Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

[Interstate 70]

Is this amp good for the blues? I want to start a new arena blues movement and I'm gonna need a lot of power. Six of these lined up behind me ought to be enough don't you think? With a slew of Marshall 4x10 and 4x12 stacks. It'll be pretty loud which is zackly what i want loud, modern, rockin blues.

Is this the way you'd go about it?

 

[Interstate 70]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

By the way, my arena is a house or club in case you are wondering. And actually, I really only plan to need one 6505 with two 4x12 cabinets.

I think I was scaring folks off with my ridiculous sounding intro...

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

A Peavy 6505 is not usually considered a blues amp. But, if that's the way you want to use it. It'll be your amp, use it any way you want. It'll work for blues or that neo-classical c**p, or jazz it you really want.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

The clean channel has a nice crunch option to it. That may work for you. As with most modern amps, the 6505150 sounds and cuts better the more you crank BACK the gain.

 

[Shnook]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

The 6505 would not be my choice for a blues amp. Yes it's loud, but it's a gain monster and doesn't clean up that well. I have a 5150 Combo that I consider to be a useless amp unless playing hard to heavy rock. It now sits silently in storage.

 

[Interstate 70]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

The clean channel has a nice crunch option to it. That may work for you. As with most modern amps, the 6505150 sounds and cuts better the more you crank BACK the gain.

You are encouraging. I know that everyone else would say Fender. I like Fender. but, I want to think outside the box on this current project. "Cuts better the more you crank BACK the gain." ie, the OD tone sounds less like white noise and more like crunchy OD with some depth. Is that what you mean?

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

Yep. exactly.

honestly, I'd recommend a fender too, but there's nothing wrong with a new approach. As I always say: if it's practical, get to as many stores as you can and try everything at proper volumes.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

You like Gary Moore?

COs this is basically what he did when he switched over to "Blues" playing..Soldano's..Cranked Marshalls...LOTTA gain....

I like the idea personally..There are some good tones in the 5150...

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

Yeah, the 6505150 is basically a soldano ripoff, and Soldanos are very usable for blues.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

You could use it for blues...but use the clean channel with the crunch engaged. The lead channel is really pretty ape ****.

 

[BigBazz]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

If you are in a decent room with natural reverb have the amp gain at about 4-5 on the lead channel and then lower the guitar volume to clean up, that gives a lovely lead tone thats perfect for blues, not many people experiment enough with this amp to find what other great sounds it has to offer.

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

6505150

nice

 

[Interstate 70]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

BigBazzWell, I kinda started this thread as a joke in response to a thread in the Sound Off-Off Topic Room of the forum. But, you guys are making me think that this is not so terribly ridiculous. Perhaps a guy, maybe me, really could do this and make it work. Amazing. The 6505150 isn't a one trick pony after all.

How could one clean up the lead channel? Clean it up just a bit? Use one or two 12AT7's in the pre-amp? Would that do it?

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

I have the 5150 original version... Man that amp does it all for me as far as overdriven tones... It does metal type sounds yes but when you play with the controlls and cut the gains back it does so much more... and that huge bottom end is killer! It is a great amp with many sounds but most people just crank the gain up and never try it with other settings.

WhoFan

 

[BigBazz]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

Obviously its no fender bassman, the clean as a clean isnt great, but when the poweramp is cranked a bit and you roll the volume back on the lead/crunch channel maybe using the neck pickup you really can get some nice blues tones, i didnt ever think this would be possible untill i happened to do it by accident at band practice.

Also the crunch mode on the clean makes for some lovely classic rock overdriven tones, the crunch channel on full gain has almost as much as the lead channel but it has a warmer fatter sound.

So the lead channel is tight and focused, and the crunch is looser and warmer.

the clean on its own isnt great but with a guitar that hasnt got too much output on the pickups it does manage a good clean, so long as the poweramp is cooking it can really sound pretty good for clean, i use the preamp gain on the clean at 3 on my jem and that gives me clean, though if i dig into it then i will get some slight overdrive, but i have high output pickups so there lies my problem.

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

I am trying to think of a worse option for a blues amp. Drawing blanks.

the 6550/5150 is a high gain metal amp.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

I am trying to think of a worse option for a blues amp. Drawing blanks.

the 6550/5150 is a high gain metal amp.

Ya it is but if you play with the controlls it does some pretty cool classic rock tones that would be cool for some types of rockin blues.... Is it a Twin hat a lot of older blues players used no... will it do the SRV type sound.. maybe not... But it depends on the user and what they want to do with it...

WhoFan

 

[Interstate 70]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

I am trying to think of a worse option for a blues amp. Drawing blanks.

the 6550/5150 is a high gain metal amp.

I know...that's the funny part of the joke. But, I'm learing from BigBazz and Who Fan that it might actually be a viable option for blues.

Archer of Fish, do you play high gain amp? Try if for blues, see how it works.

 

[inter]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

The key to good tone out of the 5151/6550 is low ouput pups and pre gain around 4.

Single coil's sound very nice for a bluesy tone with this amp, very easy to cop the chilli peppers heavier tone's.

It's a versatile amp to a certain degree but the reality is that there are better designed amps out there for a blues tone.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Peavey 6505 as a Blues Amp?

The key to good tone out of the 5151/6550 is low ouput pups and pre gain around 4.

Single coil's sound very nice for a bluesy tone with this amp, very easy to cop the chilli peppers heavier tone's.

It's a versatile amp to a certain degree but the reality is that there are better designed amps out there for a blues tone.

Ya i noticed low output pickups are the way to go with my 5150 too.... Never really tried too many Single Coiled strats thru it... I find the 5150 is great for the ZZtop style of blues.... I was playing Cheap Sunglasses at an open jam a few weeks back and i thought man this amp sounds like Billys sound....

WhoFan