Peavey Electronics was founded in 1965 by Hartley Peavey in Meridian, Mississippi, built on the goal of manufacturing quality musical instruments and amplification gear at accessible prices. Hartley Peavey began building amplifiers as a teenager in the late 1950s after being inspired by a Bo Diddley concert, and after studying at Mississippi State University he started the company using his college savings out of his parents' basement. Peavey expanded from hand-built guitar and bass amplifiers into PA systems by 1968, and by the late 1970s had become one of the largest guitar manufacturers in the United States, introducing the T-60 guitar and T-40 bass — solid instruments produced domestically at competitive price points.

Peavey's amplifier line has generated several products central to rock and metal history. The 5150 amplifier, developed in collaboration with Eddie Van Halen and released in 1992, became one of the defining high-gain amp heads of the decade; after Van Halen's endorsement concluded the model was renamed the 6505, and it remains a widely used platform among heavy players. The Wolfgang, a solid-body electric guitar co-developed with Van Halen, was produced through the 1990s and early 2000s. Joe Satriani collaborated with Peavey on the XXX and JSX signature amplifier series, and the company's broader artist roster has historically spanned country, rock, and metal.

Beyond instruments, Peavey has grown into a broader audio manufacturing group with subsidiaries and owned brands including Crest Audio, Trace Elliot, Budda Amplification, Composite Acoustic, and MediaMatrix, covering professional audio installation, bass amplification, boutique guitar amplifiers, and acoustic guitars. The company remains headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi.

Peavey has 840 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Combo Guitar Amplifiers, Solid Body Electric Guitars, and Guitar Amplifier Heads. Their gear is featured by 765 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Metal, and Electronic. Notable users include Paul Gray (2), Matt Heafy, and Misha Mansoor. Peavey's catalog spans the full price spectrum — from entry-level options to high-end flagships.