Peavey Blues Classic

$600 for the first, $700 for the second. Luv these so much I drove 650 miles to get another. One made in 1995 (original owner), other made in 1996 (3rd owner). This amp's name is misleading - "Blues" Classic - only thing that makes it "blues" is that blues amps were selling like hotcakes in the mid and late 90s; it has one 15" speaker cone instead of the Peavey Classic 40 from mid 90s (that had 4 10" speakers); and reverb voicing. Tweed cover. I took the Peavey symbol off the grill cuz it ruined the look. Now everyone goes "Wow! What is that, a Fender Bassman? A Fender Deluxe?" And that's AFTER they hear it!
There are 2 channels: Clean and dirty. Also, 2 inputs: Normal and Bright. Effects send and return (helps quite a bit). No headphone jack.
There are many features I used to wish it had, when I wasn't a very good player and bought into the whole Marshall onboard F/X stuff. Now I see this is the way to do it - simple, stripped down, one clean, one dirty. Oh, and actually, you don't even need the dirty channel if you know how to knob the clean channel. There is a "Normal" volume control and a "master". Push the "normal" way up (pre) and use the "Master" as your control (post). You will get righteous, natural, tube breakup and tone.
I use this amp at rehearsals and gigs. There has never been a gig it couldn't handle. Large outdoor festivals to little clubs, to the music studio. It is awesome. That is not an understatement
The tubes are better as mesa boogies', I haev found, than the chinese ones. It's got 3 big tubes and 4 little ones.

there are no features I never use. I use them all, especially the Presence.

I use a Fender SRV Strat with Texas Specials; I use a custom made Strat-style with DiMarzio humbuckers that have coil select push-pull knobs (dimarzio PAF in neck, super distortion in bridge), a Jay Turser JT50 SG copy with Seymour Duncan 59 'buckers.
I used to play blues blues blues, but have branched out now to roots and roots rock. this amp blows away the fender deluxe, the VOX AC30, and any marshall I've played through. A possible competitor? An old 1968 Fender Twin I had.
This amp suits rock, rock and roll, americana, and of course jazz and blues. Also, you can get that nice british invasion and AC/DC sound from the dirty channel if you knob in.
this amp is not noisy.
The variety of sounds this amp can make is only limited to your imagination. Tone, Tone, Tone, as another reviewer put it. Other than metal, this amp will do it. Oh, and it's great at funk/reggae too.
The clean channel will not distort at high levels unless you want it to. This is why it's great at pop and americana.
The distortion is not brutal. If you want brutal metal distortion, go buy a good pedal or another brand.

Minor issues over time, but they could have been avoided if I had properly cared for it. Luckily, they were fixable.

n/a

I have been playing 12 years. Played through Fenders, Marshalls, Peaveys, Vox, and Kustom amps. STrats, teles, sg copies, had a Epiphone Casino at one time. Own simple pedals - Tube Screamer; Wah; Boss Delay, Boss Compression. I find more than one overdrive pedal with this amp is silly.
Where else could i have gotten a highly acclaimed amp for a great price? the day I brought it home I traded in my Marshall 1969 vintage cab. four 12's are too big, unless you're playing the fillmore next weekend. Even then, c'mon. Smaller cars, smaller amps, smaller computers, smaller iPods...go out and buy a half stack. That makes complete sense!
What I love about this amp:
1. The versatility of the sounds
2. Warm tone, variable on how you push the amp
3. The "Presence" setting - how up front do you want your guitar in your sound? This lets you dial in.
4. Tone
5. Tone
6. Tone
7. I have heard worse tones from $3000 dollar custom boutique amp heads. See at that price, the amp makers use the ampheads as a pulpit from which to scream the tones THEY think you ought to sound like. An amp like THIS one allows you to dial/knob in to what you want.
8. Responsiveness from how you attack/pick your guitar
9. the sparkly high end and booming bass from the 15" cab enclosure
10. The open back cab and speaker jack makes using ext cabs easy enough if you want to tighten up the sound using a couple 10" speakers. The drummer likes the open back too.
11. BEst reverb ever. Actually, my '68 Fender Twin had awesome reverb, so this comes in second.
What I hate:
Honestly, there is nothing that I wish this amp had. Not for me, at least.
I just wish it were lighter! The usual tube amp and good wood cabinet stuff, maybe 45-60 lbs.

1995 Peavey Blues Classic - the original owner. I play rock music in an original band. I use the amp mostly for studio work - as it has such great tone, and blends well with my bandmates AC30. As the best clean tone i've heard from a guitar amp - even cleaner and crisper than a roland. Increasing the presence gives a great edge for lead riffs and a blues tone. Switching to the lead channel - with some tweaking- can get a close european low-watt rock sound -i.e. Vox, orange, hiwatt. (2 channels). The channels can be switched through a foot switch or a manual switch. Additionally, there are 2 inputs (bight and normal). If I were to change anything, I would add an EQ for the second channel. The 50watts (tube) provides plenty of power - I have used it in clubs with a rock band (no mic) and cut right through.

This is what makes the amp so great - amazing tone! -aside from being so well priced for its ability.

It is a great gig amp. Very durable - but heavy! I installed snap in wheels to transport it. It still has the original tubes and fuses - all original and sounds great. Handle is very durable - unlike many other amps I have - which I had to replace the handles - for a marshall JCM2000 DSL head, and a Framus Ruby Riot.

I have never had an issue with the amp, and, therfore never had to contact peavey.

I have many guitars that I use with the amp, but I mostly use a Gibson Custom Shop Elegant Les Paul. I have a plethora of pedals that I use, but I usualy do not use them with this amp. I love the tone, price, look, and size of the amp. I would be pissed If I lost It, and I look to get another one.

Dual channel. 80's design. Foot switch with lush spring reverb

The Tone of the Blues Classic is just that ...Classic, Real and Righteous. Clean or overdriven.
After owning many different amps in my career, there is really something very special about this amp that eclipses them all. Very fat tone with the 15" speaker. It sound reminds me of my old Vox AC-30 Top boost on some settings and my old Marshall Plexi on other settings. After changing the stock Chinese tubs for UK Mullards, well.. it is now a Tone monster. I've recently sold my Bad Cat and am not unhappy.

100% Dependable. After 15 yrs. of constant gigging, it is still going strong. Some people are so concerned about "point to point soldering" REMEMBER... let "your" ears be the final judge and don't let anyone sway you into what "they" believe is right. Peaveys PC boards are an excellent,solid design.

I have never needed it.

TONE is KING and this amp has all that I ever have needed in ANY musical setting.

2 channel switching w/Reverb

Fantanstic. in my very true opinion. I am stunned. I've owned EVERYTHING... and compelled to always return to this one for it's TONE.

100+ It hasn't failed, ever. Change the Chinese tubes to something that will make it less harsh, and you can easily put it against ANY boutique amp. Hands down.

Excellent

I've been at it for 30 years.
You can't find these easily.
Tone, tone, tone..
It reminds me of a cross breed of my old VOX & Marshall.

Listen Guy's the reason I an writing this review is because I sold this amp many moons ago and I am desperatly searching for another after recently taing up the guitar again. Let me stat off by saying that selling this amp wsa the single stupidest thing I ever did.

I cannot remember the year of manufacture and features are already listed in the countless reviews before this.

I played solely blues on this amp, my main axe at the time wsa a first year Stevie Ray Vaughan signature strat. I had it set up with 13'2, sometimes 14's and all 5 springs on the trem.

The combination of the heavy guage strings, texas specials and this amp sounded out of this world. now, while i am the first to admit that I will never be a Stevie Ray i used to enjoy playing and could get a stupidly good tone with this amp.

You would have to be a complete idiot to sound bad with this amp, it's that simple.

As for volume, well it was louder than my old Vox solid state 100W combo (and sounded 1, 000, 000 times better), while i admit that valve amps are louder anyway, this one just kept on coming. I never had it on full volume.

Had it for around 4 years with not one single problem. Got is serviced at the shop I bought it from but had no issues at all in the whole time i owned it.

I can't rate this because i never needed it. The amp wsa an ex demo one from the Peavey roadshow which meant that i got it a little cheaper and it had been gigged a lot but as I said it seemed like a workhorse and I had no issues at all.

If I lost it!!! How on earth ca nyou lose something that size! The only drawback with this amp is it's weight.... it is heavy! Istupidly sold it and I want another badly! The only thing iwould have wanted to change on it would have been t ohad had a switchable output on the rear i.e. 20, 30 wat, etc

I do not know the year of the amp. i would guess early to mid 90's. I play classic rock to country to blues and this amp covers them all extremely well. I gig with this amp about two weekends a month and have never had it fail me. This amp has two channels. one clean and one dirty, but i only use the clean channel as i let my pedals to the talking. This amp has plenty of power(50 watts into one 16ohm 15" speaker.

This amp has a great clean channel. at higher volumes it does have slight tube break up. I use this in conjunction with the 115E cab. together, this amp kicks ass! I do not like the lead channel as much. The pedals i use sound much better. I use a Marshall Gov'nor original, a Keeley modded tube screamer, a guyatone compressor, a boss GE-7 guitar EQ, and a Boss tr-2 tremolo. This amp makes every one of those pedals sing. The only noise to the amp is the cooling fan is a bit loud but hell, for the tone of this amp, thats a slight compromise.

I have never had an issue and i do not use a back up.

I have never had to deal with peavey for this amp.

I have been playing for 23 years. 10 of those years in clubs. I own tons of equipment including a 1971 Kustom sidewinder guitar amp that introduced me to the single 15 combo guitar amp. And i must say that this peavey classic blues amp blows that amp away. If it were lost or stolen i would get another one. but these are getting harder to find since peavey does not make these anymore, I wonder why, so i hope this never ends up lost or stolen.

This is an update on my first review of this amp 10 years ago. I think I was the first person on Harmony Central to review it, just before I went off to do a bachelor of music. This amp has held up very well with almost no problems in ten years. Features are covered in other reviews, but basically it's a Classic 50 with one 15" speaker. Mine is an early/mid 90's model.

I use this amp with a custom built archtop with floating pickup, a custom dual humbucker electric, a strat, and occassionally an Epiphone Emperor. I use it in jazz combos and in a rock band. I run an Ernie Ball volume, T.C. Electronics chorus, Line6 Delay Modeler, and a Diamond J-Drive into the front. I used to the effects loop, but the cords were getting ridiculous and I don't notice a difference in sound (those are all pretty quiet pedals, though).

The best thing about this amp is that it sounds like your guitar only louder and (depending on where you set the master) warmer. I have never found another amp that sounds as open and uncolored on the clean channel. Having separate volume and master knobs is great because it means you can dial in the same level of warmth on a clean channel at any volume. The volume knob is dead clean and the master dials in a bit of warmth.

I'm about to pickup a Classic 50 - 410, which makes a nice match to run with the BC in stereo, but the BC has a far superior clean sound (not nearly as compressed as the 410). The clean headroom is amazing and works out nicely for chord solos which can turn into mud on a lot of tube amps. However, if you're looking to push the clean channel into a speaker overdrive you might find the headroom frustrating.

The lead channel is fine, but not mind-blowing. I usually use pedals for dirty sounds so it doesn't bother me. Again, the clean headroom on the clean channel is nice because you basically get your pedal's distortion and not some garbled mess of a couple competing distortions.

I also own a Fender Blues Junior for smaller gigs. That amp can get surprisingly loud as well, but there is no clean headroom (plus the reverb tank's broken twice in six years). Basically, if I'm playing an archtop and there are drums I need the BC to get the sound I want.

When I first reviewed the amp I gave it a 9 for sound and I stand by that. More precisely, the Clean is a 9.5 and the lead is an 8.5

I've used my BC on gigs and recording for 10 years now and have had only one problem. I started to get this screaming sound out of the amp even when it was on standby. Re-tubing fixed the problem, but it was kind of weird...

Cosmetically it's held up well, though it hasn't been meticulously cared for. The speaker's fine. I haven't it run it at absolute full blast very often, but another reviewer mentioned his cone ripped from doing that.

After ten years of playing this amp, I feel like I'd be lost without it. I have no idea why Peavey stopped making it because I'd love to get a backup. Peavey gets crapped on all the time for being a lower-end amp manufacturer, but I've never found anything as nice as the BC, particularly for using an archtop.

I've compared this amp with the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Deville, old and new Twins, the Bassman, the Deulxe Reverb reissue, as well as Traynors, Rolands, Polytones, Marshalls, and the Peavey Classic 30. The basic sound on the BC kills them all at any volume. If you own a nice guitar and use a fairly clean sound, do yourself a favor and check out this amp.

I bought the Blues Classic new in 1993. It is hands down the best amp I've ever had or heard anywhere. I've had Marshall combo(blew it up). Mesa Boogie Mark III, just sold it for a fortune! Gibson Gold Tone GRS, waste of money (too ducky, too heavy, broke down, it actually died at a big gig, very dissappointed with the Goldtone), sold that too! I'm trying Hughes and Kettner next, we'll see, but I'll never sell the Peavey. Can't gig with it much longer though too heavy and it's getting beat up, the chassis is actually coming apart. I don't know though, I'll probably keep dragging it back out on stage, because nothing sounds like it. The original speaker is still in there, I did have to replace the tubes last year after 12 years of weekly gigging with it, amazing!

I mainly use this amp for classic 60's rock and sometimes hookup a
2-12 Vox cabinet with it, makes it sound huge on stage, makes your pant legs move and I only have it on 6! I stupidly disconnected the cooling fan once, because it was too noisy through the speaker when I cranked the gain (I haven't heard anyone complain about this yet?), I resoldered it though since, too risky and have blown up amps from cranking them to ten. I mainly play SG's and Les Pauls though this, but have also used an old CX-3 organ(that just died) and varoius synthesizers through it.

The amp has never broken down, like I said I had a noisy tube a few years ago and have since replaced them all with groove tubes and it sounds fine now. No back up needed ever!

Never had to call Peavey. I have Mesa and Gibsons numbers memorized, not a good sign for them. I replaced the tubes myself.

Been playing for 25 years. Do yourself a favor and pickup this amp. You'll thank me and never regret it. I took a chance and bought it after my old Marshall combo died 12 years ago and I've tried many other top names in the business, but nothing compares to this amp!

Peavey Blues Classic 50 watts into a single 15" speaker

My main guitars are a 1952 Fender Tele re-issue and a Gretsch Streamliner re-issue. This amp makes 'em both sound fantastic! I have a matching Peavey Classic 50/410 amp as well. For shows, I stack 'em and run the 15 inch speaker as an extension for the 50/410. The combo is unreal. The 15 inch provides punding lows while the 4 10 inchers provide the mid crunch and sweet highs.

I bought it used with a few road scars but it is well built and still plays like a dream. Don't know how old the tubes are but it still sounds great so I'm leaving them alone. It's my main gigging amp and my only practice amp.

Never needed Peavey's help.

Been playing casually for about 30 years, serious gigging for about 7 years. I love the classic tweed look and sound. For my money it's every bit as good as any of the Fender Tweed re-issues at a much better price point. If this amp were lost, I'd try to find another one quick. I don't want my 50/410 to get lonely!

This amp was shipped in 1994, but I received it as a Christmas present a month ago. I play blues, blues rock, early prog (Captain Beyond, Mountain, Gentle Giant) & originals in those categories. Some rock when sitting in w/ friends. Although I've always been a Marshall man, this amp suits what I'm doing now w/out additional FX.
Two channels, clean & lead, foot switchable W/ single preamp pot for Normal & pre & post gain pots for lead. A little too clean w/ the Normal gain turned down, but it gets fatter w/ it set @ 9 or above. Lead channel screams w/ the preamp gain set high, & the reverb opens up both channels very nicely. HAven't used the FX loop yet, but plan on using a tube screamer & maybe a chorus on the loop for the Normal channel. Enough power to use w/out miking if I decided to, but haven't yet except for practice.
Four EL84s driven by a 12 AX7, two more 12AX7s in the preamp.

Primary guitar is a '84 Gibson Invader w/ Zebras, also a fat Strat as backup. No noise, but I've got conditioned power & don't use a lot of pedals. If I add pedals I'll run them through the FX loop to avoid power drop off & noise. Currently, I've got the Normal channel gain set @ 9, lead channel pre @ 10 & post @ 9, reverb @ 5. Equalization is set heavier on the bass & midrange, playing through the bright input. Presence is set @ 8, but I'm still playing w/ settings. The clean channel is just starting to get fat @ the current settings, but I haven't played it @ volume yet. Great sustain on both channels, lead just screams. Back up amp is a Marshall Studio 15 that we mike, no where near the flexibility of the Peavey, but it's a Marshall.

The guy I bought it from bought it new, gigged w/ it the whole time & never had a problem.

Peavey is known for their CS, & got right back to me on dating it & info on tube & speaker replacement options. Warranty was only a year, but I do most of my own work anyway.

Just recently started playing again after a long layoff. I'd mangle anyone that stole the amp, & would replace it. Like it better than the Fenders I've played through. Most of the comparisons I've heard were w/ the Fender Blues DeVille, but it's more versital than the Blues Junior & some of the reverbs w/ similar sound on the clean channel.

Not quite sure what year the amp is. I play mainly blues, but also dabble with jazz, country and soul. This amp will cover them all. I wouldn't suggest this amp for the metal heads. There are two channels, but I don't use the distortion channel any more. I've been actively gigging with this amp for about 3 years playing around 80 shows a year, and only had one problem. A drunk fan fell on a power supply and caused a surge. By doing this he blew the fuse in my amp, and our PA. It's 50 tube watts, and for me I have no need for more. The 15 inch speaker is great for the low end. If you want to hear what this amp sounds like check out my webpage at http://wtfeasterband.iuma.com . The version of Voodoo Chile is the amps overdrive channel, and the version of Little wing is the clean channel at a high enough volume to break up the tubes. (and also with my pedals)

I'm definatley a "strat" guy. I have 3 strats and a Don Grosh Retro. My main strat has Delta-tone pickups, and they sound great thru this amp. My texas specials also sound good. The only time I've ever had any noise is when i'm standing too close to neon, but that is normal for any amp.(as it is the guitar, not the amp) I love the variety of this amp. You can get Stevie Ray like tones without having to spend a fortune if you know how to EQ it right. You can simply add a little highs for a country sound, or add some mids for a great Hendrix sound. The only thing i don't like about the amp is that it has to get loud for natural tube overdrive. (again, normal for a 50 watt amp.) The overdrive channel is a bit "tinny" for my liking.

Very reliable. I've only had the one problem that was mentioned above.

N/A

I've been playing for about 8 years, and have owned or played some of the "greatest" amps for blues music. This one stands right next to them. If this amp was stolen, i would weep for about 5 minutes, and then hit Ebay in search of another one.

wsomeI don't know when it was made but i think it's couple years old.I play Blues,Classic Rock,and even 80's Rock with this amp.It has two simple Channels and good reverb.No headphone jack though.There's normal and Bright jacks for the guitar.It also has post,pre,and normal knobs.I play in a band with some bud's of mine mostly in my basemant.This thing has more than enough power for me!It also has 7 tubes and a 15" speaker that realy gives it a punch!!!!!!!!

I use Peavey nitro 3 custom with a semour duncan quarter pound neck pickup.It will hum a little if you get close to it with high gain and certin pickup selection's.It has Awesome vintage tone!!.It's very clean when light picking and crunchy when heavy picking.I use a ZOOM 5052 pedal and Semour Duncan pickup booster and it's loud loud loud!!!!!

Very relible!!!This is the only amp i use and no backup.It's never broken down or had any problem's and haven't put new tubes in yet.

I don't know haven't had to

I have been playing for a year.If it wher lost or stolen i don't know what i would do.I'd buy it again.My favorit thing about it is that vintage crunchy tone out the wahzoo.I don't hate any thing about it.It's like this amp whas meent for me.

I believe mine is a 1995 model. That's when I bought it new, it may have been sitting a while at the store. I'm a blues player and 95% of what we play is blues. When we get a request for the few CW or Classic Rock songs we do it is more than adequate for them. This amp is all about pure-assed tone. It's a straght ahead 2 channel, drive and clean, amp with basic EQ, presence and reverb. I've never fully understood how the post and pre gain settings work but I know they deliver a very wide range of tones. I guess a headphone jack might be nice, but I've blown enough of my hearing with them that it's probably best it doesn't have one!!

My main guitar is a 80's vintage Fender Esprit reworked to Robben Ford model specs. Seymour Duncan '56 on the neck and a JB on the bridge with a coil splitter. I also play a re-worked cheap Strat with Texas special PU's. This amp is the ultimate, for me, for the sound I want. Like a lot of amps, tube or solid, it doesn't like to be around a lot of neon. But, having said that the only time it really hums is in certain coil positions at certain volumes. I usually just turn off a few BUD signs around me. The clean channel, which I rarely use, is almost too clean, until driven a little hard. I've never played it at a level to make it distort. I don't know if it's fair to say this amp sounds best with single coil PU's because I love the big fat humbucker sound I get with it, but I do know it makes single coils sound much fuller. The big honking 15" speaker adds balls to the Strat sound and takes away that piercing, cover your ears, turn your head, brightness that you get with smaller speakers. I don't play with much distortion, just a little edge that will roll over when you get after it. It will get plenty dirty when you crank up the pre gain.

This is the first tube amp I have ever owned. I don't really know how long tubes are supposed to last. I have replaced tubes about three times I guess. The amp just starts to sound a little flaky, volume goes up and down. It's the only amp I have and it's never let me down.
It probably gets an average of 10 hours a week playing time. The first time it started acting up I took it to my tech and he replaced tubes and it was fine for another couple of years. Used to be you look in and see a tube not glowing and replace it. He says it's better to replace the whole set. Tubes are matched for bias, etc etc.
I've used Sovtek, Mesa, and now Ruby. These old ears can't seem to tell a whole lot of difference.
I just play em, I don't design em. Other than tubes, this amp is bullet proof.

Never dealt with Peavey directly.

I've been playing about 20 years. This is the first time I've ever rated anything on the net. Rating stuff is obviously very subjective. Wouldn't you pity the poor guy who has bought an amp and played through it for a while and absolutely can't stand it? This was the first amp I just plugged into and with minimal tweaking got a sound that just made you say, "Yeah, that's what I want." Everybody seems to want somebody elses sound. Like a lot of players, I have fooled around with effects gadgets. I've got a Boss GT3, Digitech RP300, and a few other assorted pedals. Most of them gather dust. The best thing I have and use is a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere. The 15" speaker on the Blues Classic has people looking for the B3 when I play through it on the clean channel. I don't even want to think about it being lost or stolen. We host a weekly Blues Jam and players of all different abilities come in to play with about every type of equipment you could imagine. Most of the better players happily quit dragging their amps in and prefer to play through mine while I happily set out in the club and get paid to drink beer. I am constantly amazed at how good the amp sounds. Another thing that I love about it is how it projects to the audience. Some guys bring in their little Mesa's and Line 6's and they make your ears bleed on stage and you can't hear them 15' in front of the stage. This is a blues amp, pure and simple. The only time I use any effects is for a signature type sound, ie. Johnny Lang 'Lie To Me' etc. Then the effect is disconnected and I play straight. The tone of this amp is so sweet. It's like having a patch cord from your heart to the amp.

This is a 1995? single 15",50 watt,2 channel,El-84 tube amp with FX loop,solid-state reverb.It is from the same family as the classic 50/30 amps that many guitar players are very fond of.The amp is no longer in production and seems to be kinda rare nowdays. I myself have never seen another in my country (NZ) and info on the web seems scarce. It's a very straight forward and easy to use amp,aimed at blues and 'classic rock' players i.e those of us that only want a few simple options in an amp and not some kindve multi-tasking modelling thing.This amp is for people that want an amp that will do a few sounds very well as opposed to one that has zillions of options, most of which are mediocre or unusable.This amp is for the tone afficionados out there.

I have owned this amp for about 6 years now.I have gigged with it for about 4 of those years and used it in band rehearsals and recording studios.It has been around the country twice on tours in just a cardboard box with some foam packing protecting it from knocks and dings,(crude i know but effective....plus roadcases are expensive).My two main guitars are a Gibson Les Paul Std, and a 72 Tele Custom reissue.My band plays original music that could be described as mid tempo rock with hints of country.
This amp is the business.
I agree with previous reviewer who desrcibed it as a cross between a Vox and a Fender.It has a woody midrange bark to it, a nice rich and resounding bottom end....almost too much,and sparkly well defined highs.The clean channel is fantastic. Kindve Bassman like.It just gets bigger and warmer and crunchier as you turn it up.Humbuckers will accentuate this.The drive channel is OK. It is not as loud as the clean channel and i see someone else commented on the discrepancy in volume when channel switching.I only use the clean channel so it's no probs.Might i mention though that the drive channel is quite nice though, can get fizzy in the higher settings,but is generally ok. Experimenting with different preamp tubes would probably solve this.I use a DM-3 delay, a Marshall Drivemaster, a modded SD-1 and an Ernie Ball Volume pedal in the fx-loop.It's very quiet and sounds alot better than putting them in between the guitar and amp.It is LOUD man.Damn LOUD.I have no probs keepng up with the gruntier 60watt, 6L6 combo that our other guiatrist uses.For ages i toyed with the idea of selling this amp and getting a 'cooler' amp.You know. Peavey tends to get sneered at by a lot of 'purist' guitar players. But if i had a dollar for every time someone come up to me after a show and told me how fantastic this amp sounds than id almost be able to buy another one...........almost.
Oh yeah,the reverb sounds great by the way. Very deep and swampy. I can get some cool pedal-steel sounds with it and the tele and the volume pedal.
Nice.

The only trouble i had was the original chinese power tubes dying on me. No probs. Put a combination of Groove Tubes and older Phillips 84's in and it sounded better than ever.Never died during a gig.I can see a long and prosperous future ahead of us.

Bought second hand so can't say.

Ive been playing for 12 years. It's the only amp ive ever owned.I use it with a fender rhodes stage 72 sometimes....sounds cool!
If it were stolen id......i dont even wanna think about that.
I love the clean sounds in this amp.They are some of the best ever!
I might prefer it in real tweed instead of imitation but who cares?
I have played all kinds of amps and my favourites of all time would be a 70's Orange 100 watt head, a 60's VOX AC30,a Fender silverface Vibrochamp and this amp.
This amp sounds like me. It helped me to find my sound.There are a million great amps out there.One could spend a lifetime in search of THE sound. I more concerned with playing music. If i was a 'collector' than my priorities would probably be different.

Straight forward controls. Takes a few minutes to find settings that work for you. All features covered in previous reviews. Why is it that Peavey makes an amp that stands out in the crowd and then stops production? This amp sounds best in live situations. I have been playing guitar since the 60's and have heard them all. It has a full, round, sound that comes alive in club use. The 15 inch speaker helps a lot to define this amps sound.

I use two guitars when I play out. I play out twice a week.My main guitar is a 52' Tele reissue that has a 68' Gibson humbucker in the neck, a Duncan Hot Rails in the middle and the stock Fender bridge pick-up. My back up guitar is a 65' Gibson Melody Maker With a Gibson humbucker in bridge. I play classic rock,( early Stones, Animals, CCR, etc.) blues, and soul music. This amp nails SRV best! We cover Tightrope and Let Me Love You and I get a very close SRV sound. This is using the drive channel. The clean channel can do anything I want with true sweetness. My favorite amps of all time are a Mesa Boogie Mark 11 C+, a 65' Fender Twin and a 59' Fender Champ. This amp in a live situation can make you sound good nite after nite!

Built like a tank! Peavey needs to reissue this amp!

Haven't had to.

I have been playing guitar for about 38 years. I own a 70's Fender Deluxe Reverb, a 64' Fender Bandmaster with a Marshall Model 1936 2X12 cab and a 59' Fender Champ (Think Layla album). The Peavey, mixed in with the band, in live situations, hangs in there with them all! If it were stolen I would try to find another. It's that good. It doesn't sound like a Fender. It is more like a cross between a Fender and a Vox. It has it's own sound.

Great versatile amp - for playing blues,rock,R&B,and country - just one man's opinion. I'm a bluesman,and this amp was made for blues!

Super amp for most club use. Great for outdoors. We rarely mic (indoors).I use the distortion for slide work, and a pedalboard with an Ibanez TS9, Fulltone Fulldrive 2,Boss Delay & Tuner, and a Cry Baby Wah for leads.The Blues Classic drips with great tone!This comes from a dedicated blackface vintage Fender amp collector/user.

Love the BF Fenders, but Peavey's Blues Classic,and Delta Blues series are the road dogs of amps (my opinion).Peavey needs to re-issue this amp!

Haven't needed it yet.

Been playing and singing the blues for over 30 years.Not only would I buy again (if it was lost or stolen)I'll buy YOURS - if the price is right!I'd love to have a back up, or two. Already own a Delta Blues.I play a vintage Gibson 335,a Les Paul Gold Top, and various parts-is-parts Strats (all with EMG's).

Bought my amp in 97 and beleive me it wasn't a hard choice. I play mostly blues, jazz, and motown r&b and this map covered it all. I tried the 4x10 and the 2x12 setup and this one blew them away. Has 2 channels, footswitch which came with mine, effects loop, .. butno headphone jack. Every feature you need to play the blues. But the one problem I have is adjusting the volume levels between clean and distorted sound when making the switch with the footpedal. The distortion side overwhelms instead of complements the rythm side when switching. Maybe someone has a suggestion on settings. Till then I simply use my rat and ts9 tubescreamer as a lead variation. Works great. I use this amp playing live gigs and at home when not using my GX-700 into my direct on mixer for studio work. 50watts of great power, more then I'll ever need, and nails the SRVnsound better the any other amp I've tried.

I use a 72 Fender Telecaster with original dual humbuckers, and a Fender Strat with Lace Sensor Holy Grail pickups. It suits my jazz, motown, R&B, blues style to a T. I havn't noticed any noise and the humbuckers and lace sensors really nail the unwanted noise. Usually set clean setting to 8 on presence, 7 on reverb, and 5 and 5 on post and pre amp settings with master at 10.5. Really great sound with a hint of crunch when needed. Use the ts9 and rat to grind it up when hitting solos and it sounds sweet. Have not noticed any distortion at high volumes. Love the distortion in the amp If I could just figure out a s tting that wouldn't knock me down when switching from clean to distortion. But this distortion is great, really nails early ZZ Top distortion.. Only reason I give 9 is because of the disparity in volume between clean and distortion.

I never bring a backup to gigs other then gx-700 processor for mixer in case amp dies. I have had no problems withamp.

Never used warranty or had to call Peavey. Hope no problems develop which would cause me to have to call them.

I have been playing about 8 years. I own a Digitech 2101 artist and a gx-700 processor which I use direct when playing through a mixer sound system. If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely look for another one. I love the true blues sound it puts out. I too hate the weight, but hey nothing's perfect. If your wishing for things it had, wish it had built in effects processor, but then it probably wouldnt sound as good as it does now, so I'll leave it as is.This is the ultimate blues amp with it's 15" speaker.

This amp was made in 97 and mine was a store demo for about 5 months before I bought it. The combo has a 15" speaker and is all tube. It has a tweed appearance, but taking the "Peavey" plastic symbol off the tweedface helps add to the classic effect. This amp has 2 inputs for the guitar: bright and normal, with a clean channel and a dirty channel. The channel switching is done with a Peavey stereo foot pedal, which must be bought separately (but is well worth the price). The Effects loop is highly useful, I use an SKB effects board and there is no noise when used with the proper amp effects loops. No headphone jack.
I wish this amp's dirty channel was a bit less rocky and more bluesy. I find the clean channel turned way up with the presence high gives a great, tubey sound with a lot of headroom and also some "clean crunch" to it. A miracle at that level. There are no features, however, that I never use. The attraction of this amp is its simplicity and ability to SCREAM. I use this amp at low levels at home, but playing out as well. Having been in an RNB band (Hammond w/Leslie, 4 horns) I was never outplayed. This amp has always had enough power and versatility for me. I suggest an Alvarez TS-9 Tube Screamer re-issue with. A beautiful, soulful, stringy sound.

My main axe is a 1997 Fender SRV Sig. Strat with Tex Special pickups, and occasionally a 1997 Epiphone Casino. This amp sounds 100 TIMES BETTER with the SRV, as well as new 2000 ESP than my recently purchased Marshall AVT275. For Blues and Bluesy Rock, this amp will ALWAYS deliver. It suits this perfectly. This amp is not noisy, but with the usual strat neck and middle selector switch hum. The Clean Channel is not distorted at high volumes, save for the beauty of a warm, clean tube amp. The cool part at really high volumes (Master at 8, normal at 5) you can control SO much from your guitar. I'm not happy with it at Master volumes 3-5, however. Some Punch is lost,even with the presence high.
The distortion is not highly brutal, but you can rock out for quasi-metal. A Peavey will always be a Peavey. For A Blues sound, however, the gain is there. Just knob around with it for awhile.
VERSATILITY is the name for this amp. Love the Blues but also play jazz, rock, and country? This amp will kick in with a beautiful bluesy feeling to any style. I use it regularly for Country/Rock gigs, and the Bright input lends itself well to this. The Jazz is to die for, especially for a Duke Robillard, soft side of SRV sound. I think Herb Ellis is even hiding in there.

The Reliability is remarkable. Here's why: same tubes from 1997 and it still sings. Only one tube blew ever. This thing is HEAVY, so make sure the leather handle is securely fastened to the top. Nearly lost her that way in 97. (Don't worry, I'm getting the tubes replaced next month.)

this is not applicable.

Been playing about 10 years, and have owned only one other amp, Marshall AVT275. This Digital stuff just can't stand up the sound Peavey has come up with here. Getting rid of Marshall and sticking with Old Glory. I would, without doubt, if it was stolen look for another. (Fender Bassman with extension cab would be tempting however).
What I love-Tone, tone, tone. All over, all the time, richer than one can imagine. What I hate-how heavy it is.

This amp was made in '97. This is quite a versitle amp. it fits along with blues, rock and roll, and alternitive. this puppy is is a two channel (Clean and Lead) switch on the amp with switch....but if you dont have the stereo foot switch your kinda screwed if you want to switch channels during a song. it has a passive eq (low, mid, hi) a pre and post gain control for the lead channel with a master volume but it doesnt say which one it is but you'll figure it out. this baby is fifty watts of power that can blow you away. this is an all tube amp. perfect for you srv freaks out there...so I think that everyone should tell peavy to put it back into production.....

with this amp I personally use either a custom fender strat w/texas specials(custom designed by my lead guitarist or on a redisigned essex gold-topped les paul (a cheap guitar turned sweet)it suits the style of rock mixed with blues and gospel that I play. the noise level is really low even if the amp is cranked but then again it is all in the guitar that you use. this amp scream srv to the bone but is also gives a cool crunch for all you metal people too. the clean channel distorts alot like the old jtm 45's at high volumes. this amp is definatly for the tone freaks out there if not than this amp isnt the one for you

I havent had it long enough to determin its reliabiliy but it hasent let me down in the year that I have had it. we had to replace the tubes in it when we got it because they were crappy asian tube so we replaced it with some sovetek russian tubes and it is asumb. but I havent had any problems with it

The customer support that I get is good. not only is the peavy company good but the local guitar shop is owned by the coolest peavey certified technition ever....thats just mine and my bands opinion

I have been playing for for nine years and the only other effects that I use with it is an origional electro-harmonix big muff pedal but it doesnt mesh well if the lead channel is on. If this amp were stolen I would hunt down the sucker that stole it and beat him or her like a three year old in wal-mart. I really liked this amp. I with that it had a fifteen inch extension cab to go with it. this amp really ranks up there with the big boy jtm's and fenders at half the price. I chose this amp because it combined new technology with classic sound while the look payed ommage to the classic amps. over all this amp is highly recomended by me

97 blues classic amp. 15 inch speaker, 2 channels lead vs. normal, effects loop, great for srv, hendrix styles.50 watts of power(plenty on this amp)Tube amp, tweed covering

This amp has a killer sound. I love this amp alot.I love the blues and this amp fits well.I use a Jimmie vaughan signature stratocaster and it sounds great with this amp. The clean channel is awesome and the lead/distortion channel is great too. The clean/normal channel is what I really like about it most.

I have had no problems, but I haven't gigged yet. So I have no real idea of how it would last when gigging all the time.

The company's website/support has responded within a day to all questions I have had.

I have been playing for a few years now and have 5 amps and this is without a doubt my best one. If it were stolen I would definately buy another if i could find it, if not I would buy its counterpart the classic 50 410. I chose this one for the quality sound it has.I have a 1980 50 watt peavey bandit also and it sounds great,but not as good as the classic. I would definately recommend buying it if you have a chance, they don't make them anymore so get it while you can.

I've no idea what year this amp was made,but thank God it was! I do know it is no longer made - what a pity. This amp is tremendously versatile for me! Playing Louisiana swamp blues is effortless as the warm murky tone naturally inherent in the 15 inch speaker literally oozes out of the cone and all over the floor-subsequently climbing up the walls like good voodoo vines born of classic tube technology should! When i'm in a Sun Records mood I simply crank up the "Billy Riley" sounding reverb to about 6 (it rips at 5 - I just like to approximate the " Flying Saucers Rock and Roll " sound) and soar above solid state tyranny. For relatively more modern sounds-Jimmie Vaughan,Brian Setzer,Colin James or dare I say it-Jimmy Page-(there I said it!)the whisper to a scream potential is definitely available.Two channels give you an opportunity to go from crisp yet full rhythm to (with a footswitch-in my case a new one-the original was not included in my used amp purchase)a surprisingly clean yet nasty sounding lead. There is an effects loop but I'm not qualified to comment on it as I'm firmly entrenched in old school technique,i.e.plug in ,crank the reverb,hit the footswitch for lead and plug my echo and Ibanez Tube King into the top-normal channel of course.It's a good thing this model was not made with a headphone jack,for if it was my neighbors would be deprived the unique privelege of enjoying my musical stylings,and I would be robbed of the ambient room sound of the Blues Classic. I do wish wish it had 2 15 inch speakers,as it would improve the overall sound by seperation of the signal.I use this amp at home and for club gigs-it has ample power for both.I like it loud at home too-although I can't get kicked out there!

I use a Jimmie Vaughan signature series guitar w/ Tex Mex pickups through this amp and after owning Gibson Les Pauls,Fender Mustangs,Danelectro U-2s,Fender Telecasters and other guitars too numerous to mention I must say Peavey probably used a time machine to see what this guitar would sound like through their amp.It is the perfect combination for most blues and rock and roll styles! It is somewhat noisy but it makes it a challenge to find the right body position in relation to the speaker-I love a good challenge! The noise is from the lead channel mainly but I must say it's probably the Tex Mex pickups more than the lead channel.Tremendous variety exists in the amp-with a 5 position pickup selector available.The clean channel is absolutely clean at any volume.The distortion is brutal but clean,clean,clean.

I've only had this amp weeks as opposed to months or years-thus my naive exuberance? So far ,so good.

I've never dealt w/Peavey and only started playing one(a 4x10 w/a 50 or 100 watt head) in 1997 while recording my album-when it was given to me by the studio engineer as a gift. That amp was in my posession for about 3 years and it was the best sounding and most reliable amp i've ever owned-that has to say something about Peavey electronics!

I've been playing 20 years and I've owned everything under the sun but, alas, none of it was as good as my current setup-as far as I can remember-although an old Fender Mustang through a Marshall 100 watt head and 4x12 cab. sounded pretty good.If it was stolen/lost-I would buy another or a peavey 2x12 or 4x10.What I love about this amp is the sounds of old tube amps-what I hate is the dead body someone left in it-at laest I think they did-it must weigh 200 lbs.It could also use another 15 inch speaker!I compared it to a Fender Princeton chorus amp-solid state sucks! Except for the Fender Stage LEAD 2-THE MOST TUBE-SOUNDING SOLID STATE EVER MADE.i CHOSE THE BLUES CLASSIC FOR THE PRICE AND ONE OF THE BEST SOUNDING AMPS I'VE EVER PLAYED THROUGH.I wish it had tape echo and delay built in to go with the extra 15 inch speaker I wish it had.In closing-any self-respecting guitarist alive should seek out this amp and it's predecessors(Fender twin reverb,Bassman,etc.)at any cost-real human tone is quickly vanishing in the onslaught of technological advancement(?)We owe it to ourselves to be able to emote through real playing-big ass strings on chunks of wood that are hard to play (until you get good)through archaic old tube technology that belongs deep in the hull of some old navy ship conducting invisibility experiments or time travel-Paul Burlison,Scotty Moore,Jimmy Bryant,or Lightnin' Slim,Lonesome Sundown,Danny Gatton-w/ aFender through a Tube amp-could most modern players even touch these guys? Without effects? Buy a tube amp and try it.Preferably this amp.

I've no idea what year this amp was made,but thank God it was! I do know it is no longer made - what a pity. This amp is tremendously versatile for me! Playing Louisiana swamp blues is effortless as the warm murky tone naturally inherent in the 15 inch speaker literally oozes out of the cone and all over the floor-subsequently climbing up the walls like good voodoo vines born of classic tube technology should! When i'm in a Sun Records mood I simply crank up the "Billy Riley" sounding reverb to about 6 (it rips at 5 - I just like to approximate the " Flying Saucers Rock and Roll " sound) and soar above solid state tyranny. For relatively more modern sounds-Jimmie Vaughan,Brian Setzer,Colin James or dare I say it-Jimmy Page-(there I said it!)the whisper to a scream potential is definitely available.Two channels give you an opportunity to go from crisp yet full rhythm to (with a footswitch-in my case a new one-the original was not included in my used amp purchase)a surprisingly clean yet nasty sounding lead. There is an effects loop but I'm not qualified to comment on it as I'm firmly entrenched in old school technique,i.e.plug in ,crank the reverb,hit the footswitch for lead and plug my echo and Ibanez Tube King into the top-normal channel of course.It's a good thing this model was not made with a headphone jack,for if it was my neighbors would be deprived the unique privelege of enjoying my musical stylings,and I would be robbed of the ambient room sound of the Blues Classic. I do wish wish it had 2 15 inch speakers,as it would improve the overall sound by seperation of the signal.I use this amp at home and for club gigs-it has ample power for both.I like it loud at home too-although I can't get kicked out there!

I use a Jimmie Vaughan signature series guitar w/ Tex Mex pickups through this amp and after owning Gibson Les Pauls,Fender Mustangs,Danelectro U-2s,Fender Telecasters and other guitars too numerous to mention I must say Peavey probably used a time machine to see what this guitar would sound like through their amp.It is the perfect combination for most blues and rock and roll styles! It is somewhat noisy but it makes it a challenge to find the right body position in relation to the speaker-I love a good challenge! The noise is from the lead channel mainly but I must say it's probably the Tex Mex pickups more than the lead channel.Tremendous variety exists in the amp-with a 5 position pickup selector available.The clean channel is absolutely clean at any volume.The distortion is brutal but clean,clean,clean.

I've only had this amp weeks as opposed to months or years-thus my naive exuberance? So far ,so good.

I've never dealt w/Peavey and only started playing one(a 4x10 w/a 50 or 100 watt head) in 1997 while recording my album-when it was given to me by the studio engineer as a gift. That amp was in my posession for about 3 years and it was the best sounding and most reliable amp i've ever owned-that has to say something about Peavey electronics!

A 50 watt all tube amp. Tweed covering. Effects loop. Tewo channels. A great sounding overdrve and reverb. 15 i. speaker, which gives it a very full sound. Standby switch. Two inputs, one normal, one bright. It has everything a amp needs.

I ply blues, praise & worship and coutry. I play a Tele with seymour Duncan Antiquitie pickups. Also play my Larrivee LS-09 through it. It is the first electric guitar that sounds good with an acoustic. Sound is so full from the 15 inch speaker. sound is fabulus. As my friend put it,"Anything youcould plug into that amp would sound good."

I play every weekend.I have used it for over a year with no problems.

I have never dealt with them, but my friend works for a dealer, and he says they are great.

This ws a limited run and you can no longer get them. I would ighly recomend one if you can find one.

This is a '93 model that I bought on Ebay, mint condition. Looks brand new, and may be NOS, in fact. It's a 50 watt tube amp with a 15" speaker, 2 pre amp tubes, 4 main tubes, reverb, 2 channels with channel switching and an effects loop. Speaker output jacks, remote switch jack, but NO headphone jack. (minus one)It's got enough power to blow shingles off of your neighbor's roof, yet you can tone it down to accomodate low practice tones as well.

I use a '95 Telecaster, and it has tone to die for. This amp has brought my Tele to life. I mostly play blues and southern gospel, and even cranked up, there is literally no distortion on the clean channel. The 15" speaker is incredibly warm, and the variety of sounds from the bass, middle and treble channels give a great selection of different sounds.

I've only had it for a week so far, so can't really offer an educated opinion yet.

I've used the Peavey web site, and they've always answered my questions promptly.

I've been playing for 15 years, and this is the nicest amp I've owned yet. I would definitely buy it again at the same price. Other than the lack of a headphone jack, I'm happy with it. (understatement of the week)

50W Combo amplifier, 1x15 speaker. Features have been discussed accurately in another review contained here. Standard Fender Tweed type of amplifier. Weakness is that it lacks separate tone controls for the lead and rhythm channels.

Mostly used Gibson Les Paul Standard, and Fender Strat Plus Deluxe through this amplifier. It has a great blues sound a la Stevie Ray Vaughn. The distortion on the lead channel is kind of unique. Doesn't really sound like Marshall or Mesa. It has a fairly compressed smooth distortion with lots of mid-high crunch. On the clean channel, turning up loud gives the classic blues tones. Kind of hard to get a crisp tight distortion though (like Mesa or Marshall)