School Me on the Peavey Classic Series

monquixote

Did a backline provided gig today sponsored by Peavey so I got a Classic 50 4x10 to play. 

Been wanting to try one of these since I discovered it's what Nile Rogers plays (I had previously assumed it was a Twin) only got to try the clean channel with the EQ set flat, but it sounded very good and I'm thinking I might quite like one. 

It didn't seem that loud, but maybe it has a much more progressive volume taper than I'm used to with Fenders. 

So school me on the classic series (30, 50, Delta?). What's the pick, and what's the dodgy one?

What are they good for, bad for, do they break down?

randomhandclaps

Seriously, I think pound for pound the Peavey Classic 50 is the best amp you can buy - especially used.  It's got great clean and great drive and a big sound spread.  I have one of the first year production ones I picked up last year for just under £200.  I bought it as something to leave in a rehearsal space as it was cheap.  I ended up loving it.  I swapped out the speakers for a pair of Cannabis Rexs - although the early blue marvels are still pretty decent - and I t just amazes me how this thing holds up.  The only downside is the damn fan.

I'm constantly on the lookout for another Classic 50.  I don't really get on with many 1x12s but I wouldn't mind grabbing a Delta 1x15.

ICBM

Easy... the pick is the Classic 50 and the dodgy one is the Classic 30/Delta Blues .

The C50 is a much better-engineered thing, and doesn't tend to break, rattle, overheat or eat valves like the 30-watt ones do. The fan may be a part of that, although I agree with @randomhandclaps that it's annoying otherwise. The C50 is a very reliable amp. To be fair, the 30 isn't *that* bad - and they did sell a lot of them - but in my experience it's the least reliable Peavey amp.

Personally I prefer the C50 4x10" to the 2x12" too, it sounds a bit more open and lively.

monquixote

Yeah the 4x10 I played today seemed like a very sorted piece of kit. 

Are they crazy heavy and do they have a good drive sound?

monquixote

Wilikers the 4x10s go for less than £300 on ebay. 

crunchman

Agree on the C30 eating valves.  My old one used to get through a phase inverter every 6 months (apart from a NOS Brimar that lasted 11 months).

I thought something must be wrong to cause that so I got a schematic and opened it up to have a look at it - and then saw how badly built it was.  Due to the design you can't get at the board to take measurements.  As far as I can see, you would have to take the boards out, prop them up on something, then run leads back to the chassis to earth it before you could even diagnose faults.  It's a hideous design.

My guess is that Peavey just replace the board if they get a warranty claim.

Van_Hayden

Classic 50s were great - I nearly bought one in the early 90s. Stupidly I spent the cash on a peavey profex II... Ah we'll, live & learn. I'd probably take a 50 over a fender blues delux or deville, especially for the money they go for. The classic 30 is a big pile of poo

geepers0677

Classic 50 all the way.

relic245

there is a classic 50 on ebay right now in Edinburgh, finishes in 6 hours and hasn't got one bid - it's starting at £100 would be interesting to know if it has a reserve on it.

markslade07

I've been watching that very C50 and wondering the same, though I live nowhere near Edinburgh so not really in with a chance anyway!

monquixote

Yeah I saw that one, but it's a stupid distance from me so no way of buying it.

failed_astronaut

As a Classic 30 owner I feel I need to add a word in defense. Personally I think the C30 is brilliant, A really punchy and loud clean channel and a drive channel capable of classcic crunch and chugging riffage thanks to the EQ. It takes pedals well and has been all I've needed for any gig I've done in the past three years.

The other guitarist in our covers band bought one based on my reccomendation and any rehearsals we've had where we've used our own amps rather the the in house Marshalls has had a tight, clean balance between us.

stonevibe

I have a Classic 20 and its a fantastic little amp. You could possibly get away with it at a pub gig with an extension cab. As long as y0u know how to use the volume knob on your guitar, would be great for blues / rock.

Cleans though are unlikely.

ICBM

stonevibe said:

I have a Classic 20 and its a fantastic little amp. You could possibly get away with it at a pub gig with an extension cab. As long as y0u know how to use the volume knob on your guitar, would be great for blues / rock.

Cleans though are unlikely.

Try a 12AU7 (ECC82) in the first position. These normally have too little gain for a guitar amp, but in the C20 it tames the ludicrous amount of gain available and opens out the tone as well. You end up with 12 on the gain control being about where 4 was, and with quite a lot clearer, less middly tone.

TimmyO

monquixote said:

Did a backline provided gig today sponsored by Peavey so I got a Classic 50 4x10 to play. 

Been wanting to try one of these since I discovered it's what Nile Rogers plays (I had previously assumed it was a Twin) 

Source? I've read reports that he's been known to plug in to a Twin or DI to a desk but not seen anything specific about anything else...

TimmyO

ok, now I google:

https://twitter.com/nilerodgers/statuses/197645927278845953

"I now mainly use a Fender Hot Rod Deville but for YEARS I used a Peavey Classic 50 given to me by Stevie Ray Vaughan"

ICBM

TimmyO said:

ok, now I google:

https://twitter.com/nilerodgers/statuses/197645927278845953

"I now mainly use a Fender Hot Rod Deville but for YEARS I used a Peavey Classic 50 given to me by Stevie Ray Vaughan"

If so you may have to be careful about assuming what 'Classic 50' means. Stevie died in 1992, and - although I could be wrong - I don't think what we know of as the Classic was introduced until 1993, the same as the Fender Blues Deluxe/Deville. If so, the 'Classic 50' that SRV gave Nile Rodgers would actually have been the older 50-watt 'Classic' model, which is a very different thing - it's a 2x6L6 hybrid amp with a solid-state preamp, and sounds more like a Silverface Fender than a Tweed.

I could be wrong, or there could be just enough overlap between the new model and Stevie's death for it to be possible the 'Classic 50' was a modern Classic, but I think it may need a bit more research...

Lixarto

I thought SRV died in 1990? August bank holiday weekend, in fact.

ddlooping

Lixarto said:

I thought SRV died in 1990? August bank holiday weekend, in fact.

That's what the CIA wants you to believe.

ICBM

Lixarto said:

I thought SRV died in 1990? August bank holiday weekend, in fact.

My mistake, you're correct - which makes it a certainty that the 'Classic 50' he gave to Rodgers was actually the old plain Classic model, since as I've now checked, the Classic 50 was made starting in 1991.

EricTheWeary

TimmyO;20704" said:

ok, now I google:

https://twitter.com/nilerodgers/statuses/197645927278845953

"I now mainly use a Fender Hot Rod Deville but for YEARS I used a Peavey Classic 50 given to me by Stevie Ray Vaughan"

he was using twin HRDs when I saw him this year. There was a pedal board but all I could say for certain that was on there was a tuner. Obviously a very clean tone and just much warmer than I might have thought. I think the need for a compressor for Niles' style is a bit exaggerated. He did some single note soloing/ fills and just seemed to work it from the guitar.