Peavey Bravo 112

I bought a Peavey Bravo brand new in 92? I loved it. It was unlike any amp I had owned before. Unfortunately I had a lapse of judgement and traded it in on a Marshall 25/50 which I love and still own. One of the few things Peavey has ever done right. Must be why they didn't continue the Bravo line. I recently replaced the bravo for 200.00. Features are no nonsense. Reverb is kinda cheesy compared to high $$ amps and a little bit goes a long way. Mine has a Peavey Scorpion speaker in it soon to be replaced with an EV 12L and Celestion G12m-70 as an alternate. No earth shattering features. Easy for my tired ass to drag around and is 300 times the amp as my crappy Fender Hotrod deluxe. JUNK! .

MY main guitar lately happens to be a guitar that I bought the same day I originally purchased a new Bravo. It's a San Dimas Jackson Soloist with single coils and hot rails. It is a perfect combination and the tonal possibilities are unlimited. Could use more power for better bottom but what the hell do you want from a one twelve combo? I have owned a mesa MK IV, 5150's, a Soldano and several heavily modded fenders. If I had to choose only one amp to record with this would be the amp. Not perfect but very nice.

Bravos have their share of quirks. If your cooling fan quits it will have a meltdown. The effects loop is quirky and the switching is prone to fail. I would never gig without a backup (spare tubes at least) with any old tube amp.

Haven't had any contact with peavey for a few years but the service sucked then.

I like it and will buy every single functioning one I find for 200.00 a pop. It's a shame it looks so much like Peaveys other crap bandit and backstage amps. I like it enough to have a new cabinet built for it. Best amp you will buy for the money and I bought a 67' bandmaster for 10.00!

this amp is an oustanding amp. 2 real channels with separate eq ,reverb ,effects loop, this is a compact 1x12 combo...rated at 25 watts rms,but in true tube amp fashion,sounds WAY,WAY louder that any 25 watts transistor,digital,or modelling combo...present or past,no contest. This amp is,as people state below,one of those genius-engineered amps that just got lost in the marketplace.

The bravo is also a very versatile amp

I have always found Peavey amps (the tube ones) really excellent,this is a company that always makes amps with some real 'conscience'...I mean,the Peavey Triumph,Bravo,Duel,Classic and all the recent ones...tell me one of them that is no good. The Bravo alone stomps all over amps like the Cornford Harlequin and ,really,tell me of a 25 watts tube amp that sounds better than this one. The clean channel is a classic clean,sounds very 'produced',you can play anything ,jazz,country,pop,fusion.

The famous Peavey'Ultra' channel found in so many great peavey amps (Triumph ) without the insane gain boost is a very fat and dynamic powerful overdrive,and with the 'pull gain' boost engaged ,it brings the house down....powerful and exciting distortion,it does not sound artificial like many Mesa amps....the Bravo kicks ass any day and encourage the player,his great lead sounds are very 'complete'....I cannot find anything missing in a sound like that,it's not like many other amps,where you think 'not enough of this,not enough of that'.

BTW give this little beast a nice Celestion,it will be grateful!!

also,some said it uses a 4558 chip....this is a reverb driver,nothing to do at all with the way the Bravo distorts,and you can hear it,sounds very 'organic' and un-artificial.

Peavey amps. are you joking? NEVER heard about a reliability problem with Peavey amps. I have owned my Bravo for 5 years,bought second hand (killer value!) (and I have also had a Triumph 120 watts for at least 3 years before switching to the Bravo because of it's lesser weight)

never dealt with customer support

been playing 11 years,owned Marshall Reissue,Seymour Duncan 84-50,fender champ,various others.

the Bravo is HIGLY recommended as a really excellent and trusty workhorse!!!!

The features have all been covered below. This is a great working-man's amp. The totally independent clean & ultra channels are a must for any gigging musician. There's even a post preamp effects loop.

When I first got this amp it sounded good but had a lot of mids and wimpy bass response. So I upgraded the stock speaker to a Celestion G12T75 and couldn't be happier. The versatility of this amp is amazing. The clean channel can handle a lot of styles of music like jazz, country, blues, funk, etc. no problem. The clean EQ is surprisingly more versatile than most. Also, the clean channel breaks up nicely as you crank it. The ultra channel has a great Marshall JCM800 sound, with a pull gain boost that will satisfy the heaviest metalhead. The accutronics spring reverb is a nice extra.

The amp is well built, and can handle road abuse well. I really like how the tubes are protected in the chasis. The only bad thing is that Peavey should have provided more ventilation for the tubes in my opinion. In any case the tubes seem to last a long time in this amp.

Peavey emailed me free schematics within a day, and the manual is available on their website. I also hear that their service is very good, but I doubt I'll ever need it.

This is a great amp, especially after a speaker upgrade. I think these are pretty rare amps too, because Peavey only made them for a couple of years & most people tend to hang on to these. If it were stolen or lost I would definitely try to find another one to replace it. It's a diamond in the ruff!!!!

This amp is loaded with features. It has high & low inputs, two channels with completely independent controls, accutronics big tank reverb with master control, series effects loop, 4 & 8 ohm output. The only thing I would change is the speaker. I'm currently running it through a custom cabinet with a pair of Jensen Mod 12-70 speakers, and man-o-man it sounds way better than the stock speaker!!!!!

I use an American Standard Strat and an Ibanez RG570. I use the amp exclusively, with no external effects. The Strat sounds great on the clean channel with just a hint of reverb. You can get a nice stinging blues & Hendrix action on the Lead channel with the Strat. The RG570 also sounds great on the clean channel, but it absolutely screams on the lead channel.

You should always carry a spare set of tubes. You never know when one is going to blow. That being said, I've had this amp for about three years and the original tubes are still going strong.

I've been playing for over 13 years. This is the best stack in a box that I've come across. I'm not sure why Peavey stopped making this little gem. Maybe it cost them too much? It's too bad because the Bravo can definitely compete with Fender/Marshall/Mesa. Any ways, if you find one of these you should definitely check it out. Also, try it through other speakers if possible, because the stock one really sucks.

made in the early 90's.
clean channel is very clean. usually, at about the 3rd hour of gig time, it begins to break up a little.....which is fine by me.....frankly, i'd like it to do that from minute one! the gain channel is voiced for "modern metal" to be precise. you can dial out some of it's intensity....but the voice is still modern metal....much like a XXX type amp.
2 channels and they switch, but there is a small delay going from clean to dirty, so i set it (either clean or dirty) and use a TS-9 for my lead boost.
i'd like this amp better if it weren't so modern sounding. the reverb is deep, but it's also a bit too sensitive. above 4-5 it will resonate from the close proximity to the speaker (this amp must be run loud.....at 6 or 7....so, i guess the verb tank WOULD be affected). the tank should have been bagged or wrapped at factory.
i use this amp in a 3 piece dance band. it's definitely loud enough. the fact that it must be turned up so high makes the amp sound really "angry". this is a GOOD thing......A . the tubes are protected inside the chassis...A+. there is a built-in fan that keeps everything cool. (most EL84 amps run HOT......not this one.....A++.)

i play an ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN AXIS SUPER SPORT W? PIEZO exclusively. and it's STOCK.
my bassist LOVES it! he's younger than me, and therefore more into the modern tones. i can make it do what i want, pretty much.....but for my personal taste....it's just not my cup o' meat.....too much gain! kids will adore it! old farts like me need classsic gear.
no noise at my settings. i keep the preamp of the gain side at about 5. no ultra gain. very little BASS. MID at 3. HIGHS at 7. bright switch ON. VOL at about 6-7. i find i get the best sounds w/ a 1X10 ext. cab and w/ the rig about 10 ft. behind me....pointed directly at my head.
clean side is JAZZ clean(until the 3rd hour...then it's vox clean). gain side is ALL METAL. limited, but then.....how much variety do you REALLY need?! (most guys buy an amp w/ a million different sounds.....and never use but 2..)K.I.S.S.!
the distortion is BRUTAL! at 25 watts, it won't produce "homey thumpin' lows"....but as any guitarist wortha "shizzle" knows......"as you turn UP the VOLUME, you turn DOWN the BASS">>...DU-UH!

this one had a broken trace on the reverb board.....but a decent tech fixed that. info and schematics are readily available. i've played 3-4 gigs so far w/ out backup, and so far no probs.

peavey is usually pretty good to deal with. it usually depends on how long a production run the piece had. if they made alot of them (product in question), there should be plenty of support for it.
no warranty..traded for used.

i have been at it for 27 years. i have owned 1-2 of (well...almost)everything.
if it were stolen, i would take it personally and prosecute the ba*ta*d! if it were lost......well.....i'd take one if it were a deal......but i'd really prefer something a bit more vintagey.
i love the bang for buck. if i were younger, i'd say "i love everything about this amp!"......but... i'm old...so...
i don't "hate" it.......it's just not "my thing"....( and y'all KNOW how much i love "my thing".....(har...)
i compare it to my true love......a VHT pittbull.
the pittbull has the exact DYNAMIC qualities that "I" want. i chose this one to see HOW CLOSE it could approximate my VHT's sound.
"wish it had?".......i wish it had my pittbull's sound along w/ the peavey price tag.

in closing.....i'd like to say that, in the hands of the axeman who craves that "ultimate distortion".....this rig is gonna be IT! although, a country picker or jazz dude could find HIS thing here, too. i probably will not keep it. the tone is fine, the function and volume are fine, too.......i just prefer an amp w/ different dynamics......something a little "squishy-er". more of a pete townsend sort of vibe. maybe i'll trade it.....who knows?

short version: "great amp.....not my thing".

"g'nite gracie."

1990s all-tube amp (the teal stripe shows its age). The super-tough covering is a great feature. The speaker is not stock...it was changed to an Eminence "Blue Tick Hound" by the former owner.

I am running a 1981 Les Paul Standard with Duncans and a 2003 SG Standard into it and the amp allows each guitar's voice to sing out. It is a Peavey...so obviously it is much louder than it needs to be. On my model, there is a significant jump in volume from #2-3 in the gain setting.

This amp just went through Jim Walton's shop in Philadelphia...so everything is 100% a-ok. I'll have to wait a few months to see how it holds up.

There's no need with Walton around.

I own everything from an Ovation 6464 (it's a giant solid state monstrosity) to a XXX and I think that this little amp rips. I work in a guitar store, so I get to take my pick...and I chose this little guy. The size of this amp is perfect--so many amps are too powerful and it is very difficult to run them at optimal levels. 2 EL84's can break up beautifully. If you need to be louder, use a microphone.

Early/Mid 1990

From Jazz to Metal this Amp will do the lot ....

Headphone socket would be good ;-)

All valve baby ..... never going back now ;-)

Rock and Blues is what I use it for ... driven by my Les Paul straight through with no effects and this amp sings ...

Clean sound very clean to insane metal .... ;-)

Had this amp 2 months now and just found the pull out gain switch ..... dam this is the business ... ;-)

Only had it for 2 months second hand,no probs, though I do intend to replace all the tubes etc ....

Seems ok so far, Peavey have online forums for tech help at their website, also you can buy the tubes from their website..

Not going to say how much I paid for this as the guy that sold me it thought it was some throw back from the ninties ... how wrong he was ... put it this way Ive seen then going for 200 GBP more than I paid for mine, that one was also well used and abused .. mine has no marks on it and came with the footswitch ...

If you can get one of those Amps HOLD on too it ..... Peavey gets 10/10 FOR THIS ONE .... dont know why they stopped making them ..

Early 90's Peavey ALL tube. clean and ultra (distortion) channels, also has a switch for bright and a pull-pot activating another gain stage. Footswitch available for reverb and channel select. (you can get one at the peavey website)All settings are very usable for me anyway.
Wish it had a headphone jack but thats a very minor setback. Has effect snd/rt (I've never used it though so I can't make a judgement on it) For the cheap price a 9 for sure.

First things first. The 4558P chip drives the reverb. It has nothing to do with the distortion channel. Don't be mislead by the review below. The bravo is a TUBE AMP. I've only been playing guitar a couple years so I can't say I'm a tone junkie, but I sure am glad I picked this thing up for 170US. I play classic rock and some indie stuff and I can get many sounds out of this thing without using my pedals. I like the sound of the clean channel around 7 and I find the distortion to be pretty versatile. I'll give it a nine once again for the price because I can't say I've played through a multitude of 2000 dollar boutique amps

Seems pretty solid the tubes were the original when I got it (they still worked!!) switched up to JJ's almost immediately though. Aparrently the tubes sound good for a solid couple years on these things though (depending on use of course--I play mine loud daily)

never dealt with but the peavey website (esp. forums) is pretty useful

I like this amp alot and would definately look for a replacement if it were stolen. I don't plan on selling it. For the price buy it. If you can get it under 200 like I did you can easily sink another 100 into it for upgrades--new tubes, better speaker, maybe experiment with another reverb tank like others here have suggested.

2 channels,efx loop,25 watts,2 el 84's.

the clean channel is fantastic but much to my surprise the overdrive channel has the 4558P chip in it! so it's not true overdrive.I took the 4558P out and replaced it with a 4558D and it smoothed the distortion channel out nice for my taste. I guess you can experiment with different chips. so if you take it apart the chip pops in and out with no soldering involved! I did hook up a PodXT to the return jack in the back and was blown away how good it sounded with the Bravo power section! loud as hell! so try it.

built like a tank heavy as bricks though. sooner or later i'm just gonna make a head out it. easy on an old player like me.

never dealt with them!

been playing for 35 years and love this amp. makes all my guitars sound good.if you steal this from me I will find you and shove it up your ass so you can always have it! how can people do this to musicians I'll never know!

Read other reviews as its been covered before! Mind you, just for the record let me say......ALL VALVE BABY!!!! :-)

From crystal clean with a load of headroom to the most mind crushing distortion ever heard from a combo this size (plus everything in between). I just LOVE this amp. It may be only 25 Watts but it keeps up with my drummer just fine...I guess that for anything bigger than a pub gig you'll need to mic up or use a bigger speaker cabinet. On the subject of speakers, its true the standard speaker could be better and the amp does change to a sweeter character through a better speaker cabinet but all in all you cant help but be impressed with the standard tones. Plus a speaker upgrade is a cheap and easy thing to do if you really really cant live with the standard cone. For me the standard setup works fine!

So far no problems, its built like a brick. Remember its valve though so you will have to change valves every 12-18 months! Giving it a 9 just so I dont tempt fate! ;-)

Never needed them.

Been playing mostly rock music for 13 years and I have never come across an amp in this price range that sounds as good and I've tried loads!!! Shame Peavey dont make them anymore as they are getting tough to find. Would buy another if I could find one just as a backup as they are a steal for the prices they fetch used these days.