All user reviews of 5/5 for the Peavey Ultra Plus Head

Here's an all tube 120watt 6L6 head. It has a half power switch which will knock it down to 60 watts (awesome feature). It has 3 channels: clean, crunch, and Ultra. The eq is active which is a stark contrast to the typical passive eq I am used to on other amps. This active eq creates dramatic eq changes. There is a Resonance Switch for the low end that can be set to Tight, medium, or loose. This is a great feature that can really come in handy depending on the size of the room and volume you need. Low Gain and high gain inputs offer usable changes that can expand the tonal pallette. The logo changes from green to orange to red- a cosmetic feature that I love (though some may dislike)

UTILIZATION

This amp sounds great right away: super thick and articulate. I never saw the manual, but the controls are intuitive.

SOUNDS

I use a wide array of guitars including Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG, Fender Strats, Peavey Wolfgang, and Peavey HP Special. They all sound great and deliver huge tone. I believe the guy from Soldano amps came over and designed this amp; the quality shows. I bought this amp cheap on craig's list, almost as an afterthought...I was aiming for an older recto but failed, so my GAS pushed me to get something...I saw a video clip of a guy a/bing it against a Mesa Mark, and then found a video that showed some real killer modern metal tones. I thought 300 bucks was worth a test drive. I loved the tone and immediately spent the cash to retube the whole amp. The cleans are crystal clean- just a volume, 3 way passive eq, and bright switch. Great cleans for a hard rock metal setup, but admittedly a drawback if you're seeking a character gritty clean for bluesy jams.The crunch gets ridiculous levels of gain for a crunch channel...not that you need it, but placing a clean boost in front makes this channel the shining star of the amp. It has a gain button, so perhaps with the gain off and the gain controls down, you could get that bluesy vibe...but for me, this is a rock/metal beast and i crank it up. This orange channel is breathtaking- nice blend of reactivity and saturation. the Ultra red channel takes it a step beyond- lethal levels of gain that will slay any tune you are working on.

OVERALL OPINION

My favorite application is lead guitar- this amp just sings and sings for me and is a pefect compliment for my mid to hi gain leads. Very Mark-ish in its voicings, this lead response is wonderful. I like the rhythm gain, and the active eq allows one to dial in smoother gains to cutting chainsaw. In comparison, I tried a 6505+ in a store and totally disliked it- the lows were so boomy and the gains were so extreme I sort of found it unusable. Perhaps if I spent more time dialing it in, but this Ultra+ dials in very quickly. It lacks a bit of the edge and chainsaw of a recto, but let's be honest, a Modern Recto sucks for lead players.compare this to the 5150/6505 series and you will be super impressed. All of this and then realize (if you can find one), the amps refquently resell for $250-400. I've played lots of expensive amps costing thousands, and let me tell you, price does not always equal tone. This amp will eat a modern Marshall alive in terms of tone and reliablility. The cost benefit ratio is unbelievable, but even throwing out the price factor, this amp stands alone as a great tone machine.

The whole description is made by my prdcesseur.

UTILIZATION

Super easy to use, it would be Lego or Playmobil, which would have done the same thing happened, a real treat for maneuverability.
To get a good sound? ben connect the d
the Maniel I took it on the net because I bought used in 2001 and no booklet.

SOUNDS

Bon ben Here is the topic to what we are.
I play death metal genre in the At The Gates, Amon Amarth etc., and also jazz metal (atheist. ..).
For the metal I play on a blackjack Schekter 007, metal and jazz on a Lag The Beast Custom MODEL. While the passive DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan.
I use a Digitech RP2000 with all this, but I did not test, not to disturb the cards.

To death (with my Scheckter) it's going pretty well, we can draw a big juice very deep in the bass, the grain is wild.
jaz for metal (with my custom lag) I get to take advantage of two distos crunch and ultra-efficient clean sound with the pedal support otherwise the clear lack of charm.

Properties of the ca mtal cartonne well, peavey is the height of his reputation.

OVERALL OPINION

Since 2001 I always use, low volume (evening) or volume (repeated), it has always performed well.
What I like most is the application of metal though, and I think that no one buys to make the country
I try the peavey 5150 (less versatile), the Marshall heads (for the same price their sound is really bad for the death)
The price quality ratio is simply EXCELLENT.
I would do if I had the choice I repay a head in this price range (7000fr at the time)
Of course I hear guys say "yeah I prefer mesa" poor nazes you pass me the ball 20 miles (sorry Bieil a grudge

Amplifier always lamp: 4 12AX7 preamp in & 4 6L6GC power amp in
Amp-120w lamp (ie more in reality)
- Level connection we have: 2 inputs & low gain high gain
2 hp output with variable impedance
an effects loop
a din connector 7-pin for the footswitch
We have all the settings of such ypically amp: volume & gain for each channel, a passive EQ for clean & 3bandes another identical crunch & ultra channels

after a master volume, a master reverb (Accutronics)
important: a boost for each channel: gain boost for crunch, boost gain for the ultra, and boost the clean bright

and as important a 3 position switch for resonance

yes as a simpa: a switch to divide the power by 2 =)

UTILIZATION

-Config is pretty simple
A-side, j'aaaaaadore
-No manual but what it could be used

SOUNDS

-To everything that goes from rock to metal of all kinds is extremely effective in my opinion!
I use it with an ibanez rg 3120 prestige and vigier exca.
- Saturated the channels are really great .. clean on him is not bad but nothing special ..

OVERALL OPINION

-This has to 8 months that I use
-I like everything about this amp Quazi
-The value for money, I'd had to OCCAZ so it was very good ... then I had trouble with that is Quazi doubled its price .. but I'm still not disappointed

EDIT: {number} me later another problem rears its nose, the reverb has occasional moments of madness: it produces a sound very loud and Quazi removes all low, it gives her a very strange a caricature of his trident ultra punk xD
I could try some head brunetti (XI 120 & r evo pirata among others ...) and I admit unashamedly, I much prefer the texture of the ultra +! Other heads are certainly very good too (hand made in Italy and everyone says the greater good) but in any case is much the ultra precise and grain very different ... Comtpte I also find myself a combo to avoid having to move the big stack to repeat them and guess what I intended .... bah Ultra 212 course; D

New edit: after testing a single-sided ... the ultra is still my favorite; D
mesa fan does not upset you, I'm just saying I prefer the texture of the ultra was that of a duplex, I say that the front is the shit; D

Already said many times!
The footswitch is really shit but otherwise it's a vamp!

UTILIZATION

The "dashboard" is perfect!
no worries on that side! It took me 2 minutes chrono to find the sound I was dreaming with my head Warp7 transistor! what a slap, what a shock my friends! I still can not!
For the manual, I can not say I buy today has a Broc'n'roll Nimes (best shop in France by the way).

SOUNDS

You guessed it, I metalheads! And no, nobody buys this stuff for its clear! (Rather bland it is true)
My config is simple: - emg 81 in the m1000 LTD
LAG-7 string custom shop
Zoom-g9 I used to ring my warp7 but am I doing now in the effects loop of the head.
- A bad horsie wah
- And a marshall 8412 cabinet

one can obtain its root and rock and roll with the crunch (which saturates even when more than my head thrust back warp7) via van halen and finally a lamb of god and all that stuff the big Bourin!
I do not like light, like most people they have, it's the same problem on 6505, but other channels! MAGIC

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for today!
I tried a head of THERMION Ibanez, 6505 and 6505 +, laney gh100, line6/bogner ... nothing comparable to the ultra more!
RAPORT very good value for money especially after a dozen years since its release! 800 euro is not bad!
after the shock and sensory hearing my choice I would do a million times if I had money!

(Originally written by Nevercold/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Everything has been already said about this product! I agree that the footswitch is a bit annoying (when you want to switch to an ultra distortion you get a clean sound instead because you have long feet.

UTILIZATION

Easy configuration:

- Treble, mid and bass controls on the clean channel!

- Bottom, body an edge controls for crunch and ultra!

Just turn the knobs and you'll find your sound!

SOUNDS

The most important paragraph:

Clean: In the beginning I found the clean sound rather dull, almost as if it were damped by a pillow. But I've found a good treble/middle/bass and bright setting. I get a nice clean sound good enough for heavy metal, which is the main purpose of this head.

- Crunch: very nice sound. I personally don't play ACDC or Silver Dirt but if it were the case I'd use this channel. If you max the drive and use adequate settings, you'll even get a powerful and accurate death metal, thrash metal and hardcore sound (compared with the imprecise response of a mesa). I use this channel for rhythm parts with distortion and it's good enough to play some Through the Eyes of the Dead, Chimaira or August Burns Red (if you previously engaged the boost switch .

- Ultra: It's worthy of its name! It provides a warm and punchy sound with powerful lows! The boost function adds a bit of punch to the sound but it's not necessary unless you want to have feedbacks! I use this channel only for solos. It can give you strong attacks (especially if you use the neck pickup of your guitar) and much more precision than a Mesa amp! This sound has too much lows to be used for rhythm parts.

OVERALL OPINION

- I've been using it for eight months.

- I upgraded the power tubes three months ago. I still use the original preamp tubes. I installed Groove 6L6 power tubes. And you can clearly hear the difference!

- Pros: sound precision and color. It's a Peavey so either you'll like it or not at all! I play a Jackson JS30 KV. If you want to play deathcore, thrash or black metal stuff with a precise sound and good palm mutes it's the perfect amp head for you!

- Cons: Very heavy (don't take it out of your rehearsal room)!

I tested a Dual Rectifier, several Marshalls, a Peavey Valveking, an Engl Fireball 60... The Dual rectifier produces too much noise and Marshall amps have not enough gain! The Engl could compete with Peavey because it has the same properties (accuracy, attacks, warmth, etc.) but provides a higher distortion and a more present sound.

I bought it secondhand and I think it was a good deal! Especially after replacing the tubes.



I would buy it again!

(Originally written by nihilsbajo/translated from Audiofanzine FR)

120-watt tube amp with 6l6 and 4 preamp valves. Integrated reverb, ridiculously small footswitch, effect loop, 2 inputs (high/low), switch to halve the output power, 3-position switch to adjust the lows to the room. You won't miss anything.
The transformers seem to be good (they are really big). It doesn't look fragile. It's made in the USA. Anyway it seems to be really sturdy. I heard Peavey had a faulty series and did a recall but not all customers had sent in their warranty cards so problems arose after a while.

UTILIZATION

It's very easy to setup the amp: the clean channel is set in a few seconds (EQ placed before the preamp in the signal path) and the lead channels have separate gain and volume controls (one for crunch sound and one for hi-gain distortion). You have the usual treble, mid and bass EQs and a very effective master control! The user's manual is short but concise.

SOUNDS

Clean channel: Quite simple. The EQ lets you boost some frequencies before the signal goes into the preamp but you cannot shape the sound. This means that you'll have to use your guitar's pickup selector—which isn't necessary a bad thing since you'll get your instrument's real sound!
Crunch channel: my favorite. Rather old-school with a real Marshall character. I don't know if they drew their inspiration from the JCM800 but it sounds suspiciously similar, with a tighter and more pleasant character though! The gain can be huge and you actually have an integrated level boost to play all music styles! The mid frequency range is very present but you can really craft the sound. Personally I set it almost to the max. You can play anything from Alice in Chains to Darkthrone.
Hi Gain channel: Shares the same EQ as the crunch channel and also has a gain-boost switch which is virtually wasted because the gain level is already too hot. This channel sounds very different compared to the crunch channel because the emphasized frequencies aren't the same. The sound is definitely modern with powerful lows and less presence. It's perfect for solos I guess (I loathe them), or for a big death-metal sound. The sound is very american without being grotesque.

Not an ultra versatile sound but a good solution for things like rock, black metal, thrash, death and so on... It's the sound I was looking for!

OVERALL OPINION

I haven't actually used for such a long time. But if I ever change my mind I'll edit my review. Anyway it's perfect with my 2x12" cabinet (V30)!
The biggest turnoff is the footswitch. I think I will try to fit it in a homemade case...
I already tested several amps: small solid-state amps, Randall RG50T (which I sold to get this amp), Peavey 5150 combo (I didn't like it), Engl Powerball and Mesa Rectifier. It's the best at what it does! Of course a Mesa would have been good but I got intoxicated by its outrageously fat sound. I guess if I get a Rectifier simulation pedal it'll do.
Till now I've been totally satisfied with my choice! I bought it by chance after I sold my Randall and I had second thoughts about other amp heads like Laboga Alligator, Hiwatt Hi Gain, Marshall JVM and Vintage Modern; I'm really happy.