[Renny]

My husb has a Fender Duo Sonic II & plays for fun here at home. He needs a new amp & a friend of his suggested a Peavey Vypyr. I have looked at tons of reviews & think it would work for him..I looked primarily at the Vypyr 75. But really, I have no idea as I know nothing about this!
I would appreciate any feedback, my budget is limited, this is a birthday gift & his bday is fast approaching. I also read about a Sempera II footswitch, is that something he would like?
Thanks to all who give good advice!
Renny

[MrSandMan]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Asking what the right amp is a very subjective question. You could ask 10 people and get 10 different answers. Peavey are quality amps and the Vypyr seems to be well liked. Of course he would like the footswitch, we (guys) love gadgets and gear.

What kind of music does he play? Does he also play with other people (and a drummer) ? I think the 75-watt would be a good choice, it will be loud enough. Are you buying from a local music store? If so, maybe the salesman can give you some good insight as well.

Personally, I like Vox VT30 or VT50 modeling amps that cost as much as the Peavey Vypyr. But again, this is a subjective question. Needless to say, if my wife bought me a Peavey Vypyr for my B-day, I would be a very happy man!

[Renny]

Yes, I thought maybe it was a subjective question, but your answer did help, thanks. Right now, he is just practicing by himself, not having played for awhile, but he used to go & have jam sessions with others, just not in a while-I'm sure he would when he gets back into what he considers good enough! I just don't want to make a stupid mistake. We do have a music store locally, but I don't want to buy just what they have, I want what he will like. Hopefully, I will be able to buy locally & that we're snowed in (lol), it may be a day or 2...thanks again! Oh, he said something about the overdrive being important & he plays lots of 70-80s country & LOVES rock, although he really loves all kinds of music.

[MrSandMan]

I think the Vypyr will be a great choice for him then. The amp is very diverse, and great for a studio and band environment. The pedal will be helpful so he can switch channels on the fly. This is especially important when he gets in a band. One thing about Peavey is their products are very dependable. I can't say anything bad about Peavey as I've been using their gear for... well since I started playing guitar.

Good luck.

[jackal]

Originally Posted by MrSandMan

I think the Vypyr will be a great choice for him then. The amp is very diverse, and great for a studio and band environment.
Good luck.

+1
I agree, I think it will suit all of his needs. And I too would be happy if my wife bought me one A person who does not own a lot of equipment seems to be extremely happy when getting new large items like amps and guitar, i know i do. And the pedal would make a great bonus. I think you will be making a good choice

good luck

[Renny]

Then that's what I'll go with! Thanks to you both! I really appreciate the help.
Renny

[Renny]

Ok, so my local music store has the vypyr 60 in stock for a great price & it's more than the 75 which of course I don't understand...should I go w/the 60 & the sempera II? (sorry, thought I was done...)

No worry-they can order the 75 & have it here in plenty of time-Thanks again, it's great to have this kind of resource (for musical dummies like me

[jackal]

Ok well the 60 is more expensive because it is powered by 6L6 tubes:

Peavey Vypyr Tube 60 Modeling Guitar Amplifier Features:
60 watts
Four channels with 3-band EQ, master volume, and pre- and post-gain controls
Real 6L6 tube power
One 12" custom-voiced modeling loudspeaker
11 editable rack effects
11 editable stomp-box effects
Up to 5 effects simultaneously
On-board looper
On-board chromatic tuner
Up to 400 presets with optional Sanpera™ II footswitch
Studio-quality USB computer interface
MIDI In
Tap tempo button
Studio-quality headphone output
MP3/CD/Aux input
Patented TransTube® technology in the preamp


And the 75 is cheaper because it is not, is is all solid state, resistors and capacitors no tubes:

Peavey Vypyr 75 Modeling Guitar Amplifier Features:
75 watts
Four channels with 3-band EQ, master volume and pre- and post-gain controls
One 12" custom-voiced modeling loudspeaker
11 editable rack effects
11 editable stomp-box effects
Up to 5 effects simultaneously
Onboard looper
Onboard chromatic tuner
Up to 400 presets with optional Sanpera™ II footswitch
Studio-quality USB computer interface
MIDI In
Tap tempo button
Studio-quality headphone output
Exclusive Power Sponge™ attenuator
Patented TransTube® technology in preamp and power amp


Now this is just my opinion, but Tubes(so the 60) will sound better, have a warmer feel to the sound, but the maintenance will be higher(tube change about every one year = 50-100$)
but the solid state will not need that, although if anything goes wrong will the solid state amp it will be much more expensive because it will need alot more work to get it going again - usually.

In my opinion if you have the money to go with the 60, then do it, but if you are like me and have shallow pockets then the 75 will work just fine.

If your wondering on volume the 60 and 75 will be almost exactly the same volume.


hope that helps..

JB

[Renny]

Oh, wow, then the 60? Ok, how does the overdrive issue affect the 60/75 decision? As in, the overdrive is really important to him. He is borrowing our oldest's amp now that is some type of Marshall & even I can hear the overdrive is not very good on it, it is really an issue for him.
Thanks for the side x side comparison! Maybe I need to go w/the 60 & add the foot pedal later...but if I went w/the Sempera I, I could still do both...the I isn't as great, I'm sure...
Renny

[MrSandMan]

Renny, both are great amps. The major difference is one is true tube tone (60) and the other is digital to simulate tube tone (75). The digital does a great job and I like the price of the 75 @ $299.

Keep this in mind, tube amps (Vypyr 60) will likely have greater resell value. It won't depreciate in value as much as digital amps are known for. That said, if someone was to recorded a demo CD with the 60 and another demo with the 75, nobody could ever hear the difference. Tubes just have a bit more warmth and punchy feel to them.

I can promise you one thing, whichever amp you decide to go with, he will be one very happy dude!

P.S. Both amps have awesome overdrive. He will be able to dial in any tone or sound his mind can dream up.