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Peavey's TSI tube monitoring indicator keeps players apprised of power tube status, and in the event of a necessary tube replacement, identifies which tube needs to be replaced. Rear panel features such as an effects loop, Microphone Simulated Direct Interface (MSDI) with XLR output and USB out, speaker defeat switch and a three-position power attenuator switch make the 6505 MH an ideal tool for recording or use in smaller venues.
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6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head
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Part of Peavey's celebrated 6505 Series, the all-tube 6505 MH authentically produces the legendary tones of the Peavey 6505 in a small, portable pack...Click To Read More About This Product
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(Open Box) All the tone of the legendary 6505 in a package the size of a toaster.
Part of Peavey's celebrated 6505 Series, the all-tube 6505 MH authentically produces the legendary tones of the Peavey 6505 in a small, portable package. The 6505 MH has two channels that follow the same gain structure and voicing of its iconic big brother to produce the devastating, overdriven tones that have defined the sound of modern metal music for more than two decades. The channels share EQ, lush reverb and an effects loop. Channels, crunch, effects loop and reverb are all footswitchable.
Peavey's TSI tube monitoring indicator keeps players apprised of power tube status, and in the event of a necessary tube replacement, identifies which tube needs to be replaced. Rear panel features such as an effects loop, Microphone Simulated Direct Interface (MSDI) with XLR output and USB out, speaker defeat switch and a three-position power attenuator switch make the 6505 MH an ideal tool for recording or use in smaller venues.
Power: 20W (tube)
Attenuation: 20W, 5W or 1W
Tubes: three 12AX7 (preamp); two EL84 (power amp)
Two footswitchable channels
Impedance: 8, 16 ohms
Controls: 3-band EQ, pre-gain, post-gain, bright, crunch, presence, resonance, reverb
Built-in reverb
Footswitchable buffered effects loop
Tube Status Indication (TSI) circuit
MSDI output with XLR and ground lift switch
USB output for direct recording
Speaker defeat switch
Headphone output
Footswitch included
Add this to your rig today!
Musician's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
- Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks
- Normal wear and tear
- Power surges
- Dust, internal heat and humidity
Other plan features include:
- For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks)
- For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Musician's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax.
- Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement
- Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold
- Plans are renewable on new gear
*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions (Opens in new window) for program details
Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
Review Snapshot
by PowerReviewsPros
- Portable (19)
- Excellent sound (15)
- Easy to use (12)
- Good power output (11)
- Warm / comfy (10)
Cons
- Poor sound quality (4)
- Weak (3)
Best Uses
- Performances (14)
- Home studio (13)
- Amateur recording (9)
- Professional recording (8)
- Outdoor events / games (4)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Experienced (14), Professional musician (4)
Most Liked Positive Review
Love this head!
So I decided to purchase a 6505 MH because I've always wanted that 5150 tone, but I had no desire to buy another 100+ watt amp for basement use. My main stack is...Read complete review
So I decided to purchase a 6505 MH because I've always wanted that 5150 tone, but I had no desire to buy another 100+ watt amp for basement use. My main stack is a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 into a Marshall 1960 4x12 cabinet, and that thing is way too loud. I love it and the tone, but I always wanted to be able to get some good chug out of an amp without the need for an OD in front...and low and behold, the 6505 MH does just that! It's a small 20 watt amp that can be dropped down to 5w and 1w. I typically play it at 5w, but even then it's still really loud. I run it into the 4x12 cabinet and the thing sounds beefy and mean. Rhythm channel is a nice tight crunch to it, and if you turn on crunch mode, you get even more saturation out of that channel. Only negative to this is that when you punch in crunch mode, there is a noticeable volume drop. Then you can punch into lead channel, and that's where that chug comes in! typically I only keep gain around 3-5 because anything above is super saturated for chords and stuff, but it can be awesome if you want a really thick solo tone. The amp itself is very mid-rangey, so I typically only have the mids around 5-7 on this whereas my JCM they're always dimed out. The presence and resonance controls are great, too. I typically keep resonance dimed and presence around 6.
Recording works pretty well, too. I couldn't get the USB recording working at all for some reason, but you can just do XLR out to your interface to have the cab simulated sound..but truth be told, it pretty much sucks. I wish they had a cab simulation defeat switch, but oh well. What I do is run a cable from the FX send to my interface, and then I use impulses in my DAW to get some awesome tones without having to mic it. Speaker defeat switch is awesome too bc it creates an internal dummy load so you won't blow anything up!
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Had to return the amp
I bought this unit just to have as a backup to my Mesa Mini Rectifier. I understand that the Peavey is half the price of the Mesa, but it just does not compare at...Read complete review
I bought this unit just to have as a backup to my Mesa Mini Rectifier. I understand that the Peavey is half the price of the Mesa, but it just does not compare at all. Definitely does not have the volume that the Mesa has. It really could not be heard clearly during band practice, at least during a gig we would have it going through the PA system. Also, during band practice, it only lasted about 45 minutes before the output shut down completely. Something to do with the tube protection circuits. Not good. This needs to last through a 3 hour show. It did have some decent tones, but again, comparing to the Mesa, it just isn't good enough, even just having as a backup amp.
Reviewed by 20 customers
Displaying reviews 1-20
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Studio
- Performances
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
This is a fun little amp that offers a variety of tones at whatever volume you need. 20 watts in an all-tube amp is more than enough volume to keep up with a drummer and gig. With built power attenuation that lets you switch between 20, 5, or even 1 watt, you can practice at low volume at home (or no volume with headphones), and still achieve a rich tube tone.
Rhythm channel: Acts as both a "clean" and "crunch" channel. Fender Twin Reverb cleans are out of reach, but still surprisingly lush and useable. Turn up the pre-gain to add a beautiful smooth break-up. Bright switch available, and I'll note that it's useable, and doesn't turn your tone into an ice pick. Toggle the crunch mode on (or switch on with the included foot switch) to add another level of drive and a bit more compression. There's quite a bit of gain on tap here, enough for classic rock of any variety, even 80's/90's hard rock, grunge, alternative. This would be a complete, excellent amp with only the rhythm channel. But there's more....
Lead channel: This is why you buy the amp. Hot, searing lead tone designed by Eddie Van Halen himself (Peavey 6505 = Peavey 5150 with a different name). Used by rockers and metal-heads alike for decades now, this ultra high gain tone is iconic. Plenty of bass for chugging palm-muted riffs a la Metallica or [insert heavy metal band name], but don't worry, shredders, lead lines maintain remarkable clarity and character.
Shared EQ across both channels; not an issue for me, and you can always get an EQ pedal. Effects loop, options for recording via USB, headphones out (no auxiliary out for your MP3 player).
Bottom line: This amp offers a lot of options, and it does an impressive job at each. I LOVE the built in attenuation for late night jam sessions while still having the volume and power for full band settings. I carefully researched and listened to dozens of YouTube demos before buying, recommend you do the same. If it's your cup of tea, buy with confidence!
Pros
- Excellent Sound
- Portable
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
One of the coolest amps Peavey has introduced in some time. I was considering a 5150 EVH version 3 and a few other "rock" amps, then spotted this little gem. Very glad I plugged it in, as it took only about 30 seconds and I knew this was the one going home with me. Been playing guitar for 30 years and this is one of the first amps in a long time that just makes me smile and want to jam. Such great rock tones, built in reverb is bonus, loop, direct outs, tube-monitoring, scaleable down to 1 watt. Does NOT sound like an EL-84 amp at all thanks to the very active EQ and Resonance, sound is very full and punchy. Other reviewers on here that say it sounds thin are doing something wrong. Seriously do yourself a favor and check one of these out. If you really know how to dial in amps, great tones are inside this little box and you will be smiling too! And don't forget the lineage of this amp, EVH had his stamp on this back when it was called the 5150, someone with one of the most revered rock guitar tones in history.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
Perfect bedroom amp, could be used live as it is a very loud 20 watts. Covers all flavors of rock n roll to the most brutal of death metal. If you cant get enough gain from this amp you arent going to find it elsewhere.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Practicing at Home
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I've been playing metal genres using pedals with a solid state amp for years now, but nothing the quality of the tone on this tube amp is just overwhelmingly good! Even at the 1A setting, this amp gets very loud (plugged into a 4x12 cab) when I'm practicing at home. It came with a footswitch which is useful for switching tones around during songs.
The amps distortion plugged straight in is pretty good and can get quite heavy if you turn up the resonance, but an overdrive pedal with this amp does wonders. The price is adequate and the Peavey quality truly shines with this product. Definitely buy if you are into (beginner or experienced) metal/tube amps/practicing at home for hours.
Setup: Ibanez RG5EX1 + Blackstar HT DistX + Rythm Channel
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Home Studio
- Performances
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
Great little home amp, the attenuation down to one watt gives you great "screaming" tube tone at low volumes. Great little rig, havn't tried with a drummer yet, we shall see. Purchased mainly for home use at low volume and it's killing it!
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I use this thing for recording and small shows, from use with a professional to minor home studio recording, this thing sounds awesome! All the goodness of a 6505 with no sacrifice.
Pros
- Excellent Sound
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Home Studio
- Performances
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
It's a 6505 in mini form. And for a mini it captures the sound perfectly. It you like metal or hard rock you need to get this amp. Tons of gain and it surprisingly has a decent clean channel unlike its big brother. For the first time ever I disconnected my tube screamer. You won't even need it. At 20 watts it's loud enough to gig with and the mh can get down to 5 and 1watt power for home use.
There's a ton of features here too like headphone support, usb support, fx loop, reverb, footswitch, etc. More than any normal 500 all tube amp should have. And the thing just spits thunder. Tons of value here. I highly recommend it.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
So I decided to purchase a 6505 MH because I've always wanted that 5150 tone, but I had no desire to buy another 100+ watt amp for basement use. My main stack is a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 into a Marshall 1960 4x12 cabinet, and that thing is way too loud. I love it and the tone, but I always wanted to be able to get some good chug out of an amp without the need for an OD in front...and low and behold, the 6505 MH does just that! It's a small 20 watt amp that can be dropped down to 5w and 1w. I typically play it at 5w, but even then it's still really loud. I run it into the 4x12 cabinet and the thing sounds beefy and mean. Rhythm channel is a nice tight crunch to it, and if you turn on crunch mode, you get even more saturation out of that channel. Only negative to this is that when you punch in crunch mode, there is a noticeable volume drop. Then you can punch into lead channel, and that's where that chug comes in! typically I only keep gain around 3-5 because anything above is super saturated for chords and stuff, but it can be awesome if you want a really thick solo tone. The amp itself is very mid-rangey, so I typically only have the mids around 5-7 on this whereas my JCM they're always dimed out. The presence and resonance controls are great, too. I typically keep resonance dimed and presence around 6.
Recording works pretty well, too. I couldn't get the USB recording working at all for some reason, but you can just do XLR out to your interface to have the cab simulated sound..but truth be told, it pretty much sucks. I wish they had a cab simulation defeat switch, but oh well. What I do is run a cable from the FX send to my interface, and then I use impulses in my DAW to get some awesome tones without having to mic it. Speaker defeat switch is awesome too bc it creates an internal dummy load so you won't blow anything up!
Pros
- Excellent Sound
- Portable
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Performances
- Practice
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
Great distorted sound, (with a boost!) and a surprisingly usable clean sound for a member of the 6505 family. Very responsive controls, especially resonance and presence. There's more gain on this amp than you could ever need (I never turn past 9 o'clock), and the reverb is a nice bonus. I'll admit, I wasn't impressed by the direct-outputs for recording due to their lack of high-end, but they are passable when playing live. There is a little bit of constant background noise when the gain is turned up, but a noise gate in the FX loop cleaned that up. For all the minor complaints, I still give it five stars. The sound justifies the headache. This thing is a monster. If you play Metal of any sort, the sound of this thing will put a smile on your face.
Pros
- Portable
Cons
- Poor Sound Quality
Best Uses
- Home Studio
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I bought this amp for practicing at low volumes using a Randall 1x12 Celestion V30 cab. Compared to the 6505+ combo and Randall Diavlo 1 Watt amp, the 6505MH sounds very thin and compressed. The amp sounded a little better with passive pickups, but in my opinion this amp is unusable from the poor sound.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
Cons
- Weak
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I love my mini head I have a evh 2x12 paired with it. I want to get a 1x12 or 1x10 to go with it because I also have a 5150iii 50 watt .
I play the peavey a bit more but love them both. One issue is if you are in a hard rock /metal band with 2 guitarists you probably don't want this for gigging. Trust me me and my buddy have jammed and he will over power me with a 60 watt combo. 1 guitarist or different music this is fine.
I took the wood out from the front face plate for more air and it is cool as the other side of the pillow now.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I am a somewhat noobie but I bought a vox ac30t modeling amp to learn on and that was a great amp.
However I wanted a tube amp and I bought this and have a evh 2x12 cab and it is mean! 70s 80s 90s djent it can do it. I would never think about selling this!
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Portable
Cons
- Poor Sound Quality
Best Uses
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
Sorry I purchased this item as it is one of the worst amps I have played through. First it had a bad hum.
Next it feeds back like crazy. The tone is thin and generic like most peaveys. The one watt setting was
useless because it lost even more tone. How do they get away with selling stuff like this. All well,
live and learn.
Pros
- Excellent Sound
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
Replicates the 5150 tone.The only con is you have to leave it at the 20 watt setting to sound good.The other wattages sounds muffled.Also it can get a little grainy.
Pros
- none
Cons
- Poor Sound Quality
- Weak
Best Uses
- none
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
after goin through and returning 5 different amps at level 1 condition I have realized these people don't look at or even test the items they are selling as open box save yourself the headache and buy new !
Pros
- Portable
Cons
- Poor Sound Quality
- Weak
Best Uses
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I bought this unit just to have as a backup to my Mesa Mini Rectifier. I understand that the Peavey is half the price of the Mesa, but it just does not compare at all. Definitely does not have the volume that the Mesa has. It really could not be heard clearly during band practice, at least during a gig we would have it going through the PA system. Also, during band practice, it only lasted about 45 minutes before the output shut down completely. Something to do with the tube protection circuits. Not good. This needs to last through a 3 hour show. It did have some decent tones, but again, comparing to the Mesa, it just isn't good enough, even just having as a backup amp.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I have had my 6505 MH for almost a year and a half. I love it! I took it out of the housing and unscrewed to black piece of wood in the front for more air circulation . Worked like a charm, no overheating. Make sure to power up wait a minute then flip up stand by. When shutting down flip stand by off then wait a minute then power off. This is how you keep everything healthy! I run mine into a evh 2x12 cab and I love it. Much better low end than lunchbox and less money. Not that I let that decide I honestly liked the 6505 better, versatility, panel, dummy load , reverb etc.
Both great amps but 6505 is just better imo
I also own the 5150iii so I never get blown off the stage when live playing with another guitarist.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Good Warmth
- Portable
- Powerful
Cons
Best Uses
- Amateur Recording
- Events
- Home Studio
- Performances
- Professional Recording
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
This amp can do it all I would like to mention that I played my acoustic on it the clean crunch Chanel and it sounds great from metal to clean to playing acoustic you have it all I would buy it again this amp is a one stop players amp for the price
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Excellent Sound
- Portable
Cons
Best Uses
- Performances
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
Sounds close to my 5150 100 watt head and easier to haul to gigs. Still use my 5150 4x12 Bottom, might try to find a 2x12 cab. The clean actually sounds better than 100 watt head
Pros
- Flexible Output Options
- Portable
Cons
- Lack of Clean Tone if Using Gain on Crunch
Best Uses
- Home Studio
- Performances
Comments about Peavey 6505 MH Micro 20W Tube Guitar Amp Head:
I needed a small backup for live use in case my Kemper goes down. I have an EVH LBX, but there's no easy way to go direct to front of house that would sound good. With the XLR output on the Peavey I'm able to get a usable high gain sound on the crunch channel and a volume boost by using the lead channel for solos - all without lugging a cabinet. As an added benefit I can use this at home on the 1 watt setting for low volume practice through a cabinet.
For the price this is great. You do have to spend some time dialing in the sound, and be a fan of the 6505 sound in general. I prefer using a Maxon OD808 in front of this at all times to tighten up the low end.
I love the crunch channel with the gain around 7-8. The downside is this pretty much takes out the option of switching to a clean channel. You can use your volume knob for less dirt, but you're not going to get very close to a true clean tone. You can dial in a solid clean tone if you like by keeping the gain low, though.
Displaying reviews 1-20