Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 – Jack Of All Trades

Controls:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

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Modeling combo amps have become very popular in the past few decades. The simple fact that one such guitar amp packs so much value for the money is enough for beginners and more experienced players alike to get one. Peavey's Vypyr VIP 3 is probably among the most popular models of this kind. It has power, comes with an impressive range of features, and is affordable. For less than $300, this guitar amp is among the most flexible models out there.

Controls

Being heavy on the controls is something that most modeling amps share. However, Vypyr takes it one step further. The right side of the control cluster features your standard gain, three-band EQ, and volume combo. However, the left side is where to good stuff is at. This thing is so packed full of various presets and emulations that it needs to have a display in order to make bring some order into this chaos. Under the display, there are three knobs you use for navigation, as well as one master control knob with a push function to the left of it. Needless to say, getting used to all of the functions available takes time. You can easily get lost in all the menus and sub-menus.

Features

Where to even begin. You are looking at a 100 Watt combo that moves a decent amount of air thanks to its 12 Inch custom-voiced speaker. That by itself is a pretty decent setup, to begin with. Now, add in the literal hundreds of different cab, amp, and effects emulations you get. Not to even mention the actual instrument emulations this amp brings. Even trying to list them all would take too much time. On top of that, you get full connectivity suite including USB, Data, MIDI and Audio outs for recording or whatever you decide to do. In a way, Vypyr combines power with borderline unlimited tone shaping options. All of that at a price that is affordable as it is.

Performance

Next logical question is, how well does the amp actually perform? All those features are great, but they don’t mean much if the amp sounds terrible. That is, fortunately not the case with Vypyr VIP 3. It is not the best sounding amp on the market, but it is more than good enough considering its nature, and what it was designed to do. If you are a performing musician who needs an affordable jack of all trades, this definitely something to consider. With 100 Watts of power, you can easily use the Vypyr for gigging in smaller venues. When it's time for practice at home, the amp allows you to attenuate the power all the way down to 1 Watt.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, Vypyr VIP 3 from Peavey is almost a perfect practice amp. It does come with certain compromises, but that is something we seriously can’t complain about considering its price and all of the features it offers. This is the kind of model that can keep up with your needs even as you hit that advanced level. Vypyr VIP3 is by far one of the most versatile modeling amps available today.

For more info about the Peavey Vypyr VIP 3, click here.
For more guitar amps under $300, click here.