Peavey Transtube Amplifiers: Rage and Blazer

As Peavey’s Transtube range of guitar combos gets an overhaul, we take a close look at the smallest pair from the range

Peavey’s Transtube series of guitar amplification has remained a popular choice due to its promise of performance, portability and price.

This deserved longevity looks destined to continue, thanks to this refreshing face-lift. Always keen to act on customer feedback, Peavey has yet again improved the quality and sound of the range, in order to further widen its appeal.

Of course, the name Transtube could be misconstrued, as there is no tube involved anywhere within these amps’ circuitry.

However, the solid-state sounds produced have the warmth and tonal quality normally associated with a valve preamp, and that’s what Peavey are referring to here. Whatever, their worth has been proven time and again as a reliable and classy sounding option, with the more powerful units being ideally suited for gigs of all sizes, as well as practice and rehearsal.

For this review we’re taking a close look at the two smallest models in the range: the Blazer and the Rage. Naturally, these are the most pocket-friendly of the bunch and as they’re fitted with additional ‘practice’ features, are also highly suitable for the first-time buyer.

There are two channels to choose from, but just a single input socket, so a switch is provided for selecting between clean or lead. The volume control works only on the clean channel, used for setting the desired level. The lead channel is furnished with both a Pre gain control, to set the required amount of distortion, and a Post gain to set the overall level of this channel. There is no master volume on either Rage or Blazer, as it seems superfluous to requirements.

The EQ section consists of the usual low, mid and high rotaries, but, as these can be switched between Modern and Vintage voicings, the tonal range is greater than you would imagine. This feature offers a pleasingly different slant to the sound and produces a tighter delivery when switched to Modern – a most welcome extra on such small models. Both these combos also feature a headphone socket and a CD/tape input, which is why they’re so ideally suited to home practising. In fact, with power rating, speaker size and overall dimensions being identical, the only difference between the two models is the inclusion of reverb on the Blazer.

Look alike, sound alike
Peavey amplification has a long history of reliability and excellent sound quality and the good news is that, small as they may be, both these good looking combos are perfectly capable of living up to that standard.
The Rage and the slightly more expensive Blazer are equipped with the basic ingredients to provide the tonality and delivery that you expect to find from a Peavey amplifier… albeit in rather less quantity.

If there are any limitations at all then it’s purely due to their physical stature – hence the lack of control panel frills – and the size of speaker housed within the compact enclosures. So what can you expect to hear from this pair of mini-beasts?

In both combos, we found the clean sounds to be full in substance and clarity, offering a practical level of distortion-free output. There’s some serious bite available here and, even when working with the slightly brighter aspects of the Vintage setting on the EQ, delivery still somehow manages to avoid becoming too shrill, in spite of the modest-sized speaker.

Switching over to the lead channel produces a raunchy, full-bodied front-end distortion that offers plenty of girth with a touch of edginess for clear note definition. It can be surprisingly smooth too, ideal for those Clapton-with-Gibson sounds of the sixties that are just as popular with today’s guitarists. But whatever your preferred sound may be, the controls on this channel will keep the degree of distortion and the volume firmly in check.

Background noise on both channels is remarkably good too. The two distinct voicings available for the three tone controls are particularly effective – the Modern option being a more compressed sort of sound with slightly less harmonic overtones. This is the sound that you would normally associate with small contemporary guitar combos and that’s what makes the alternative Vintage voicing so refreshing. The slightly toppier delivery and more open feel that it brings will be the deciding factor for many buyers.

The Blazer, of course, has the additional reverb circuitry that most players like to see in primarily home-based amps. It provides yet another pleasing dimension but, curiously, comparing the two models setting for setting, the Rage has just a bit more oomph. It’s louder, has better tonal substance and offers a little extra all-round grunt… for want of a better description! Of course, this may well be a quirk of fate and isolated to this particular pairing, but it’s obviously worth trying out a few of these if you’re thinking of buying one. There may be one particular combo in the store that stands out above the rest.

Verdict
So there you have it. Practice, they say, makes perfect and these little babies are perfectly suited to assist. In theory there’s not much to choose between the two models and providing the extra cost is not the deciding factor, you can take it with reverb or without.

The ability to feed in a sound source from a CD or a tape machine is a real bonus when trying to learn a particular song. Better still, if you use the headphone facility as well – so that only you can hear the same lick over and over again – buying one of these could save your relationships with family and friends. With such low noise levels they’re ideal for home recording too, hence appealing to the more experienced player as well as the novice.

It’s a pity that there’s no DI or extension speaker outlet; these are always useful and increase the applications with minimal addition to the overall cost. Still, hardly a reason not to investigate one of these diminutive starter combos.