Peavey Bandit 112 II

I found my peavey 112 in a pawn broker for 3oo bucks. I like playing around with tones and different sounds so the extras on the back panel where a good reason to consider buying it.Like the other reviews it is a excerlant amp.I run a zoom 505 on the send return for some different reverbs and slightly different amp simulator.I also use a cheap arion equalizer on the pre amp out and power amp in sockets as well.This all works fine and the amp handles it well. At one point I went to a dealer and tested a fender valve amp and a maton guitar.
I played them for awhile and tried a few guitars through the fender valve amp. I got home and played the Peavey with my old guitars and was surprised to the difference,if any did not warrant a 2000 dollar expense.

The dearest guitar I use is a Fender Squire custom tele with Seymour P90's.The others are just cheap's that sound and play well.
On it's own the amp is a little flat but add a pedal or effects and it shines through big time.The clean channel really good and strong with the distortion sounding a bit muddy.
But with a tad of tweaking with a pedal you can get fantastic rock and grunge out of her.
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If you have a small Marshal Park amp with a pre amp out on it,Plug the sucker into the main amp in on the back of the peavey.....it will blow you away with the most awesome clean sparkley sound.Add a tad of gain on the small amp and it is perfect blues.I was amazed.In fact it worked so well I would recommend buying the two if you have the chance. It works that well.No lie.

Has not put a foot wrong yet.Not a thing has gone bad on it.Have had it for 3 years now.

Have not needed it.

Like I said at the start,for the extra things it has and can have plugged into it,it is a versatile piece of equipment.I did not see the value in buying something dearer this can be made to sound real close to a valve amp anyway. It is blistering load and sounds neat.
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Should you buy one of these I strongly recommend keeping a eye out for a little Marshal Park amp as well.The extra clean blues twang that the two linked together gives and with the distortion added from the little amp gives a fantastic valve blues sound as well.

Its plenty powerful, maybe lacking a little in features but with the money you save buying a peavey rather than a marshall or fender etc, buy some good pedals to suit your style and taste and you'l love it!

I have a range of guitars, danelectro's (lipstick pickup U2's), an epiphone LP with standard epiphone humbuckers, an Ibanez artcore, a jackson with seymour duncans and an ibanez with SD Invader humbuckers and each one can be made to sound stunning by this amp! It's not too noisey unless you want it to be and the clean channel isnt noisey at all. Like I said before it lacks a little using the amps distortion/lead channels but use some pedals through it and its brilliant. it is the loudest amp of its size anywhere guaranteed!

Mine has been used and abused since new, in and out of the car, 3-4 practices for 4 hours a week with the band, played on its own for several hours most days, gigged at great volume, fallen off a very high stack and left out in the rain and its still perfect! It may not look like it but it still sounds like new! I really havnt looked after it in the slightest and if it does ever die I'm going straight back to peavey for another one!

Never had to use them.

I've had my bandit 112 for at least 6 years I cant quite remember, I bought it new (cost about ??300) and as I'd had a tiny little peavey amp to start with it seemed like obvious proggression to me. Its plenty powerful and in my years of owning it and being in 5 bands and playing some moderately big and busy venues it has never failed to be the loudest amp there even without an extension cab! Most people seem to rate marshall over these but really truly this will give you far more for your money and outlast any marshall by years! No noisey fan that needs replacing every month or dodgy inputs! Buy a peavey and enjoy it without having to look after it!

My amp was made in 2007. And i love it, its so powerfull. It have too many sounds, doesnt matter if you play romantic ballads or thrash metal, this amp is unbelieveble. If you want play with drums, its volume level 3 last level you can use if you dont wanna be noisier.

I dont like the distortion too much, i using the distortion effects. But the clean is really awesome. Its look like 15 watts amp.. When i bought it and get out of box i wanted to try it so i jack my guitar in and turn the master volume to level 5. It was something like earthquake. I play punk music and it sounds really cool for this style..

5 year warranty...

I never need it..

You cant get better amp for this money... Im playing for 6 years.

Its only fair that i write a review on the peavey bandit 2 coz its just an amzing amp. Before i go on i'll add that i also own a fender hotrod deluxe 112 tube amp which i purchased before the bandit. The hotrod is a one trick pony and it has a really nice fat, think clean sound, so thick that it colours my line 6 pod xtl effects unit a little too much. Back to the peavey. I bought the peavey after reading the reviews here on harmony central and coz they were all such positive reviews i took the chance and ordered one. WOW, what can i say...to start off this thing is VERY powerful, the clean channel is very nice sounding whether it be on vintage or modern depending on your taste, and will not break up at all. There is some warmth there as well, with the t dynamics adjusted correctly you can get some convincing tube like clean sounds from it. i havent gotten this amp past 6 coz my ears were killing and there was not one bit of breakup at all, absolute clean headroom to the max. The distortion channels and voicings go from slight breakup to full on rectifier high gain(yes mesa rectifier)... its nothing short of incredible. There is absolutely no need for pedals in front of this thing at all and ive had all the vintage ts9's the boss mt2 the ds1...all gone. i still have the visual sound jeckyl and hyde (great pedal) which i put in front of my hotrod for distortion (well used to before i got this thing). There is a massive range in the eq on the bandit and you can almost literally dial in any distortion sound you want. seriously, its not funny, i cant believe this thing is a solid state amp. the clean channel actually sounds better than the clean channel on a mesa rectifier, and i wont even mention a marshall, they just dont compare, marshall clean is no good in my opinion the peavey beats it hands down, and this thing does marshall jcm 800 crunch and jcm900 high gain with ease.. I spent most of my time in music (12 years) being a tone snob, only considering valve amps to have tone but this amp proves me to be absolutely wrong i cannot give this amp enough credit. I only use my fender hotrod now just so that its not sitting there being a waste of money and to clean the dust off it. The clean channel is nice and transparent and all amp emulations and effects from my pod xt live come through accurately and not coloured as they do with my hotrod. The spring reverb on the peavey is more than adequate and is definately not weak and not noisy on mine as others have mentioned. All amps will make noise on extreme high gain settings but in all honesty the bandit 2 is a very quiet amp whether it be single coils or buckers. the only thing i havent tried through the amp is p90's. I play a usa hs telecaster, a 50th anniversary usa strat, a japanese made ibanez rg 470, and an ibanez artcore hollow body. they all sound different but fantastic through this amp. I could afford to buy a more expensive amp but theres no need, it would just upset me coz the peavey bandit will crap on most amps out there. dont let the price fool you! this thing will cut through the mix in your band no worries ;) Go and play one for yourself!

Been playing 12 years and have had many amps including fender twins, marshall jcm's, almost bought a mesa rectifier until i decided to try one of these. id be angry if i got one then heard one of these to be honest. I love this amp. I won this amp anp and a fender hotrod and a fender super champ which is my favourite tube amp of all time but generally sounds best with single coils for an awesome bitey tube distortion. The bandit is the most versatile amp ive ever played and probably ever will. Check out the very first review written about this amp, the guys right, this amps amazing.

??125 on ebay(bargain)this amp is a pre 2007 model.mk2
amp sounds just like a tube amp with 3 channels for selecting the mood of music you desire,whatever takes your fancy really.
i play for fun really as im a bass player who dabbles with guitar.the other reviews mention the channels etc.
i wish it had a master volume control knob as playing at home this thing is mega loud and just under 1 on the output gain is just audible for neighbour abuse.i play at home and it makes a good footrest as well and i like to sit on it while playing.i might enclose slightly the speaker to give a little more umph on the lower end.put a back on the amp.

as i said this amp rocks and destroys walls at will.hoped the clean channel would get more dirty sounding as volume turned up but thats way to loud for me.the distortion is lets say classic sounding as in 70's 80's 90's kinda vibe.the reverb is ace.i missed having a spring tank as one reviewer put it.wish it had built in delay then it would be ten out of ten for me.

i had a mk4 peavey bass head a cabinets previously and had no problems.now using trace elliot.i can say with being american its built like a tank like a snap on toolbox.

been playing 12 years had numerous amps.marshall dfx100 watt.park by marshall 10 watt.zoom 30 fire combo.kustom 12 watt kla10.watson 15watt amp.westfield 60watt twin speaker combo tweed.
i use a fender jagstang.own a rickenbacker bass 4001.fender precision lyte deluxe bass.epiphone ej200 jumbo acoustic.
saving for an sg standard but cannot decide what body finish.
chose this amp because i wanted a big one.loads of storage space behind the speaker grille for carrying bits and bobs.hums a little near the tv but what amp doesnt.delay would have been nice and a built in tuner.

My amp was made 2005. I play hard rock and pop music with clean. Amp has two channels (clean/lead), inclued footswitch, effect loop jack behind.
I need my play very good clean and just right gain/lead sound. I use amp gigs and recording. I use Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul Studio.
Amps 80W(100W)power is enough most of gigs. This is Peavey??s Transtube serie.

First must remember what this amps cost(360 euros). It??s great training amp. Great amp for little gigs.
I??d like very much clean channel. It has lot of bass (if you like it). You can choose modern or vintage sound. This is amps best side.
And if I play only clean pop or rock, amps is my choose. Nine for clean.

Well...then it??s have this lead/gain channel with three kind sound (vintage/modern/high gain). I??ll find sometimes decent sound between volume, my pedal, amps bass/gain/treble/middle...but I never find right sound what I want. There is easily too much or less distortion. Line is too thin. Sound was too metal-kind or un-natural...but for different music style it might work perfectly.
I use Ibanez tube scream pedal front of amp and it makes sound much better!
Eight minus for lead channel.

I haven??t any problem with amp. I have this amps over ten month. Now I have sold it and buy real tube amp.

I??ve been playing almoust 30 years. Like I write, amps has great clean, but lead channel makes me scream cause I never found same good sound twice (or if I find, it takes time).
I buy this amp because it??s price and power. I??d try Marshall transtube serie amps, but I like Peavey??s sound much more.
Peavey Bandit is this price best amp!

Not sure when the amp was MADE, but got it 3 years ago from peavey dealer and it was new. Mine has the "Delta" insignia on the front, something they've dropped on the newest model of the amp.
VERSATILE? I haven't owned a Peavey product that wasn't! That's what keeps them in the game! I play Oldies, Classic & Top 40 Country, Classic & Southern Rock. Gig average 3 weekends/month.
Clean channel has Vintage/Modern switch. Leave mine on the Modern setting. Don't care for the sound of the Vintage setting, but that's just me.
Lead channel has Vintage/Modern/HiGain switch. Again, don't care for the Vintage setting, but use the other 2 depending on what I'm playing.
80 watts as is,or add an 8 ohm ext. cab and it goes to 100 watts. We don't mic anything up when we play out and this thing kicks it! Never had the clean channel over 4 and the lead channel gain & volume never past 3! Used with a Traynor YCV112 ext. cab, this thing will rock you all night long! The closed back ext cab really adds some "depth" to the tone, as well as some "chunk" when using the lead channel.
Keep the Resonance switch on Loose for more bottom end.
Keep the T. Dynamics at 100%, never really tried to tweak it out, never felt like I needed to.

I use Fender Std. Tele's & Strats, G&L ASAT's, Peavey Generation S-3 & Limited USA VT, Epiphone LP's, SG & DOT.
I use an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal and a BOSS CH-1 Chorus Pedal, that's all! All other sounds I get from the amp!
This amp can go from Classic Country Clean to Monster Distortion at the flick of the footswitch! Handles Single coils and Humbuckers both very well. I used to use a DigiTech RP-7 tube Effects Processor, until I tried this amp on a gig without it. Haven't used the RP-7 since.
I got away from using the Bandit after buying a Traynor YCV-40 Tube Combo. Have used the Traynor for the past couple of years. On July 1, 2006 had my first amp failure in 35+ years of gigging. The Traynor went down before our gig and had to make a trip to the rehearsal room to get my bandit. In 35+ years, I've never taken (needed) a back-up anything! Until then, I had no problems with the Traynor. After getting the Traynor home, found the fuse had blown. Replaced the fuse and found a Power tube had gone out. After replacing both the power tubes, I found my Stand-by Switch no longer worked. Now I have to find a Repair Center to have the Traynor worked on & checked over!
Back to the Peavey. After retrieving the amp and setting it up for the gig, to replace the Traynor, found out it sounded JUST AS GOOD, IF NOT BETTER THAN THE TRAYNOR! Not just my imagination, the other guys in the band made comments on how good I (or the amp) sounded! Really kicked a$$!
NOTE: The whole reason for buying the Traynor was because my Bandit sounded so good, I figured a Tube amp would have to sound even better.
After buying the Traynor & 112 ext cab, I went thru 3 complete sets of tubes and speaker replacement in the combo and cab before I found a tone I was happy with! Didn't have to do that with the Peavey Bandit, and now it looks like I wasted my money buying the Traynor in the first place! I do like the sound of the Bandit with the add'l. Traynor 1x12 cab, so I guess that will be my gigging rig from now on!

I did, I do, and I will depend on this amp for everything! Used it without a back-up before, and will do the same in the future. I will tell you this, I am currently looking to buy another Bandit from the Delta Series as the one I have now! I used the original TransTube models when they came out, but really didn't like them. Went back to using the older Peavey Bandit/Special 112 combos with the Blue trim. Just happened to try out this model Bandit while at a local dealer and really liked the tone/sound and thought I'd give it a try. Best chance I ever took on an amp!
In my 35+ years of gigging, and all the Peavey products I've used, I've only had to have 1 amp serviced and replaced one footswitch. Peavey has always been known for RELIABILITY, and I can tell you from experience, gigging 2-3 nights, 50 weekends a year, that Peavey products are as RELIABLE as you can get!
If I could give a higher score than a 10, I would!!

I've called, and talked to Peavey Reps in person over the years; very helpful, very friendly and very knowledgable folks indeed!
Need an old manual for something, you can get those on-line at no cost! Schematics-no problem. Need to have a footswitch made for an older piece of gear, give them a call and you'll have it in no time!
The Peavey dealers I've dealt with over the years, have been the same way. Must be a requirement for the dealers!
My only concern with Peavey nowadays, is how the imported/made in China equipment will hold up over the long haul. Peavey gear should always be made in the USA!

Overall, I don't think you can get a better "workingman's" amp than the Peavey Bandit. It is a good "foundation" to build your sound around. You can run effects into the front of the amp, or thru the effects loop. With the different voicings available on the clean & lead channels and with the resonance and T.Dynamics, it is a very versatile piece of gear.
Wish I had saved the money I spent on the Traynor YCV-40 combo and stayed with the Peavey. Not sure I want to have the worry of a tube amp when out gigging.
Have owned all the major brands over the years and always seem to come back to Peavey. Maybe I should have bought a Peavey Tube amp instead, but the Bandit satisfies all my needs without the worry of tubes/maintainance.
Buy it again? You bet! Replace if stolen? Without a doubt!
Best overall amp I can own, without the worries! Combo can be used alone, or with add'l cabs. Adding a closed back cab can really make this a tone monster!

As amps go, aside from modelling amps this unit has above average features in terms of offering a wide palette of tones and is quite portable. Where the Transtube comes into play, (Peavey's way of making SS tolerable and tube like, IMO, is either a built-in compression circuit, or, somehow allows the pre-gain to bleed ever so slightly over to the clean channel. I'll explain in the sound catagory.

This SS amp is to my aging but acute ears the most tolerable sounding amp available aside from a stereo amp such as the JC 120 or high end amp like Evans. I keep the clean channel on modern and notice that what I hear when digging into a chord or note is the presence of "hair" surrounding them. No tube sag to be sure, but more like a tube amp responds that has a SS rectifier. That hasn't been discussed in previous reviews that I read but the effect is well done by Peavey. This subtle nuance is obviously missed when engaging the other channels due to their pre-gain structures.

The reverb on this amp is as good as any non-tube driven circuit I've come across. It gets that thwacka boing from the spring tank that will make any surf tune sound great!

There is no amp on the planet that has a better record of reliability

For a company this large and with the foot print they enjoy it's excellent.

I've been playing music since the seventies. Owned tons of gear and spent countless hours playing for personal enjoyment and for a five year stint for money. I love to play thru a tube amp and do when alone but don't see a need to haul it out to rehearsals or gigs. You can garner all the rich tuby goodness you want but the first thing a house will do is run it thru a SS P.A. system if you play out. Unless you are Johnny A or someone like that it's needless expense and worry. Nobody but gearheads will care.

The only thing I'd like to have on the Bandit is more control over the gain stages, maybe a lower rated pot on the pre-gain control.

80 watts (rms) into 8 ohms
100 watts (rms) into 4 ohms
12 inch Sheffield? 1230 speaker
2 footswitchable channels
T.Dynamics(T) and presence
3-band EQ per channel
Reverb
Modern/vintage voicing switch on Clean channel
External speaker jack
Footswitchable effects loop
High gain/modern/vintage voicing switch on Lead channel
Resonance switch

Been playing for longer than I'd care to admit. But I just wanted to say, it's a good thing for me that the folks at Guitar Center seem to be so dammed elitist when it comes to gear. I just picked up a used, but in-near perfect condition, current model Peavey Bandit for the ridiculously low price of $180. And that INCLUDES taxes PLUS the purchase of the optional "extra 3-year, unconditional waranty" that covers the cost of any parts and labor IF this ever does need repairs. It's almost as if the folks at Guitar Center think that Peavey prodcuts simply aren't worth much. Oh well, better for me. Being a Peavey product, I don't expect this thing to ever break down.
The Bandit, when cranked up (and especially when used with an extra closed-back cab) will definitely give any other amp a run for the money. All you need are a few of your favorite front-end pedals, and you're good to go. So for the money, power and features, this little workhorse of an amp really deserves an overall 10 in my opinion. ESPECIALLY if you're an average part-time, 2-3 weekend-a-month musician on a workingman's budget.

I liked it most cause it has seperate EQ on both channels.Clean channel is very clean,distorted is very distorted.It made sence.GREAT PRICE!

The clean channel is very clean and wont break up early.Sure its a little "cold" and "direct" sounding.I found a Keeley compressor rounds this off nice though.The distortion channel isnt that warm either,but it have tonns of gain!Both channels aint "WOW" great-BUT considering the price-they are.Both channels are better than average and should please most people of all styles(price considered)

Mines been knocked over off its 112 extension speaker,fell to the ground-no problem-that counts as reliable right?When I first got it, the foot switch didnt change its channels for some reason.Happened a couple times but not since-so Im gonna pretend it never happened.

Never needed

Everyones generally agrees-tube amps sound great.But,they all require occational tune ups,new tubes,and can cause worry.This solid state is quite good minus those "hassels".Id recommend a Keeley compressor,or Katana(which I use both)to make it warmer.Consider the price.It cant be beat.Good clean,raunchy distortion-kinda sterile but GOOD.If you say it "sucks",youre forgetting the price.It maybe embarresing to let everyone see a lil' Peavey bandit behind you on your stage,but they all will be surprized how good it sound if YOU play guitar good!

Bought this baby in 2002 for #250. 2 channels, 2 voicings on the clean, 3 on the dirty. Plenty of choice, but no digital FX. Not a problem for me as I never use on-board FX. Footswitch included. The T Dynamics control at first seemed a bit ineffective, but after some tweaking you hear a difference when it's set low. It imitates a power attenuator on a tube amp and gives some Fendery warmth to the clean sounds. Plenty of headroom on the clean channel, easily loud enough for most gigs, which is what I use it for. You can probably get any tone you want from this.

I use Strats only, and find the clean channel superb. It's surprisingly warm on the modern voicing. Don't like the vintage setting, as its got a mid cut and is much like a 60s Twin. Makes a Strat sound like a buzzsaw, but suspect a Gibson will be great on this. Huge amount of clean volume. It doesn't begin to break up until about 8. At that stage, it is ear splitting.

I no longer use the overdrive channel as I prefer a POD XT Live. I need the clean channel "neutral". and it works fine. I still get dynamics and can drown out any drummer!

The dirty channel has a hi gain voicing, which is good for wailing solos and Hendrix-type feedback. Nu metallers will like the modern setting. Vintage is quite, well vintage. Great for crunchy rhythm. The overdrive on this amp perhaps lacks a little character. The sheffield speaker is good, and takes the voicing towards the British area rather than Boogie.

There is a choice between tight and loose resonance. The loose setting is better for bottom end and I have it set to that permanently, whereas the tight setting makes it sound a little more like a small tweed with a restricted bass response and more brittle top end.

Like any 112 combo, it's quite directional and combined with single coils, will howl like a banshee if you stand in front of it when it's at any volume, even with all the distortion coming from a stomp box. Watch the treble and presence settings, and roll some of the tone off the guitar if necessary.

Not a worry. Not even a crackly pot. I've had a few Peaveys over the years and they're tough as you can get. This one gets regular outings.

with a tube amp, maintenance is always on the agenda. Whilst I prefer a real tube sound, I get as close as I can with this, without needing to change parts or worry about a dodgy valve.

Never needed it.

Been playing over 20 years, and do some session work, so versatility is the key. The Bandit covers blues, rock, country, gospel and pop where required.

It is more than powerful enough for pubs or even medium sized gigs. I've used it unmiked many times in some fairly large spaces.

I would replace it like for like if it got stolen, unless there was a Roland JC120 or Fender Twin going for a song!

I tried the Fender Dyna Touch amps and the tranny Marshall MGs before picking this beast. Blew the Marshall away, but was on a par with the Fenders (but without the FX). As I didn't need the FX and there was a BIG PRICE DIFFERENCE in favour of the Peavey, the choice was simple.

I was very impressed with the number of nobs and suff on the front of this amp when i bought it. It is probably the most versatile combo i have ever seen. You can get it to sound like a bass amp almost but then completely trebly the next. I suppose its more of a metal amp really, the distortion channel sound very good for heavy hard riffs, but the clean channel can be used for anything at all, check the other reviews, theres a guy who uses it for country, which shows just how versatile it is.
Its plenty loud enough for smallish gigs or just practices or studio use. It was on "4" volume level at my last band practice and i could hear it over a 150 watt marshall half stack on like three quarters volume. Seriously.

I use this amp with a Peavey Eddie Van Halen Wolfgang and also a shitty squier indonesian telecaster, but the amp even makes the tele sound good! You can make the amp do anything really.
The lead channel has 3 voicings - high gain which i dont really use a lot, MODERN which is for all the heavy riffs and stuff like that, and vintage i think its called that which is for like all the first punk stuff, but also hendrix and alike.
The clean channel is wicked it will do anything you want it too, way betetr than any marshall combo and i really do mean that.
The one bad thing i could find about this amp is that wen i was at my last practice it was squealing terribly if i tunred my guitar volume up to high (on my tele, mite be the single coils, havent tried it with my wolfgang yet), but that is the only bad thing really. thats the only reason the rating is so low.

I would definately use this amp on a gig, i doubt it would break as it has a 5 year peavey warranty as standard, which is good.....

5 year warranty, but i cant say anything else as i have had no trouble with it at all.

Overall, i chose this amp because in my opinion it sounded better than a marshall mg 100dfx (which was slightly more expensive) and a behringer 120 watt somethin... but it didnt sound too good so i bought this 80 watt but it does have output for a 100 watt cab so thats good, and fx loop and remote swith and effects level which i dont no what it does but h well.
BEST AMP FOR THE MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2004 Peavey Bandit II
Main gigging amp, works extremely well for country music.
The features are pretty self explanatory.

Honestly when I first got this amp it seemed to sound a little brittle with my Tele but after a month of playing this (this was originally purchased as my rehersal amp only being played two hours a week) the speaker must have "broke in" allowing for more warmer lows to come through. Now this combo has replaced my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as my main gigging amp. For single coil guitars you really have to back the treble off on the clean channel but humbuckers really seem to work best with clean channel. I have a Fender MIM strat with a Seymour Duncan Lil'59 pup (single coil size humbucker)in the bridge and this thing really comes to life through this amp.
I only use the vintage setting on the lead channel as I play mostly classic country and classic rock and it sounds terrific, absolutely no complaints. It actually sounds much better than the lead channel on my HRDX which really is lame.
The thing I notice when setting the amp up for a gig you need to get out in front of the amp about 20 or more feet and try setting your tone controls for distance listening. It seems to sound even better and louder out in front of it than when up close. This thing can project some serious volume.
Alot of reviewers complain about this amp being noisy and maybe it can be in the high gain mode, but I have never noticed any noise in the amp unless plugged in too close to a TV or computer or any other running appliance or an ungrounded wall socket. This amp is dead quiet compared to my Fender.
The T-Dynamics control is a very cool feature for us country pickers wanting a little edge to your clean tones. With the clean volume bumped up a bit and the T-Dynamics turned all the way down you can get some very tubelike grit and compression.
If you are interested in buying a Bandit and you are normally a tube guy, spend a little time messing with the amp and it's features, with a little patience and tweaking you will find this a very pleasing amp cause truthfully if you don't set the tone controls up right your initial reaction might not be all that great but with a little time and a slightly high volume (if possible) you will reconsider your thinking.

I have owned Peavey amps for 18 years with no troubles at all and I am sure there is no exception for my Bandit. I have owned it for a year almost with absolutely no problems.

I have never really had to deal with Peavey but here in the midwest there authorized Peavey repairmen around every corner.

People really like to say "best bang for the buck" and so on, but really this amp sounds better than a lot of tube amps costing up to $1000 with a lot more features and more versatility while being virtually maintenance free. I don't think you will ever get a diehard tube guy to admit that these are great amps and that's more because tube guys won't budge on anything but tubes. I have used both solidstate and tubes over the years and this amp is one of the best I have ever owned.
Not to dog on my tube Fender, but like I said this was my rehersal and back up amp to my Fender so after hauling both these amps around to a gig because I was constantly worrying about the Fender going down I ditched the Fender and now I only haul one amp to gigs. I don't lose an ounce of sleep over my Peavey and that is refreshing.

I don't remember the year of production, it's the newer generation of Transtube series, made in china. used this amp to practice at home to get a nice clean tone and take it to gigs here and there,
but nothing major.

it's a 2 channel amp, clean channel has 2 voicing options, the distortion channel has 3 voicing modes, while the vintage mode is using the Transtube circut to emulate a Tube amp in action.

It's got Footswitch that switches channels and turns on and off the Spring Reverb, it has FX LOOP and Preamp in and out, and speaker out that allows you to connect an extension cab to it turn it to 100 Watts at 4 ohms, it's 80 Watts as it, unlike Studio PRO, connecting an external cab won't mute the internal speaker.
As far as power it had enough power for all situations, but I'm a Tube snob so I don't use Solid state amps anymore.

All I wish it had is tubes I guess but it's a solid state so I'll score it according to what it is.

My guitars are 2 humbucker configured, don't like single coils.
One is a Renegade Pro made by Framus, which is equipped with two Seymour Duncan humbuckers, the other one is Peavey V-type limited edition with Floyd Rose, two ceramic pickups.

It suited me fine at the time for what it is.
As a solid state amp it sounds very decent, a lot better than many other amps at this price range and features, definitely better than Marshalls at this size and price.

It won't make noise more than other amps out there, and the variety of sounds you can get from it is pretty nice, thought I wouldn't use the Distortion channel, it's okay, little muddy and dirty but usable,
note seperation isn't its stronger side however.

I strongy suggest using a Tube stomp box overdrive to warm it up because it tends to sound little sterile and too clean as it is,
But it will sound okay with regular pedals like Boss, Marshall, and a lot more of these.

The distorion channel can get pretty brutal, Nu Metal guys will probably appreciate it, but I dislike Nu metal so it ain't my thing.
The clean sound always stayed clean even when I crancked it, and I mean really crancked it, I actually opened the Clean volume up to the maxium and it didn't fry or got distorted, at a certain level it just won't raise the bar anymore.

Peavey is known for making reliable stuff, even though it's made in China, I definitely didn't feel it when I close examined it.
I could definitely gig without a backup, it doesn't require maintenace like Tube amps, but it doesn't sound like the botique amps.

I didn't need to deal with the company and the local dealer is very helpful and very aware of things going on with the customers.
no need for repairs, it's solid as a rock.

I'm a musicians for 14 years now, aside the guitars, I own a synthesizer, drums, and I record and arrange music on the computer.
I don't own this amp anymore but when I owned it, things were rather nice I would say, a pleasure to use and play but my head takes me elsewhere, to the Tube zone.

If it got stolen I'd probably hunt down to hell the person who would dare to put his hands on it, I couldn't afford another one.
I loved most things about it, the sound was always the same, it was solid and stable and that's how an amp should be.

1) Solidstate (tube emulator - transtube, whatever)
2) 2 channels (there should really be three)
the clean channel has two variants (modern or vintage)
and the lead channel has three (vintage, modern and high gain)
3) three band eq per channel
4) the master contains reverb, presence, resonance and t-dynamics
5) this amp also has the following:
effects loop
preamp out (for recording or mixing or whatever)
it also has space for an external cab
6) the footswitch can switch between channels and turn on/off
the effects in the loop (not onboard reverb)
7) it has 2 inputs (hi and low gain) this is also a nice feature

With the amp I am using two Ibanez Rg's (470 and 570 - customs) and a zoom505II (what junk). I live in South Africa and am studying music at UCT (university of cape town). Music equipment is damn expensive here, all the shops - all four of them :), have a 200% + markup on the US$ retail price. Can you spell RIP OFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought this amp just under 2 years ago and when i bought it I intended it to be used as an effects machine.
OK here goes - this amp sounds like dung. The clean channel is very thin but i suppose is sort of useable. The lead channel sounds/smells so much like shite that I should use it for fartilizer ;). the lead channel is just too thin and shitty sounding it is:
a) THIN (and thats not good like a chick being thin)
b) Fuzzy (as far as solos go it is not useable)
c) unless the vintage section is selected it is just too fuckin
noisy - you have to stand 6 meters away for it to be not squeeling
like a bitch.
d) I have only once recorded with the lead channel engaged
(it was joe satriani - surfing with the alien) and it sounded ok
for that type of edgy rock rythm sound.

gripes with the clean channel:
a) the difference between the modern and vintage selection is almost
purely difference in the eq structure (vintage is very shrill)
there is very little difference in the actual tone.
b) it is also very thin sounding (especially the higher strings)

Ok the rest:
1) the eq is very responsive, be carefull to not set the the highs too high or it will result in a very thin shitty sound (goes for the presence too) and same goes for the lows (they really mudd up the low end)
2) the reverb is such a waste - it sounds sooooooooo sterile (Fake!)
3) the resonance switch and t-dynamics nob offer a nice boost

No problem here

never contacted the guys/gals at PEAVEY

I've been playing for about 7 years now. I've been through different phases in musical taste but at the moment I'm playing a little bit of: blues, rock, pop, funk, jazz. But most of the time i'm playing stuf like: Satch (satriani), Marty friedman, Jason Becker, Megadeth, Dream Theater (80's shred/hair metal) or my own stuff. If this amp were stolen i would gladly take the insurance payout and invest in some good quality rack gear (oh yes, and thank the thief).
I think the fact that there are all these features in this amp should not convince you that it is a good amp (I beleive it is merely a way of easing Peavey's concience for making toneless nonesense).
Before some wanker nocks me for "not using both inputs": I TRIED THAT ! there was a difference in noise levels and tightness but nothing earthshaking.
One thing that I have noticed about peoples comments on other peavey products is that some say that there is a real inconsistancy in peavey's products (i.e. some say they bought two of the same product and one was thin, fuzzy and shit sounding while the other was full tight and big sounding - in regard to 5150 and rockmaster reviews)
Maybe I got a bad one ?
The only thing refreshing about my amp is that I can bypass the preamp section - I bought myself a solidstate poweramp !!!

One word of advice - it's all about the tone don't let yourself be sucked in by all the hype !

All that's needed is there. Clean channel vintage/modern. Lead Channel High Gain/Modern/Vintage. Reverb. Presence. Resonance. Effects loop (footswitchable). Hi & Lo inputs. Line out. Power amp in. Ext speaker out. It's built in China, but many things are... There's no sticker on the sheffield speaker.

I'm using a Japan made Squier strat with single coils. This amp sounds great!!! Very warm and full for a transistor amp. The tube-emulation is not just marketing hype. Love the resonace switch! Great reverb! This amp comes very close to different types of tube amps, and you don' need to cranck it all the way up like a tube amp. Blues clean & dirty, Jazz, Rock, Metal,...whatever your preferred styles; This amp has got it! Comes with footcontroller for channel switching and effects-loop defeat. It must be one of the best and most versatile amps out there. Excellent!

It seems like its well built. It has already survived several transportations. I own it for a month so its a bit early to rate this but since it looks solid and it works...I see no reason to give it less than 10.

Haven't needed them.

I've been playing for 2 years. I also own a Marshall valvestate 10 (crap) and a Stagg 20 Watts transistor amp (quite ok), Wah pedal, etffects. Since I have the Bandit I haven't touched my pedals/effects...don't need them with this amp. I've also been playing a friends Fender twin reverb (excellent ofcourse), but I'm 100% happy with the Peavy (more versatile, less expensive). This amp makes me want to play!

I love having the different voicings on each completely seperate channel wich gives me many different sounds and the 2 seperate EQ's are awesome. My teacher put it best "you dont need a distortion pedal with this thing." On the clean channel, the vintage voicing sounds like it has a bit more treble and it is brighter and the modern voicing has lots of bass and enough highs.

I use a standard American Strat through it and i still get great distortion (can get a nice fuzz voice out of it) and when i put it on clean it is crystal-clear. (Can get noisy when turned real loud on lead channel)

Banged it and even once dropped it from about 1 1/2 feet and still works fine. I have also had it in the rain and no problems.

never had to deal with them

I can do anything with this amp and I love it, whether im playing Hendrix, Pink Floyd, RHCP, anything!

The only thing keeping this from a 10 is the lack of a headphone jack.
Other than that, you'll have a hard time finding more amp for the $$.
Two completely independent channels with separate EQ and volume controls. The clean channel has modern and vintage settings, while the lead has vintage(great for blues), modern(scooped midrange crunch), and hi gain(just what it says). Reverb is more than enough, resonance switch does more than I thought, T-Dynamics are the bomb. It also has a footswitchable effects loop(try to find THAT on any other solid state 112)and an 8ohm external speaker out(not that you'd ever need it with a 12" Sheffield on board).

I play many different styles. Funk to r&b to blues to rock to country.
I use an American Series Strat with a Duncan Distortion in the bridge position. My rig consists of Turbo Rat>Crybaby>MXR 90 Phaser>Yamaha Chorus>DanEcho>Amp. I mostly was in the market for a good flexible clean channel for my effects chain. This amp delivers BIG time. 80 watts may not sound like much to some, but this baby CRANKS. Can you say LOUD?(Sure, I knew you could). The only fly in the ointment is the lead channel. Sounds good enough at low volumes, but it is one NOISY sucker! Feedback is extremely difficult to control if turned much past 2 or 3. NOT saying the sound sucks cause it doesn't. Just VERY difficult to keep a handle on. Do yourself a favor and use your favorite war pedal thru the clean channel. You'll fare much better. Rating? The clean channel gets a STRONG 10, but the lead is a 6 due to the noise factor. Split the difference and make it an 8.

It's a Peavey. It's a truck.

Never dealt with them. Never had to.

Been playing 20+ years. Have used Crate, Fender, and Vox. Can't afford tubes. Keep coming back to Peavey. Can't beat them on the "bang for the buck" scale. No one else does solid state better.
I call it my "mini Marshall". Would a tube half stack sound better? Perhaps. Try explaining that to the wife & 3 kids I have to feed. Would like to see a headphone jack(though it would probly make my ears bleed) and the lead channel could use some work, but overall, good luck finding a better sound without spending sigNIFicantly more cheese. This hits my gut at an "8".

Made in 02 i think
Ive read in few places that this amp is the best selling in its price range and for good reason. The channel voicing is suburb and covers blues, jazz, metal, rock 'n' roll, punk and of anything in between. A 2 button (channel and effects bypass) footswitch comes with it which is good but i wish it had a reverb button on it but its not really important. 80w of solidstate power is enough for me, at about 5-6 it will go over a drumkit and at 9-10 it will blow your inner ear apart. I dont believe there is a better amp out there for this money, but that reverb switch would of made it perfect. But thats just me.

I use a cort X-9 and a digitech RP50, but i rarely use the pedal, because i simply dont need it, amp and guitar are simply too good.

I play punk-rock band but i also play anything from metallica, guns n' roses, the living end, RHCP and jazz, bluesy, general rock n roll stuff. Well the channel voicing ensures everything is catered for.

Ok it can hum a bit when you crank the distortion to full, have it loud, and turn up the presence control etc, but i havent played an amp that doesnt.

Distortion will do any sound you want and will distort to hell and back.

I havent experienced any real distortion on the clean channel at high volume, but its solid state so it shouldnt do it much anyway.

Great reverb too(turn it all the way up an play come as you are by nrvana)

Im gonna have to give it a 10, it simply is awesome!

Well i dont think it will break, and i think 'Bertha' is probably the best name for it. I've read some outrageous stuff about these amps, getting left in rain for 5 mins, having coke spilt in back of it, falling of a 1 metre high stage, and they all still work good. It wont give up on you and i reckon i would gig without a backup.

um well havent dealt with em.

Been playing for about 2 years, but i consider myself pretty good. (Also thatnks to anyone who has written a review about anything and posted on this site)

This amp is easily the best amp around for this money and beats any
crappy MG series from marshall, and even, in my opinion, the fabled fender princeton which is more expensive. But of course fenders are for blues and jazz players usually not for heavier and punk styles.

Anyway If it got stolen i'd track down the theif and drop the amp from a height on to his head. Then probably move to mexico before the impending court case for murder 1. Anyway i would defiently buy another one if need be.

I dont really hate anything about it. You might but i dont (-:

Yeah for this much cash you probably wont get better. Maybe a second hand Marshall AVT *drools*. Sorry. But for the money it is unbeatable in every department; Sound (channel voicing is the best thing out there), Features(channel voicing, great reverb, effects loop, presence control, footswitch), Reliability (well i use it as a bass amp as well and unlike similiar amps it doesnt eat a dick after it gets used for bass.) and yeah overall. Any questions/spam/deaththreats/other boring things you think i may be interested in etc just contact me and you'll recieve an automated photocopied response!

its a 80w, 112 combo. large enuf for practicing, wouldnt reccomend for gigging. 2 channel with 5 distinct modes, fx loop, footswitch, solid state. its a very versatile amp for the beginner/ semi intermediate guitarist

i was using a wolfgang copy with this amp when i was practicing for a music comp. i gotta say despite its flaws i got quite attached to this amp. im a metalhead/shredder and this amp was satisfactory for what i needed it for. the clean channel is quite good and if you set the resonance knob to loose with the clean mode on vintage, its got a pleasant sound, if a little cold. I love the vintage mode on the lead channel. this with the reverb up was a beautiful lead setting and the metallica style leads were great on it. the modern "scooped" setting was ok, but with no cut thru or attack, ud have to crank the bugger to hear it in a band

the high gain mode was absolute shite though and i stayed well away from it. too much buzz and not enough gain!

reverb is quite hot and the t dynamics knob is ok

be warned this amp is no good for live work, it turns to shit when u turn it past 4 because of its meagre wattage and speaker arrangement. im a 212 or half stack man and this amp for me is for bedroom only

its a nice alternative to a marshall mg combo which is really tinny and harsh, but for me a cheaper, louder, cleaner fender fm212 is good enuf for me to run all my effects thru, which is what i did with this n e way!

solid as a rock, but not as heavy
no tubes to mess weverything feels sturdy and knockable
its a school amp and its survived 3 years without servicing!
enuf said

well the music teacher at that school knew less than i did about it, and i was no authority on peavey amps at that point
never needed it!

ive been playing a year and a bit and i own bugger all. ive experimented with ibanez (grx 20 and ex270) and samick

soon to spend $6000 gettin all the pro gear!
its not mine so if it gets stolen I KNEW NOTHING!

i would save up for a xxx (im getting one of these! heheh)
or save up for the less expensive but great XXL head, and steal a cab!

for a first amp it would be great, better than my 10 watt laney!

The amp has 12 knobs(2 for Low,mids,Highs "Lead and Clean" ,another for Reverb,1 for Presence,1 for Post-Gain and Pre-Gain,1 for Volume,& 1 for T.dynamics).When I playedon my old Crate amp,i played through the RP 50,then I got the Peavey Bandit 112 for Christmas and then I found out about the distortion on the amp so I like through the Rp50 to the side and played through that amp.Its says "Transtube" on it but it acts as a solid state.The sound is clear in clean and it awsome in distortion.Perfect for Heavy Metal.Prefect for ANYTHING!

I love the sound on he amp.Crystal clear sound and brutal and right amount of distortion.I love it!Its prefect for anybody.Its portable(little heavy though),sounds good at any volume,and it is magnifcent

I would use it anywhere.Its my primary amp.Every place I paly guitar at,I carry that amp there.It is worth straining your arms through.This amp has never let me down.I wouldn't blame it for any faults except for not having a Headphone jack,but I don't care.

They're guitars are alright,but their amps are awsome.The Bandit 112 defently proved that to me.My friend Justin has a peavey amp it is amazing for its size,it looks like a 10 watt but its like powerful.I would choose Peavey amps over Marshall!

I can't think of a better amp.I love it ever since I first got it.I got attached to it.Buy that amp,its worth it!

I think i bought this amp back in 2001, not entirely sure though. This amp can handle any style of music you want. It's got plenty of features on it, vintage or modern cleans, modern or high gain or vintage leads, Reverb, presence, t dynamics, footswitchable effects loop. This is a VERY versatile amp! The reverb on this amp is AMAZING!!! I played in a band with this amp for about 2 years, giggin, and practicing, this amp had the power for anything i wanted to do with it, and it also sounded good enough that i could play it at low volumes in my house, so as not to disturb anyone else.

I mainly play a Gibson SG standard, and a Fender American Standard Stratocaster with a seymour duncan distortion humbucker in the bridge position. I also played a Fender MIM standard stratocaster, Fender Tom Delonge Strat, a Fender mustang,and my friend's Fender American Deluxe Telecaster through this amp. No matter what guitar i played through this amp, it sounded amazing! It can handle any style of music. The distortion can go from a very light bluesy distortion to full on death metal! I mainly played Ska/ punk through this amp. I used the vintage clean channel for my clean parts, and it had a really bright, sparkling sound to it. For my distortion i would use either the modern setting with the gain turned to about 4 or 5, or the vintage setting turned to 10. I could get any kind of distortion i wanted out of this thing, from that ACDC, classic rock, distorted tube amp sound, to a mesa boogie triple rectifier sound. It definitely covered all the styles of music that i used it for.

I've been playing this amp for about 3 years, gigging and practicing with a band on it. I have never had a single problem with it. I have always gigged without a backup, and never felt like i needed one.

Never dealt with them because every peavey amp i have ever owned has been built like a beast! they never break!!! but if their customer support people are as good as their amps are then they're a 10 too!

I have been playing for about 6 years now, all the gear that i own is listed above... except the fender mustang cause i sold that... hated that guitar... but that's a different story. I love everything about this amp, there is not a single thing that i would change about it... except maybe make it a tube amp with all these awesome features on it! I now own a Peavey Triple XXX 112, so if this amp were lost or stolen, i probably wouldn't buy another one, but i would chase the guy down and beat the living daylights out of him! I compared this amp to the peavey classic 30, which is also an awesome amp... but it wasn't versatile enough for me, so i went with the bandit! I bought this amp to replace the Fender Princeton 112 plus that i was using before it because that amp SUCKED... also a completely different story! I would definitely recommend this amp to anyone! 80 watts, definitely enough power to gig with, yet still able to sound good at low volumes to practice with it. And for only $300 new, you can't go wrong!!!

this amp is pretty versatile: clean, crunch, lead. Actually, it's 2 channels, with a boost on the lead section.
solid state amp. 2 inputs, 2 EQ, a bunch of post preamp knobs like presence and "t-dynamics" to shape your sound, a effects loop, power amp in and out, and, very cool feature, you can hook up this amp to an external cabinet: great for getting louder. I almost forgot the reverb.
I use this amp for practice and jamming. I would say this say is good for Rock.

I play distorted guitar most of the time, using Duncan JB pickups. Yep, I like it heavy baby! Well this amp works fine for metal and rock. Not noisy, unless you like to turn up the dist all the way up, so nothing abnormal here. The clean channel? Well, I don't use it very much. I used to own the previous version of the bandit, and I think I liked the clean sounds on it better than on this newer version, but maybe it's just me.
The lead channel sounds pretty good. I think it has more color than the older bandit lead channel. You can get a high level of distortion, and there is also a switch that allows you to get more thrash like sounds, taking off some mids. It gives you a pretty brutal sound there. I used to like that a lot, but I'm getting tired of these sounds without mids, so I tend not to use it so much now.
At loud volumes, the distortion is not as clear so I lower it a little bit. But it's not bad at all. Besides, I never turn the distortion all the way up. There is more than you need, even for metal. My basic distortion setting is when the gain knob is on 7, with the boost on.

oh, very reliable, no worries about that. I had a peavey before, it's all sturdy shit.

never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for..hmmm...12 years. Shit, I'm old. I used to have a little 25 watt fender amp, I liked it. My guitar is a cheap Washburn Bettencourt model (the cheapest model), I changed the pickups. I've had this guitar for quite a while now, and I love it. I own at boss gt3 (got it for cheap otherwise I wouldn't have bought it), a zoom gfx4, a boss super fuzz fzII, and a digitech xp100.
I like that this amp is reliable and versatile. I'm not saying it's the most wonderful amp on this planet, far from it, but it does its job, and it's cheap. It doesn't sound like a tube amp for sure, but it doesn't sound like a crappy tansistor/solid state amp with an extremely cold sound. Very good for the price.

its very versatile. the modern channel has a sound like the black album (by metallica) the high gain has more of like a seek and destroy sound. the vintage is like jimi hendrix or ac/dc. maybe even like old ozzy or black sabbath.

i have a bc rich warlock with the stock pickups (not that great, but they get the job done). and if the stock pickups on a bc rich warlock can do it, any pickup can, believe me. i play mostly metallica, slayer, pantera, ozzy, iced earth, etc. i