Peavey has debuted a combo amp version of its Misha Mansoor-designed Invective 120 amp head, which promises to place the original’s tones into a package that operates at a “neighborhood-friendly” capacity.
For this project, the Periphery virtuoso was once again brought onboard to help create a downsized, 20-watt variant of his flagship amp – a head that is widely regarded as one of the most versatile high-gainers currently available.
Mansoor had a few requirements for his original Invective 120, which was launched in 2017. As a fan of digital amps, the Periphery djent specialist wanted versatile tonal options, easy switching and “superior high-gain tones” that could outperform digital alternatives.
The result was an 120-watt amp head that went big on versatility, supposedly suitable for everything from rock and metal to country, jazz and blues. It also had a “pristine clean channel” that helped lay the foundations for a premier pedal platform.
All of the above – aside from the massive wattage – has returned for the Invective 112. Under the hood, there are two EL84 power tubes and three 12AX7/ECC83 preamp tubes that were cherry-picked by Mansoor.
There are both Clean and Lead channels, selected via a small switch that sits next to the Lead channel’s Boost, Tight and Gate buttons. That former channel is frills-free clean mode, with just a three-band EQ and Gain control to its name.
Lead, meanwhile, offers some more sound-sculpting options in the form of Pre– and Post-Gain controls, a three-band EQ, and a threshold knob that works with the built-in noise gate. There’s also a Master section in charge of Presence, Resonance and a one-size-fits-all Reverb parameter.
There are a few modern tweaks to really make this tube combo stand out, though. There’s a USB Record Output for recording directly from the amp, with Peavey’s MSDI circuit – which simulates the sound of a mic’d up speaker – providing the tones.
“This is one of the most versatile amps we’ve made so far,” Peavey says in a demo video, adding in a caption that “the invective.112 delivers the versatility modern medal players need to shape their own signature tone”.
“The invective series was designed in collaboration with Misha Mansoor of Periphery to redefine the modern metal tone,” the firm concludes.
We imagine fans of Peavey, Periphery and versatile high-gain amps alike will all be pleased to see the Invective finally get a combo rebirth. It also begs the question: could higher-wattage combos be in store for the future? Only time will tell.
The Invective 112 weighs in at under 40lbs, and is available for $1,199.
Head over to Peavey to find out more.
