I’ve just picked up a Peavey bandit 112 red stripe in Yorkshire England for £50 on Facebook market place and I’m well impressed with it because I loved your review on them thanks
One thing about all of the Bandits, is that they don't mess around with AD/DA converters. There are so many modern, 'modeling' amps with all of these flavors and fx and everything; but the Bandit pretty much lays out a few relatively simple controls, and keeps the signal path analog. The Bandits are all discrete components afaik.
Greatest SS amp I've ever played through personally. Its like a blues player's dream, just simple and sounds good whatever you turn and you just adjust for personal preference. I, like many others, have you to thank for that shane, your old videos showed me how good they can sound!!
I've had , and still own quality tube amps , Marshall , Fender , Peavey and I will always have a Bandit on hand. Its the one I always take out for any gigs, parties, even outdoor shows . My verdict is : "the Peavey Bandit is the BEST AMP on the planet" . My prefered one is the 90's black and chrome transtube version with the fabulous Sheffield speaker. Rock-on Shane....always enjoy your reviews and videos, always good info and very well done . Cheers bro !
The Chinese manufacturers (under contract with Peavey) did an excellent job producing the Bandit 112. I was both impressed and surprised with how well it was done. I'm extremely happy with my 2016 (made in China) Peavey Bandir 112.
me too! clean classic JAZZY strat neck pup : ) (((((pedals: Mad Prof Simble>Nobels ODEAR-1BC.......)))))))), bye the way, the Mad prof Simble is discontinued( luckily I gathered 4...)BUTT get a Mad Professor Twimble! luv from Kimmo in Finland : )
Shane, I made a volume box for my fender hot rod deluxe but tried it out on my peavey bandit (red stripe USA)... MAN, it made my bandit come alive. On the vintage o/d gain at 6 and the volume at 10 with the volume box at 3ish, I was getting tones that I haven't heard coming out of this amp. If you haven't tried it, you should try it. I think you would like it. I enjoy all your videos. Thank you for all your hard work you put into them.
I'm personally very glad you did this video. I've been playing over 30 years & I live in Mississippi, home of Peavey. The Transtube line is well known for it's great clean & dirt sounds with it's analog circuit. It's pretty revealing to play some good digital gear & then plug into a Transtube. The analog sound is apparent to most players & it's preferred. You should play a TRANSTUBE 212 EFX. Wow. Overlooked workable gems, as many amps are these days. Good to see this. Most people will not even approach this kind of amp with the same serious mindset that they would have if they were playing, say, a MESA or Fender or BOGNER, yet these amps absolutely deliver good tones & blind sound tests can prove it. Thanks mate!
I've been using Bandits off and on since the 80s and, despite a slew of Big Name valve amps over the years, I always seem to come back to the Bandit. My current one is the latest Chinese version. I also use an Envoy 110 for practise and, just for laughs, I mic'd up and gigged a Rage 258. That little guy simply rocked when pushed hard! I can't say enough good things about the Bandit-that it has been in production in various guises for 35 years should be testament enough.
Peavey had some of the best hybrid, and solid state stuff out there for versatility. I had one of the old VT Classic 212's which was a 50watt tube power section with a solid state preamp. It got me so many classic rock and clean tones, and did it so simply.
I have a Bandit Solo series 75 watt. Love it. Got it really cheap at a pawn shop and it's great! I really like that it has a true spring reverb box and it works perfect
When I was in the military back in the 1980s(yes, I am an old fart), my buddy used a Strat & a Peavey Bandit in his bar band doing covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, etc... kicked ass & took like 5 minutes to set up.
I've owned a lot of nice high end amplifiers in my time ( twins , high watt , sound city , plexies , deluxe reverbs , silvertones , orange , etc . , etc., etc., ) but the most affordable , most versatile , most portable , all around great for everything amp is my silver stripe bandit 112 . Sounds great under any situation , no matter what , and is built like a tank . Best part , picked it up for $75.00 @ a pawn shop .
Hi Shane the Bandit is the only amp I've ever used. I had the 65 in 1982 which I used until I bought the Red stripe Bandit in the late 90's and I'm still using it today in the house band at a local jam night. I've thought about going to a tube amp but can't pull the trigger on one. The Bandit is reliable, easy to use and sounds great no matter what guitar is played through it. Awesome piece of kit.
This amp is absolute gold ! Given the price, it really is an amazing tool, and very well suited for blues/rock kind of stuff. I currently don't have one but used to have one and as soon as I have the money for it, I'm buying one again (currently have no amps at all). I really didn't like the clean channel though, very "straight" and cold to me. But once you crank it, oh my...this is really getting serious aha ! Lots of dynamic, overdriving a little bit, it really gets close to the feeling we all love with tube amps. Of course it doesn't happen very often, to be able to crank it, but for those who have a Red Stripe Bandit and have the opportunity to crank it, even for just few minutes, it's an awesome feeling. At lower volume I always use the drive channel as my clean sound. A little dirtier, vintage setting and gain around 1PM (with average powered single coils), dynamic is very nice. Very sensitive to the way you attack the strings, which I really need and love. The high gain setting is very good too, wish I was able to footswitch it actually, with the gain at 1PM it's very usable for solos. Both channels when you crank the amp are absolutly gorgeous sounding and very complementary seriously ! The T-Dynamic knob does a great job on lower volumes, kind of warming the tone a little bit, which is nice. The reverb isn't too bad at all. The modern settings (both on clean and drive channels, especially on the drive channel though) are absolutely atrocious to my ears, but it's my own personal taste and some people might like it maybe ! There are two or three videos when I'm using this amp on my little channel here on TH-cam, one video when I crank it and two videos when I'm just playing around over backing tracks. Sadly the sound coming from camera wasn't giving this amp justice at all (and my playing wasn't giving it justice either definitely aha ! ^^), but I'll try one day to review this amp in a better way. Again, would definitely recommend it for players in the need for a budget amp for genres like blues-funk-rock stuff, even hard rock maybe (other genres I couldn't tell as it's not what I'm used to play). It's perfect for bedroom volumes as for gigging ones. Again though, you should definitely try to crank it one day, it should blow your mind ! The clean is breaking up, then the drive channel with low gain but cranked too (to match the clean channel) acts like a superb boost/crunch, and with a little TS like (like the Joyo or Harley benton for example, very good pedal for the price by the way !), such a big range of tones and gain boosts are really nice to play around with. And SO cheap ! Have fun with your Bandit and a big thanks to Shane for your channel, and your simplicity in the best way possible ! Cheers from France ! :)
I just bought this very Bandit on a whim because of this channel, and because I wanted something that could mimic the BB King sound without breaking the bank or committing to a 50yr old amp, and it sounds incredible. I was expecting a gimmick, but got exactly what everyone has been raving about. It totally hits those classic blues tones without an issue. I'm going to have fun with this thing, and if I ever gather the courage to go play live it's just the right size for lugging around.
Gonna have to check these out. I bought a Mustang III based on your recommendation and downloaded some of your presets. I get compliments on my tone all the time and my back feels much better!!! Thanks Shane
Glad to hear that! I got mine back after it had been left at my grandfather's place for 12 odd years; it's a 20 years old bandit112 made in the US. It's of the transtube type. I set it aside a fender tube amp xd ... I ended up selling the fender amp! The peavey is loud when it needs to. I take advantage of its direct line in with a pod HD500, and it works a treat to play at home. It's also able to drive a big 4*12" marshall no worries. It's 12 inch sheffield brings the brightness when the 4*12" brings the body and the bass. Loving it. Even better, my dad has the old one with the blue stripe and the metals strips on both sides. That one sounds very different: it's brighter, cold and super loud. However, I came to replay it with some classic dirt pedals (an sd1 in particular) and it responded very well to the pedal. These old amps are also champions at taking effects like a pod because of their large bandwidth, high power and fast response. I heard that bandits are now made in China and that the quality has somewhat dropped a little. So I'll hang on to mine for... another 20 years?
it's cool to see so much love for the bandit. I've had a few amps, many of them tube. they sound great, maybe better on the overdrive side but they always are needed tubed or biased. they never hold up to day in and day out abuse like my bandit does. I have a swamp thing in mine and with a small pedal board for drives, delay, and modulation...I can go toe to toe with jcms and hot rods and whatever else I've run into out there. that big loud clean is all I need and the bandit never fails me
Peavey Bandits are amazing amps. The clean channel with the modern voicing and some single coils is my favorite set up. I found the dirty channel to be good as well, but you have to dial back the gain you use in my opinion. If you put it on modern and put the gain above 4 or 5 it just turns into a solid state version of a 5150, which is awesome, but i dont play that style much anymore. Great amp. If you actually use all the features of the mustang, then get it and ditch the pedal board, but if you just want plug and play, the bandit is tops.
When I stopped playing bass in a band in the mid 90's i picked up guitar and wanted ine of these Bandits because I tried them and their sound was really good and not cheap sounding, i play melodic and pop punk so the modern distortion setting was perfect for my sound but sadly I never got one.
I have the silver stripe bandit and i love it! The thing with these is the build quality ..You cant kill the earky ones or even red stripes. The pcb in the older usa made solo series and silver stripe are very stout ..they get a lil thinner and things get more cost effective as they got to the more recent models.
Glad to hear some Bandit love. I have a red stripe model too and I love it. The clean channel is great. Very tube like. Like you mention, it's great with pedals and sounds good with single coils or humbuckers.
+ironman333 Yeah it's such a great amp and I have a new found respect for how nice the clean channel is, it hold's its own with the 40 watt valve amps and some might say it's even nicer! :-)
ironman333 hey I just bought the Peavey red stripe..and I am trying to get the best setting for blues I am a 65yr strummer write my own songs..and run an open mic night called Fretz..ok that's enough about me..so I'm a newbie Brit I paid £80.. could you possibly advice me ..do I need fx pedals do I need to change the stock speaker as this guy changed stuff..Myguitarz69@gmail.com..ty for your time. I would ask this guy but he jumps about.. I just want a basic reply.. not a run around the woods so to speak.. I wish you well K.Wolf
I have to add my thumbs up on the Bandit 112's. I have a Transtube blue (teal) stripe with the "Spiky" logo plate, and a slightly newer Transtube "block logo" red stripe - the last model that was made in the U.S.A. I got both used but in excellent condition. Like all the Peavey gear I've owned, they're great and just about bulletproof. There is a subtle difference in the sound of the earlier blue stripe Transtube and the later red stripe. Both have the Sheffield speakers. I tried a Scorpion in one, then changed it back. The Bandits are amazing - I can get all kinds of different sounds with them, and they've got plenty of power. Peavey gear doesn't have the snob appeal of some brands, but I've never had a Peavey amp fail on a gig.
When I was in music college 1975-77, every room had Peavey gear in it. It never broke, and sounded great. When I switched from sax to guitar in 2011, the first full-size guitar amp I bought was a "Teal Stripe" Bandit 112, Made in USA. A great amp, especially with the 2nd speaker cab. A few months later, I found a Red Stripe Bandit 112, made in USA, but with the "boxy" logo not the lightning bolts like the "Teal Stripe". Both were in wonderful shape - they'd been looked after. I love them both - they're great at home or for gigs. The two Bandit 112's, each with a 2nd cab, put out lots of sound. My bass rig in the 1990's was a Marshall head & 2 cabs, but bills took it away. Now I'm looking for a Peavey bass head. I found a Peavey TVX-410 cab, 120 lbs and 350 watts RMS. The -410 cab sounds great, is built like a tank, and I want a Peavey bass head to go with it. Snobs scoff if I mention Peavey - more fool them!
I sold mine like a year ago and tomorrow I'm getting a new one. Great amp, great tones, love the reverb and the t-dynamics control. I used the clean channel with the pedalboard and it's awesome, plug and play. Great video, man.
I own two of the red stripes and one of the newer Bandits and I have been gigging them off and on for many years. They are the perfect grab n go gigging amp. From Country to Metal and everything in between. When I use the red stripes I run a dual mono set up and it's completely killer. Good to see more love for it. IMO they are the MOST underrated and under appeciated gigging amp in history.
I bought a Bandit 112 "silver stripe"( that had been in the sellers closet basically since he bought it, completely mint with foot pedal) a few weeks ago for $80. Can't believe how good it sounds! I also have a Carvin V3 combo 100 watt tube amp (3 channels) but the beast weighs over 80 lbs and is too much for me to lift into my car trunk (I'm 61 yrs old). There is another Bandit exactly like mine for sale, again mint for $80 which I'll hopefully pick up today. I use a POD HD500X and get great sounds at any volume. The reliability of these amps seems legendary and I can easily carry them. What a bargain these gems are!
Bandits are also AMAZING for metal and hard rock. The Modern voice sounds a lot like the 6505, which is considered a top-tier metal amp. It is also extremely easy to get a Marshall sound out of it.
Your original videos on the redstripe Bandit are the reason I have one now.. Bought mine used like new for $150 us. I have a classic 50 212 that I love but I always go back to playing the Bandit. It's that clean channel ! This is one SS amp that takes overdrive pedals very well. I run a visual sound comp 66 , a Timmy overdrive clone and a ts808 in front of the amp and the rest in the fx loop. I do agree the clean channel sounds so very close to a deluxe it's crazy!
+TimmyV Thanks for comments mate. Glad to hear you're still enjoying the bandit. They do take pedals really well hey. :-) Glad you like the Moen pedal too they make some great stuff.
I'm picking up a used Silver Stripe Bandit tomorrow for $60. I've had a Peavey Express Silver Stripe since the late 90s which I bought new. My first amp. It is very similar to the Bandit. It has a little less power and a few less features but it has been great- never had a problem- and you really can't beat the clean channel. I've owned many other amps since, tube and solid state but every time I come back and plug into the Express, I just shake my head in amazement at how great it sounds. Looking forward to messing with the Bandit!
Used a used one for many weeks when my Fender was in the shop. Had no trouble getting my a good version of my sound as it responded well to guitar volume adjustments. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled at the pawnshop. Thanx for the reminder.
I used an 80s Peavey Bandit 65 for years, and have not plugged into it for a while. I always liked the clean channel. They dirty channel sounded better to me for a crunch kind of sound and I used a pedal for more dirt. Never had a single problem with it until I let someone borrow it and they broke a tone knob. You're making me think I should dust it off and give it another listen.
Late to the party here, but I've been using Bandits since my first Bandit 75 back in the '80s. I love the things for all the reasons you mention; probably what I like the most is the 'immediacy', attack and punch that you seldom get with valve amps. I recently sold a Mesa F50, followed by a Cornford Roadhouse 30 and went back to the Bandit-mainly because at 65 (and with a fragile 65 year-old back!), I really don't need to be shlepping 55lb amps around, and I had also forgotten just how good Bandits sound-and that goes for all of the Transtube range, from the little Rage 258 and up. In my case it's the new Chinese version, which sounds incredible. The power scaling feature is also so useful when you don't need the full 80W. My other amp is the Roland Blues Cube Stage which does low gain, edge-of-breakup stuff really well (and sounds fantastic with my American Special Tele), but the crunch channel has too much 'sag' and compression for my taste. Nice reviews Shane; keep 'em coming mate.
Great videos Shane. I've had a red stripe Envoy for years (bought it new) and it's the perfect lightweight alternative to the Bandit. Sounds great and is quite loud for its size. I bought a used red strip Bandit a few months ago and just put a WGS ET90 speaker in it today. Whoa! It seems twice as loud and big sounding. Quite a bit more sparkle on top and more bottom so you may have to tweak your e.q. slightly compared to the Sheffield 1230. Definitely give the ET90 a shot in this amp if you get a chance!
thx for the review. awesome. picking up a red stripe u.s.a. model with a sheffield for $90 u.s. this weekend. not a thing wrong with it. this will be my second transtube bandit 112. built like a tank and all the options you could ever need for tone.
I loved my Transtube amps I owned in the 90s. I had a 100w Head and a 60w 1x12 combo. Actually I should look into getting one of the combos again. Great pedal platform.
I recently picked up a "blue stripe" or "teal stripe" solo series bandit 112 with scorpion speaker, and I love it! And the reverb tank is huge and sounds really full. Great amp, bulletproof, and a bargain!
I think the Teal Stripe is the best sounding of them all, but that's a debatable topic. I had one many years ago as my first "real" amp and still wish I didn't get rid of it. I ended up picking up a Valveking which I think is like a Bandit but with tubes. You'd think it would sound way better, but it's only a fraction better than a Bandit and only starts to sound good when going past comfortable bedroom volumes.
I have the original Transtube Bandit from the 90's. Black and silver, USA model. It sounds pretty good to me. I currently have a WGS Liberator 80 in it. That speaker is kick ass!
This video (and maybe some others) has jacked up the resale price of used Peavey Bandits... what used to sell around here for 150-200$ are now going from 250-300$ Crazy is the power of TH-cam!
I had the red strip Peavey Transtube efx112. Used a ts9 and Blues Driver, sometimes stacked. I used the drive channel for the heavier stuff we did. The built in effects did a find job
Hi Shane thanks very much because i saw your Demos i have the Peavey silver stripe and red stripe and just brought a Peavey Bandit 65 Solo for 70 $😊 sprayed all the volume pots and it's all good Now! i love the Peavey amps they Sound great and are very reliable and very affordable thanks very much Shane for all your great Video's ❤🎸😊👍👍
played in a band in the early 90s, the other guitarist had a Tele straight into a Bandit, incredible tones that put the Boogie i had at the time to shame. . another mate has one now.. with a Joyo American Sound pedal in front of it, it's absolutely killer
Hey, Shane. I watch quite a bit of your vids, but just came upon this one. I, too, am a Peavey Bandit believer (especially the red stripe), and especially for live gigging! I've played quite a few tube amps live. The EVH 5150 iii head and the Marshall Vintage Modern 2x12 combo to name a few. Few of them cut through the mix (in a pleasing way) like the red stripe Bandit does! Our singer is also our sound guy and he always complements my sound when I use the Bandit live. The only other full tube amp I've used that may cut through the mix just as good and nice is my Mesa Boogie F-50 ! I've also got a CRATE GXT-100, yes, CRATE, believe it or not, that cuts through the mix almost as good as the Bandit! It's a hybrid amp head with tube preamp that I've got for sale on ebay because it just doesn't get used as much as the Bandit !
I LOVE MINE!! i would recommend them to anyone :D I run a Mesa Solo 50 Rectifier and also have my old Peavey Bandit. I was recording and couldn't get the tone that i needed out of the Mesa, but chucked the Peavey in and Man i got the exact tone i was looking for! love the little guy!
I own a 50W MG4 Series . Marshall MG50FX . Wood, It's a analog combo guitar signal path with digital effects built in. Celestion speaker and a FX send/return . Great solid state amp. 4 channel but only 2 in my opinion are good for Blues . The clean and the crunch . Pristine Cleans . You should try one Shane.
Still kicking myself for selling my Bandit 65 to a fellow co-pastor years ago. However, considering I bought it, an older 80's amp, in 1997 as my first amp just starting out (if I could go back I'd tell myself NO IT'S TOO BIG AS A STARTER), I'm sure a 97 Silver Stripe Bandit might have covered my preferences better. I want to get myself a Bandit just to have again as a simple alternative to the Axe FX II, but I can't decide between the Silver Stripe, the Red Stripe USA-made, or the most recent "Cyclops" one. I appreciate all your videos, Shane! Long live Intheblues!
Great amp. Mine is made in U.S.A. Although I heard the Chinese made Red Stripes are just as good. Love the simple two button foot switch. Switch from clean tone to dirty on the Lead channel. Really simple set up. I just plug my Guitar straight in w/ no Effect boxes.. Just the way I like it.. This amp really kicks ass. The tone is amazing. You really feel the bottom end with the 12" Sheffield speaker too. Hits you right in the Chest. Thanks for this video.
Got my '95 model for NZ$150; switch peddle inc! I started out on the over drive channel, but over the years have come to learn the ways of the clean sound, and that clean channel sure is nice.
I tried a Bandit 75 and it's as good as heavy!!!! Sorry, but it takes both bad sides of transistor amps (lack of dynamics) and valve amps (weight). Now, thanks to Shane, I'm with a Joyo American Sound used as preamp coupled with an Electro Harmonix Magnum 44.
Great video, thanks for doing this! I've had some experience with the different Bandits. I remember playing the newest version (I think? The one with white stripes at the grill) when studying music some years back and I always thought it was ok, did a decent crunch sound but I never could decide "now THIS sounds great", I always kept fiddling the knobs. Which actually turned into quite a distraction. Then I got into pedals etc and for a long time used only a small 1x10 tube amp with my pedals as my main sound. However, I got to rehearsal with a band just some days ago, no pedals, and used whatever amp was in the room. Turned out to be a Peavey Bandit, the oldest version I've ever seen. Knobs had falled off and it was... A mess. However, the sound was amazing. I couldn't quite believe I liked it but I did. Especially when I set the dynamics control to 0, so you simulate a cranked amp, it got really sweet. I always THOUGHT I liked dynamic and open sounding amps. Now I know I like compression :) I could even crank the clean channel until it started breaking up, but the treble never got terribly sharp and thin because it was compressed. I was really impressed, needless to say. My only concern with these amps it that they feel a little cheap (plastic parts falling off etc) and it's very easy to accidentally turn the knobs and forget the setting you had before. That's mostly my human error though, I admit :) If Peavey for some reason would decide to do a smaller, more lightweight version of the Bandit with maybe a few less knobs, that should be it for me. Doubt they will though, it's a great amp as it is and they are perfect in music schools, rehearsal spaces etc.
yes. thats the only amp i own....i bought it because of your video review. i run a suhr shiba drive with a marshall bb2 on boost mode through the clean channel and its insane. good to see yo got another.
Dear Shane, I was pulling my almost new Peavey 112 Bandit on a dolly with some other equipment. IT got away from me and the Bandit fell flat on its face. IT had a few minor abrasions. Hooked it up. Sounded great. If it was a Blues deluxe, It would have been bad. The Bandit is definitely pretty tough and easily transportable. I have an Epiphone WildKat with very temperamental p90s. I struggle with tone with my other amps, but with the Bandit, on the clean or dirty channel, with or without pedals, it makes the Wildkat sound like butter. IT arguably sounds better than my other guitars just because it's plugged into the Bandit. Your friend in Christ, Chris Carreno
Bandits are great amps ..used them since the first version came out in the early 80s. Fav version for me was the bandit 75 or the special 130 which was the amp preceding the bandit which then became the first version. Latest ones do sound quite amazing...who needs valves eh!! (?)...
I like knobs to be other front panel. I also like and amp that is bulletproof. My silverstripe has never been in the shop, and cost about what new filter caps and tubes set me back. Open back on top of an ext. cab, my backline is good to go.
Have 2 USA red stripe bandits. 1 2002 n 1 2003 n luv em. Sold my boutique amp and most pedals because of the bandits great clean channel,simplicity and durability.
My PEAVEY BANDIT story. I had a nice roof top gig booked in Memphis. We got rained out. Our drummer talked me and our bass player to going over to Beale street and maybe “sit in” with a band? I rolled my eyes...right. We went and we did end up sitting in on a song or two and it went well. The guitar player had a small Peavey transtube amp and a cheap Ibanez that I played. It sounded good. At the time I was using a two rock studio 35. It was nice but not worth the price especially after my “experience”. I sold the two rock and use a red stripe bandit with my OCD. They work well together.
I have the red stripe Envoy 110 , which is the 40w version of the Bandit. I have to say that is the better I heard between Blackstar ht5. Vibrochamp , Marshall JCM1. And it is the only SS amp of those.
hi shane had my red stripe since thay come out ,had lots of other amp as well ,still love and gig with it ,love your coments on it its all true , its brill if u r in a band playing lots of diffrent types music ,funkshoin band music ,iv got 2,for back up,
My dad got a red-stripe in 2001 to go along with his brand new PRS Santana SE (first year for that one, I believe). I couldn't believe how nice that amp was - especially for the price. While I've tried other amps in that size/watt/price range, such as the Peavey Vypyr VIP 2 (too complex), the Vox AV30 (not loud enough), and the Boss Katana 100 (great amp), I was really surprised when I went back and plugged into dad's old Bandit. That tone and gigability that I've been looking for was always there with the Bandit. I seriously should've just looked for a used one and called it a day. I'm using my Katana 100 now, without regrets. That said, dad's talking about sending me his Les Paul (he already gave his PRS to my brother) and his Bandit. If he does, I might just stop looking for an amp.
Probably damaged my hearing in late 80's early 90's using Peavey Bandit 60 amps (blue stripe) for gigging parties at university. Those were (are) as tough and reliable as you could find anywhere. As with many young musicians, didn't care about tone - only volume and crunch. Gonna have to pickup an old bandit and see what I missed. As I recall, they were loud, could play super crunchy and cut through anything (including your eardrums).
Just found one bandit 112 sheffield (USA made) in perfect condition (clean, no missing knock) for 100 euros... Very nice : I like the headroom of this amp and the dynamic (very close from my tube amp)... This amp is very loud ! At mid position, it's hard to stand in the front of the amp ! For the price, it really rocks ! Just have to clean some scratchy pot and it will be really good !
got a red stripe 2003 model. 112 ext cab celestion v30 ln both. boss gt8 in front. great amp. i did send it off to peavy recently for a noise spike prob. they went though everything. should be good for a while. all usa made peavy amps are good quailty.
Great stories! OK Shane, you’re responsible for a lot of gear changing hands. I’m getting older and it’s tough to lug around my Supersonic 22, even though I love the tone, I hate moving it. That said I went out looking for, and found a 1990s fender Princeton 112+. 65 watts, and I am absolutely loving both channels. Might do a speaker replacement, also have to get something done with the popping noise when turning it off, but besides that I am in “hog heaven”. Thanks for the tips!
I had a Bandit 65 in 1988 and the overdrive "saturation" was terrible. I now have a U.S.-made Bandit 112, red stripe, and they definitely improved it. Incredible overdrive tone.
Nice podcast. I remember when your demo of the Transtube Bandit was one of the very few on TH-cam. Looks like you have full circle a couple of times with them. I like all of the Peavey Transtube stuff -- they did come up with some nice amps. I had 2 of the Studio Pro 112s for a while that I used in a wet dry rig -- one was the silver stripe and one was the red stripe. I noticed that the earlier silver stripe from the mid to late '90s had nicer more creamy and responsive overdrive channel than the red stripe but the red stripe had better more pristine cleans and a stronger, deeper reverb. I wired up a footswitch so I could channel switch both at the same time and it was a great set up with some time based and mod effects running through one side and dirt and other stuff in front of both -- the OD channels loved a tube screamer to really push them over the edge.. I still have a Rage 158 with a Jensen Mod 8" speaker and a bit of added padding inside the cab just soften some of the high end and that little guy is killer amp and it keeps up with a drummer if you get it up off the floor. I have played a couple of shows with it and had no problem being heard, although it doesn't have loads of low end. It's a fantastic amp for recording though and using a mix of distance mike techniques in a small room with the amp cranked really translates well t recordings -- the overdrive is searing. The best SS amp I have found thus far though is the Epiphone Triggerman 60 which is a rather large 1x12 combo with two channels and a few onboard effects -- this thing can hang with Marshall 100w half stacks without problem and it doesn't lose anything when you turn it up. The cleans are really amazing and the large cab really provides a lot of low end depth to the sound.
love my bandit silver stripe and im currently looking at a special 212..... i'm totally over pain in the ass tube amps...when i'm a millionaire and have a tech and roadies to do all the hard work i'll consider using one again.
I've got the Red Stripe. Went with my dad to the guitar shop around 2000 and he got it for me. He NEVER opened his wallet usually, but he was into music. He got me into music. So he nurtured my interest I think, dropping $400 towards it. RIP pop. So, this amp not only sounds great clean, but utterly SHREDS dirty. Sounds better the louder you push it. Above 50% is where it really comes to life. You're right, it takes pedals amazingly, but it's built in overdrive is also bone crushing. This is an amazing amp I'm lucky to own, but for me it has infinite sentimental value forever bonding my dad and I with music across heavenly planes. It's kinda funny. When I first got the amp around 2000, it wasn't held in very high regard. Guitar guys turned their nose up at it. 15-20 years later it's gone down in history as one of the best combos ever. Plug a Strat in directly, select the bridge, on the amp select distortion channel, pre-gain all the way up, modern, tight speaker, crank up the presence knob, put the master volume up over 50%....piss yourself.
had one for years , i have just got hold of another blue stripe 112 special, 160watts and all the same tones love my peavey, might look for a newer model like your red stripe, as a second
Actually don't own a Peavey Bandit but been thinking about getting one. I used to have a Red Stripe Peavey Transtube 212 Special EFX I absolutely love. Made the mistake of selling it back in 2007. I remember playing a gig with it using the clean channel and the amp started compressing a sagging like it's tube counter part would do. At first I though there was something wrong till I realized the amp was doing and responding like a valve amp would. Sucker really sounded like a tube amp. The Tone Block your referring to is made by Quilter. They make great amps (Micropro Mach II and Aviator Gold) but your looking at a very higher price on those. If someone can't afford that then the Peavey Transtube will fit the bill. :)
Shane would you consider doing a demo of a USA Silver Stripe 112 Trans-tube Bandit if you have access to one? Maybe a comparison video of the Red-Stripe vs the Siver-Stripe as well.
And info on the ground switch on the back of the amp? Maybe a video on some of the controls on the backside of the amp, some little "cheats " to use with them, or running different overdrives or distortion through the loop? Great video's, cheers!
I've had quite a few peavey amps in my day. I remember a peavey audition 20 or plus, can't remember exactly but it had these push pull knobs. my friend and I were complete noobs at that time, probably 1991 or so but one day I grabbed the knob a little too hard one day, and bang there was a nice distortion going on. my friend said he's had that amp for five years and never understood or knew what the push pull function was lol.
i have a the seymourd duncan jb and 59's in my guitar, and when a i play it in the clean channel of the pv silver stripe 112, sounds so much great.. and when a put in front of the amp the mxr equalizer pedal for add more middle range tone, man it did not ask anything to a fender amp
had one of the 80's Bandits as a teenager. Now I keep seeing older Peavey amps at live shows.
I’ve just picked up a Peavey bandit 112 red stripe in Yorkshire England for £50 on Facebook market place and I’m well impressed with it because I loved your review on them thanks
One thing about all of the Bandits, is that they don't mess around with AD/DA converters. There are so many modern, 'modeling' amps with all of these flavors and fx and everything; but the Bandit pretty much lays out a few relatively simple controls, and keeps the signal path analog. The Bandits are all discrete components afaik.
Greatest SS amp I've ever played through personally. Its like a blues player's dream, just simple and sounds good whatever you turn and you just adjust for personal preference. I, like many others, have you to thank for that shane, your old videos showed me how good they can sound!!
I've had , and still own quality tube amps , Marshall , Fender , Peavey and I will always have a Bandit on hand. Its the one I always take out for any gigs, parties, even outdoor shows . My verdict is : "the Peavey Bandit is the BEST AMP on the planet" . My prefered one is the 90's black and chrome transtube version with the fabulous Sheffield speaker. Rock-on Shane....always enjoy your reviews and videos, always good info and very well done . Cheers bro !
The Chinese manufacturers (under contract with Peavey) did an excellent job producing the Bandit 112. I was both impressed and surprised with how well it was done. I'm extremely happy with my 2016 (made in China) Peavey Bandir 112.
me too! clean classic JAZZY strat neck pup : ) (((((pedals: Mad Prof Simble>Nobels ODEAR-1BC.......)))))))),
bye the way, the Mad prof Simble is discontinued( luckily I gathered 4...)BUTT get a Mad Professor Twimble! luv from Kimmo in Finland : )
Just picked up a red stripe Bandit 112 for $99.00 American! I love it! Love your channel and the podcast, Shane! Thanks for making them so great!
Shane, I made a volume box for my fender hot rod deluxe but tried it out on my peavey bandit (red stripe USA)... MAN, it made my bandit come alive. On the vintage o/d gain at 6 and the volume at 10 with the volume box at 3ish, I was getting tones that I haven't heard coming out of this amp. If you haven't tried it, you should try it. I think you would like it. I enjoy all your videos. Thank you for all your hard work you put into them.
I'm personally very glad you did this video. I've been playing over 30 years & I live in Mississippi, home of Peavey. The Transtube line is well known for it's great clean & dirt sounds with it's analog circuit. It's pretty revealing to play some good digital gear & then plug into a Transtube. The analog sound is apparent to most players & it's preferred. You should play a TRANSTUBE 212 EFX. Wow. Overlooked workable gems, as many amps are these days. Good to see this. Most people will not even approach this kind of amp with the same serious mindset that they would have if they were playing, say, a MESA or Fender or BOGNER, yet these amps absolutely deliver good tones & blind sound tests can prove it. Thanks mate!
Hey Shane from 2015 I'm from the future 2019 and you haven't aged a day bro.
I've been using Bandits off and on since the 80s and, despite a slew of Big Name valve amps over the years, I always seem to come back to the Bandit. My current one is the latest Chinese version. I also use an Envoy 110 for practise and, just for laughs, I mic'd up and gigged a Rage 258. That little guy simply rocked when pushed hard! I can't say enough good things about the Bandit-that it has been in production in various guises for 35 years should be testament enough.
Peavey had some of the best hybrid, and solid state stuff out there for versatility. I had one of the old VT Classic 212's which was a 50watt tube power section with a solid state preamp. It got me so many classic rock and clean tones, and did it so simply.
I have a Bandit Solo series 75 watt. Love it. Got it really cheap at a pawn shop and it's great! I really like that it has a true spring reverb box and it works perfect
When I was in the military back in the 1980s(yes, I am an old fart), my buddy used a Strat & a Peavey Bandit in his bar band doing covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, etc... kicked ass & took like 5 minutes to set up.
I've owned a lot of nice high end amplifiers in my time ( twins , high watt , sound city , plexies , deluxe reverbs , silvertones , orange , etc . , etc., etc., ) but the most affordable , most versatile , most portable , all around great for everything amp is my silver stripe bandit 112 . Sounds great under any situation , no matter what , and is built like a tank . Best part , picked it up for $75.00 @ a pawn shop .
Hi Shane the Bandit is the only amp I've ever used. I had the 65 in 1982 which I used until I bought the Red stripe Bandit in the late 90's and I'm still using it today in the house band at a local jam night. I've thought about going to a tube amp but can't pull the trigger on one. The Bandit is reliable, easy to use and sounds great no matter what guitar is played through it. Awesome piece of kit.
This amp is absolute gold ! Given the price, it really is an amazing tool, and very well suited for blues/rock kind of stuff. I currently don't have one but used to have one and as soon as I have the money for it, I'm buying one again (currently have no amps at all). I really didn't like the clean channel though, very "straight" and cold to me. But once you crank it, oh my...this is really getting serious aha ! Lots of dynamic, overdriving a little bit, it really gets close to the feeling we all love with tube amps. Of course it doesn't happen very often, to be able to crank it, but for those who have a Red Stripe Bandit and have the opportunity to crank it, even for just few minutes, it's an awesome feeling. At lower volume I always use the drive channel as my clean sound. A little dirtier, vintage setting and gain around 1PM (with average powered single coils), dynamic is very nice. Very sensitive to the way you attack the strings, which I really need and love. The high gain setting is very good too, wish I was able to footswitch it actually, with the gain at 1PM it's very usable for solos. Both channels when you crank the amp are absolutly gorgeous sounding and very complementary seriously ! The T-Dynamic knob does a great job on lower volumes, kind of warming the tone a little bit, which is nice. The reverb isn't too bad at all. The modern settings (both on clean and drive channels, especially on the drive channel though) are absolutely atrocious to my ears, but it's my own personal taste and some people might like it maybe ! There are two or three videos when I'm using this amp on my little channel here on TH-cam, one video when I crank it and two videos when I'm just playing around over backing tracks. Sadly the sound coming from camera wasn't giving this amp justice at all (and my playing wasn't giving it justice either definitely aha ! ^^), but I'll try one day to review this amp in a better way. Again, would definitely recommend it for players in the need for a budget amp for genres like blues-funk-rock stuff, even hard rock maybe (other genres I couldn't tell as it's not what I'm used to play). It's perfect for bedroom volumes as for gigging ones. Again though, you should definitely try to crank it one day, it should blow your mind ! The clean is breaking up, then the drive channel with low gain but cranked too (to match the clean channel) acts like a superb boost/crunch, and with a little TS like (like the Joyo or Harley benton for example, very good pedal for the price by the way !), such a big range of tones and gain boosts are really nice to play around with. And SO cheap ! Have fun with your Bandit and a big thanks to Shane for your channel, and your simplicity in the best way possible ! Cheers from France ! :)
I just bought this very Bandit on a whim because of this channel, and because I wanted something that could mimic the BB King sound without breaking the bank or committing to a 50yr old amp, and it sounds incredible. I was expecting a gimmick, but got exactly what everyone has been raving about. It totally hits those classic blues tones without an issue. I'm going to have fun with this thing, and if I ever gather the courage to go play live it's just the right size for lugging around.
Gonna have to check these out. I bought a Mustang III based on your recommendation and downloaded some of your presets. I get compliments on my tone all the time and my back feels much better!!! Thanks Shane
+George Suarez The mustang amps are great :-). Let me know what you think of the Bandit 112 if you try one.
Glad to hear that! I got mine back after it had been left at my grandfather's place for 12 odd years; it's a 20 years old bandit112 made in the US. It's of the transtube type. I set it aside a fender tube amp xd ... I ended up selling the fender amp! The peavey is loud when it needs to. I take advantage of its direct line in with a pod HD500, and it works a treat to play at home. It's also able to drive a big 4*12" marshall no worries. It's 12 inch sheffield brings the brightness when the 4*12" brings the body and the bass. Loving it.
Even better, my dad has the old one with the blue stripe and the metals strips on both sides. That one sounds very different: it's brighter, cold and super loud. However, I came to replay it with some classic dirt pedals (an sd1 in particular) and it responded very well to the pedal. These old amps are also champions at taking effects like a pod because of their large bandwidth, high power and fast response.
I heard that bandits are now made in China and that the quality has somewhat dropped a little. So I'll hang on to mine for... another 20 years?
it's cool to see so much love for the bandit. I've had a few amps, many of them tube. they sound great, maybe better on the overdrive side but they always are needed tubed or biased. they never hold up to day in and day out abuse like my bandit does. I have a swamp thing in mine and with a small pedal board for drives, delay, and modulation...I can go toe to toe with jcms and hot rods and whatever else I've run into out there. that big loud clean is all I need and the bandit never fails me
Thanks Shane for upping bandit prices!
Peavey Bandits are amazing amps. The clean channel with the modern voicing and some single coils is my favorite set up. I found the dirty channel to be good as well, but you have to dial back the gain you use in my opinion. If you put it on modern and put the gain above 4 or 5 it just turns into a solid state version of a 5150, which is awesome, but i dont play that style much anymore. Great amp. If you actually use all the features of the mustang, then get it and ditch the pedal board, but if you just want plug and play, the bandit is tops.
When I stopped playing bass in a band in the mid 90's i picked up guitar and wanted ine of these Bandits because I tried them and their sound was really good and not cheap sounding, i play melodic and pop punk so the modern distortion setting was perfect for my sound but sadly I never got one.
I have the silver stripe bandit and i love it! The thing with these is the build quality ..You cant kill the earky ones or even red stripes. The pcb in the older usa made solo series and silver stripe are very stout ..they get a lil thinner and things get more cost effective as they got to the more recent models.
Glad to hear some Bandit love. I have a red stripe model too and I love it. The clean channel is great. Very tube like. Like you mention, it's great with pedals and sounds good with single coils or humbuckers.
+ironman333 Yeah it's such a great amp and I have a new found respect for how nice the clean channel is, it hold's its own with the 40 watt valve amps and some might say it's even nicer! :-)
+intheblues bandits rule!!
ironman333 hey I just bought the Peavey red stripe..and I am trying to get the best setting for blues I am a 65yr strummer write my own songs..and run an open mic night called Fretz..ok that's enough about me..so I'm a newbie Brit I paid £80.. could you possibly advice me ..do I need fx pedals do I need to change the stock speaker as this guy changed stuff..Myguitarz69@gmail.com..ty for your time. I would ask this guy but he jumps about.. I just want a basic reply.. not a run around the woods so to speak.. I wish you well K.Wolf
I have to add my thumbs up on the Bandit 112's. I have a Transtube blue (teal) stripe with the "Spiky" logo plate, and a slightly newer Transtube "block logo" red stripe - the last model that was made in the U.S.A. I got both used but in excellent condition. Like all the Peavey gear I've owned, they're great and just about bulletproof. There is a subtle difference in the sound of the earlier blue stripe Transtube and the later red stripe. Both have the Sheffield speakers. I tried a Scorpion in one, then changed it back. The Bandits are amazing - I can get all kinds of different sounds with them, and they've got plenty of power. Peavey gear doesn't have the snob appeal of some brands, but I've never had a Peavey amp fail on a gig.
When I was in music college 1975-77, every room had Peavey gear in it. It never broke, and sounded great. When I switched from sax to guitar in 2011, the first full-size guitar amp I bought was a "Teal Stripe" Bandit 112, Made in USA. A great amp, especially with the 2nd speaker cab. A few months later, I found a Red Stripe Bandit 112, made in USA, but with the "boxy" logo not the lightning bolts like the "Teal Stripe". Both were in wonderful shape - they'd been looked after. I love them both - they're great at home or for gigs. The two Bandit 112's, each with a 2nd cab, put out lots of sound.
My bass rig in the 1990's was a Marshall head & 2 cabs, but bills took it away. Now I'm looking for a Peavey bass head. I found a Peavey TVX-410 cab, 120 lbs and 350 watts RMS. The -410 cab sounds great, is built like a tank, and I want a Peavey bass head to go with it. Snobs scoff if I mention Peavey - more fool them!
I sold mine like a year ago and tomorrow I'm getting a new one. Great amp, great tones, love the reverb and the t-dynamics control. I used the clean channel with the pedalboard and it's awesome, plug and play. Great video, man.
I love my 1990 Bandit 112!
I own two of the red stripes and one of the newer Bandits and I have been gigging them off and on for many years. They are the perfect grab n go gigging amp. From Country to Metal and everything in between. When I use the red stripes I run a dual mono set up and it's completely killer. Good to see more love for it. IMO they are the MOST underrated and under appeciated gigging amp in history.
Shane, have a Red Stripe Bandit 112. Amazing amp and value. Really love the resonance and sound volume, a real beast for the money.
I bought a Bandit 112 "silver stripe"( that had been in the sellers closet basically since he bought it, completely mint with foot pedal) a few weeks ago for $80. Can't believe how good it sounds! I also have a Carvin V3 combo 100 watt tube amp (3 channels) but the beast weighs over 80 lbs and is too much for me to lift into my car trunk (I'm 61 yrs old). There is another Bandit exactly like mine for sale, again mint for $80 which I'll hopefully pick up today. I use a POD HD500X and get great sounds at any volume. The reliability of these amps seems legendary and I can easily carry them. What a bargain these gems are!
Bandits are also AMAZING for metal and hard rock. The Modern voice sounds a lot like the 6505, which is considered a top-tier metal amp. It is also extremely easy to get a Marshall sound out of it.
Miss my Backstage Plus. 35w, 10" speaker, kept up with a few stacks, and the blues tone was amazing for solid-state.
Your original videos on the redstripe Bandit are the reason I have one now.. Bought mine used like new for $150 us. I have a classic 50 212 that I love but I always go back to playing the Bandit. It's that clean channel ! This is one SS amp that takes overdrive pedals very well. I run a visual sound comp 66 , a Timmy overdrive clone and a ts808 in front of the amp and the rest in the fx loop. I do agree the clean channel sounds so very close to a deluxe it's crazy!
I also picked up one of those moen tremolo pedals you demoed . Pretty sweet pedal!
+TimmyV Thanks for comments mate. Glad to hear you're still enjoying the bandit. They do take pedals really well hey. :-) Glad you like the Moen pedal too they make some great stuff.
I'm picking up a used Silver Stripe Bandit tomorrow for $60. I've had a Peavey Express Silver Stripe since the late 90s which I bought new. My first amp. It is very similar to the Bandit. It has a little less power and a few less features but it has been great- never had a problem- and you really can't beat the clean channel. I've owned many other amps since, tube and solid state but every time I come back and plug into the Express, I just shake my head in amazement at how great it sounds. Looking forward to messing with the Bandit!
Used a used one for many weeks when my Fender was in the shop. Had no trouble getting my a good version of my sound as it responded well to guitar volume adjustments. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled at the pawnshop. Thanx for the reminder.
I used an 80s Peavey Bandit 65 for years, and have not plugged into it for a while. I always liked the clean channel. They dirty channel sounded better to me for a crunch kind of sound and I used a pedal for more dirt. Never had a single problem with it until I let someone borrow it and they broke a tone knob. You're making me think I should dust it off and give it another listen.
Late to the party here, but I've been using Bandits since my first Bandit 75 back in the '80s. I love the things for all the reasons you mention; probably what I like the most is the 'immediacy', attack and punch that you seldom get with valve amps. I recently sold a Mesa F50, followed by a Cornford Roadhouse 30 and went back to the Bandit-mainly because at 65 (and with a fragile 65 year-old back!), I really don't need to be shlepping 55lb amps around, and I had also forgotten just how good Bandits sound-and that goes for all of the Transtube range, from the little Rage 258 and up. In my case it's the new Chinese version, which sounds incredible. The power scaling feature is also so useful when you don't need the full 80W. My other amp is the Roland Blues Cube Stage which does low gain, edge-of-breakup stuff really well (and sounds fantastic with my American Special Tele), but the crunch channel has too much 'sag' and compression for my taste. Nice reviews Shane; keep 'em coming mate.
Great videos Shane. I've had a red stripe Envoy for years (bought it new) and it's the perfect lightweight alternative to the Bandit. Sounds great and is quite loud for its size. I bought a used red strip Bandit a few months ago and just put a WGS ET90 speaker in it today. Whoa! It seems twice as loud and big sounding. Quite a bit more sparkle on top and more bottom so you may have to tweak your e.q. slightly compared to the Sheffield 1230. Definitely give the ET90 a shot in this amp if you get a chance!
thx for the review. awesome. picking up a red stripe u.s.a. model with a sheffield for $90 u.s. this weekend. not a thing wrong with it. this will be my second transtube bandit 112. built like a tank and all the options you could ever need for tone.
I loved my Transtube amps I owned in the 90s. I had a 100w Head and a 60w 1x12 combo. Actually I should look into getting one of the combos again. Great pedal platform.
I recently picked up a "blue stripe" or "teal stripe" solo series bandit 112 with scorpion speaker, and I love it! And the reverb tank is huge and sounds really full. Great amp, bulletproof, and a bargain!
+Simon T Awesome stuff :-)
I think the Teal Stripe is the best sounding of them all, but that's a debatable topic. I had one many years ago as my first "real" amp and still wish I didn't get rid of it. I ended up picking up a Valveking which I think is like a Bandit but with tubes. You'd think it would sound way better, but it's only a fraction better than a Bandit and only starts to sound good when going past comfortable bedroom volumes.
I have the original Transtube Bandit from the 90's. Black and silver, USA model. It sounds pretty good to me. I currently have a WGS Liberator 80 in it. That speaker is kick ass!
This video (and maybe some others) has jacked up the resale price of used Peavey Bandits... what used to sell around here for 150-200$ are now going from 250-300$ Crazy is the power of TH-cam!
I had the red strip Peavey Transtube efx112. Used a ts9 and Blues Driver, sometimes stacked. I used the drive channel for the heavier stuff we did. The built in effects did a find job
I just bought a new bandit. Have yet to try it out live.
Because of you, I bought both the Bandit Red Stripe and the Studio pro red stripe. Love them both!!!
Man, i miss my Studio Pro 112 more than ever now.
Hi Shane thanks very much because i saw your Demos i have the Peavey silver stripe and red stripe and just brought a Peavey Bandit 65 Solo for 70 $😊 sprayed all the volume pots and it's all good Now! i love the Peavey amps they Sound great and are very reliable and very affordable thanks very much Shane for all your great Video's ❤🎸😊👍👍
Hey Shane 2021 and we're still coming back for the Peavey Nandit. yeah from MTW in L.A.
Of course I got rid of mine some years back. A pre red one. I thought it was just too sterile sounding but now you've got me thinking.
played in a band in the early 90s, the other guitarist had a Tele straight into a Bandit, incredible tones that put the Boogie i had at the time to shame. .
another mate has one now.. with a Joyo American Sound pedal in front of it, it's absolutely killer
Hey, Shane. I watch quite a bit of your vids, but just came upon this one. I, too, am a Peavey Bandit believer (especially the red stripe), and especially for live gigging! I've played quite a few tube amps live. The EVH 5150 iii head and the Marshall Vintage Modern 2x12 combo to name a few. Few of them cut through the mix (in a pleasing way) like the red stripe Bandit does! Our singer is also our sound guy and he always complements my sound when I use the Bandit live. The only other full tube amp I've used that may cut through the mix just as good and nice is my Mesa Boogie F-50 ! I've also got a CRATE GXT-100, yes, CRATE, believe it or not, that cuts through the mix almost as good as the Bandit! It's a hybrid amp head with tube preamp that I've got for sale on ebay because it just doesn't get used as much as the Bandit !
I LOVE MINE!!
i would recommend them to anyone :D
I run a Mesa Solo 50 Rectifier and also have my old Peavey Bandit. I was recording and couldn't get the tone that i needed out of the Mesa, but chucked the Peavey in and Man i got the exact tone i was looking for!
love the little guy!
I own a 50W MG4 Series . Marshall MG50FX . Wood, It's a analog combo guitar signal path with digital effects built in. Celestion speaker and a FX send/return . Great solid state amp. 4 channel but only 2 in my opinion are good for Blues . The clean and the crunch . Pristine Cleans . You should try one Shane.
Still kicking myself for selling my Bandit 65 to a fellow co-pastor years ago. However, considering I bought it, an older 80's amp, in 1997 as my first amp just starting out (if I could go back I'd tell myself NO IT'S TOO BIG AS A STARTER), I'm sure a 97 Silver Stripe Bandit might have covered my preferences better. I want to get myself a Bandit just to have again as a simple alternative to the Axe FX II, but I can't decide between the Silver Stripe, the Red Stripe USA-made, or the most recent "Cyclops" one. I appreciate all your videos, Shane! Long live Intheblues!
Great amp. Mine is made in U.S.A. Although I heard the Chinese made Red Stripes are just as good. Love the simple two button foot switch. Switch from clean tone to dirty on the Lead channel. Really simple set up. I just plug my Guitar straight in w/ no Effect boxes.. Just the way I like it.. This amp really kicks ass. The tone is amazing. You really feel the bottom end with the 12" Sheffield speaker too. Hits you right in the Chest. Thanks for this video.
Got my '95 model for NZ$150; switch peddle inc! I started out on the over drive channel, but over the years have come to learn the ways of the clean sound, and that clean channel sure is nice.
I tried a Bandit 75 and it's as good as heavy!!!! Sorry, but it takes both bad sides of transistor amps (lack of dynamics) and valve amps (weight).
Now, thanks to Shane, I'm with a Joyo American Sound used as preamp coupled with an Electro Harmonix Magnum 44.
Very honest. Congratulations.
I use it on clean channel with Joyo American and British amp modelling pedals. I dial down the EQ on the amp and it is awesome.
Would love to see a new demo of the Bandit 112 on the clean channel with your pedalboard
+singpraize2 Yeah for sure, will do :-).
Great video, thanks for doing this!
I've had some experience with the different Bandits. I remember playing the newest version (I think? The one with white stripes at the grill) when studying music some years back and I always thought it was ok, did a decent crunch sound but I never could decide "now THIS sounds great", I always kept fiddling the knobs. Which actually turned into quite a distraction. Then I got into pedals etc and for a long time used only a small 1x10 tube amp with my pedals as my main sound. However, I got to rehearsal with a band just some days ago, no pedals, and used whatever amp was in the room. Turned out to be a Peavey Bandit, the oldest version I've ever seen. Knobs had falled off and it was... A mess. However, the sound was amazing. I couldn't quite believe I liked it but I did. Especially when I set the dynamics control to 0, so you simulate a cranked amp, it got really sweet. I always THOUGHT I liked dynamic and open sounding amps. Now I know I like compression :) I could even crank the clean channel until it started breaking up, but the treble never got terribly sharp and thin because it was compressed. I was really impressed, needless to say.
My only concern with these amps it that they feel a little cheap (plastic parts falling off etc) and it's very easy to accidentally turn the knobs and forget the setting you had before. That's mostly my human error though, I admit :)
If Peavey for some reason would decide to do a smaller, more lightweight version of the Bandit with maybe a few less knobs, that should be it for me. Doubt they will though, it's a great amp as it is and they are perfect in music schools, rehearsal spaces etc.
yes. thats the only amp i own....i bought it because of your video review. i run a suhr shiba drive with a marshall bb2 on boost mode through the clean channel and its insane. good to see yo got another.
+STEVE LEITNER Thanks Steve :-)
where is the live video of it at the gig?
Dear Shane,
I was pulling my almost new Peavey 112 Bandit on a dolly with some other equipment. IT got away from me and the Bandit fell flat on its face. IT had a few minor abrasions. Hooked it up. Sounded great. If it was a Blues deluxe, It would have been bad. The Bandit is definitely pretty tough and easily transportable.
I have an Epiphone WildKat with very temperamental p90s. I struggle with tone with my other amps, but with the Bandit, on the clean or dirty channel, with or without pedals, it makes the Wildkat sound like butter.
IT arguably sounds better than my other guitars just because it's plugged into the Bandit.
Your friend in Christ, Chris Carreno
thumbs up for the Bandit!!! great Amp
Bandits are great amps ..used them since the first version came out in the early 80s. Fav version for me was the bandit 75 or the special 130 which was the amp preceding the bandit which then became the first version. Latest ones do sound quite amazing...who needs valves eh!! (?)...
I like knobs to be other front panel. I also like and amp that is bulletproof. My silverstripe has never been in the shop, and cost about what new filter caps and tubes set me back. Open back on top of an ext. cab, my backline is good to go.
I want the old blue stripe one. Used to have the 120w special. Orange Crush 35 watt is a nice solid state amp.
Have 2 USA red stripe bandits. 1 2002 n 1 2003 n luv em. Sold my boutique amp and most pedals because of the bandits great clean channel,simplicity and durability.
My PEAVEY BANDIT story. I had a nice roof top gig booked in Memphis. We got rained out. Our drummer talked me and our bass player to going over to Beale street and maybe “sit in” with a band? I rolled my eyes...right. We went and we did end up sitting in on a song or two and it went well. The guitar player had a small Peavey transtube amp and a cheap Ibanez that I played. It sounded good. At the time I was using a two rock studio 35. It was nice but not worth the price especially after my “experience”. I sold the two rock and use a red stripe bandit with my OCD. They work well together.
Greetings from Sydney. Picked up the new model Envoy 110 for $110 yesterday. Sweet.
I have the red stripe Envoy 110 , which is the 40w version of the Bandit. I have to say that is the better I heard between Blackstar ht5. Vibrochamp , Marshall JCM1. And it is the only SS amp of those.
hi shane had my red stripe since thay come out ,had lots of other amp as well ,still love and gig with it ,love your coments on it its all true , its brill if u r in a band playing lots of diffrent types music ,funkshoin band music ,iv got 2,for back up,
My dad got a red-stripe in 2001 to go along with his brand new PRS Santana SE (first year for that one, I believe). I couldn't believe how nice that amp was - especially for the price. While I've tried other amps in that size/watt/price range, such as the Peavey Vypyr VIP 2 (too complex), the Vox AV30 (not loud enough), and the Boss Katana 100 (great amp), I was really surprised when I went back and plugged into dad's old Bandit. That tone and gigability that I've been looking for was always there with the Bandit. I seriously should've just looked for a used one and called it a day.
I'm using my Katana 100 now, without regrets. That said, dad's talking about sending me his Les Paul (he already gave his PRS to my brother) and his Bandit. If he does, I might just stop looking for an amp.
Based on listening to you play via a red stripe I bought one online for £70. No regrets. 😎
Got a red stripe too for 122usd. Too loud that it doesn't need to be mic'd up. Awesome tones!
Probably damaged my hearing in late 80's early 90's using Peavey Bandit 60 amps (blue stripe) for gigging parties at university. Those were (are) as tough and reliable as you could find anywhere. As with many young musicians, didn't care about tone - only volume and crunch. Gonna have to pickup an old bandit and see what I missed. As I recall, they were loud, could play super crunchy and cut through anything (including your eardrums).
Just found one bandit 112 sheffield (USA made) in perfect condition (clean, no missing knock) for 100 euros... Very nice : I like the headroom of this amp and the dynamic (very close from my tube amp)... This amp is very loud ! At mid position, it's hard to stand in the front of the amp ! For the price, it really rocks ! Just have to clean some scratchy pot and it will be really good !
got a red stripe 2003 model. 112 ext cab celestion v30 ln both. boss gt8 in front. great amp. i did send it off to peavy recently for a noise spike prob. they went though everything. should be good for a while. all usa made peavy amps are good quailty.
Great stories! OK Shane, you’re responsible for a lot of gear changing hands. I’m getting older and it’s tough to lug around my Supersonic 22, even though I love the tone, I hate moving it. That said I went out looking for, and found a 1990s fender Princeton 112+. 65 watts, and I am absolutely loving both channels. Might do a speaker replacement, also have to get something done with the popping noise when turning it off, but besides that I am in “hog heaven”. Thanks for the tips!
I’m In a jazz band and use it all the time omg it’s great
I had a Bandit 65 in 1988 and the overdrive "saturation" was terrible. I now have a U.S.-made Bandit 112, red stripe, and they definitely improved it. Incredible overdrive tone.
Nice podcast. I remember when your demo of the Transtube Bandit was one of the very few on TH-cam. Looks like you have full circle a couple of times with them.
I like all of the Peavey Transtube stuff -- they did come up with some nice amps. I had 2 of the Studio Pro 112s for a while that I used in a wet dry rig -- one was the silver stripe and one was the red stripe. I noticed that the earlier silver stripe from the mid to late '90s had nicer more creamy and responsive overdrive channel than the red stripe but the red stripe had better more pristine cleans and a stronger, deeper reverb. I wired up a footswitch so I could channel switch both at the same time and it was a great set up with some time based and mod effects running through one side and dirt and other stuff in front of both -- the OD channels loved a tube screamer to really push them over the edge..
I still have a Rage 158 with a Jensen Mod 8" speaker and a bit of added padding inside the cab just soften some of the high end and that little guy is killer amp and it keeps up with a drummer if you get it up off the floor. I have played a couple of shows with it and had no problem being heard, although it doesn't have loads of low end. It's a fantastic amp for recording though and using a mix of distance mike techniques in a small room with the amp cranked really translates well t recordings -- the overdrive is searing.
The best SS amp I have found thus far though is the Epiphone Triggerman 60 which is a rather large 1x12 combo with two channels and a few onboard effects -- this thing can hang with Marshall 100w half stacks without problem and it doesn't lose anything when you turn it up. The cleans are really amazing and the large cab really provides a lot of low end depth to the sound.
love my bandit silver stripe and im currently looking at a special 212..... i'm totally over pain in the ass tube amps...when i'm a millionaire and have a tech and roadies to do all the hard work i'll consider using one again.
Maybe do a revised review of your new Bandit???
I've got the Red Stripe. Went with my dad to the guitar shop around 2000 and he got it for me. He NEVER opened his wallet usually, but he was into music. He got me into music. So he nurtured my interest I think, dropping $400 towards it. RIP pop.
So, this amp not only sounds great clean, but utterly SHREDS dirty. Sounds better the louder you push it. Above 50% is where it really comes to life. You're right, it takes pedals amazingly, but it's built in overdrive is also bone crushing.
This is an amazing amp I'm lucky to own, but for me it has infinite sentimental value forever bonding my dad and I with music across heavenly planes.
It's kinda funny. When I first got the amp around 2000, it wasn't held in very high regard. Guitar guys turned their nose up at it. 15-20 years later it's gone down in history as one of the best combos ever.
Plug a Strat in directly, select the bridge, on the amp select distortion channel, pre-gain all the way up, modern, tight speaker, crank up the presence knob, put the master volume up over 50%....piss yourself.
uh oh....Fender just came out with a Peavey Red Stripe patch for the Mustang
+NYC LP Player haha :-D
What is that monster from you did it?
@@davidbarrada3 my avatar is the yeti from the game ski free
@@nycLPplayer cool now I remember I used to play that at school in like windows 95 haha cheers man
had one for years , i have just got hold of another blue stripe 112 special, 160watts and all the same tones
love my peavey, might look for a newer model like your red stripe, as a second
I just found you and subscribed. I love the Peavey SS amps. Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Regards from Indiana USA. :-) :-)
Actually don't own a Peavey Bandit but been thinking about getting one. I used to have a Red Stripe Peavey Transtube 212 Special EFX I absolutely love. Made the mistake of selling it back in 2007. I remember playing a gig with it using the clean channel and the amp started compressing a sagging like it's tube counter part would do. At first I though there was something wrong till I realized the amp was doing and responding like a valve amp would. Sucker really sounded like a tube amp. The Tone Block your referring to is made by Quilter. They make great amps (Micropro Mach II and Aviator Gold) but your looking at a very higher price on those. If someone can't afford that then the Peavey Transtube will fit the bill. :)
Shane would you consider doing a demo of a USA Silver Stripe 112 Trans-tube Bandit if you have access to one? Maybe a comparison video of the Red-Stripe vs the Siver-Stripe as well.
And info on the ground switch on the back of the amp? Maybe a video on some of the controls on the backside of the amp, some little "cheats " to use with them, or running different overdrives or distortion through the loop? Great video's, cheers!
I've had quite a few peavey amps in my day. I remember a peavey audition 20 or plus, can't remember exactly but it had these push pull knobs. my friend and I were complete noobs at that time, probably 1991 or so but one day I grabbed the knob a little too hard one day, and bang there was a nice distortion going on. my friend said he's had that amp for five years and never understood or knew what the push pull function was lol.
You sold me on the Mustang III. I haven't tried the Peavey but I do hear they were good units.
i have a the seymourd duncan jb and 59's in my guitar, and when a i play it in the clean channel of the pv silver stripe 112, sounds so much great.. and when a put in front of the amp the mxr equalizer pedal for add more middle range tone, man it did not ask anything to a fender amp
The Peavey Studio Pro 40 is my favorite amp ....if I play an outdoor gig I use a Specail 130 amazing amps !! They are bulllet proof !!!
Just bought one. Love it.
Bandits are the best!