thoughts on the peavey "classic" series?

[kirky]

any truth to the classics going thru tubes quickly? i read a couple of stories about this....

[justinhedrick]

any truth to the classics going thru tubes quickly? i read a couple of stories about this....

i think the older (mid 90s version) did. i don't think the new ones have problems.

[Hemisaurus]

The Classic 50 has an interesting design, in that it uses EL-84's and runs them beyond the typical rated plate voltage (about 20% if memory serves), that said I've not seen them fail yet. The tubes are all mounted horizontally on little PCB's one for the EL84's and one for the 12AX7's hooked to the main PCB via little flexi-cables.

Below is the Classic 50 in question.

I think it's probably more an improvement in tube manufacturing and QC. The design remains the same.

[liquidsmoke]

I had the 1x12 combo years back and liked it but I sold it after I got my first head and 4x12. Mid level gain type amp, would need pedals to do high gain sounds.

[neighbor664]

I love my Classic 50 head. I am the original owner, I bought it new in 1993. It sounds good for most applications. The dirt channel is not very impressive though. The EL84s do in fact flub out on the very lowest notes when I'm tuned to C.

[neighbor664]

any truth to the classics going thru tubes quickly? i read a couple of stories about this....

i think the older (mid 90s version) did. i don't think the new ones have problems.

I have never had one single problem with this amp ever. I certainly have not babied it either. I used to use it almost every day from the day I bought it till around 2004 when I got my V4. I practiced in two bands and gigged pretty heavily during that time. I have replaced tubes on it twice but never out of necessity, I just had some money burning a hole in my pocket.

[Hemisaurus]

I think this thread is dead now kirky bought a Laney?

[kirky]

for me it is......

[Hemisaurus]

Well, the Laney is more of a proper amp, to me. Being that none of the tubes, pots, or jacks are mounted to the PCB. Insomuch that it should hopefully be a bit more rugged.

[Hemisaurus]

Now the proud owner of my own Classic 50 head Wonder how it will do on bass.

[hayseed]

I may be picking up a Classic 50 head with a Peavey 4x12 cab in a trade for a MIM Fender PBass that i have. It a good deal imo and I don't use the bass anymore.  Chances are good i will just use it a as a bargaining tool to get something else that i may want. I have no need for another head/4x12 cab. I have played the combo version of this amp, i think it had 4x10 attached, and it was really awesome sounding. I played it side by side with a Fender Blues Deluxe(?) 4x10 combo and it just smoked the Fender. I may have the model of that Fender wrong btw.

[Worthless Willie]

Yeah, Blues Deluxes sound fucking awful.

[Jake]

I like everything about the Classic 50 head: Lush reverb, sparkling cleans, tight crunch, thick distortion, solid build, compact housing, tweed covering, no-bullshit controls (that go to 12!), chickenhead knobs, tube cooling fan. I could go on and on and on.

I've said this before and I'll probably say it again, this has been my go-to amplifier for a while. And considering the other amplifiers I have access to (SunnT, JCM800, Orange, Bogner, AC30), I think that says a lot.

PS - I should note that my Classic 50 is a pre-effects loop model from 1991 (1st year) and those appear to be the most regarded among many interneters.

PPS - Look at this sexy bitch.

[moose23]

I wonder how close the Classics are to the Laney LC30s.

[hayseed]

The more i read up on the Classic 50 head , the more I am thinking about keeping it. It really seems like a good head to have as at least a back up. I have been trying to ID the cab but I have yet to determine what Peavey cab it is because the numbers are hard to read on the back..

[bitter]

Hey Jake, how well does your classic 50 take pedals? Do you have enough headroom?

I always keep an eye out for one of these heads but debate whether another 2 channel amp is really what I'm looking for.

[El Zombre]

That picture seriously screwed up my eyes. Took me a while to register that you said el84's and 12ax7's. The tube socket bases make them look like a quad of el34's and a bunch of short and squat octal tubes in a shape I've never seen before.

[Jake]

Hey Jake, how well does your classic 50 take pedals? Do you have enough headroom?

I always keep an eye out for one of these heads but debate whether another 2 channel amp is really what I'm looking for.

Hmmm. Not sure. I've never put anything dirty in front of it. Never felt the need to. Only used delays and such.

[VOLVO)))]

I want that cab so bad. I have the matching 800.

[bitter]

Hey Jake, how well does your classic 50 take pedals? Do you have enough headroom?

I always keep an eye out for one of these heads but debate whether another 2 channel amp is really what I'm looking for.

Hmmm. Not sure. I've never put anything dirty in front of it. Never felt the need to. Only used delays and such.

Well that really does say quite a bit about the amp then, especially with the other rigs you mentioned. I think I might keep an eye out for one.

[hayseed]

I just picked my Classic 50 and Peavey 4x12 today. Very cool head so far. The clean channel is really super clean which surprised the hell out of me. The lead channel is nice...raw I guess is the best way to describe it. Its just a straight rock and rock tone for days! Gonna ABY it with my Marshall TSL 100 for a showdown. I haven't decided if I want to keep the Peavey yet. I really don't need it but i got it on a good trade (MIM P-Bass that i wasn't using for the head and cab!). Original Footswitch too.

My only issue is somebody painted the head and cab beige/tan and the corners brown. It doesn't look bad but it still bothers me. The head was tweed and i really dig that on amps. I don't know if i painted it black all over and replaced the corners with chrome if it would help or not. I never did a re-tolex job and I am not sure what to do. The guys paint job isn't horrible....it just bugs me and is gonna make this one difficult to get rid of if i wanted to.

[Hemisaurus]

Tweed tolex can be had from most suppliers.

My 50 is now a bass power amp, and I'm thinking about swapping it to use EL34's, needs me to fit a couple of octal sockets and modify the bias supply to up it a little bit.

[hayseed]

Tweed tolex can be had from most suppliers.

My 50 is now a bass power amp, and I'm thinking about swapping it to use EL34's, needs me to fit a couple of octal sockets and modify the bias supply to up it a little bit.

Can you steer me in good direction as to a good supplier Hemi?

[Lumpy]

You could also strip the tolex and paint the shell with Duratex (a type of bedliner paint).

[hayseed]

IF i recover it, I think that i would like to take the head back to its original tweed. As for the cab...ehhh its a Peavey XXL cab....I guess back to black.