Peavey XXL heads

[kp59]

anybody have any experience, I know they are SS heads and been around for a few years.

I picked up one on e-bay pretty cheap, after reading some of the reviews on them. For about half the price of a XXX or 5150, will it give me about half the sound...LOL.

They seem very high priced new ($699) for a SS amp.

I buy stuff for my son to try mostly, he's into metal/shreading play. Currently he has a Crate GLX1200 that he runs a GNX-4 into. Getting ready to start playing out in smaller places now. I thought the XXL might be an upgrade his current setup. I figured this might be a good next step before he goes for the XXX or 5150 .

Of course if he doesn't like it I will simply add it my collection....LOL.

[jgcable]

anybody have any experience, I know they are SS heads and been around for a few years.

I picked up one on e-bay pretty cheap, after reading some of the reviews on them. For about half the price of a XXX or 5150, will it give me about half the sound...LOL.

They seem very high priced new ($699) for a SS amp.

I buy stuff for my son to try mostly, he's into metal/shreading play. Currently he has a Crate GLX1200 that he runs a GNX-4 into. Getting ready to start playing out in smaller places now. I thought the XXL might be an upgrade his current setup. I figured this might be a good next step before he goes for the XXX or 5150 .

Of course if he doesn't like it I will simply add it my collection....LOL.

Personally.. I don't like the XXL. IMHO... its a minor upgrade from the GLX1200H.
What you should do is sell the GNX4, sell the Crate, sell the XXL and pick him up a used 5150, JSX or XXX and a G-Major with a foot controller. DONE.
In response to your question if the XXL is half as good as the XXX or the 5150... NOPE, not even close. The XXL is thin, noisy, the controls aren't very responsive and it sounds EXTREMELY solid state. It does have a few things going for it though. I am sure its reliable and it looks pretty cool.

[jgcable]

Let me disclaimer my above post... my review on the XXL is based on me being forced to play through one for several rehearsals. Your ears might hear differently.

[thelordconqueror]

i bought a jsx off of ebay last week, and it is by far the most impressive piece of musical equipment that i have owned in my 6 years of playing guitar. much more versatile than the 5150 i owned previously, sounds amazing, i can't say enough good things about this amp.

[Inearthed]

The step (price wise) between the XXL and the XXX / 5150 isn't that big, especially if you're buying new. Why not just score a used XXX / 5150 for the price of the XXL new?

The XXL's I've checked out sounded decent for in store jamming alone, but live... Very thin and doesn't cut very well.

[yabba]

The step (price wise) between the XXL and the XXX / 5150 isn't that big, especially if you're buying new. Why not just score a used XXX / 5150 for the price of the XXL new?

agreed! I'd just go straight for the used 5150/XXX (or maybe something like a used peavey ultra, which would be even cheaper)

[kp59]

it was a used XXL.

The step (price wise) between the XXL and the XXX / 5150 isn't that big, especially if you're buying new. Why not just score a used XXX / 5150 for the price of the XXL new?

The XXL's I've checked out sounded decent for in store jamming alone, but live... Very thin and doesn't cut very well.

under $250.... I figured what the heck, If my son doesn't like it after a while I'll sell it for a small profit to one of his bud's or turn it over on e-bay for whatever I can get.

I just saw one in similar shape go for $330 tonight. As long as I don't lose my ass, I'm happy to let my son try some different amps.

The XXX and 5150's got for $500-600 used.....The boy WILL have to come up with dollars on his own to help with that kind of change. I think I;m a pretty good 'guitar dad" , but we all have limits...LOL.

Thanks for all the input.

[Bryan]

I wish I could find a 5150 for $500 or $600. Every time see them, they're past that price.

But for your son, the XXL for under $250 is a fair price. Much better than I started out with.

[jgcable]

under $250.... I figured what the heck, If my son doesn't like it after a while I'll sell it for a small profit to one of his bud's or turn it over on e-bay for whatever I can get.

I just saw one in similar shape go for $330 tonight. As long as I don't lose my ass, I'm happy to let my son try some different amps.

The XXX and 5150's got for $500-600 used.....The boy WILL have to come up with dollars on his own to help with that kind of change. I think I;m a pretty good 'guitar dad" , but we all have limits...LOL.

Thanks for all the input.

The reason I mentioned selling your gear is because although you paid $250.00 for the XXL which is a pretty good deal, you also have a GNX-4 which had to set you back around $350.00 min. If you could turn a small profit on the XXL, you could easily sell the GNX-4 and the Crate you have must be worth a few hundred. Sounds to me that you could easily score a nice amp for your boy along with a decent effects processor like a used G-Major or maybe something like an Intellifex.

[Racerx2k]

I happen to be one of the people who LIKE the XXL. I think it has some really cool tones in it, and wouldn't think twice about owning and playing one.

[jgcable]

I happen to be one of the people who LIKE the XXL. I think it has some really cool tones in it, and wouldn't think twice about owning and playing one.

Nah... you don't like it. Amplifier tone is very subjective but not in this case. How's that for being brash!

I can find the good in almost any amp but I couldn't find any good in the XXL in regards to tones. Me and Jim would flip a coin to see who got stuck with it. There was also a Marshall SLX there that sounded like a Bogner compared to the XXL.

[Racerx2k]

Here, I'll take it off your hands. Give it to me, then I'll get stuck with it!

[kp59]

actually I expect that's what will happen, eventually. He's been playing for about three years now, but is a bit shy and I think unsure of his ability's. So he hasn't pushed himself out there for tyrouts with local bands in need. The guys he's played (plays) with are his buds mostly and they never can find a drummer..LOL. I assume once he gets his drivers license things may change( turns 17 this dec). All I knwo is if I could play like he can at 16YO I WOULD have been trying out with every band I could find...but alas I've always been a hack of a player myself.

At some point if he wants it bad enough, he'll have to push himself "out there"...or not. When/if he does I expect he'll be looking to go with an all -tube pro set up. I'll help him sell of his crate half-stack (Maybe $250), his GNX-4 ($250-300) and I'll let him have the cash from selling the XXL too ($250) if he wants me to.

I figure $750-800 should be enough to get him a used 5150, XXX or something else along those lines. But frankly until he really starts playing out on a regular basis I think he can wait.

The only problem with my ideas is the boy doesn't want to sell ANYTHING...LOL.

But again, he has to want it.

[iced_earth]

My setup is an XXL head and a Mesa 3/4 back cab. I happen to like it a lot for practicing. It gives me 3 basic sounds to work with: very high gain for thrash metal/ultra scooped sounds, a Marshall type sound with more mids/body for soloing, and a clean sound. I'll never be in a band, so I don't know how it would hold up in that environment.

In the end, it really does not offer much more than what your GNX4 could do with a power amp and a cab. I like it for its simplicity and its tone is very usable for my ears.

BTW, I picked mine up for around $270 on Ebay. I don't feel ripped off at all.

[mm2002]

A good friend of mine bought an XXL new a couple of years ago (and still has it). I have played through it a bunch. Our concensus is that it's decent for noodling around at lower volumes, but that's about it. Playing it with live drums is useless. It gets muddy and shrill at loud volumes, and believe me, we've tried every tweak possible.