( used ). Funny thing about it, someone must have returned it with mesa 6L6 power tubes. So keep in mind, this review is on a killer amp, made even better by tubes from Mesa. This has all the features anyone needs. Clean,Crunch and Lead. The previous review is dead on about the clean channel not being loud enough because you have to turn the gain down to get a decent clean, then when you switch on the crunch, its super loud cause you have the pre on 7. But who buys this amp for the crunch, the lead is sick and all I use. This amp turned on 2 1/2 is loud enough for practices and gigs. This amp gets an 8 only because I wish the clean was more smooth and buttery

My set-up is this: Esp Eclipse EC-1000 into the 6505+ with a Kerry king Eq in the effects loop through a crate 4x12 loaded with vintage 30's. Anyone not familiar with the kerry king EQ, should def. try it out. An Eq in general whether its before or after the amp is an awesome and useful tool. My band plays As I lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Thrice type style of music. Without