I purchased this amp for myself as an early Christmas present last year, have been playing regularly using the VB2 as my main (and only) bass head. With the initial "honeymoon period" over, here are some of my experiences.

After doing extensive research on sites like Talkbass (highly recommended) I finally decided to make the jump to all-tube. While 225 watts doesn't sound like much, this head (paired with my Genz Benz neox 212T) had the tone, fullness, and power for all the venues I play - including small and large clubs, and outdoors. Yes, I use the extremely user friendly DI for all gigs, but I didn't need to crank everything up to be heard outdoors.

While the head is well vented, it does run quite hot. I have not had an issue with this, but it seemed to get especially warm when I was playing in a small stuffy club, cramped up in a small corner. On the plus side, it kept the order of fries I had sitting on top warm until the set break.

Also to note is that I have had this head in for warranty work twice since I bought it. The first time was for the secondary fuse that blew for no reason. The amp powered up but produced no sound. The main fuse is easy to access at the back, but the fuse that blew required taking the covers off and getting inside. Not an easy fix at a gig. The second time was to fix a broken impedance selector switch at the back. Both these issues were covered under warranty (very good!) but I had to wait over 1.5 months for the switch. Apparently up here in Canada, the parts must be shipped from the States (bad!).

I would definitely recommend this head to anyone on the fence regarding pure solid state, hybrids, and all-tube. For a bargain price, this Peavey delivers that tubey goodness that can't be had any other way.

For reference, the gear I regularly use (and reviewed) with this head: - Peavey VB-2 -Genz Benz neox 212T -POD XT Live -2007 MIA Fender Jazz -2008 Ergo EUB -1984 MIJ Squier Precision E-Serial -1986 MIJ Fender Jazz Bass Special

The Peavey VB2 has served me well this summer. I picked it up last spring to A/B against my Traynor YBA200-2. The Peavey had an ease of use, volume, and 5 year warranty that the 4 year old, slightly temperamental Traynor lacked. So I kept the Peavey and sold the Traynor.

Since then, it's been on stage about 12 times at gigs ranging from park district events to opening for Sara Evans and has performed very well.

I play mostly Country right now, and through my Carvin 8x10 cab, I can get round, loud, thumpy and punchy tone at volumes far in excess of what I will ever need. After a tube swap, the Traynor I previously owned had a slightly sonically richer low end, but the Peavey is very close, and makes up for it in other ways.

Functionally, it is a fine piece of equipment. The direct out is quite clean, and the DI level knob has proved useful in several instances where I had the amp dialed in and didn't want to change anything to adjust the level going to the board. I never use the over drive feature, but the eq is quite responsive and the mid switch is great for quick on-stage tone adjustments. The rear tuner jack and tuner/mute switch is very useful also. The lack of a self bias feature kept it from a full "5" rating, but that's a very minor quibble.

Quality and Value are quite high. Apparently there were alot of amps shipped in the first run that had some quirks, and that's why I only gave a "4" to quality, but everyone I've read seems happy with Peavey's service. Mine has run flawlessly, and is, in my humble opinion, the best value in tube amps currently available. Knowing that it was Made in the USA and is backed by Peavey makes for alot of peace of mind.

Sum up, if you have to have an Ampeg or Fender, than go ahead. For my money however, the Peavey does everything a working musician needs from a tube head and does it well and reliably at a bargain price.

I bought this as a replacement to my Aguilar DB350 200 watt tube amp. The Aguilar sounded great, but the fan was too loud for studio work. I new nothing about the VB-2, and was looking at Ampeg tube amps, and the sales rep showed me this. I played it and loved it. It sounded more like a classic tube amp than the Ampeg SVT classic, and was significantly less in price. IMO, this is a "best bang for the buck" in the tube bass head category.

I got this head about a month ago second hand and it plays like a dream. It's smooth and loud. The over drive channel is also a fun addition, kicking it on gives it that gritty crunch all of us yearn for when trying to recreate that classic over-driven tube sound. The 225 tube watts are easily more than I or anyone will ever need, unless that is you intend to play a gig in one town and have it heard in another. Last week It did however die temporarily due to a bad fuse which blew an output tube... this is a fairly common problem, despite that I would still recommend this head to anyone seeking that sweet old school tube sound.

Just got this head today. It's really great. Awesome oldschool tube sound and when you crank it, it really comes alive. It's plenty loud. I had a Carvin 600 watt head before that was nowhere near this powerful. I absolutely love it through my 1x18. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars across the board is because as soon as I got it one of the powertubes had this slight rattle, sort of like when you shake a blown lightbulb. No biggie though it's under warranty and I'll have my replacements soon. Definitely check this one out if you're in the market for a tube head.