Peavey 6505 MH Micro Head – Summer NAMM 2015

Peavey Electronics expand their popular all-tube amplifier line with the new compact 6505 MH Micro Head.

Peavey 6505 MH Micro Head

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This newest addition to the 6505 series is designed to bring the same celebrated tone as the original Peavey 5150 in a smaller and more portable package.

The 6505 is essentially the same amp as the Eddie Van Halen signature 5150, with the only difference being the model name because EVH took the label 5150 for himself when he started his own company. Peavey decided to continue producing the 5150 under a different name, the 6505, and up to this day it continue to be widely used in rock and metal recordings.

Peavey has since been improving on the 6505 design, enhancing reliability, connectivity and adding tone shaping features, while maintaining the same core voicing that shred, metal and rock players find appealing. The latest to come out from this amplifier line is the 6505 MH, a 20 Watt portable version that is meant to compete with other “micro” amp heads that has been gaining popularity in recent years.

Although smaller and with less output power, the 6505 MH features the same gain structure and voicing as the bigger version. This allows the amp to conjure the familiar overdriven tones that have helped shape the sound of modern rock and metal music. To achieve this, the amp utilizes three 12AX7/ECC83 tubes on the preamp section and two EL84 tubes on the power section, all wired into a miniaturized version of the same circuit found inside the bigger 6505 amp models.

An important modern element of the 6505 MH is the addition of Peavey’s TSI tube monitoring indicator, which gives you visual appraisal of the power tube status. It conveniently identifies the problematic tube and lets you know when you need to have it replaced.

Peavey 6505 MH Micro Head

This amp head lets you switch between two channels that feature independent pre and post gain controls. This allows for improved control over the shape of your sound, and allows for real time control via footswitch. The crunch mode is also footswitchable should you want to add some grit to your clean tone. Further sonic tweaking is available via the global EQ controls and the resonance knob.

The amp also comes with its own effects loop and a built-in reverb section. Both of which are footswitchable for expanded realtime control. Other features include a Microphone Simulated Direct Interface (MSDI) with XLR output and USB out, speaker defeat switch and an impedance switch for 16 or 8 ohm cabinets. A 3 position attenuator is also available so you can lower the volume when needed for smaller venues or for recording.

The Peavey 6505 MH is now available for $499.99, you can head over to Peavey for more information. You can also stop by the Summer NAMM Peavey booth (Booth# 203A) to see the amp in person.

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