Peavey Blazer 158

This is a solid state amp made for bedroom practice or very small gigs with very small bands (trio?). It was made probably in the nineties, the design with the blue underlined chassis and aluminium stripes left and right. It is a versatile amp for the money. It is a two channel amp with reverb, preamp out, headphone out (switches speaker off) and delivers 15 Watt into an eight inch speaker (4 Ohm). I never use the pre out. I use the headphone jack but never with the distortion on. THe sound is so buzzy it saw your head off. I use it for practice. For the price it is good value for money.

The clean channel is quite good, a lot better than most other amps out there in the same price range. It starts to distort at 2 oClock (with humbuckers). The reverb sounds good if not cranked up too much. The distorion channel is ok but no favorite of mine. You can tailor different types of distortion as the eqs work in the right range. The clean channel is more dynamic. I use a Srat, an ES 335 copy and an Ibanez Sustainmonster SZ320, incredibly good guitar.
You can use that amp for jazz and rock practice. It will do the jopb. It will neither replace a studio nor a Full Marshall stack. It is just a rather noisefree clean amp with a really decent reverb and a distortion option. I give it a nine for the clean tone and the reverb.

I never had problems with this brand or amp. I would never gig without a backup. In some cases a cheap backup amp is better than noe.

They have a good website.

It is a great bang for the buck. The amp sound pretty good and is a good choice unless you really nedd to find some modelling amp or want to play with a rock band. This amp does not model. It just sounds good.

I figure mine was made in 2004 or 2005. All the features have been covered, so I just gotta put my two cents worth on this amp. What is is that people expect when they buy a 15 watt practice amp? From the reviews here, it would appear that people expect to spend 100 bucks on a 15 watt 8 inch speaker practice amp and expect it to sound like a Marshall JCM 900 or something. Jeez - it's a practice amp for Christ sake. Now with that said, I'll rate this for what it is supposed to be - a practice amp, nothing more, nothing less. For a little practice amp, it's quite versatile and does a good job with classic rock, blues and country. No - it won't do metal unless you have some pedals, but then again, most 15 watt solid state practice amps sound like crap with the gain turned all the way up and all the mids turned out. This amp is a good little practice amp and has more than enough power for your living room or bedroom. What more could ya ask for?

I play blues, blues rock, classic rock, country, hard rock, outlaw rock and southern rock and this amp handles all of that very well. The clean channel is pretty doggone good on this amp and it doesn't break up at higher volumes. The distortion isn't brutal - even on the modern settings, it is more of a crunch that does well with hard rock or southern rock but not for metal - which I don't need anyway. I've got two strats, one with h-s-s config and the other with 3 single coils, an SG with two humbuckers, two tele's one with two single coils and one with two humbuckers and a PRS Standard with two humbuckers and the amp sounds fine with all those guitars. Suits my music style just fine for a practice amp and it isn't noisy at all.

Seems built like a tank.

Never head to deal with Peavey's customer support and I use Peavey exclusively.

I've been playing about 40 years and I have the gear mentioned above plus a Peavey Valve King for gigs. I bought this amp for the bedroom to preserve the tubes on my Valve King. I'd get another one if it were lost or stolen. I've compared it to the Marshalls and Fenders in the same price range and this one won out. Best bang for the buck.

I got mine second hand, it was one of those old ones with the green stripe control panel, opposed to the new red stripe. Normal controls, 3 band EQ, 2 channels and a reverb, with headphone and output jacks, though i dont suggest you output this amp. The reverb and EQ suck, reverb makes no difference and makes a loud pop when you turn it on, the EQ doesnt make a difference either. I use it for small practices with my band and it can't keep up, it seems so quiet for a 15W, my friends 10W is even louder.

I'm running it through a Strat with 3 singles, play a lot of anything, metal especially, but also a bit of blues and clean stuff. The clean doesnt distort nor hums but still sounds bad. Sounds a bit funny, can't really explain it, sounds too fake and chords sound rounded, in a bad way. It seems to be very, very hummy, I run it through a Carvin Distortion and it hums sooo bad, It could be just my single coils, but im still not satisfied. The built-in distortion sucks, its very cloudy, you cant even tell what you are playing half the time. the channel switch and the volume are pretty much the only variables, either clean or distorted and volume, other switches dnt alter it drastically. This amp is probably best suite for metalheads, but at this point I don't suggest you use it for anything unless you want a cheap amp.

It is quite solid, would probably survive a hammer attack, but i don't know about 2 hammer attacks... It seems to buzz violently when I drop it however, I think something inside is going to snap soon, like if i dump it onto the ground with it switched on, it makes a shaky sound which I absolutely hate! I would not use it without a backup, but in this case, i wouldnt use it at all beacuse its not good enough.

N/A

Ive only had this and a Ashton 10W amp in my playing year, have noticed this amp is quite bad, though better than the Ashton. I thought it was good when I first bought it, but now after playing for a while longer, I know its junk. Id rather pay another $50 to get a marshall practice amp. Bottom line, It is not a good amp and I don't suggest you get it seeing as there are so many other amps out there. Oh and if someone stole it I wouldnt care.

i buy it new, for price and sound is a good choice.

im in two bands, a punk oll school and a blues progresive, this amp is versatile for that styles FOR PRACTICING and smalls jams. i mosttly use the clean channel, my overdrive come in the pedal, but sometimes i used the lead chanel for more punchy sound, the reverb is fine at 5.
yea is enough power for a little jam, or a small gig, really....., i dunno the previos opinions those guys expect to play in a coliseum with this?? please,
once a take to a gig (100 people) and thake the signal trough the PA, and works very fine.

i will think in add a effects loop will be go into a very fina small amp.

the eq is a little triky until u get ur set up, then works very fine, just going thru modern and vintage switch.

im on a fenders, got a strato 1990, duncan picks, and a fat strat 1993 american clasic picks. this trough a korg 100ax, and works so fine, especially in the dist sound, even better than a marshall 60w and a kustom 65w ive try.

the amps sounds works fine as a clean start to find a sound, u got to find ur sound first, imagine if u change to a fender frontman, a crate, a soldano, ur sound will be always changing, first find ur sound and then try to recreate that on an amp, if it can do it, is a good amp, no matter the style, soung, watage, etc.

never broke, it looks new, is very strong

never ask for some

ive benn playing 10 years, my sound is my two strato, and like changing the sound very often, but "my" sound is deep in my brain for years, so no matter the amp, i try to put it in that, and this practice amp work fine, is versatile, have crisp higs and deep bass, maybe more bass will be great, but it will give personalitty to the amp sound.

i like to ask to the people who say this amp is crap, etc,,, if they have been record in a studio some, and i as a studio musican can say this amp is enouhg, whit some effects and racks, u can get pro sound, believme.

if u want to play in a stadium will spent some 10 000 in amps, and a guitar of 3 000, and 6 000 in racks and effects so do the math.

so for 100 bucks, this amp sound pretty well, a medium pedal, and u can get some very decent sounds, and even jam live.

and most important--- the final sound is in ur brain and ur fingers, no matter ur equipment,,,,, so when u where ready to go into very pro stuff, ur fingers and brain (theory and thechnique)will be pro too.

i it were stolen i will try onother one, for sure.

I bought this amps in 2002. It has 2 channels, 1 clean, and 1 dirty one. There is one equalizer with bass/mid/treble. It has reverb, and you can select vintage or modern sound. It got cool feature for a little amp. Just a footswitch might have been great. I give a 8 for that kind of amp, I am not comparing it with a 100 watts head...

I'm using a fender fat strat. I use a boss overdrive/distortion OS-2, because the distortion is not really good. I play old hard rock, like Deep Purple, Led Zep, and some AC/DC, and the disto wasn't able to give me that. I got some difficulties with the reverb, well I can't use it anymore, well I never use it because it was already broke. The reverb, whan put on, starts to make a kinda feed back sound, and it kill your sound. If you are a beginner, the sound is good, but if you have been playing a little, maybe you won't like it

As I said, the reverb is doing feedback. And the equalizer (bass and mid) never work !!! Only the treble is doing something

I've been playing for only 2 years, I can say I'm a intermediare player. I change my blazer for a peavey for a marshall tsl 602. Yes it's 8 time the price but my good, we can't compare. If your begin it will make you a nice amp for one or two year. But if you want a little amp with a good disto, go look away

This is the lowest priced offering from Peavey that has reverb. The Rage is the next lower step and the Audition the lowest priced. Two channel that can be selected by switch only. Clean has volume only and dirty has pre and post gain knobs. Low, mid and high knobs and reverb knob. Vintage and Modern switch and Instrument, CD and Headphone inputs. Single 8 inch speaker with 15 watt rating on amp. For an amp in this price range it is well designed and I would not expect more features or power. Quality of cabinet and electronics are as good or better than others in this price range. The only change I would have made would be a closed back cabinet.

I have to believe from other reviewers that they think they should expect boutique sounds and do world tours with this thing. This thing was made for bedroom jamming or at the most low volume practice with friends. For the price it sounds way better than alot of the "practice amps" out there. I play on the neck pickup on my Strat ot the bridge hotrail on my Tele with the tone knob rolled down a bit on the guitars to get the best sounds. This thing smoke the old Peavey Audition I had in the 80's. That was noise! I keep the dust cover on my $1000 amp because this thing sounds sweet at low house jam volumes and is plain fun to play through. I expect the low ratings are because the average age of buyers at this price point are lower and some think if it can't make them sound like Hendrix it's crap. Metal players may pass on this model but for everything else it can do the trick. I rarely use the clean channel. Playing with the pre/post and your guitars volume/tone will get some great tones. Been playing 20+ years. This amp does it's job well. Is it perfect sounding? No. But for the price it does the job well with mellow jazz or nice blues rock crunch. I guarantee I shop harder than most for my equipment. A best buy for the price! I rate on bang for buck, not it doesn't sound like my friends Mesa. Duh....

Peavey builds good stuff. Working man's gear at a fair price. The cabinet is built tough and everything nicely finished. I take care of my stuff unlike some here that seem to enjoy trying to trash theirs so mommy can buy them something else.

Never needed it though others seem pleased with their service and website.

I looked at practice Marshalls, Fenders and the others. The sound and construction quality seemed better in the Peavey. I may swap out the speaker like one reviewer mentioned and see what happens. I know I got my monies worth and will enjoy many hours of practice and small house jams with this amp. You can pick these thing up on eBay for half the retail price. Mine was in like new condition. Thanks HC for the great site!

Bought this in 2001 from Sound Control in Edinburgh for #99. I've been playing for a few years so I'm an intermediate level guitarist I spose and I like to play various Rock (AC/DC, Ash, Darkness, Radiohead, Manics, White Stripes etc.) and some more mellow acoustic stuff too. You know the score with the channels/controls etc. They do the job at a basic level. Powerwise its fine, I only use it for playing at home.

I use it with an Ibanez RG320, which I bought purely for the features and the value for money, I'm not a metal fan in any way. Maybe the guitar is partly to blame for this, but the clean channel sounds crap, and varies each time I use it. Sometimes it decides to vary half way through a song. On overdrive it is unbelievably noisy, like the guitar is an aerial and the amp is some cruddy radio that just makes a static fuzz. Variety wise, it can give a heavy fuzz which has no real quality to it - if you strum a chord its just a mass of fuzz, and when you play a chord progression it sounds terrible. It sounds better with basic power chords but still not great. It sounds mildly better at volume to a point but then it becomes far too noisy again. Basicly, this was my second amp after a Fender Squire strat pack amp which was horrendous, so at first I thought it sounded ok. Now I know what I want it to sound like it lets me down in every way. Its a cheap amp granted, but it should be a lot cheaper. Save up some more and get a marshall AVT, which is what I intend to do.

Again, a let down. Shortly after buying it it started doing this weird thing where the volume would just increase of its own accord to a shrill shreak and then the amp would just sort of 'pop' while it corrected itself. Its never actually broken but it doesn't have any consistency at times and it annoys the hell out of me.

I took it back to the shop and the idiot behind the counter kept it for a day and tested i but found nothing wrong. It never went back to Peavy, which I should perhaps have demanded, but I don't really care any more.

if it broke I'd chuck it out and not feel a thing, if it was stolen I'd cry laughing at the thought that someone had taken the effort to steal such a piece of crap.

I'm using the older version of the Blazer (think it's a 1996), the one sans all the red lining and the vintage/modern switch. Two channel (clean/dirty) w/volume control for clean and pre/post settings for dirty. EQ with bass/mid/treble and reverb. Line out and headphone jack. Carry handle on top. Fairly solid body and construction with factory 8" speaker.

A footswitch for the dual channels would of been good, but I never use the dirty channel anyway. For a practise amp, it's well-kitted enough to get by on and has everything the basic user should need. One should note it's a practise amp after all, designed to be used in low-level personal use. A lot of people seem to have bought this with gigging in mind and whilst I'm sure you could play to a small venue of 30 people at the local pub in a room the size of a garage, you'd never want to gig with it.

The clean channel is the superior of the two and the EQ controls are reasonably responsive if tweaked right. The feature I like the most is probably the reverb, it sounds quite authentic. This is one of the first 'Transtube' Peavey amps. I haven't noted the 'Transtube' technology making it sound more like a tube amp until recently when the clean channel started doing weird stuff as I mention in the Sound catergory.

There are definitely nice practise amps out there, but this one is pretty good for the price I paid. If it had some effects, even just a chorus and tremelo built it, I would of rated it far higher. I think the modern version of the Blazer looks a little tackier, but has a nice adition in the vintage/modern selector. I like the fact it's 15w as well - I've compared it to a couple of 10w and 12w practise amps of similar make and age and this amp sounds a lot better.

I use this amp with two guitars, my pride and joy, a '95 Epiphone G-400 SG replica with dual Alcino humbuckers and my backup, a 2003 20th Anniversary Squire Bullet Strat with three single coils. My setup usually goes like this:

G-400/Bullet > Boss DS-1 Distortion > Boss BD-2 Blues Driver > Ibanez SC-10 Stereo Chorus > Danelectro DJ-1 Pastrami Overdrive > Danelectro DJ-11 Pedal Tuner > Peavey Blazer 158.

I play rhythm guitar/fills and do vocals in an 5-piece indie-rock band with three guitars. For what I use it for, the Blazer works okay. It sounds good with the BD-2 for subtle overdrive and SC-10 for a variety of chorus effects. The DS-1 played over the BD-2 sounds great, just give the sound a bit of extra bite. I use the Pastrami when I want to get a really fuzzy sound.

These effects all work very well on the Clean channel, which actually sounds very nice on its own, especially on humbuckers. I virtually never use the Dirty channel on this amp because it quite simply sucks. Sounds hollow, cold and lacking - the only time it ever sounds any good is with single coils i.e my Squire Bullet. I get a much crisper, warmer sound from my effects, though this amp has a 'lukewarm' sound overall in terms of tonal colouring.

The Reverb is the best of all the features. It's solid sounding with a definite punch. It works best set between 3 and 5 - any less and you can't hear it, any more and it muffles the sound. I think it'd sound great with a delay. The EQ section is most effective when set on no mids and bass/low and treble/high a little over halfway. The mids just haze the sound to much.

The downfall of this amp is its volume level - it hits after 7 and starts to sound like crap - all volume, no sound and a horrible thumping noise. I've found it's actually pretty effective at 6 with the guitar volume/s on full and the level knobs on my effects cranked up a little. However, it's still only got a very limited sound and I've tried it with single coils and humbucker, the latter sounding better but the single coils proving better on the Dirty channel.

The most interesting thing I've found is the Blazer has a quite nice low natural distortion on the Clean channel with no effects at around 9 on the volume and the EQ set flat (all on 5). It's not tube, but it's pretty close, though it can be a bitch to replicate and and I don't like pushing the volume above 7 generally unless the guitar is down really low.

However, my bandmate uses a 10w Park amp with far less features and no reverb on his Squire Telecaster and it tears my Blazer to shreds. The only effect he has is a Danelectro Fab-Tone distortion and he can get some brilliant powerful distortion like you'd not beleive. The volume on that Park is amazing as well. I got this amp because I wanted to sound closer to the other guitarists, who use the afformetioned Park and a tidy Kustom 12 Tube preamp, which again slashes me to ribbons. The Blazer manages to hold its own, but I have my plethora of effects to thank for that.

The biggest downfall is the lack of volume and crap distortion on this amp, but the EQ and Reverb quality do balance it out. A 10" speaker over an 8" would of probably sorted all the problems.

The one thing the Blazer has proven time and time again is that it is a solid little unit. I've transported this thing around in the back of my car and those of my bandmates where it's been thumped about and generally roughed up. There is not a mark on it and the speaker seems pretty intact for its estimated age. I think the last owner may of been quite careful with it as it was well presented when I bought it.

The wood used for the costruction is solid as granite. I tested it by poking a pin into it and the pin actually broke! It's strong enough to balance my weight on it for as well, though I'm one of those tall, lanky types so I can't weigh much =D The speaker cloth is pretty thin though, but the switches are well attached and hard to get off. The washers on the speaker jacks are particularly tight.

I would gig without a backup, but only if I was playing at a party or small bar. This amp could not handle a crowd of more than 30 people I wager. It's never broken down, but I believe that I am quickly wearing the speaker out and will probably sell it and upgrade within the next six months, possibly to a small tube amp or solid state with amp modelling like the Roland Cube 30.

Got it second hand, never spoken to Peavey or even looked at their website. All information I have got on this amp has been from Harmony Central.

I've been playing the guitar for about six or seven years on and off, but only seriously in the last eighteen months. The band I'm currently in only gets together to jam once a week and although we haven't gigged, it could grow more likely next year. The Blazer suits my needs for now, but it is starting to show its limitations more increasingly.

Whilst it's been very reliable, it has proven itself to be very lacking in the variety department. I can only get a limited range of sounds out of it even with effects pedals and they often require a bit of adjusting.

If it was stolen, I'd probably not buy another one - the newer models are about $300 and for a hundred or so more, I can get a 30-50w solid state with built in effects, footswitch and possibly amp modelling.

Overall, this product is best purchased second hand and used for the first six months to a year of guitar playing or if you like a clean sounding amp for quiet practise. This particular amp gets a 7 because it's done everything I bought it for.

Bought and made in 2002. I play mostly punk and oi...bought this amp to practise around the house. Two channels, clean and dirty. An effects loop'd definitely improve the overall rating of this amp. Standard 15 watt solid state features. Nothing on here to create any unique tones. Enough power? Well, for a practise amp, sure.

With the reverb on the speaker farts annoyingly upon turning it on. Haha. Yeah, not much versatility in the EQ...you can't tell a scoop from a smiley. With a bunch of effects you can make this thing sound alright. Umm, lets see, what else. When cranked, the clean channel distors minorly. The distortion is ok. Nothing special and yet it doesn't completely suck. Good for beginners.

Yes! In the year I've had it, this amp's taken alot of abuse. Crazy feedback, accidental dropping, etc. It sounds the same as the day I bought it.I tip my hat, Peavey.

Haven't dealt with them. Don't need to, this things a bloody tank.

Very good to start with. It's relatively cheap, and blows the doors off the Fender Squire. Haha. Wow, I even gigged with this once. Basement show in front of 30 or so people. It sucked, but still, for a practise amp, it'll suit any beginner just fine.

This amp is a basic solid state practice combo amp. It's average so I'll give it a seven.

The distortion is actually alright on this thing, just don't turn the treble above 5 on the amp. If you do it kinda craps out these real nasal sounds. It also depends on what type of guitar your using. for a while I was using a strat with it, it was alright, but not like running a strat through a nicer amp like a Jtm or Matchless. It's more of a metal type tone. When I had my Ibanez Destoryer[the old one] it sounded pretty good. Kind of a low end growl. but the thin cabinet really makes the speaker suck. Personally I don't like peavey speakers, they sound like garbage, this one was no different. It put to much Highs in the signal. In my experience the sound was about average for a practice amp

I actually gigged with this amp once. It performed as well as it could. I never had an electronics problem with my amp, but I have done service on the older Peavey blazers.

never needed it.

Decent practice amp, but I traded it in with my destroyer for My line 6 Flextone III obviously that amp is superior. but for what it is this amp isn't bad. I much prefer my Vox pathfinder to this though.

input, cd, lead (pre, post) 3 band eq, reverb knobs. play mainly blues and guitar based insturmental. is a transtube solidstate amp. use it for home useage. doesnt do the job very well

using a mex-strat. doesnt do the job with bluse becuase the overdrive and distortion is terribe. the only good feature on here that is even OK is the reverb. the rest sux. if you are a high gain junky dont even look at this amp. speaker cant handle very high volumes, starts to crack and pop. clean is decent. distortion/overdive sux. you can get nice sustain if you turn the reverb up, its about the only nice sound you can get out of it. but i still dont recomend it. it cant make many sounds that actually sound natural. you will most likely have to run a few pedals or even a multi effects processor through it to get a little more variety but it wont be straight through.

very relible for home use, has never done any giging. the speaker has a very loud noticable pop when you turn it off. input gets kinda loose after a while, but its is easy to screw in. no tubes, no fuss

N/A never needed to call them, ask for anything

it is a nice beginers amp, but after maybe 5-6 months you will start to hate it because of lack of sounds you can get out of it, the distortion/overdrive arnt that great. clean is decent. for a begineers amp it is ok but if you know exactly what you are looking for then shop and try a few more amps out and buy 1 that you can have forever

I have to sound off on this. Especially based on the reviews I see below.

It's a 15 watt practice amp with an 8" speaker. Anyone who looks at this as anything else is kidding themselves. I bought this for my nephew who is learning to play. The only other feature it could use is an effects loop but even that is getting carried away.

First off, look at the amp. Do you see gigs? Do you see stadium tours? Do you even see garage jams with a full band? I don't. I see a practice amp that's capable of getting a reasonably wide range of decent practice tones. From clean to gritty to a nice overdrive this amp has it.

This one is a 2001 model which is one of the new generation transtubes. I don't know if that makes a difference or not but I mention it anyway.

In the store I compared it to similar sized practice amps like Fender, Crate & Marshall but the Blazer was head and shoulders above them all: More depth. More low end. Better overdrive with less buzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Just so you don't think I'm completely nuts, no, it didn't have any real low end thump. The maxed out volume would not be enough to do anything but practice or record but the speaker wasn't farting out either. Perhaps you could gig with it if you mic'd it but I wouldn't really plan on that unless you had to. If you've gigged successfully with it then I tip my hat. It just lacks too much (like foot switchable channels, effects loop, sufficient power and speaker size) to be a good gigging amp. But I dare say that I think the fundamental tone is there. Even if it is in a little bitty form.

I can't say. I played it for a couple of days before I gave it to my nephew. Generally speaking PV makes very durable products.

Peavey has an excellent web site with very attentive moderators. They answer questions quickly most of the time and I was able to download a manual for this amp.

I'll say it again... it's a 15 watt practice amp with an 8" speaker. I'm not sure what else you could want from this package besides what it provides. I'm not rating it a 10 because it sounds awesome next to a 5150, Bassman, Twin or Mesa. I'm rating it for the little practice amp that it is.

I got my first practice amp in 1974. It was a Fender Bronco with 6 tube watts and one channel. It was shallow sounding and the speaker farted horribly at full volume. I just sold it two years ago so I'm haven't forgotten what it sounded like. I wish I'd had this Blazer instead of that Bronco when I was a kid. I would have had many more satisfying tones at my disposal.

For a tiny practice amp it's a great little stick of dynamite. Accept it for what it is and I doubt you'll be too disappointed.

features are already listed by the fools before me.

This little amp was made in 1996, the "old" version of the transtubes, but not the really bad old versions that came before this. Bottom line 96' is the best year for these things. I've played a modern version of the rage (non-verbing cousin to the blazer) made around 2001, completely different amplifier. Total ass-tastic sound compared to my own.

The Blazer has enough power for practice, and gigging (I've had some sorry ass gigs, the trick was getting the drummer to play quietly. I said "Dammit jack there's 30 goddamn people here, you don't have to pound it out!" so the amp up halfways on its drive channel can play for tiny crowds......unless they were all screaming at once for some reason. Anywho, yeah the thing meets my needs volume wise.

For my musical taste, Alt-blues based grunge rock, the blazer managed not to chop up my playing to much, I mean the notes still came out of the carboard sound daiphram thing.....the trick is to have good intonation I can stress this enough.

I did like the play along jack.....when I play with my favorite cd it's like I'm really there in the studio playing with lisa lo...err Van halen...yes, tough hetrosexual van halen. And the headphone jack is good cause you can rock out without waking anybody

It is a solid-state device but peavey uses it's PATENTED TRANSTUBE technology invented by insane chinese robots.

I'm using a MIM stratocaster with the rig/Epi SG......works well with both brands of inferior third world magnetic devices.

You have your basic drive and clean channles. The clean is quite nice for SS.....very clear, and it sort of breaks up like a tube amp when the volume is all the way up, but you really have to push it. The lead avenue is alright. Nice punchy distortion, good for whatever, but it still sounds a bit like ass......meh good enough for things

Don't plan on it sounding good cranked, it doesn't do "loud" well, especially with reverb......the tank has a habit of clanking around

The insides are top notch...good quality components, great layout and design. The input jack breaks on all of the rages and blazers, nothing 1/2hrs worth of soldering can fix. The box is very heavey..looks solid, I have yet to set it on fire and drag it behined a pickup truck, but it looks solid.

I would gig without a backup, I can't see a very tiny SS device blowing up on me

I bought the amp used, so no warranty....I'm sure peavey loves all its customers even if they are taking sloppy seconds

It's the best 15watt 1X8 SS combo I've come across

Got this amp september 2002. originally this amp was quite impressive. Its features are reasonable given the price. Never understood the difference is sound between vintage and modern. Reverb is ok. I hate the switch to go between clean and Overdrive. No foot switch. Fairly standard amp for the price range. Nothing special.

I play rock music generally... ranging from hard rock to very soft indie sounds. Led Zepplin to the datsuns. REM to Smashing Pumpkins(the best band ever). Its versatile enough. just lacks the depth and quality of sound.to make it special.

I play a Gibson Les paul studio. Got it second hand. original studio pick ups. WHen I first got the amp it was very good. Over drive was very good... now after less than a year is has a buzz when I turbn it on. I will be taking it back to see if I can get this fixxed under the guarentee. overdrive has really dies recently. Clean is nothing special although when on a mellow tone on trhe guitar with reverb it sounds great! I think my clean channel has also lost alot of its power to how I remember it. It used to be good-- better than my mates marshall amps in the same price range. but its not a durible one.

Its just a practice amp. But its let me down in its poor state after just a year. I take good care of it... not so much now that its broken though

never dealt with them as yet. I am taking it back to the place I got it from soon to see what they can do... I reccomend "Coda music" for cheap prices but they aren't the most effeicient shop... certainly cheap guitar prices.

I have been playing guitar for two years now... electric for just one year. I still much prefer the good old western acoustic guitar. I am saving currently for a fender deluxe 90 DSL. Not a peavey or marshall. If this was stolen... I wouldn't buy peavey again. Very poor durability. Hate the humming overdrive. I wouldn't reccomend it if you're after a lasting practice amp.

Enought power to fill your bedroom. Nothing else. Headphone jack (mine does a weird buzz. my drummer likes it "sample it!"). Clean channel and "tube" channel. This one is a bad joke. Reverb. To explore. Perfect first amp.

Kind of poor. I use it to explore a new dimension of noise and "errors". I use it exclusively for noise. My main amp is a fender pro jr. I use it for clean sounds. I play in a slowcore experimental minimalist noise band. If I want to bring weird noises to the world I use this little bastard. The shit can be useful too. When my guitar is feedbacking I move it and it produces some beautiful "klankkkkkkkkkks!!!!" and "brrommmmmmmkkkkkkkks!!!!"

It seems kind of fragile. I abuse it very much. One day it will die and anyone in the band will cry.

never deal with peavey

I've been playing for 15 years. I must admit this amp is totally crap but just fits in the kind of music I'm interested in. If it were stolen probably i'll never get the same sounds from another peavey blaze. The abuse has customized the particular sound of the amp. There is a wery particular relationship between the amp and me. I hate it as a musician but I love it as a romantic experimentalist. In normal conditions I play mostly blues and folk tune in the style of nick drake with many diferent tunnings. In the future when the amp die, I dont know what will I do. Probably go to another flea market to find more noise units.

sorry for my english. :-)

I purchased this amp in the year 1996. This is a 15 watt amplifier, with an 8" speaker. 3 tone controls (High, Mid and Bass), Seperate volume for clean channel, Pre and Post distortion controls, Reverb, Headphone jack, CD/Tape input. The overdrive channel features Peavy's "Transtube" technology which is more of a marketing ploy. The cabinet is open in the back.

I'm using this amp with a Squire strat w/ a seymore duncan bridge pickup or a Art & Luthiere acoustic/electric. The midrange and treble is very clear and bright, but the bass is another story. The tone of low E and A strings severely lacks depth and sounds very unnatural. It can sound loud, but not very complete. The reverb works pretty well, if the amp didn't have it, it would be a very sad amp indeed. Overdrive is one-dimensional. An A power chord may sound a bit gutsy, but play a D power chord and it sounds quite nasal. No amount of tweaking the pickups, volume and tone controls will fix this. If you like heavy distortion, forget about this amp completely.

The CD/Tape input lacks a volume control. The audio performance from it is mediocre, I really don't see it as very useful.

The cabinet of the amp is very tough. I'm sure it will survive rough treatment. The input jack is another story. It tends to get loose and becomes intermittent even with little use.

Never had to deal with Peavy.

If you want to use this amp when first learning how to pluck out a few chords and don't want to make a high dollar investment this amp may be adequate. Once you learn the basics dump this amp immediately and get something better. A cheap amp like this robs you of the joy of playing the guitar since you can't even hear your own music to it's fullest!

I got this december of 2001, not sure what year but it was new at the time. I play mainly alternative rock and general rock and it sounds fine for that when used below 7 on volume. There's a lead and clean channel, with eq for each. Its also got a modern/vintage voicing switch, which is handy to subtley alter your sound. Reverb is also cool. Its got a headphone jack, but no effects loop. I use this amp mainly for playing in my room, but thats all the wattage is powerful enough for. I use it at band practices but its just not powerful enough. I have to use it at about 9 just to be heard beside my other guitarist. Im hopefully gonna be getting at least a 60 watt soon, enough for band practices and gigs.

I am using an Ibanez GRX20 (cheap) with a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal, and a Boss CE-5 chorus. Its good for practice, and it can be noisy, although that could be my pedals, or the guitar. The lead channel when used with lots of gain is really noisy and lots of feedback. This is one of the reasons i got a pedal. However i did like some of the dist sounds i could get out of the amp alone. The clean channel does distort occasionally at volumes above about 8, and sometimes sound even cuts out completely.

This aint powerful enough to gig with, and even if it was i wouldnt, as it occasioanlly cuts out when used at high volumes for a while. However its great for practice, when used below 7.

never dealt with company, but i think the warranty was for a year. i might take it in and just get it checked for the cutting out problem.

I have been playing for a year now and this was my first amp. I will soon hopefully be upgrading to a more powerful amp which can be used in my band. My setup is Ibanez GRX20 > Boss CE-5 > Boss DS-1 > Peavey Blazer 158. If it were stolen or lost, id just not worry about it and get my new amp sooner. I like the eq on both channels, and i like some of the distortion sounds i can get out of it. if it had more power and didnt cut out, it would be great. overall a great practice amp.

15watt (1x8") transtube amp. 2 Channel switch> Clean/Overdrive.
All standard knobs> PRE/POST - LOW/MID/HIGH.
Features Reverb which is pretty good for a 15watt amp.
CD/TAPE input. Which you can also plug a 2nd guitar or bass amp into but you only get clean sound through it. You could also plug in a mic. Also has headphone input for practicing in silence. Nice little amp for practicing with at home, it can be pretty loud for its class.

I play heavy rock and the like. And for its size its pretty sweet. On my epiphone les paul the clean tone is very sweet, nice open feel to it when you use the reverb. The tone of the clean sound also sparkles. It has some end of sustain too when you use all that reverb. In distortion mode this amp can achieve a nice sound. Upping the pre and keeping the post down it has a nice little crunch, and with reverb on full it gives that echo of sustained crunch. But it doesnt pack a huge whollap, I find it plays well on both overdrive extremes be it that high gain crunch or the low end sounds. But it doesnt have that perfect 'in the middle' that you slightly start to hear if you down the reverb.

The Clean tone starts to shake when you put it past 7, but on 7 it transcened's that nice echo of power you want in a clean tone. It's pretty nifty for its size. If Peavey put a 10" in this It would be one amazing little amp. Also in distorion mode the buzz and feedback is insane if you have high gain, not nice at all, But not that you hear it when your playing =p Another factor is when I use a wah in distorion, it seriously sucks. Gets very overprocessed and if you turn down the gain it has no crunch. But It's expected with a little amp like this.

I bought it new about 5+ years ago, never had it serviced. Only have it for home use but its been kicked and so on, hehe. And it seems to be handling that very well.

Never had any problems with it, So I've never seeked support.

This is my first ever amp, But I've played on many others. Im soon to upgrade but this little baby has been very helpful. I still love the clean tone of it. This is a perfect beginners amp!. Overall its very nice for home use and practice. I wouldnt use it for gigs, It could probably get over drums but not cleanly and it doesnt have that crunch so its a start amp, a stepping platform to move up from. If it was stolen back when I first got it, I would look for the same kinda amp but maybe more watts. Still it does well for a 15watt amp. I wish it had a 10" speaker also the 2nd input (CD/TAPE) Should click to distortion also, that would make it an awesome package.

Just wanted to share a mod I made to my amp. I got this amp 2-3 yrs ago from my wife, Christmas present. It immediately impressed me with the tones and volume I could get, especially with pedals throught the clean channel. The only issue I had was the original speaker started to bottom out and sound muddy at volume of 8-10. Let's face it. Nothing sounds better than an abused little amp. I found a webpage (Vintagespeaker.com) which carries Jensen guitar speakers. I ordered the 8" and plugged it in. What an incredible difference. This amp absolutely screams for mercy now. Ths sound is fuller, louder, and crystal clear. Actually had to back off on the treble setting quite a bit. I use this amp for practice at home, with the band, and on stage. Stick a mic in front of it and wail! Anyway, it became obvious where Peavey saves on materials cost. Otherwise, this amp smokes!

15 watts, 2 channels, pre-amp tube, solid state power amp. Has a reverb knob. Has an input jack, CD input, which is a pretty cool feature and can be used for a second guitar (though it only goes to the clean channel), and headphone jack. Also has a Modern/Vinage switch, which is pretty cool. Pretty much standard practice amp feature with a couple cool add ons.

This amp perfectly fits my style, which is blues (John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy), blusey hard rock (Hendrix, Zeppelin), some metal, and R&B/funk/soul (Parliament/Funkadelic). The clean channel is very clean - it's virtually impossible to tell if you are hearing the amp or the unplugged sound of your instrument. I wish it was a bit warmer though. The clean channel is noticably quiter than the lead channel. The lead channel, however, is much warmer and pretty much the only channel I ever use. With the pre-amp gain on about 5 or 6 you can get some very nice blues tones (though I wish the amp had more bass for the blues). Up toward the 8s, 9s, and 10s, you'll get very good for bluesy hard rock like Zeppelin (my favorite band, btw, so I play them a lot). Think of Rock & Roll by Zep or Foxey Lady by Jimi and that's pretty much the type of distortion you'll get (and that's exactly what I wanted). If you like darker metal or nu-metal, this probably isn't a good amp for you to practice on (as I've noticed with some of the eariler reviews), though I can get some decent Sabbath tones. The lead channel gets a bit noisy on really high volumes, though if you're playing that loud you probably won't notice it all that much. The clean channel isn't very loud at all, but for a 15-watt solid-state practice amp, on lead channel this amp is loud!!! On pre gain to 8 and post gain on 2, I can be heard anywhere in the house, and with post gain on 5, I can be heard across the street. It's no Fender Twin or Marshall stack, but it has good tone for a practice amp. Compare it with similar practice amps and it's great. Just wish the lead channel didn't have that noise and the clean channel was warmer.

This amp is built like a tank. If you can put a dent into these walls, you must work for the demolition derby or something. The electronics are inside a metal box inside of the wooden armor, so they're pretty much impossible to damage (though I guess it would be hard to fix if they were broken). It's very dependable. I got it pretty much to practice at home and do small jams with friends, though if I was too lazy to get a bigger amp it might be able to do a small gig. Wouldn't think about gigging with this on a regular basis at all though.

Haven't dealt with them.

Pretty good practice amp. The features and sound would make this amp rated an 8, but it has two features that push up the score and are vital for a practice amp: it's ultra-dependable because there is no way it will break, and it can get that extra volume when you have friends over to jam. If I lost it I'd probably buy one again just so I could jam at home. Even Jimi Hendrix used a cheap practice amp when he jammed backstage, so I see no reason why you should keep one of these around at home. This is definately not an amp to practice hardcore metal on (repeat, don't buy this if you to practice if you want to be in a death metal band!), but it's good to practice blues and bluesy hard rock on.

Well I'm sure all of you can look at the other posts and see the features but in a nutshell theres two channels, clean and distortion, and 3 knob EQ with a modern/vintage switch (practicly like those bight switches on old fenders). Wish it had a "line out". Hence it gets a "9". Only had it for a couple weeks but got it set up perfect. Impressing people already. Oh yeah sound goes to hell over 8. But what do you expect? It's 15 watts and its louder than the 30 watt fender my buddy has. Wish it had a "line out". That being said it gets a "9".

I use a Mex strat, I guess I could bore you with my life story of guitars and such but.... I don't ever use the clean channel, I leave it on the distorted channel with the distortion around 1 or 2 (off), and use a Danelectro Overdrive pedal. Took me a while to figure this out. Now that I have tinkered with it it works and sounds AWESOME! I love the reverb effect.

Doubt I could ever really gig with it. Do small little party gigs w/o a drummer I guess. Once I dropped it down the stares cause I got distracted and it took a nasty hit on the knobs! Looked at them and they turn and work fine. Just like new. No worries.

Never had a problem. Dont think I will but if I do I have a warranty.

Playing for a year now and have two guitars and another little amp. So this amp was a godsend. Still wish it had a line out. For a practice amp this is you ticket. If the reverb isn't worth the 30$ then get a Peavey Rage 158. Or better yet bring your guitar in to play on the amps in the store and pick out you an amp.

The new models w/ the red trim and Modern/Vintage toggle switches, reverb, etc.- all covered in other reviews. No line out, no effects loop.

I play rock in a covers/originals band using a Mesa Rectoverb 50 combo & 4x12 cab and Les Paul. However, that setup isn't very convenient for practicing in front of the TV, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Anyway, I went out looking for a cheap-ass small combo, so I could play some Jazz in my livingroom with my wife who plays piano, using my 1989 Washburn J-10. I tried the Fender Frontman, and found it to have a warmer & louder bass, but it was too sharp sounding and had crappy distortion. The cheapest Marshall's had cooler distortion, but no low end. The Peavy was right in between, with both channels sounding good. I like the way it sounds for a livingroom/bedroom amp. I also use it as a tool for working out guitar parts for the band. The reverb is about the "tin-canniest" sounding reverb of the bunch, because it's an unusually short reverb. The Frontman's was more lush with a longer tail, and the Marshall's was a tad mid-rangey. There is however, plenty of reverb to be dialed up on the Peavey- you just sound more like you're at the bottom of the can. The Clean channel sounds nice and round, if perhaps a bit plain, and the controls are effective. The Lead channel, depending on how you set the pre & post gains, can give you anything from very clean to metal type sounds. Maximum gain is still smooth & slightly compressed. I realize that distortion is a highly subjective thing, so I'll just sum it up by saying that it seems to cover everything from clean to blues to metal. Any expectations beyond that would point you to a more expensive amp. The amp also has a two-voicing switch for "Modern" & "Vintage", which yield subtle sonic differences. Modern gives a slightly scooped mid w/a bit more lows, and Vintage focuses a bit more toward the mids. You have to turn the amp up a little to hear the difference, but it's there. -Kinda cool and useful to me. This little box does enough for my needs. So for the price I paid, I think it's the best deal I could find in a small and cheap practice amp.

Seems tough, and also seems overly simple in costruction- there's really not much to the thing. The back cover does seem flimsy, but it isn't really needed anyway.

N/A

I payed $20. less than the common retail price because these were on sale. Either way, for the $119.99 average price, you get 10 loud watts, an 8" speaker-(not 6" like some others have), 2 channels with separate volumes and an overall master volume, reverb, two voicings, headphone jack, CD Input, & rugged construction. Excellent overall value. What the heck else could I ask for?

I have a Blazer 158, and It works just fine.
Dont raise the lvl over 8 or you'll sound like a mini dano amp.
I like the reverb.

Fender Fat Strat-
Custom Humbucker

It is a 15 watt amp. Not much for gigs.

It was ok.

Ive had it for 4 years. Great little 15 watt wonder.

This is a 99 or 2000 Peavey "Transtube" Blazer 158. It's a decent little solid state practice amp. It has two channels, a CD input, headphone jack, and one instrument input. There is shared three band EQ (bass, middle, treble). The clean channel has a volume control, the lead has pre-gain and post gain. I have used this as a practice amp at home, it is not loud enough for gigs or practices with all but the softest drummers. 8 inch Blue Marvel Peavey speaker. 15 watts.

I'm using a Godin SD (h/s/s, great blues and rock guitar) and a Boss OD-2 overdrive (great little blues and rock pedal). As you can tell from the previos sentance, my style is blues and rock with a little pop thrown in. The clean channel is pretty good, if a little sterile. The lead channel, though, is very noisy, especially with high gain, and the distortion is typical solid-state fuzzy. Since this is a solid state, the clean channel does not distort. EQ allows for a decent range of tones, from The distortion i guess can get brutal, but by that time it is very noisy. However, for the price this is a pretty good practice amp. As I am forming a band, I am upgrading this to a Fender Super 60 tube amp.

It's dependable. I wouldn't gig with it, it's just not loud enough.

I've never had to deal with them.

I have been playing seriously about half a year. In addition to the gear listed in the sound section, I also own a DOD FX-65 chorus pedal and an Aria Pro II accoustic guitar. If it were stolen or lost, I would still get the Fender Super 60 I am getting (though I would be pissed that I wouldn't be able to get some money off selling it). I like that it has a good clean sound, but since i got the Boss pedal I have never used the lead channel. As I bought this in a package with the godin, I didn't compare it. I wish it had a good lead channel. But I knew what I was getting: a small, low-wattage solid state practice amp.

Bought brand new yesterday (Nov 3, 01). Reverb sounds pretty good. Clean channel is a little dull but sounds, well, clean. Modern/Vintage switch seems useless. You can plug a second guitar into the CD input. Nothing too fancy but what can you expect for the money.

Distortion is noisy and sounds like shit at higher volumes. Also the thing just has way too much treble, so I generally turn the high switch to zero and turn the bass all the way up. Screw with all the knobs and you can get the thing to sound pretty awesome. Very very loud for 15 watts. Set it up on a table/stand about 10 inches from your face and you're ready to rock!

Seems to be really solid. Walls are very thick.