Peavey Bravo 112

Everybody seems to agree on one thing...Bravos are famousd for the "Marshall sound" on the distortion channel. I agree. But there is more to these amps than just the Marshall thing. For one thing, the preamp sensitivity and range of Gain is phenomenal, which makes this amp a great candidate for a good compressor, volume pedal and / or overdrive / clean boost pedal, up front, driving the clean channel.
One feature I wish it had is a better reverb. Mine hums, making it unusable. For an experienced guitarist with an ear for rock tones, this is a "must have" little amp.

Strats with stock pickups. Hamers with humbuckers. I'm using a Boss ME 10 pedal for the pre-EQ and a little delay.
The ME 10 has a variable output volume level, which makes it very easy to match my different guitars to the amp's sweet spots. I have a fresh set of Sovtek EL 84M tubes in the output and 3 NOS RCA preamp tubes. All this into a Vintage 30.
Using a strat at the guitar, here's what I do to get the most from the Bravo.
Patch 1: I use the high gain input on the Bravo..always...I set the ME 10 output to around 2.1 with the amp's clean channel volume on 10. This is a very bright, clean, single coil sound that will cut through ANY stage setup. Patch 2: Same EQ & delay settings but with an output of 2.6...here's where the Bravo offers up some output stage distortion...mucho excelante, muchachos! Patch 3: outputs at 2.9...into saturation here...smooth Santana sounds with lots of sustain, some compression and harmonics. Patch 4: Same as patch 3, with a little chorus added from the ME 10.
I use the EQ section of the ME 10 to pretty much match how the EQ is set on the amp's clean channel...scooped mids. The Bravo's clean channel is EQ'd the same with the bright switch on. I have another set of 4 patches for the humbucking equipped guitars. For the same effect as my rig, ubstitute ANY variable output device for the ME 10 and experiment with different output levels.
Sounds? El perfecto! What a sweet amp this is with the right tubes, speaker and strength of signal feed.

Mine is still ticking since the 90s. Never had any trouble with it.

This is a great amp. Loud enough for a vbackstage lineup in medium clubs. Mike it up for larger venues. All around, this is a great amplifier. I haven't even mentioned the distortion channel...whoa...don't get me started....Outstanding value for the money you pay these days on Ebay.

Made in around 1989. 2 channel, 112 tube combo amp with spring reverb. 25 watts. Has the versatiliy to dial in great sounds, without unnecessary clutter. Has wide range EQ, separate for each channel, which makes it more flexible than amps like Peavey Classic 30, or Fender Blues Jr. Long spring reverb tank (like that in vintage fender amps).

I use strats with single coils in 'em. I play roots-based rock, blues, soul, funk, and alt country. Grew up on classic rock. I am writing primarily to clarify some previous reviews, concerning upgrades, tube-swapping, and "marshall crunch". First, I give the 8 rating for tone only because I have owned some great amps (Matchless, Boogie, Fender, & Marshall) that I can no longer afford to keep around. This is an amp that often sells for less than 300.00, so it should follow that it might not have the boutique amp "10" tone. It is surprisingly good! The clean channel can cop a nice "Fender deluxe reverb" sound, and the crunch channel has a wide range of distortion, which can act like hot rod marshall and do super saturated Boogie sustain/feedback. I used to use the singing, boogie lead tone alot, and I put an EQ pedal in front of the amp to make my single coils push the amp more like humbuckers do. Recently, I scrapped the pedals, and have been going more for "slightly overdriven" vintage tones, and that's what prompted me to try the 12AU7 TUBE IN THE MIDDLE SLOT, to reduce the huge gain in channel 2. I found that THIS MOD WORKS WELL for anyone looking to get the Fender amp with tube screamer in front sound (without the tubescreamer). The trouble I had with the 12AX7 was that it's too much gain for a sparkly strat, and tends to produce fuzz instead of crunch. With humbuckers or with a boost pedal in front of the amp, it is perfect, and I think this is why the Les Paul/Marshall people dig it "as is." With the 12AU7, I can turn the gain up to around 7, and crank the master up loud, and get a big, overdriven sound that makes blues/country solos rip, but doesn't get too squashed. Leave the reverb tank alone. It's fine. Just keep it set low. If you can afford a speaker upgrade, go for it. If not, the stock speaker is fine. The GOOD NEWS is that either way, the amp sounds great, and smokes other amps in it's class.

I use it alot, and all I ever do is replace tubes.

Been playing 20 yrs. Have pared down from stupid amounts of high-end gear to just a strat and THIS amp. The less shit I have to plug in, the better I play. I still can't get over how good these amps sound for the price. Thanks to "Anonymous Guitarist" for the 12AU7 tip.

"No offense Mr. Anonymous Guitarist but the Eminence M 12 is a modeling amp speaker according to their webpage. Why would you put a flat sounding HIFI speaker in an amp like this? I bought a V 12 from Eminence and it?s just killer. Lots of other guys have said a Greenback 25 is the ticket. These are rock speakers. See, it aint no jazz amp and Slash don?t play through a Roland Jazz Chorus, ya know?! It?s made to melt yer brain cells! If you want a nice, small, clean, tube amp, buy an old Fender Princeton or Deluxe. Don?t kill a fine sounding, high gain mini-Marshall with a wimpy tube substitution and a HIFI speaker. Dooooooon?t do it laddie?it?s sinful! There aught to be a law?
Then again...maybe the Bravo is the next new wave in the Jazz world. Ya think??????

Submitted by Matt Forminen at 11/26/2003 09:10"

Mr Forminen;

You really need to do your homework a little better. You also need to realize that not everyone is looking for exactly the same tone that you and others may be interested in.

The M12 is a British sounding speak:

LEGEND M12

With a Kapton bobbin, a British manufactured cone, and a power rating of 120W, this driver will get your sound out in front of the band with style. The balanced tonal characteristics and extended power handling capabilities of the M12 make it a great choice for Rock and Metal guitarists.

The M12 works well in various combinations, but one of the best is in a 4X12 configuration powered by a Marshall head and playing a Les Paul. The speaker delivers a real tight, well defined tone with a nice sting on the top end. The mids and lows are very smooth too. The M12 is definitely a cleaner and brighter speaker than the GB12 or the V12. Greg compares this speaker to some of the old JBL guitar speakers that have been popular for so many years.

If you need a well-balanced 'British' sound with some bite and power handling, this speaker would be a great choice for you.

The Modeling 12 is the modeling speak.

I don't own a Bravo yet but, I will be receiving a Bravo 112 on Christmas day. I happen to like the Marshall tone, especially the JCM 800. I already own two Peaveys. A Prowler 112 and a Studio ProII.

Mr Anonymous is has his ideas about tone as we all do. Alot of thought went into what he did with his Bravo 112.

Early 90's issue, I believe. Gray tolex. I bought this amp used, several years ago, and didn't play it much. After reading the reviews, I took the plunge and changed the 12" speaker. I first listened to the Tone Selector on the Celestion web site, then decided I needed the versatility of the new Celestion G12H 30 speaker ($88 from Avatar), as opposed to the hotter Vintage 30. I immediately heard better definition, clarity, and a bit more bottom end compared to my stock Peavey speaker. But I wasn't totally blown away, so I then installed a new set of JJ's ($40 from Eurotubes). This took the amp to a whole new level vs. the stock Peavey tubes. This amp now SPARKLES AND ROCKS. The distortion channel always had a lot to offer, but now it has all the variety AND all the tone I was looking for. Well, I might still add a Clean Boost or a Keeley modified Boss BD-2 to the mix just for fun.

I play a Strat '62 Reissue with Texas Special Pick-ups, but play more British / 70's blues rock than SRV. This amp complements the Strat very well. I can't wait to try a Les Paul or SG with it. It's not a Marshall stack but is fine for a small club.

No problems to date, but you should keep an extra set of tubes on hand.

I've been playing for 30 years, and also own a '73 Ovation Legend with Fishman pick-up, a Taylor 514C fitted with a B-band pick-up, and a Gibson Chet Atkins CE. I also have an A.E.R. Compact 60 acoustic amp. If this Bravo was stolen, I would find another one on e-bay and do the same modifications on it. If you want an inexpensive amp that has vintage Marshall tone and a lot more, buy one used and modify it. You won't be sorry.

I guess you could call this an update...
I was just cruising the reviews on the Bravo today when I saw one that blew me away so this is in response to the Anonymous Guitarist guy who wrote a review about the tube substitution in the Bravo. WTF..I have an open mind so I actually tried to swap out the distortion channel tube with a 12AU7 tube to see what it would do, after I read his review. Hey, everybody?s entitled to an opinion but I gotta tell ya?the 12AU7 SUCKS, compared to the original 12AX7 tube. In case you never heard, the best feature of the Bravo is that you get a killer Marshall sound for next to nothing. Why would you wanna screw that up?

People buy this amp because it sounds like a killer Marshall. It's that simple, ya know? It?s the distortion channel, STUPID!
To be fair, a person?s personal tastes in music are what matters most but swapping the tube like Mr. Anonymous Guitarist suggested is like buying a Mesa and taking it back to the shop to get it modified so it will sound like a P.A. head. (What was he thinking??!?!) Brutal distortion is why you get this amp in the first place, ya know? Ya want a clean sounding amp? BUY ONE!

No offense Mr. Anonymous Guitarist but the Eminence M 12 is a modeling amp speaker according to their webpage. Why would you put a flat sounding HIFI speaker in an amp like this? I bought a V 12 from Eminence and it?s just killer. Lots of other guys have said a Greenback 25 is the ticket. These are rock speakers. See, it aint no jazz amp and Slash don?t play through a Roland Jazz Chorus, ya know?! It?s made to melt yer brain cells! If you want a nice, small, clean, tube amp, buy an old Fender Princeton or Deluxe. Don?t kill a fine sounding, high gain mini-Marshall with a wimpy tube substitution and a HIFI speaker. Dooooooon?t do it laddie?it?s sinful! There aught to be a law?
Then again...maybe the Bravo is the next new wave in the Jazz world. Ya think??????

No, it's not loaded with a ton of features. It has two channels, channel switching and reverb. There's an effects loop and a speaker out jack. Not bad.
There's only ONE feature that I care about. "Does it NAIL the MArshall sound?" The answer is a resounding YES. But there's more to this amp than meets the ear. Read on.
Stock speaker and reverb is fucking beat. Stock tubes are beat. Stuff it with JJs and get a Vintage 30. Turn the POS reverb OFF! You won't believe what you get when you turn the amp back on after these mods.
Stock, it's a 6. With mods it's a pair of killer Marshall amps in the same box. A PERFECT 10.

I play a Les Paul Standard. Styles are hard rock and harder rock. I believe that nothing beats the raw sound of an older Marshall plexi (medium gain...turn it to 10 and go! Use your guitar volume knob to overdrive the channel. Jimmy Page tones.) That's what channel 1 does, perfectly. No fucking bullshit, kids.
Channel two is JCM 800, high gain, MONSTER crunch with harmonic feedback on every note. I'm not kidding. It sounds more like a Marshall than a Marshall! (Slash, Randy Rhodes, Elliot Eastman. You won't fucking believe your ears.)
Forget about the pull-boost. It just gets so compressed that it turns to shit. You don't even need a pull boost with a Les Paul. It's way more gain than can be used.
As for the ease of getting a good sound, I admit that it took some fooling around to find each channel's "sweet spot" but it was worth the time. I'm so not fucking kidding you. This amp fucking KILLS if you like Marshalls. I can't even fucking tell you how great it is.
If you don't love the Marshall crunch then stay away. If you love the Marshall crunch then you need this amp to get that killer tone at a volume that you can live with. I kid you not. This is more of a Marshall than most Marshalls.
It sucks with single coils. Use humbuckers and you'll be a happy fucker. This amp fucking kills!! AWE-FUCKING-SOME!

Tubes are inside the fucking amp. There's a fan blowing on them. Cabinet is solid as concrete but heavier.

If you like Marshalls the way I love Marshalls then you need to get one of these things. My JCM 800 half stack never gets the call at home anymore. Too fucking loud. The Bravo is like a little brother to him. Same great sound at 10% of the volume.
Hook up a nice 4/12 bottom with G25s to a Bravo and you're gonna shit sideways. I mean it. Go get one of these. Cheap and fucking great! With everything included I have under $300 invested. A fucking bargain. Lose this or get it ripped off? I don't think so.

Mid 90 issue. Yadda yadda yadda. Two channels. Reverb. Tube amp. 12" speaker. 25 watts. 2 EL 84 and 3 12AX7.

Rip off your face, kill em all, in yer face, gut twisting, relentless, ass kicking distortion on the dirt channel. Sweeeetass distortion. Some of the best i ever heard. Oh yeah, I think there's a clean channel too. What for?

Yo...to the dude who wrote from Canada, just before me. Get some new tubes for your amp dude or sell it to me. Its a damn shame to let a few bucks worth of tubes hold you back. Mine cranks with a bigass sound thats fine for clubs or concerts. This amp has not failed me ever.

Best fucking amp I ever had. For hard rock and metal it is the fucking bomb. Period. Steal mine and I'll crush yer nuts into jelly and feed em to your mother. Hell yes i would buy another one.

made in the 90s, i bought it in 2001. love the amp, but not one that you need to stick with. Great for a starting band.

love the sound, nice clean with very little hum, and the distortion rips through the crowd without a problem.

heres, where it gets me. I had it for half a year, and then found that the sound goes down to half when i play it for more than 10 minutes, and then goes up and down throught a jam session, pisses me off hardcore dudes. I dont konw if thats from misuse of past owners, but it was fine when i first Got it, then it sucks now, my suggestiongs, Play if its a little room or a crowd of like 50, but if u want a nice show, better bring a marshall stack or something with you

overall, i love the amp, just need to fix it up i guess

Two channel tube amp made in the 90s. Separate controls for clean and overdrive channels. Clean channel bright switch, gain boost on the distortion channel. Effects loop and reverb. About 25 watts. No-name, 12" speaker (Eminence?) Solid construction. External speaker jack. Pedal for reverb and channel switching. No standby switch. Enough features for your average small tube amp.

Gibson Les Paul standard with stock pickups. Rock music. Nice rich sound on clean, it breaks up at 5 or 6. Distortion channel is pretty heavy (YES it does have the Marshall crunch sound.) Pull gain is very compressed, like early Carlos Santana (Cane front Boogie sound?)

Good amp for rock, but it needs a better speaker to handle the higher power settings, especially the bass and the distortion channel gets muddy at higher volume & gain settings. I mostly use the clean channel and it gives a nice rock sound with the Les Paul when I use the bright switch at about 5 on the volume dial. In my opinion the Bravo sounds best at 5-6 on the clean channel. I think its plenty of volume for what I do.

On the downside, the big reverb pan is overkill for this amp. Can't use it past 3 or it makes a wierd sounding, hissy feedback.

Overall, if it is set right the Bravo sounds pretty much like a good tube amp. I have to work with it a little bit to find the best settings for my guitar and everytime I use it I have to adjust it a little. Typical tube amp. Sounds best after its been on for 30 minutes or more. I'm taking off a point for the stock speaker and the reverb.

Never go without a backup. Especially with a tube amp. I have a DOD pedal that I can run direct into my PA in case of Bravo failure. The Bravo has never let me down so far, but there's always a first time. I think its pretty reliable.

Peavey stopped production in the 90s. I think they turned this amp into the Classic 30, which is a nice amp but is nowhere near the Bravo in terms of distortion capabilities.

I have played serious electric guitar for 10 years. I've been playing through this amp with a lot of success in small clubs and coffee houses, with a drum machine and a small PA. In my opinion, it doesn't do well when its cranked up all the way because of the speaker but at mid level volumes it sounds very good with a Les Paul.

As a living room amp to jam on its perfect because you can get a nice tubey tone going at low to mid level volumes. For gigging in small places it works out pretty good, too. I keep saying I'll replace the speaker but I haven't so far. I mentioned that the reverb is very limited but it doesn't sound bad if you set it very low but then you can barely tell its on.

I replace tubes once a year with Sovtek 12AX7 and EL84 M tubes (about $40-$50 bucks.)

I would buy this (or something like it, maybe a Classic 30?) again. Its never given me a problem and its a very portable tube amp with just enough power for me.

For anyone considering the purchase of the venerable Peavey Bravo 112, or for those considering making modifications to Bravo 112 amplifiers, please read on, as the best feature of this amplifier is the ability to turn it from a mediocre sounding machine into a tone monster...and do it fairly cheaply. Although Peavey amps in general have been the victims of a lot of harsh criticism over the years, there are a number of standouts in the model line, which deserve better. The Bravo 112 is one such amplifier. (By the way, if you have never plugged into one of the newer, Transtube amps from Peavey, you are missing out on hearing the best tone available in contemporary, analog, solid state designs. Peavey is simply the best at achieving true tube-tone, without the tubes.) On to the Bravo....

THE CLEAN CHANNEL
Let's start with the preamp tube. Using an American RCA 12AX7 in the clean channel yields a nice chime with plenty of warm, low end. It is a good choice for this channel and a good place to start building your tone. With my humbucking equipped Les Pauls, this tube transmits the guitar / pickup characteristics very nicely. My single-coil equipped guitars sound very Strat-like. I have found that the volume on this channel affects the overall tone and timbre very much so I suggest setting the volume level to taste before tweaking the tone controls. As for the bright switch, it is very effective in achieving that old, vintage, tweed tone. I use it about half the time.
The tone pots are very sensitive and react "globally", which means that increases in the highs might require a cut in the mids or lows to achieve the sonic signature you are looking for. For some, this kind of knob twiddling may be a chore. May I suggest that you trade away your Bravo for a Peavey Transtube amp? They are really good sounding, solid-state amps with lots of convient features that don't require a lot of twiddling to dial in a great sound.
I get the beautiful, chimey-tone thing going at about 5 or 6 on the volume knob. For some, that level of volume may not be enough. This amp is rated at 25 watts RMS, mind you.

THE LEAD CHANNEL
Here is where I depart from the pack. For one thing, I am not a Marshall tone lover. I am a Fender-kind-of-overdrive guy, ala Blackfaced Twin Reverb. The reviews that call the stock Bravo a "mini-Marshall" on the Lead channel are pretty accurate in my opinion. It ROARS, as has been said before. Not for me.
I substitute this channel's 12AX7 tube with a 12AU7, for a much reduced gain structure. With the substitution, I can get my Blackfaced Fender sound and the Lead channel more closely matches the Clean channel in volume. The range of overdrive is better but the amount of overdrive is less than half of the original circuit's output. Using this preamp scheme, I can move from chime to "overdriven" chime with a footswitch. It works for me and I would not even use the Lead channel on the Bravo without this tube modification.

PULL GAIN
With the pull gain out, with the 12AU7 in it, the Bravo gets closer to the older, Marshall Plexi-style type of amp overdrive /distortion /crunch. With the 12AU7 tube, the compression is still there, but it's not overpowering. To tell the truth, I rarely use the boost function.

REVERB
I removed the original long-tank and replaced it with a smaller tank, mounting it vertically, on the right side of the cabinet. This greatly reduced the "howl" (microphonic feedback) that the stock reverb circuit is prone to produce. Overall sound and depth is improved, too.

POWER AMP
The phase inverter can be any old, fresh 12AX7. I use the original Peavey (chinese) tube. A phase inverter/driver is not a tone component.
The output tubes are where I depart from the pack (again.) I purposely mis-match my output tubes. I know it goes against the conventional wisdom. I won't give you a lot of reasons for this or tell you that is some big secret to

Dead stock, it has a decent clean tone and a ROARING lead tone. At high volumes the stock speaker can't make the trip. It won't handle the lows, especially. Stock reverb is useable only to about 3 before going totally boing-g-g-g-g.
With the mods mentioned, I love the sound. It's not el-perfecto but for the money it holds its own with the big boys.
The fact is, to obtain the "Sonic Nirvana" that tubes are capable of requires a lot of patience and setting modifications on both the guitar and the amp. The rewards are SO worth it...but I admit it isn't for everyone. The little Bravo just happens to be a terrific amp for twiddling up the holy grail of tone in a small, inexpensive, moderately loud package.

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This is a sleeper. If you are patient and spend a few dollars to upgrade it, you will have one fine-sounding amp. I have 300 bucks in this. I bought it "stock" for less than 200, without a working reverb tank. When I got it, it was sporting a weak power train / speaker, too...which is what you'll find in most of these after 10 years of use. Don't expect it to be a winner without fresh tubes, at least.
This machine is a good investment for someone who KNOWS about good tone and is patient enough to coax it forth from a decent platform like a modded Bravo 112. I don't recommend this amp for a novice.
It will frustrate those who think "tubes = perfect sound" without any user intervention. But if you know how to operate your guitar and a good tube amp, you will love this. I'm not sorry I bought it.