NAD: A cheapy but a rock solid sleeper I have wanted for years

[Bob Zaod]

Picking up a Peavey Prowler tonight after work. Basically fell in my lap. Friend of a friend. 150 bucks. I played through one many years ago at a now defunct Mom n Pop Music shop and fell in love with it. Went back the next day to trade in some pedals towards it and it was gone. This one according to the guy is in like new shape. Speaker has been changed to a Sheffield 1230 from the Blue Marvel. 45 watts, 6L6 driven with 4 12ax7's. Things I have read say it's the USA predecessor to the Valveking series which IMO were good sounding amps. Do I need yet another combo amp? No but if I like it I may have it cut down to a head. I just have a thing for sleeper amps. Especially hard to find USA made ones.

Eh for the price of a mid tier pedal I will take a flier on it and see if my ears didn't deceive me.

 

[JT]

Nice score! I thought this was the predecessor to the Ultra?

 

[Fireproof]

Peavey has been such an icon in the industry - any good finds like that are a-ok with me.

 

[Bob Zaod]

Nice score! I thought this was the predecessor to the Ultra?

I believe you are correct. Was just reading that on the Peavey forum. In which case if it has the same pre-amp that's a huge bonus. Those things were pretty killer for high gain stuff. I had an Ultra 120 way back in the day.

 

[Baba]

I think I'm going to start collecting old Peavey amps.

 

[Bob Zaod]

I think I'm going to start collecting old Peavey amps.

I have had a bunch of the older stuff through the years. At one point I was using only Peavey stuff. It's not a cream of the crop brand for sure but they always got a bad rap mostly because of aesthetics. I have had Butchers, VTM's Ultra's, Mace, Heritage, Classic 50's, Bandits, 6505's, 5150's, every iteration of the Triple XXX, Valvekings, Triumph, Vypyrs, and I'm sure more I cant think of right now and one thing I can say for sure is none of them sucked. Some were just ok and some were really good to great but not one sucked outright. The Vypyr VIP 2 came close but had a couple usable amps in it.

I can't say that about all the Fender, Marshall, and Mesa amps I have owned. At least 1 model of those brands was terrible to my ears.

 

[JT]

I have had a bunch of the older stuff through the years. At one point I was using only Peavey stuff. It's not a cream of the crop brand for sure but they always got a bad rap mostly because of aesthetics. I have had Butchers, VTM's Ultra's, Mace, Heritage, Classic 50's, Bandits, 6505's, 5150's, every iteration of the Triple XXX, Valvekings, Triumph, Vypyrs, and I'm sure more I cant think of right now and one thing I can say for sure is none of them sucked. Some were just ok and some were really good to great but not one sucked outright. The Vypyr VIP 2 came close but had a couple usable amps in it.

I can't say that about all the Fender, Marshall, and Mesa amps I have owned. At least 1 model of those brands was terrible to my ears.

Peavey 5150 is god tier.

 

[Bob Zaod]

Peavey 5150 is god tier.

I had an original block letter and a II. Both were stolen from me when someone took everything in my rehearsal space. They even took the drum sticks.

 

[JT]

I had an original block letter and a II. Both were stolen from me when someone took everything in my rehearsal space. They even took the drum sticks.

That stinks. Ugh. The 6534+ is a great one you don't see much.

 

[la szum]

I have had a bunch of the older stuff through the years. At one point I was using only Peavey stuff. It's not a cream of the crop brand for sure but they always got a bad rap mostly because of aesthetics. I have had Butchers, VTM's Ultra's, Mace, Heritage, Classic 50's, Bandits, 6505's, 5150's, every iteration of the Triple XXX, Valvekings, Triumph, Vypyrs, and I'm sure more I cant think of right now and one thing I can say for sure is none of them sucked. Some were just ok and some were really good to great but not one sucked outright. The Vypyr VIP 2 came close but had a couple usable amps in it.

I can't say that about all the Fender, Marshall, and Mesa amps I have owned. At least 1 model of those brands was terrible to my ears.

James Brown much???

Peavey's heritage/legacy lineup takes a backseat to no one. Yeah, they are fugly. If you can
get past that you can find an amp for any style, and dare I say that James Brown belongs
in the same sentence as those guys who followed after Leo Fender and James Marshall??
Guys like Reinhold Bogner and Randall Smith. There is no 5150/6505 without him---or those
amps that preceded those like the Ultras and Triumphs.

I believe the XXX was supposed to be the George Lynch Sig amp, and the JSX was Satriani's
first real Sig Amp. James is a legend, in my opinion---and now back in the fold with EVH and
working with Wolfie on the new 5150 Iconics.

Obligatory Peavey amp pic.

 

[JT]

James Brown much???

Peavey's heritage/legacy lineup takes a backseat to no one. Yeah, they are fugly. If you can
get past that you can find an amp for any style, and dare I say that James Brown belongs
in the same sentence as those guys who followed after Leo Fender and James Marshall??
Guys like Reinhold Bogner and Randall Smith. There is no 5150/6505 without him---or those
amps that preceded those like the Ultras and Triumphs.

I believe the XXX was supposed to be the George Lynch Sig amp, and the JSX was Satriani's
first real Sig Amp. James is a legend, in my opinion---and now back in the fold with EVH and
working with Wolfie on the new 5150 Iconics.

Obligatory Peavey amp pic.

View attachment 603

100% Tone Legend

 

[la szum]

100% Tone Legend

1000% agree.

Would modern metal/thrash/hardcore be the same if you
took the 5150/6505/6505+ out of the picture?

 

[Baba]

James Brown much???

Peavey's heritage/legacy lineup takes a backseat to no one. Yeah, they are fugly. If you can
get past that you can find an amp for any style, and dare I say that James Brown belongs
in the same sentence as those guys who followed after Leo Fender and James Marshall??
Guys like Reinhold Bogner and Randall Smith. There is no 5150/6505 without him---or those
amps that preceded those like the Ultras and Triumphs.

I believe the XXX was supposed to be the George Lynch Sig amp, and the JSX was Satriani's
first real Sig Amp. James is a legend, in my opinion---and now back in the fold with EVH and
working with Wolfie on the new 5150 Iconics.

I agree. James Brown IS "my" tone. I still have a Rockmaster pre, I've had Classics, 5150's, Iconic, etc. The dude just knows what I want to hear.

 

[la szum]

You owned an Iconic? Tell me more. Please.

 

[jimmy Biter]

Prowler is a great little amp! Nice score!
It would be cool to make that into a head
Did the same to my Ultra 112

 

[Bob Zaod]

Prowler is a great little amp! Nice score!
It would be cool to make that into a head
Did the same to my Ultra 112

yeah if I like how it sounds through a couple of my cabs I will definitely cut it down to a head. Not like they have gone up in value or anything so win/win if I like it.

 

[Bob Zaod]

Apparently these have a built in footswitchable solo boost that actually works. Hopefully it's better than the one on the Windsor head. That boost sounded like they tried to boost the WRONG stuff. Blech. Windsor was decent though if played loud.

 

[Baba]

You owned an Iconic? Tell me more. Please.

Sorry, that should have said I own a Rockmaster pre, owned some Classics, and have played OG 5150's and the Iconic

 

[Bob Zaod]

Sorry, that should have said I own a Rockmaster pre, owned some Classics, and have played OG 5150's and the Iconic

Rockmaster pre is a legit piece of hardware!

 

[Riffraff]

Much respect for JB!