Peavey Rage 258 – When Keeping It Simple Works Out

Controls:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

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Peavey is one of those brands that many folks overlook, but one which offers some pretty solid solutions in just about every segment of the market. Looking at their more affordable models, you will find Rage 258. This ultra light combo is pretty old school compared to other modeling amps, but its simplicity is exactly what makes it so attractive. If your budget is limited at $200, Peavey Rage 258 might just be among the top few choices you have available. Let's take a closer look.

Controls

Once you get up close and personal with this Peavey, its controls will tell you just what kind of amp you're dealing with. Six knobs and a couple of switches is all it takes to get a great sounding tone. Controls are divided into two sections. The first one being the main channel control cluster while the second one is dedicated to equalization and voicing selection. Clean channel features a volume knob that is followed by a pre gain and post gain knob. These are used for the leads. EQ cluster packs your good old three-band EQ. Here you'll also see a voicing selection switch that offers stack, modern and vintage modes. Compared to other modeling amps, this Peavey looks almost too simple.

Features

The main selling point with this combo is its light weight. Coming in at just 16 lbs, it is among the easiest practice amps to carry around. Being light doesn't mean it's weak either. On the contrary, you get 25 Watts, and that is RMS. All the output is being pushed through a pretty amazing super-duty Blue Marvel 8 inch speaker. Best of all, this thing is made pretty well. The cab itself is standard Peavey design, both aesthetically and in terms of build quality. You are looking at a clean, attractive yet simple design that we have seen many times before. Overall, the format and features make this a great choice for studio use as well as home practice.

Performance

The type of tone Peavey's Rage 258 is capable of delivering brings back memories. Two channels, great cleans, and even better overdrives are what this thing does the best. The only feature that even indicates that you are dealing with a modeling amp are the voicing modes. The amp is capable of emulating a stack, a more vintage amp and a modern one. Using this feature in combination with the three band EQ can give you a whole range of great tones right off the bat. While it doesn't bring a dozen
different presets nor effects, Peavey Rage 258 is one of the most affordable amps in its price range. Those on a budget will appreciate that fact.

Conclusion

Peavey has shown us that modeling amps don't need to be stacked with features in order to be attractive to the end user. They wanted to do design a light rig that caters to more conservative players. After all, two channels and a decent EQ section was always the winning combination. If you want an affordable yet powerful combo that can be used both at home and for gigging, Peavey Rage 258 is a great choice.

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