Peavey Classic 30

Features have been mentioned plenty. No need to rehash. Could use a standby switch. Plus, it should have come stock with a tube guard. Slackers! I do like that it has an Extension Speaker out.

Great clean side. Stays clean fairly loud without the boost on. Actually, I don't use the boost at all. It does boost the volume, but it adds too much noise. Plus, it's loud enough without it. The dirty side is great! You can zero in on a small amount of grit or full out distortion. Excellent for blues and even rock, but not so much for metal. However, I'm a bluesman and this amp is perfect for the blues.
The guitars I play thru it- 1983 Squier Bullet. This is not the $99 Bullet you find today. In 83, they were made in Japan, with a beautiful maple neck, a truly sweet guitar. This amp and guitar are a perfect match for my ears. I also play a 1979 Fender Stratocaster (autographed by Buddy Guy) and a 68 re-issue pink paisly Fender Telecaster that I bought new in 1985. As of yet, I've really only played the Bullet thru this amp. It sounds that good!

I wouldn't gig with any tube amp without a backup, but this amp does seem reliable. I've had no troubles and have yet to re-tube it. I've read a lot of reviews where users upgrade the speaker and tubes, but honestly, I think it sounds just fine stock.
This past weekend I had an outdoor gig and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see exactly how well 30 watts and one 12 inch speaker would perform. For outdoors, would it have the power to cut thru the rest of the band? If not, I had my Fender Twin 2/12 100watt waiting in the wings. Wow! I knew this amp would be plenty for any indoor gig, but outdoors it held it's own just fine! I was pleasantly surprised. It had plenty of power, volume, and the tone was still there. Nice.

n/a

I've been playing for 30 years. I play Blues, Rock, Country and Jazz.
My main love is the blues. My other amps are- Fender Twin 2/12, Fender 85 (solid state), Fender Blues Jr. I run a variety of Boss effects pedals- compressor, overdrive, Octave, Delay, Chorus, tuner, Earnie Ball Volume Pedal.
Pair this amp with your favorite Fender guitar and revel in the blues!

My amp has a "New style" front but lacks stock tube guard, assume amp is early run new style...it's 'black tweed" (pressed tolex?) black grill cloth.

First thing I did "to" the amp after purchase was take off the oval Peavey logo & paint a nice black & white yin yang on the flat backside...flipped it over & screwed it back on;)

Features already covered numerous times, lack of standby particularly glaring ommision, presence control would be a good idea IMO

Sweet tone, did immediate re-tube after purchase. Was sorta bummed that the sovtecs were buzzing on an almost new amp but was prepared for the disappointment after reading many reviews on the Classic 30.

Play thru an old Boss chorus an Ibazez soundtank tremelo & occaisionally use a soundtank tube screamer w/drive turned low just for a little boost. The boost circuit in the amp just a tad over the top in the small venue situations that I find myself in....the amp sorta "squawks' unless you're ready w/some slight eq/volume adjustments

Plan to have some of the mods layed out @ www.blueguitar.org/ done when my "tube amp guy" has some time & I have some extra cash>

The basic mods (stand by, presence control, tuning the OD circuit in w/different filter caps etc seem sensible options to me.

Too soon to tell, have a Fender DeVille for backup. (much prefer the Classic 30)

dunno, Peavey site doesn't list 112 ext cab, only the 212 "Beetlejuice" fronted cab. Combo looks ridiculous sitting on a table level cab IMO.

Guess I'll e-mail Peavey & ask "them" why the hell they don't offer a matching 112 cab anymore & tell ya ltr, eh?

Have been playing 20 yrs, classic rock, blues. "variety" Itza tossup if I would buy again, dunno> Crate currently busting their ass to compete w/Peavey in the small affordable great sounding tube amp category.

Crate offers a Tone Tubby speaker in their black V30 & Celestion in the Palamino (blond) V32....both have a standby switch;)

Altho I love the tone of this amp, I stongly suspect Crates V-30/V-32 offer similar satisfaction....didn't getta chance to try the Crate, it's a LITTLR bit more expensive and was unavailable locally.

Ha!....gotta say my Classic 30 looks cooler w/the yin yang switch on the front logo...give it a shot, blaze a trail into "boutique" amp territory

2 Channels. 1 EQ section for both. Effect Loop. All tube!

I'm using an Iabnez with a Dimarzio pickup (one that Steve Vai used).

Great tone, tone, tone! This is a great amp for up to rock. Once again, the tone is so sweetfully crunch, yet you get enough gain to solo with fluidity. This is not for heavy metal.

Clean channel is great, too. Almost like fender clean. Quality.

I hear the sound will improve with better tubes, but it still sounds great with sovteks in it.

I just love the tube tone, and it's loud, too.

Can't comment, yet.

Don't let the price fool you. This is a great sounding all tube amp for rock.

Looks cool (tweed), sounds sweet, light enough to carry around, still loud. My search is over for now, for a perfect rock amp.

It's the model before the present with the little metal Classic 30 tag. 2 channels with a boost button. Wish it was footswitchable. 30 tube watts are damn near as loud as 100 solid state watts. At least that's how it cuts through with a band in a live situation.

Not real fancy. But I'm not a fan of tons of knobs. I like the fact it has an effects loop. I'd give it a 10 if the boost was footswitchable.

I don't want to say it's a one trick pony because it will do almost any style except super crystal clean or Mesa type brutality. No Godsmack here.
It will do classic/southern rock perfectly. Even 50's and 60's type rock/pop music.
The clean has a nice natural breakup at high volumes if you play aggresssively.
Man can this thing hang with the band.... It is plenty loud and cuts through fine.

I will say that I only use it for practice and small gigs. Otherwise I use a XXX head with e34l's and a Genz G-flex with Scorpion speakers in it. That's my main rig.
This amp cannot be beat for the price.

Anyone who's having problems with this thing need to realize NOTHING is bullet proof, and some babies are born dead. I've been playing and working on equipment for a LONG time. Half the problems people are bitching about are either tube or patch chord problems.
Respect the amp for what it is designed to do.

If want stage volume that will only get louder as your hearing gets worse, this isn't the amp for you. Go get a couple of 4x12's with your fav. head and have at it. Don't forget new batteries for your Miracle Ear.
Look at those concerts of your fav. artist. Do you really think they're playing through 15 Marshall full stacks? See how many are mic'd. Or look at Warren Haynes and some of the later Jimmy Page vids. They use combos most of the time. That's what the P.A. is for, monitors too. Imagine that.

Sorry for the rant.

This amp gets a little noisey with OD or distortion pedals. It takes effect in loop very well. Nice and quiet. I only use od pedals as a boost for solos. I use a DD3 CH5 and a BF5. That's about it.
The amps own distortion is more than adequete for AC/DC Zepp. even early Van Halen. It actually does the first 2 VH albums VERY well.

Peavey. Best for the $$$.

2006 classic 30 112 w/ factory tube guard (must!)
Features listed before. For the price point I feel the Features are fine

I waited 6 months after purchasing to write this review to avoid new gear shock. Stock this amp desrves an 8 after new jj tubes and celestion vintage 30 this amp deserves a 10 for the price. A 9.5 against anything in the market. When I purchased this amp I was strictly looking for something to cover SRV to Pink Floyd to lighter AC/DC. For heavier AC/DC to Slayer I have a JCM 800 2x12. It will play lighter metal well but if your looking for a solo amp to cover everything including heavier metal, as much as I like this amp I would keep looking. Originally it was between this amp and several fender tube amps. After spending quite a few hours at GC a/b'ing them I walked out knowing that for me I made the right choice with the 30 and for a very reasonable price. I now have added a second classic 30 112 to my rig and use them run through stereo and can do awesome pan effects through them on stage and with the JCM 800 running mono as a center for a little bite on classic rock songs I have found my sound. I placed a celestion greenback in the second classic 30 and like the mix between the 2 speakers however if your onlying running the 1 30 I recommend the vintage 30. Very full fat sound through it yet capable of plenty of bite. I feel this amp does Blues better than any amp under 1500, after mods, and will hold its own doing classic rock. This amp loves to have a wah in the mix, and handles OD with the best of them and takes distortion well but not perfect, can sound fuzzy. Yet loves fuzz pedals also if that make sense. The spring reverb on the amp is acceptable but if reverb plays a large part in your sound I would reccommend an add on, I purchased the EH Holier grail and it does a much better job IMO.

Have only had for 6 months and so far so good but not long enough to make a comment. Feels like it is built solid. Again do yourself a favor and buy a tube guard, it could save your gig. The LOUD popping sound when you turn it off is a bit worrying but apparently normal.

Never dealt with

I've been playing for 21 years and am lucky enough to have the $ to buy what I want "within reason". But just because you can afford a 2K amp doesn't mean you should overlook affordable ones. I bought this not because it was cheap but because to me it was the sound I was looking for. Fenders just don't do it for me personally. The older fenders to me were much better. This amp takes to single and humbucker PU's equally well. I'm not saying you must buy this amp but I feel if your looking for a blues to classic rock amp you will be doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least give it a try, and then buy what sounds best to YOU! To you younger guys please buy what you like not what your idol likes or what everyone else owns, other wise you just sound like everyone else. I gave it a 10 not because it's the greates amp in the world but because for the value nothing touches it.

I have a 2002 tweed model, still in pristine shape. Picked it up used recently, after looking for a really nice one for a couple of years. Compared this amp side by side to the Fender Blues Junior and Deville, a couple of Marshalls and Crates, and a Carr Rambler. The Carr won, and at $2k+ it should have. But for $300 used ($600 or so new) NOTHING CAN TOUCH THE CLASSIC 30! I'm 53, and have been playing and buying amps for 35 years. Been through an early 70s Fender Pro Reverb, same era Twin, a Randall, and a couple of other Peaveys. Again, nothing can touch this amp. I'm hard rock as it gets, but love the blues. This amp can do it all. I also have the matching tweed Classic 112E extension cabinet. Do you know how loud 30 good tube watts can get? With the 112E onboard you can peel paint at 100 yards. Fantastic tone with stock tubes, but JJs will get the juices really going.

Overall sound quality is "versatile"! I play strats and teles primarily (only Fender), and Ibanez SZ520QM guitars. With the strats you can wring out a pretty classic 60s tone without much work at all. Making a Tele "twang" the way it ought to took a little searchin', but it's there, and way sweet. As for my hard rock orientation, the Ibanez fits guts to blood with this amp! Let some gain loose in the clean mode and this amp sings forever. As for crunch, well it's not a vintage Hiwatt stack, but it does awfully well. Maybe a little weak on the bottom end, but play with it and you can get there. I lost my enthusiasm for most pedals and outboard gear awhile ago, but pair a Boss Blues Driver and TR-2 tremolo with the Classic 30 and you are in Bluesburg one minute, and Laramie the next. Much tonal variety to play with in this little brute.

I wanted this amp because of it's rep for reliability in addition to it's power level, straightforward approach, and word of mouth encouragement from other owners. It delivers. And, can you say "Peavey"? Probably says enough about dependability, huh? I've had zero issues with it or the 112E cabinet. Perfect for small to medium size gigs, and after as many years of playing out that I've had, I would NEVER go to any gig without a backup amp. At the very least, take extra tubes. Vehicles, people and electricity are very hard on tube amps.

Have only dealt with Peavey by phone, looking for an amp cover and replacement logo. Very, very pleasant folks. Extra fast service. Southern hospitality.

This amp and extension cabinet are with me for life now. Time to sell these other amps I've got. Maybe some day it will sit beside that Carr Rambler. If I and this amp parted I'd be on the phone and eBay immediately to replace it. And the best added benefit is, there is no amp and extension cabinet any cooler than the tweed Classic 30 paired with the tweed Classic 112E cabinet. Put one on stage and it alone generates a pile of buzz and questions. Great looker. Put a sunburst strat on a stand beside it, and a Fender Vintage Voltage tweed cable, and you've got the stuff mag ads are made of.

Pretty basic. Nothing out of the ordinary. You can read everyone elses review to see exactly what features this amp has.

Ok, the sound quality of this amp is not very good at all. It is very boxy sounding and it's hard to get the amp to sound decent at all. The gain channel on this amp is decent but it's hard to get a tone that sounds ok. I tried tons of distortion pedals on this amp and only a couple sounded ok. I do like the reverb on this amp.

This amp is very sturdy but incredibly annoying. This amp is VERY touchy. If you don't let it warm up enough before you start playing, it will work for about 30 seconds and then totally cut off. It also makes a lot of noise when it's warming up. It does not work well with certain effects. Some things sound very harsh through it. It is a tube amp, but decent tube amps shouldn't sound that bad.

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing for about 7 years. I am a professional musician; I get paid to play and I have a good time doing it. I would never buy this amp again. I sold it when i bought my new amp. I recently picked up a Fender Blues Deluxe amp and it is by far better than this Peavey and i think it only costs a little more.

There is a possibility that switching out the Marvel speaker and upgrading the tubes might help with the crappy EQ of this Peavey Classic amp, but why waste your time? Just get a quality amp from the start.

My classic 30 was made in 2005...the older shape but with a tube guard. Im the second owner and just replaced the tubes for the first time. You all know the features so I wont rabble on. I use this at ALL gigs...pubs, clubs, party's where ever....mostly un-miked. Power wise? enough for almost any job unless your a rock star playing at 80,000 + stadiums...in which case your NOT reading this.

Awesome cleans, and a totally usable gain channel UNLIKE the crap Fender are putting out....with mud and more mud options. This amp can be dialed in low but as dirty as you like for home use, or take it out and gig and blow them away. The distortion or gain is superb for a small combo. I play mostly blues, classic rock and some top 40 stuff (when I must) and have no problems with this amp. The classic 50 is a shitbox....does not get the same tone or should that be QUALITY of tone. No noisier than any other tube amp.

This ones been at it for more or less 2 years....1 tube change and its STILL ROCKING!! The models made back 3 or 4 years ago were GARBAGE FIRST CLASS with tube harmonics, no tube guard and shoddy workmanship all round....they finally got it right in the last 2 or 3 years.

Um.....nuf said.

Ive been playing for 30 odd years, own a room full of classic collectibles from a 69 335, half a dozen les pauls form the 70's, an 82 fullerton 62 strat, an 88 62 reissue, 57 reissue, 52 tele reissue....the list goes on. Ive tried a pile of amps, the only thing close to this is the marshall DSL 401....a tasty lil tube amp. If it was stolen...not sure what Id do but Id get something depends on what pops up first but Id stay clear of ANY modern day fender....I recently tried out a custom shop pro sonic....what a box full of crap they make. If you see one of these at a good price....grab it....you will enjoy it.,

This is a brand new Classic 30 - the new design (I prefer the old look). Anyway no need to go over features - everyone before me has done that. They are the same in my amp as theirs. For what it is, I think the features are fine for this amp.

Here's where I differ with most of the previous reviewers. I think this amp sounds GOOD - but that's it. It certainly isn't a "10" or a "9" even. MAYBE the Classic 50 would warrant that - but that's not what this amp is. Let's be honest. It DOES get a nice warm sound that is punchy and somewhat mid-rangey - which is likely also due to the speaker type (Blue Marvel - it is mid-rangey). It gets a nice clean tone - good for Jazz, I think - and mellow blues. There is also a nice "light" overdrive on the "lead" channel with the pre set at about 2. I've always like a little subtle break up like that....but I'm not sold on the higher gain sounds. What I discovered, however, was that the amp lacks some bottom end and fullness to it. It is a boxy sound - which stands to reason given the size of the overall package. I think it would sound better with a closed back possibly. Perhaps an extension speaker would also improve that.

It is nice and lightweight...that is always a plus.

I brought it home and compared it to a Roland Cube 60 (sorry tube purists) that I have and the Cube had MUCH more bottom end - and the clean was just as good - IMHO. The Cube is a closed back design. The reverb is good - not GREAT. The Reverb on my Cube is actually better. I only play the Cube on the "Roland Jazz Chorus" setting - I don't like the other, fancy "modeling" type settings. Just a sidenote.

This amp - especially the overdrive - would likely improve somewhat if you upgraded the tubes. However, I did the same thing with a Peavey Delta Blues 210 recently and, while there was improvement in SOME areas (better bass response, more power) there were some negative effects as well. For example, a full complement of JJ's tubes in the Delta Blues added MUCH more mid-range to the sound. So much so that it was quite harsh and unpleasant on high notes. It hadn't been like that with the old Electro Harmonix Tubes. Then again, the breakup was smoother...so it's give and take. Point is, new tubes won't make this a DIFFERENT amp. It will still have the same personality. Same would go for the results with a speaker swap I would imagine.

The circuits between the Delta Blues and Classic 30 are virtually identical, so I'm confident I would have similar results on the Classic 30.

I will be returning this amp because it doesn't sound better than what I already have (Fender Deluxe Reverb RI and Roland Cube 60) - at least not $500.00 better. And that's really what it's all about in the end.

I'm sure its as reliable as any other tube amp in this price range...which is to say about average, I would think. I had one of these back in the mid-90's and it worked fairly well...but after a year or so I recall some sort of electrical problem with it. Can't remember what it was.

Never dealt with them.

Been playing for about 10 years...a little longer if you count the years I was a drummer and wasn't really trying to become a BETTER guitar player. Play mostly bluesy/jazzy type stuff - mostly fingerstyle. I like the "tasteful" players (Santana, Larry Carlton, Knopfler...). Not a bad amp for the price.

New chassis model bought new in Jan 2006. Features listed hundreds of times. Clean and gain channels share EQ and that is OK for me. Needs a tube guard.

Bought tube guard direct from Peavey for about $18. It looks better and costs less delivered than the one on the Bay.

Stock tubes are like the patch cables that come with your dvd player-EMERGENCY USE ONLY-UPGRADE ASAP!

Played for ten months with the original Sovteks and finally made the change to JJs. With stock tubes-7. With JJs-10. CHANGE THE TUBES.

You can turn the volume low for practice with good tone. Crank it to loosen the plaster or get divorced. You could gig small or medium rooms w/o a mic, but why?

Some people complain about the stock Blue Marvel speaker. Play it. Break it in. If you still want a $100 speaker trade out, do it. I think an extension cab is the better choice. Changing the tubes is the key to unlocking the tone for this amp.

Change power tubes to JJs. Change pre-amp tubes to JJs or Tung Sols. With the speaker broken in and the right tubes this amp sings. Like "piss off your friends" good.

Both clean and dirty channels sound great. Using your EQ you can find just about every rock, blues, and country sound that you want. Find that in another $600 amp.

I use a Bad Monkey OD, VooDoo Fuzz and a two button channel/reverb switch. There is a lot of variety mixing the organic distortion of the 12ax7 with the pedals.

I am a play with the friends jammer and haven't gigged in 15 years. This should last anyones lifetime. Peaveys are built tough. If I were gigging, an extra set of tubes in the kit for insurance.

Have called to order the tube guard. Very friendly. Spoke to a woman to order the guard and a man to talk tubes. The guy had been with them for 17 years and we talked all kinds of gear. A real American, in the good ol' USA! Tube guard came in three days.

How do I rate this? For what it is and not for what it is not: American made 30 watt LOUD tube amp with great Vox-like clean and a lead channel crunch that makes any Fender HRD owner regret buying that POS.

I am mid-forties and can afford to buy any gear I want. I look for value and no longer care to pay for a brand label that doesn't come through where it counts-the SOUND.

I am down to this amp and a few guitars. I want to try the Epi Valve Junior head with an Avatar 2x12 cab to compare. I will post after I pull the trigger and get over the honeymoon period.

I play an 80's Burny Japan lawsuit copy LP(VH-1 PUs, AWESOME, gettum' while you can), Fender MIM Tele replaced with "real" Bill Lawrence PUs (another bang for buck no-brainer), Fender MIM Deluxe Powerhouse Strat (American components assembled 90 miles south = poor mans Clapton Strat)and imho, a great 335 type in a Dearmond/Guild Starfire.

I am a bang for the buck guy and the Classic 30 delivers in spades.

This amp is very versatile for what it is. I use this amp on two gigs. Country and rock band and with a young soul singerl. Great sounds. Just need the right guitar. B-bender Tele for country and Carvin AE-185 for other stuff. It is plenty loud and I have figured out a way to help the volume. More later. It is what it is. A tube amp with two preamp channels.

I replaced the stock speak with an Eminence Cannabis Rex and what a differnce. Great lows and smooth highs with alot of clarity. Big Difference. After finding out about using a volume atten in the effects loop, I decided to try my TubeWork RealTube 2 in the loop so I could crank the master and lower the volume with the TubeWorks. WIth a Boss ME50 in front of the preamp, this thing is killing. I set the clean master around 6 or 7 and it was beautiful. My Tele was singing on New Years. The lows are gorgeous and the concerns I have about the highs can probably be solved with a good pick-up swap. Tele has tex mex 3 pickup strat set up in it.

It's a Peavey. I am a big fan. Hartley is a Hero.

Never use CS.

Playing 25 years. Own a teaching studio and play out frequently. I often get late calls to cover for people and wanted a good sounding portable rig. I can carry my entire set-up in one trip. Amp, Boss ME50, Guitar and TubeWorks and am ready for anything. This is a great little amp and I will buy a back-up soon.

Everone has already described the features adequately in other reviews

I love this amp. I can dial in lots of great tones with this little sucker. Clean is very nice, but the OD channel is where I find that this amp really shines. Now I have replaced the tubes with JJ Tesla tubes and this smoothed out the OD channel that was a little harsh with the stock tubes ( I replaced the tubes in my other amp with JJ's and was pleased with the results, so I figured I would try JJ's in this amp) The tube change also warmed up the clean channel as well. I traded a hot rod deluxe in on this amp, the hot rod had a better clean sound but the drive channel was very harsh and not as smooth as the classic 30.

Cannot say, only had this amp 2 months.

Cannot say, never had to deal with Peavey.

Played with my strat I can get Hendrix,Srv,Clapton sounds easily with tweaking the settings. Nails classic rock and blues sounds. I would definately replace this with another if It was stolen or lost. Solid build construction. Quite versatile. Do yourself a favor and go get one of these gems, You wont be disapointed.

It is very versitle and i lvoe the amp its so awesome i just got it the other day. I really dont like how there isnt individual knobs for each channel like my other amps.

Tubes are so pure and the reverb is awesome it sounds amazing. It is true what they say Once you go tube you never go back. Ill never look back at those solid states as computerized as they are getting they will never get the full warmth of a tube amp..

Never had any problems so i guess 10. I dont like the sound of the tubes when you turn it off and it the compacitors cool down..

Amazing amp, amazing price. Love it, so worth it and am so glad i went with el-84 instead of 6l6 hot rod deluxe. So glad!

Tweed model. Not mine, but it was the token amp in a rehearsal room that I used for a couple of months. Features well documented, I believe. I never used the mid-boost, as the stock Blue Marvel speaker was already very middy & I play with P-90s, so the boost was overkill. A standby switch would've been nice. Tubes precariously placed & it's well known that Peavies are a nightmare to take apart & work on. That alone would keep me from ever buying one....

.....having said that, this little beast could put out some great tones. Very loud and very touch sensitive. It seems to get louder the longer you leave it on for??!!? I don't think I ever had the "pre" volume past 2 or the "post" past 5 & the neighbours still sent the rozzers over. I was playing punky r'n'r which it did pretty well. Rips with P-90s. Didn't notice a huge difference between the two channels I gotta say. Occasionally augmented it with a vintage MXR Distortion+ which gave it a nice Pistols/Heartbreakers grind but it has more than enough gain on tap as is.
Ultimately a little too brittle & hard to control for my taste when playing saturated punky rifferama. I find it easier to work with less volume but more clean headroom & bottom end so I was glad to go back to larger setups.
Still a great sounding little amp that I imagine would excel for blues or early Cramps/Gun Club type garagey stuff. Soundwise very similar to a Fender Blues Deville, incidentally. And nearly as loud.

Never any trouble, but I only used it for maybe 7 or 8 rehearsals and never travelled anywhere with it. Would've been slightly wary of taking it on the road, as the exposed tubes in particular would give cause for concern.

Never dealt with Peavy, what kudos they gained with this amp they promptly blew with that 38-channel DSP FX-loop ridden MIDI compatible Joe Twatriani-signature space station that you can bet will not be working in 10 years.
Will mankind EVER learn?

Groovy little box. Plus the tweed makes it look cool. If you dislike strong upper mids & favour downtuned mid-scooped sludgy, gainy, buzzy, nu-metal mud, this isn't the amp for you, but frankly if I had my way, all those fitting the above criteria would be exported to Siberia (and it even rhymes!)

I bought this amp used in 1998, so it's one of the orginal tweeds. The speaker has a plain back, no Blue Marvel sticker or anything. Three 12ax7 tubes in the preamp section and 4 EL84s in the power section. I've noticed that most amps in this wattage (and higher) only have 2 power tubes, so the Classic 30 is overpowered by normal standards.

The amp is not very versatile - it's primarily a blues amp in my opinion. I've used it for rock, but in a band situation its 30 watts are not enough to keep up with the cumulative volumes produced in a rock band. However, in blues bands in small clubs, which is where I've mostly used this amp, it sounds great. If the Classic 30 is mic'd, it could probably work in any environment.

The classic 30 has 2 channels, one clean and the other with overdrive (overdriven 12ax7). It has an effect loop, an extension speaker out jack, and a jack for the footswitch which lets one change channels or turn the reverb on and off. Let me just reiterate what others have said: Switching the reverb on and off is pretty useless. What Peavey should've done is allow the player to engage/disengage the midrange boost. On my amp you have to press a tiny button near the eq knobs to turn the midrange boost on and off. That being said, the midrange boost is a great feature to have and it sounds excellent.

This amp does blues better than any amp I've owned. My blues heros are guys like Albert King, Buddy Guy, BB King, and Roy Buchanan. The clean channel of the Classic 30 is LOUD, and I wish I had the 112E extension cabinet for this reason. It's also a very NICE loud, rich in tone. I think this is because you're getting the harmonics from several tubes in the audio path.

I'm using several guitars with this amp. A 91 LP Custom, a USA Strat with DG20 EMG pickup system, and a 3 single coil tele with Van Zandt pickups. They all sound pretty sweet with this amp playing the blues.

The distortion (or overdrive) is good, not great, but it also depends on what brand of tubes you use. Swap different brands in and out to find what works best for you. I've also found that right around 7/7.5 on the gain is where you go from breakup to full on overdrive. The overdrive sounds better when mixed with a full band than on it's own, in my opinion. But again, this is basically a blues amp and it's been fantastic in that environment.

The midrange boost is great in the appropriate situations/songs, but it's not footswitchable and for that I've got to ask Peavey, "WTF?" I've never used the effects loop but plan to give it a try in the studio this month. The 3 band eq is decent and effective - sometimes for a warm BB King type of tone I'll turn all the eq knobs all the way down. Try it some time! Oh, and the reverb is perfect for this amp.

I'd like to hear how this sucker sounds with a broken in Celestion Vintage 30. I plan to get one when I can afford it :)

Also, I've had many compliments on the tones from this amp. I was in a Clapton phase for a while, trying to cop that "Cocaine" solo sound, thanks in part to a vintage Ibanez chorus, and a very critical blues artist in Seattle not prone to dish out praise really liked it. So there ya go.

Note to harmonica players: Play your harp through this amp with a green bullet microphone and you'll be in harp heaven! I played with a guy who used this setup and I was amazed. Makes me wish I could play the harmonica!

I just got mine repaired for a blown diode, but considering how much I've used it over the last 8 years, that's not too bad. The amp was sitting for a week or two and when I turned it on it just hummed. 125 bucks later I'm back in business. Such is the nature of tube amps, but it's worth mentioning that this is not an easy amp to work on unless you really know what you're doing. Until I played it again I cringed at the repair bill. Now I'm fine with it :)

I do have to deduct points for the tube set up. They're way too exposed and the heat from the power tubes floats right up into where all the electronics are. This doesn't seem very healthy, but in a combo amp I realize this configuration is just about the only option in order to save space. Get a head and a cabinet if you want the tubes on top :)

Never used Peavey customer support.

I've been playing guitar about 20 years. I own quite a bit of gear but nothing that gathers dust. If this amp were lost or stolen I probably couldn't afford to replace it now and would just use one of my other amps. However, it's a great blues amp, it fills it's niche very well. I bought it to play blues and will continue to use it for bluesy purposes, or in the studio for a nice clean tone. These old tweed ones are fetching good resale values, which is encouraging. The new ones are black and modern looking and are not my cup of tea. I'll stick with the tweed!

I have the blue covered version of the Classic 30. Not sure the year manufactured but I bought it in 2000 (or 2001). My other rig was in transit and I needed an amp for a gig, and picked this up after a short time in the store. It was small, simple, and had all I needed (two channels, loop and reverb, plus extension cab out).

It doesnt come with a pedal to switch channels/reverb, but I had an extra marshall switch (the functions are reversed tho, channel controls reverb, vise versa), but hey it works. the loop is very transparent and the reverb is nice, warm and fender-ish.

It definitely has enough power to keep up with a loud drummer in a noisy room, although the dirty channel is a little noisy when cranked, nothing a noise gate in front or in the loop doesnt fix. The clean is great. If u want warm and jazzy, its there...if you want bright glassy blues, there too. The dirty isnt as versatile as I'd like, but a good pedal in front can help, plus the dirty can be used as a extra channel or boost with a pedal or vise versa.

I play a variety of styles with many bands. I'm a session player as well, and perform everything from emo/punk, rock, pop, hip hop, R&B, to reggae, jazz and dave matthews hippy rock. This amp has stuck by me well in all those situations.

Would be nice if the tube retainers were a lil more sturdy tho. Get a rattle when u crank it, especially when u run the bass high. SOmetimes noisy for studio applications.

I have a large array of guitars... 61 Gibson Les Paul SG custom, Tobias Guitar (yes..guitar, not bass), Starfield American Cabriolet (duncan single coils), Heritage 150CM, Schecter Tempest Special (duncan p-90's), Tempest Classic (duncan 59's), Schecter C-1 Classic (duncan jb bridge, jazz neck), Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor, Fender Tele 72 reissue. Every guitar has a great tone thru this amp, and they all keep their individuality (try that on a line 6...a 2000 les paul sounds like a 100 dollar Cort)

You can definitely depend on this amp. I've had it for years..about 5, I gigged like a maniac with this amp, and have only had two instances of problems.

1. The tube retainers: really be careful with the tubes. Once rushing around to a gig, put cables in the back...cable got yanked and ripped 2 tubes out of the thing. Plus u can bend the things way too easy. IF someone can recommend a mod for this I would be eternally grateful.

2. My reverb went on this once, and cut the whole amp out for some reason. I managed to repair it myself, but I worry more now...but I definitely worked this lil amp hard for awhile.

I changed the sovteks and replaced with Svetlanas. Like the breakup and tone a lil better, but overall a really good solid amp, even stock.

No clue...

I've been a guitarist for 23 years, believe me I've tried alot of amps. This isnt my only rig, but its definitely a top contender in the land of great amps. I own Marshall, Mesa, Fender, Carvin...etc... This amps in league with the Fender blues Jr. But with the channel switching and loop, has more to offer.

When the amp went down for a bit, I was gonna buy a new one, but opted to fix it instead...I would definitely replace it if necessary.

Peavey needs to fix the tube rattle/retainer problems. The Fender design has way less flaws, maybe its just the quality of the parts, the blues jr. is the same price bracket and doesnt have the tube problem.

Tone is good, loop is awesome (I typically hate effects loops), reverb is good and the amp is solid. If you want a good, compact, great sounding amp with a simple design...or even a backup or alternative to your giant rig setup...pick this amp up.

This particular Classic 30, was made in 1998. I've owned 3 0f them over the past several years. I bought this one used at Guitar emporium of Louisville, Kentucky for $300.00 ( they have a website and stock a real good selection of new, used and vintage gear at reasonable prices, check'em out ). The Classic 30 is an awsome amp, completely versatile good playing and sounding amp for everything up until heavy metal ( which is my preference, but I'm sure with the right toneless metal distortion pedal it'd cover that too, if that's your thing ). Those of you not familiar with the Classic 30, it has 2 channels, global EQ ( mid, bass & treble ), reverb and boost, and an effects loop. It's a good solid built, reliable all-tube amp ( solid-state rectifier ), that really plays and sounds good. It does have channel switching and reverb on/off with optional footswitch. This amp is good from bedroom to recording to gigging, that about covers it does'nt it. Good warm tube tone, soft & sensitive playability from everyone else in the house is sleeping to you need to be in another room away from it volumes. Okay, this is mostly for those of you who already own one of these all-arond good amps. You know it sounds and feels really good right, but the overdrive channel is'nt quite good enough to your ear. Do away with those high priced overdrive pedals ( that do sound so good with this amp, classic radial tone bone for one ), this amp delivers in spades all by itself for a $30.00 upgrade. NOS Sylvania pre-amp tube in the input position ( the pre-amp tube furthest from the output tubes ). It's the cure all tube for this amp on both channels, it brings it to life and gives you all it's truly capable of ( Sylvania tubes available at Hi Test NOS Tubes, phone 201-750-2445, as well as many other tube retailer's for $30.00 each ). I'm sure an even higher priced NOS tube like an RCA or Mullard would give you an even more sweeter experience, but I'm just speaking from my own experience and just the one Sylvania pre-amp tube in the first position ( the other 2 pre-amp tubes and 4 output tubes stock ) will drastically improve this amp's tone and playability. As well as calm your need to think you need to keep forking out your hard earned money, or more of your tax return than your wife seems to be okay with for different gear etc. ( and even more importantly, it'll keep you from selling or trading this killer amp for some other less than desireable piece of equipment ). I have taste that this amp does'nt cover, as well as my gear addiction, but from clean to blues to hard rock this amp is really me. By the way for that really fat, mud thick, but focused all the while tone of Muddy Water's, try out an Epiphone valve Jr. combo. No mercury magnets or even a tube change ( which I tried and it smoothed the tone out too much ), with the stock Sovtek 12ax7wa this amp kicks ass with right player input, at least from my single coils and to my ear anyway. I think this is an amp to have as a player and for future price increases that are inevitable.

As I've said this amp can make any sounds you want it to up until metal. The clean channel with my guitar set-up will start to give you a good crunch at around 4 on the volume knob, but that's also with my EQ preference of heavy mids and bass, low treble on the amp. Lower the bass and you'll get more clean headroom you know. In general I keep the clean channel volume around 2 or 3 for good clean playing and it's loud enough that my wife has to keep the TV up so I can hear more of Oprah than I care to inbetween my playing from the living room. I'm primarily a single coil strat player, but I also play a humbucker guitar through this amp, both sound good for what they are through this amp. I mostly play blues and rock or a combination of the two and alot of pretty clean rythym stuff. This amp is not noisy on any setting with the exception of my 1,3 and 5 positions on my strat, which is minimal and expected. The sound quality is good and really good with the good pre-amp tube in the first position, really good.

I've had 3 of these amps and never had a problem one. I play several hours a day, everyday and other than tonal experimentation I've never had to so much as change a tube. It's definately a reliable amp.

I've never dealt with Peavey or had the need to.

I've been playing guitar for about 6 or 7 years. I've bought and sold or traded this amp a few times, but I keep coming back to it and I'm going to keep this one. It's just a good tube amp, it covers what I want, it gives me whatever I put into it, it's reasonably priced and besides it's cost I prefer it to everything else I've played through overall.

Features beat to death elsewhere in the reviews, but one thing I do wish it had is a HALF power mode to run it at 15 watts.

Very, VERY surprising little amp. Nice and clean at lower levels, and it breaks up perfectly at volumes over say 60%. I am an amp tech, and get to play just about everything... This one was in my shop, and I am going to buy one for myself. Believe me that says a LOT, but read my overall rating for the bottom line.

Standard Peavey build... too many poorly selected connectors, poor solder. If you can fix one, Peaveys are great, if not figure on some inconvenient down time cleaning up what needs looking after. This one was in my shop for intermittant reverb traced to a crappy IDC connector.

They are great at Peavey... never a complaint there.

If not for reliability issues this guy would rate a 10+++ IMO, if Peavey threw out the bean counters that "value engineered" their boxes, they'd be on top. As it is, this can't be.

I can't imagine taking this one or any other Peavey I own, or have worked on without some very careful reversing of the crap they do to build them.

The bottom line, IMO if you're an amp tech, or can fix them, this one is a GREAT amp to own, if not you take your chances.

30 Watts
3 x 12AX7 preamp tubes
4 x EL84 power tubes
12 inches 16 ohms speaker
2 channels: clean and lead
Boost switch: in fact it is a FAT switch
Spring reverb
Effect loop
Bass, Middle and Treble controls
Volume and Gain (for lead channel)

I dropped 4 points because it doens't have presence control and stand-by switch.

The clean channel sounds great. It has a warm tone and it is very loud.

The lead channel is superb. It Rocks! Warm creamy high gain overdrive that does it all.

However, there is an annoying rattle sound that I will explain better in the reliability field. I dropped 4 points because of this.

That is the reason why I wrote this review. I am not the first one to advise people about this problem. There is an annoying rattle sound coming out of the speaker. It is not the chassis. It is the EL84s tubes falling into peaces. The reason is that the EL84 tube construction is not sturdy enough and the speaker punch knocks them all. The tubes are too close to the speaker.

After 6 months, I couldn't stand the rattle sound. Than I changed the power tubes (for JJs), installed a tube shock absorver and the rattle sound disapeared... for 4 months! When I noticed the first sign of rattle sound I decided to sell the amp.

No matter what you do, you will not be abble to get rid of the rattle sound. This is my peace of advice.

However, if you use mainly the lead channel, You will not notice the rattle sound, because it will be mixed with the overdrive sound. In the middle of a gig, you will not hear that too because there is a lot of noises everywhere mixing to it. So you can live with it.

Because of the rattle problem that shortens the power tubes life, I dropped 6 points.

The warranty in Brazil covers only the first 3 months and it is provided by the dealer, not by Peavey.

As after sales is very important, I dropped 9 points.

It sounds great. However, the rattle noise is very annoying. If you can leave with it, go ahead! I dropped 6 points because of this.

I think it's an '05 with the newer logo. I Play every thing from Allman Bros. to ZZ Top and AC/DC to Zeppelin. I'd say the only thing and I do mean the ONLY thing it won't do too well is Godsmack,Metallica, Pantera kinda stuff, unless you try a MT-2 on the clean channel. I wish the Boost option was footswitchable.
I use it for practice at home and as a backup to my XXX 112 combo that I use live.

I love the distortion this thing has. Much more usable than the XXX. It works GREAT when rolling off the volume on the guitar to clean up the gain, VERY Marshall like. I use An SG, Explorer and a V and I use a H/S/S Charvel at times. With minor tweeks you can get any Hard/Classic or southern rock sound.

I was at the music store and never even considered trying it but I was in need of a backup and figured I would. I was blown away, I thought it would sound fuzzy or tinny. I was wrong.

It sounds like I wisthe XXX would. If this amp had a third "Over The Top" Cahnnel for Metal It would be perfect.
The clean Channel is kinda sterile without a chorus or delay but that's all good, I use the volume on the guitar to clean up 90% of the time.

I can get "THE" Skynyrd Sound Nailed! Blackfoot too. Flirtin' With Disaster? Yeah, It Nails it! Then for a goof we played Love Gun By Kiss and this thing sounded EXACTLY like the record, especially the solo.

I use a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck on my 3 Gibsons and a Pearly Gates and 2 Texas Specials in the Charvel.

I have always used Peavey and none of them ever had dramatic issues.
But never gig without a backup!

I like the simplicity of this amp. It's a 30 watt tube amp with 2 channels - clean and overdrive. It has a bass,mid,treble EQ and a boost switch. There is also a boost switch and an effects loop for your stompboxes. The simple operation of the amp is refreshing to me. I find some of the modern designs are just too complicated when all you need is a great sounding amp with a simple but effective EQ like this amp. The boost switch is the only feature that i have not found any use for so far. It is suppose to scoop your mids to acheive a more rock tone but all it does is ruin the amps great natural tone. Having said that though, if you don't use it then it won't bother you. This is my single amp for all situations. I use it for gigs and garage band type jams. Although being only 30 watts, it packs plenty of punch and i have never had a problem with volume during a gig. In most situations I usually mic up the amp anyway. More often then not, I use the amp as my own foldback speaker and my amp through the PA is all the crowd will generally hear. The main thing with tube amps is driving them as much as you can to get the best out of your amp without being too loud. Being only 30 watts then driving the amp hard doesn't require massive volume levels. I have found that driving the amp at about 4 or 5 acheives the best results both on clean and overdrive channels.

The clean tone on the amp is similar to the clean tone on most fender amps. I recently played through a Fender Blues Junior and found the clean tone to be very close to the Peavey. I play a Fender US 57' Re-issue Strat with original pickups and my clean tone is very warm yet still bright and very punchy. It is close to a Hendrix,SRV,John Mayer type of tone but different guitars and different playing styles will have a different effect on the amps overall sound. The overdrive channel is excellent if you want a great mild overdrive. I think the overdrive channel is not quite as punchy as the clean channel but in most situations, I need the overdrive to be louder then the clean channel so slight loss of punch is hard to notice because your volume is increased. Overall the tone is still incredibly natural and will suit a Strat or Tele perfectly. The amp is not DEAD QUIET but it is quiet and i have never had a problem with the amp being annoying or anything. I mainly play blues/rock/rnb and with the Strat then this amp suits me perfectly. I doubt metal players would be looking for an amp like this but whether your playing rock,pop,country or blues then this amp would do it all with ease. I have to give it a 9 because this is not the perfect sounding amp for me. It's damn close though.

The amp is extremely solid. It could take quite a beating and still sing. Although i do my best to take good care of it. I don't think there's any need for having a backup amp with you for a gig. This amp has proved to be reliable for me. Only thing is would say is keep an eye on the tubes and check the wiring every so often for comforts sake.

I've been playing for 4 years and have owned lots of gear in that short time. I'm all about keeping it simple now and a having quality guitar and a quality amp is all i need now - and sometimes a volume or boost pedal. This is a quality amp and given the retail price of these then it blows away most other amps in this price range and alot above it. I was lucky to grab this amp on sale at just half the retal price but after using it for so long now i would have happily paid the standard price. It's still great value!

Twin channel 30 x watt class B valve amp, 1 x 12. The specs are well documented by previous posters.
Mine dates from 2002 and comes in a very rugged tweed covering.
Very loud 30 x watts, more than enough for a small gig.

Very glassy quality clean sounds and very Marshall like on the O/D.
Sounds great with humbuckers and single coil and covers all types of music apart from metal.One of the best value small amps out there.
My only mod was to swap the stock speaker for a Celestion G12 although the standard one is not bad.

Has been thrashed and gigged for 4 x years and never complained once.

Peavey always answer emails promptly.

The Classic 30 is a genuine bargain and a far better amp it's competetors ( Marshall DSL401 etc).Use with an extention cabinet and it's all you will ever need.

My amp was made in '95. Had it for nearly three years. Play lots of styles, R&R, Rockabilly, Country, Blues, Soul, R&B, Classic Rock, Indie, Jazz, Bluegrass

It only has one channel but it is switchable between clean and overdriven - so it is commonly mistakenly advertised as two channels, but that's not a big minus. I bought it mainly for hobby playing - After 2 years of trying it out in various jams, and gigs with my US series Strat, the tone started to sound a bit trebly- then all sorts of weird hissing noises started appearing and I eventually figured out from the Peavey Forum that the output tubes had started to go, so I got a new set of unmatched sovtek EL84s and swapped them around till I found the lineup that had the least hum, (hey - what's a teeny bit of hum on stage?) - the great thing about the amp is there's no finicky tube biasing required - its just a pure and simple swap. I changed all the pre-amp tubes to a GEJAN-5751 in V1 any old WA 12AX7 in V2 and a Sheldon re-issue 12AT7 in V3 (Phase splitter), and I've got a very fenderly sounding machine for my Fender so I don't think I'll be buying any more amps for a long time (I've tried a few other valve amps - Vox AC30 Fender Hot Rods, and boutiquey tube amps - Sheldon, Victoria and they all sound good but) this can't be beat for tone-price. Now to try a few speaker combos - I think some cheap Alnico (Red Fang, Jensen) might be interesting

Once I had re-tubed it with a few different combinations, I found my tone mojo without having to do any internal mods. Withe tube combo mentioned above I get great tone throughout the amp on both 'channels' and the pick-up selector on my Strat actually gives me different voices. So aging tone for $$ is good

Its never done me wrong so far - and I inadvertently ran the internal 8 Ohm (Carvin 100W BR12) speaker off the 16 Ohm tap from the OT for 2 & 1/2 years without doing any damage (that I am aware of) and used it for several loud gigs in that time. (I stuck a disconnected 1/4" Jack Plug into the extn speaker jack to activate the 8 Ohm OT coil tap when I found out that this switches the impedance - just to be on teh safe side). Any problems have turned out to be bad-tube related (so far). So reliability is pretty good

I never had to take it to Peavey for any reason - but the bloogers on teh Peavey website guitar amp forum (including some Peavey Staff and old experience techies) have been very helpful with troubleshooting. Soryy guys, I'd feel disingenuous giving out a perfect score for customer service - to anyone

been playing for 30 years - gave up trying to be 'pro' in 1986, took up amateur gigging again three years with other has-beens as mid-life crisis loomed, now just tryin to make the crisis pan-out for all its worth... so back to the amp - I'd give it 99/100 for value for money, reliability and versatility and (after tube tweaks) tone mojo

already well documented.

good clean sound. can't fault it. dirty channel has a nice broken up chimey sound to it. i also like the dirty channel on low gain at the point where it just about starts to break up. i play a jaguar and it seems to get on quite well with this amp. it even sounds ok on the "boost" setting, which virtually everyone has derided here. it's good for that really thin trebley single coil 60's vox sound. but if you turn the bass all the way up, and have the middle and treble on medium, it can do rock or metal or whatever. well, maybe not metal. but i don't really go there much.

bought it second hand. first off, the power tubes needed replacing. they had started to make this eerie breathing noise. this was fine, and to be expected.

this particular amp cuts out. it only cuts out for a few seconds though. then it comes back to normal. this happens usually when it has warmed up. maybe after 10 mins. maybe after 20. sometimes it doesn't do it at all. sometimes it will do it several times within the course of half an hour. it's very annoying. i've checked the effects loop. you can even plug a loop in, and it will cut out regardless of this. i suppose it could be the speaker connection? i don't know, i'm not an electrician. i've also replaced the preamp tubes, and it still happens.

it's also possible this cutting out has something to do with the reverb. the reverb doesn't work (properly) in my opinion. first of all, it has a hum. the hum could be normal to these amps, i don't know. and it doesn't increase with volume, and isn't really that loud. if you turn the reverb down, the hum goes. what i do know is that you can turn the reverb up full, and it's as if it is only on a very low setting. the other day, it kicked in full and there was lots of reverb. today, i've turned the amp on, and it's back to being really weak. i could live without reverb, but this is also quite annoying.

i'm really dreading taking this to a tech. because the problems aren't that apparent or obvious.

please contact me if you can shed any light on it. thanks

been playing a long time. if this suddenly dissapeared, yeah, i might buy another one. A NEW ONE, that is! not one that's developed faults and been passed onto me as 'perfect' by somebody who i now bear resentment towards.

the fact remains, you can get these for much less than orange, vox, fender etc etc

Made in the mid 90's this class a all tube amp has foot switchable clean & dirty channels, killer reverb and is perfect for the classic rock I play. The 30 watts is loud enough for small to medium venues and mic it if I neeed it louder.

My Classic 30 can go from fender glassy cleans to Marshall crunch to mesa over the top singing overdrive. I use Epiphone Elitist les Paul & Casino, Fender japan strat & tele, Agile gold top w/ P 90's and they all sound just killer with the Peavey.

so far so good

don;t know?

I've been thrashing away at the guitar for over 40 years and I've owned Buddas, Marshalls,Mesas,Dr Z's, Bogner, Fenders....and I've got to say...THIS IS THE BEST SOUNDING PH**KING AMP I"VE EVER OWNED and I only paid $300.00 FREAKING dollars for this tone machine and I'm BLOWN AWAY!!!!!!! FINE ONE! THROW IN JJ TUBES & A VINTAGE 30 and you'll be one happy camper! My search for "MY" perfect tone has ended with a measley 10 year old Peavey Classic 30 tweed in mint condition. Get one, you won't regret it!