Peavey Classic 30

[Blueswaite]

I just picked one of these up and it sounds great. All tube amp. I got it pretty cheap because once in a while it will start to static like when you have a bad guitar chord and shake it and cut out after it warms up . Other than that amp is great. Been wanting a smaller tube amp. Basically treaded a Behringer V-Ampire head and BX-600 bass amp for it. I see new there pretty expensive amps.
So I thought I'd go for it.
I noticed on the 3 12AX7 tubes one glows strongly and 1 is very dim and one almost hard to see any glow at all. Could this be the problem
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

Classic 30 is an awesome amp. I dig tweedy little fenders (pro & blues Jr.). But I think the classic 30 blows a blues junior away.

And the tubes could definitely be the problem - take it in! Small cost to fix - big tone. Just hope the goof isn't causing the magical tone you dig....

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

Those Classics are fixed Bias, so you don't really need to pay a tech to simply swap the tubes for new ones. Get 3 new 12ax7s and see if it cures your problem.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

i thought in most tube amps the first tube glows brighter anyways... isn't this normall operation?

anyways i've had a tweed covered C30 for about 5 years now with the really cool discontinued matching 1x12 Peavey tweed Classic series extention cab.... what a nice little set up... i used that amp to gig with and it was great!!!! i need to retube it soon myself.... it just loves my stock tele in the dirt channel... i also use it a lot with distortion pedals thru the clean channel for higher gain stuff..

a few issues i've had but nothing major... 1-was a rattle or cabnet buzz on some of the low notes and i couldn't find the source... most say it's the tube sockets rattleing on the chassy.... and 2-the spring reverb unit makes one hell of a racket as i drive around with it in the car!!!! that reverb is slapping around like crazy and part of me wonders if it's broken.. the reverb is extremely sensitive on this amp..

Mine is stock... i know lots of players change the speakers and stuff but mine is bone stock the way i bought it, used.... i got the amp and the exention cab for $450 5 years ago which was a steal when you concider the new combo goes for almost $900 alone here in Canada...

The Extention cab has a panel on it so you can remove it and use it as an open back or a sealed back cab.. i normally prefer the sealed back operation as it adds some lows... i sometimes use this Extention cab with my C50 head

 

[thucydides]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

I use my C 30 stock, also, and it is fine. I say that as someone that's used a lot of decent tube amps. Of course, I will not let it be. I'll probably drag a Hellatone 30 back to Oz w/me (where the C 30 is).

My C 30 is Mississippi made, but recently (export model, 240V). I think the models made 14 yrs ago had a better build quality. I had a C 50 back then. The relatively new one I have now still sounds good, though.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

a few issues i've had but nothing major... 1-was a rattle or cabnet buzz on some of the low notes and i couldn't find the source... most say it's the tube sockets rattleing on the chassy....

This is something I noticed on my Peavey Prowler, but I haven't messed with it to see if I can cure the noise.

The panel on the back of the cabinet that you can remove for access to the tubes has a thin metal strip on it .... probably to keep the heat from the tubes from burning the particleboard or vinyl or whatever. Anyway, my theory is that the metal strip is vibrating in its place against the panel.

A possible fix would be to get some high temperature sealant from an auto parts store, pull the metal strip off and apply the sealant behind it, and then reattach the strip.

Like I said, it's just my theory, and I haven't bothered to test it.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

i had my C30 apart and i never saw a metal plate in there

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

i had my C30 apart and i never saw a metal plate in there

Hmmm, I thought it would have been be constructed like the Prowler .... oh well.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

Nice amps.

Biggest issue I had was cranked up the mids would spike more than I liked. Instead of sounding more "alive" it just sounded more ice-picky to my ears.

It came down to a modded Blues Jr and the Classic 30 and the Blues Junior won hands down.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

one thing i found with the C30 is once you get the volume up to 3 or 4 the amp sounds sooooo muchhh BETTER!!!!! that extra push on the power tubes and speaker really open up that amps tone..... i almost never use it unless i can crank it

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

great amps!! mine had a rattle after a bit and I checked and the reverb tank was loose. Tightend the screws and all is good. Also, I thought it sounded good stock.. I ordered some JJs and told them I wanted a little more gain. They sent me a hotter matched set and I put em in and the amp sounded smoother and the gain was better.
Lastly, Ive always heard that the stock speaker is not great. I didnt think much of it as I know people LOVE to bash peaveys and I didnt think it sounded bad. BUT.. One thing I didnt like is when I would hit a chord, especially on the low strings, I would get a Thud, and then the chord would ring thru..
I just put in an eminence private jack in it and WOW!! No more thud, warmer clean, smoother distortion..
This amp rulz now.

 

[Blueswaite]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

Thanks everyone. It was the tubes. I put new 12AX7as in it and move the power tubes around because one when tap gives the bad noise. Put it at end of chain instead of first. I have had no problems. But still going to change the power tubes to new ones.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Peavey Classic 30

glad you figured it out!