Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

[Guitarjon]

Hey guys!

I've been wanting to do this comparison for a while now so I'm happy that I got this out of my system!
So this is all about comparing the Peavey 6505 120W head to the smaller 6505 MH 20W lunchbox head.
The big one has 4 6L6 powertubes whereas the small one has 2 EL84 power tubes.
Both amps also have different feature sets.
The MH has more options for direct/silent recording which is cool as well as tube failure indicators.
Differences other than the sound will not be discussed in the video though so this one focuses all on the tones.

I love both amps a lot and they both definitely have their uses and to be honest I think the small 20W mini head did a great job in comparison to the big one.
I guess you could say that the MH has a bit more of a 'fluffy/fuzzy' attack but that's not a bad thing, it's just different.
It does however capture that signature 6505/5150 sound.

I would LOVE to know your thoughts though.
Which one would you buy and why?
And which one did you think sounded better in this comparison?

[ArtieToo]

Re: Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

Even through a YT vid, and even through my computer audio, (which is very nice), I could hear the added "girth" of the big amp. Less noticeable on clean settings, but still there. There's no way I can advise you on which to buy. Are you going to be playing in a home studio, or on a stage?

[Guitarjon]

Re: Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

Even through a YT vid, and even through my computer audio, (which is very nice), I could hear the added "girth" of the big amp. Less noticeable on clean settings, but still there. There's no way I can advise you on which to buy. Are you going to be playing in a home studio, or on a stage?

I just want to clarify that I made this video and I own both these amps.
I just enjoy doing tests like these and hearing from you guys what you thought etc.
Talking gear is a lot of fun!

[ArtieToo]

Re: Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

Cool. I wish I had the licks to make videos like yours.

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

Really digging your vids!

I dug the added girth of the big amp, but I like the bite of the small amp here. The small amp seems a bit less stuffy in the low mids too, which I dig.

[Seraphial]

Re: Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

Really digging your vids!

I dug the added girth of the big amp, but I like the bite of the small amp here. The small amp seems a bit less stuffy in the low mids too, which I dig.

I agree with that. Hard to translate, but the 'girth' could also be interpreted (IMHO) as less lower mids, therefore to my ears the MH has a tiny bit more cut.

Great vid man, really appreciate your effort. I've been thinking about an MH so this really helps.

[80's_Metal]

Re: Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

Love the vid, love both those amps and their tones.
I've been regretting selling off my 6505, and I've been looking into that mh head a lot lately.
Especially if it records well.

Thanks for sharing man! Great job.

[Guitarjon]

Re: Peavey 6505 vs 6505 MH mini head

Cheers guys!
Thanks for checking out the video and for sharing your thoughts!