# Peavey Ultra 120, Ultra Plus, XXX, JSX or 3120?



## artmachine (Jan 9, 2012)

I've been extremely interested in something from the Peavey "Ultra" series of amps which would include anything from the original ultra through the 3120. I don't really play metal, but I'm in a hardcore band and I prefer higher gain amps as I don't have to crank the gain as much or add an overdrive to get it to where I like. I'll probably find myself using the crunch channel on any of these amps. A decent-good clean channel is also a must. "Sterile" is totally okay with me as long as it has a lot of headroom and pretty much just stays clean. I had been focusing on either an Ultra Plus or a XXX, but someone just offered me an Ultra 120 as a straight up trade for my Carvin X100B. I think older Peavey stuff is really cool, but I know some of their older stuff can be wacky and obviously an older tube amp is more prone to issues. So basically if you were looking for a loud, tight, mid-gain sound with mesa tendencies and a pretty good clean channel that stays clean, which would you go with? Ultra 120, Ultra Plus, XXX, JSX or 3120? Thanks a lot!


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## Leuchty (Jan 9, 2012)

XXX/3120 is peavey's take on the Recto, IIRC.

Thats what I would go for.

Then...A straight up trade? Can you try out the Ultra?


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 9, 2012)

CYBERSYN said:


> XXX/3120 is peavey's take on the Recto, IIRC.
> 
> Thats what I would go for.
> 
> Then...A straight up trade? Can you try out the Ultra?



Actually the xxx comes from the ultra..which I believe is a Rockmaster circuit. It can do recto-ish tones..but it's not their take on a recto..they just kinda hinted at that to get in on the recto craze

For mid gain tones try an ultra, or an Ultra plus.

Ultra Plus- the most balls, not as versatile due to shared knobs, does low gain better

3120/XXX- ultra high gain, the most aggressive, unable to do low gain unless you put in some serious work, better cleans than the ultra +

JSX/XXX II- the smoothest, best for leads, the best cleans, more versatile. Not as aggressive, more upper mid focused

On all the ultra series amps (xxx/jsx and such included) the crunch channel is your best bet for the best tone just so you know:
The 3120 IS the XXX only difference being the cosmetic changes and the 3120 has EL34s whereas the XXX has 6L6

The XXX II is the JSX under a different name. There have been rumors of minor preamp mods but nothing as been confirmed..so I would just assume it to be a rebadged JSX

All the amps are pretty tight and you don't really need a boost unless you want the added metal edge it provides.


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## artmachine (Jan 10, 2012)

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Actually the xxx comes from the ultra..which I believe is a Rockmaster circuit. It can do recto-ish tones..but it's not their take on a recto..they just kinda hinted at that to get in on the recto craze
> 
> For mid gain tones try an ultra, or an Ultra plus.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the replies! This is actually the first time I've heard someone say the XXX cleans are better than the Ultra. Most reviews/xxx vs ultra threads say the opposite.

I'm not really looking to do low gain. I probably use more gain than what I made it seem like, but I'm just not one of those people who would ever say something like a 5150/notoriously high gain amp needs more gain. I had a 5150 II(which I've heard is less gainy than the original 5150) and I never went above 5 on the gain. I had that amp for a year and I thought it was going to be the amp I used forever, but I could never dial out a certain shrillness about that head. I've tried a few different heads/pedals since I sold it a few months ago and I haven't been fully satisfied. I've heard the ultras and XXXs are darker than 5150s so I'm very interested in owning one since I definitely didn't hate my 5150, it just wasn't quite my thing(little too bright/white noisey).

I'm honestly pretty torn, so I'll just have to really think about it. I'm kind of leaning towards an XXX/3120 if running the gain kind of low doesn't somehow make this amp sound terrible or something(idk some amps are quirky). On the bright side, I feel like I can't really go too wrong with any of these. How about volume between all of these heads? I've read a few reviews that say the ultra/ultra plus seems kind of quiet compared to other similar amps. I haven't heard that about the xxx/jsx though. I'll definitely have to give my 5150 II credit for being loud as shit. Sorry for being long winded and thanks again!


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## 155 (Jan 10, 2012)

get the jsx for sure..


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 10, 2012)

artmachine said:


> Thanks for the replies! This is actually the first time I've heard someone say the XXX cleans are better than the Ultra. Most reviews/xxx vs ultra threads say the opposite.
> 
> I'm not really looking to do low gain. I probably use more gain than what I made it seem like, but I'm just not one of those people who would ever say something like a 5150/notoriously high gain amp needs more gain. I had a 5150 II(which I've heard is less gainy than the original 5150) and I never went above 5 on the gain. I had that amp for a year and I thought it was going to be the amp I used forever, but I could never dial out a certain shrillness about that head. I've tried a few different heads/pedals since I sold it a few months ago and I haven't been fully satisfied. I've heard the ultras and XXXs are darker than 5150s so I'm very interested in owning one since I definitely didn't hate my 5150, it just wasn't quite my thing(little too bright/white noisey).
> 
> I'm honestly pretty torn, so I'll just have to really think about it. I'm kind of leaning towards an XXX/3120 if running the gain kind of low doesn't somehow make this amp sound terrible or something(idk some amps are quirky). On the bright side, I feel like I can't really go too wrong with any of these. How about volume between all of these heads? I've read a few reviews that say the ultra/ultra plus seems kind of quiet compared to other similar amps. I haven't heard that about the xxx/jsx though. I'll definitely have to give my 5150 II credit for being loud as shit. Sorry for being long winded and thanks again!




The XXX cleans aren't wonderful but they're just clean. IMO they are a bit better than the ultra however I'm no clean enthusiast. When I mean low gain, I mean in comparison..the XXX/3120 has SHITLOADS of gain..even on the crunch channel there's no reason to go above 3..5 if you're serious about your high gain. This sometimes will present a problem when it comes to throwing boost pedals in front and whatnot. You can reduce the gain (which it will need..trust me) with various tubes.

As for volume..most people who say that haven't set the amp up. When you get it, turn the FX loop on and crank the send and return..it now runs at full power, when you turn the FX loop off it cuts some of the volume which makes it very versatile. If you put low gain tubes in the V3 slot your volume will do down a lot. V3 slot is for the active EQ. I own a JSX and I've played against many amps, including 5150s and I've never had to even try when it comes to being heard.


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## Tones (Jan 10, 2012)

Coming from an Ultra + owner, I can say I'm very well pleased with this workhorse. I never put my gain knob past 6 on the crunch and I get a very aggressive tone. I do recommend a boost pedal to go with the ultra however. Cleans are very crisp imo. I recently had a bug with my amp, but I just did a tube swap and cleaned the contacts and it seems to be working better. Very durable amp. 
what's safe to say though is you can't go wrong with any of those amps


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 10, 2012)

Tones said:


> what's safe to say though is you can't go wrong with any of those amps



So true..so true. It mainly depends on what flavor you want


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## Bevo (Jan 10, 2012)

I had the JSX and it was a great amp from clean to gain, as said above it does not need much gain to sound great.

All the amps are great but it will come down to what is the best deal you can find..


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## ISRAFEL (Jan 10, 2012)

I've owned the JSX and my buddy owns both the XXX and the Ultra Plus which I have fortunately have had some experience with. From what I can tell, the Ultra Plus is the warmest sounding out of the 3, XXX is the coldest and the JSX is somewhere in between but definitely the smoothest. The XXX is great for metal but from what you described I would go with the Ultra Plus especially given that trade deal you described. If you had a ill extra dough though, I would go with the JSX especially if you boosted it


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## Joseph Goodman (Jan 10, 2012)

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> As for volume..most people who say that haven't set the amp up. When you get it, turn the FX loop on and crank the send and return..it now runs at full power, when you turn the FX loop off it cuts some of the volume which makes it very versatile.




Do you need to have a cable going from the send to return for this little trick to work? I've heard of people doing the same thing with JCM 900 4100/4500's to get more volume out of them.


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 10, 2012)

Joseph Goodman said:


> Do you need to have a cable going from the send to return for this little trick to work? I've heard of people doing the same thing with JCM 900 4100/4500's to get more volume out of them.



Nope. Just engage the loop and crank it..you don't need anything in there


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## groph (Jan 10, 2012)

Out of the amps you've listed I'd take the XXX but then again I play metal and I find the XXX to be the beefiest, meanest sounding amp Peavey makes, pretty much on equal footing to the 6505, just a different sound. 

Have you looked into a 6505 or do you need clean tones?

EDIT: also you can do really great things on the crunch channel of a JSX, the JSX, XXX, and 6505 are all great. Probably Peavey's best guitar amps ever made.


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 10, 2012)

groph said:


> Out of the amps you've listed I'd take the XXX but then again I play metal and I find the XXX to be the beefiest, meanest sounding amp Peavey makes, pretty much on equal footing to the 6505, just a different sound.
> 
> Have you looked into a 6505 or do you need clean tones?
> 
> EDIT: also you can do really great things on the crunch channel of a JSX, the JSX, XXX, and 6505 are all great. Probably Peavey's best guitar amps ever made.



Peavey crunch/rhythm channels are what makes THE Peavey high gain tone


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## Philligan (Jan 10, 2012)

groph said:


> Have you looked into a 6505 or do you need clean tones?



I was gonna suggest this too. I've got a 5150 and another dude in my town has a 6505+, and the 5150 to my ears sounds thicker and warmer, not shrill at all, especially when i get the volume above 2. Cleans aren't beautiful, but not nearly as bad as everyone says IMHO, and if you crank the post they should stay clean. I think it's at least worth checking one out if you can 

FWIW, I play in a hardcore band (kinda like Mat Bruso-era BYD with some Ghost Inside/Misery Signals-y kinda stuff), and I can't live without using a boost, but I'm doing the no gain/full volume thing to clean things up. I typically run the gain on the lead channel between 2.5 and 3 and it's tight, clear, and still brutal sounding. Like I said before, I haven't had any problems with it sounding shrill at all, and it's got this attitude that just makes it smoke for hardcore


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## artmachine (Jan 10, 2012)

Philligan said:


> I was gonna suggest this too. I've got a 5150 and another dude in my town has a 6505+, and the 5150 to my ears sounds thicker and warmer, not shrill at all, especially when i get the volume above 2. Cleans aren't beautiful, but not nearly as bad as everyone says IMHO, and if you crank the post they should stay clean. I think it's at least worth checking one out if you can
> 
> FWIW, I play in a hardcore band (kinda like Mat Bruso-era BYD with some Ghost Inside/Misery Signals-y kinda stuff), and I can't live without using a boost, but I'm doing the no gain/full volume thing to clean things up. I typically run the gain on the lead channel between 2.5 and 3 and it's tight, clear, and still brutal sounding. Like I said before, I haven't had any problems with it sounding shrill at all, and it's got this attitude that just makes it smoke for hardcore


I'm not too interested in a 5150/6505 at the moment. I would definitely prefer a clean channel that I dig since I do use a lot of cleans with my band. I've compromised my clean channel before in favor of a better sounding distortion, but I would like an amp that I could be pretty happy with both sides. Also, my band isn't as brutal/heavy as that(no chugging really). We're more along the lines of The Carrier, Killing the Dream, (kinda)Defeater, etc. with a slight post-metal, black metal and traditional screamo influence.

I'm very interested in the "ultra gain" peavey series in particular, they're definitely what I'm looking for tone wise. I've played a good amount of peavey amps over the years and I can see why people like each of them in certain applications. I think I've narrowed it down to either a xxx/3120 or a jsx.


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 10, 2012)

artmachine said:


> I'm not too interested in a 5150/6505 at the moment. I would definitely prefer a clean channel that I dig since I do use a lot of cleans with my band. I've compromised my clean channel before in favor of a better sounding distortion, but I would like an amp that I could be pretty happy with both sides. Also, my band isn't as brutal/heavy as that(no chugging really). We're more along the lines of The Carrier, Killing the Dream, (kinda)Defeater, etc. with a slight post-metal, black metal and traditional screamo influence.
> 
> I'm very interested in the "ultra gain" peavey series in particular, they're definitely what I'm looking for tone wise. I've played a good amount of peavey amps over the years and I can see why people like each of them in certain applications. I think I've narrowed it down to either a xxx/3120 or a jsx.



I do this so much I get tired of reading my own posts on the matter..but..despite my bias..I think the JSX is the best in the Ultra series. You can get aggression with the right tubes and boost, and to me it has the perfect amount of gain. You want low gain, keep it low, you want high gain and saturation...you turn it up..pretty simple. It's the most articulate, and it's very punchy. It's like the adult version of the XXX. If you're doing lead type lines, single note stuff and all that, the JSX is it IMO


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## Philligan (Jan 10, 2012)

artmachine said:


> We're more along the lines of The Carrier, Killing the Dream, (kinda)Defeater, etc. with a slight post-metal, black metal and traditional screamo influence



Sorry dude, I didn't realize that. When someone says hardcore the first thing I think is New England hardcore haha. Sounds like you could definitely use something more versatile than a 5150 then.

Also, this is slightly OT, but what's your band called? You just described a crazy mix of genres, I'm dying to hear what you sound like 



DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I do this so much I get tired of reading my own posts on the matter..but..despite my bias..I think the JSX is the best in the Ultra series. You can get aggression with the right tubes and boost, and to me it has the perfect amount of gain. You want low gain, keep it low, you want high gain and saturation...you turn it up..pretty simple. It's the most articulate, and it's very punchy. It's like the adult version of the XXX. If you're doing lead type lines, single note stuff and all that, the JSX is it IMO



+all of this. JSX cleans are my favourite, and, for lack of a better word, it seems more mature than the other amps in the series. If that kinda thing matters?


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## WickedSymphony (Jan 10, 2012)

I've had the JSX for years but unfortunately have relatively little playing experience with the other amps. At the very least, I can wholeheartedly recommend it as a great sounding, versatile amp. I personally think it's got more than enough gain to take care of anything you need, and the clean is my favorite out of any of these amps.


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## artmachine (Jan 10, 2012)

Philligan said:


> Sorry dude, I didn't realize that. When someone says hardcore the first thing I think is New England hardcore haha. Sounds like you could definitely use something more versatile than a 5150 then.
> 
> Also, this is slightly OT, but what's your band called? You just described a crazy mix of genres, I'm dying to hear what you sound like


 Haha well I'm sure it won't be this forum's favorite thing at all, but we're called My Fictions. You can check it out here: I Want Nothing | My Fictions
(the subtle post-metal/black metal influence is more obvious in the last song on that ep)

Hope my wimpy band doesn't deter from the great advice I've been getting!


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## shanejohnson02 (Jan 10, 2012)

I have had the Ultra Plus in both head and combo format, as well as the 5150 and 5150 II. I still have both Ultras, and sold both 5150's, if that says anything.

The Ultra is definitely the thickest-sounding of them. It has the basic sound of the JSX, I think, with more edge. I like the cleans on the JSX the best, but the Ultra is a close second. I played in a jazz ensemble for years with my Ultra Plus 112. 

They're all good, proven amps though, so you really can't go wrong. I will say that although I prefer the ultra, it's getting tougher and tougher to find replacement parts for it. If reliability is really an issue, I'd go with the 5150.


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## FretWizard88 (Jan 10, 2012)

I have been playing the JSX since it came out. I have one of the first versions of it (Supposedly the first production models were quieter). I love the amp to death and I don't plan on getting rid of it. I am personally not a fan of the XXX cab that I bought with it so I switched to a 1970s era Sunn 2X15 Cab. IT FUCKING ROARS.


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## artmachine (Jan 11, 2012)

Thanks for all the help so far! I'm leaning towards the jsx as of right now. Sounds like it might be just what I'm looking for. Now, what is a fair used price for one? I don't see them that often on my local craigslist, but guitarcenter.com's used section has a few between $500-$600. All of those are pretty far away though, so I'd be paying for shipping. If anyone has any similar experiences with ordering used (heavier)stuff from guitar center, how much would I expect to pay in shipping?


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 11, 2012)

artmachine said:


> Thanks for all the help so far! I'm leaning towards the jsx as of right now. Sounds like it might be just what I'm looking for. Now, what is a fair used price for one? I don't see them that often on my local craigslist, but guitarcenter.com's used section has a few between $500-$600. All of those are pretty far away though, so I'd be paying for shipping. If anyone has any similar experiences with ordering used (heavier)stuff from guitar center, how much would I expect to pay in shipping?



Those are pretty good prices. I ordered a used Marshall cab via store transfer at Guitar Center. I dont remember what the shipping was but I do know it wasn't a lot at all.


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## BTFStan (Jan 11, 2012)

ultra plus, seriously


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## artmachine (Jan 25, 2012)

So I'm getting a little more back from taxes than I was expecting and I'm selling my carvin this week, so I should hopefully own a JSX very soon! Thanks for all the help!


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