Peavey Transformer 112

This amp was made in the early 2000's. It is a solid state amp, but can produce amazing tube sounds. This amp really has too many features to list. The greatest features are the 16 amp models (even though they may not all sound exact), the cabinet simulation (select from 16 cabinet types), and the PC editor. Between the amp models and cabinet types, up to 256 different sounds can be achieved. Added with pre and post gain controls and dual EQs, it can easily help you find the tone you've been looking for.

Like I previously said, this amp has too many features to list. If you do not have patience and are not willing to take your time dialing in a sound, then this amp is not for you. There is a Transformer site on Yahoo Groups which has a bunch of presets to use with the PC Editor software. This is a great starting point as many of the presets are usable and require minimal tweaking.

I've been using a stock Ibanez RG570 for the past 10 years now. I'm still in the process of playing around with the knobs and storing presets, but it sounds great so far. I'm just waiting for a moment where I can be in my house alone so I can really crank this thing. I've been playing this strictly in my bedroom and the T-dynamics actually works really well when playing at low volumes.

I play a lot of hard rock and metal which this amp seems to be great for so far. With the gain setting at 7-9, this can produce some heavy sounds using any of the hi gain, american modern, or peavey ultra amp settings. The cabinet modeling feature is truly where this amp shines.

I'm not a huge fan of effects, but I have grown to like the built in delay, chorus, flanger, and rotary speaker effects. I like the fact that I don't have to have extra effects pedals or processors. I currently have a Boss Metal Zone distortion pedal and a Guyatone MR-2 reverb pedal. I haven't found the need to use either of these once since buying this amp! I also like the adjustable noise gate (it can even be disabled). You won't find this feature on any of the Line 6 amps or Peavey Vypyrs.

Lastly, changing out the stock speaker and installing a beam blocker are two options I am considering. Why? I simply want to experiment and hear the results.

For now, I've just been using the amp for practice. Once I find and store all of the sounds I'm looking for and feel more comfortable with the footswitch, it'll be a great amp for gigging.

If you can get customer service on the phone, they are awesome. I had to order a treble knob, a midi cable, and the new EPROM.

I've been in touch with John Fera, one of the designers, and even though this is a discontinued product, he still stands behind it 100% and offers great advice and support. Support like this is really tough to find.

Last year, I decided to downsize my rig. I had a Marshall JCM 800 halfstack which was collecting dust. I was too big to set up in my house so I decided trade it in for a Line 6 Spider Jam. This amp was cool for about a week, but then I truly began to despise everything about it. I've spent the past year looking for a replacement to the Line 6. I almost went with the new Peavey Vypyr Tube 60 until I discovered the Transformer. I bought the Transformer 112 last month, performed the EPROM upgrade and I simply love it! I'm still in the experimentation mode, but I've already discovered many usable tones. I'm still looking into a potential speaker replacement, but for the $150 price tag, it was the best buy I've made in a long time.

Bought for 100 USD. Good condition. Came with new eprom installed. Too many features to go in to it. There are a lot of features i don't use because I found my sound and my operating method. Yes there are more features than anyone could ever use at once.

Takes a while to get it right. Pretty deep stuff but fiddling will produce the results you want. I love the sound I get. I get lots of compliments on my "solid state" tone. Resist the temptation to overdo it. Tiny adjustments make a lot of difference. Take your time. It's worth it. Plenty loud enough.

It's probably 9-10 years old. Looks good.

This is a very versatile amp with good features and the Peavey Transtube sound. Highly recommended.

Okay All this advice is for you if you get the new I.C. chip eprom version 2.0 Guess what? If you have a transformer but you dont have the new chip then you are missing about 80% of what this amp can do. You might as well just sell it.

Okay James Blake and roy Beck, these 2 guys did righteous reviews with good suggestions. Use the cab sim like they said to start off with and follow there advice.

Since the Peavy Transformer has so much to mess with for making different sounds I give it a 10.

Just read the next couple of reviews to get the best advice on using this amp the RIGHT way. Blake and Beck got it right. Heres some more advice from me. 1. the louder you run it the more harsh it sounds so make your patches at higher levels and adjust the highs, presence and brightness at the higher volume so it wont sound harsh. 2. copy the patches to another bank and turn the volume down. Set the highs, presence and brightness for the bedroom practice level to match the original high volume patches. Now you can have your tone at high and low volume. 3. Keep the t dynamics knob at 3 o'clock or less to prevent harsh distortion. Same for the master volume. 4. Keep your normal post volume levels around 5 and your "boosted" post volumes higher. Use the Master volume to get higher volume instead of the patch volume. Gives more headroom and less harsh and muddy. 5. For bedroom levels use the bass boost in the preamp for more bottom. For high volume bass boost use the resonance and dial back the preamp bass boost. gives a tighter sound to the low end at high volume. using the preamp low boost at high volume is best at 11 o'clock because it IS sensitive and it can get overdone real easy, ya know?

okay I use a les paul with this amp and a wah wah. I owned it for about 6 years. the new chip was put in three years ago. Been using it for a Friday night bar and grill gig every week since about 2005 and for practice. its very good for what i do.

Never had a single problem since 2003.

this came with a 5 year warranty. I never needed it to use it. I put in the new chip on my own. It was a little bit a pain in the *** but i just bent the ic legs to make it fit in the socket then it was fine.
i paid 25 for the chip and i got it in 2 days. good service.

Its a good amp for what it does and it comes with a midi controller. would i buy it again? probly not because i would try something else besides a modler amp. But for the way I use this I will keep it until it gives up the ghost lol. It sounds good for my use, it isnt heavy to lug around and its easy to use plus it has everything you could want for making patches that you will use. I have no regrets from buying this.

Hi again. I submitted a review in 2007 for this amp. I've been using it in small to medium venues since putting the new IC (eprom) in it along with a new speaker. I mention both of these things in my previous review.
As far as the features go, there are really too many to list them all. The big difference between the Transformer and other "modeler" amps is that Peavey gives you the tools to do your own thing-but not too many tools that wind up frustrating you. Having said that, it's easy to run the controls right past the sound you are looking for. I think that all modelers are prone to this fault so my advice is to turn those knobs very slowly! LOL!

I use Les Paul guitars. For my current live music projects I only have two basic patches that I use. One is a gritty, slightly overdriven "clean" sound and the other is a crunch sound. I'm playing rhythm mostly but I also do some bluesy soloing on a few of our tunes. The two patches I use cover everything we do. I have effects too, but they are all either off or at very low levels until I go into the effects mode. Then they are available like a row of pedals. Soloing is done with the boost feature.
Here's the reason behind this review. I hope it helps others who pick up a Transformer on the cheap-they sell for under 200 bucks on ebay these days.
Here's the deal: Number one--> Get the 25 dollar eprom update. The difference is significant. I would not own one of these amps without this chip upgrade. Number two--> take your time setting up this amp. For example: remember that the little red LEDs are 4 stage indicators, so turning the dials just a little bit results in dramatic changes in EQ. It's so easy to go right past a good, desirable sound. Take your time and go slow exploring this thing.
Number three--> Explore all the possibilities, but use only a select few that compliment YOUR sound. It's way too easy to over engineer your patches. Do a lot of experimenting to determine which features you want to include in your patches.
My patches-all two of them-are very simple. At the same time I'm using gain adjustment, preamp bass enhancement, mid frequency adjustment, presence, brightness and resonance adjustments and T-Dynamics in them. Simple sound-complex sound sculpting.

Yes...it's a bit noisy at high gain and high volume settings. The noise reduction helps.

So far so good.

Nobody does customer service better than Peavey. Nobody.

Won't waste your time here. These are nice "all in one" amps with a load of features including a nice midi controller to run it all. With a new chip, a new speaker and some learning curve time anyone can ge some sweet, low cost tones from this model. Well worth the 200 bucks you pay nowadays on ebay.

Don't know when it was made. Lots of features and easy to learn/operate. Comes with a midi pedal. I bought and installed the new eprom myself. That's about it. The other posts dig deeper on the features so read on if you want to learn more. There's too much available in the features suite to cover it all. Let's just say Peavey made this for EVERYBODY'S style.

This is the important part. I read all the reviews for this category. I agree with most of what has been said. My personal opinion at this point is that it can cover a lot of ground AND it can be set up to do so many different things. It does not deliver the true tube tone that everyone seems to want nowadays. That doesn't mean it doesnt sound GOOD. In a band situation it will do just fine if you give it a chance. You CAN get this amp to sound very good. Here is what I have found to be useful for me, using Les Paul and Stratocaster guitars:

1. Cabinet choices-just find the one you want to use that sounds best with your guitar. Make it permanent for your patches. It really helps to do the EQ if you have a single favorite cabinet type. Saves time.
2. EQ-You can choose the active or passive type, depending on the model of amp that you choose. Active gives you boost AND cut. Passive is the normal. A little gain goes far.
3. Forget the names of the amp types. Find what YOU like and use it. Use the tweaks to set presence and resonance BEFORE setting up your EQ. That is a big help. Don't take EQ too far or you will go right past your sound. Really there is just too much to tweak so KEEP IT SIMPLE.
4. Keep the patches simple with gain and EQ and maybe a little reverb. Add all the effects and boost from the EFX mode and call them up as needed. The main thing to remember is that your basic patch should be simple and clear sounding. Use the midi pedal like you would use a row of stompboxes-AS NEEDED.
5. Get the new eprom from peavey. It doubles the abilities of the amp and gives you more cabs and amps and tweaking tools plus it gives you a boost function that is a SINGLE STOMP function. It is worth more than the 30 bucks you spend to buy it.

So that's it. My advice is to remember that just because this amp allows for a trillion zillion options that doesn't mean you have to use them all. If you keep it simple you'll do a lot better than trying to tweak up the nirvana patch every time. This is a versatile amp for getting lots of different sounds but you're better off just sticking with a couple and working on them instead of trying to make up patches for every possible guitar sound. It will drive you nuts.

Think of this amp as a box of tools. Use what you need for the job you're doing and leave the other tools in the drawer.

Overall this is a good sounding amp for just about any style. Bear in mind that it has one speaker so the cabinet sims like full stack or 4 by 12 are not going to sound like what they are trying to emulate. Forget the names of the cabinets and just use your ears to find YOUR sound (cabinet) with your guitar.

I use this as my main practice amp at home. I can get the sounds i want at lower volumes and it's ready to go every time. Yes, I HAVE used it on a few jobs with no complaints. But I also own some very nice tube amps that I use for gigging and they DO sound better at high volumes with a few high end stomp boxes. As a practice amp the Peavey covers my needs the moment I flip the switch to on. Saves a lot of time and setup hassles.

Peavey stuff is tough. I have only had it since September of 2008 so I'll say no opinion for now. So far so good.

Really great. They treated me with friendlyness and shipped my eprom to me in a few days.

I've been playing for 40 years. I DO own some nice top end gear in pedals, guitars and amps. I have two other solid state amps right now. I'm way over being a gear snob. I use what works. Who cares what the nameplate says? I use the Transformer as a tool for practice and smaller gigs where I don't need a lot of volume or the floor space is limited. Believe it or not, it has gotten some compliments from other players who talk to me at jobs. That tells me there is something good about this amp. They sell cheap on eBay. Definitely get the new eprom for this amp if you buy one. I'd buy it again. It's a useful tool that i use almost every day.

I did a review last May for this amp after I bought the new chip from Peavey. Now I've discovered a feature that I want to share with other Transformer users-provided you have the new chip upgrade. Here it is: By pressing STORE for one second and moving the Amp Model selector knob to your favorite sounding model, you can program the Transformer to use your favorite cabinet sound with ALL of your programmed presets. This is very cool because it gives you the opportunity to select a model that sounds best with your choice of guitar. No matter which amp model you select for your programmed presets, the tone curve for your favorite cabinet will always be the starting point for eq-ing the preset. I use the "American Clean + American Modern " cabinet, which is an open backed 1 X 12 cabinet voiced for a Boogie Mark IV combo amp. It kills for clean, slighly overdriven, heavy crunch and high gain presets, no matter which amp model is chosen. In other words, I choose the amp model and that amp model assumes the raw tone curve of the Mark IV Boogie cab. You might like other cab tone curves...there's a total of 16 to choose from...so have at it! Discovering this feature has enabled me to move my sound to the next level. Band members all agree that my presets sound really good with the Boogie cab. Here's the unofficial Transformer website that John Fera maintains for users:

http://tform.home.comcast.net/~tform/index.html.

Check our all the cool stuff on that site. It's all good stuff and John uses a Transformer in his band, so you know he believes in it besides being one of the designers.

I use mostly Les Pauls but I use Single coil guitars too. Everything just sounds better to my ears running through the Boogie cab tone curve. It's extremely well balanced at all volume levels. My high gain preset absolutely KILLS with enough bottom end to rattle the doorframes. The other three "most used" presets mentioned above all sound great because they all sound like they are emanating from the same source-the Boogie Mark IV 1 X 12 cab. Duh...THEY ARE! Like a lot of guys who play this amp, I never cease to be amazed at the depth and flexibility of features / sounds that this little known, under appreciated, under rated amp has to offer. It can mimic just about any amp out there. The effects are good too-not super high quality but plenty sufficient for live performance playing.

Seven years without a single failure. The rubber around the midi connectors split but i fixed it. Other than that she's been a real trooper.

I've talked to John Fera, one of the designers. He's a guitar player and a very smart engineer who has answered every question I had...plus he's recommended hardware upgrades, too. What a nice guy!
Everyone I've ever talked with at Peavey has been super kind. Never had a question unanswered. I rate PEAVEY service at 100. There is everybody else...then there is Peavey. Simply the best by any measure.

I've gone through a lot of changes with respect to appreciating this amp. I used it for a bedroom amp for a long time and wrestled through all the features to eke out a decent set of bedroom presets. When I got the new version 2.0 chip I actually started using it to play live. Now the amp has evolved further as I've discovered yet another feature. I highly recommend this amp to anyone who wants to try a modeler but wants to retain an all analog (transtube) signal path with dynamics and "real" amp tone. You see them on eBay for 200-300 bucks, used. For that price plus 25 bucks for the new chip you can have a keeper.
Would I buy it again? No need to buy it again because I intend to keep this one safe and sound.

WOW. Where do I start? Transformers have 50 watts of power, sisxteen amp models with individual equalization, a bass boost, a treble boost, adjustable midpoint for middle frequencies, presence and resonance settings, a master volume and a T dynamics knob that cuts overall power from 100% down to 10% and anywhere in between. There is a MIDI controller for channels and banks and effects on-off. Effects are reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, leslie and octaver. You can cut the power to 50% and keep the basic tone for quiet jamming.
I got mine with a blown speaker so I put a Swamp Thing in it. It's not heavy. It's easy to use and get good sounds but you have to spend a little time to learn all of its features. The hardware revision and software is the latest upgrade that Peavey sells. Solid state Transtube pre amp and Transtube power amp. Comes with MIDI pedal and 25 foot MIDI cable. It's pretty cheaply made with plastic pots and poor quality MIDI cable. Footswitch is solid but the amp controls are flimsy. Made in the USA.

I have three Fender tube amps that I play through for gigs. I prefer tube tone and so you wonder why I bought this? Well first of all it was only 25 bucks "as is" with a blown speaker. It also had a broken volume control knob (fixed it) and the MIDI cable worked but the metal connectors were stripped (fixed it.)
The main reason this amp never took off is the eq section in my opinion. Theres way to much eq to mess with and its easy to treat the eq like any other amp, which will frustrate you. I only use three amp models for everything I do because I worked with all the models and found the ones that work for me. Then I spent a long time eqing those models until I got what I was looking for. It took over three months to get down to that and I would walk away from this amp frustrated most of the time. I will say this much about the amp: if you spend the time to search for a good sound there are enough tone features to get you there. The problem is learning to use them properly with all the different models. Every model is different and eqing is different for every model. Find a few models you like and work with them. Forget the names of the models, which some don't even come close and just work with the way it sounds.
Heres another problem with this amp: the power amp doesn't pump out the same frequencies at bedroom level as it does at stage volume. I know that most amps do that but this one does it to the extreme. Whatever you set in the bedroom is only good at that volume. You have to change things a lot for stage volumes to get the same sound. Its annoying. My solution was to use bank "A" for bedroom practicing and write the same patches to bank "B" for editing to use at stage levels.
I play classic rock with a 4 piece band. We do a big mix of stuff but nothing really heavy. I use the Transformer for practicing mainly. Its loud enough for practice and soft enough for the bedroom. Its light enough to carry between home and our practice space. So its just another tool that takes the place of my tube amps. I used this for a gig when i first got it and was pissed because I couldn't get it to sound good at stage volumes. I cured that but never played a gig with it again.
I have a couple of Epiphones a Les Paul and a SG. They sound good with this. I like this amp because it fits my needs and I finally got it figured out to make it sound good. I have no problem with it now, but it was a royal P.I.T.A. to get it sorted out.
oh yea...the effects are all okay but nothing special. reverb is good for digital, so is the tremolo. others are average. octaver sucks.

Fragile, actually.

Great practice amp. lots of potential. something here for everyone. downside is all the tweaking it takes to get it right. once you get the hang of it you can easily make some good presets to work with. i would buy this again "as is" for 25-75 bucks.

OK first of all take this with a grane of salt cuz I got this for free from our drumers dad. So it costs me nada. I play a Kramer bareta in a metal band and my rig is a old stile Peavy 5150 half stack. Thats were im coming from. So for nothing I get this. So I took it. Theres a website for this amp were you can download and find out about it. So I go there and theres a link to the new computer chip from peavy. So i call Peavy and order it. Noww I have a practise amp thats pretty good for a solid state amp. Im not kidding you. I would play a show with this amp. The fetures are too many to list.

Kramer with SD invader pup. I playd it before and it wasnt nothing speshil. After I put in the new computer chip it was 10 times better. So its pretty easy to put in too. Now I have a good practise amp for 30 bucks. Metal toe is possable. Even the presets for te new computer chip is good. Better then most. Pretty loud. The half stack kills it but I stil like it for practise and jams. Sometimes you dont want to carry a amp and bottem up stares for a jam. This is litewaite and you dont need no petals with it. Quiet.

for 30 who cares.

been plying since 2000. my half stack kicks serius ***. This one does to but its solis state so what do you expeck? I like it a lot but I like my 5150 better. For 30 I woud buy iy again. LOL its not bad for a solid state.

Dude! get the new chip and rock away with your Transformer! It gives you new models that combine existing models with active EQ. One problem with the old chip amps is no sustain on the clean models. With the new active models you can sweep the mids and do boost and cuts for low mid and highs. Plus you can do all sorts of other tone and gain tweaks. GET THE NEW CHIP. IT TOTALLY TRANSFORMS THE TRANSFORMER TO A NEW LEVEL. Its a 10 with the new chip.

I had this amp for 6 yearsin my bedroom. I used it as a practice amp then I got the new chip for 25 bucks and put it in. Now I use this amp to gig because it finally does everything I wished it would do before the new chip. With the original chip it was so so. With the new chip its SWEET! Big difference in the sound. Much better. I even think its louder now too but maybe its just me. Anyways I use it for playing out and I love it.

They still support it and the new chip is still available for 25 bucks.

I play rock and blues which I have played for 30 years. I have some nice amps that I picked up along the way but this amp just sat in the bedroom till I put in the new chip. Now I use the new active amp combinations to get really good tone from this thing. I'm telling you: GET THE NEW CHIP. You wont regret it. Best 25 I ever spent on my sound. Now I use this amp for every show. For big shows I mike it thru the PA and it sounds great.

This is a Peavey Transtube amp with improved 4560 opamps in the re-designed preamp section. Gone is the persistent hiss associated with the old 4558 op amps-which have hissed like snakes since they were created decades ago. Good riddance!
The transtube preamp is incredibly versatile and varied. There are at least 16 different ANALOG TONE signal paths in the preamp. When you switch the amp model with the rotary selector, you GET that amp's EQ, gain and timbre. It doesn't matter to me whether the "model" is accurate to the amp because it's about the ability to coax good tone that matters. In this respect the Transformer is excellent. The effects are mediocre when compared to the modern processors available these days. Once again..I couldn't care less, as I prefer just a pinch of effects for my styles. By the way there are so many hidden features on this amp that tweaking the effects properly requires reading the manual. This goes double if you buy the upgrade chip. I bought it and I upgraded memory too. These changes pretty much make the amp at least twice as good and improve the range of good tones immensely. The third section is the Transtube power amp. Except for the venerable ROLAND Tube Logic circuit used on their Blues Cube series, the Peavey Transtube Power Amp is the best. It has a power attenuator built in, plus a cabinet resonance and presence control. The Peavey Engineering team of Fera, Brown and Chappell left nothing to chance. Their designs and executions of those designs are nothing short of amazing. There is nothing else out there that compares in terms of the marriage of mechanical, digital and analog workmanship. If you can't squeeze a useable, sweet mojo from one of these..it's YOU that needs tweaking...not the amp.
The footswitch that comes with the amp is superb. Like having a row of individual pedals, plus boost. Also switches banks and has a tap tempo. With the new eProm it even doubles as another tweak device. Amazing!

Over the years I've added speakers, swapped speakers, swapped opamps, swapped eProms, swapped memory...you name it. Now I'm back with the stock speaker, stock 4560 opamps, the newest eProm I.C. and upgraded memory. Over the years I created hundreds of patches and tweaked endlessly.
Now I have two basic sounds...slight overdrive/clean and heavy overdrive. They are dynamic and possess about 90% of the characteristics of a decent Tube amp with pedals. I'll say it again...if you can't coax righteous tone from this amp...it's YOU, man! This amp does shimmery clean to heavy, heavy rock / metal.

No problems in 5 years but the rotary knobs are fragile. Be careful!

5 year warranty.

Great amp.

I'll toss my hat in the ring to do a review on the new firmware revision IC. For 25 bucks you can get a new IC to replace the original amp firmware with new, improved firmware. It is called version 2.0 and was released in 2006. Call PV parts and order it. Instructions come with it including how to use all the new features. If you don't feel comfortable installing it then take it to a shop. I put mine in but I took the amp chassis out of the amp to do it. (The legs on the IC have to be bent inward just a little to fit in the socket. They're a little fragile so if you have problems you should take it in to a shop.)
This IC is worth more than 25 dollars when you consider what you get for the money. Here's what you get:
On the new IC there are 4 new amp and amp cabinet models, a boost function that works without haveing to use the EFX mode, a new effect called octaver and some interesting new ways to set up the tap delay function. You also get global and patch gain adjustments, presence, bright switch and resonance adjustments plus a 1/2 power reduction and improved tuner. The PFC4 controller MIDI interface is expanded too.
If you use the PC interface, it has been updated to use the new IC.Not bad for 25 bucks!

All 4 new amp models are good and all have active EQ so you can use the same model to get very different sounds, plus you can set the range of the mids. It's more like having about 10 new models because they are mega tweakable.
The octaver kind of sucks because you can only use it at a minimum due to tracking problems at higher levels. I'll probably never use it.
The boost feature lets you go to the alternate patch settings right from the current patch. Just step on the patch button again to toggle between main and alternate. No more going to EFX mode to do it. Super handy.
The presence, bass boost and resonance features make big changes that you can hear right away. The presence is noticable on clean patches but not so much on distortion.
Bass boost has 4 settings, presence has 3 and resonance has 3. Patch gain is either -6 or 0 dB so its good for matching clean volumes to distortion patch volume in a bank of presets. This worked out a lot of stuff for me.
The global gain adjustment gives you +/- 18 dB of boost and cut so you can get more headroom or more gain. Yes, you can get stupid amounts of gain!
I played with the tap delay tweaks. They're interesting and can be adjusted to change on the fly. Don't know if I'll ever use it.
I definitely notice an improvement in the tuner.
All this adds up to a lot more dynamic range for the patches and better control of the amp. Cheap at 25 bucks. Makes the amp more flexible and easier to use the features.

While we're on the topic of sound here's a good tip for you. Put a multi band EQ and compressor in the Transformer effect loop. I have a Digitech TwinTube in the loop that I use only for a tube based EQ (seven band equalizer)and good solid compression. Boy does it make a difference in the clarity punch and tubey-ness of the sound.
Being able to equalize the sound after distortion is a life saver. Being able to feed a consistent signal to the power amp using the compressor adds tons of clarity too. I just use the tubes in the TwinTube for warmth and harmonic content-not for gain or distortion. For me it works real good and its quiet. Its like putting a sonic maximizer in the loop.
I rate the new firmware chip as a 9 because of the lame octave effect. The rest of the new firmware is must have.

PV parts got it to me in 5 days. I ordered on the phone. They knew exactly what i was talking about.

If you have a PV Transformer its a no brainer to buy this firmware chip. Its the best 25 you can spend to make it better.

This was Peavey's entry to the modeling amp genre. Not sure when these hit the market so I'll guess it was early 21st century. Stock amps have 12 amp models and an effects section with modulation effects, reverb and delay. The midi foot controller controls all the functions of the amp and it can be used to turn mod, reverb and delay effects on and off. You can store two separate versions of patches in each location and call up the alternate by using the footswitch in effects mode, using boost function. Delay has a tap function. There is a good noise gate. There is an effects loop and a mono headphone jack.
The stock models take you from vintage tweed to super high gain.

One big change that Peavey made in 2005 was the release of eprom version 2. This was a hardware change that involved replacing IC U506 with an upgraded chip containing improved and expanded microcode for the control CPU. It added many new functions and four new "blended amp" models for a total of 16-up from 12. It also expanded the MIDI control. Very cool and only 25 bucks from the factory. The new eprom makes this a totally new machine.

One reviewer below was complaining about the 4 ohm speaker. Transformers come equipped with a Blue Marvel speaker at 4 ohms, driven by a modern power amp IC. Before I bought this amp I ordered the schematics from PEAVEY parts (best service guys in the business) and checked out the components. At +/-25 volts on he rails of the power amp (LM 3886), the amp will produce 50 watts into a 4 ohm load. But the LM 3886 (a great audio amp, by the way) tends to run a little hot in this configuration so I went to an 8 ohm speaker, reducing the wattage to about 38 watts but giving the LM 3886 a cooler operating environment. Anyway, the amp will operate just fine with an 8 ohm speaker connected so you can stick any of the "cool" speaker choices that are available at 8 ohms, in this amp. The reduction in power can easily be overcome by selecting a high SPL speaker. For example, I have an 8 ohm SWAMP THING in mine and it's louder at 38 watts than the Blue Marvel was at 50 watts. MUCH LOUDER! Get something with an SPL rating over 100 and you'll be fine at 8 ohms.

Peavey went to the JRC 4560 op amp in the power section, which is a huge improvement over the old JRC 4558. More musical sounding and definitely quieter. Overall the power section is pretty tight and with the upgraded speaker and V2 eprom you can push some very nice tone from this amp. The V2 eprom also gives you more control over the power stage with presence and resonance tweaking available. In the preamp the new V2 chip gives you total control over the gain structure. If you get a Transformer 112 or 212, get the new eprom. If you have one of these amps now, get the V2 eprom. A no brainer and easy to install. For 25 bucks it's like buying a brand new amp.

The 112 model has stereo capability using the effects out jack. Insert the standard 1/4" plug to the first click and send the signal to any power amp. It will be the "right" half of the stereo sound. Not terribly stereo-ish but it's there.

With the standard V1 eprom this gets a 7 or 8. With the V2 eprom it's a 10. Either way, it is a very versatile machine.

Peavey took a way different approach to the modeling thing than the other guys. I've tried just about all of them and my personal opinion is that the Peavey approach is the best path to a decent overall sound. This is mainly because they use the computer to control the amp instead of going 100% digital with the model and effect sounds. The Transtube technology stays analog for a more traditional analog sound. Pure digital modeling has come a long way but it still tires my ears, if you know what I mean. Transformers have a more "real" feel to them in my humble opinion, and they are capable of more "in between" tones. Just my personal preference. Our other guitarist uses line 6 stuff and he sounds killer. I just don't get a warm fuzzy feeling when I play through his rig.

Speaking of tones, the Transformer is capable of a wide range of tones because they copy the selected amp's tone ranges and gain structures. The V2 chip also enables cabinet swapping, input padding, preamp gain -increase/decrease, bottom end and top end controls-beyond the tone controls, and some models have active boost and cut. In the end you can select any particular model and create 3-4 patches that sound completely different. So there is a lot of range to play with here. Unfortunately there are only 16 places to store them. For me that's enough but some may find it limiting.

I'm using humbucking pickups and single coil pickups on solid body guitars with the Transformer. You can hear the guitar with the Transformer. Different guitars and pickups sound different, which is great if you like being able to listen to the guitar's wood.

With the speaker upgrade and the V2 chip this amp is a total winner. It needs a second power amp to play really loud shows. I use an open back 60 watt powered cabinet with a 8 ohm Wizard speaker to play outdoor shows. Placing the two cabs about 20 feet apart and using the stereo function gives a nice wide spread.

With the upgrades this amp is a 10. No question about it.

Peavey makes reliable equipment, period. This amp is lighweight and the knobs are plastic so there's an issue there but overall if you're careful with it then you'll be ok. I'll shave two points for the plastic knobs and shafts. Don't drop it down the stairs and you should be ok.

Peavey is number one. You can get a manual or schematics from them.
The V2 chip is available too. Call Peavey Parts at: 800 821 2279 and order part number 99000974. It's the eprom version 2 for the Peavey Transformer. They'll get it out to you ASAP. Go to the unofficial Transformer webpage for all the info on this chip replacement plus other cool stuff. http://tform.home.comcast.net/

It's true that these never got the big push that the Johnson and line 6 stuff got when modeling amps came out. I think these were seriously under rated and under appreciated by the guitar mags and the industry in general. They weren't as sexy or as feature laden as the competition so they were overlooked.
I don't knock pure digital because it sounds pretty good, actually. Certain people are going to prefer pure digital modeling and I say fine, play what you like. I've been playing for 4 decades and I have listened to a lot of raw guitar through a million differnt amps in my day-some better and some worse than this amp. For me the digital stuff is impressive but it is still lacking in dynamics and after a while it all sounds kind of sterile to my ears. That's just me.

I gig with this amp. I like the way it sounds and I like how simple it is to operate. I like that is small and lightweight. I don't like the plastic knobs. Overall I think I made a good choice to pick one of these up. I'm dead positive I made the right choice to buy the V2 chip for it. Rock on....

I have owned two of these. See my previous review from a few years ago. With the second edition of the prom ($25 from Peavey) the Transformer has so many useful features that it is about twice as good as the first version. If you can imagine an amp sound, chances are you can find it in the Transformer 112. If you can't find a great tone with all the tools this amp has then you should seriously consider taking up thew piano. Read the rest for features but know this: The tools this amp has are all good, useful tools. It has the goods to craft the sound the way you want.

Transformers can go from sparkling clean 50's R&R music all the way to earth shattering death metal palm mute Recto tone. The cabinet swapping and the adjustable overall gain, tone, mids, power damping, power compression, preamp gain level, post gain, cab resonance, half volume sitch, low end presence,high end presence, brightness, delay roll off, etc, etc are really powerful sound sculpting tools. What the hell MORE could you ask for? These are not just vanilla flavored, digital "more or less of the exact same sound" tools. These tools actually DO SOMETHING that changes the tone and timbre of the amp. Quiet? Most models are dead quiet. At maximum gain on the high gain models the amp will hiss. It is NOT digital artifact hiss. It is the normal hiss you would expect from a high gain amp. duh, no shit!
When you crank up your Marshall or any other amp, you have to adjust the tone because more power will boost different frequencies, differently. Same for the Transformer. People set up a cool patch at bedroom levels then they say "This amp is shit when you turn it up!" Try setting your patches at high sound levels and you'll be fine. ALL amps act differently at different volumes. I'm giving it a 10 with the new prom in it. Obviously it's not a boutique amp but compared to other modelers it deserves a 10 for overall sound.

I read the review by Dave Williamson last night and thought, "This guy sounds like me!" I think he probably got frustrated with his Transformer like I did. With the new PROM this amp is unstoppable. I have whittled my collection to a Peavey Transformer 112, a nice old Les Paul and my old Ibanez fat strat. As far as the amp goes, the Transformer gives me the ability to have any amp i want it to be so there is no reason to ever own another kind of amp. This is an ass-kicking amp that has been overlooked by the snobs since day one, in my opinion. Yes I would buy another one and I recommend it..

This is a solid state, analog modeling amp. Peavey doesn't make it anymore. It was made in Meridian, Missippi, USA. The Transformer is not a digital modeler; it is analog and uses the patented Transtube preamp and poweramp, with a digital controller that switches the tone settings, cabinets, amp types and all that stuff. It's different from what most of us are used to in modelers. It has 16 factory presets and all are useless. But you can program 16 of your own by combining 12 amp types, different cabinets and effects. Lots of versatility here.
The software and hardware are version 2, which the previous owner paid about 30 bucks for. You send away and get a new control chip and download editing software for your PC from a website. Do it yourself, all the way. Pretty cool. The upgrade is worth the money because it gives you a few more useful features, tweaks and settings.
It comes with a midi controller for changing channels, using the effects mode, using the boost feature and changing banks. Effects are not all that good but the decent ones are reverb, delay and tremolo. Chorus, flanger, univibe and phaser are lame. Octave effect sounds like a whale farting in a tin can. Cab resonance, presence and bright switch come with revision 2. You also get a programmable preamp, a bass expander and controls over the pad on the input plus a final power cut. There is also a master volume and the famous Peavey power attenuator but I can't tell the difference between 10 and 100 perceny. Midi out for hooking up another Transformer (why?) or connecting the amp to another midi device, effects loop (why?), useless headphone jack, single 4 ohm Blew Mudville (Blue Marvel) speaker. It's all wrapped up in a cheap plywood cab. Is it versatile? Yeah I guess it is, for what it is. I think it came out in 2001. By todays standards it really doesn't measure up but it has a decent sound if you're willing to tweak it. Have to give it a 7 because it's pretty much an outdated model.

You can get cleans to palm mute metal tones. Lots of variety but nothing really special here. Totally solid state tones that are two dimensional. It's not bad but you could never get this amp to produce a good tube sound. At loud volumes it acts just like any solid state amp. In other words it goes to shit. The Blew Mudville is a lame excuse for a speaker but since it's 4 ohm speaker I say good luck finding a decent replacement. It can't handle the amp at high volume. No speaker out either so what you got is what you get. I managed to get six decent patches from the thing. They sound good at low or medium levels but not loud levels. Here's the amp's downfall: at 50 watts you expect to be able to gig with it but it sounds good only to about 25 watts so you've got a great practice amp, but not so good for playing in a band. That's about it.
For the price I paid I'm okay with that. I don't gig with it but it works out just fine in the bedroom and for friendly jams with friends and it's faily lighweight so it moves to jams in the back seat of the Honda.
I'm using an epiphone Les Paul with GFS Hot PAF pickups. I have a Squire Strat with Texas Specials but this amp doesn't like single coils.

Knobs are the weak point and the midi connectors look fragile. The rest is Peavey tough. Knobs are not well protected so you have to be careful not to break them. They don't have start and stop points. There are little lights to tell you where you are on the dials but the knobs just turn forever.

Played guitar for 11 years. Play mostly rock and blues. This is a decent amp for 80 bucks but I'm not sure I would buy it again. Probably a good amp for practicing and for a beginner.
If you want something decent and cheap as a kick around amp then it's ok but as a REAL amp it falls on its ass. I have a fender Blues Junior and I just bought a brand new Epiphone Valve Junior head with matching cabinet. Both of these amps beat the crap out of the Peavey Transformer in the tone category.
Anyone know where a player can get a decent 12" four ohm speaker for this thing?

I really don't care for effects, but this thing has a few built in. It's a modelling amp, and it has enough amp models to give you a variety of tones. The amp is pretty versatile.

I should mention that I got this from my friend, who had apparently obtained a new chipset for this amp that was built by the designers of this amp, but was never put into mass production. It gives the amp a few more features - for instance, pressing the bank button again on the footswitch instantly puts you to the boost mode of the preset (without switching to the mode that would regularly require you to go into boost mode). I've never played a regular transformer, but at the time, only the amp designers' Transformers and my friend's Transformer had this new chipset. Maybe that's not the case today, but I guess it was then.

Okay - originally, I would have given this category a much higher rating, but my sound seems to have disappeared. The amp models are all usable and sound good, but now, I hear nothing but bad-sounding mids and grating treble. This could be a speaker problem - I am looking for a good replacement (I'm thinking Eminence Texas Heat or Swamp Thang).

Reliable amp. My friend openend this up and modded it, and it's still reliable.

Never dealt with them

This amp gives you the sounds you want - easily accessible through a good footswitch, and a lot of options. I must say that I prefer tubes - I regularly use a Peavey Ranger 212 (with speaker and tube upgrades) and a Fender Blues Jr. This amp is not a replacement for tubes, but it sounds good. I use a maple-necked Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul Studio through this, and I play most everything except metal (no 80's or modern metal). This amp adequately handles all of those, and it can even handle some very heavy sounds if that's your thing. I have been playing for 10 years; I have heard a lot of amps - this is the best modelling amp. Forget Line 6 stuff.

I bought amp brand new in 2003 to 560 dollars. You for features read which are covered. I come to this page to read review but I write my own now. As features rating I make 10 because Peavey gives all tools and make good musical sound. This is because Peavey wants amp in hand of musician, not fake guitar player wanting tone buried under effects and distortion. Many now amps like fake sound not Peavey.

I'm playing guitars as Ibanez and Fender with single and double pickup kinds. All sound the right with Transformer. Not with too much effects to make sounds not as guitars in Peavey Transformer but enough. This is good for musician who will to find own sounds like real guitar player not fake. To clean and distorted sound I say is best to sound as Peavey. I play to clean sound mostly plus little bit od distortion not much. I like sound as Beatles and also to rock and roll but not to heavy metal. Peavey is good to this sound and good to brutal which is distortion if wanting it. Transformer makes all sound you want and like. All good sound to Peavey Transformer and easy for making to sound tools.

I move from Russia to 2002. In Russia to play for 15 years as to play parties and to clubs not much. In Russia is not much guitar amp which is good. All is not to tube amps because are old and not so much reliable. I know of Peavey and not much play with one but I like one of friend not Transformer but Express. Is not Marshall or Fender or Sovtek amps in Russia to buy and are not reliable with costing very high. I best want to have Peavey amp but not to be able. So I buy it when I come to US which is good to my playing guitar. Is best to play and so I buy it again if stolen. To speaking English is not best yet but I am trying as improving to English and guitar play. Peavey is best.

I just finished reading Donald Raycher's review below. Everything he said is true. Less is more.

I use a lot of different guitars with this. The trick to getting good sound from this is to go easy with the controls and effects. The models give you pretty accurate renditions of what they claim they are modeled on in the manual so if you just make minor tweaks to them, you'll be fine. I always start with all tone knobs and pre/post gains at 12 o'clock. Some of my patches are just that...all knobs at 12. Other patches are slight variations. If you go crazy with the ajustments then you're fucked. You will go right past your sound. BTW, this amp sounds very good at high volume settings.

I've been hacking away since 1970. I play rock and some jazz/rock...no metal. This is a good choice for anyone who wants a lot of options and power, and who knows the sound they are looking for. It is more reasonable than a lot of modeling amps to operate.

I bought it used. I don't know when it was made. It's 100% identical to the first one I owned, which I sold to get another solid state and a small tube amp. The Transformer has 12 amp models and 16 user / 16 factory presets and digital effects, including seperate delay, reverb and modulation package. It has no speaker out so what you get is one 4 ohm BlueMarvel speaker and thats that. Headphone jack is included but it's mono. Compared with all the other Modeling Amps it doesn't have a lot of features. What it does have is a real feel and a real tone. I give it a 7 for features, compared to some of the other modelers.

I bought my first Transformer a couple of years ago and I had it for about a year before getting sick of endlessly twiddling with it in search of the "perfect" presets with my computer. So...I sold it and bought two other amps. Guess what...while using these other two amps I realized that my problem with the Transformer was an operator problem and not an equipment problem. (In other words...I was the problem.) I was fortunate to have access to another guy's Transformer, which I programmed in a different way from what I had previously done on mine (eg...no endless twiddling with my PC and the Txformer software.) The thing is, I discovered that my original Transformer's presets were such overkill, and that I had really overengineered them. I went way past the good sounds that the Transformer had to give with all the adjusting I was doing. No more. My "new" Transformer has 5 basic sounds (Fender, Vox, early Marshall, HiGain Marshall and Rectifier.) I don't have a lot of effecs on the raw presets...just reverb or delay. When I am using a preset, I go into the effects mode and I have a second "boost" setting for the patch as well as the delay, modulation and reverb settings at my footcontroller. This approach made me re-think the Transformer, so I bought onother one! Now I love it. Simple IS better, for me. It's loud enough for the gigs I play and versatile for every style I play. In my opinion the amp sounds really, really good

I'm an experienced guitarist. I play semi-pro and have done so since the early 80s. I play rock, using clean and distorted sounds. I like this amp because it isn't heavy and it gives me the basic tones and sounds I need, without needing pedals. My other equipment includes a Marshall Valvestate VS100, a Fender Pro Junior, a Les Paul, an Ibanes S-series HSS guitar, a Gibson SC and an Epiphone Moderne. I have BOSS pedals and a Crybaby wahwah. I only use the wahwah with the Transformer. Nothing else is needed. For me this is the best amp to choose. Would I buy it again? I already did!

I can't believe that nobody has come forth with an opinion that includes a review the fantastic Peavey software that is available for this amp. All you need is a PC and a midi cable (game port to Peavey midi in.) IMHO the software is THE feature of this amp that makes whipping up presets a joy. Everything can be done from my HP laptop and I can demo things in realtime as I adjust the tone, gain, presence and resonance and volume. The software is a real force multiplier. Without it I'd rate the amp as a "10" because it has so many cool features on its own. With the software on my HP I have to go with a "15" because there are features available only with the software, which round out the tone and power curves of this thing. Another thing people forget to mention is the stereo feature, using another amp. I've used a crappy old Crate as the left channel amp with success. It's a fifty watter too and I adjust it to be neutral tone-wise. There is a nice seperation with chorus and delay, across the stage. Another thing I've tried is using the "left" amp as a monitor and the Transformer as the backliner. Using a second amp adds to the power and cut significantly if you need to have more volume. I am going to buy a power-engine (Tech 21) for this thing!
On the con side...No speaker cabinet jack...you get a 4 ohm load and that's the Blue Marvel speaker, PERIOD. The stereo effects out is nice but I gotta ask, what were they thinking because it has a mono return. and while we're talking effects loop...what for? The amp has all the effects you'd need! Finally the headphone jack is mono..lame. Overall, I'm giving it an 8 but to be honest...it has everything you need for playing gigs, including the best, easiest midi controller in the business.

The only guitar I own is a Les Paul studio edition. Basically it's a Les Paul without the nice carved maple cap. Other than that it's your basic Les Paul. It sounds lie a LP with the amp's different patches, which I have set up to span clean (Fender tweed), crunchy clean (Peavey Classic 30 crunch), C-C-C-CRUNCH (Marshall High Gain JCM 800 with 4 X 12 cab), Solo (Marshall High Gain with mids boosted) and DOOOOOM (American High Gain Recto.)
All of these patches were so much easier to do using the software because you can set and adjust the gain levels. The "stock" gain levels are different for the different models so it can be tricky to adjust the overall volume to match patches. With the software it's a breeze. This is a MUST HAVE, in my opinion. With it you can open up the huge potential of this system. Peavey should consider a web updater that would allow for these kinds of upgrades to be incorporated in the amp itself. Bottom line...I rate it an 8 again for stock and a 15 with the software package. I'll compromise with a 9.

Peavey makes all their products to last. I don't worry about reliability with this amp. The knobs are cheap but recessed and protected. Plastic shafts save dough and keep costs down but BE CAREFUL!

Great website and the Transformer designer has his own website, too. I've emailed him and he's answered me personally. A Yahoo users group for Transformer owners swaps presets and other info. Manuals are available, schematics, etc. The Peavey boys do customer service right. The best of the best.

I've been playing since the mid 80s. My older amp was a Marshall Valvestate 2 X 12 combo...early 80s model. Killer amp in its own right, really. (Way better than the new Marshall stuff.) It just wasn't versatile enough for all the different styles I have grown into. The Peavey does Marshall and all the rest so it's a no brainer. I sold the Marshall to help pay for it and kept the shitty Crate as the stereo slave, which I don't use all that often anyway. I love just about everything this amp offers. Toss in the cool software and it is a fantastic value indeed. I'd choose it again and I honestly think it is one of the BEST modelers available, overall.

I bought my amp used off of ebay for 400 plus 35 shipping. The previous owner bought it new and took very good care of it. I consider myself lucky to have gotten a virtually brand new amp for the price I paid. I have had it for a year and a half and I started using it for shows the same week I got it. I won't bore you with a huge rundown of the features again. Basically it's a modeling amp with a slimmed down menu of effects and amp types. The features match up with players like me who do the weekend warrior thing, playing at parties and medium sized gigs. It's loud enough to handle gigs in parking lots and I mic it sometimes when needed. It does not have true spring reverb but some of the modeling reverbs are impressive. Not all the models are useable for me but there's enough different types to please anyone, IMO. The stock speaker sounds pretty decent. It's pretty light for its size at about 36 pounds. One thing I don't like is the front panel display. It has enough lights on it that you could use it as a runway marker at the local airport. To be fair, the WYSIWYG interface really does work pretty good at letting you know what your effects and tone settings are. The included midi pedal is one of the easiest and best designs I ever used. Everything you need to play live and nothing you don't need. Easy to use, set up and easy to carry.

I play mainly with a Les Paul. The band covers classic rock, surf and modern covers of 30s, 40s and 50s tunes, including bop, big band, swing, old TV themes (Peter Gunn, Route 66, Bonanza and other classic TV stuff.) It sounds wierd but people freak out at hearing something like the Bonanza theme twisted and whammied into impossibly tight sounding, high gain grooves. It's a blast to play this stuff in live settings. That's where the Transformer comes in with its array of effects like Phasor, Plangers and Rotary Speakers...not to mention the traditional Reverbs and Tremolos.
Here's my live setup: The transformer is my effects amp and I use a 65 watt Peavey Express as my clean amp. The volume settings are the same for both amps. They are fed from a BOSS ME 10 pedalboard (used for the compressor, EQ, master volume and gated reverb-no other effects.)
I play rhythm guitar mostly so I have to have a lot of amp types and effects at my fingertips to compliment the clean sounds of the Express, which is set to give a shimmering clean tone, for every song we do. The Express' tone and volume never changes except for patch changes in the ME 10 output which are Eq'd slightly different on the 5 patches I use to drive the two amps. The ME 10 is not a stereo device. It has two outputs in mono, which is what I need to make my rig work and sound the way I like it. The Transformer patches change according to the song requirements and the user mode allows for adding and taking away individual effects during a song. It's pretty easy and the two amps combined make for a really good mix with a crystal clear top end from the Express.
The midi pedal allows you to select a boost for soloing, which I do on a couple of tunes and jams.
It's very easy to create presets and there's a lot of versatility in the individual presets so that you can make several different sounding presets from the same amp models if that's your thing. Listening to recordings of our shows with headphones, I can easily hear my amps in the mix and the overall sound really does sound very different between the presets that I use on the Transformer. You'd never guess that the same amp was being used to make all the different rhythm parts. Top marks for versatility and overall quality of sound.
I don't use it to record so I don't have an opinion on that. For live shows I occasionally use a Shure SM 57 to mic (and another SM 57 for the Express) it and it comes through real good when it's mic'd.

I quit other amp companies years ago, when Peavey's teal-faced models came out. I thought the Transtube amps were a big step forward for the company and I own two of them. Very reliable and consistant sounding amps. I never had a problem with a Peavey amp.

Never used it. Never needed it.

I started out in the 70's doing covers of Deep Purple, Hendrix, the Doors, Zep, Jeff Beck. As the years rolled by I did mostly rock covers of the day. Played through Fender Twins mostly but I hated the weight, inconsistancies and cost of tube unreliability. Unlike a lot of players, I don't like tube amps because of the hassles. I think they have that certain something-tonewise-but it's not worth the downside of tube amps. Nowadays there's no reason to have to use them for shows because the newer SS amps are so good sounding. IMO the Peavey Transtube amps sound the best. The transformer is a very versatile, good sounding amp. I'm glad I bought it and I would do it again. It's as light as the Express and for my setup it's perfect.

I'm not sure when this amplifier was manufactured.
For all the styles that I play (i'm in three bands!) this little charmer makes life easy. I bought it mainly for the different amp models, although Peavey is more like SansAmp in that they give you 12 basic sounds...you EQ them into what you want. I don't use the effects other than reverb and chorus so I won't comment. Good speaker, which I have to think is a full range without much sound of its own because it has to be neutral. The headphone output is mono. Not too heavy and built solid, in the USA.

With humbuckers it is great. I don't have any single-coil guitars so no opinion. It's not noisy unless the gain is way up. Reverb sounds very good. The chorus is ok but nothing like a boss pedal. You can get almost any sound from it. Good cleans and distortions.

In the time I've had it (since 2002) there has never been any trouble.

Pretty good!

This is great. I wish I had one of these back in the late 60s when rock was experimenting with sounds. I'd be rich! Hey, this is a very good, versatile amp. Love it!

An interesting guitar amp.Pretty versatile and enough power for a small gig.The footswitch is great.Love the reverb and delay,modulation effects are ok.Got this amp for practice but it can do a lot more.Nice surprise.Wish it had an active presence control.

I am using it with a Gibson Les Paul and a Peavey Odyssey both guitars with humbuckers.I play rock and blues.You can get a good variety of tones through this thing clean and dirty.It is not noisy and can play and feel good even at low volumes thanks to the T/Dynamics control.I really like the vintage british and the modern american overdrives plus the tweed american clean tones.It's not a tube burner but if you tweak it you can get close.Not bad at all.

I've had it for about a year and it never broke down.Played with Peavey gear before and it's always been reliable.

I dealt with the company once regarding some info on my Peavey Odyssey and they were ok.Never had to repair something.

I've been playing guitar for twenty years.I use a Marshall Super Lead 100 with 4 x 12 cab, a Peavey VTM 60 with 2 x 12 cab, Peavey Transformer 112, Gibson Les Paul Standard and Peavey Odyssey.If it were stolen or lost I'd be playing sad,sad blues !!! What I really like is that I can practise at home at low volume and get a good sound and feel out of it.Keep up the good work Peavey.

Features...now there's a question. Would I say that an amp was superior because it came with a ton of digital effects with endless tweakable parameters? I think not. For me the question is simple: Does the amp in question provide the player with the tools to craft a good tone signature? Does it provide enough variety in these tone-crafting tools to be able to give the player a lot of options for good tone, depending on the style(s) he or she plays? If that's what features is about, then I have to go with a 10. This amp is very easy to use and set up for my diverse styles. It flat out does the job. I play squeaky clean, chime laden surfy, reverb stuff, 60s and 70s rock, 80s shred, 90s grunge / punk / modern and even a little White Stripes stuff. The Transformer does it all without the angst of having to endlessly scroll through menus, parameters...blah, blah, blah. Takes just minutes to set up great patches and store them. Sounds good with all my guitars. Let me put it this way...if I were going to record a CD for "XYZ record company", I might want to use a LINE 6 Vetta. As it is, I play live performances in clubs and halls. For 1/4 of the price (including a good midi controller!) I will stick to the Peavey. No one can hear the difference in a dance club...and nobody cares, either. Price / performance ratio is the best feature, by far.

Already mentioned the styles I play. Today I was rehearsing with three other guitarists. One was using a Les Paul through a nice Fender Princeton chorus, one was pushing a PRS through a Marshall combo and the third guy was playing a Nighthawk through a Peavey Transtube amp. It dawned on me that I was able to very nearly mimic each of their tone signatures with the Transformer, as I had created patches that emulate that sweet, Fender clean tone (w reverb), the famous Marshall crunch (Plexi / Greenback and JCM 800 / Vintage 30) and the Peavey Hi-Gain / Ultra tone / Sheffield 1230. Now ask yourself...just how much more do you REALLY need? I stepped on the midi-controller for some boost and phasor for soloing, then backed off for rhythm to the Marshall plexi / Greenback. Plenty of cut for solos and plenty of fat crunch for rhythm. Folks, it really doesn't get any better. You can talk yourself into a $1600 dollar amp way to easily. This amp sounds excellent for about $450. Do the math, people. Duh-NO BRAINER!

This is not my first Peavey amp. I never had any problems with any Peavey equipment I owned and cared for. Can't say the same for the Fender stuff I owned. Peavey is very reliable.

They really are the best in the business.

I still own a few old, small, tube amps and a few other solid-state amps. I own some rack gear, a lot of pedals and BBE stuff. Since I have had the Transformer 112 (for about 7 months, at the time of this review), I have become very familiar with the tone shaping functions / features / tricks and I have been able to sucessfully copy and store some of my all-time favorite amp tones in one box. (I have the PC editor software. It opens up the amp's potential and is well worth downloading-it's free)
What's It like having a lightweight, amply powered, portable, versatile amp to club with? It's like going to a gig with all my favorite amps, in one box. THAT is amazing! Of all the modelers out there, I'd rate this Peavey way up there...with the high-end VOX and LINE 6 stuff. A lot of people won't even give Peavey a second look unless it's a 5150 or the XXL, but let me tell ya...Peavey KNOWS how to do solid-state designs that bring the sound and feel of the classics to life, in their products. The "Transtube" circuit is a huge step toward the true emulation of tube tone / feel. I consider this amp to be a true sleeper in the midst of much higher priced units from other manufacturers. It's a damned shame that the amp was not marketed properly or positioned correctly during it's debut and marketing window. For those of us who now are fortunate enough to have picked one up...I doubt you'll be seeing many of us let them go. I'm keeping mine and I'd buy another one if it were lost or stolen. Are there other amps that boast better tone? Sure, but unfortunately they simply are priced so high as to make them unreachable for the average working musician, like myself who has been playing in clubs and on "B" stages for 25 years. The Transformer gives me all of these wonderful amps for $450. I figure I saved somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500 bucks, PLUS another 25 grand for a great big van to haul it around in! Fantastic value? HELL YES!!!

Made in 2000. The best features of this amp are 1. Analog amp with REAL amp sound. 2. Free footswitch. 3. Easy to set up and use. Effects are not the best but I'm comparing them to your standard digital rack processor. "Best" is subjective...for my taste, the effects are fine, since I use a little reverb and maybe an occasional delay. Players who are majorly anal about creating complex effect algorithms will be better off elsewhere. The reverb is digital, but it's very good. The variety of sounds is adequate. I use this amp for live performances. Great features

I run a variety of guitars through my Transformer. Since I prefer the sound of my Les Pauls, I have to say that the patches I set up for them sound awesome. I never try to emulate this or that kind of amp, I just set up patches to sound good and save them. For someone like me, this amp is perfect. With my Strats I have to use different amp models, but I'm able to get a very woody, strat tone going with them. It has all I need to create great sounding patches and nothing I don't need. Simple to get great sounds from this amp.

Peavey is reliable.

They are very good. I've been to the unofficial website and it is great. The software update is worth downloading and playing with.

I own a lot of gear. I started playing seriously in the mid 80s, but I started playing in the 60s. This amp is my main amp nowadays because it contains the tones of all my other amps (or nearly so) and I can step on a switch to get them all. I love this amp because it's not complicated, not too heavy to move around and it sounds so good. Yes, I'd buy it again.

I think it was manufactured in 1999. I think this amp is sort of like a 12 channel amp with lots of effects and 16 different patch locations. Anyway, you can look at the other reviews for all the features. The effects are the typical ones you'd expect, with reverb, delay/echo and modulation stuff grouped seperately. Fifty watts with T Dynamics to bring poweramp levels from 10 to 100 percent. Plenty loud for what I do. I have the newer software level and I create patches with the software and a PC. I highly recommend this. It extends the amp into a whole 'nother realm.

I use this with strats, Ibanez RG series guitars, LP and SG copies and some Turser jazzboxes. Classic Rock and hard rock is the style I mostly play. I use clean mostly but I use some distortion, too. One thing I notice about this amp is that it can be setup to keep the sound of the guitar intact or it can be setup to create a sound that makes all my guitars sound the same. This is a handy thing. Noise-wise it's not bad except at high gain levels, which is what you'd expect for any amp. I am particularly impressed with the clean tones of this amp. They are very nice and extremely adjustable for country twang to jazzy warm. Sounds good for single coil pups or humbuckers. Bear in mind that I'm reviewing this amp with the full software package in play when creating presets. This is a totally free feature (download it from Peavey's website) that adds some cool stuff to the tone and gain circuits. It's very easy to use and you can create and store presets on the amp AND in the computer. As a stand-alone I rate it as a 8-9 but in the framework of the software and a PC...I gotta give it a 10. So I'll compromise with a 9 in this category.

Had a problem with the pedal. They took care of me quick and with no charge. That's the only problem I had. It was a minor problem with the pedal cable, actually. Peavey makes reliable products. I own several and have never had any serious problem.

Perfect in all respects.

This amp is highly underrated if you ask me. I use it to gig with and as a rehearsal amp. It gets a lot of work. Great amp. I've been playing since 1983. I'd buy another one.