Peavey Classic 30

Everyone is aware of it's features, so let's talk about what it doesn't have...

Controls on the front, like it should
A tube guard on the back
A metal vs plastic channel switcher
An Eq for the each channel
A light to indicate which channel your on

I play out, it's a one trick pony...

I will will admit at loud settings past about 6 on post, people like how it sounds, but at lower volumes, it sucks. It's also really dependent on which guitar you use...for me, humbucker guitars seem to work best...the boost switch just adds mud at lower volumes.

I bought it to get the tube tone. Not impressed.

Under the right conditions I have gotten close but as I state latter, with the controls the way they are, it's so hard to get.

Tubes are exposed, so if you store stuff in the back, then your just asking to have the tubes get bumped. It's happened to me. It's a bad design.

Had problems where the tubes got bumped and had to leave the stage to get the tubes back in. Not Peavey's fault that my tubes got bumped but it's kinda like walking around without pants, your ***** are unprotected, not smart, they will get bumped too.

Amp has always turned on.

Never used them.

If you gig, the first problem is find your tone on this amp.

First because there is only one EQ, the boost just adds mudd at low volumes, the amp is supper bassy, so cleaning it up is hard, the controls are on the back, tough to get to, no channel light. Tubes exposed, so they will get bumped. All of which has led to my gigs, where I spend the whole night trying to find the tone, the volume, the right channel, pushing tubes back in, taking out the mud, and less time playing..I have a wall of guitars, some of them sound like crap with this amp, some are better...if you buy this amp, buy a wall of guitars.

The only saving grace to this amp, is that at loud volumes, some people think this amp souds good, and with the right guitar, I have actualy had amp techs, looking into the back to see what I got inside there. Honestly, I got lucky, it never sounded right to me, right song, right night, right room, right volume..is there magic in this amp, maybe but it's hard for me to find. Spring reverb works fine, plenty of it, if you like that heavy stupid tremelo effect, but if you move the amp, then it sound like an earthquake. Spring reverb is silly, ...I am not a solid state guy, but if you move the amp a little the solid state reverb doesn't crash, bang like a spring reverb does, and they sound just fine, and don't break.

For me an amp with controls on the front, channel switching light, metal not plastic foot switch, with light, eq for both clean and dirty channel, distortion that is tight and clean not muddy is a required, not just something to have. This amp just gets in my way, because it's the kinda amp you have to figure out, rather then turn on, move some things around, done.

I would rather play on stage, then play with my amp all night. I give this amp a 7, if you figure it out, find the right guitar, play loud it will work, but it won't do much else. It's easy on the back to move, and it always turns on. Buy it cheap and you won't feel hosed if your gig goes south, but honestly there are better amps used, for the money.

If someone stole this amp, I would buy something else.

I picked up my Classic 30 from a friend in '99, a few years after he bought it new. I think the features the amp has have been pretty well covered by other reviewees. The amp is simple and effective, just how I like it.

First, I use an stock American strat with a humbucker in the bridge position, and single coils for the neck and mid.

I'm going to break this section up into two parts: premod and postmod.

premod: The factory setting of the amp had full mids and warm highs, pretty great for blues and jazz. The clean channel was beautiful. The overdrive was weak, and the amp really needed to be cranked to get any growl out of it. I only had two complaints: 1) the lack of low end presence & 2) the treble boost created an entirely different, awful sound which did not function as a 'guitar solo button'.

postmod: I made a few changes to my Classic 30. I switched the capacitors for the mid and low equalizer circuits (low: .022uF to orange-drop .047uF; mid: .022uF to orange-drop .022uF). And I wired in an L-Pad attenuator between the amp and the speaker. The result: my little Classic 30 now sounds like my cranked Marshall TSL tube amp! Seriously.

This amp went through a decade of heavy use on the original tubes! It has been knocked over several times and survived a ten foot drop without barely a scratch.

I had one which I'm sure is common with all amps: at some point, the volume would drop down randomly, or the high end would disappear and return, etc. I bought a $7 can of electronics cleaner from Radio Shack, then opened up the amp and sprayed the hell out of the insides of the pots. The issue was instantly resolved (I think this is called maintainence).

I've never attempted to contact Peavey.

This amp has the guts for almost any occasion. It can be ear-splitting loud, and if you're playing a gig that requires even more volume, the amp will probably be miked anyways. The Classic 30 does great on its own (especially after a few mods), and handles effects well. I don't know of a better value.

Serial number states 2009 so I would say made in 2009.
Suits my Classic Rock/Southern Rock tastes great.
2 channels normal and lead. Switchable by button onpanel or footswitsh not included, luckily I have an old Bandit 65 I use for my electric/acoutsic guitar and the pedal works perfectly on the Classic 30.
Effects loop to be played with later.
No headphone jack but seems to be adjustable form pretty damn loud to bedroom levels and still retain some credibility.
Standby would hav ebeeen nice to have and boost I find just seems to muddy things up.
Use this amp in my guitar room(spare bedroom) of my house and to take along to jam elsewhere. Has plenty of power and so much easier tolug around than a half stack.
Basic guitar amp with basic amenities.
Others here have made comments about lacking amenities but the current model seems to have heard a few cries such as the tube holders in place, metal screen covering the back of the tubes, JJ's allaround both pre and power stages. Heats up quie a bit but nothing a small fan won't cure.

Used with an Epiphone LP standard plus with SD Seth Lover pickups, an Epiphone G-400 SG with a SD Custom 78 in teh Bridge and Alnico Pro II in the neck, and a Peavey Patriot Duncan JB in Bridge and SD Jazz in neck, both coil tapped with the flick of a switch.
Suits me fine for AC/DC, Aerosmith, Skynyrd, Sabbath, Van Halen you get the nint.
Somewhat noisy at times but old wiring inj house is more to bame than the amp I am sure.
Two good tones from normal and lead then use the guitar pots to do their jobs and create a greater pallate of sound.
Starts to break up at higher volumes on normal but thats the nature of the beast. Can be brutal when boost added etc but to each his own.
Allready has JJ's all around from the store so may try a speaker swap with an Eminence Private Jack I have handy.

Only had it a day so still breakling in etc . Honeymoon is sweet so far though.
Seems solid , always bring back up gear for a gig. If you ar egetting paid shouldn't you do it automatically.

Haven't called for anything on this one but with my Valveking 100 Head and Bandit always got ptrompt info an danswers

Playing as a hobbyist fsince about 1981. Guitars Peavey Patriot, Epiphone LP Standard Plus, Epiphone G-400. Valveking 10 head, valveking cabinet with cros pattern Private Jacks and VK Speakers. bandit 65 amp, Norman acoustic and Ibanez electric acoustic.

This is a two channel tweed amp. It has an effects loop and boost switch which I use frequently. Only draw-back is it has no standby switch. It's been good to me (tone-wise) for indie and country/rock.

Good warm distortion. Not a tone of clarity but I'm sure that could be improved with a new speaker. I really dig the clean, it's full and rich for a little 1x12.

Man... this is why I wrote this review. I hesitate to do this but I have to be honest with my experience because I want others to know what happened to me. Let me first say this amp came HIGHLY recommended by serious pros who I trust, but unfortunately this amp has been an absolute nightmare for me. It's been in and out of the shop for the past 5 years solid. I've paid for the amp over twice for repairs. I should've have just immediately gotten rid of it, but the tone and the cost of getting a new amp kept me from upgrading. When I bought the amp I was in a band that played about 40 shows a year. It gave me problems. By now my band plays 150+ shows a year and this amp can absolutely NOT handle it. It has betrayed me at big shows and repeatedly crapped out when I needed it (like going to Nashville to record debut album). Every amp tech says the tube sockets are absolute crap and that's usually the problem. Even when the tubes are working fine there's a god-awful rattle. There was a nasty short in the reverb tank (is that what it's called?) that took techs forever to find out and as I'm typing this there a disgusting low-end buzz that cuts in and out every few minutes. I'm done with it. Thank God I spent 300$ for a back-up Fender Blues Jr. a few years ago. I haven't even changed the tubes on that thing and it's never given me the slightest problem. Ah well, I'm in the market for a Deluxe now. Sorry if this discourages, I just had to let people know. Cheers.

While it was under warranty they were pretty decent about the first few repairs. It was still a pain to have it gone for 1-2 weeks at a time.

Like I said, great tone, great look, and very light gig-able amp BUT... if it doesn't work it doesn't work. I've grown to hate the thing and I don't think I'll ever buy Peavey products again (unless I take up steel guitar and want the workhorse solid state amp). This was a bad decision. Go Fender (or anything else) if you want a 1x12 combo amp.

I have a 2004 Classic 30. It worked well for about two years and then started making a snap,crackle, pop sound. Under warranty, It has been back to Peavey four times. Every time, according to the paperwork, the tubes are bad. The longest time it worked correctly was two weeks after receiving. 1 rating for poor dependability.

I mainly use a 77 Gibson Les Paul and if the amp was working well it was killer. If not, a trainwreck.

I never used it without a backup. Has it broken down?, that is all it seems to do. As I said, it's a 2004. The first one I bought new was a 2003 and it made the same snap, crackle, pop sounds after a year. The sales person gave me the 2004 new in the box ( THEY SHOULD HAVE KEPT HIM) as a replacement. KK's music in Manchester, TN SUCKS !!!! and so does Peavey after sending it back four times. Gimme a break, I replaced all the tubes myself before contacting the authorized dealer!

Peavey obviously doesn't care. Allegedly repaired four times, the authorized dealer, KK's, Manchester, TN, gave me a lot ot smartass runaround just to get them to do anything about it!!! The last time it was allegedly sent to Peavey it wasn't, some local yokal who said again, tubes.

I have been playing 40 years. Mainly a 1977 LesPaul, 1965 Gibson ES-335, 1978 ES-175, 1973 Fender Stratocaster, 1989 Telecaster, Peavey Wolfgang, (which I like),and several other intruments. I have Fender, Marshall amps as well as an old Bandit 65 (which never gave a problem). I will never buy another Peavey product as they and their dealers will not service the products as the warranty demands.

I own 3 of these babies (1992 Tweed, 1999 Tweed and a 2004 Black Tweed) and have seen little change in their build quality or parts selection. All 3 were purchased "pre-loved" on eBay and all 3 had minor problems because they had been used and abused for years before I got them. I work on my own equipment so this was not a problem for me (I could also get them cheaper if they had known problems as well).

They lack separate tone controls for each switched-channel (Clean & Dirty) and have no Standby switch (my biggest beef with the design). The Boost function (selectable by push-button only) boosts level AND mid-range content and I have found this only to sound good with a Stratocaster using the Bridge pickup and then only in the "dirty" mode. It sounds honky and weird to me on any other pickup combination or with Les Pauls on ANY pickup combination!

I love the size, lightweight and basic design otherwise. It has a great basic tone (reminiscent of the Vox AC30 it was no doubt designed to emulate) but I enjoy them even more with a few changes (see below).

For my use in small clubs and outdoor events I have found them to be loud enough (with a speaker upgrade and used with the matching Classic 112E external cabinet... also with the matching speaker upgrade).

I primarily play Rock and Pop in small-to-midsized clubs and I standardized on a Peavey Classic 30 "stack" because of their small size, relative light weight and their tone (when set-up properly). There are 5 changes I have made to my "stacks" that have transformed these amps from good to great:

1. Matched set of JJ tubes from Bob at Eurotubes (using EL83S tubes instead of 12AX7 types to help prevent microphonic noises, a very real problem in small combos like these).

2. Factory tube cage with dense foam "shock absorber" for output tubes (to prevent tube damage, rattle and minimize vibrational stress).

3. Small fan to promote circulation and keep everything cool.

4. Weber 4" Beam Blockers on all combo speakers.

5. All factory speakers changed to Avatar Hellatone 60L units.

If you primarily play a Les Paul with Humbuckers you probably don't need the Beam Blockers but I play most of my gigs using a Fender Stratocaster as my primary guitar and the Beam Blockers help smooth out the high-end on those single coils.

In this configuration, the Hellatone 60L speakers are very smooth, efficient and dynamic. I love the way they sound in this amp! There is a dynamic "body" in both clean and dirty channels (heightened when used with the Classic 112E extension cab) but not at the expense of "sparkle" and definition. The amps sound well balanced and smooth. This makes the lack of separate tone controls somewhat moot and with the 5-way pickup selector on the Strat it covers a lot of sonic territory!

Notice that I do not modify the amplifier circuits in any way, I just embellish the amp with creature comforts and carefully chosen accessories that make it a little more reliable, louder and better matched to my primary guitars.

I have been regularly gigging with the Classic 30 for almost a year now and I have yet to have a show-stopper sort of problem. I respect the amps and am careful not to bang and shock the amp while loading, unloading and setting up. If I notice a problem (like a noisy tube or loose hardware), I fix it before the next gig and I don't let the degradation accumulate until a failure results (this is called "maintenance").

The biggest aftermarket accessories made for this amp are "Tube Tamers" and "Tube Guards" because this is the source of most failures and problems in my experience with multiple units. This is a small combo amp and this puts the tubes right at "Ground Zero"... they are simultaneously being directly bombarded by the speaker's rear pressure waves and subject to additional mechanical abuse when power cables, speaker cords and footswitches are shoved in the back. This can result in abused tubes and broken tube socket receptacles.

It took many years before Peavey designed a "Tube Cage" for this model (it looks a bit like the tube cage that has always been standard on its big brother the Classic 50). Unfortunately it is an optional part that you must install yourself. By adding some high-density foam to act as output-tube "shock absorbers" (similar to that used in the Classic 50) you protect the tubes and prevent tube degradation and audible "rattle" due to sonic pressure waves with better efficiency and lower cost than using those third-party screens and "tube bars".

I protect my Classic 30s and 112E cabinets with covers from BS Covers (BSCOVERS.COM) as I have found that these work to prevent abrasion wear, damage from minor bumps and protect against moisture (it drizzles a lot in the Pacific NW so this is an important accessory for all my amps). These covers are very affordable, lightweight and top quality as well.

These amps are not built heavy-duty but if you respect them and treat them like a passenger in your vehicle they will repay you with good reliability. Just maintain them and don't abuse them until they exhibit problems!

Check this link for a photo of the rear of one of my amps so you can see the Tube Cage, Foam, Speaker and fan additions. I put the cables and footswitch into a "ditty bag" and that fits in the back opposite the fan and does not damage the speaker or tubes:

http://www.pacair.com/Reference/Classic30_Tweed_1.gif

I have never had to call Peavey with a question. Their manuals and schematics are easily found on the Internet and my only contact with them has been to order parts when I first rebuild them to my liking. I found the Parts Department to generally have knowledgeable and pleasant folks who have yet to screw-up an order. They have gotten it right every time and have called me back when I asked a question that they couldn't answer directly themselves (once).

So far so good!

I've been playing guitar and bass for over 40 years (since I was 10 years old) and I have a lot of equipment (over 30 amps and cabinets) at my disposal. At this point in my life, I wanted to standardize on smaller, relatively lightweight equipment that was loud enough to gig with a 5 piece band in local venues and small outdoor events. I was not prepared to give up tone, however.

In the Peavey Classic 30 I have found an amp that meets all my size/weight/reliability criteria AND sounds great! They are a really good amp stock (especially considering what I paid for mine) but can be improved dramatically without doubling the price tag.

I didn't wait to have a problem or get one stolen... I have 3 of these Peavey Classic 30 stacks so I have all my needs covered (home/backup system and multiple gigs covered). I think that about says it all from my perspective!

I have a tweed 30 head with 2x12 marvel cab, plus a 30 combo with a Vintage 30 Celestion. Won't waste time preaching to the converted.
A few tips if I may, to get this beast howlin'. Effects loop: run a 2, 1/4" jack rig with a volume control in between for another master volume pot, any old volume pot should do. Then you can run everything on the amp at 11 if you wish, and you have a final volume knob, works on both channels! Great for playing at home! I run a sraight in Boss ME50 and use the amps in stereo, big sound.

I use a few guitars with this setup. Mostly Fender and Gibson stuff.
Sure amp is noisier with single coils, but when you turn on the playing who can complain about any tube amp, they are tube amps!
More advice, play with the tubes! JJ tubes will make the amp come alive. Have JJ's in the combo, with Celestion classic 30, and Groove tubes in the head. JJ's are dirty and Groove Tubes get singin' tight punch. Perhaps I shall put some emminence redcoat speakers in 2x12 cab. Allways playing with sound. Have a Marshall and a Hiwatt, but I kinda' like what is going on with the peaveys.

Never used.

Been playing 40 years. I have 8 amps, 2 of them Peavys. Why would I buy 2 if they were crap? I have no bias, just a love for good amps, even have an old Garnet, made in Canada. But if somebody stole my old Hiwatt, I would hunt them down and kill 'em. Be true to the roots! Tubes rule!

Made around 2004,mint condition,very versatile combo,blue marvel speaker and valve guard.You all know the deal by now.
I hade mine moded which improved the tonal midrange and did away with the mid honkey sound and also made the boost switch usable,but for me when I put in a Celestion Greenback was the icing on the cake.I also have the G12H which gives a cleaner slightly toppier sound to the combo and added 3DB to the sound level,but I prefer the Greenback probably because I have been using them professionaly for 40 odd years with various amps and gives it a smoother break up like the speaker is renown for.An 8 for features,it does what the controlls say.

Fender Tele and Gibson Les Paul Deluxe,for Rock and Blues and Shadows!!!Suits everything I throw at it,I love the creamy saturation.
Clean Channel is chimey and breaks up when pushed to 5 or 6.
OD Channel I use mostly especially since the mods and speaker change,from mild break up to quite a nice saturation.Check my link for some sound bites from some of my recordings with the amp www.george-nixs.co.uk
Amp is well loud enough for rehearsal and medium gigs and miking up at bigger venues.Amp cleans up well with volume control on guitar.I use this for recording as well.
Reverb is not the best but still good to add a taste of space.
Not a brutal distortion so metal heads steer clear.For me it has to be a 10.

Have had no problems with the amp,or valves which are JJ's

I had to contact Peavey about my PA mixer head way back in 1993 and they sorted the repair no problem or questions asked.No problem with anything since.Still have the PA Head mixer and Pa speakers in use still

I have been playing for over 40 years,and own marshall heads carlsbro pro head and an old late 60's carlsbro 100 plexi type head,no master volume very very loud.2x12 cabs with greenbacks.
If this little beauty was lost or stolen I would get another usa model and mod and change the speaker again.It suits me after all these years of finding a small tube combo amp.

Tweed, 2004 version.
Quite a few features for a small amp; reverb, dual clean/drive channel switching, boost switch, treb/mid/bass.
loses a couple points for no standby switch.

I'm using mine mainly with a Telecaster, into a BD-2, Rat & a DD-3.
lots of crunch and pretty good cleans. Mine is all stock.
Overall the Classic 30 is great little work horse for the working musician who's after a fair amount of clean headroom and good tone in a small combo.

I know guys who've used the Classic 30 for years with no problems.
They have a reputation for reliability.

I really like my classic 30, it's served me for a while with no problems and great tone in a portable, fairly lightweight package.
It's no wonder that it's been a big success for Peavey.
Excellent value!!

Made in 2004.
Versatile amp for many styles, but one major drawback - there is no separate EQ for the overdrive channel. Also does not have a standby switch, and does not come with the footswitch - you have to buy this separately. No presence button or knob. Easy access to tubes. Was able to tame tube rattle with teflon tube dampeners. Boost feature is pretty much useless as it only boosts mids, and there is no button on the footswitch for it.

Use various strats primarily, plus a custom made Carvin with humbuckers. Play rock/alt, and christian worship music. Good cleans, but not quite enough sparkle - could use more presence? Reverb is just ok. Have tried many tube types - find that certain tubes such as Sovtek, EH and JJ's make the overdrive sound a bit brittle. Settled on good old Groove tubes which smoothed out the brittle overdrive a bit and has given it a Vox AC30 type sound with natural compression. This was my go-to amp until I got a Crate V32 Palomino- better sounding cleans and smoother marshall sounding overdrive, less noise, plus a standby switch and presence button. With my Classic 30, I prefer using an Ibanez TS9 tubescreamer or Marshall Guv'nor 2 (Marshall for heavier distortion) as the first level of gain (can EQ them), and kick in the amp overdrive (with pedal engaged) for screaming leads since it gives you a treble boost also.

built like a little tank. Tubes are exposed, so always a challenge to transport without damaging them.

Never had to use support

Overall I would give this amp an 8 - Easy to set up and dial in a decent sound, lightweight, plenty of volume, ok features, good reliability. Probably would not replace it if stolen though since I don't feel they are worth the new asking price of $550 to $600. I bought mine for $400 which was ok. For $500, I would get another Crate V32 Palomino if available, or look with something else with better features .