14 million baby! Who's with me on the ride?

The whole peavey decade story is hillarious. Josh essentially showed everybody that you should not focus on gear but instead be creative with what you have available. The secret of his sound is that he doesn't follow any roads. He mentioned that also at the guitarings show with Kyle and John. But when he showed the peavey decade, his biggest fans went out and bought this amp. Totally ignoring the real message they spend hundreds of dollars for this thing. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the prices on reverb. But still, the peavey story inspired me to try more stuff. Things that might seem odd.

Maybe I'm just crazy but I wish more people would experiment and come up with their own gear combos to emulate tone.

So far, from my experience at least, the trick to getting the super heavy rumbling tones you hear on the Kyuss albums or on Songs for the Deaf is to play with a good bass player. Guitar by itself can really only get you so far.

Bought a Peavy Decade for 17$ from a yard sale and it’s been in my storage unit I had no idea people wanted these 😭 I might have missed my window to sell it

The Decade was my very first guitar amp. Bought it second-hand and cheap as chips in 1985 when I was 13. I stopped using it when I bought a Marshall a couple of years later. It now serves as a door stopper in my shed. It's all it's good for, really, and why people now suddenly would pay silly money for one, just because Josh Homme mentions one half jokingly in some TV show, is downright unfathomable.

What I find is hilarious is that after he said he used the Decade, and everyone went out buying them up, someone came out with a pedal version of the Peavey Decade that costs over $300 and suckers were buying that right up as well, when you could just go out and buy a comparable Peavey practice amp for $100 or less 😂

Interesting note on the Peavey Decade. I think a lot of people are looking for a "silver bullet" to nail "the perfect tone". If they hear someone like Josh say they use a product, or if a popular KZfaqr covers a product, they tend to flock to it thinking "this is the one" when it might not necessarily be for them. I always like trying different things and seeing how they work, whether it's pawn shop/garage sale/FB Marketplace finds or browsing Reverb by lowest price. Pretty much any piece of gear can work in the right context, so it's cool to see what some of the more unheralded pieces of gear can do if you give them an honest chance.

Fun fact: The OD preamp section of the Tube Works RT-2100 is almost identical to the Tube Works 901 Real Tube overdrive pedal. If you want to cop Homme’s Kyuss-era tone without the time and expense of tracking down an RT-2100, you can get really close by using a Real Tube pedal (which are easily found on Reverb for around $150-200) either straight into the front of your amp or as a preamp into its effects loop or your DI of choice.

Gotta say THANK YOU! NOTHING infuriates me like selling a pedal for $300 that emulates a $30 practice amp, lookin at you, Acorn... People HONESTLY didn't get that Homme was TROLLING people with the Peavey Decade bit...

Thanks for the amazing QOTSA video’s and for sharing you’re love for it.

It's interesting the lengths musicians will go to protect their sounds. I always thought the Peavey Decade thing was to throw people off. Great channel, Subbed!

so the drop C thing was from a "sound like qotsa by breaking the bank" episode, and they tuned to drop C only because the guitar wouldnt work in C standard without a new setup

I hadn't heard these myths except the Peavy Decade thing. And it's no surprise. If you want a lo-fi tone, go with a lo-fi amp. It could just as easily been a Fender Blue's Jr. or any small practice amp with an 8" speaker. I have played around with some lo-fi tones and I found the Fender Frontman 10 that you get with the packs works well too

I love your QOTSA / Josh Homme videos - you got such a deep knowledge about all that stuff!

Josh is a prankster. So when he pulled out that tiny Peavey Decade I knew he was joking. Plus, you can tell was he was higher than Giraffe's balls. But so many people took it seriously

Interesting how this has become a Queens of the Stone age lore channel

Thanks for your nice videos as always! Good to sum up the myths that constantly appears in the comments section 😉

Similarly Billy Corgan used a Crate GT15R to get the distortion sounds for Everlasting Gaze.

I have a Decade - bought for $10 at Goodwill last year. Awesome amp.

You're common sense and honesty are refreshing!

Early QotSA stuff was certainly rhythm on bridge, neck on solos - I saw it first hand many times. Ovation GP days.

Josh tore up Wembley just a few short days ago. Man I hope TCV records and tours another album or maybe a 15 year SFTD tour like the Queens had for their first album.

I know you're not a bass guy but I'd love to see you doing a video on the QOTSA bass tones because theres barely any videos on it despite QOTSA providing amazing bass tones throughout the years. I think that would make for a good video since supposedly there is a secret bass used on a lot if recordings (I suspect it's a Yamaha SA70)

Interesting ideas. 14mil baby!!! Let’s Go Livingroom, let’s go!

thanks for de-bunking some of those myths!

Interesting video. I'm glad you're getting back to content after being sick for a month (yes I know this is an older vid). Really not sure on Josh ever using a Big Muff though, even on his monstrous 2017/18 pedalboard. I don't hear any Muff sounds there. But who knows!

I like these types of videos. It's fun trying to figure out someone else's tone.

My new favorite channel! Great info and excellent presentation!

I appreciate the insights into how our favorite artists think, thanks for clearing up confusing issues that end up as just noise on the internet.

Great video. You are the definitive Homme tone master here in KZfaq. Cheers.

I think the Peavey Decade was 100% used pretty much through the first 3 albums, but mixed in and not as a main amp. It just adds a certain lo-fi wirey sound that is quite distinct.

Hello, I'm a Brazilian fan. The question of Josh using a fuzz, what would you say about PDF-1? Could you bring a video of the PDF timbre combinations with the AMPEG or VOX.

Excellent to highlight the oft overlooked Peavy and Ampeg. I still have my 100 watt Ampeg tube head for guitar with an Ampeg 4x12 cab loaded with Celestions and I love it. I had a small Ampeg practice amp growing up and the Catinbread SFT pedal is a copy of that amp's overdrive because the Stoner Doom crowd started using different stuff to sound different. They are known for bass of course but I highly recommend trying their guitar stuff. They have a great tone for lower turnings like my Orange dark terror does. Most in hard rock and metal knows Orange and Laney due to Sabbath but few pay attention to Ampeg.

What people don’t get about recording is that sometimes you just need to get a certain frequency hit in a certain way for a tone. That peavey decade was probably one of multiple amps all blended together on the final track you hear.

I wouldn't spend silly money on a Decade (especially when you can still pick up the better models in that line up (additional control, bigger/better speakers etc and the same preamp) for "yard sale" money) but those old Peavey amps do have great sounds in them if you're willing to sit and dial them in. Rancho De La Luna has basically every model from that series (including the decade) in their studio stash too. I picked up a Backstage Plus (decade with a 12 inch driver, reverb and "saturation" control) and it's killer. I'm using it as the "wet" in a wet/dry stereo rig just now, it's a nice contrast to my gain-y Marshalls, holds together well getting hit with some pretty extreme delay/verb n mod.

dig your vids, bro! keep on rockin'.

Dude! Great videos, love Josh playing and tone too, problem is, in my country its impossible to find these type of gear really. I know its not your field but can you reccomend some VST that can get me in the ballpark of the VT-40's sound? Thanks!

Super vidéo, une fois de plus. 14 millions subs, let's go!!!

I heard they used bass heads in the early Kyuss days because all their party/rehearsal jams in the desert. Nothing could get loud enough out there.

Keep up the quality content mate

That Peavey Decade toy blew up on Reverb because of the hype around this

There was a magazine article from the TCV era displayed on the old Dunlop site. I wish I had saved it back in the day. IIRC, Josh's tech and Alain Johannes were talking about their preference for amp drive and using pedals as gain stages, supporting the amp instead of being the main source of overdrive (as shown on the SD-1 video). After all, an overdrive, fuzz or boost pedal can never replace a good preamp, except if that pedal is made like a true preamp but it's still an uncommon sight in the industry (think Kingsley, Tubesteader or Correct Sound Custom). (BTW, if anyone can recommend a good Model T tube preamp pedal since Correct Sound Custom seem out of the market currently...) It's a very old school approach, come to think of it, but it's eye opening when put into practice for a lot of holy grail guitar tones.

Cool video Eirik. Yeah, it’s just crazy how a horrible sounding amp (Peavey Decade) that you almost couldn’t give away was suddenly going for thousands of dollars because Josh, almost jokingly, said it was his secret weapon. In all honesty, it was probably used on a couple tracks on SFTD, along with dozens of other crappy low-fi sounding solid state amps along with high end vintage amps and recorded with super expensive mics, and mixed together to create the amazing tone on that album. There is even a pedal put out by acorn amps that replicates the shitty tone of the decade for only a few hundred dollars! As you mentioned, Josh has almost certainly not used it on other albums, and has never played through that amp live… because it’s just not part of his sound. STOP THE INSANITY, PEOPLE!

The Decade is similar to the RAGE by Peavey which I own and I always noticed that certain dissonance and diming the amp on lead parts matched up with SFTD album. I hear it in God is in the Radio like you said and on the dissonant fills of Song for the Dead, and possibly some parts of the lead on Millionaire.

A very very very good (if not the best) example for use of the Ultimate Octave live is in the solo of Song for the Dead in the Itunes festival.

Im not an expert in sound and effects But im pretty aware you can achieve what you need with different pedals and what's not There is no only one way to achieve that sound Now with digital stuff is more easy even more if is a hybrid tube/solid amp or pedal multi fx processor We have a lot of options no need to worry about one

All the small Peaveys from the early 80's are the same preamp design. Check out Audition 20, it even has the same speaker and better fearures. 😉

The price raise on the pv decade was hilarious to watch 😅

I've heard he powered that amp with a potato the low potato wattage is the true secret to his sound

Love your professionalism

Love the channel brother

i love this channel.

I know he didn't use alot of fuzz in the early days, but I own the ultimate octave and it's crazy how close it gets without the octave side engaged.

In regards to Homme’s set up. He has used all kinds of amps. The thing that seems to stay the same for recording is how he has things setup. Lots of mics around the amp and a couple around the room. Some compression and eq. Getting the tone from mixing the mics and C standard tuning and a guitar that can handle the drop.

Love your work

As far as the Decade it was used mainly as a bass amp in the studio and only as a color blended not the main sound. Eric Valentine showed its use but then that part was either edited out or reshot because Josh didn't want it out at the time. The first video he made gave away a lot of secrets on SFTD but the one you can watch on KZfaq is different now.

I think people most likely mean C standard when they say drop C.

The decade has a great tone for bass. Bleded with a DI signal of coarse. Use the drive channel and stick a ribbon mic in front of it. There's your bass character sound.

I heard 2 of the new songs sans vocals and it rips! Definitely more of a throwback to the first record.

Great stuff as always 🍻 cheers man, decade giveaway at 14 mil? 😂

Thank you, Eirik. Seriously.

Good stuff man

Thanks for all you do

I recently gave my Peavey Audition (not the 'desirable' one, but a slightly later model) to a coworker in an ongoing attempt to gain space at home. Of all the tiny amps I had this is the one I'd regret setting free if I allowed myself to. Throw a mic in front of it and 'sky's the limit'. If you like it then it sounds good, you don't need permission.

You could make a similar video / series of videos about the Steve Albini guitar sound, either the Shellac or the Big Black period. Same thing, many rumors on forums, comments, some antique obscure gear that might be essential or just him having fun with weird stuff, and an awesome guitar sound that no one seems to manage to recreate - I bet you could, but I don't know if it's your jam !

You'd be amazed what little practice transistor amps can do when put through a big boy cab

C standard, baby! But occasionally, they even play standard. At least with a few songs on Like Clockwork.

Here's a Josh Homme tone fact that most people don't know: he actually played his guitar with his feet, using his toes as picks, during the Songs for the Deaf sessions. Look it up.

lol Best of luck with the 14 million!

I dono. I've got nowt but a 20RT and it's still fun as hell to play along to QOTSA with only a little pedal interference.

About the tuning... Josh himself told in an interview (MAYBE on FF Sonic Highways...) that in the Kyuss era they used to tune VERY low at gigs - and just by ear, so it might have been even A, or lower...

Definitely doesn’t sound like a Big Muff in Kyuss. He cleans up with his volume knob which you can’t do with the Big Muff.

As soon as I heard the tone coming out of that Peavey amp, I knew it was a red herring of some type. A good troll, tho’.

Righteous intel 👌

I saw Queens in a very small club on the Rated R tour. It was poorly attended so I could see his board. He had the vintage Superfuzz and used 2 V4Bs with Bass cabs. He had the cabs sorta facing each other in a V with a microphone placed in between the cabs. No guitar amp at all. He also used one GP the whole set in the neck position. I was paying close attention. I remember an interview around the time of EV where he stated he's only used the neck position on every album he's made. So take that for what it's worth. He also had the SD-1 and the Boss EQ at the club show so maybe that compensated for the bass heavy rig. Of course he had other pedals too but those are the ones I feel are relevant. These small Rated R shows happened in between Ozzfest dates so maybe he was using less at the clubs than the shows.

Any hybrid amp with 12ax7s in the preamp will sound fuzzy that’s why a bk tube driver pedal sounds so damn good

You got the bridge and neck pickups backward. neck = darker, bridge = brighter.

nice vid!

Hey man why won't you help us figure out that scratchy guitar tone in How To Handle A Rope. Your covers are amazing!

Something ... lol ... cool video as always!

And what about the Zvex Super Hard On pedal? I think that this pedal was used on the recordings too. Also, with a different mosfet transistor on it.

What about the Stone Deaf FX PDF circuit? Did he use an early version/prototype of that pedal?

Great video, and you are bang on the money on all points (or we’re both wrong about exactly the same things) Just a quick note regarding tuning and Kyuss: For those of you who enjoy playing along with albums, and you plan on playing along with Kyuss’ “Wretch”? Well … heh … you might wanna make a “play along” version of each track pitch-corrected to C because while C standard was the goal in Kyuss, each track is a little off. Turns out they were just tuning the guitar and bass by ear and relative to each other and nobody thought to inform these teenagers that they should probably use some sort of electronic tuner when recording an album. Pitch correction is simple and quick in apps like Audacity, which is open source. C standard and open G are also used a lot in Eagles Of Death Metal. Again, great video! Now could you please solve this one last tone myth?: “Why hasn’t a new album of fresh QOTSA tones* been released yet?” 😏 🤘🏼😈🏴‍☠️ 🐥 * Peavey should make a new 15W amp and call it the QOTSA-Tone or replace the stupid “Saturation” label with “QOTSAphonic Mode” - and cash in on all the misinformation before everyone sees this video. 😎

If he hadn’t been so secretive about his precious gear, people wouldn’t spread false information. I don’t know why he thought pics of his rig wouldn’t get posted.

Good to see that James Cordon found something to occupy himself with!

What about a video on the Peavey Rage 158? It’s small, cheap and must have a lot of similarities to the Decade?🧐

Chris Goss found he toned by ear halfway between a B and C. Not strictly C standard, slightly lower.

like your sense of humor )

Off topic but what strings do you use? I love your guitar tones!

Good video

Let’s gooooo

Can you tell, what exactly should I do to get such tones in amp simps? What kind of things should I do in the first place? Or maybe you can give an advice to go through some links resources etc. where I can find such info? Thanks

please try the "new" qotsa tone in a box pedal

yeah man

Matt explained in the Sounds Like he was tuned to Drop C because the Jazzmaster from the shop was strung up with 9s so anything past D was spaghetti junction territory

Sumpthin 🤘🏽😌

I fought the feeling that digital amps can give me the gain tones I want. Solely, cause I’m a bit of a tube elitist. But, it just sounds amazing and not just for black metal. 🤣

I hope Ampeg start making guitars again

in Kyuss he used only the neck pickup, hes said so himself several times.