ShortScale.org

Basically, after a short consideration, i've decided that taking my usual amp to university would end in tears and back ache problems, so i'm in the market for something cheap, loudish and able to take pedals.

I've seen an advert on Gumtree for a Peavey Bandit (Link) for £75, but i'm wondering whether they'll take 50 or 60.

I know pretty much nothing about Bandits other than we used one at a practise room (think it was a red striped one) and it sounded quite nice on the clean channel.

Are there any better alternatives that are worth considering or any specific ones to look out for?

No had one personally, but a mate of mine did. Sounded good, and they've got a good rep.

They do the job, and they're pretty solid. I'm not sure there is much else down at that price though, maybe some HH stuff?

If you can find the guitar version of this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cruiser-Craft ... 500wt_1219

They're absolutely awesome, the clean channel breaks up just like a valve amp when you push it. The reverb sucks though but thats not the biggest issue considering you can find them for around £30. They're also quite light and very loud.

in walks SKC Willie....

I had one for a few years and really liked it. One of my student's dads has one and we use it every once in a while in his lessons and it sounds pretty damn nice. I really had forgotten just how good it sounded. I haven't used the drive channel on that one to see if it's any good... but I seem to remember selling it because I really wanted that distinctive tube drive sound that I wasn't getting with it. But judging by how good the clean on my student's dads is, it sounds pretty crisp, clear, and gets a really nice amount of Tube-ish breakup in it too, I would say the drive channel might be better than I remember it being.

Peavey really makes incredibly reliable gear and most of it sounds pretty damn good, and the Bandits are definitely one of their most popular amps for a reason.

I had that very same series of Bandit 112 Sheffield. It was originally my brother's first decent sized amp, made our room smell like a smoker's jacket for a good 7 months. It was the first amp I ever used to rehearse with a band, and the first one I gigged with. I didn't know about typical amp sounds back then really, but it was far better than any of the practice amps I'd used obviously. I liked that Transtube "percentage of tubeyness" dial that gave it's clean channel a decent and less-flat quality, and while it's dirt may have been crap I definitely remember preferring it over a DS-1's hashy, transparent fizz as well as the sound of my brother's Metal Zone, which was all I'd heard at that point.
I still used it for awhile after I had a halfstack years later when it was more practical (narrow stairs to drummer's guest house digs, crammed house party in mountains).

Billy's right... "reliable" was just the tip of the iceberg in my case. That thing was heavily used when we got it, my brother and I both heavily used it for a combined 8 years or so, then sold it to one of his friends who still has it 10 years on.

The footswitch was a bit of Tupperware though, it never broke but fuck that thing anyway. I used to pop the back off while drunk and be sad there were no cashews in it. YMMV.

I always thought there were fizzy & hair metal....

Buy my Marshall instaead

http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47913

Johno wrote:I always thought there were fizzy & hair metal....

Buy my Marshall instaead

http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47913

These Marshalls are nice too.

I really like these old Carlsbro's too: