Backstage Review

The Backstage boasts the lowest price of any Peavey amplifier and includes features such as high and low EQ controls, a 6.5 inch speaker, switchable TransTube overdrive, a tape/CD input for jamming along to your favorite songs and a headphone input for doing so quietly.

Features:	6.9
Sound:	7
Reliability:	8.3
Impression:	7.1
Overall rating:	7.3
Users rating:	5.3
Comments:	9

overall: 8.5

Featured review by: Rattlehead666, on december 05, 2005

Price paid: $ 75.05

Features: This amplifier was made between 2004-2005. This amplifier isn't as good as my Traynor Reverb mate 30. The gain on this is okay. It only has one channel, no effects but it does have a headphone jack. There is also a spot where you can hook it up to a certain thing that you can listen to you music through it. I use to use this amplifier in my room but since I got the Traynor with Reverb on it I don't even use it anymore. // 8

Sound: The guitars I use this amplifier with are Nova acoustic, Epiphone SG Special and a Series A which is a replica of the Gibson Les Paul. I also use a Korg AX10G with this amplifier which makes everything 100 times better. I never ever found it noisy because I alwasy keep it on the same settings. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I would never use this amplifier for a gig because it is just way too small. It is more for a person who is starting out. This amp never broken down seeing it is not a tube amplifier. // 8

Impression: I play Heavy Metal and it suites my style fine as long as I got my pedal with it. I have been playing guitar for about two years now and I am not one bit sick of it. Other gear that I own are Nova acoustic guitar (black), Epiphone SG Special (red), Series A (red/yellow), BC Rich Warlock Bronze Series Bass (red), Korg AX10G, Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive, Planet Waves Cables, Levys Strap and a Dunlop Capo. I don't love anything about this amp but what I hate about it is cause it's too small. This amplifier is good if you are just starting out at playing guitar. // 9

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: Rocker_94, on october 27, 2008

Price paid: C$ 75

Purchased from: Local Guitar Shop

Features: I'm not sure when mine was made, but I'm going to guess it's about 6 years old. It's a pretty basic amp, as it is a practice amplifier. It has a clean channel and an overdrive channel and EQ settings. There's a CD input and a headphone jack in there too. The Backstage is a 0 Watt solid state amp with transtube technology. That just means it emulates the sound of a tube amp. It's a common feature among Peavey amplifiers. I use it for pratcise and occasional jamming with my band. // 7

Sound: I use this thing with a Squier Affinity Strat (SSS). I play a lot of classic rock, some blues, and a bit of metal. The clean channel sounds really, well... clean, even at the highest volume. No distortion what'soever. It sounds pretty good. The overdrive sounds pretty good too. It's pretty warm for a solid state, but it's not as warm as a tube amp. It suits my style anyways. Sometimes, my tone sounds really bad, but that's most likely my guitar. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This amp is pretty reliable. I've jammed with it, and could be heard with the overdrive channel and the volume at 10. It was just enough though. I did this a couple of times and it never blew on me. Would I gig with it? Of course not, it's only 10W and is meant to be a practice amp. // 10

Impression: This amp has since been discontinued by Peavey. It did the job well for me as a begginer, but now, I need to move on to a bigger and better amplifier. Therefore, if it was stolen or lost, I would get something else. I don't really hate anything about it, but it's just not for me any more. It was great to start on though. I would reccomend it, but like I said, it has been discontinued. I'd try the new Peavey Vypyr instead. They make models from 15W to 100W if I'm correct. // 8

overall: 4

Reviewed by: hernythecow, on november 18, 2008

Purchased from: thomann.de

Features: 2005 model I think. Very poor versaltility. One channel. 4 knobs. Overdrive, master volume, high, and low. Headphone socket, and CD input. The volume levels are pretty impressive for a 10w amp. I play mainly classic rock, and the amp is not suited to it. It's not really suited to playing anything. Wish the amp had reverb and a middle knob. // 3

Sound: I play through a Squier Modified Affinity Strat, and a Zoom G2.1u effects pedal. It sounds bearable through the pedal, but otherwise it really isn't suited to classic rock. My pedal has a noise gate so noise is only a problem when I play straight into it. It's a practice amp so I realise that I can't expect a lot. Once I get past around 8 volumewise the cleans sounds distorted. The distortion is buzzy and very deep and muddy. // 4

Reliability & Durability: I don't ever plan to gig with this as it's a practice amp. It's built like a brick, and will probably never break. Ever. Never had to contact Peavey about it. It's been left in the rain, and survived. It could probably survive a nuclear fallout. It will never need servicing, and is a dependable amp on the whole. // 7

Impression: Doesn't suit my playing style. Peavey's cheapest amp, and it shows. I wished I'd read some reviews before buying. I wouldn't bother buying another one. There aren't many redeeming features, it's loud and robust. I wish it had a middle knob, and a reverb knob. Don't buy this unless you want a cruddy practice amp that's built for you. If for some inexplicable reason you do. Buy it! // 2

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: kleifheit13, on april 22, 2008

Features: No clue when this puppy was made but my guess is either '80s or '70s. It's been passed from guitarist to guitarist in my family so it's had its fair share of things. Only one channel makes it hard to play more complex songs but it's great for what I play (southern rock and older metal). For bein solid state it's got some great distorted tones, best with scooped mids. Cleans aint all that great. // 9

Sound: I have a Kramer Focus with stock H/S/S pickups and this amp delivers like no other. It's quiet all the time unless you kick in the reverb (I don't use it much). This amp is good for rock and rock only but I'm happy with it because that's all I play. Cleans suck at concert or practice volumes but I rarely use them. Distortion just isn't even funny. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I don't use backups and I've had it for 3 years and it's been great. Not plannin on bringin a backup anytime soon so I trust this thing night and day. I treat this thing like absolute shit and it don't care, it just shrugs it off and keeps on jammin without a hitch. // 10

Impression: I play rock. 'nuff said. I've been playin since I was 12 and I'm 15 now but I keep up with veterans and I have a keen ear for good gear. I own a Hartke piggy back tube head/cab combo and it's great for cleans but distortion can't hold a candle to the Peavey. I'd beat the shit outta anyone that messed with this because it's got a sentimental value to it and it's just a great amp. // 10

overall: 8.5

Reviewed by: l0rd0ct0d0rk, on april 14, 2008

Purchased from: Recieved as a gift

Features: This amp is very good for a solid-state guitar amp. It has quite a few features. Some of these features are overdrive, headphone jack, cd input, and EQ knobs. The person Who gave me this amp said he has had it for about two years. It has only one channel. I use this amp at my friends' house whenever we get together and play. It gets fairly loud, but has more of a darker sound. It is a great value for a starter's 10-watt amp. If it needed anything, that would be more effects. // 9

Sound: I use this amp with my Peavey Raptor and my S101 Stratocaster. They both have the same configurations, Humbucker, Single, Single. They are made of different woods, though. It suits my music style very well for a small amp. It is kind of noisy to me, but I just think that the electronics in my house are what causes the problems with the feedback. This amp has a fair variety of sound. Two EQ knobs can give you a high/low sound. The clean channel gets every sound at a high volume. 1 bad fret can ruin an entire song with this amp. The overdrive is only built-in effect. It has a knob determining the intensity of the sound, but it all sounds the same. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I can depend on this amp for small things, but I've had one before break down. Something with the electronics caused this breakdown. It is a solid-state amp, so it won't need any tubes or much repair. This amp has corner protectors for that extra bit of help. I never have used it in my gigs. I just use it for practice when I play my electric guitars. // 9

Impression: It is mainly built for metal, in my opinion, but it is a good addition to any guitarist's arsenal. I have been playing electric guitar for about 1&1/2 years now. I recieved it as a gift, so I don't really have very many questions to ask about it, but if I did have questions, I would ask my neighbor who let me have this amp. I like the fact that it can generate tube-like sounds in a very small package. My favorite feature would be the headphone jack it is very well-designed and makes playing at night easier. I don't have a music store around here, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. If this amp needed anything, that would be more effects. // 8

overall: 7.3

Reviewed by: Xenozeri, on november 26, 2007

Features: I'm not sure what year this amp was made in, but I purchased it in late 2006. This amp is not meant to be used for jamming, gigging, recording, etc. It is simply a practice amp to use when you don't want to bother anyone and don't need killer tone. It has two channels, clean and overdrive. It has knobs for overdrive, volume, low, and high. It also has an input jack, another input jack you can plug your CD player into, and a headphones jack. It could use a control for mids and reverb, but it's only meant for practicing. // 7

Sound: I'm using a Squier Fat Strat with this amp. I mostly play blues and classic rock, with the occasional hard rock (and sometimes harder stuff but just for fun). It's not too loud, but if you turn it up to 10 it can get loud for someone in the same room as you trying to do something else to ask you to turn it down. It's pretty basic, and the overdrive isn't very heavy at all. I always just used a cheap Boss DS-1 I keep by it for distortion. The clean channel doesn't distort at high volumes, which is a plus. // 6

Reliability & Durability: I've had this amp for about a year and I've never had any problems with it. I would never gig with this amp, as it's only meant for practice in a small room, but if it was a better amp with the same reliability as this amp I would gig with it without a backup. It has been knocked over a few times and been dropped at about 2 feet and it suffered no damage. If it did break though I wouldn't bother fixing it as it isn't worth that much. // 9

Impression: Again, this amp is only meant for practice so don't expect tone. It's only $80 dollars, tone is much more expensive than $80! I've been playing for about a year, and now I use a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, but I keep this amp for just messing around, practicing, and pretty much an amp that I won't care if it breaks. If it was lost or stolen I probably wouldn't buy it again, because I'd like to try a different practice amp. I don't really have a favorite feature because there aren't that many features. I didn't compare with anything else because I was new to the guitar world when I bought it. I wish it had reverb and a knob for mids, but I don't need those for a practice amp. Overall I'd recommend people get look for something else if they need a cheap practice amp or beginner's amp, but people are a bit harsh on it. Good tone is not to be expected from a practice amp, so instead of rating practice amps based on features and tone I would focus more on price and reliability. // 7

overall: 5

Reviewed by: djmay71, on october 31, 2007

Purchased from: Melody Music

Features: I got this amp in a Peavey stage back, so it worked pretty well with the included Peavey Raptor. After playing with this amp for a couple of months, it gets very frusturating trying to get your sound from this amp, as there is no gain knob. For beginners, it has everything they need, but after a while with this amp, they will want to upgrade to something substaintually bigger. Also noteworthy, is that I purchased the stage pack from a pawnshop, and the dealer said something was done to the amp, but he didn't know what was done. My amps solid state circuitry was switiched out for a tube. // 5

Sound: For this amp I mainly used my Peavey Raptor, but I have borrowed by friend's Aria on it, and it sounded great. The amp can't really fit any certain type of music styles, but with a tube in the amp I used, it managed a nice rich clean. (For reviewing purposes, I also tried a solid state Backstage) If you are a beginner using this amp, don't use stompboxes or multi-FX pedals, because your sound will end up really mushy (on both Tube and Solid State). // 4

Reliability & Durability: I have to say, because of this amps durability, is one of the reasons why I am keeping this amp, when I get my new amp. I have never inflicted pain on purpose to this amp, but it has dropped out of my van, and I was quite surpised it hasn't broken. I will never actually be playing through this amp again because I made some modifcations to be able to use it as a sound monitor. // 5

Impression: My overall impression is that this amp will be suitable for beginners, but even after using it for a while they will wish they had gotten another amp. If I lost or this amp got stolen, I wouldn't bother getting another one, even though I use it as a sound monitor, I'll use my other beginners amp, my Silvertone Smart III for my monitor. If I had the proper knowledge to do in depth modifcations, I would defintely add a gain to this amp and maybe even a flanger or chorus modulation effect. // 6

Comments

[m3galomaniac]

wow,really?i got 1 but mines a piece of crap! molten spills just below the input.hopin its a manufacturing error...

[strat_7]

never buy this amp its a scam. they get people who r just starting out to think its a good deal. it sux.

[Travis.P]

It sounds decent when it works. However mine would always make like a really loud humming/buzz sound and wouldnt let the guitar through. It would eventually work again after I slapped the shit out of it.

[gilbeaux1983]

it really does suck!

[djmay71]

this amp does suck. i got it with the Raptor EXP in a stage pack when i started out, and it started out ok, and then something went wrong when i was playing so i brought EVERYTHING in and they said i blew the CABLE with the amp, so i had to pay like $15 for a new peavey cable.

[kleifheit13]

i have the old school version of this amp from the 80's and it works like a charm. my uncle has the same thing and it works great so i think y'all are talkin about the new one.
OLDSCHOOL RULES!!

[eclipse2411]

It does the job for someone whos been playing for around 10 months but then its time to upgrade(considering you've been practicing) . You dont need all the knobs as other amps when your starting because even if you had them it wouldnt make you sound better. It Dosent get the sound out of guitar , A les paul will sound the same as a strat or at least its very hard to tell.

Great beginner amp , not so great for anything else.

[king666nothing]

This was my first amp ever - and it sucked so bad I ended up pawning it with no regret. There's no distortion, so you can't play metal (overdrive sucks). It's noisy as hell.

[guitarfreak222]

king666nothing wrote:

This was my first amp ever - and it sucked so bad I ended up pawning it with no regret. There's no distortion, so you can't play metal (overdrive sucks). It's noisy as hell.

It's not meant to sound good or anything fancy like that. It's just a small practice amp, it isn't for gigs or anything. You don't need like the best tone in the world just to practice back stage or at home because no one's going to hear you.. Stop bitching about this amp guys...