Peavey Transformer 112

35 stereo watts, 200 tube watts. has flanger, phaser, chorus, rotary speaker, octaver, funk wah, tremolo, reverb, and a nice echo-it has two seperate channels, clean and distorted, accessable through a foot switch and a button on the amp. under each channel there are different channels for different types of music. it has one 12 inch speaker (transtube 112) and can defanately get pretty loud-

i am playing a dean playmate evo p-and i havent replaced the pickups, because i just don't have the money-so im playing everything standard. the distortoin is very nice-best i can describe it is hard, and not too "screeny". the clean channel is pretty nice, but has an odd ring to it-but not too noticeable.
for me the amp is great-has everything i would want right now (i have only been playing for a little mor than 3 years)-and saves me money on buying a b unch of pedals-the only thing i have is a Dunlop Crybaby wah-
and i have read alot of comments about this amps sucky effects, such as the flanger, phaser, etc...-but you cannot expect to have a good quality effect when it's biult into an amp-and if you don't like the effects it has-buy some if thats more your style-and you should know anyway-who makes a buy without first trying it out? so i don't think anyone should complain about them-

i have never had any problems with it. i trust peavey equipment-and it's been serving me good for about a year now

never had to deal with them

i have been playing for a little more than 3 years. i play a Dean Playmate Evo P, and i still own my first guitar, a Squier strat, and an Ephiphone electric/accoustic.
for effects i have a boss DS1-which i don't use anymore-and a Dunlop Original Crybaby wah.
if this amp were stolen i would probably replace it with another.
i like the fact that it's relatively small and light-weight, so i can take it places, like practices and small shows...
i also like the footswitch alot, has alot of variety of controls for a footswitch. i do wish it had some volume control though, like in pedal form.

Summary from Peavey Web Site: 50 Watts, One 12 inch speaker, TransTube technology, 24-bit A/D/A conversion/24-bit DSP processing, 12 amplifier models, WYSIWYG interface, 32 presets (16 user/16 factory), simultaneous reverb, delay and modulation (chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, rotary speaker).
PCF4 channel footswitch (Included),Bank/Preset selection, EFX mode provides Boost, Modulation, Delay, Reverb and Delay Tap Tempo switching, flexible Boost function toggles any combination of pre gain, post gain and 3-band EQ, effect setting toggle for all 3 effects - not just on/off, LED's show bank/preset/effects info in all modes (except tuner), access to tuner, and strobe display (along with main display on the amp), Single cable (included) provides communication and phantom power.
Software to edit and transfer patches.

I have had this amp over a year. I would not say this amp is the "holy grail" of tone, but it is very versitle. With 12 amp models including British, American, Peavey, I am able to dial up a variety of clean or distortion sounds. The crunch-distortion tones are thick and fat, especially for a transitor amp. It also includes speaker cabinet models, 4x12, 1x12, 2x10, etc., extending the tonal capability. The effects are great: reverb, chorus, phaser, flanger, tremelo, rotary speaker, and delay. The delay has a tap tempo on both the footswitch and amp. It's nice to have the footswitch included (instead of paying an arm and a leg for one that's not worth the price, like the over priced Line6 floor board @ $300).
Peavey also has software to edit upload and download patches. It's easy to use to save patches from you amp to the computer, tweek existing patches, or download patches off the internet and load them into the amp. The software adjusts in real time, so with my guitar plugged in, if I make an adjustment with the software, it updates the sound from the amp immediately. Sweet.
It includes a built in adjustable noise gate, making the Transformer very quiet, which is perfect for playing in church. But it is also a loud 50 watts. I never turn it past 2 or 3.
I tested several distortion effects pedals through the Transfer to see if I could find something better. Although the pedals I tested were all good, none of them were better sounding enough to justify buying them. With all the amp models and effects, the transformer can stand alone without additional pedals (except maybe wah-wah). I can setup in a few minutes. I take my amp on stage, put it on the stand, plug it in, mic it, and I'm ready to rock!
The WYSIWYG interface is a nice feature. That is when you swith patches the LED display shows exactly what the all the settings are (unlike other effects that just display a patch number and you don't have a clue what any of the settings are for that patch).
The Peavey Transformer is a versitle amp if you need want an all in one combo, need a variety of styles and simplicity.

So far so good. It appears to be a solid amp. No problems in over a year.

The folks at Peavey, especially the guy who designed the amp, are very friendly. The guy who designed the amp even has a non-official Transformer 112 web site with some helpful information. I have not needed any repairs so I cannot comment on that. Peavey also has an amp forum on the www.peavey.com site. I posted several questions there and always got an answer.

I mostly play a Brian Moore i88.13 with Seymour Duncan JB in bridge. I also have a strat, Aria Les Paul, 7 string, Steinberger GT-Pro. I play a variety of styles, jazz, rock, pop, etc., but mostly I play in a contemporary praise band. I've been playing about 25 years.
I chose this amp because of it's simplicity, versitility, and not having to pay extra for a foot switch(seriously). In fact, after I heard my local dealer tell me about it after coming back from NAMM, I waiting to buy an amp untill I could test this one.
My wish list would be to include a compressor.
If it were lost or stolen, I may consider getting another Transformer 1x12 or Transformer 2x12. The 2x12 sounds great as well.
I'm giving an overall rating of 10 because as far as combos go in this size and price range, it's a great amp.

This is the most versatile and best sounding amp I have ever owned. A digital modelling amp complete with foot switch, 16 factory presets & 16 user presets. Attach a MIDI cable and use your computer to change settings or download patches over the internet. 50 watts of Transtube power means that tube sound with solid-state reliability.

Used with a Gordon Smith with humbuckers, Fender Strat with single coils and an Ovation acoustic, all sound great. Clean sounds remain clean & there is as much distortion available as anyone could handle when required. Totally hiss free at high volumes too.

This is the 3rd Peavey I have owned, the only one which ever gave me any trouble was fitted with tubes, as this is solid-state, I'm not expecting any problems.

Only had trouble with tubed amp before, but Peavey were more than helpful. Good website for downloading manuals, software etc.

I've been playing longer than I care to mention, I would buy this amp again, in fact I'm thinking of buying another for true stereo sound. I compared all the digital modelling amps before I bought the Peavey, none could match the sound quality for such a reasonable price, plus the footswitch is included, unlike the rest.

I bought this amp in 2000/2001 so I have used it for a good while. I use this amp about 40% of the time for rehearsals, practice and performance. The effects are as those listed before. The versatility and feel of this amp are unique and extremely usefull. I am a tap dancer when it comes to effects boxes because I want to go for the most accurate sound possible. This amp makes switching a breeze (big plus and one of the reasons I purchased it). I also own among, other amps, a Marshall JCM 900 and various high end foot pedals (strictly analog). This Transformer is about 80-90% there for sound but 10 times more flexible not to mention lighter!! The Marshall wins hands down for tone, volume and dynamics but it's also more tempermental and cost much, much more dinero. I agree with the reviewer before me. Basically, this amp still can't beat tube tone and intangibles but these guys at peavey are getting close enough to leave me satisfied for the money (I am quite picky about tone). Bottom line: if your a decent guitar player who plays with emotion this amp will get your attitude and personality across no problem (this is how I judge any piece of musical equipment-can it inspire me-it does). The tuner does have chromatic mode (some readers complained about only having E and E flat settings) but I admit it is a little tricky to get used to using, especially live and with a bunch of individually tuned guitars. The Tformer software package is a big plus (downloadable from the internet) and definetly helped me get more useable and realistic sound from the amp. Kudos to Peavey for this. The software opens up new parameters (especially E.Q based) to assist you in making the amp more dynamic and flexible. Pretty cool. The software doesn't take long to download. I hope Peavey continues to update the packages. Now for a little critical feedback. The Power Dynamics section is pretty neat and adds some edge to the sound but I am not sure that it really cuts the power all that much. For, example I want to be able to cut the amp power to 5 watts or so (all the way down) but I still can't turn the amp master volume past 1-2 in my apartment or I may get evicted. Maybe I just need to mess with it some more or maybe it is only more prominent at higher volumes. The lack of line out also bugs me because it would be cool to be able to drive some 2x12's or even a 4x12 (I don't know if this can be done or not - has anyone tried this out there?) I haven't taken the time to do this but I am curious. Next time install a stereo headphone jack. Next, the cabinet could come with a little better construction, for example, some thicker wood and for cripes sake dull or cap the speaker and cab screws (do not reach into the guts of this amp haphazardly or you may get gouged!) Finally, the midi cable that powers and connects the footswitch should be a tad bit more heavy duty. It looks like it is not easy to replace and I messed it up at the usual stress area near the terminal jack within weeks of purchasing it.

As stated before this amp's strength is in it's tonal flexibility and ease of use. The cleans are very good (as expected - solid-state). The distortions are good and useable (can sound tubey but require a lot of tweaking, don't be afraid to max or completely turn off the respective E.Q. knobs, and I also agree with other reviewers - use the low gain input for humbuckers it makes things much quieter and even). The amp is weakest doing the crunch thing. Not to say that it is bad by any means (just a personal taste), for example rolling back the volume knob on a good tube amp can clean the sound up considerably without killing or weakening the tone and volume too much. There are some Transformer modles that can do this (especially the British Vintage model and American Tweed model) just not nearly as well. I am getting pretty picky now. When you really crank it up or are in a live band situation the amp doesn't cut through as easily as a good tube amp either. Having said that, if you can get a hold of the downloadable software package you will definetly be heard. No problem. For what it does at this price impressive.

I own the Peavey Wolfgang Special guitar. No problems whatsoever and I see more old Peavey amps still alive and kickin that it isn't even funny anymore. From what I've heard about Peaveys reputation I am not too worried.

Have not dealt with yet but since this amp has a five year warranty I will test out the service with the bum midi cable aforementioned above and update review.

I have played on and off for 14 years and I am a self proclaimed tone freak. This amp is best used in the hands of someone who knows what kind of sound he or she wants (tweaking the settings is where it is at). Overall, I give this amp an 8. I could live without it but would probably replace if stolen. Fix the things mentioned above and I would give it a 9. Make it sound just like my Marshalls and Fenders and I will gladly award a 10 (ha ha!! I wonder how much longer the wait?). Peavey, getting closer but still not there. Guitarist, especially this one, will always be on that fabled quest for "the sound". What matters is that the audience is not as neurotic about "the tone" as we are and they seem satisfied with the sound. That is what justifies my overall rating.

This is a 2002 model. Comes with a compact, user-friendly pedalboard/controller. Average, 12" Blue Marvel loudspeaker. Cabinet is of average quality. Front panel/controls are well marked and slanted at a 45 degree angle for quick/easy viewing. Has an effects loop and a headphones out jack. Twelve amp types to choose from.

The amp has built-in effects. Effects are: modulated effects group, reverb and delay, in three seperate, adjustable and selectable groups. Sixteen factory /sixteen user presets, storeable in the unit's memory. MIDI capable and user updateable from the internet. All the features that serious players will ever need.

Wieghs 40 pounds. Compact unit. Enough features to deliver every sound imagineable, in my opinion. Extremely versatile amp.

I play a 1970's Les Paul Custom and an old-style Ibanez Artstar as my main guitars. I also have an Epiphone Sheraton and an Epiphone SG 400. All have medium output pickups except the SG, which has slightly hotter pickups than your standard PAF types.

I play light jazz (clean, warm clean, slightly overdriven clean), blues (gritty clean to distorted), retro-rock (surf, 60's covers, clean), classic rock (70's style/AC/DC distortion, overdriven, clean, funk), hard rock (Van Halen, 80's "big" sound, neo-classical metal/ speedmetal/shred, new wave, punk), modern (ska, grunge, rap, hip hop, nu-metal) and contemporary Christian, which covers a lot of different styles all by itself! I'm able to cover all the above styles with just this single amp. Outstanding.

I like to play a lot more than I like to fiddle with equipment. I don't like rack gear for the most part, or those "all in one" footpedal boxes. (I did buy this kind of gear because it is necessary for copping the sounds of other artists; e.g. necessary for cover band projects.)

Personally, I like the straight ahead sound of the amp with a little bit of delay or a little bit of chorus and reverb, occasionally. I bought this amp specifically because it is easy to use and it is easy to get the tone and sound that I'm looking for, plus it is compact and easy to move around. I have owned lots of amps over my 30 year playing career and frankly, this is the amp I've always hoped would surface, as it's perfect for a variety of sounds without having to carry outboard gear.

Without getting too deep on the sounds this thing is capable of getting, let me say that I can get everything I need from it. From sparkling clean to heavily distorted, the Transformer does it all. The effects are not stellar but they are adequate. The amp types are the best features of this amp as far as I'm concerned. They are real sounding and have a real feel to them. Effects are not why I bought it, they are just an additional feature to me and I use them only sparingly.

The amp sounds so good by itself that the modulation effects are completely unnecessary. I do use reverb and delay and occasionally some chorus, but that's it nowadays. If I ever go back to the "cover band" thing, I'm sure the Transformer will handle it with ease.

Variety seems endless. I have created my eight basic sound presets and I have only "played around" with it for a few hours, once I developed my patches. The boost function is great for live performance soloing. The T-dynamics is another great feature, allowing me to get my sound at lower volumes.

Overall, this amp can duplicate a huge variety of excellent sounds. I believe that it would take years to fully explore it's full capabilities.

Never had any trouble with Peavey products. They deliver exactly what they advertise.

Excellent.

I've played guitars for 30+ years. I've never become too attached to amplifiers. You couldn't classify me as a "loyal" fan of any particular amp. I played through tube amps for most of my career because that's what was available when I first began my career. I played them into the 90's, as a matter of fact. The "tube amp tone" phenomenon is very overblown, in my opinion. (I do believe there is a difference, especially in Class A tone, but I moved into solid state amps in the 90s for the ease of use and reliability factors. I am pretty much in agreement that the tone differences in modern SS amps are not worth debating anymore.) I still have one tube amp, but I'll probably put it up on ebay this year because I really never use it anymore. I own 4 solid state amps, including a Peavey Revolution (great 3-channel amp) that I used for the past several years as my main amp, in all venues. My other solid state amps are practice amps.

I own a Roland/Boss SE 70 rack processor and a Roland/Boss ME 10 Foot pedal processor, both of which I bought new, way back when these devices were just beginning to surface. I still use them with the Revolution and I still like the way they sound. I think Roland is the best sounding effects gear and I have not found any other manufacturer that equals them in the price range that I can afford.

Compared to it's competition, it is a "10." As a stand-alone review, I'd also rate it as a "10." It's a fantastic value, like owning several different amps for the price of single amp. I highly recommend this product to all players.

If you have already checked into all the modeling amps available today and find yourself feeling a little "sterilized" with the sonic texture of "all-digital amplification" then you owe yourself the chance to demo one of these. Mine is new in 2002. For starters, even though it's got plenty of digital effects and digital computer control, the signal path starts off with a pure analog, transtube pre-amp with REAL gain and REAL volume controls. The digital controller actually changes the gain structure and the tone controls INTO the amp you are modeling, instead of merely "modeling" it. You still have complete control over the tone. More importantly, you have control over the analog gain structure. It's not like digital modeling in the sense that you don't just get "more or less" of the exact same, one-dimensional-digi-sound being modeled, but you actually have REAL control over the gain, contour and texture of the tone for each and every amp being modeled. Very cool. (Every modeler should have this feature.) It widens the tone possibilities by a whole order of magnitude, for every amp model in the Transformer's 16 amp types. Speaking of types, twelve are available to cover everything you will ever need in terms of amp types. All are tweakable. (None are labeled by name of course, but we all know which makes/models that Tweed, Clean, Crunch and Hi Gain are meant to represent.) Will the Transformer sound exactly like a full-on Recto driving 2 Quad bottoms? C'mon, get real. No amp sounds just like another. Try and A/B two JCM 900 amps. They will sound different because they ARE different, even if they came off the same assembly line. Get over the "...it don't sound like a Marshall..." attitude and appreciate this amp for what it is, not for what it never claims to be, which is all the "fantasy" amps that don?t really exist, anyway. For what it does, this amp really shines.
Want more features? How about a really unique, cool control panel? The rotary knobs are real different. No 1-to-10 indicators but instead, they have little recessed LEDs to mark levels. Good for dark stages. The digital effects include a modulation group with the usual offerrings. There is a seperate delay module and a seperate reverb module. The Master section includes a master volume and Peavey's Power Dynamics circuit, which adjusts the power level of the output section. By the way, the power section is a Transtube power amp, developing 50 watts and it's downwardly adjustable-to output hi-gain sound at just 5 watts (at 5 watts, the amp is surprisingly loud, by the way.) A great feature. Effects loop and MONO headphone out.

Downside? How about no line out, either compensated (amp simulator) or not. Tuner is pretty lame in both function and form. Cabinet is not as nice as the series it replaces (the older, black and silver, first generation of Transtube amps.)

Les Paul, stock pickups. Be sure and use the low gain input with humbuckers, as it will give you much better performance. I assume the high gain input will work fine with single coils, but I haven't tried it out. I haven't had this long enough to explore it fully but I CAN say that I like all the models that are emulated in this box. Some of the presets are good enough to use "as-is."

I do a lot of clean playing. The American clean/tweed, the Peavey Classic clean and the British vintage/clean offer a stunning variety of tones for jazz, early rock, Beatles-like tones, surfing-verb, and blues. To my ears they all sound respectable and I use them all.

For my heavier rock work, there are also a wide variety of tones to choose from in high-gain and crunch modes. These patches have varying degrees of compression and gain, similar to what you would expect from the amp types that are being modeled, which makes it easy to select a foundational tone/texture to build upon. You can't get the singing, compressed "holy-grail" power amp distortion of a saturated tube/output trannie, but even with an expensive tube amp...this is an elusive thing. So...get over it. There are enough good tones in this box that you won't be disappointed. (If you have to have the "holy-grail", go elsewhere, friends. I don't mean any disrespect to taste or to the engineers at Peavey. Nothing sings like a good, EXPENSIVE tube amp. That's where the "holy-grail" lives.)

Clean is clean, distorted is over-the-top and the in-betweens are adequate. It's pretty quiet, even in the high-gain modes. The modulated effects are straight-ahead meat and potatoes... nothing fancy but adequate. Reverb is okay. Delay is pretty good. If you're going to demo this amp, play the amp types with just a touch of reverb and/or a touch of delay. The character of this box is in the amp models...NOT the effects. That's what sets this box apart from the other modelers, in my opinion. This thing sounds pretty convincing, without additional effects. Good gain structures and good EQ functionality for each of the models.

The downside: For the money and owing to the fact that this is one of the premier Peavey products, you would think the boys at Meridian would put a Sheffield 1230 in this pup. The Blue Marvel does the job but a Sheffield would make it all that much nicer. As mentioned, the effects are not the greatest (they're not the worst, either.) The MONO headphone output is pretty lame, considering that the amp outputs in stereo to an effects processor (stereo effects send) or to an outboard mixer, etc.

I've owned plenty of Peavey gear over the years. NONE of it ever broke down, ever.

This amp has a 5-year warranty. I can have it fixed at the factory or at the dealer...my choice. Peavey has the best customer service in the music business. Period!

Ive played professionally for two decades and I've played for over 30 years in total. I've been around and I know a little something about equipment, playing styles and tone. I like this amp because it's light (39 pounds), it delivers a wide range of tones and vibes and it is easy to operate and control in live situations. It comes with everything you need for playing whatever style you play. I would replace it if stolen. I like this amp a lot. I resisted the modeling amps up until now, both for economics (hard to justify 12-15 hundred on an amp) and because they were so one-dimensional, not to mention unreliable. Peavey has changed my mind about this class of amp.

Everyone has covered the feature set for this amp fairly well. For anything from country to blues to metal, I can find a sound which works. I give this amp an 8 in the features catagory only because I doubt that ANY one amp can possess ALL of the features someone prefers.

83 Gibson V is my main guitar, though I have played through this amp with a variety of guitars. This amp is fairly quiet, though I do get some chassis rattle at high volumes. As for sounds available, I can normally get something close to whatever I am looking for. My only complaint, is that many of the sounds are very two dimensional. I realize that much of this is due to the single 12" speaker, and since I use this for a practice amp only, I can overlook it.

I have had many Peavey products and never had a major problem with any of them.

My local Peavey dealer did not impress me with thier knowledge nor thier willingness to help, though the Peavey customer service line and on-line service department was very good.

I bought this amp because lugging 4x12 cabs around gets old QUICK. I wanted a practice amp that was loud enough for full band practice, yet had enough features so I did not have to have a truckload of stomp boxes and patch cables to get a decent sound. If you are buying this, or any modeling amp with the expectation that it will sound like a tube amp, don't waste your time. Tube amps have a three dimensional sound to them and a dynamic about them that I have yet to hear "emulated". That being said, for someone wanting a great little amp which will fit 80% of the sounds you want, with 80% accuracy, this is the one for you. If you are looking for a combo to gig with, I would definitely get the 212.

I'm reviewing 2001 and 2002 models with the PFC 4 controller. It's a modeling amp with features associated with this class of amps. It has a few "hidden" attributes that Peavey makes evident on the literature / promo stuff and in the manual, which is very well written. Peavey Transformer amps are easy to use and can be adjusted on the fly. The front panel is unique-it has red LEDs for knob indicators instead of the more traditional number system. If you've ever demo'd a FENDER CYBER-TWIN, you will note that Fender uses servos to move the knobs themselves, as you move from model to model. Peavey moves the positions of the LEDs. Very creative and they show up well on a dark stage, which is an unexpected bonus! At 50 watts, the amp has plenty of power. The 12" Blue Marvel speaker is adequate for the task. There is an effects loop (why?) and a headphole jack. The Modulation section has chorus, flange, phasor, trem and rotory speaker. There is a seperate delay section, too. The reverb slaves to the selected amp model, but can be adjusted to taste. The EQ is the same setup...it "becomes" the selected amp's EQ section so it adjusts and sounds like the selected amps's EQ...either active or passive. The tone circuits and cap / pot relationships are modeled for the user. Cool. There are 12 amps being modeled here...American, British, Classic and PEAVEY's 5150 / ULTRA amps with a mid shift to differentiate the two and active EQ on both. (The PEAVEY HIGH GAIN mode is waaaaaay SMOKIN' folks! It's my favorite, with no tweaking required.)
The PFC 4 foot controller (included) opens up a lot of this amp's versatility. Without going into too much detail, this foot switch enables a lot of very cool options including toggling between 2 sets of parameters, gain boosting, and selecting. There is a global (master) volume switch and the very cool TRANSTUBE power dynamics adjustment that enables the amp to output 10-100 percent of it's rated power, according to the user's wishes. There's MIDI too. The amp is internet ready, but the suite is unfinished as of today. In the future, software updates will come down the WEB. Very cool, very happening. In terms of adjustability...this amp can achieve just about any sound you might be looking for in a single 12 combo. It is light enough to move around easily and compact enough to ride on the seat of a small car. It sounds way bigger than it looks. The RED-LINE appearance is pretty cool to look at...but it took a while to grow on me.
Feature-wise, this thing has a lot of things going for it.

Humbucking equipped Les Pauls and SGs go through this thing, using the low gain input. It rocks, fer sure! I played every selection, tweaking some to taste and saving them for my personal preferences. To make a long story short: You can get just about any sound you want from it. As far as the modeling goes, there are a lot of amps represented here, by "vibe" rather than by name. Peavey does a good job of catching the vibe of the classes of amps that are represented on the amp model selector switch. I can tweak the models (total of 12 models) to my own taste and save 'em. How cool is that? Does it perfectly capture that '58 Bassman that your dad owned? C'mon...get real! Does it do a good job of getting all the great sonic "vibes" of the classic tones we all know and love? You bet. It captures ALL the tones I want to play and a whole lot of them that I'll never ever use. The point is that no matter what style or tone you like...it's in there. This amp sounds great, surprisingly great.

Go to the dictionary and look up the word "RELIABILITY." You'll see a picture of a Peavey amp in the illustration picture. Get it?

Perfect.

Compare it to all the others out there. Only the new VETTA compares in all the categories above. The VETTA costs way more, like 3-4 times as much when you toss in the foot controller. The PEAVEY comes with a foot controller at no extra charge, too. Can you say FANTASTIC VALUE? Duh!

I felt compelled to write a review of this amp because it ended a 10 month long search. Please keep this in mind as you read this review- I am critiquing this unit on what it actually is- that being a $600 guitar amp. Period. It is not a stack of Marshalls or a 60's tube-amp combo- it is an impressive Y2K amp that is incredibly useful. As far as features go, read the other reviews, and then go check one out.

Here was my dilemma- I wanted something versatile, compact, and toneful. I checked out most of what is on the market in this price range including Vox, Rocktron, Line 6, Tech 21, Yamaha, Fender.
I found the Vox 'modelling' amp had very nice cleans and mild dirt, but the saturated lead sounds were very weak. I really liked the Replitone, but found them difficult to find. I also read horror-stories about the reliability. Once I found a used Replitone, it was broken! As far as Line 6, I just did not like the feel of how the older generation stuff responded. It is hard to define, but if I played some soulful blues-type lead, it just did not feel right. Just my opinion. I did not want to lay down $2K for the new Vetta. I really like Tech 21 products, but even thier new amp only has 3 channels, and I wanted to get away from stompboxes. I wanted something compact, so the PSA-1 rack with additional processors, amp and speakers would not do. I have never had any Yamaha equipment to judge reliability of thier product, although I did like the sound and feel of thier amps. The Cybertwin is weak.
So I plugged in the Transformer. Very quickly I noticed the smooth sustain, I loved the interface, it felt wonderful, like a real amp. I like the fact that it came with a nice footswitch and it was actually cheaper than most of the competition. I have owned Peavey in the past with no, I repeat, no problems. So I bought it. This amp shines. It has cleans that range from 'bell-like' to warm. They also warm up nicely when you crank the pre-gain. The middle-ground SRV type sounds are wonderful, very tasteful. The dirty sounds are great. I love a saturated, double-humbucker, violin-like lead sound- this amp has it. Also the high-gain sounds sound good when you turn down the gain, this is something I could not find on some of the aforementioned amps. I really enjoy this amp. Keep in mind my rating is based on this being a $600 amp.

I have owned many Peavey products in the past with no problems. Ask any gigging musician how frusrtrating it is to show up at an important gig and be let down by his equipment. This was a factor to me in buying this product.

Never had to deal with them. I call this a good thing since all thier equipmant I have owned has never let me down.

Please check this amp out. Tweak it, play with it, love it, buy it.
It is the most compact, easy-to-use, cost-effective amp on the market in this price-range. Dollar-for-dollar it is extremely impressive. Great for a first amp, or the tenth!

Greetings! I haven't bought this amp, but I plugged-in at the store and gave it a whirl. I was impressed enough to sit down, and write a long-assed review for it, so here goes:
Transtube Technology Solid-State Amplifier with "Type" modeling( similar to Sans-Amp, where they're going for a particular STYLE of amp as opposed to a SPECIFIC MODEL( Mesa Recto etc;), and digital effects with basic parameter controls. Also includes Peaveys' proprietary "Power Dynamics" control which simulates power tubes being pushed to varying degrees, GREAT for high volume "tube thump" at bedroom levels( a VERY cool feature which more amps REALLY need to investigate and incorporate IMHO). Front panel has 10 types of "Amp Models", High and Low gain inputs, E.Q. section includes pre-gain(pre-amp gain modeling), Bass-Mid-Treble, and Post Gain( for adding even more gain or balancing the tone; I just used it to experiment with and try to get the best sounding distortion from each model ).
Effects section includes a simulated reverb( couldn't really tell if they were going for spring reverb or just digital verb; kinda' weak sounding, but the effects are NOT the main draw here), then onto a Modulation section which includes Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, and Rotary Speaker. After that you've got a mono tap-tempo Delay w/ feedback & level. Last stop is the Master Volume and then the aformentioned "Power Dynamics" control.
All in all, a simple, streamlined, and easy-to-use interface that even the most inexperienced guitarist can navigate( I promise! )
Footswitch included( WHY don't all amp companies do this? I mean for Gods' sake; you spend over a grand on a TSL or Recto, THROW IN THE DAMN FOOTSWITCH! And make it the GOOD, HIGH-END MODEL! DAMNIT, some of these companies can be SO cheap!) which allows you to do all of the normal tricks associated with this kind of amp. I didn't check the back end out, but I'm going back to the store tomorrow to do an A/B comparison between this Models' 2x12, and a Peavey Tube Amp of the same configuration. I want to hear ONCE AND FOR ALL if the "Tube Argument" is still valid in this day and age. Personally, almost all of the tube amps I've ever heard or played seem to have this kind of "Scronkily" or "Boxy" kind of sound in the mids. Is this supposed to be an asset? Tubes seem to have smoother highs, but if you play grinding, screaming Rock guitar, and you want SERIOUS Oompf! and "Wuh-Wuh-Wuh-Wuh" in the Bass when you palm-mute; it's gotta' be Solid-State all the way. Trust me. I don't know if this amp has enough wattage for larger clubs( in terms of pushing enough air onstage to really feel it without depending upon your monitor-mix), but in a smaller venue, miked-up, you should be O.K. I would probably be comfortable calling this "The ultimate practice amp". Would also be great for home recording due to the "Power Dynamics" control.

I demoed' the amp using an off-the-rack Ibanez X-Series Iceman( you know; the smaller ones with the basswood bodies, and binding on the body only ) with 10-gauge strings. I used this guitar because I'm a firm believer that a great amp can help a low to mid-priced guitar achieve a gig-worthy sound. So, Imagine your nice Gibson or PRS running through this amp and getting an even BETTER sound.
Okay, here's where I get indignant; WHY do guitarists give these amps, and Trans-Tube in general, such a crappy review? THESE AMPS ARE INCREDIBLE FOR THE MONEY!!! No, they won't nail a Recto, Twin, or TSL down to the last minute detail, but they WILL give you a GREAT assortment of Tube-flavored sounds that are VERY gig / studio worthy! Guys and Gals SERIOUSLY; I've plugged into a LOT of amps lately in my quest for a new rig, and I'm here to tell you; unless you plan on spending THOUSANDS of dollars on hand-built, point-to-point wired, Boutique-quality tube amps, the DIFFRENCE between mass-produced tube-amps and high-tech, lower-priced Digital / Analog Amps and set-ups is becoming MORE MINIMAL AS TIME GOES BY. And with THIS amp, that line is becoming VERY blurred indeed! Unlike most modeling amps and pre-amps, the models in this Peavey are musical and VERY usable. Those "in-between" sounds are well-served, and the clean sounds are full, colorful, and robust. The distortion flavors vary so much, that you will most certainly find a gain and a tone that will suit you. The high-gain Peavey selections are absolutely devastating. Like most amps in general, if you're looking for the Dimebag scoop, you'll have to augment with a pedal. I suggest the DOD Death Metal.
Now; in comparing amps that seek to emulate tubes, one factor above all is truly prized and scrutinized: The Feel.
I've played alot of these types of amps, and I've yet to come across one that has captured the feel and air-punishing quality that this little 1x12 Peavey has. I can't WAIT to plug-in that 2x12 combo, and see how it fares against the real thing! A good tube amp has a three-dimensional quality that when pushed, will seem to really permeate and animate the space around it. Those who have stood in front of a Marshall or Mesa Stack, on about halfway up or more, will know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I'd say this amp is about 93% there in terms of achieveing those qualities. Guys; the Tube vs Solid State war of the last 30 years is coming to an end. I predict that in less than 10 years from now, the gap will be closed. It will then become a matter of guitarists who've done things the same way all their life and don't want to change, versus those of the younger or more experimental set who wholeheartedly embrace the technology.
The effects, like all Peavey effects, are toneless. Just get yourself a good processor or pedals, and you're good to go.

Peavey builds their stuff like a tank. I've seen old Peavey P.A. cabs from the late 70's and early 80's still in use all over clubs throughout the country. Just make sure you replace your speakers on Peavey amps every 3 to 5 years, and you should be good to go.
I've never dealt with Peavey customer service but they're an American company, so expect better than average results and support.

Never dealt with them.

Either improve the effects section, or get rid if it all together.
Great Tube emulation and feel.
More dimensional than Roland, Line 6, Yamaha, or the others in this class that I've played.