Peavey 6505 1992 original

  • Thread starter Thread starter BesaMoogie
  • Start date Start date
I’ve always had good luck with Peavey amps, I guess. My XXL is nearly 20 years old and that thing has taken a fucking BEATING over the years, still fires up just fine. I’ve had 3-4 5150 heads in the mid-00’s that I never had an issue with, my buddies XXX is still rocking just fine, just had some tubes go bad a while back, but that amp was gigged to fuck and back.

The worst amps I’ve ever dealt with were Randalls. Before we switched to Peavey‘s my buddy and I were trying all the newer Randalls they were putting out in the mid-00’s and between the two of us had 3 of them shit the bed before we even gigged them. I can’t even remember the model names anymore, I think one was solid state and the other two were tube or hybrids or something to that effect.
 
Bardagh said:
Their love of using cheap ass ribbon cables has always caused problems. One of the most common issues with these amps is that the connectors on the ribbon cable that carries the heater voltage to the power tubes burns up. It’s always happened no matter where they were made and Peavey never did anything to fix it.
Click to expand...

This is very true in my experience, as that cable in mine also burned out.

I had a local tech install a heavier duty wire in its place and it's all good now.


glpg80 said:
What I want is the part number for that 6505II faceplate. The original made in USA ones came with that stupid ass peavey oval.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU.

Hartley always hated the 5150 logo. It was even his idea to put it behind the front cage to at least try and hide it. After Eddie left, Hartley decided to shrink it and move it off to the side and put the Peavey oval front and center. I've always thought it was a bad move. The amp remained the same, everything in the chassis is identical, sure, but there was something extra cool about that OG faceplate.
 
Last edited:
glpg80 said:
What I want is the part number for that 6505II faceplate. The original made in USA ones came with that stupid ass peavey oval.
Click to expand...

TheGreatGreen said:
THANK YOU.

Hartley always hated the 5150 logo. It was even his idea to put it behind the front cage to at least try and hide it. After Eddie left, Hartley decided to shrink it and move it off to the side and put the Peavey oval front and center. I've always thought it was a bad move. The amp sounded just as good, sure, but there was something extra cool about that OG faceplate.
Click to expand...
What if they would hide the 5150 and replace that with the oval Peavy logo? ?
 
TheGreatGreen said:
This is very true in my experience, as the cable on mine also burned out.

I had a local tech install a heavier duty wire in its place and it's all good now.
Click to expand...
Yeah I just ended up soldering them directly but it’ll make it a bit more of pain in the ass if I ever have to do anything else to the amp. I did bias mod mine (actually because a set of tubes I put in it ran way too hot, if you can believe it) but I can’t imagine doing anything else to it.
 
Bossman415 said:
@BesaMoogie the original Block Letters weren’t known for quality manufacturing. Supposedly the early ones had better transformers than the later ones. They also riveted the transformers to the chassis.

It’d be awesome if they improved the wiring on the PCB’s too. They were known to have longterm issues because they couldn’t handle the current being thrown at them.
Click to expand...
It’s pretty funny people hype up the old ones for USA manufacturing and all that. While I’m a total 5150 lover… a block letter was my first actual tube amp, those amps are unreliable as shit. Each one I’ve owned has run into problems. The infamous volume drop design flaw always happens due to the damn things over heating.
I’ve just moved onto the EVH stealth now and have no OG 5150s, just too unreliable.
 
Bardagh said:
Yeah I just ended up soldering them directly but it’ll make it a bit more of pain in the ass if I ever have to do anything else to the amp. I did bias mod mine (actually because a set of tubes I put in it ran way too hot, if you can believe it) but I can’t imagine doing anything else to it.
Click to expand...

Same. Every modded 5150 I've ever heard sounds worse than a stock one. Other than the utilitarian stuff like what you mentioned, nothing needs to be done to them.
 
glpg80 said:
They did, called the invective. It’s based on the 5150 and is a signature model. I’m undecided on it.
Click to expand...
I played one today and thought it sounded like ass. Couldn't even hold the Iconic's jockstrap which I played right after. The 50 watt Stealth they had as well and Iconic both sounded much better. More range and flavor in the overdrive tones.
 
skoora said:
I played one today and thought it sounded like ass. Couldn't even hold the Iconic's jockstrap which I played right after. The 50 watt Stealth they had as well and Iconic both sounded much better. More range and flavor in the overdrive tones.
Click to expand...

Isn’t there some weird trick you have to do with the Invective to get it to sound good at all volumes? Something about multiple master controls, maybe one of the back or something?

Whatever it is, I’ve heard that if you don’t know about it, it’s easy to make the amp sound really bad
 
TheGreatGreen said:
Isn’t there some weird trick you have to do with the Invective to get it to sound good at all volumes? Something about multiple master controls, maybe one of the back or something?

Whatever it is, I’ve heard that if you don’t know about it, it’s easy to make the amp sound really bad
Click to expand...
I've read that too. If you go to sevenstring.org looks for Deadpool25 he has pages and pages of detailed info on dialing that amp in.
 
You have the run the post channel volumes on the invective all the way up and also have the footswitch to engage the master volume boost otherwise it just chops the sack off of it. The whole master volume boost feature is assbackwards and IMO it does the 5150 gain thing that sounds a little more refined and tighter. I like it better the the original 5150 amps sound wise.
 
It’s strange that they would do that. I don’t think I could own an amp that absolutely required the foot switch to be plugged in for it to sound right at anything less than top volume.
 
Last edited:
TheGreatGreen said:
Same. Every modded 5150 I've ever heard sounds worse than a stock one. Other than the utilitarian stuff like what you mentioned, nothing needs to be done to them.
Click to expand...
ever heard the fja clarity mod? I don't want to give anything away because jerry was awesome to deal with, but in reverse engineering that mod way back when (i don't have the info anymore), it wasn't a particularly invasive mod. looked like just changing values of some stuff on the preamp board. it got rid of that sizzly sound on the top end, but kept everything else exactly the same sounding. Whenever i play a stock one, i hear that sizzle instantly, but i think that is what a lot of people LIKE about that amp, so its all in the ear of the beholder i guess.
 
JimAnsell said:
ever heard the fja clarity mod? I don't want to give anything away because jerry was awesome to deal with, but in reverse engineering that mod way back when (i don't have the info anymore), it wasn't a particularly invasive mod. looked like just changing values of some stuff on the preamp board. it got rid of that sizzly sound on the top end, but kept everything else exactly the same sounding. Whenever i play a stock one, i hear that sizzle instantly, but i think that is what a lot of people LIKE about that amp, so its all in the ear of the beholder i guess.
Click to expand...


That sizzle and fizz is what makes them killer in a mix. All these guys that neuter their 5150s to death with these terrible mods are playing in their basement only.
 
Last edited:
LPMojoGL said:
Saw this when it was announced.
Reeks of marketing to me.
Click to expand...

It’s absolutely 100% marketing. Well, and consolidation. It’s cheaper to only make one kind of transformer and use it in multiple amps. While they’re at it, might as well take one of those amps and wrap it in a pretty new bow (or in this case, an older style nostalgic bow).

FWIW I’m still glad they’re doing it, whatever the reason may be, if only because the large block number fronts look better to me than the Totally Radical Dude old school Peavey logo there.
 
Last edited:
I currently have the 6505 1992 Original and new straight cab loaded with the 1230+ speakers at my house. Rendering and uploading my initial impressions on it today.

Much like with the 6505II that I was able to demo in late 2021, the amp tone is largely unchanged. I noticed a slight bit more clarity and focus in the upper mids, we're talking very slight. Everything else we all know and love (or hate) about the 5150/6505 tones are still in tact.

Is this a marketing move? Absolutely. Was the switch to the Invective transformer so that they can use the same transformer across their flagship amps and make it a cost saving measure? I'm sure that it was. But, in talking to John Fields, he put a lot of time and energy into making that transformer as close to, what he felt, was the best of the original 5150 transformers they had in house, and then tweaking it for slightly more clarity. I believe every word, because John has been extremely forthcoming with me about many things going on over there, and he hasn't pulled any punches. He's an amp and speaker lover, and a fan. He is not a marketing guy in the slightest.

As far as the 1230+ speakers, I'm already a fan. Not sure if any of you played the old 1230 speakers that came in the VTM/Butcher cabs after they stopped using the Celestion K85 speakers, but they were honestly a great sounding speaker. When Eddie came over, they essentially used the 1230 and changed out the cone for a greenback cone. The early ones, according to John, were some of the best sounding speakers he'd ever heard. But unfortunately, sourcing and manufacturing inconsistencies made them sound wildly inconsistent throughout the years. A lot of them sound REAL BAD. I have a 5150 slant right now and it just sounds fucking terrible. But I had a couple recently that didn't sound bad at all.

The 1230+ has a tighter low end, strong low mid voicing, and has the very top end fizz tailored a bit. The old 5150 cabs enhanced the 5150 fizz. The new ones dial it back just enough to make the amp sound a little more organic. I truly think they are an awesome speaker, and I generally don't like non-Celestion speakers.

But, that's just been my experience. These will be in the wild soon, so many people will be able to form their own opinions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top