Peavey Bravo 112

Two channels: Clean & Ultra
- Clean has volume/bass/middle/treble/bright-switch
- Ultra has pre(gain)/boost/post(volume)/bottom/body/edge
Global Reverb, series effects loop, 8 ohm & 4 ohm speaker output

I wish it had separate reverb controls per channel, and a standby switch for the tube's high voltage.

The clean channel is surprisingly good. It is similar to blackface/silverface fender amps, like the deluxe reverb. However, the EL84 power tubes give it a creamier sound when you crank the volume.

The reverb sounds okay on low settings, but gets harsh and unnatural sounding as you go beyond 9 o'clock on the knob.

The ultra channel sounds good at very low bedroom volumes, but it gets harsh and buzzy as you turn up the post (volume). I tried changing the speaker: first I installed a Jensen MOD12-70, and I didn't like it at all. Then I tried an old Celestion Vintage 30, which sounds nice on the clean channel - warm & glassy, but it gets muddy & buzzy on the ultra channel at moderate volumes.

As I said above, the clean channel is pretty nice. However, the ultra channel doesn't work well in an open back combo. It is voiced for high-gain death metal, and would probably work best with sealed 4x12 cabs. I suspect a tighter, cleaner speaker, like the Celestion G12T75, would work best with the ultra channel.

Not sure what year this amp was made - 92-93 at a guess. This has two channels and with the addition of the bright switch on the clean channel and the pull pot for gain on the distortion, it has plenty of features. The eq on both channels are the standard Low, Mid, Hi and reverb switches in for both channels. I am not a gigging player but do record, and this amp has enough power to suit my needs. Its clean channel suits my style very well (jangly 60's style music)

For my needs this amp has a big range of sounds. The clean is crystal - the bright switch gives you a huge range of clean sounds. The distortion is also very versatile - you can get a nice warm overdrive through to a full-on metal sound. I mix between a custom guitar fitted with Dimarzio humbuckers and a generic Strat copy fitted with USA Fender Strat pickups - works well with both guitars. Noise is not a problem, although the cooling fan can initially make you think that the amp is a bit noisy.

This is the second Bravo I have had and, like the first, is very reliable. As mentioned above I do not really gig, but the amp is built like a brick with the valves completely enclosed so they cannot be knocked or broken. I don't think I would doubt its reliability if I went out to gig.

I have not dealt with Peavey's reps in Australia with this amp specifically, but I did need to contact Peavey in regard to a previous amp I owned and they responded promptly. I also find the website to be extremely helpful.

I originally purchased a Bravo when I was visiting the US in 1993. After a voltage input conversion this amp suited me fine. I got caught up in having to buy a traditional "classic" amp, so sold my first Bravo a few years later and bought a Musicman. I was never impressed by that amp and sold it, buying a Classic 30 - again I thought back to my Bravo. Finally, after getting a Pod, I craved the sound of the Bravo and tracked a secondhand one down in Australia. I will not make the mistake again of letting this go.

Mine was probably made from 90-92, as it is grey. The amp is pretty versatile for me, I typically play metal, blues, and Ventures style rock. Has 2 channels, clean and "Ultra Gain".

Plenty of sound variety in this amp, you can go from ZZ-Top bluesy to Pantera thrashy. The clean channel, as many have already said, has a wonderful buttery tone at low volume and a slight breakup at high volumes. The distortion can be as brutal as you can stand, or as soft and mellow as a hummingbird. I'm playing (at the moment) a Silvertone Paul Stanley Apocalypse Special w/ a Dimebucker in the bridge and a Les Paul humbucker at the neck. It suits my playing perfectly. It tends to be noisy if it's near a PC monitor, but when I noticed this I was using a Telecaster which are notoriously noisy near phospherescent lights.

Had it for a LONG time, like around 5-6 years. Comes on every time I flip the switch, never makes any weird noises unless it's in a bad mood. (It needs new output tubes pretty badly)

Never dealed with Peavey customer support at all.

I've been playing around 10 years, the only other amps I own at the moment are 2 Fender Twin Reverbs and a Peavey XR400 PA system. I actually found the amp in an apartment my sister was moving into. If it was stolen I'd DEFINATELY hunt another one of these Peavey Bravos.

I have 2, different years/grill cloths, both early 90's. I play Classic rock, Blues, Rockabilly & Country at different times. Amp does em all well. Has every feature I think an amp needs, and I gig with mine all the time. Plenty of power for most situations.

The clean channel is just what it should be. Very adjustable, separate tone controls for each channle is where it's at and this thing sounds aweesome, after the speaker swap. Stocker is OK, but I put an Eminence Governor in it and now it snarls & growls. Tubed down to a 12AT7 in V2 for gain tame and this amp is AWESOME. More gain than any small tube amp I've ever played, and I've owned nearly everything over the years. I play a LP and Ibanez 335 type, '63 strat, '61 Gretsch and a few others with P-90's. Built a custom cab for it and that helped the tone too.

OD channel is VERY Hi gain, and was a bit too much for me stock. Tubes and speaker made this amp a MONSTER.

I've used it on many gigs without back-up. Risky, but so far, so good. Both amps still had the stock tubes in them after 12-15 yrs, and both still sounded great. It's a Peavey! I've never had one of their amps crap out on stage.

I have never had to repair a Peavey but I have dealt with them for info & parts and they are the best. Call em & see yourself.

I have owned one of everything over the last 40 years, and I gig a few times a month regularly. Fender, Marshall, Crate, Mesa, etc, all of them. The Bravo & Peavey Classic 30 are my main amps because they sound like I want to hear them and cost next to nothing. I have boutique amp owners ask about my amp and compliment my tone all the time. They are always shocked to find out it's a Peavey Bravo. Once I tamed the gain, this amp is a BEAST! Like someone else said, I'll buy every one I can find for these prices. Just a few tweaks and this amp is AWESOME!

2 independent channels,25 watts (LOUD amp)reverb,tons of gain and EL84 power section.

it gives a great metal sound. It's preamp is like a built-in Peavey Rockmaster. It is a very dynamic sound,very bold and aggressive,very rich in harmonics. Impressive!Also the 12 inches speaker and somewhat big cabinet,make it sounds more like a 4 x12 than a combo. The EQ response is powerful and musical

having been used Peavey amps for ages....never had a reliability problem with peavey gear!

I give it a 10 out of 10 without any doubts. It is the only little amp that sounds so big ,that I have heard

Mine was made in 1993. It is a 2-channel 25-Watt 1X12 tube amp with an effects loop. I have the 2-button foot switch that switches channels and reverb on or off. It does not have a headphone jack, but I will add one.

I find it to be very versatile. I can cover a wide variety of music with it.

This little thing has tone. Mine was recently re-tubed with matched JJs. The clean is clean and the distorted channel has more gain than anything I have heard. Way, way more gain than my Crate G-10. I play a Peavy T-60 guitar with twin humbuckers and get a lot of sound variety. The clean channel is super clean at low volumes with a slight breakup at higher volumes. The reverb is nice, and I don't ever need to set it above about 4.

On the distorted channel, this amp shines when you turn the pre-gain down and drive those EL-84 tubes with post-gain. You can get great overdrive sound (like Angus) without the "fuzz". The midrange is lacking depth, but it is likely due to the speaker, which is stock. Many people tame the gain in these amps by substituting a 5751 tube for the 12AX7 in preamp location V2. I will try this and update on the sound.

Those that got bad sound out of this amp probably had bad tubes. Stock tubes are a crapshoot. New tubes need to be tested, balanced and hand selected by a reputable dealer.

With fan-cooled tubes, should last a long time. The tubes should last longer as well, since they are not in the blast path of the speaker. Have not had the amp long enough to really rate this. I don't gig, but I would use this amp if I did.

Never dealt with Peavey customer support.

I've been playing about 15 years. If this amp were lost or stolen I would replace it. I bought it to replace my Crate G-10, which is more portable but sounds really thin compared to the Bravo. What I love about it is that it is compact for a 1X12, has a great tube sound, and is inexpensive. I will probably change out the stock speaker, although it sounds pretty good unless you get too agressive with the midrange. These are sleepers.

My Bravo 112 was made in 1992. Clean and (really)dirty channels, 1 X 12, about 44+ pounds with stock Eminence speaker. Bright switch on clean channel, pull gain boost on dirty channel. Peavey puts the output at 25 watts, but that's probably with the power amp fully saturated. Figure on 15 to 18 clean watts. The amp's almost but not quite as loud overall as a Fender Blues Junior, which I used to have. Three 12AX7 and two EL84 tubes, all of which live inside the fan-cooled chassis.

I play mainly blues and rock, using either a Les Paul or a Telecaster. The clean channel's where I live with this amp. It's twangy and pretty punchy, sweet, but not a lot of high-end detail, with a cool bottom end that gets trashy in a juke-joint bluesy sort of way when turned up. The dirty channel's a mixed bag, in that it really doesn't do blues/lower gain breakup tones very well, but crank up the gain, and it comes alive. And there's a LOT of gain on tap(Metalheads looking for a small low-priced used tube combo, THIS is your amp). Both channels have sensitive EQs--go easy on the midrange knobs. And there's lots of reverb available, courtesy of a big tank that's about 2 1/2 times the size of the tank used in most current similar-sized combos.

The amp was in near-mint condition when I bought it 3 months ago. I doubt the original owner had ever gigged it or played out with it. It still had 4(out of 5) of its original tubes. I took the amp apart, cleaned it, put in all new tubes(JJ EL 84s, the way to go) and put in a Jensen Neo 100 speaker to lower the weight, and it works great. I've played jams in clubs with it since I got it--no problems. It's built tough, and it's still fairly heavy even with the lighter speaker in it.

Peavey's well known for their above-average customer support. You can download manuals for just about all of their products from their website.

I've been playing 20 years. This amp is highly recommended, it's one of the great sleeper big-bang-for-buck tube amps. You won't mistake it for a boutique amp, but it sounds great overall, and it's built like a tank. For between $175-$250 you can pick one up in good shape.

1990 (Grey Chassis)
Very versatile little tube amp - perfect for practice in the bedroom at the very least. I'm sure many people play live with it, but I use it exclusively at home. I play mostly heavy rock - everything from early VH to Helmet to modern stuff like Cold and Deftones.

I play a Peavy Wolfgang Special, Peavy Wolfgang Custom Shop, and Washburn SS w/Seymour JBs. As I mentioned, mostly I use it for guitar oriented heavy rock. The EQ is tremendously responsive, particularly on the dirty channels. My main sound is defaulted to the lead channel, with the overdrive set at 5, which is more than enough for me. I get a very nice 'brown sound', particularly if I adjust the volume nob on my guitars to about 8. The overdrive is indeed brutal. I don't utilize the clean channel very often...I only give the dirty sound an '8', as IMO the best sound is while at practice volume (for me). If I really crank it, it starts to lose it's tightness - gets kind of muddy.

I must admit, the reverb crapped out on me a while ago. I've never had it fixed, simply because I don't use it. Never had to replace the tubes, though. I've had this amp since 1991, and it has aged like a fine wine.

With the exception of the aforementioed reverb not working anymore, I've never had reason to contact C/S...and since I basically don't care about it, I never bothered to contact them.

All things considered, I love this amp, particularly for what I use it for - practicing and jamming at home. I don't see how I could play live with it, but that's more or less only because of the music I enjoy playing. And, since I spend the majority of my time NOT playing live, this amp has been perfect for my environment. I will never sell it.

If, at the very least, you are looking for a reliable practice amp on ebay, you can probably come across one of these for less than $200.

We all knoiw the features - two channels, clean and pre/post gain with a push pull knob that when out drives the gain bonkers.

This is is an update on a previous review. I've replaced the tubes with Groove Tubes and just put in a new Weber 12F150 speaker. Let me tell you, with the Weber it was like I had taken a pillow out from the speaker cone. Notes just came alive from low open E to high octive E without sounding spikey. I could strum a full chord and the bass, while strong wouldn't mud over the higher strings. Then I got a good deal on a Weber Blue Dog (Alinco) and tried that. This is THE speaker for me. Upper notes are chimey, bell like, lower notes full and clear. The gain which had sounded a bit fat and sloppy for my taste with the stock speaker, is now tight and very usable. The mini hummer on my Epi AlleyKat used to be a bit dark, now it's just smooth as butter.

With the new tubes and the Weber Blue Dog this amp sounds as good as any Delux Reverb reissue. (I haven't heard an original in too long a time to compare)

I've had this amp for over 3 years. Other than a blown fuse which was hard to get to, I've had no problems with this amp.

Bought it used, no warrenty, no need for support.

I've been playing off and on for wayyyyy too long. Don't want to even think about this amp being stolen. What I love about my Bravo is it feels so personal. The stock speaker is keeping this amp under a thick blanket. Get a Weber or Celestion (I prefer the Weber, beautitul tone, handmade, great price and the best service) and the Bravo comes to life and becomes at least twice the amp it was before.

not sure what year mine is...late 80s-early nineties at least. this amp is very versitle, although simple in design...2 channel with pull switch for ultra gain. its got just what you need...reverb aint bad, i only use a lil anyways...

i play on a 1996 jackson professional kelly w/ reverse headstock..(kelly
XLR, yeah, japanese,but VERY nice) with Seymour Duncan's: a dimebucker in the bridge, a JB in the neck. I play mostly metal (very progessive, technical and fast! hellz yeah) and i love it. i also dabble in blues and jazz and it suites these styles well too. its a little noisy at very high volumes...other than that its fine. the tubes in this amp are at least 15 years old! i refuse to change them as it may well affect the tone... ive used it in a studio situation and it worked out great. the distortion is all you'll ever need, ive used it on a deathmetal recording. its a little sesitive, if you play it hard, it rips, if you back off it does too...Its very crunchy for a tube amp. i wish i could find something more powerful with an identical tone...if you crank the clean channel to 10 you get a raunchy fat tone. (like AC/DC but fatter...)if you keep the clean at 5 or below it stays clean. if you push the bright switch its more glassy, not quite as clean but ok (i prefer not using the bright switch and keeping it warm and smoothe)..if you disable the ultra gain(push the pre-gain gain knob in), back the pre-gain down to 3,4, or 5, boost your mids, you get tube-driven bluesy tones...nice...i think if you take time to find your settings you'll find you can do about what you want...

This amp has never been serviced...oh yeah!

i havent delt with peavey personally, but friends and bandmates of mine have...they say they're of the most helpful in the business

ive played 10 years. ive had peaveys, a kustom, a fender & a couple crates...ive played on everything that ive wnted to try: marshalls, mesa's, etc...I love peavey's ultra gain tone...for a 25 watt tube amp...this little babies rule. im wanting to make a rig with 4 of these bad boys racked together like a stack....