Peavey Classic 30

Nem

New member
does anyone have a classic 30 here? cos im dying to here how distrtoed this amp can go!

im trying to decide between a classic 30 and a bandit 2 atm, i like the classics warm clean tone, but im not sure if it can handle distortion (like metallica) like the bandit 2

i tend to play a lot of metallica and guns n roses type music but i also like cleaner tones like clapton...

any ideas?
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

A good friend of mine has a Classic 30 and a Carvin Contour 66. It's a great sounding amp, but when I pushed it I didn't think the distortion was all that. It's really NOT an amp for all-out distortion. You can always put an OD in front of it, I guess, but I didn't do this, and have no idea how it sounds.

If you're looking to do Metallica, etc, this is NOT the amp for you! Look into a 2x12 combo at the very LEAST; perhaps a 5150 combo?
 
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Re: Peavey Classic 30

2 x 12s if you're gonna attempt heavier music, a 1 x 12 and you're lost in the mix.

dunno amp wise havent played either
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

the 5150 combo is sooo expensive, i can only spend about as much as a Classic30 pricewise

i know that if i wanna go full blown metallica i should probably look into Mesa or ENGL but they are waaay too loud for me, this is only for my bedroom, and i dont want an amp that can ONLY play metallica, i need something that can handle metallica through to guns n roses and clapton, so its gotta be pretty versatile (which i thought the classic 30 was)
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

I was just talking with some folks about that Peavey 30, and this thread may help you out-

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=9799

There is a guy named "thames" (look for the Rush avatar) who goes into some detail about a Laney amp that he is very fond of, and refers to that Metallica 'thump'.

I like those Peavey Classic amps, but they're more vintage than Metallica like and may not suit your style.
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

i thought laney amps were for very loud, metal type music? thats fine is i wanted to play metallica, but would it be able to handle warmer slower stuff like the classic? cos i know the classic can do that very very well
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

I have a classic 30 and it is a great amp! HOWEVER... It is not a metal amp. It has a good clean, and great blues and great Classic Rock distortion . But it has to have a pedal for metal.. I retubed with JJs and can get alil more grit, but still not metallica without a pedal. But you get a great tube sound and even with a pedal, you still get the tube vibe.
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

BloodRose said:
I have a classic 30 and it is a great amp! HOWEVER... It is not a metal amp. It has a good clean, and great blues and great Classic Rock distortion . But it has to have a pedal for metal.. I retubed with JJs and can get alil more grit, but still not metallica without a pedal. But you get a great tube sound and even with a pedal, you still get the tube vibe.


Ditto. I also installed JJ's in mine. They made a huge differance. I totally agree with Bloodrose when he said it's not a metal amp. The amps natural distortion gets you into the AC/DC-Led Zep territory. For heavier things I use a Tonebone Hot British pedal. I'm also experimenting with a 1x12 closed back cabinet that I made thats roughly the same size as the C30's box. I can't seem to make up my mind which speaker sounds best in it though. ( A Celestion Greenback or an Eminace V 12). Both have their merit's but either way with the Tonebone in the clean channel going thru the cabinet I made it absolutley thumps. A very cool little amp IMHO.
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

hmm pedals eh, i might just have to get one then :(

which pedals would you recommend for a good metallica tone? and do you use the pedal with the amp distortion as well?

and do u guys have soundclicks of the distorted classic 30? my store only carry marshall amps so i cant self test it :(
 
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Re: Peavey Classic 30

Nem said:
hmm pedals eh, i might just have to get one then :(

which pedals would you recommend for a good metallica tone? and do you use the pedal with the amp distortion as well?

and do u guys have soundclicks of the distorted classic 30? my store only carry marshall amps so i cant self test it :(

Yes, you will probably have the amp at least partially distorted while using the pedal ... how much depends on how much gain the pedal has. But you want as much tube break up as you can get, b/c it's better than solid state distortion.

You should look at something like the BOSS Metal Zone pickup, which will enable you to scoop the mids for that (God awful) Metallica "tone" and you can replace the mids for the more vintage (Slash) type sound ...
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

would i be able to get that slash sound at least without the use of the pedal? just the amp?
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

Nem said:
would i be able to get that slash sound at least without the use of the pedal? just the amp?

It's hard to say b/c even Slash uses an OD in front of a JCM800 to get that tone ... He also uses a wah as a tone control for soloing ...
 
Re: Peavey Classic 30

ah ok, maybe someone with a classic 30 can tell whether u can get a good slash tone from the amp?

and what OD pedal did slash use? i never thought he used any pedals
 
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