Possibly one of the most underrated amps in the history or guitar amps. I've had many of them and always return to them. Hard to top that clean tone. The combos are truly magical.
I just picked up a little MH 20 lunchbox head, and I'm blown away. Coupled with my Mesa California Tweed cab, with one 12 inch Jensen Blackbird speaker, the cleans are as beautiful and sparkling, if not even better, as any of the many Fender amps I've owned or played through.
The Peavey Classic is a hidden gem. Not as flashy as bigger names, but great tweedlike cleans and a substantial overdrive channel. The direct out options on the 20w is a good feature too
Might as well call a 5150II a "perfect Zeppelin amp". The drive channel is NOTHING 'blues' like. It's a James Brown 'chunky' type drive, quite similar to the 'rhythm channel' of the 5150II. As Eddie called it, 'congested' in the mids, 'hitting you in the chest, instead of the eyes". It's repairs are far more expensive (labor) than any other similar amp. It's a 'good' amp, like a Blues Jr., but for the same money, you can do FAR better. Then and now.
In 2001 I bought a new Peavey Delta Blues amp . 30 watts , reverb , tremlo , single 15" speaker , gain channel , 4 el84 power tubes , tweed cover , made in USA , home of the Blues . Loved it so much I bought another one 6 months later to use for a backup . The Peavey Classic series is so good !! I have done tons of gigs , never had a breakdown or blew a fuse !! Great investment !
I loved the Delta Blues combo as well, but a tranny blew out of nowhere at a dress rehearsal for a theatrical gig...freaked me out. Then it blew a strange fuse it has between the amp and speaker. Would never trust one again, but has a wonderful warm base tone. Also had a SS when I was first gigging in the 70s, drove me crazy trying to get a decent overdrive. I got a MV Fender quad converted to a single 15" jbl D speaker, and sold that old Peav pronto. This was back before the internet, in a rural area, and info was so hard to come by. The masters you ran into almost never shared their secrets. I ended up with a bad taste in my mouth for Peavey products, probably unfairly. I ended up with lots of gear, Marshall, Soldano, Mezzabarba, Diezel, Orange, Mesa, Engl, etc. There are a crazy amount choices now. I do think the Peavey classic line does the Fender thing now better than Fender.
One of the best straight up rock tones I ever heard live was an Epi Sheraton through a Boss DS-1 into a Peavey Classic head into a Marshall cab. It sounded almost like an idealized Marshall tone. Absolutely killer.
Still have a Classic 30 combo, it's great. Although, I really feel like Peavey was killing it in the amp department for a long, long time. Rock Master, Butcher, VTM, Ultra Plus, Triple X, JSX. I really think they were overlooked for the longest time because they made their money in the 80s on practice amps, and once they got the 5150 it was clearly the best amp they offered, but those other high gain heads were spectacular!
I purchased a Peavey Classic 30 with a matching cabinet when it came out and just love it. I also own the 5150 combo when it came out. I have a bad rattle from the C30 when it’s loud , so I unplug the speaker and connect the speaker out to a 5150 straight 4x12 cabinet. It gets really good tone and is quite loud for 30 watts. If you put a gr7 graphic eq in the loop and boost all the frequencies up a bit it turns this combo into a different amp completely.
I have been running my 5150 second generation and a Classic 50 in tandem through two 5150 cabs since the early 2000s. They compliment each other very well when dialed in differently. The combo of the two is a classic rock and 80s hard rock result, which works for just about any rock genre. Nice review!
My first tube amp was the classic 50 410. Dad bought it for me in high school and I sold it as I changed my priorities then last year I got one used for a great price and I still love that amp!!! Changed the preamp tubes to some JJ's and I'm going to change the power amp tubes soon. Great sounding rig!!!
I bought a Classic 50 combo years ago while I was between bands and I always practiced at low volume and it sounded fine but the first time I played it with a band and was able to turn it up to 6 or 7, it blew me & my musician friends in the crowd away. I now play a dsl40c which sounds awesome but my best friend, who's even more of a tone hound than me, still says that Classic 50 is the best tone I ever had. Btw, I used an SD1 with it and we played everything from Dire Straits to Frampton to Ozzy and it sounded killer across the board. Cheers Mike, Love your channel bro!
A studio where I frequently recorded had a Classic 30, and I loved it so much that I bought one in about '95. I've used it steadily ever since--recorded a few albums with it and gigged many, many times with it over the years. A Tele, a Classic 30, and a RAT pedal is a glorious sound!
Peavey Classic Series rocks out . Great cleans, great reverb, great gain channel. First tube amp I ever heard. I bought a classic 50 combo a few years later. That was 2003, still have it in 2023. It keeps going and it’s still sounding killer.
My First tube amp was a classic 50, I used that amp for years in a hard rock/metal band, Not the tight chugga chugga or speed metal of today, but it was down tuned and slow groovy type stuff, and it was an amazing amp. I later added a furman pq4 through the loop, and it took the amp to another level. It was my main sound for years, until later upgrading to a Boogie DC 10. One amp i regret ever selling.
I'll say this much, my Peavey vtm 60 was a beast. I played shows and Providence Rhode Island and Boston for quite a few years using just my volume control a few pedals and that vtm 60 rocked. Actually kind of miss it. Now I have Marshall Boogie and other stuff but I still remember good times with that TV Peavey
Happy owner of Peavey valveking mkii 50w combo, which I picked up at a discontinued sale. My advice, try a Peavey and judge it with your ears, you'll likely be surprised at how good they are.
I still have mine from 1992. All original parts, including the tubes!, and it's still going strong after being put in and out of trunks for nearly 30 years! Freaking great amp.
Been looking into some info on the Special 212, found one locally for $90. Been thinking of pulling the trigger on it. Recently bought a silver stripe bandit bundle with an extention sheffield cabinet included. Love the silver stripe quality build and tone.
I’ve used a classic 30 combo with EL 84s since the mid 90s. I upgraded the tubes and it’s perfect for the bar gigs playing rock, blues and country. Someone once said the Classic line kick started the boutique amp market? Not sure about that, but the last gig I played there was a Classic 20, 30 and 50 on stage at the same time. No Fender or Marshall or “boutique” amp in sight, haha.
I've seen Jeff Lynne ELO use either two of these 410's or four of them live. I own one of the 410 combo's with the 410 ext cab. Doing the tone challenge, the Peavey does very well, even against vintage Fender and Handwired rigs. I have a custom built point to point Vibrolux, and a hand built PTP Deluxe, and once in a while I think about selling the Peavey, and I think nope, I'm keeping it.
Clint Fulks I own one . It is a killer amp. Very good spring reverb in it also. Definitely a sleeper of an amp. It holds it’s own against my Marshall’s, Friedman and Bogner. I suggest to anyone who sees one on ebay snatch that bad boy up. I paid less than $300 for mine . Best $$$ I’ve ever spent on an amp .
I had the classic 50 with the 4x10 and 1x15 cab. My dad got an insane deal in like 1995 so I was pretty lucky. The lead channel still sounds like it's broadcast over AM radio to me. Clean channel with a rat is the good stuff.
yellokrab Haha...I have the exact same rig but got mine in ‘93/‘94!! Mostly lives in garage/closet now. Agree completely with the your clean ch/dirty ch assessment - pretty much always only used clean ch, with pedals for OD/dist. Probably should break that sucker out again...
Change the tube in the dirty section and balance the pre post volumes - I for many years agreed with both of you but after buying a bunch of tubes and trying it again I have a usable tone there as well … don’t get me wrong klon in clean is still the go - I’ve used this head with a Marshall cab green backs since 91
Which one did you have Rob? I forgot one of those earlier ones was called the, Bandit. But that was my first amp-got my Kramer and that practice amp for Christmas when I was a kid around 1984. Now I’ve just been using my Peavey 50 Watt reissue for the past 25 years. I haven’t been playing as much the past 20 years, and just now, having a little extra time, thought I would do some tone-chasing. So, I thought I would look around here, see what kind of tricks my amp might be able to do that I didn’t realize. It’s still stock, hard to believe it’s still working, original tubes. Let me know if you have any ideas, or time. When I was gigging, sometimes I would plug straight in, but I like a lot of distortion, so I tended to use my BOSS DS-1 through the clean channel to get more gain and sustain. Right now, as a tribute to Eddie, I’m just trying to get more of his tone out of my amp. Before possibly buying that 5150. I love how heavy those EVA amps have been sounding. I’ll check out your page, looks pretty gnarly too! Thanks man! 👍🏻🎸
Peavey Encore 65. By far, the best sounding 1x12” vintage tube amp. Similar to the Mesa, clean like a Princeton but gets dirt like a Marshall BluesBreaker. Killer reverb. Change my mind...😎👍🏼
People forget about the Peavey VSS 20. It's got this Ibanez Tube Screamer sound on steroids way before Ibanez had the TS line of amps. And their sleeper the Classic VTX. They had great sound without pedals.
I always loved ab'ing my Marshall and Classic 50 4x10 together for killer AC/DC tones. Marshall for Angus' tone and the Classic 50 for the crunchy Malcolm tone. Serious business!!! And as always Michael, great reviews! Btw, loaded mine with Celestion G10 Greenbacks. Sounds amazing!
I had the 2X12 combo in the early '90s. I thought it had plenty of gain. It could keep-up with metal needs and yet delivers everything else too, and surprisingly, it had a lot of low-end. A bit like a more versatile 5150, IMHO. I later "upgraded" to a 5150 half stack and kinda regretted.
I've been kind of eyeballing around for one of those. Plan to make a purchase next year on it. Been trying to weigh that verses the Triple x but from what I understand the ultra was the predecessor to the Triple x.
this is really THE BEST peavey ever made imho....100 times better than 5150...more versatile,more musical...better built..same brutality with more tight sound
I got my first Classic, a 30 1x12 combo, back in 1993 which I used for rhythm guitar work with a cover band and it served me very well. I now have a Classic 50 2x12 combo and that just rocks 24/7/365. I don't drag it around to gigs, just use it in my studio, which is a good thing because it weighs a metric f-ton. But it sure sounds sweet. Pro Tip: Reload it with a pair of Celestion G12M Greenbacks ; )
I have a classic 50 combo from the 90's that my old guitar teacher sold me for $200 a few years back. Still sounds awesome. A good tweed amp can pretty much cover anything thrown at it. The clean channel sounds awesome and the gain is very warm and rich. With the right overdrive you can get any amount of saturation you want so you can play anything from low gain classic sounds to high gain modern. Can't recommend one of these to anyone who wants an amazing tube amp at a decent price. I would imagine the used market for them is fair too.
@@charlesoxley7242 I sold one, and am looking to sell the other lol, it's a great amp... Maybe I shouldn't sell it. But I've got so much gear I just don't have the room anymore
I have that exact classic 50 head, I bought it new in 95, then proceeded to drag it around the southeast and every pub/lounge and festival gig we could get up until 2007 when I retired it. It's not as pristine as yours but it earned every cigarette burn, and beer can ring that's imprinted in the tweed. Also, since I never had any breakdowns with it, I've never even changed the tubes. It's morphed into an awesome evh brown sound tone on the gain channel, and the clean channel has a gorgeous fenderesqe break up and all without pedals. I use a bass big muff pi to send it to jimi town!
Notice a lot of STP references pop up on this channel. The Deleo bros may be some of the most under appreciated musicians in the modern era. Totally unique voice yet pure rock instincts. World class rock musicians.
I have two classic 30’s that I have replaced many of the tiny caps and resistors with orange drops and good quality, full size resistors. Added Celestion G12H30 speakers, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything! Very versatile Amos, with all the drive the average player is going to want.
I recently picked up a Peavey Encore 65 and a Peavey Triumph 60 in a deal. Both are really great all tube amps. Both with 4 6l6 and 3 12ax7 and 1 12at7. Both sweet high gain amps. REALLY SWEET.
I own an original hot rod deluxe that was my first good new amp in my teens when getting into gear, 2nd time I went into a guitar store I played on a peavey classic 30 and a delta blues 15 and I was blown away at how much better I thought they were. For the money they just couldn’t be beat, but I was in high school and couldn’t afford another amp... Now that I’m older and have money for amps I still don’t own a peavey classic because you’ve got me into collecting Friedman’s 🤷🏻♂️
I own a 2010 USA made Classic 50 212, and a Delta Blues 115. Both are great amps. The Boost on the DB 115 is amazing and worth the price of entry. Puts a big smile on my face every time I engage it. The Classic 50 212 is a great rock machine. Great cleans and a nice overdriven rock tone.
Bought the head the day they came out. Bought the 4x10 a bit later. Gigged them constantly and still use them in the studio 25 years later. Never a single problem with them, unlike every Fender I've ever owned has been in the shop within a year. USA made Classics are tanks.
The Peavey Classic series react phenomenally to a simple tone stack mod. This turns them into a fire breathing tone machine. Big, deep, open tone that is very clean. When you get a great clean tone - anything else is great. I have done a few of these tone stack mods, and the Delta Blues uses the exact same schematic as the 30 and 50. I use the "BlueGuitar" tone stack mod - but be warned - those folded circuit boards with those jumpers break easily. Not impossible to repair, but not for beginners... I have a "made in USA" Delta Blues that I need to do this mod on. It will turn these amps into a fantastic 'boutique' sounding tone machine and they take pedals very well. I use a Keeley Tone works and a touch of compression makes that clean shimmer like crystal. The 'Katana' clean boost gives that 'Klon Centaur' tone boost. The 'dirt' boosts (choice of 3) will get everything but metal. Can't say enough good about this amp/pedal combo.
My first “real amp” was a Triple XXX. Sat on a Marshall 1960a cab, and sounded awesome! Ended up running it with JJ KT77 power tubes and it had gain for days. So good.
The Butcher was their response to the 800s , the VTM was their answer to the hot rodded Marshall's ... which is where the name VTM comes from ( Vacuum Tube Modified )
With all the little DIP switches, the VTMs could be just about anything you wanted them to be. The VTM120, turned up, could even be-a weapon of mass destruction.
I got the thing for 75 bucks when i first started playing guitar. Back when i had zero knowledge of tone. I hadnt been able to turn it up in my apartment nor did i know what a difference the dip switches made so i didnt really mess with them. I had the thing sitting on a shelf for 10 years before i lost my job and started selling stuff on ebay. I pulled it out, plugged it in and cranked it up, tweaked the switches a bit and nearly crapped my pants. I got just about 400 bucks for it which i needed at the time. I didnt really play it much but It did really turn me onto tube amps. If i ever see another for a descent price, im def snaggin it up.
Yeah they are underrated. in the early days a lot of players mistakenly labeled them "country and southern rock" amps but they made the VTM and Butcher which did metal and rock really well.
I have an older version (it doesn't have a presence control) of the Classic 30. I feel like I like it better than the 50, and I can set either channel at like a little past halfway, then clean boost it into actual high gain. Like seriously, it chugs. The secret is to have a clean boost that is actually clean, but has a lot of headroom even on a clean setting, so you can really push the first gain stage. I had every intention of getting one of the older JCM 2000 heads, or maybe even a Recto, I was only playing through the Classic 30 to try out a used Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic pedal, but I wound up figuring out that that pedal is clean on the rhythm channel with the gain at like 10 o'clock, a little higher with single coils, and with the output volume turned all the way up, it was a really hot boost, and it pushed the overdrive channel of the Classic 30 way over the edge. The EQ controls on that pedal, bass and treble, let you dial it in so it's tight, and the gain on the amp doesn't have to be set very high at all. Slightly over halfway, then you turn on the pedal, it literally becomes high gain. It feels like if someone put the preamp section of a hot rodded Superlead in front of the output section of an AC30. It's lovely.
Cool video about a cool amp, but I beg to differ about Peavey amps from the 80's. The Butcher, the VTM, and the Triumph series were made in the 80's and those amps are killers. The VTM and the Triumph series amps were designed by James Brown, the same guy who went on to design the 5150's, Ultra, XXX, and JSX amps.
Johnny Womack for real, that 80s comment was pretty goofy... for some reason VTMs and butchers get glossed over bigtime; although the prices are rising as time goes on. Id much rather play a VTM than a 5150.
This dude has no idea what he is talking about. The Peaveys of the 80's worth mentioning were not practice amps. They was high wattage killers. The Butcher, VTM And Triumph are fetching good money on Reverb too.
I respectfully disagree whole heartedly and completely. YES: VTM, and Butchers (haven't tried a Triumph) are great amps. They did NOT at ALL elevate Peaveys reputation for building killer rock amps for major label rock bands. VTM's are as good as just about any rock amp out there, but did Vai, EVH, Nuno, Vito, Rush, Def, Motley, Aerosmith, Metallica, Priest, Skid, Kiss, Scorps, Journey, Ratt, Dokken, ZZ, Police, or just about ANNNNY other major artist use them? They are the unsung, underdog of the 80's. They sorta almost had Adrian Vandenberg because he was in some magazine ads, but actually used Soldano's and Marshalls.
@@BigHairyGuitars I'm agree with you about the reputation, they still have that to this day in a way...I'm just surprised you didn't mention some of those other amps that James Brown designed - those are really killer amps. There really isn't any logical reason why major label guitarists didn't use them that I can figure out, minus they said peavey and not a cool "rockstar" brand. But luckily today peavey is getting more credit it deserves :)
@@timevett6761 3 reasons that I didn't mention it. 1) I DID mention the VTM, but I cut it out of the video, because I thought I was talking too much, and I was trying to cut together a clearer point/idea. 2) I actually didn't know that James Brown worked on any Peavey amp before the 5150.
i recently bought a Peavey Classic 30...absolutely hate the sound and tone on the mid boost mode..but i get killer blues and rock tones on the scooped mode..with EQ dials down low..treble on about 3..mids off..bass around 5...what i love is the amp sounds good on the clean..crunch and dirty settings...so it wins the trifector of tones for me...i am not much into affects..so i go straight into the amp...for blues and blues rock..and jazzy stuff
Early eighties Peavey Bandit 112.... was a great little beginner's amp. -Great overdrive, loud. It gave a beginner a great entrance to the world of overdrive. I had one for several years and traded it for a Marshall.
You still got this amp? How does it fare compared to the head version? My guess is it's the same exact amp, just run through a 4x10 combo configuration, correct?
I have a pair of Peavey Classic 50 heads.....they sound great but are not the easiest amps to work on if you need to replace caps etc. Also, some have fans that are quite loud. One of my amps had a loud fan, and the other was quiet....I replaced the loud one with a Noctua NF-A8 ULN 80mm premium fan than runs on DC voltage (stock fans run on AC current).I used a 15v DC power supply to power the fan. I attached the wires supplying AC current to the original fan, to the DC power supply which I had mounted inside the cabinet. One other thing.....the Classic 50 takes pedals extremely well.
Yup!! I still have two Peavey Classic Fifty 410s. They sound Great. As does my Peavey 5150 combo and my Peavey Ultra 60 Head ( conversion). American Made And Great sounding.
I was 15 when I got into my first real band that actually booked shows, etc. My bandmates ranged from 21-30, but my dad was super-supportive. He’d have to take me to the bar to get me in and was a trooper stayin out til 3AM on weekdays just to have to get up early as fuck for work. Man he was a great dad… Anyway, my first gigging amp was a peavey classic 50 4x10 and it served me well for many years. These were super reliable, with simple but great controls and with a decent pedal board, these guys from the early-ish 90’s are STILL a real option for gigging musicians of all levels.
I always liked the Classic line, very versatile amps. My favorite Peavey amp was the teal stripe Ultra 60 I had for years. Wish I had that one back, I had the head paired with a Carvin 4 x 12 cab.
Nice DC Talk lick! I have a Classic 30 that I got to flip in a trade and ended up keeping it. they also had a Delta Blues in this series it had a 15in speaker, tremolo and reverb.
Yes and no. If you're into harder rock, like ACDC to Van Halen, on to AlterBridge or something heavy, the JJ is amazing. If you're more blues based, or Nashville, the Classic 50 is more the ticket. And if you have the $, I'd go Dirty Shirley over the Classic 50. But for $500, the Classic 50 can't really be beat.
Great choice Michael! I have been considering one of those for a while, and I never realized what a great Rock tone it had. Sounded great. (Love the T-Shirt!).
The Classic 30 I just picked up for $350 was the steal of the decade for my gear collection. Very responsive and with a surprisingly complex harmonic chime on the clean channel. I think because it’s neither fish nor fowl (Fender or Vox, or Marshall for that matter), it tends to get overlooked. But it gives that tube driven sound I just can’t get out of my Boss Katana, as good a solid state amp as that is.
The Peavey VTM 60 and 120 were pretty darn good. I think better than the 5150. I still have 4 of the 4x12 cabs that came with the vtm. Great cabs. Tough as nails.
Possibly one of the most underrated amps in the history or guitar amps. I've had many of them and always return to them. Hard to top that clean tone. The combos are truly magical.
I just picked up a little MH 20 lunchbox head, and I'm blown away. Coupled with my Mesa California Tweed cab, with one 12 inch Jensen Blackbird speaker, the cleans are as beautiful and sparkling, if not even better, as any of the many Fender amps I've owned or played through.
The Peavey Classic is a hidden gem. Not as flashy as bigger names, but great tweedlike cleans and a substantial overdrive channel. The direct out options on the 20w is a good feature too
Might as well call a 5150II a "perfect Zeppelin amp". The drive channel is NOTHING 'blues' like. It's a James Brown 'chunky' type drive, quite similar to the 'rhythm channel' of the 5150II. As Eddie called it, 'congested' in the mids, 'hitting you in the chest, instead of the eyes". It's repairs are far more expensive (labor) than any other similar amp. It's a 'good' amp, like a Blues Jr., but for the same money, you can do FAR better. Then and now.
58 years of playing, lots of amps, but the Classic 30 is just about the best I’ve ever played.
In 2001 I bought a new Peavey Delta Blues amp . 30 watts , reverb , tremlo , single 15" speaker , gain channel , 4 el84 power tubes , tweed cover , made in USA , home of the Blues . Loved it so much I bought another one 6 months later to use for a backup . The Peavey Classic series is so good !! I have done tons of gigs , never had a breakdown or blew a fuse !! Great investment !
I have that same amp and really love it..
I bought a Delta Blues with the 2 tens. Kept it for a couple years, loved the amp but had to sell at the time due to financial problems. I miss it.
I loved the Delta Blues combo as well, but a tranny blew out of nowhere at a dress rehearsal for a theatrical gig...freaked me out. Then it blew a strange fuse it has between the amp and speaker. Would never trust one again, but has a wonderful warm base tone. Also had a SS when I was first gigging in the 70s, drove me crazy trying to get a decent overdrive. I got a MV Fender quad converted to a single 15" jbl D speaker, and sold that old Peav pronto. This was back before the internet, in a rural area, and info was so hard to come by. The masters you ran into almost never shared their secrets. I ended up with a bad taste in my mouth for Peavey products, probably unfairly. I ended up with lots of gear, Marshall, Soldano, Mezzabarba, Diezel, Orange, Mesa, Engl, etc. There are a crazy amount choices now. I do think the Peavey classic line does the Fender thing now better than Fender.
One of the best straight up rock tones I ever heard live was an Epi Sheraton through a Boss DS-1 into a Peavey Classic head into a Marshall cab. It sounded almost like an idealized Marshall tone. Absolutely killer.
Im still trying to wrap my head around it. I've never even heard of it
It was the marshall tone from a marshall cab 🤷♂️
Dann Huff used a Peavey Classic 30 and praised it as a great little amp!
Still have a Classic 30 combo, it's great. Although, I really feel like Peavey was killing it in the amp department for a long, long time. Rock Master, Butcher, VTM, Ultra Plus, Triple X, JSX. I really think they were overlooked for the longest time because they made their money in the 80s on practice amps, and once they got the 5150 it was clearly the best amp they offered, but those other high gain heads were spectacular!
You are right. I missed out on most of those (although I have heard of them), but the Triple X is my favorite!
Oh I forgot to mention,that was back before 89.....I sure would like to have a Butcher now....got a Katana2....not bad...but ..have a good one.
Cant go wrong with Peavey amps! Their American made guitars back in the day were pretty sweet too.
I purchased a Peavey Classic 30 with a matching cabinet when it came out and just love it. I also own the 5150 combo when it came out. I have a bad rattle from the C30 when it’s loud , so I unplug the speaker and connect the speaker out to a 5150 straight 4x12 cabinet. It gets really good tone and is quite loud for 30 watts. If you put a gr7 graphic eq in the loop and boost all the frequencies up a bit it turns this combo into a different amp completely.
Duane Eddy used solid state Peavey amps in the 70’s - incredible amps. I had Classic 50 - great amp, loved it!
I have been running my 5150 second generation and a Classic 50 in tandem through two 5150 cabs since the early 2000s. They compliment each other very well when dialed in differently. The combo of the two is a classic rock and 80s hard rock result, which works for just about any rock genre. Nice review!
My first tube amp was the classic 50 410. Dad bought it for me in high school and I sold it as I changed my priorities then last year I got one used for a great price and I still love that amp!!! Changed the preamp tubes to some JJ's and I'm going to change the power amp tubes soon. Great sounding rig!!!
I bought a Classic 50 combo years ago while I was between bands and I always practiced at low volume and it sounded fine but the first time I played it with a band and was able to turn it up to 6 or 7, it blew me & my musician friends in the crowd away. I now play a dsl40c which sounds awesome but my best friend, who's even more of a tone hound than me, still says that Classic 50 is the best tone I ever had. Btw, I used an SD1 with it and we played everything from Dire Straits to Frampton to Ozzy and it sounded killer across the board. Cheers Mike, Love your channel bro!
A Classic 50 2x12 was my first tube amp. They punch well above their price class.
A studio where I frequently recorded had a Classic 30, and I loved it so much that I bought one in about '95. I've used it steadily ever since--recorded a few albums with it and gigged many, many times with it over the years. A Tele, a Classic 30, and a RAT pedal is a glorious sound!
My Nxt Tube Combo Amp!, Classic 30....THX for the Stellar reviews Fellas... Cheers!
Peavey Classic Series rocks out . Great cleans, great reverb, great gain channel. First tube amp I ever heard. I bought a classic 50 combo a few years later. That was 2003, still have it in 2023. It keeps going and it’s still sounding killer.
My First tube amp was a classic 50, I used that amp for years in a hard rock/metal band, Not the tight chugga chugga or speed metal of today, but it was down tuned and slow groovy type stuff, and it was an amazing amp. I later added a furman pq4 through the loop, and it took the amp to another level. It was my main sound for years, until later upgrading to a Boogie DC 10. One amp i regret ever selling.
I'll say this much, my Peavey vtm 60 was a beast. I played shows and Providence Rhode Island and Boston for quite a few years using just my volume control a few pedals and that vtm 60 rocked. Actually kind of miss it. Now I have Marshall Boogie and other stuff but I still remember good times with that TV Peavey
Yeah vtm and ultras with blue stripe were nice
I had a Classic 100 head, it was a killer amp, but it had 6 el84s and ran hot.
Hi RJ! WOW! Even for the 100w, they didn't go EL34 or 6L6. Just kept adding el84's until it was loud enough!
I am with you on this series of amps. I had an American made Delta Blues 1x15 Tweed, I am kicking myself for selling it. A very versatile amp.
I have the exact same amp and really love it.
The Guitar Electric yep, I had the 2x10” delta blues😎💯
I had one too. Paid like $150 for it. I wish I'd kept it.
Happy owner of Peavey valveking mkii 50w combo, which I picked up at a discontinued sale.
My advice, try a Peavey and judge it with your ears, you'll likely be surprised at how good they are.
I still have mine from 1992. All original parts, including the tubes!, and it's still going strong after being put in and out of trunks for nearly 30 years! Freaking great amp.
Peavey special 212 silver stripe transtube was a badass amp with an eq in loop.
Traveled 150 miles one way to buy one. Absolute killer clean channel.
It’s like a two speaker Bandit.
Love my Special
Been looking into some info on the Special 212, found one locally for $90. Been thinking of pulling the trigger on it. Recently bought a silver stripe bandit bundle with an extention sheffield cabinet included. Love the silver stripe quality build and tone.
I love the 112 redstripe too. My most used amp at home
I’ve used a classic 30 combo with EL 84s since the mid 90s. I upgraded the tubes and it’s perfect for the bar gigs playing rock, blues and country. Someone once said the Classic line kick started the boutique amp market? Not sure about that, but the last gig I played there was a Classic 20, 30 and 50 on stage at the same time. No Fender or Marshall or “boutique” amp in sight, haha.
My first Peavey amp back in the 70s was the Festival 100. Now my go to amp is a Peavey Classic 30 combo. It does a great job.
I've seen Jeff Lynne ELO use either two of these 410's or four of them live. I own one of the 410 combo's with the 410 ext cab. Doing the tone challenge, the Peavey does very well, even against vintage Fender and Handwired rigs. I have a custom built point to point Vibrolux, and a hand built PTP Deluxe, and once in a while I think about selling the Peavey, and I think nope, I'm keeping it.
The Peavey Bravo 1x12" that got "Amp of the Year" in 92' was forgotten in this Video and had El 84 power tubes. =BOOM!!!
Clint Fulks I own one . It is a killer amp. Very good spring reverb in it also. Definitely a sleeper of an amp. It holds it’s own against my Marshall’s, Friedman and Bogner. I suggest to anyone who sees one on ebay snatch that bad boy up. I paid less than $300 for mine . Best $$$ I’ve ever spent on an amp .
I had one too. It just wasn't quite loud enough to cut through a band.
Yup, looking at mine right now, tons of gain.
I own 3 bravos. 2 grey 1 black tolex.
I have a Bravo myself. No too many vids on them. I think they were only made a few years.
Your presentation style is pure gold! More videos please!
I had the classic 50 with the 4x10 and 1x15 cab. My dad got an insane deal in like 1995 so I was pretty lucky. The lead channel still sounds like it's broadcast over AM radio to me. Clean channel with a rat is the good stuff.
yellokrab
Haha...I have the exact same rig but got mine in ‘93/‘94!! Mostly lives in garage/closet now. Agree completely with the your clean ch/dirty ch assessment - pretty much always only used clean ch, with pedals for OD/dist.
Probably should break that sucker out again...
Change the tube in the dirty section and balance the pre post volumes - I for many years agreed with both of you but after buying a bunch of tubes and trying it again I have a usable tone there as well … don’t get me wrong klon in clean is still the go - I’ve used this head with a Marshall cab green backs since 91
ah dude that amp sounded so good! that's a hidden gem as far as amps goes i think
The Peavey Bravo came out before the Classic 50/30 amps ... it just rocked. I owned one in 1990.
Stack in a box, man. The Bravo is Killer.
First Amp I ever purchased! Great gear
Rob Chapman wtf, damn rob. F o l l o w m e i n s t a @smrt_music
Rob, find an Encore 65. 😎👍🏼 best all tube single 12” for under $700
Love my classic 30.gig with it till Corona, unemployed musician.
Which one did you have Rob? I forgot one of those earlier ones was called the, Bandit. But that was my first amp-got my Kramer and that practice amp for Christmas when I was a kid around 1984. Now I’ve just been using my Peavey 50 Watt reissue for the past 25 years. I haven’t been playing as much the past 20 years, and just now, having a little extra time, thought I would do some tone-chasing. So, I thought I would look around here, see what kind of tricks my amp might be able to do that I didn’t realize. It’s still stock, hard to believe it’s still working, original tubes. Let me know if you have any ideas, or time. When I was gigging, sometimes I would plug straight in, but I like a lot of distortion, so I tended to use my BOSS DS-1 through the clean channel to get more gain and sustain. Right now, as a tribute to Eddie, I’m just trying to get more of his tone out of my amp. Before possibly buying that 5150. I love how heavy those EVA amps have been sounding.
I’ll check out your page, looks pretty gnarly too! Thanks man! 👍🏻🎸
Same here! I didn't realize what I had with that amp. Now I'm wishing I had another.
Grab a seymour duncan pickup booster and throw it before the amp. I play metal with a Delta blues using the pickup booster. Awesome high gain tones.
When you struck that first chord, I was like WOW! Great clean sound! Very nice with pedals as well.
Peavey Encore 65. By far, the best sounding 1x12” vintage tube amp. Similar to the Mesa, clean like a Princeton but gets dirt like a Marshall BluesBreaker. Killer reverb. Change my mind...😎👍🏼
People forget about the Peavey VSS 20. It's got this Ibanez Tube Screamer sound on steroids way before Ibanez had the TS line of amps. And their sleeper the Classic VTX. They had great sound without pedals.
I always loved ab'ing my Marshall and Classic 50 4x10 together for killer AC/DC tones. Marshall for Angus' tone and the Classic 50 for the crunchy Malcolm tone. Serious business!!! And as always Michael, great reviews! Btw, loaded mine with Celestion G10 Greenbacks. Sounds amazing!
Peavey VTM! Unbelievable amps!!!
Vtm vintage tone Marshall
Vintage Marshall tone
solid amp. still cheap on craigs.
Just got this amp as my first tube amp for 300 bucks. Loving it. The clean sound is fantastic.
I had a classic 50 and Delta Blues combo. Killer amps for the money.
I had the 2X12 combo in the early '90s. I thought it had plenty of gain. It could keep-up with metal needs and yet delivers everything else too, and surprisingly, it had a lot of low-end. A bit like a more versatile 5150, IMHO. I later "upgraded" to a 5150 half stack and kinda regretted.
My peavey ultra 120 plus has been my main amp for 20 years
I've been kind of eyeballing around for one of those. Plan to make a purchase next year on it. Been trying to weigh that verses the Triple x but from what I understand the ultra was the predecessor to the Triple x.
this is really THE BEST peavey ever made imho....100 times better than 5150...more versatile,more musical...better built..same brutality with more tight sound
@@plowmansfarmstead9499 ultra plus is a best amp than a triple xxx buy it with confidence underrated machine...
I picked up a modded Delta Blues and a non-modded one a few years ago. I love running them in stereo with my nova system. I love el-84 amps.
I got my first Classic, a 30 1x12 combo, back in 1993 which I used for rhythm guitar work with a cover band and it served me very well. I now have a Classic 50 2x12 combo and that just rocks 24/7/365. I don't drag it around to gigs, just use it in my studio, which is a good thing because it weighs a metric f-ton. But it sure sounds sweet. Pro Tip: Reload it with a pair of Celestion G12M Greenbacks ; )
I have a classic 50 combo from the 90's that my old guitar teacher sold me for $200 a few years back. Still sounds awesome. A good tweed amp can pretty much cover anything thrown at it. The clean channel sounds awesome and the gain is very warm and rich. With the right overdrive you can get any amount of saturation you want so you can play anything from low gain classic sounds to high gain modern. Can't recommend one of these to anyone who wants an amazing tube amp at a decent price. I would imagine the used market for them is fair too.
I love my old Peavey Deuce. It's a solid state pre with a tube power amp.
Have one those too.
Needs some much needed TLC
but an extremely load piece of hardware.
Ive got the 410 + 115 ext cab. And Ehx tubes. Sounds killer
The 30 combo is also very great, i have 2 of em, bought both second hand, great value exceptional tone
Agreed. The one piece of gear that I've parted with that I regret, was my Classic 30.
@@charlesoxley7242 I sold one, and am looking to sell the other lol, it's a great amp... Maybe I shouldn't sell it. But I've got so much gear I just don't have the room anymore
What speaker cabinet are you using? I have an old Classic 30 combo. Love it...
I have that exact classic 50 head, I bought it new in 95, then proceeded to drag it around the southeast and every pub/lounge and festival gig we could get up until 2007 when I retired it. It's not as pristine as yours but it earned every cigarette burn, and beer can ring that's imprinted in the tweed. Also, since I never had any breakdowns with it, I've never even changed the tubes. It's morphed into an awesome evh brown sound tone on the gain channel, and the clean channel has a gorgeous fenderesqe break up and all without pedals. I use a bass big muff pi to send it to jimi town!
Notice a lot of STP references pop up on this channel. The Deleo bros may be some of the most under appreciated musicians in the modern era. Totally unique voice yet pure rock instincts. World class rock musicians.
I have two classic 30’s that I have replaced many of the tiny caps and resistors with orange drops and good quality, full size resistors.
Added Celestion G12H30 speakers, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything!
Very versatile Amos, with all the drive the average player is going to want.
works for me - lotsa soul and EL84 timbre :) great job Michael!
Thumbs up just for the STP riff. Cool.
I recently picked up a Peavey Encore 65 and a Peavey Triumph 60 in a deal. Both are really great all tube amps. Both with 4 6l6 and 3 12ax7 and 1 12at7. Both sweet high gain amps. REALLY SWEET.
i never knew Carson Daly was such an avid guitarist.
I own an original hot rod deluxe that was my first good new amp in my teens when getting into gear, 2nd time I went into a guitar store I played on a peavey classic 30 and a delta blues 15 and I was blown away at how much better I thought they were. For the money they just couldn’t be beat, but I was in high school and couldn’t afford another amp... Now that I’m older and have money for amps I still don’t own a peavey classic because you’ve got me into collecting Friedman’s 🤷🏻♂️
I own a 2010 USA made Classic 50 212, and a Delta Blues 115. Both are great amps. The Boost on the DB 115 is amazing and worth the price of entry. Puts a big smile on my face every time I engage it. The Classic 50 212 is a great rock machine. Great cleans and a nice overdriven rock tone.
Just got me a used one (Classic 30) in black tweed. Love it!
Bought the head the day they came out. Bought the 4x10 a bit later. Gigged them constantly and still use them in the studio 25 years later. Never a single problem with them, unlike every Fender I've ever owned has been in the shop within a year. USA made Classics are tanks.
The Peavey Classic series react phenomenally to a simple tone stack mod.
This turns them into a fire breathing tone machine.
Big, deep, open tone that is very clean.
When you get a great clean tone - anything else is great.
I have done a few of these tone stack mods, and the Delta Blues uses the exact same schematic as the 30 and 50.
I use the "BlueGuitar" tone stack mod - but be warned - those folded circuit boards with those jumpers break easily. Not impossible to repair, but not for beginners...
I have a "made in USA" Delta Blues that I need to do this mod on.
It will turn these amps into a fantastic 'boutique' sounding tone machine and they take pedals very well. I use a Keeley Tone works and a touch of compression makes that clean shimmer like crystal.
The 'Katana' clean boost gives that 'Klon Centaur' tone boost.
The 'dirt' boosts (choice of 3) will get everything but metal.
Can't say enough good about this amp/pedal combo.
My first “real amp” was a Triple XXX. Sat on a Marshall 1960a cab, and sounded awesome! Ended up running it with JJ KT77 power tubes and it had gain for days. So good.
The Classic 100 head with 8 el84s was the most amazing el84 amp I ever played.
Ya it has a slightly more marshally tone compared to the 30/50 great amp way off anybodies radar.
Excellent demo. You played a great variety of licks that show the versatility of the amp. Thank you!
I own one with a 4X12 cabinet in the same design. Never ever parting with it.
It rules!
My first amp was a backstage 30! It was loud with a ehx power booster!!! I'd hook up with a homemade 12 in cab. Cool video!!!
Been looking forward to this one! Cheers, Mikey!
I had a vtm60. Thing was awesome. From what i read it was their response to marshalls jcm800.
VTM = Very Tough MotherF'er!
The VTM is one amazing beast of an amp
The Butcher was their response to the 800s , the VTM was their answer to the hot rodded Marshall's ... which is where the name VTM comes from ( Vacuum Tube Modified )
With all the little DIP switches, the VTMs could be just about anything you wanted them to be. The VTM120, turned up, could even be-a weapon of mass destruction.
I got the thing for 75 bucks when i first started playing guitar. Back when i had zero knowledge of tone. I hadnt been able to turn it up in my apartment nor did i know what a difference the dip switches made so i didnt really mess with them. I had the thing sitting on a shelf for 10 years before i lost my job and started selling stuff on ebay. I pulled it out, plugged it in and cranked it up, tweaked the switches a bit and nearly crapped my pants. I got just about 400 bucks for it which i needed at the time. I didnt really play it much but It did really turn me onto tube amps. If i ever see another for a descent price, im def snaggin it up.
Im keeping my American Peavy Classic 30 stack forever. Peavy Classic 30 combo with greenback extension cab beats amps twice the price.
any of the Peavey stuff from the 80's is solid
Got one with the 410 cab back in the 90's. I regret selling a lot of things. Thank God I never sold this amp. I'll be takin it to the grave.
Good stuff! Peavey amps are underrated.
Tero Järvenpää Used to be...until they moved to China and started making expensive boat anchors.
@@TheAxe4Ever That is sad but true.
Yeah they are underrated. in the early days a lot of players mistakenly labeled them "country and southern rock" amps but they made the VTM and Butcher which did metal and rock really well.
Marshall Law That used to be my absolute favorite amp back in the day. The VTM 60 and VTM 120. The Mississippi Marshall!
65w peavey Bandit was a great amp for dragging around to gigs.
WillieB like a tank! Best bang for a buck!
I have an older version (it doesn't have a presence control) of the Classic 30. I feel like I like it better than the 50, and I can set either channel at like a little past halfway, then clean boost it into actual high gain. Like seriously, it chugs. The secret is to have a clean boost that is actually clean, but has a lot of headroom even on a clean setting, so you can really push the first gain stage. I had every intention of getting one of the older JCM 2000 heads, or maybe even a Recto, I was only playing through the Classic 30 to try out a used Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic pedal, but I wound up figuring out that that pedal is clean on the rhythm channel with the gain at like 10 o'clock, a little higher with single coils, and with the output volume turned all the way up, it was a really hot boost, and it pushed the overdrive channel of the Classic 30 way over the edge. The EQ controls on that pedal, bass and treble, let you dial it in so it's tight, and the gain on the amp doesn't have to be set very high at all. Slightly over halfway, then you turn on the pedal, it literally becomes high gain. It feels like if someone put the preamp section of a hot rodded Superlead in front of the output section of an AC30. It's lovely.
missed this demo. ha ha I started on a Peavey Bandit with a strat.
I’m super glad your demoed this with pedals though. thx man
Cool video about a cool amp, but I beg to differ about Peavey amps from the 80's. The Butcher, the VTM, and the Triumph series were made in the 80's and those amps are killers. The VTM and the Triumph series amps were designed by James Brown, the same guy who went on to design the 5150's, Ultra, XXX, and JSX amps.
Johnny Womack for real, that 80s comment was pretty goofy... for some reason VTMs and butchers get glossed over bigtime; although the prices are rising as time goes on. Id much rather play a VTM than a 5150.
This dude has no idea what he is talking about. The Peaveys of the 80's worth mentioning were not practice amps. They was high wattage killers. The Butcher, VTM And Triumph are fetching good money on Reverb too.
I respectfully disagree whole heartedly and completely. YES: VTM, and Butchers (haven't tried a Triumph) are great amps. They did NOT at ALL elevate Peaveys reputation for building killer rock amps for major label rock bands. VTM's are as good as just about any rock amp out there, but did Vai, EVH, Nuno, Vito, Rush, Def, Motley, Aerosmith, Metallica, Priest, Skid, Kiss, Scorps, Journey, Ratt, Dokken, ZZ, Police, or just about ANNNNY other major artist use them? They are the unsung, underdog of the 80's. They sorta almost had Adrian Vandenberg because he was in some magazine ads, but actually used Soldano's and Marshalls.
@@BigHairyGuitars I'm agree with you about the reputation, they still have that to this day in a way...I'm just surprised you didn't mention some of those other amps that James Brown designed - those are really killer amps. There really isn't any logical reason why major label guitarists didn't use them that I can figure out, minus they said peavey and not a cool "rockstar" brand. But luckily today peavey is getting more credit it deserves :)
@@timevett6761 3 reasons that I didn't mention it. 1) I DID mention the VTM, but I cut it out of the video, because I thought I was talking too much, and I was trying to cut together a clearer point/idea. 2) I actually didn't know that James Brown worked on any Peavey amp before the 5150.
Great video and playing. What cab are you playing?
And on your Les Paul you don't use a drive pedal?
I do have a classic 100 head, stunning cleans and giant headroom, loves pedals. But you have to play it loud, its qualities hide while turned down.
i recently bought a Peavey Classic 30...absolutely hate the sound and tone on the mid boost mode..but i get killer blues and rock tones on the scooped mode..with EQ dials down low..treble on about 3..mids off..bass around 5...what i love is the amp sounds good on the clean..crunch and dirty settings...so it wins the trifector of tones for me...i am not much into affects..so i go straight into the amp...for blues and blues rock..and jazzy stuff
Early eighties Peavey Bandit 112.... was a great little beginner's amp. -Great overdrive, loud. It gave a beginner a great entrance to the world of overdrive. I had one for several years and traded it for a Marshall.
Just brought out my 80s Solo series Special 130 amp out of retirement. Never failed me once!! ❤
Classic amps are some of the best ever made.
I have a classic 50 410.. love it!
You still got this amp? How does it fare compared to the head version? My guess is it's the same exact amp, just run through a 4x10 combo configuration, correct?
@@andrewmccombs7347wrong. “410” refers to how much horsepower it has. Not the wattage/speakers.
@@joshfrankem4372 Hehehe wrong sir. After this posting I actually discovered the 4x10 version and played it in person lol.
@ sorry, I thought this was the Classic Cars page. Peavey made some great muscle cars back in the day!
I have a pair of Peavey Classic 50 heads.....they sound great but are not the easiest amps to work on if you need to replace caps etc. Also, some have fans that are quite loud. One of my amps had a loud fan, and the other was quiet....I replaced the loud one with a Noctua NF-A8 ULN 80mm premium fan than runs on DC voltage (stock fans run on AC current).I used a 15v DC power supply to power the fan. I attached the wires supplying AC current to the original fan, to the DC power supply which I had mounted inside the cabinet. One other thing.....the Classic 50 takes pedals extremely well.
Yup!!
I still have two Peavey Classic Fifty 410s.
They sound Great.
As does my Peavey 5150 combo and my Peavey Ultra 60 Head ( conversion).
American Made And Great sounding.
Glad you featured this one Micheal - such a sneaky good amp! The whole line in fact
I was 15 when I got into my first real band that actually booked shows, etc. My bandmates ranged from 21-30, but my dad was super-supportive. He’d have to take me to the bar to get me in and was a trooper stayin out til 3AM on weekdays just to have to get up early as fuck for work. Man he was a great dad… Anyway, my first gigging amp was a peavey classic 50 4x10 and it served me well for many years. These were super reliable, with simple but great controls and with a decent pedal board, these guys from the early-ish 90’s are STILL a real option for gigging musicians of all levels.
I have a classic 30 head and 2 x 12 cab and I love it.
Best intro ever!
The 91 without the effects loop was endorsed by Brent Mason (Mr Nashville)claimed it sounded better than the ones with the loop
Wow what a awesome STP tone on that Peavey ...what settings and pedals used if any ?...Thank You and Cheers
I always liked the Classic line, very versatile amps. My favorite Peavey amp was the teal stripe Ultra 60 I had for years. Wish I had that one back, I had the head paired with a Carvin 4 x 12 cab.
Bonus points for the riffs from Trippin on a Hole!
Nice DC Talk lick! I have a Classic 30 that I got to flip in a trade and ended up keeping it. they also had a Delta Blues in this series it had a 15in speaker, tremolo and reverb.
Holy crap what an awesome sound!.....mike, does it hold its own with the jj junior?....great video brother your playing rocks!
Yes and no. If you're into harder rock, like ACDC to Van Halen, on to AlterBridge or something heavy, the JJ is amazing. If you're more blues based, or Nashville, the Classic 50 is more the ticket. And if you have the $, I'd go Dirty Shirley over the Classic 50. But for $500, the Classic 50 can't really be beat.
@@BigHairyGuitars....thank you for responding!
My first viable was a Bandit as well (teal stripe). I used to crank the clean channel 'til breakup. Reeeeaaally miss it. Great video. Thanks.
Great choice Michael! I have been considering one of those for a while, and I never realized what a great Rock tone it had. Sounded great. (Love the T-Shirt!).
There was a Classic 100. I know a guy that has one. The head looks just like 50 but has oxblood grills in the front.
The Classic 30 I just picked up for $350 was the steal of the decade for my gear collection. Very responsive and with a surprisingly complex harmonic chime on the clean channel. I think because it’s neither fish nor fowl (Fender or Vox, or Marshall for that matter), it tends to get overlooked. But it gives that tube driven sound I just can’t get out of my Boss Katana, as good a solid state amp as that is.
The Peavey VTM 60 and 120 were pretty darn good. I think better than the 5150. I still have 4 of the 4x12 cabs that came with the vtm. Great cabs. Tough as nails.
I just buy a half stack VTM120 for 180$ Sound killer, but that thing is a back breaker!
Totally remember Dan Huff with that thing. I jad the Club 50 that I still have, its alright
I have a _Marshall Club & Country (Combo)_ is that what you’re talking about?