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Peavey JSX (amplifier head)
List: $3,500
Peavey’s JSX is a product Joe Satriani’s love affair with the Triple XXX model. Instead of merely duplicating the necessities & calling it his own, Satch (Please, it’s Joe Satriani OR Satch, not Joe Satch… duh!!) got Peavey’s Triple XXX authority (& Instrument Amplifier Engineering Manager) James Brown to help manifest his tonal ideals more than the physical blueprint.
Intro
James Brown’s JSX conception task was a 3-tier objective:
* Satch loves the Triple XXX’s Crunch drive, this was the working reference for his Ultra Channel & should contain an over-the-top gain offering should the need arises,
* Satch specifically cited Peavey’s Classic 50 model voicing for his crunch drive
* The Clean offering, according to the Guitar Colossus himself, must be unbreakable
Satch has a simple specification for the amp’s physical appearance; he loves chrome…
Build
The JSX’s solid built is a no compromise consideration indeed. The chrome brass knobs & flick switch are direct inheritance from the Triple XXX counterpart. The front panel is adorned with a black honeycomb grille plus a central JSX logo. The facial chrome panels (because Satch loves chrome…) are laid out to manifest a central ‘S’ feature, if you need a Rorschach Test to see this, you need more vision break at work, really… Anyway, the frontal chrome panels are purely aesthetics, if you feel your JSX needs more ventilation for your beloved tubes, by all means, remove them. The tough leather binding also guarantees endurance; this is the same sturdy cloaking which covers the current 6505/ Triple XXX heads.
Rating: 90%
Features
As mentioned above, the JSX is a tri-channel offering with 2 dirty voicings & a clean outlet. Each channel is adorned with a 3-band EQ; actives in the Ultra/ Crunch channels. Over at the rear, the JSX allows an FX loop connection & a footswitch access.
The innards of this head must be one of the neatest ever but the most outstanding feature here, hidden from scrutiny, is the bias adjustment switch. This amp accepts both EL34/ 6L6GC power amp tubes. For those of us who thrive on varied, cranked up tones & frown upon paying a tech to bias our amps repeatedly, this feature is a godsend.
Rating: 90%
Tone
For starters, the JSX has plenty…
Try as you might, you simply cannot break the clean channel; good news for the pedal-inclined, but investing in the JSX isn’t about connecting pedals to it. It is equally not susceptible to high output pickups. The distinguished tinkering here is the trimming of the midrange control so that in its upper reaches it doesn’t churn out a pronounced prick. The treble pot also uses an audio-taper version which turns up more gradually than linear taper ones. This is largely responsible for the vintage vibe of the channel. So all finger-pickers out there, here’s a good amp in addition to your insatiable distortion yearning. This brings us to the dirty pathways…
For both the Ultra & Crunch channels, the bottom end preamp had been trimmed down. Satch has a simple reason for this requirement; the JSX should not be a one-trick, bass notes boiler. However, if the down-tuners here wish for a trouser-ripping experience, enhanced bottom end can be easily acquired- just flick the FAT switch. This is the primary reason why this amp articulates bass-end notes very well- 7-strings/ Baritone? No problems…
The Crunch channel per se is a tweaked Classic 50 end product. This is a sensible inclusion because between the Clean & all-out, distorted Ultra channel, the Crunch offers a smooth transition. Triple XXX aficionados would agree that the Crunch & Ultra drive voicings, are really huge leaps in distortion with reference to the Clean levels but the JSX got that covered. For this to happen, the severe gain response was trimmed to approximate that of the Classic 50’s but the active EQ section has the default injection in times of need.
The Ultra voicing here isn’t a direct replication of the Triple XXX’s; Satch had Mr. Brown reduce the gain to sound less compressed especially when chords are played. If you miss the all-out gain fury of the Triple XXX be informed that in its upper gain settings, a jolt in drive level is available, so do not be alarmed to hear a marked increase in gain threshold there, the JSX was conceived to do so.
With various guitars plugged in, the JSX is able to produce a wide range of tones; the amp being dynamic is quite an understatement. The clean channel is simply wonderful with any single coil guitar pedigree. It remains crunch-free & articulate, certainly one of the best, this side of Fender. For the drive mongers, your embrace of the JSX should leave you pedal free; the Crunch would give adequate restrained break-up settings while the Ultra mode has a persuasive distortion on board; plenty of sustain while notes remain defined. The difference here is that, this amp is able to sound organic & reach out to the listener as opposed to other boutique brand names which churn out thick slabs of distortion, disregarding aural appeal in the process. The tonal differences between pickups are also marked; you can hear quite clearly your bridge & neck pickup nuances as opposed to hearing slight differences. Thanks also to the superb Sovtek/ Electro Harmonix tubes on board (so it’s a Euro-American formula after all…).
Not to be left out here is the useful noise gate inclusion; with so much gain available this feature is a need. Be informed that at upper settings, the noise gate would swallow up weak treble-end notes quite easily. The quick solution would be to employ a booster unit (clean or otherwise) during solo breaks to prevent a premature muting.
Tone test equipment:
Speaker cab: Peavey Triple XXX (4X12)
Guitars: Fender 60th Ann Strat/ Gibson LP Std/ Ibanez RG1527/ AF105F/ S1620
Rating: 90%
Conclusion
Peavey did well with a certain high gain signature amp prior to the JSX debut; let us not forget the 5150. As opposed to giving the potential buyer his signature tone (as Van Halen did with the aforementioned amp), Satch has ensured an all-rounder in the package so the JSX remains adaptable to the player’s needs in addition to giving them his interpretation of the ideal amp tone(s). This effectively means that the JSX works for you even if you aren’t too Satriani-esque in your tonal aspirations.
Is the JSX a more charismatic Triple XXX? A firm negative is the answer. The former borrowed heavily from the latter but the conception was never a duplication exercise. The JSX is an impressive amplifier in its own right. There was lots of tweaking in the process & the amp successfully moves away from the exclusive extremity presented by the Triple XXX; the reason it would appeal widely.
Is the JSX for you? If you wish for a dynamic 3-channel offering, the JSX should be on your list. Be prepared to ditch primary distortion pedals because the default drive on offer is ready to cover extreme responses. Do keep in mind that the JSX is a thorough American, any British association (tone-wise) is better handled by some other brand names.
Overall rating: 90%
Likes:
• Tone
• Features
• Quality default tubes (not some nameless far eastern units…)
• Self-biasing feature
• Looks
Dislikes:
• Price…
• Knobs aren’t the smoothest on offer
• Noise gate needs a finer treshold definition
