I own the Classic VT Series Peavey amplifier.
Here's the background on it(and I'm just telling everything that's on the back panel...)

3 fuse @ 120 VAC, 60Hz, 200W
Speakers with two plugs for "main(@8ohms)," or "aux(@4ohms)," and it's plugged into the 4 ohms, equaling 50 watts of power.
Remote switch
Power amp in
Pre-amp out
(Level 2 V RMS - 600ohms)
2 ten inch speakers
GrooveTubes 6L6s
and a pre-amp tube

It isn't loud enough, even for a practice amp. everyone still over-powers me. The tubes are fairly new...(since Chiristmas), but turning the master vol. up isn't helping.
my question is.....I have two gains, normal and bright. The bright is clean, and the normal...well, with an old amp, the normal will have a bit of overdrive. With both of the gains at half way, the sound is shit. It'll only sound good when only the bright is at 5, no greater than 7, and the normal is either off, or at like 2. How can I get a louder sound, do I need to take it in to get the normal gain fixed? Or fuck all this and buy a new amp?

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how many watts is it in output?

maybe its just not a really loud amp, I dunno the model so I can't judge that.
getting another amp helps, ofcourse, but is expensive.
you can try any analog pedal, like a boss metalzone and boost the gain on the pedal for a loud distortion. that still won't help you get a higher volume on the cleans though.
did it use to be louder then it is now?

I have a similar problem, I use a Marshall AVT100, but our other guitarist over powers me sometimes with an 80watt Fender.

I think that you should say to hell with that amp. You should try investing in a 212 combo or something. I have a crappy crate 212 solid state amp, and NOBODY overpowers me. So I think that you should either invest in a 212 combo, or a good/better tube combo with either a 12 or 212 speaker config. I guarantee, after that, you'll be set.

The only peavey Ive heard consistent good reports about is the 5150. I have a Marshall DSL, and I never have level probs, in the mean time if your in a rehersal stituation maybe you could mic your amp up and run it through the P.A? It would carry you over till u could get a new amp?....!!

was it louder before?
and maybe its not the amp, but something else (guitar electronics? distortion?)
you could try it out on a different amp, maybe that gets us closer to some solution

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No, it wasn't louder before...and it's 50 watt output. But right now, I'm using my *gulp* fx86 DeathMetal distortion, and the gain on that is over half way. When I turn up the master vol., the loudness of the amp is going up...up...up...and then sorta doesn't do anything after about 7, and it goes to ten. With a tube amp such as this, will the speakers blow if all the gains are too high? Because my pop always bitched when I was a youngun when I'd put the bright and normal past half way, and the master on ten. It IS an old amp though. All the tubes may be new, and it does sound good, but maybe the connections between switches are old and need replacing?

Last time I ever looked at speakers, I was taken with the Fender combo....forgot which one, but it was nice($5-600 i think, two tens...I think it was 80 or 100 watt). but it's either another combo, or I would be better off buying a 5150 head, and some cabnet. Or, what about having the 5150 head plugged into this ol' peavey that I got now? Does that work?

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Yea alot of the power could be lost through the effects your using,or could be prob on output of guitar,many possibilities.

But as far as Peavey 5150 go, they fuckin slay!

fuck it, 50 watt sucks, get another amp.

don't get the fender, I've played loads of fender, shit tone for metal, you're waaay better of getting that peavey. for practise you might look at the peavey bandit 212 too. but if you got enough cash... go for a stack

don't think you can overpower anyone in your band with only 50 whats...
( guess he's got more wattage than me...iv'e only got 35 but that's gonna change soon )

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Yeah, I know I could get at least a few hundred off that amp if I sell it, and save for a 5150 head. Are there different types of 5150 heads? What cabinets can go with this particular head?

...Jesus fuck, why not just look at the site.

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Well, then fuck, 5150 II or just 5150? And a Peavey slant style cabinet?...

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http://www.peavey.com/products/shop...TA/c/1/5150.cfm
Thats a link to the 5150 section of there website. Dude Im lookin at the spec's and thinkin why the hell I didnt buy one of these???????????????? Ah Im happy with my DSL. The Peavey cabs are very ugly though and a dude i know has one and in my opinion you might be beeter gettin jcm 800 cab? There real nice or 1960 b(they are similar). I think bottom cabs sound better than tops, the way the sound just comes straight at you and the bottom end response is better

http://www.peavey.com/products/shop...tcode/7/xxl.cfm
Slightly cheaper option, looks good too???

5150 II

peavey cab to go with it, I don't like the sound a Peavey/Marshall combination gives you.
theres no big difference in bottom or top cabs, only some are angled, most have the exact same speaker setup. sound spectrum of an angled cab is a bit different though
Just give the tops and some cabs a spin and see which you like best.