WHETHER YOU’RE A BRAND-SPANKING NEWBIE or a grizzled gig vet, Peavey’s got your back. From its pint-sized combos to its all-tube monster heads, the Mississippi-based brand has pretty much every base covered in the amp department. We’ve been hip to Peavey’s trip for years, from its workhorse heads and combos in the ’80s and ’90s to its contemporary offerings incorporating the latest developments in circuitry and construction. This month, we take a closer look at a sampling of its Tour series: the TNT 115 combo, Headliner head, and Headliner 410 cabinet.

COMBO NATION
The appeal of a combo amp is pretty universal—with fewer pieces to haul and less cable to tangle with, it’s less fuss and more rock. While some of Peavey’s lesser-powered combos are best suited to practice and low-volume rehearsals, the flagship TNT 115 is a robust rig that packs sufficient power to shake larger stages. Housed in a tank-like enclosure that features a cutaway for tilt-back monitoring, the TNT pumps 300 watts into its internal 15" speaker. Aside from the typical pre gain and master volume knobs, the combo’s control panel sports an array of EQ controls; for those who are intimidated by graphic EQs (come on, y’all—it’s not rocket science), there are a variety of dead simple EQ controls, from low and high shelving knobs to contour button that scoops midrange frequencies, a bright switch which boosts highs, and even a crunch circuit that’s designed to emulate natural tube distortion. The combo also features onboard compression and Peavey’s DDT (Distortion Detection Technique) circuit, which protects the power amp from clipping.

On a bar gig without sound reinforcement, the TNT kept up without a problem, and I never felt as if I was wanting for volume. Leaving the amp’s settings fl at for the most part—though I did kick in the contour control for a quick-and-easy scooped sound—the TNT sounded clean and loud, with big, airy bottom and ample top end courtesy of its HF tweeter. My only gripes with the TNT related to ergonomics. At 75 pounds, the combo is pretty heavy, and I found its side mounted handles made the unit tough to schlep solo. Also, the controls were easy to access when the amp was upright, but when I tipped it back for monitoring purposes, the controls were hard to reach. Still, there’s a reason the TNT has been around for so dang long—it’s a beefy-sounding, full-featured combo that offers a great value. With modern updates like DDT protection and lightweight Class D power amps, the TNT is certain to stay a while.

HEADLINING
The Headliner essentially takes the guts of the TNT and packs it in a rack-mountable head, allowing greater flexibility in terms of cabinet accompaniment. With identical controls, the Headliner behaved much like the TNT. But paired with Peavey’s Headliner 410 cab, the Headliner sounded a hair more defined and articulate, and its crunch and contour settings seemed bigger and rounder.

For its part, the Headliner 410 cab is a testament to Peavey’s knack for putting out high-quality gear at a sweet price point; The 410 could easily stand up alongside 4x10 cabinets that cost more than twice as much. With a combined price around $650, the Headliner and Headliner 410 hit the mark for any player looking for a versatile, powerful, modular rig.

PEAVEY

TNT 115
Street $550
Bottom Line The latest updates to Peavey’s iconic workhorse combo make it an excellent choice for players looking for a stand-alone gig rig.

Headliner
Street $350
Bottom Line With all the features of the TNT in head form, the Headliner is a powerful, versatile amp that sounds great atop nearly any cabinet.

Headliner 410
Street $300
Bottom Line Peavey’s commitment to offering high-quality gear at prices we all can afford is exemplified by the Headliner 410, a solid cab at a killer price.

Contact peavey.com

SPECIFICATIONS

TNT 115
Power rating 300 watts @ 4Ω
Speakers Peavey 15” with tweeter
Controls PRE GAIN, BRIGHT (+10dB @ 1kHz), CONTOUR, CRUNCH, LOW (±15dB, 50Hz–100Hz), 7-band graphic EQ (±15 dB @ 40Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, 400Hz, 800Hz, 1.6kHz, and3.2kHz), HIGH (±15dB @ 5kHz–8kHz), COMPRESSOR, MASTER VOLUME, DDT limiter
Weight 75 lbs
Made in China

HEADLINER
Power rating 300 watts @ 4Ω
Controls PRE-GAIN, BRIGHT, CONTOUR, CRUNCH, LOW, 7-band EQ (±15 dB @ 40Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, 400Hz, 800Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz) HIGH, COMPRESSOR, VOLUME, DDT limiter
Back panel jacks One twist-lock, one ¼" speaker out, ¼" send and return, XLR DI out
Made in China

HEADLINER 410 Power handling 800 watts
Impedance 8Ω
Speakers Four Peavey 10" drivers
Cabinet covering Black carpet
Jacks One twist-lock, two ¼"
Weight 72 lbs
Made in China