Why does the Peavey Classic 30 sound so good with so many guitars? Is it the tubes?

[apostrophe]

Ok, so I have been playing Electric for a mere 2 years (Acoustic for about 5). Today I played my very first tube amp, the Peavey Classic 30 and it was a spectacular experience!

 

Everything I threw at it (Strats, Les Pauls, $$ guitars, cheap p.o.s guitars, hollows, solids, etc) sounded freaking amazing! Such depth and clarity! The HWY1 Strat I played sounded like liquid sound....just dripping with awesomeness.

 

Made my Vox Pathfinder 15R sound less than stellar by comparison.

 

So why did it all sound so good? Is it just because it's a tube amp, or is it because this amp in particular is just great?

 

I cant get that sound out of my mind.....

 

 

Also, what are the Pre and Post knobs for?

[Prages]

It's just a really good sounding little amp. It gets even better with a better speaker.

Pre controls gain, post controls volume.

[Burgess]

It's a pretty simple amp. Doesn't try to do too much.

 

Have you played any P90's through one? OMG!

[RaVenCAD]

pre is the master volume, post is the volume... The pre controls how dirty the sound is, the post controls how loud it is.. (i know, the names make it sound the other way around, MASTER should be the overall volume, but it ain't..) a good amp will make a bad guitar sound better. a great amp will do even more, and the Classic series are all great amps.

[apostrophe]

Then what does the volume knob do? Ha?

 

There were 3 knobs: Volume, Pre, and Post....wtf?

 

 

 

So it sounded so amazing because:

 

1. the Classic 30 is pretty darn good

2. It's a tube amp!

 

 

Bottom line....I was getting some great jazz sounds out of this thing! The notes just had so much character and life. My Vox doesnt sound ANYTHING like that.

[RaVenCAD]

volume is volume on the clean channel.

[apostrophe]

volume is volume on the clean channel.

 

 

Ha! Thanks....I know that was a stupid question!

[RaVenCAD]

no such thing as a stupid question. if you don't know, then ask. i wish the "volume" was indeed to overall volume for both channels. I hate switching channels and being blown against the wall by the thing. but, that's the nature of a "low" power tube amp. "low power tube amp" is like saying the loser of a drag race was going slow.. slowER maybe, but still insane.

[fanuvbrak]

I was trying out a guitar at GC and, now that they have Peavey, I can run them through a classic 50, so I'm close to what I have at home. While I was looking around, a guy was shopping for a tube amp. This guy was amazing on guitar and he was trying a Marshal tube combo.

When I finished, I handed him the cord still attached to the Peavey and just said, "Do yourself a favor and just try this." I put the guitar back and when I came back by the guy was playing through the Peavey with a big {censored}-eating grin on his face. Later, I saw him walking out with a classic 50 212.

[apostrophe]

I was trying out a guitar at GC and, now that they have Peavey, I can run them through a classic 50, so I'm close to what I have at home. While I was looking around, a guy was shopping for a tube amp. This guy was amazing on guitar and he was trying a Marshal tube combo. When I finished, I handed him the cord still attached to the Peavey and just said, "Do yourself a favor and just try this." I put the guitar back and when I came back by the guy was playing through the Peavey with a big {censored}-eating grin on his face. Later, I saw him walking out with a classic 50 212.

Thats awesome!!

[apostrophe]

no such thing as a stupid question. if you don't know, then ask. i wish the "volume" was indeed to overall volume for both channels. I hate switching channels and being blown against the wall by the thing. but, that's the nature of a "low" power tube amp. "low power tube amp" is like saying the loser of a drag race was going slow.. slowER maybe, but still insane.

 

 

 

Yeah...thats why I was getting confused when I was messing around with it. It didnt seem right to me and frankly I thought it was F'd up!

 

I was really surpised by how good it sounded even at low levels. Still had a warm drippy tone. My Epi Dot would sound fan{censored}ingtastic through that thing! It seemed to be giving me the tones I was looking for (Grant Green meets FZ)

 

Of course I should probably try out some Fender amps or something too...

[fanuvbrak]

It took me six weeks to buy an amp and it came down to the Classic 50 and the Fender Hot Rod Deville (about the same price at the time). The Fender had more of that Fender "sparkle" thing in clean, but I could almost dial it in when I used the "bright" input on the Peavey.

Get it crunchy or overdriven and there is no comparison. None.

I A/B'd those amps for an hour and a half and asked everyone in the store twice what they thought.

You know what I bought.

[stanfield]

The c30 likes everything i've plugged into it, I still stand by the Blue Marvel! Ignorance is bliss

 

While I was looking around, a guy was shopping for a tube amp. This guy was amazing on guitar and he was trying a Marshal tube combo. When I finished, I handed him the cord still attached to the Peavey and just said, "Do yourself a favor and just try this." I put the guitar back and when I came back by the guy was playing through the Peavey with a big {censored}-eating grin on his face. Later, I saw him walking out with a classic 50 212.

 

great story, you're a good man.

[GAS Man]

Made my Vox Pathfinder 15R sound less than stellar by comparison. So why did it all sound so good? Is it just because it's a tube amp, or is it because this amp in particular is just great?

 

 

It's not appropriate to toss your Pathfinder in for comparison. It's a practice amp which sounds a lot better than you'd think it would, but the Peavey Classic 30 is an "instrument grade" amp. Quite up to the task of bar room gigs.

 

Very warm, but yet it's not overly resonant to where you can't play fat toned Lesters through them as well.

 

I bought one for my girlfriend and I'd get to play it when I visited her.

 

I miss them both.

 

I wish they hadn't redesigned the look of the 30 though.

[stingxnj]

Do a retube with a full set of JJ 12AX7 and EL84s from Eurotubes!!! Under $55 USD and it makes a H-U-G-E difference over the stock tubes. Talk to Bob and he'll help you achieve the tone you are looking for. The set I ordered break up a little earlier on the clean channel. Sounds friggin' amazing even with the stock Blue Marvel speaker, which I also like.

[gutter rock]

I wish they hadn't redesigned the look of the 30 though.

 

 

 

I absolutely agree here! I love the Classic series, but hate the new look they just started on them... that goofy oval dip on the front for the Peavey logo just ruins the look. They used to be so basic and clean, just simple vintage style tube amps, very similar to the look of tweed fender amps.

 

Whoever has been doing the exterior design for the latest Peavey amps really needs to be fired. The windsor looks o.k. but everything else is hideous. I swear that Peavey might have hired the styling guy from Crate or something, some real fugly stuff going on.

[GuitarNoobie]

love my C30... Hell of an AMP !!!




$250 used from MusicGoRound...

[GuitarNoobie]

and it has serious WHUMP pushed through this...

[Ibanezman06]

i was a fool when i bought a 100W tube amp for my room
but still, i love it and when i need the power, it's there
i might get a classic 30 later on. sounds like a good deal. better than the valveking huh?

[GuitarNoobie]

i was a fool when i bought a 100W tube amp for my room but still, i love it and when i need the power, it's there i might get a classic 30 later on. sounds like a good deal. better than the valveking huh?

 

 

 

i've got a buddy i play with that has the VK... it's actually more versatile than the 30 if you ask me, but i do love my 30...

 

We have never had the VK and 30 in the same room at the same time. That would be interesting. If you look at the price of the AMPS the 30 should be better.

 

The VK does high gain better, but the 30 probably gets it on the cleans. I think they are both good AMPS ... The high gains and A/B selection on the VK are the differences IMHO...

[Rocktoe]

Yeah, the Classic series rules. They make some of the best drive tones I've ever heard.

[Professor Tom]

I use two Classic 30's run through a Lehle splitter box with both amps set on identical high gain settings and it {censored}s on most boutique amps. Just don't try and get a 112e extension cab. They simply refuse to reintroduce them.

Oh, don't bother changing speakers and valves, Classic 30's sound great as they are, just use the tone controls on the guitar and forget about pedals.

[apostrophe]

Yeah, I like my Vox, don't get me wrong. But man, I sounded 10x better playing through that 30. I mean, it was actually easier for me to play and I was really, really nailing some jazz licks. I felt like the spirit of Grant Green was running through me. A whole new world of playing opened up to me. It's like when you first discover barre chords. A whole new realm of possibilities!



Ah well. I said to my wife "I think I need a tube amp."

She said "A tube amp? Well, if thats what you want"

[BootRoots]

Whoever has been doing the exterior design for the latest Peavey amps really needs to be fired. The windsor looks o.k. but everything else is hideous. I swear that Peavey might have hired the styling guy from Crate or something, some real fugly stuff going on.

 

 

 

Well I have a feeling that was to put a stop to everyone and their mother ripping the hideous uber-metal peavey logo off the front. Its funny but I think some people will be less inclined to purchase the new ones with the huge cod piece. we guitar players are weird like that.

[Ibanezman06]

awsome
i love your wife...er...nothing forget it:D