Peavey 3120 - Secretely Peavey's BEST Amp?

[@dylanmakesnoiseMTL]

Great video & comparison! I've been on the fence about snagging a Triple X/3120 for some time now -- and despite having a 5150, I still want one more after watching this! Thanks John!

[@PippPriss]

NICE Demo! Loved the sound of the 3120. I gotta get myself one at some point...

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thank you, bro

[@chrismonaut]

Woohoo, was really looking forward to this! Big Ultra series fan here!

[@josephhulsey7662]

The 3120 sounds pissed off!!! I have the 6505 1992 and love it. Either of these 2 rip. Thanks for doing this comparison. First time hearing the 3120 and did not know the Triple xxx was the next 3120. Enjoyed John

[@UseTheSupeRsonic]

9:53 Everythin's shakin'!

[@huntergalloway3944]

I completely agree with everything you said. A few tips. If you find you don’t have enough range on the gain dials, or would like an actual crunch channel, the preamp 12Ax7s to less gainy ECC82/83s and one in the inverter for a less stiff feeling, really made it much more practical than just a monster metal amp. A few more. I look at this amp like a two channel amp because the settings on each gain channel affect the sound of the other. I mostly use the clean channel anyways. I set the other settings on the ultra channel if I want more bass/treble. This is especially useful because of the lack of traditional lack or presence and depth knob. Speak of, all of my speaker prefer it on loose, and it’s still one of the tightest amps I’ve ever heard. To get the absolute most out of the amp, “lift the blanket off and make it sound more full” is to dime your FX loop and always keep it engaged. Another is to think of it opposite you would most amps where you want your master volume high as possible to make it fill out. On this amp it’s the channel volumes. One last thing. The clean channel is a very famous Fender amp that’s a very popular pedal amp. Just all 120w of it.

[@JayAgassi]

Love your channel🤘

[@brandonbryson3317]

Just hearing you switch, instantly preferred the 5150…just sounds cleaner, tighter and brighter.

[@DEJ915]

I had one of the older precursors to this the Ultra Plus and it was pretty awesome, I just didn't use mine much at the time and needed some cash so I sold it. I do miss it a bit still and the LED logo changing colour for channel switching was really neat.

[@maddnotez]

Agree on this, I like it better than the 5150. Much cleaner sounding distortion and maybe more low mids. Also you're right. Maybe people just don't know about the 3120, I have one for sale and can't even give it away, while people are spending double on a 5150.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Yeah! It deserves way more credit

[@gabrielstevens41]

I just checked my local fb marketplace and there's one on there for $500, also an Ultra Plus for the same price. Basically half what 5150s are going for

[@maddnotez]

@gabrielstevens41 that's probably mine haha. I'm near St louis. It's a killer amp

[@gabrielstevens41]

@@maddnotez haha small world

[@gabrielstevens41]

@maddnotez well I've been trying to sell a couple Marshall clones, if I do I'll see if your amp is still hanging around

[@RichMaza]

Of course they sound similar, they were both designed by James Brown. 5150 for Eddie Van Halen, and the triple X for George Lynch James Brown is the man who designs amps for the rock stars.

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

I love amplifiers too.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Amplifiers rule

[@stephenpertesis6738]

nah, there’s just a great low mid growl that the 5150 has that’s absent in the 3120. and the 3120 is more fizzy without the one to 3K presence of the 5150. I think it would get lost in a mix much easier and just not sound as powerful overall.

[@harlandudrak3130]

It doesn't sound as powerful live. I have to run 2 in stereo to do what a 5150 will.

[@franciscoaguilar6644]

Love that amp!!!

[@KreativeDevices]

🔥 I personally preferred the JSX

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

@@KreativeDevices I should have held on to it

[@James3II3]

I agree. I picked up the JSX recently. Didn't really need another amp, But it was priced well. Sort of a Fck it why not purchase. Im Extremely Happy with my Purchase. Fantastic amp.All channels Useable and it responds so well with every Speaker combo. I basically use the JSX for Cleans and the Ultra Channel Dialled in to be almost dry, but agressive enough with the Boost. Greenback cab. Then I AB Switch with the KHE between the 5150 for Brutal chuggy attacky pissed off build ups of my Songs. Mesa Oversized. Then back to the JSX for Chordy Meldic chorus parts. So good. I love this Setup. Its a way more that satisfying setup than a Peavey Invective 120.

[@AdrianNWB]

John Gallagher from Dying Fetus used a 3120 live for a long time. He’s now an official Engl artist, so he’s touring with a Savage now instead of just using Engls in the studio, but his tone rules no matter what he uses.

[@harlandudrak3130]

He told me that was a JSX he was using he bought at a pawn shop. Terrance from Suffocation used a 3120 for a long time.

[@d.p.3114]

The 5150 has more snarl or aggressive mids. Sounds more raw whereas the 3120 seems more polished and refined. The mids are toned down a bit. Overall very similar.

[@daviddurden8391]

Total unterbewertet, wollte ich mir auch schon gebraucht kaufen, 👍

[@rocketsauce5067]

I have a triple xxx and it's cool, My favorite peavey iv'e ever owned was a vtm.

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

The XXX was such a better name lol. It summed up the 90s perfectly lol.

[@kingpriapatius5832]

Peavey should re-release 3120.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

They absolutely should!

[@papakrailanuarhajiisa]

Peavey amp never dissapointed

[@christopherward4671]

In my opinion the XXX/3120 has too many quirks for the average 5150 guy, that being said, I got some of my best tones with one, also loaded with E34L’s. I particularly like pairing it with either an SD-1 or a metalzone set up as a boost.

[@a-nus]

The 3120 sounds "wetter" for lack of a better term, definitely prefer it to the dryness of the 5150

[@gabrielstevens41]

A buddy has been letting borrow his Ultra Plus and I like it way more than a 5150.

[@geronimostade8279]

Knowing both amps i do prefer the 6505 :D

[@samizdat113]

I prefer the Triple X but yeah, they are both underrated.

[@harlandudrak3130]

You've got to get your hands on some XXX speakers. Those and K100s(G12K-85) are what they voiced the amp for. The XXX speakers are the most aggressive speakers I've ever tried and I've tried lots. It's a shame Peavey doesn't produce any ultra series style amps. Lots of wasted potential.

[@thehoppo]

I have a Triple XXX (does that means its a peavey XXX XXX XXX ??) and a recently acquired 5150 sig, and I have an amp switcher, so I will do a similar comparison. For what I heard in your comparison, for the gainy stuff, the 5150 had more lower mids, and what I thought sounded like much better string separation and a more even sounding gain structure (is that a thing?) Dont know about the 3120 but on the Triple XXX the volume controls on the two gain channels act like a presence control for the other channel, so volume on crunch will act as a presence on the ultra and vis versa

[@minecraftyeled7889]

The "always pedantic" look made me scream lmao

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Haha! Glad you enjoyed that

[@JoelCSabo]

I own an EVH 5150iii 6L6 Stealth 50 and I feel like the gain channels on that sound closer to the 3120 than the original 5150. Am I losing it?

[@ericskinner7355]

3120 sounds slightly more present on my phone.

[@kieranvirgo9797]

I shouldn't have sold this to you 🤣 Great amp especially with kt77 or 6CA& in there

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I need to try those! Lol. At least it went to a good home

[@krangv2485]

3120/XXX can do everything the 5150 cant. So you need both.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Word!

[@Greg25815]

I prefer 3120 🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@stug5041]

But… Isn’t this just a triple X with stock EL34s?

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Yes. And better looking

[@stug5041]

@ Zero arguments there!

[@hughjanus5518]

Too crispy

[@nikolayew]

Original Peavey XXX looks 1000 times better and has character. This thing looks like a soviet toaster.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

nastrovje, tovarish

[@nikolayew]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne Haha, prost Genosse! I guess I am just salty, because I actually got the older original XXX.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

@@nikolayew Truth be told, I don't think it looks terrible but I prefer the look of the 3120

[@Van020280]

Not underrated at all. Widely known and regarded. Nice try though.