Played a Peavey JSX and XXX cab

[xxxplorer]

Found a new group of dudes to jam with. I have many Marshalls and clones a long with cabs, but at the drummer's space he has a JSX and a XXX cab there to use... so gave it a whirl.

I typically use a single channel hot rodded 800 from Friedman or my Egnater 2012 Seminar amp I rebuilt 5 times lol. So this thing has way more going on than I need.

Clean channel is like super clean. I never use them, so meh. All I can say about that.

The Crunch channel is where I lived on it. Sounded like a more modern take on my Marshall sound. My amps are a bit 'smoother' I would say... where this one has some grain and grit to it. Not a bad thing. Just a noticible difference. Cleans up like I like a good Marshall to. So went with it.

Ultra channel was fun. But way more gain than I ever need. So just chunked on it for a few and giggled. Then went back to the crunch and kicked the channel selector to the side and forgot about it.

It's LOUD. And there is something to a 120 watt power section and the low end response. Just bigger. Not more... just like wider. my 50 watters are plenty, but this was pretty fun to experience after 15 years of only playing 50 watters.

Has a noise gate... turned it off. I hate those things lol.

Fat switches... just flipped them to where the amp sang right. Resonance was up a bit. Presence was ok. I use a higher value cap with my presence so it almost affects the midrange too. So going to a more ice picky presence control was different.

If I got one for a good deal, I'd get one. It looks really cool. Does a lot of things. It was fun to play a good MIA Peavey again. I went from a 5150 II to my Marshalls. I liked this a bit better honestly than the 5150 II. More juice to the sound.

 

[Mincer]

How would you compare it to your Friedman? I know some players that love their JSX over more expensive boutique amps. I guess it all depends on the sounds you are going for.

 

[xxxplorer]

I don’t hate it. It’s a bit more modern sounding. Has that essentially late 90’s early 2000’s Peavey grit… which isn’t bad. Just a thing. Sssooooo much gain lol. I use the crunch channel with the gain at 2 o clock. Plenty for me.

The Ultra is kinda hilarious to me lol.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I belive the Ultra channel on the JSX is based on the Crunch channel on the XXX.

I haven't played the JSX, but I liked my XXX. Never had the cab, though, but I know Peavey cabs aren't all that well-regarded. I do know the XXX cab made its way into an Arch Enemy record, though.

 

[80's_Metal]

The JSX usually has 6L6 power tubes and they have a noticeable punch when you are used to hearing and feeling the Marshalls EL34 tubes.

The JSX is no slouch, those amps rip!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I think the JSX came with EL34's stock. But it can run on either EL34's or 6L6's. It's the XXX that came stock with 6L6's, but can run either as well.

I liked Sovtek 5881's in my XXX. And in all of my 6L6 amps, TBH. But everybody seems to hate those tubes, LOL.

 

[xxxplorer]

This one had el34s in it. I assumed it would have 6L6 as most Peaveys of that era leaned on them.

Didn't even check til after lol. Just sounded pretty good.

I'd probably scoop one up if it came at a good price. I do like it more than the 5150 I had. Seems to have more character, which means it probably just sounds different than to what I'm normally hearing from so many bands as so many use a 5150 variant through V30s. Gets kinda boring.

 

[JamesPaul]

Edit: I was comparing my schematics and @Rex_Rocker is spot on about the Ultra channel. There is not a big difference between the Ultra and Crunch channels on the Triple XXX, but Joe could hear something. Found a note from James Brown and Joe thought the Crunch channel was enough so James tweaked the JSX Ultra channel to be like the Triple XXX Crunch channel. The Fat switch brings the Ultra EQ back towards the Triple XXX.

Then James modified the Crunch channel toward a Classic 50 Lead channel tone. Joe liked the Classic 50 Lead channel and asked for that also.

James also spent significant time tweaking the EQ on the Clean channel, which I did not remember at all. (...but I feel gives me a pass on keeping my Triple XXX and using 6CA7's in my JSX power section.)

All this and the EL34's as the default power section..

Here is Joe playing through one of the modded prototypes:


I had a fellow guitarist in CowTown pester me for years to get a JSX because my Triple XXX Ultra channel was more gain than I needed, I thought there was not much disparity between my Triple XXX Ultra and Crunch channels, I loved my Triple XXX Clean channel, and I had previously played through Classic 50's. She was correct. If I was limited to one amp, today I could get by with my JSX 212.

 

[JamesPaul]

I think the JSX came with EL34's stock. But it can run on either EL34's or 6L6's. It's the XXX that came stock with 6L6's, but can run either as well.

I liked Sovtek 5881's in my XXX. And in all of my 6L6 amps, TBH. But everybody seems to hate those tubes, LOL.

I make a reverse compromise with my JSX. I was not 100% satisfied with my JSX Clean channel through the EL34's over my Triple XXX Clean Channel through the 6L6's. So I use 6CA7's in my JSX.

 

[xxxplorer]

I don't use clean channels. I use a nice Marshally sound and roll my volumes back.

 

[xxxplorer]

I don't think I like the XXX cab at higher volumes and tuned down. Starts to fall apart a bit for me. Kinda cloudy. I am used to Celestion equipped Marshall and Bogner cabs though. I'm sure it's the Shefield speakers being kinda murky.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I don't think I like the XXX cab at higher volumes and tuned down. Starts to fall apart a bit for me. Kinda cloudy. I am used to Celestion equipped Marshall and Bogner cabs though. I'm sure it's the Shefield speakers being kinda murky.

They used the XXX cab for an Arch Enemy record that sounds great. I think it was Khaos Legions? Or was it Rise of the Tyrant? Probably Khaos since Rise doesn't sound all that great. They did use an odd mic for that one, though, not the typical 57. And the tone on that record is kinda brighter and more aggressive than most.

I've personally never tried a XXX cab. But yeah, I'm kind of Celestion or die, LOL.

 

[Ewizard]

I owned that combination ( XXX + XXX-cab ) and it never really called to me. I still have the head and the cab, but swapped the speakers years ago. The original sheffields are a bit thin and have an upper mid range honk to them I never liked. The amp itself is fine, but always sounded too thin for me, but then again I do standard tuning and not metal, so it was likely just not the amp for me.

I kept the amp because as three channel amps go, it is the best I have come across. I tended towards the 2nd channel, and rarely went above 9-oclock on the gain. I like the grind the amp has, it is just not very genre neutral. I have since moved onto more lower gain amps, with a more organic kind of breakup ( not so over-saturated I suppose ).

For the money though, I think the XXX line is about as good as you can get. As in, You can spend more, but it might not be better.

 

[JamesPaul]

I don't use clean channels. I use a nice Marshally sound and roll my volumes back.

I could just never dial in one that I liked. This is the primary reason I finally traded in my JCM 800 on a Heritage. Although I might be better qualified for that task these days.

Someone, I want to write Steve Hackett, always used Marshalls for his clean tones.

I think the Triple XXX has the best Clean channel of any amp I have owned. Like having a JC-120 hiding in there.

 

[Mincer]

As someone who likes clean channels, I never liked them on a Marshall. I did like the clean channel of a 5150, though.

 

[JamesPaul]

I have not tracked down sonic proof, but I tend to attribute this to ELxx vs. 6xx power tubes and designs of the power section.

Different sonic artifacts which I perceive as the EL34's, for example, adding their own sonic character to the tone. I perceive 6L6's as amplifying whatever the input signal with minimal of their own artifacts shaping the tone. I have read, and been told, that this is more due to the typical phase inverter circuits paired with these different tubes in the power section.

Aceman will likely call it confirmation bias, or something, but I think the 6CA7's in my JSX move the Clean channel more towards the Triple XXX Clean. Likely not accurate, given what James wrote about the time he spent tweaking the JSX Clean for Joe, but I overthink enough other things and this does not bother me.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Depends on what 6CA7's you're using too.

If you're using current production, I think EH's are known to be more "authentic". I think JJ's are supposed to be more like 6L6's wired to function as an EL34 replacement, rather.

The Best EL34 Power Tubes - www.thetubestore.com

EL34 Tube Reviews: See reviews of the best EL34 power tubes. Also includes 6CA7 and KT77.

www.thetubestore.com

 

[xxxplorer]

This one has el34s. Works just fine. I have an 800 2204 with 6550s that sounds great. And my hot rodded 800 clone with 34s that also sounds great. I don't really have a preference as long as the amp sounds good lol.

 

[JamesPaul]

Depends on what 6CA7's you're using too.

If you're using current production, I think EH's are known to be more "authentic". I think JJ's are supposed to be more like 6L6's wired to function as an EL34 replacement, rather.

The Best EL34 Power Tubes - www.thetubestore.com

EL34 Tube Reviews: See reviews of the best EL34 power tubes. Also includes 6CA7 and KT77.

www.thetubestore.com

I do have JJ 6CA7's in there. Not sure if someone tipped me off to that before, but it would explain why I like them better than the EL34's in my JSX.

 

[JamesPaul]

This one has el34s. Works just fine. I have an 800 2204 with 6550s that sounds great. And my hot rodded 800 clone with 34s that also sounds great. I don't really have a preference as long as the amp sounds good lol.

Don't want to come off as anti-EL34. I have them in my Windsor's without reservation. Love the EL84's in my Classics as well. Truly just did not want to lose my Triple XXX Clean tones with my JSX.