got my Ultra Plus!

[soc_monki]

and UPS raped the box. and it wasnt packed well either. hole ripped in the box, amp laying on its back. Reverb tank was literally ripped from the top of the enclosure! i pulled it because, honestly, i dont use Reverb anyway. so i plug it in and fire it up...all tubes are fine, everything is working. i flip the standby and there is a terrible hum. amp plays fine, sounds good, just hums LOUDLY. so i did a search and it seems the cable connectors in the amp seem to like to come loose and cause it to hum. so i pull the chassis and this thing is CLEAN inside. i doubt this thing ever ever left someones house. little dusty, tolex is rough in some places, but the board and everything inside is squeaky clean. so i check all the connections and some of them were indeed a bit loose. so i put it back on my cab and plug it back in and fire it up and...

hum is gone! well, not completely...but its the same as my old 5150. just the normal high gain fuzz when youre not playing. sweet! kinda feels like home, especially since the volume for the clean channel pot is broken off. i can still use it so no biggie, i can replace it later or not. resonance switch is a little iffy, kinda loose feeling. also an easy fix. tubes look new, EH 6L6's and EH preamp. this thing definitely seems to be biased hotter than the old 5150. the tubes are noticeably brighter and exhibit a bluish glow when standby is off. i looked this up and saw this wasnt an issue...ive just never seen it. anyone care to comment?

thing sounds awesome though. can only play on the ultra and clean channels (no footswitch...) but i can remedy that. there are switches available online, so ill find one. or if someone has one they dont need?

overall, im happy. going to give it a few days and see how it reacts but initial first impression is awesome! so much gain on the ultra channel...im running it around 3.5, with the boost switch engaged. really reminds me of my 5150, although there is no presence control. 300 bucks was a steal! glad UPS didnt totally destroy it with the way the box looked. but its a Peavey, and my 5150 went through hell (including a car wreck) and survived. tanks they are.

 

[soc_monki]

gut and tube shots...for those wondering!

 

[JCDenton6]

Congrats!!! That's one of Peavey's best amps IMHO.
Thanks for the gut shots as well.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

You'll need a foot switch ASAP
That yellow channel is awesome

 

[soc_monki]

Congrats!!! That's one of Peavey's best amps IMHO.
Thanks for the gut shots as well.

no problem! i figured i had it out of the shell, might as well take some nekkid pics! and yes, i am finding out it probably IS the best Peavey amp. i loved my 5150 but this is just...awesome. great low end, the mids are where i want them, gain is awesome. a bit fizzy, but i expected that. its about the same as my 5150 which means when i get the volume opened up it will roar.

 

[soc_monki]

You'll need a foot switch ASAP
That yellow channel is awesome

already have one ordered! i know from playing with my Rockmaster how the crunch channel is. i mean, the crunch and ultra are pretty much identical, save for the volume pot values, but having a lower gain rhythm then bump up the gain for leads? yes please! cant wait! wish i could have used my 5150 footswitch, but its got to have a 7 pin doesnt it? oh well, guess they had a reason!

 

[chumbucket]

The best footswitch choice in my opinion is the one for the JSX. You'll need to rewire it but they're heavy duty and can be had for fairly cheap.
I don't think I would put it quite at the level of a 5150. It's nowhere near as loud as a 5150 and not nearly as aggressive sounding.

 

[soc_monki]

ive got an aftermarket switch on the way...well see how it goes.

i have yet to play it in a band situation...probably will Tuesday. if its 3/4's as loud as a 5150 it will be fine. i never ran mine over 4! and it may not be as aggressive as a 5150, but thats not always a bad thing. one thing it is is more versatile. however, i never had a problem with my 5150...the "clean" channel sucked, but it was never really designed to be a clean channel. the ultra channel is aggressive enough, and i dig the tone a lot. so its a keeper! ill probably snag another 5150 one day...just have to wait for the right opportunity. maybe a 5150 II...i played one and dug it a lot, and it would be nice to have one.

 

[Anonymous]

i miss mine so much... i had the ultra plus and 6505 at the same time only had my 6505 for a few days, but the ultra plus blew it away.. but i sold it, because i got a offer i couldnt refuse, and plus i thought i would be able to dial in the 6505.. im kicking myself in the ass everyday.. dont get me wrong i love my 6505 but like someone said in a earlier post ultra plus is peaveys best amp... i am willing to trade my 6505 for an ultra plus, straight up if the ultra is in great shape and comes with footswitch.. and if not then my 6505 plus 100 bucks.. but congrats on the amp man..

 

[soc_monki]

the more i play it the more i dig it. cant wait until i can use the crunch channel...ive only got the gain on the Ultra channel on about 3 and a half! boost engaged, of course. its insane. great for leads, awesome rhythms too but i tend to prefer a little less gain for rhythm tones. should be sweet once i can start using it.

i too love the 6505 (5150). i loved the tone i got from mine...i still miss it. but this amp fills the void quite well!

 

[glassjaw7]

Congrats! LOVE the Ultra!!! The Ultra Plus and Classic 30 were the first tube amps I played.

 

[YeahI]

I loved the Ultra I owned. Congrats!

 

[soc_monki]

update! footswitch came today! now i get to see the Peavey logo change colors! awesome! super cheesy actually, but fun anyway. ha! its good to finally get to mess around with the crunch channel. i can say that this channel sounds closest to what my 5150 tone did. a little less saturated maybe. have the gain around 6 or so, with the boost. nice, kinda dry, pretty articulate, plenty of bite. should cut through a band just fine and be nice and tight for rhythms. kind of wish the amp had a pot for Resonance rather than a switch, but its a small matter. i have it on the medium setting, edge around 5, body around 4, bottom around 7. bit of thump that hits you when you palm mute, plenty of mids to cut through, and a bit of high end for clarity. dont miss the presence control...of course, it didnt do much until 7 or 8 on the 5150 anyway IMO.

havent turned the Recto on since i got the Ultra. which is sad really...if i had another cab i would run them in stereo...oh man what a tone that would be!

 

[Inearthed]

I loved the Ultra Plus, my only real gripes about the amp were related to the foot switch.

- Switches too close together on the original foot switch
- Slight drop out and slight delay when changing channels (very brief)

Really, other than that it was an great sounding, inexpensive amp.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I fired mine up yesterday for the first time in a few weeks... this amp really speaks to me! Sounds great with every axe, but especially my Wolf & HP. I used the Ultra Plus on all my leads in the video in the signature below (I'm the first player).

Strange but true: I have had trouble getting this amp profiled on my Kemper, the low end kept coming out awful. Mr. Kemper chimed in on a thread and mentioned that there a few (very few) amps that do not profile accurately; apparently this Ultra + is one of them.

 

[guitarman967]

I have one that's been sitting in my closet for like 5 years. What's the going rate for one of these bad boys?

 

[blackba]

When I got my first real amp the Peavey Transtube supreme, the Ultra plus was a current Peavey offering. As a teenager, I thought the logo changing color was cool.

Congrats on the Ultra plus

 

[soc_monki]

I loved the Ultra Plus, my only real gripes about the amp were related to the foot switch.

- Switches too close together on the original foot switch
- Slight drop out and slight delay when changing channels (very brief)

Really, other than that it was an great sounding, inexpensive amp.

i got one from Switchdoctor...no problem with the spacing! i have seen the standard switches though...what was peavey thinking? also, i hear you about the slight delay. not a big deal really, good timing can compensate for it. definitely worth the money i paid!

 

[soc_monki]

I fired mine up yesterday for the first time in a few weeks... this amp really speaks to me! Sounds great with every axe, but especially my Wolf & HP. I used the Ultra Plus on all my leads in the video in the signature below (I'm the first player).

Strange but true: I have had trouble getting this amp profiled on my Kemper, the low end kept coming out awful. Mr. Kemper chimed in on a thread and mentioned that there a few (very few) amps that do not profile accurately; apparently this Ultra + is one of them.

i watched your vid a few times...its good stuff! this amp just does it...can do lower gain, high gain, sustain for days it seems, really clear and chunky, and very cutting. cleans arent too shabby either! just wish i had a chorus pedal still!

and good on knowing the Kemper cant profile it accurately...maybe that will make it more collectable! would love to try the Kemper though, looks and sounds amazing!

 

[soc_monki]

I have one that's been sitting in my closet for like 5 years. What's the going rate for one of these bad boys?

got mine for 300. thats usually a good middle ground on prices. what kind of shape is the amp in? if my boss decides to buy my Recto i may try to take your Ultra! nothing wrong with backups, right?