Peavey JSX Joe Satriani Signature Head

2006 JSX 120 Very versatile amp with the exception of spring reverb perhaps but other than that it is quite versatile. I like the fact that it has separate eq for each channel that is important and a very nice addition plus I use the noise gate and presence very much all work to make the amp much more versatile. I do not see why anyone would need more than 3 channels and of course they are all foot switchable. I do not use the Ultra Channel that much as it is a bit too much over the top for te music I do but love the amber channel and the claen channel. I use it for gigs and I play it at church yes we rock out..lol. It is not that loud for 120 watts I experimented and took two of the tubes out and was able to crank it more but I do not think that helped a lot but it did some.

I use mostly Les Pauls a Straocaster and a Telecaster through this amp and they all sound great. I mostly do classic rock some harder rock country and worship music this amp easily covers all that territory and does it quite well. The amp is not noisy and I have had noisy amps before the built in noise gate works some but not as well as a boss ns-2. The amber channel imho sounds the best on this amp. It nails that classic rock sound like Bad COmpany Can't Get enough of Your Love. To me it sounds like a great classic Marshall amp maybe even a little better. I simply love it! That said I only wish it had a little less gain. For example, on 2 it is pretty gainy is that a word? The gain just goes up too fast. You cannot quite get that Rolling Stones sound on songs like start me up or Brown Sugar maybe I could if I changed the tubes but then I might alter some of the other sounds which I would not want to do. After 6-7 the gain sounds pretty much the same I generally have mine set to about 6. It is not a Fender and I like Fenders and own three of them but was not looking for a Fender sound out of this amp. The ulra channel is very nice and thick great for metal and other applications where a heavy sound is needed. I do not use it that much for live because like I said that is not the sound that I need for our material. If I was playing Boston stuff it would be perfect in fact that is what it reminds me of which is a great guitar tone to me. It covers a lot of ground that is why I gave it a 10 on versatility. I have had this amp for several years now and have waited to review it as I wanted to be sure of what it really could and could not do. I did not read the reviews prior to buying which I often do but rather just went by the sound of the amp in comparison to many other amps I also tried different cabinets which I think is critical. I use a Genz Benz G flex 2X20 and an Avatar 2X12 loaded with celestion V30's. The G-flex is the bomb and that is all I will say about that. I think this amp is a little bit misunderstood especially in regard to the clean channel based on my reading some of the reviews. The clean channel is not as good imho as a Fender Super Reverb but it was not designed to be such. It was designed to work with pedals and that is where the clean channel shines. The clean has grown on me and forced me to experiment more with pedals which has been a good thing. One other thing and I don't know if this is smart or not but the JSX I purchased was the one I played through they could have got me a new one straight out of the box but I got the one that I was playing off of the showroom floor. It may have been used more but I knew what it sounded like and I was happy with it as it sounded better to me tthan the Marshall DSL and TSL's I tried, the Mesa'a Peavey 5150 etc. If I am going to pay over a $1,000 for an amp head then I am going to compare it to every head in the store but that is just me.

This amp has never broken down and I have done many many gigs, practices etc. It is heavy and that is certainly a negative but it seems really sturdy and while I am not a big Peavey fan as much of thier geat can be kind of crappy I have to hand it to them as their stuff seems to always be very solid. Peavey has done a great job with this amp and they are a very solid respectable american musical equipment manufacturer and doing a lot better I think than they have in the past.

Thankfully I have not had any issues with the amp

Been playing 30 years and I have owned or own too much guitar to mention here but suffice it to say I have owned all the big names Marshall, Mesa, Fender, Peavey, Roland etc. If it were lost or stolen, I would repaet the process and evaluate all amps on the market out there to see if there was anything that could compare but not sure cost wise there would be in short I most likely would buy another one but hopefully I wont have to worry about that

i do not like the EQ...

!!!for the metal!!!

my trick 1:
use another EQ in the loop, set the mid about 500Hz, and cut a smile curve about 3db. the Mid of the Amp stay at 5.

my trick 2:
crank the channel volume to drive the PI tube! (never under 8!!!)

my trick 3:
use 6L6! and set the bias high (60mv, not the 55mv)

my trick 4:
do not use the noise gate on the amp, it makes the tone ****ty strange!!!

my trick 5:
set the presence 10! do not think about it, just 10!!!

if you got these 5 tipps done, you will find its so easy to get a real METAL tone from JSX.

my setting:
Pre 10
Res 6~8
MV 2~4
Tre 8
Mid 5 (use the EQ in the loop)
Bass 6
Volume 8~9
Gain 6
Fat OFF!!!
Gate 0

email: allan.musik@gmail.com

I have had this amp for 2 years. Very versatile. 3 Channels. Easy controls. Wish it had built in reverb though.

Ibanez JS 1000, Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus. This is the quietest amp ever in all situations. You can achieve any sound you need. And hey dumbass - the clean channel is not suppose to break up? It is the purest, most articulate clean channel you can find...you can hear the soul of your guitar coming right through it and works perfectly with anolog stomp boxes. The gain is awesome...you acheive Satch sounds without any effects.

Never a single problem in over two years, without using a backup. Built like a big solid chrome tank.

This thing doesn't need a warranty. I have contacted Peavey in Meridian, Mississippi for corner pieces for a cabinet and they rushed them to my house free of charge. NOW WHAT?

I have been playing since Ronald Reagan was president, and still wish he was - Obama is a joke, he is ruining OUR country. I own a lot of gear and this is one of my favorite pieces, if it were stolen I would get another one. I do wish it had built in reverb. (the combo version does). If you support Obama, you are a damn fool!

It has been quite awhile since I have written a review on a product here on Harmony Central. I figured it was about time I wrote one. I have wanted a Peavey JSX for years and finally decided it was time to own this amp.

I actually bought this amp due to the versatility. I'm in a classic rock band and need something that has a clean, crunch, and heavier channel so I can cover alot of ground. The JSX has it covered and without confusing controls, etc.

This amp has a great effects loop. Besides taking pedals well, it can also be used as a volume boost for solos. Three button footswitch is simple. I'm not a big fan of the "pin" type plug on the footswitch because if it breaks you have to get another one from Peavey. I'd rather have the type that can use any guitar cable (Marshall JVM).

I wish the amp had built-in reverb. Not a huge deal but would be nice. The amp has plenty of volume for any gigging situation.

I'm currently using a Gibson Les Paul Standard with a Suhr Aldrich humbucker in the bridge position and stock Burstbucker in the neck position. I have the head running thru a Genz Benz G-Flex 2x12 cab which is perfect with this amp. Has the low end thump like a 4x12 but is more convenient for transporting, etc. Every effect I'm using (Digitech reverb & delay pedals, Keeley Katana boost, and Morley wah) all sound great. This amp definitely takes pedals well.

The amp covers everything from clean to hard rock. Great metal tones with this thing. Mine is equipped with EL-34 tubes but still can get an awesome heavier tone. Down the road I think I'll put some KT-77 tubes in there for tighter low end and less mids.

The amp is not what I would consider noisy and any noise that is there can be taken out with the built-in noise gate. It does work good, especially for the real high gain stuff.

The clean channel is ok. I achieve my best clean tones by using the neck pickup, turning down the volume knob on the guitar, and using a touch of reverb and delay. Like others have stated, the clean channel was made to handle distortion pedals so I understand why it sounds the way it does.

The crunch and ultra channels sound awesome. Unlike other amps I owned in the past, I can crank the gain on the crunch channel and it sounds awesome. I usually have the gain on both channels around noon. The mids are not overbearing like I expected them to be. Great singing tone.

I have had a touch of bad luck with my amp but I think it was due to things outside of Peavey's control. Although my amp was "new" it had been sitting in a store for about a year before I bought it. I brought the amp home and played it for about 30 seconds. I started hearing a hum getting louder an louder. I looked inside the front of amp and one of the tubes was glowing really hot. Suddenly the fuse blew and the amp shut down.

I took the amp back to the store and the manager swapped the power tubes out. I took the amp home again and it sounded great for a week. One day I started hearing the volume fading in and out and then completed dropping to a low level where it stayed. I was like "great, now what?" I took the panel off the back of the amp and pressed down on each power tube, ensuring they were properly seated it the sockets. Turned the amp back on and sounded great!!! I haven't had a problem since.

I truly think all I was dealing with was a tube problem. The amp has been sounding great since then. Peavey has a 5-year warranty so I don't think it will be a problem. I won't gig without a backup though.

The Peavey Forum is awesome and everyone is so helpful on there. In just the short amount of time I have owned the amp, people have helped tremendously.

I have owned alot of amps over the years. Everything from a cheap BOSS amp in the 80's to modded Marshalls, ENGL, etc. My other amp is a Splawn-modded Marshall 1959SLP Reissue that sounds killer. Prior to getting the Marshall and the JSX I had a Marshall JVM410 combo. The JVM is a great amp but there were some things that bugged me about it. It couldn't get the crunch the JSX is capable of, at least not without a boost. The JVM also had a total of 8 fuses inside and it drove me crazy thinking about trying to fix something at a gig.

I love the way the JSX sounds. For me it has been the type of amp that encourages me to pick up my guitar and play. It just has this "chug" when you play that makes you want to play for a long time. Peavey really did a great job with this amp. I hope it holds up. I'm pretty confident that it will last.

The amp is pretty versatile in that it has three channels. Clean, mild, and high distortion. There is an effects loop on the back with a send and return volume pot for both. There is also the "fat" control on each channel.

Well I will start by saying that my usual rig is a Marshall 1959 Plexi but after I blew a fuse, I have been having to use this JSX head that has been sitting around the studio. The clean channel is decent, but when you really turn the volume up and let the clean channel self-distort, it sounds horrible. It sounds like a fart to be honest. So for the clean channel, you must run it low. The over drive channels do just as what you think they would. Overall I really can't stand the sound of this amp. It has made a negative impact on the sound of our band as we play classic rock (allman brothers, skynyrd). I run this head through a b-52 4x12. The overdrive sounds very buzzy and unpleasing to the ear. I have tried different settings and playing with the "fat" switch but it just sounds bad. I guess if you haven't played on anything better, then you wouldn't notice, but my Marshall Plexi is 5x better sounding. I am plugging straight into the amp with a Fender Stratocaster with CS 69 pickups. For the sound I will give it at six because I'm sure there are a lot of people that would really like this amp simply because they haven't played anything better. I can't wait to get my Marshall working again and put this thing back in the corner. Sorry Joe.

I've only used it a handful of times during rehearsals so I can't comment on reliability. I'm sure it holds up as the crafstmanship seems adequate.

I have been playing for a short six years. I usually run an American Strat into a Marshall Plexi. I also run an original Roland Space Echo Re-201 in the FX Loops. Some people may like this amp but I find the amp to sound very buzzy and uninspiring. It does not "squat" at higher volumes like my other amp does. The distortion is horrible and I much rather prefer my little Crate 120 GFX at low volumes. If your set on buying this amp, then at least try it first so have a chance of saving yourself the agony of owning one.

Look online!

I think it has everything i NEED, but it would be nice to have reverb and a second effects loop! (or a boost button)

first off i have had this thing since 2005... i LOVE how it sounds.. i have owned an Ultra Plus, Dual Rectifier, JCM2000, XXX, and a 5150II... and this thing to me blows them all away as far as good quality tube tone goes...

switching is clean... the channels give you tons of options.. and i feel the EQ is perfect... it can get a little noisy at times.. but i feel all 3 channels are perfect for what i want...

i have had it retubed with the Eurotubes JSX retube kit that includes the KT77's amd WOW!!! this amp will make your heart beat fast!

my effects loop broke (just a bad connection) other than that this amp has been great... and played a ton!

dont know!

This amp is a great Rock, Metal, Punk amp.... The best purchase i have ever made!

Regarding this the amp is pretty basic compared to other amps. 120w 6l6 or el34, noise gate, 3 channels, clean, amber (crunch), and ultra (lead). thats about it.

I am using a shecter C1+, and C1 exotica, all with upgraded electronics and pickups, Evolution in one and Duncan distortion in the other. I play mainly hard rock and this amp delivers in every way possible. I have owned other amps like Marshall DSL, Fender Cybertwin, and peavey transtube (solid state POS). After owning these other amps i was looking for a tube amp that could do high gain (the marshall just cant cover this type of territory). I tried Mesa boogies (recto), Marshall (tsl), Orange (cant remeber but sounded really good!). It was a toss up between the orange and the Jsx. I really tried to like the mesa but it was just to.... Compressed, the top end was brittle and the bottom was way to overpowering and loose. The Orange was more balanced and the mid range was not lacking (like with the recto), but it was a little bright for my taste (I already have a bright amp DSL). The jsx just came out the winner, very balanced tone, smooth top end, tight low end, mid range was smooth but still cut through. It came with 6l6 which i think was what tames the harsh midrange some people experience with this amp. My only gripe with the amp is that it doesnt have built in reverb. The clean channel being so clean that it is almost sterile would really benefit from some onboard reverb.

great amp

All the features have been said before, please read or check out Peavey's web site.

The clean is good on this amp, not fender clean but it does take od and distortion pedals better. The crunch channel and ultra channel had me convinced at the store but when I got it home all was not well. Long story short a speaker swap to V30's from G12h30's was needed. Now its sounds really good esp with a reverb pedal in the loop. The eq is very tweakable and having 3 seperate tone sections is a bonus.

Switching is fast and quiet, the effects loop works very well. The build quality is quite good. It is PCB construction however compairing this amp to any new Marshall or Boogie it will be a snap to fix should something go wrong. I do work in industrial electronic manufacturing so I've seen lots of good and bad.

If I were going to give any advice it would be this. If at all possible BRING YOUR SPEAKER CAB TO THE STORE!!! and try it out. And that goes for any amp head. I have played lots of different amps and I can't stress how much the speakers can make or break the sound of any amp especially ones with high gain as the JSX. In the end the JSX worked out for me with V30's, this amp is alot of fun to play.

Good so far, only had it for a year so I can not give it a 10

Never had to call, so I do not know.

Its a great amp for a good honest price. Just be sure to try it with your speaker cab to make sure its going to work for you. Save your self some grief of "getting it home and it sounds like ****" as it happened to me.

The features have been featured on here. If you want more info or whatnot, check out Peavey's website.

Okay, here's the skinny. I got the chance to play through this is one of the best test settings possible...LIVE! I went down to the local watering hole with my number 1 guitar in tow(a G&L Climax Plus, swamp ash body, maple/rosewood neck, Floyd Rose, stock p-ups) to join the band as a guest star. The guitar player had this amp set up with a MXR Distortion+, Boss CE-1 & DD-3. He had the head going into a JSX cab and a no-name cab.

Needless to say, this was the first full stack I've ever played through. I've always been a combo or halfstack guy, and I was floored. I never knew a Distortion+ could sound so good, but I was thoroughly impressed. I ran thru Dirty Deeds by AC/DC and Eruption by EVH, and everyone was on their feet. I was floored by the tone coming from this thing! I was a bit tipsy so my playing was a tad sloppy, but I wasn't there to play things perfect.

My brother (my biggest fan & critic) told me afterwards that he liked being able to hear my messups. Normally, I'd take that as him giving me crap, but that told me that he could actually hear me so I was pleased with it. I didn't get a chance to experiment with the amber and red channels unfortunately, but if they sound anywhere near the way they did on the G3 Live from Denver DVD, I'll be a happy man.

I've read almost all of the reviews on here, and they all seem to say that it's pretty reliable. Just to give you an idea of how durable this amp I played thru is, check this out. The guy had it running at about 5 or 6 on the master volume (pretty loud!), and it held up the entire night. They played from 9:30 PM till 2 AM when the bar closed and this amp was still delivering amazing tone. Also, it's Peavey. The term "built like a brick ********" is NOT BY ANY MEANS a figure of speech when it comes to the durability of Peavey!!! My first real amp was a Classic 50 212 and I only got rid of it when it would've cost too much for me to get it fixed. So there ya go.

It's Peavey. Yeah, with any huge manufacturing you're gonna get a bad apple or two coming off the line. It happens. But everyone at Peavey seems to have that "good-ol'-boy" pinch of southern hospitality when it comes to their customers. I've heard nothing but great things when it comes to their Support team.

Overall, this is going to be my next amp. I have not the scratch to buy it...YET! I just have this gut feeling that I'll be able to get MY sound out of this. I don't get feelings like that very often about a piece of equipment. I'll probably run it at 60 watts and have it run into an Avatar cab filled with Greenbacks, just so the clean channel won't be so crystal clean and so the volume will be somewhat manageable.

Alright, by now the features of this have been done to death. I'd rather discuss a few things regarding how some of the features work. Starting off, the fat switches. They thicken or tighten up your sound which is most obvious when the guitar's volume is turned down. You notice it with full volume as well and I prefer it on, it's a slight difference but it's the little nuances that can matter the most. The noise gate works, however it's not like, say, a Boss NS which is what most people tend to expect. It cuts down on the hiss that happens on high gain amps and it does it's job. You'll still need a noise suppresor, to handle feedback, but the hiss is covered with the gate. Last is the more known of the features, the effects loop. It works as a boost. Crank the loop volumes in the back and enjoy. This way you can get a more quiet sound if you need it, and the full power sound for when you need it. It's basically the same thing, it won't sound any different, just louder. Great feature. And the faceplate can be removed for those of us who don't have the same visual tastes of Satriani. I'm getting a custom faceplate made for mine, and the ability to change an amp inside and out is a seriously important feature for me

Here's the fun part, but first a little background. I purchased the amp used to use with my Peavey Triple XXX. At the time I was in love with the Triple XXX and I mainly just wanted the JSX for softer sounds and for splitting my signal to try a mid scooped/mid pushed type thing. I originally assumed the JSX to be a softer more rock oriented version of the Triple XXX and it took a little bit to grow on me. Long story short, my beloved Triple XXX is sitting in the guitar shop waiting for it's next owner because the JSX has proven to be the superior amp.
Now as to why. As I began to leave the scooped mid sound, which I'd been doing when I had the Triple XXX, I found the JSX with it's EL tubes to me more pleasant sounding to my ears. It's more articulate, has a more punchy and thick sound and I prefer it's tonal maturity. The clean channel is also great. I felt that the gain on the crunch channel was lacking very slightly and the amp needed a bit more low end. A JJ high gain full retube kit with KT-77's was thrown in and since then I haven't looked back, all my problems with this amp, even though they were small, were solved. I basically grew up with this amp and it's tonal qualities have become things intregal to my sound.I can honestly say I'm a better player because of this amp. It's tonal structure and articulation make me listen more to my playing, perfecting what's sloppy, making what's good even better.
It's much more than the "distortion & bass" tone that a lot of metal guitarist seem to be stuck on. The ultra channel I use as my main sound while the crunch I use as my scooped deathgrind tone. Not something I really apply to band situations but it's fun to play and it could be if one so chooses. The channels on this amp aren't just slight variations of eachother but they each have their strongpoints and focal points and they are each distinct. You can set them to be vastly different, making the amp extremely versatile. The JSX allows you to find your sound, not just a sound that's set in stone that you can just taper and alter slightly. This amp's also extremely powerful. I've never had reason to turn this thing beyond 2-3 and even at those supposedly modest levels it can be too much.

Pros:
Extremely versatile in sound, look and function
Punchy and articulate
Features that are important without senseless buttons and switches
Extremely Powerful
Sounds great for a variety of styles especially metal
A very rewarding companion to those serious about their technique and playing
Durable and professionally sturdy

Cons:
Isn't free

As with other Peavey products, reliability isn't an issue. I've never had a serious problem with my amps and I don't expect to. If Peavey built it than it'll last. Case Closed

This company is serious about it's customers. I've only dealt with them a couple times. Mainly emails asking various questions, no real trouble and despite the questions being light in subject, I got responses the very same day each time and if not the very next day. It isn't hard to find a place to service the amps and if you need one the guys at Peavey will be happy to locate one for you. The reason I love my amp, apart from the aforementioned, is because the company cares and stands behind their stuff.

Overall this amp is everything I've ever wanted. It served, in it's stock form, as the basis of my sound and with swapped tubes, cosmetic changes, and a mod it's become my custom amp for the price of a stock "high end" companies goods. I can't see myself using anything else. Nothing beats a Peavey.