New Amp: Peavey 6505 USA Made

I already have a Chinese made 6505, but when I spotted this one online at GC for a mere $549, I went for it immediately. The way prices are these days, a full size 6505, especially a USA made one for under 600 bucks is a steal.

I did some A/B testing between the two, and while this one is a little more beaten up aesthetically, with a few tolex tears and a cracked plastic grille vent, this is the keeper. It is several pounds heavier than the non-USA model, so I suspect the transformers or chassis may be different. As far as sound, I can definitely tell a difference in the room - I’m not saying it will be better for everyone, but to my ear, I prefer this one, even in a blind test (I didn’t know which one was the USA model, to remove that bias). It just has a little edge in the low mids, where I really feel the palm mute chugs, and that’s one of the main sounds I want from a 6505. Of course, both amps are fantastic and the internal construction appears to be similar quality.

If you’re interested in this sort of thing, I have photos of the internals and transformers of both this USA model (2010) and the Chinese made version (2018) over on the Peavey section of the site.