NAD: Peavey 3120

[eggpl@nt]

Today, I added a new amp to my (small) collection: a Peavey 3120. I'm still getting to know it, but from the couple hours I've spent with it, I'm really glad I picked it up. The Clean channel is more than passable, and the Rhythm channel delivers excellent high gain tones. The jury is still out on the Lead channel--it's just the Rhythm channel with more... but maybe too much? We shall see. I'm considering throwing a low-gain preamp tube in V2, just to see if it makes for a more usable Lead channel, allowing me to use the Rhythm channel for something more in the vein of crunchy. As it stands, Rhythm is already pretty saturated, even with the gain set lower.

The 3120 sounds great with my Mesa Traditional 4x12 and with my Mesa Widebody 1x12, both of which are loaded with Mesa V30s. I need to run it through my other cabs to see how well it plays with different boxes and speakers.

Anyway, wanted to share this because I'm pretty jazzed.

 

[la szum]

Congrats! Looks sweet! Are those remakes/redo of the old Peavey XXX amp?

 

[eggpl@nt]

Congrats! Looks sweet! Are those remakes/redo of the old Peavey XXX amp?

Yep, the 3120 is basically a XXX with EL34s and no mudflap girls. However, the 3120 can run 6L6s (among other things) thanks to the bias switch.

 

[TubeStack]

Sweet cab, love my Mesa Trad 4x12.

Enjoy the amp!

 

[DrewJD82]

Hell yeah, man! I rocked a XXX and XXL for a looooong time, killer amps!

 

[Steinmetzify]

Love these amps man, Suffocation tones for days.

HNAD!

 

[Elric]

Very cool find. I seem to remember the XXX had an active tone stack… that’s pretty unique. I think it was kind of overshadowed by the 5150 and the goofy XXX name and mudflap girls aesthetic was probably detrimental as well.

The 3120 name change was confusing… and then they started calling the Satriani amp the XXX II. Absolutely nonsensical… The decision makers at Peavey must be high half the time.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

excellent amps. and WAY less ugly than XXX.

How are you liking it? which damping mode do you prefer?

I enjoyed my (now sold) XXX, basically only liked each gain channel on a very narrow range of settings though. It’s a powerful EQ….

 

[eggpl@nt]

Very cool find. I seem to remember the XXX had an active tone stack… that’s pretty unique. I think it was kind of overshadowed by the 5150 and the goofy XXX name and mudflap girls aesthetic was probably detrimental as well.

The 3120 name change was confusing… and then they started calling the Satriani amp the XXX II. Absolutely nonsensical… The decision makers at Peavey must be high half the time.

Yeah, the 3120 is the same active EQ as the XXX.

excellent amps. and WAY less ugly than XXX.

How are you liking it? which damping mode do you prefer?

I enjoyed my (now sold) XXX, basically only liked each gain channel on a very narrow range of settings though. It’s a powerful EQ….

Liking it a lot! I’ve been using the Loose mode, because the seller said that was his favorite. Loose is plenty tight and and chunky, but it can still be boosted without sounding thin.

Agreed on the EQ, but despite that small range, I really like what’s in it.