Peavey Classic 30

Amp was made in 2004. Purchased in spring of 2004. Had it for a year upon writing this review.
Use it for contempory worship in church 2 to 3 times a week and practice.
See other reviews for overall features. Having one eq works well for me. I prefer simplicity. I switch from one to the other throughout a set and have found both to work well DEPENDING on the guitar I'm using. I play a 2003 strat, 2002 ash strat, & 2003 telecaster. All made in America. Each sounds fantastic. Will comment more down below.
Eq settings change tones dramatically with this amp much more than does the eq on my Fender Blues Junior.
I run it stock. Don't like the boost, never use it. Wish Peavey sold it with an amp cover and footswitch. But overall pleased with the features.
Very durable and attractive amp. Mine's tweed.

As stated play with Fenders but have used American and Korean PRS' through it and like it as well. Would use compression when playing the PRS' to not have to change volume from settings for Fender's.

Primarily a lead rythym guitarist in band.

I have discovered that I am very picky about TONE. Have tried numerous amps, simulators, etc. This is a great sounding amp, even stock! Much better than fender amps, as it has more warmth and growl than does the Fenders. That, though, is a matter of preference. Each channel works well with all of my guitars some better for different songs and sounds.

I keep my setup relatively simple. MXR dynacomp, EH Deluxe Memory Man, into the input OR effects loop. Sound is effected between the two. Warmer in the input, clearer in the effects loop. Again, a matter of preference.

I considered changing tubes and speaker upon reading reviews and tried Groove Tubes. Decided I liked the Sovteks better because they breakup nicely for me and kept the stock speaker. Changing the eq really changes this amp! Work with it, you WILL find a setting that takes you to your happy place. The shrillness you read of can be taken care of with eq adjustments without losing clarity!

I run the gain channel at 4 in the pre position and prefer it over any of the numerous distortion pedals I have tried. (Too many to list)
Overall sound reminds me of a Vox AC30 with the ringy, chimey, tones with a little dirt mixed in. More punchy than Fender and Traynor amps in same price range.

Haven't had one lick of problem with it. It's quiet even at loud volumes, reverb is excellent without any hiss, and it looks like its built for the road with metal caps on each corner and thicker than normal wood that I've seen on Traynor and Fender amps.

One negaive - when I turn the amp off with the gain channel on it pops slightly. Always turn off with the amp set on the clean channel, problem solved.

Great knobs, on / off switch, good channel and boost switch.

Haven't dealt with them.

Playing for 8 years and have had this amp for 1 year. Primary amp for me. Definately loud enough on its own but have always miked it to blend in for overall mix and recording. I love this amp and have considered buying another.

I would replace it instantly if it were lost or stolen. It's officially a part of my rig and sound from here on out. I am very particular about tones and this amp meets my requirements and less than $500!

I really wish it came with a footswithch, amp cover, and the thing that bothers me the most is the plastic nameplate PEAVEY placed on the grillcloth. Overall, great amp for church, rock, country, alt. rock, but not metal.

This amp was made before 2001. It's not with me at the moment, so I don't know the exact year. The amp is versatile enough for the rock, blues and comtemporary worship styles I play. It functions as a two channel amp, but it actually adds preamp stages to get the overdrive channel. I wish it would have a separate tone controls for each "channel," however since the mods have been done (see below) I don't miss the separate eq. There is an effects loop and reverb. It has a Boost switch too (which adds midrange and some drive), but it's tonally useless in my opinion. I had it modded to be used as a mid-sweep option (i.e. to lower the mid sweep, if desired). I use this amp for a weekly (rock worship) gig. The tube 30 watts are loud enough, but one may need to mic the amp for large venues.

The tones described here reflect two significant mods that I gleaned from the reviewers here (Thanks to both of them). The first mod is simply cutting the negative feedback loop (find details in one of the reviews below). Basically, it made the clean channel louder, a bit more fender-like, and added gain overall. The second mod is allowing more bass to come through on the overdrive channel (instructions are in another review below). This mod counteracted the complaints many have had about thin, bright distortion on this channel (Note: Good tones can be achieved from the amp stock, but with different eq settings. Now with these mods I can use the same settings for both channels.) I've had several other mods done, but I'm not using them now as the mods listed above give me the sound I was looking for.
I usually use the C30 with an Am. Strat (red, silver and blue Lace Sensors). It works well for rock and blues. The amp's not noisy. I can get a decent clean sound and a great tube overdrive. The gain is very adjustable from crunch at 6 to rock gain at 12. The clean channel will overdrive like a Deluxe Reverb when cranked up. Channel 2's distortion may not be enough for metal heads, but I can use it on 12 to play a Switchfoot tune without another pedal. My rating is considering the mods. It would be 7 or so without the mods.

So for so good. I do use it without a backup, but sometimes I think it would be good to have a processor on hand just in case. I've never had any problems with it. This is the second time I've owned the amp. I gave it away a few years ago so the tubes weren't changed for 3 years, but then I traded another amp for it back. However, it's been modded a bunch, so I hope it holds up. My tech friend could fix it though I believe.

Bought it used N/A.

I've been playing for, yikes, 26 years! I have a Marshall 4210, a Tech 21 TM60 (excellent amp), and a Tech 21 TM120 (the jury is still out on that one). My guitars are a stock Tele and LP Studio in addition to the Strat mentioned above. If it were lost or stolen this time, I don't know..., but, I did buy it again :) There's nothing I really hate about it. I really like that it's a light tube combo (40 lbs.?) and the tweed covering looks great! I also have the Tweed C112E extension cabinet that was designed to go with it. I don't use it often, but it works well to make a nice little stack. For the money, it's a decent tube amp.

Well, this being my first tube amp(I've since bought three more), I was very impressed with the jump from solid state.

While not the most versitle amp on the market, it really gets the job done for my recording purposes.

It has two channels, of which I only use the clean one. The distortion channel is very smooth with a nice breakup...but I stick to my pedals for distortion.

I use this amp almost exclusively in my home studio.

This is a perfect first tube amp.

Well, when I first bought it, I was using a Gibson Les Paul Special, which is great for really fat crunchy sounds, not doesnt sound the best on the Classic 30. I've since(it's been a few years) upgraded to a Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat(H-S-S pickup configuration) And it sounds great with it given the reasonable price of the amp.

This is a great blues amp...and luckily I play a ton of blues.

This is a very warm amp. It's not thin sounding like my '65 Twin Reverb Reissue. This isnt be very best clean amp...but if you're looking for a good, fat tube sound. This is it.

Like all(or most) tube amps, when you crank the clean channel, you get a nice overdriven sound.

For some reason, it feels like it's a little less dependable than my Fender Twin. I really cant put my finger on it.

None the less, I've never had to get it repaired(aside from retubing)

Never dealt with Peavey, and hopefully never will.

This is a great first tube amp. You'll be able to hear the difference from solid states the second you hit a note. I own a Mesa Stilleto(very nice hi-gain amp), Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue, and a Fender Deville 410.

If you're looking to buy a nice little tube amp, but dont have a ton of money, buy this. You won't be dissapointed.

USA, not all that versatile, but good for the styles of music we play, which include rockabilly, brittish invasion, surf, old time country, psychobilly, occasionally new wave, punk, or r & b. 2 channels, has channel switching, but we dont use it, we dont wish for any more features than it has, but it would be nice to make a few additions to it, like a tube guard, tube holder, and an upgrade in speaker (eventually) we use this at small bars in our psychobilly band with our ampeg going clean (this amp is not a clean amp) needs standby, for sure!

play a gretsch tennesean with tv jones, rickenbacker 330 with bigsby, dearmond x135 with all sorts of replacement pick ups. play every style with little or no switching, provided our stereo memory man and ampeg are on. the ampeg does the cleans, and the memory man splits the signal. not noisy at all. clean channel? what clean channel? we use the amp for more midrangey, slightly distorted tone, so the only way to get a trotally clean tone is to roll the volume down. the distortion is very very sweet! we like this amps distortion better than any marshall, mesa, or boutique pedals (and weve used tons over the years of each) the distortion aint brutal at all. very useable, provided the master (post) is cranked!

weve gigged with this amp on and off for the last 5 yrs. we usually gig w/2 amps, so if one goes, we can just go straight thru the other, but it never failed us in all the years we used it. we always service the amp, 2-3x a year, so thats never an issue!

never dealy with peavey, but we hear good things about them!repair never done under warranty, cause all music are a bunch of dirtbags, so we bring it to ny music repair, and they do everything at reasonable prices. we dont really worry about the warranty, tho, cause we got it used.

weve been playing for 15 years, we own a gretsch tennessean, rickenbacker 330, dearmond x135, ampeg reverborocket, vox ac15, 72 fender twin reverb. if stolen, wed find another peavey classic 30. we like the distortion, theres no clean, which is kinda annoying. we compared it with the crate class a 30 watt, laney class a 30 watt, and of course the vox ac 30. no match for the ac 30 (but then what ever is?) but better than the other 3 amps, and besides 1-12's go better together, when paired up like so. wish it had a standby, tube guard, tube tamer, brighter speaker

The features are self explanatory, I don't like the boost feature, to much midrange.

The amp sounds good on it's own, but like many others I replaced the speaker with a Jensen C12N. Wow what a difference! Everything is so much warmer and fuller, the highs are so smooth now, and the bass is so much tighter. If your looking for something a little different than the celestion barkiness check out this speaker. Both channels sound so much better, and the reverb sounds fuller. I tried the JJ El84's but the new sovtek EL84's sound better to me. I know that sounds crazy, but buy a set and hear for yourself, I play alot of different amps, the peaveys sound good with sovteks, most other amps I tried sovteks in sounded pretty bad, you just have to experiment. This is a great amp for rock and blues. It is so nice to be able to switch channels and not have to mess with the EQ. Something that you can't do with a Fender Blues Jr. or a Marshall DSL combo. I've had both of those and you could never get a happy marriage between the channels without knob twisting.

I bought this amp used and had to replace the reverb tank, I guess that is the risk you take buying used. Other than that I've had no problems.

I called Peavey a couple of times and you actually get to talk to somebody, what a concept!

I've been playing over 20 years. I've owned many amps, this is a good amp, with a speaker upgrade it is a great amp. It would be nice if it came stock with a Jensen and if they could take out some mids on the boost feature. I think this is a better amp than the Fender Blues jr. I owned that amp and traded it for this one, I am so happy I did. I would change the speaker in it before changing tubes and see if that will get it done for you. I would definitley find me another one if this were lost or stolen

This is a straight forward amp, and it is very good sounding right from the store, but there is some easy improwments that can make it sound even better.

My guitar is a Godin st1, and this is what i have done to make the c30 sound better. I have changed the tubes to JJ tubes, big improvement. Instead of changing the speaker as a lot of reviews have done, i have bought a Berhinger BG412H with Jensen speakers an plugged it to the external jack. With the cabinett plugged in it was easy to compare the internal speaker with the Jensens in the cabinett. The internal speaker sounded very hars and sharp, and the Jensens sounded mutch warmer and open sound. Now i had to get rid of the internal speaker so i just cut the wires to the internal speakers and soldered on a Jack plug (Shemale). Now i am playing only with the BG412H cabinett, and i think this sound is great. I had to pay the twice for the cabinett compared to a celestion, but i got 4 speakers and a flexible cabinett for this price. I got a lot of headroom with this set up, and i can play alot higer without destroying mye ears. I can even use more treble on the C30 now. i wil rekomend this easy mods to anyone.

this is an update to my previous review

i'm updating my previous review, in which i said that the amp was greatly improved using JJ tubes throughout and an Eminence Legend 122 speaker -- i've now replaced the Eminence with a Hellatone 30 from Avatar, which is a broken in celestion g12h30 -- i originally replaced the stock blue marvel with the legend because over a couple of years i got so i couldn't stand the blue marvel's sharp highs and blah mids - the eminence was a big improvement, but ultimately not what i was looking for -- i have to say that the Hellatone is it for me in this amp -- warm, thick sound, very smooth -- great for blues -- a bitch to lug around though -- 50 oz magnet (btw, the hellatone is ceramic and the legend is alnico, and the hellatone is warmer)

This is a very straightforward amp, so it doesn't come with a shitload of features. Plain and simple, 2 channel + boost. Sometimes simplicity is better though. One thing i'd love to see would be a separate EQ for the second channel, but it works fine as it is as well.

My main guitar is a 1980 Ibanez S540, I also used it with a fender fat strat, a les paul standard, an epiphone les paul, a starfield classic etc. The amp doesn't steal the guitar's own sound, which is often a problem. I wouldn't recommend it to metal players, unless you use a separate distortion pedal. You don't get really brutal distortion out of this thing, for rock/blues it's perfect. The clean channel has a really good sound, yet loses somewhat clarity when you reach higher volumes (starting around 5). The distortion channel responds very well to EQ changes, thus delivering a wide range of sounds, from warm, chunky blues to fat rock. The amp also responds great to changes in the dynamic of your playing.
The boost option pumps out a lot of mids, great for long sustaining leads. It also raises the volume dramatically.
When I go for high gain sounds, I blend the distorted channel with either a 90s proco rat or a tech 21 tri-o.d., it works really well that way.
The amp really starts to shine when you play it through a 4x12 box, especially ones with older celestions. You get a lot more low end that way.

I haven't had any problems so far. As with most open back tube amps, you have to be really careful during transport/loading/unloading etc, unless you want to bash the tubes out of the sockets. I recommend getting an amp case.

I haven't had any contact with peavey so far.

I definitely recommend this amp. you get a lot of sound for the buck, and it's a really versatile thing. I've been making music for 14 years, a lot of gigging and recording, and for smaller live situations i prefer lower watted tube amps, so I can crank the power amp a little more for good tube distortion. When miking the amp, you can use the classic in an arena, the sound is great, and the baby's pretty loud.
I play pretty proggy rock/metal, if you play metal then make sure you get a good distortion box, the amp is definitely not a high gain amp.
It's also very suitable for blues and fusion sounds (try playing around with the boost function). As I mentioned before - the only thing I'm missing is separate eqalization for the two channels, but since a lot of amps don't have it it's not a necessary thing.

I've had this amp for a couple of years now and I finally took it to a local tech who modded it for me as per the mods at blueguitar.org. My complaints were: with the clean channel there seemed to be this overall "cloudyness" to it, and the mids were rather harsh. the OD channel was harsh and spikey. Tube and speaker changes did help but not as much as I was hoping.

I just had the basic mods done to my amp and the differance between before and after is absolutely phenomenal. The amp is now fuller, clearer and louder. The clean channel has a beautiful overall presence to it and that bothersome mid frequency is gone. The mids push it out as they should but without that harshness. With the OD channel I can now get a great power distorion going where before I could'nt. It can still bite and cut but without all that spikeyness that was there before. The Boost switch now acts more like a tone shift. It cuts a tad of the bass out and adds just a slight mid boost. I now actually like using the boost switch with the OD channel. Because there is now a lot more overall bass I've so far found it best to keep the speaker housed in a seperate, closed back cabinet. Makes for a nice, tight bass. Your mileage may vary but so far (for me)it seems to be best. The reverb even seems to sound better now!

Overall these mods have really helped to unleash the hidden potential that lurks in this amp. I've been reading on various sites about how people loved what the mods did for their amps so I thought I'd give it a try. Damn glad I did too. I know Peavey will differ with my opinion, but I really think if they had a modded version along-side a stock version they may realize how much better this little amp can actually sound by just changing a few resistors and caps. The new parts only cost me $9.00 so it's not like we're talking about some extravagent change here. Even if they just did the basic mods along with an added presence control they would have a world class top seller. Peavey makes great stuff, so why not not make this amp even better?

Made 2003 I think - Peavey taken previous comments about valves being exposed and screwed a guard around them - good idea.
For the stuff I play - everthing, Jazz through soft rock, blues funk etc - need a very good clean channel. Details have been commented on elsewhere - the channel switching works but is a pain as commented elsewhere that you only have one set of tone controls - not very versatile.
The amp is really a single channel amp with a switched in additional valve gain stage. The high gain path (i.e. when additional 12AX7EH is switched in) is fair. Not to bad with the Tele but pretty awful honky with my backup guitar (Ibanez SZ320). So for the gritty stuff I use a Boss BD2 bluesdriver on the clean which gives a very nice overdriven, warm tone for chords and enough bite for lead work.
Use in both small pubs and bigger (stage) gigs - as noted below can't use clean channel much above 3 to 4 setting on vol for the clean chordwork so have to mike and put through PA.
Given I bought it because I liked the sound and it was cheaper by a long way compared to similar Fender Blues valve combos - I'll put up with the lack of two set of tone controls.
The boost switch I find a waste of space and have never used it. Given the footswitch (two switches) switch the gain stage in/out for clean/dirty and the reverb in/out - there is no remote way of switching the boost - so for live work it doesn't get used - again, would suggest take off and save the money.

For live use better to set up the clean the way you like it and get dirty with a pedal of some sort - this keeps everything simple and under control. Or you could put a little graphic into effects loop - if you like dancing on all the pedals - me, if I have to switch more than one thing at once from rhythm to solo I lose the plot.

The reverb is not great, certainly not as good as that on the little Fender Valve combos - but I tend to use delay rather than reverb which gets very muddy very fast - so the fact that the reverb is poor is no big loss. I think Peavey could leave the Reverb off - take the solid state part of the circuit out, give cleaner signal path and save money at same time. I wouldn't miss it.

Effects loop is fine - good for delay.

The great thing is it is small, and fairly light.

Only thing which would be nice addition would be tilt back legs (like the old Fenders) - however, givem most of time is spent on amp stand this no big deal.

Would be nice to have a cover thrown in to keep the %$#% out of the amp.

The score of 8 only reflects the bits which could be left off resulting, in my view, in an improved amp.

The clean channel is great until you get to 4 on the vol knob - then loses clarity completety - this with valves as supplied (12AX7EH) - OK in small pub but needs to be left at 3 and miked for big gig.
Also very bright - main guitar is old 70's Tele Custom with humbucker at neck which I use for breaks, and both (Hum + SC) for rhythm - so tend to have to put the treble down at 4 and the mids and bass up at 8.5 ish.

As others have commented - the stock speaker may not be a celestion - but it sounds fine - and I haven't been so dissapointed to replace it (if I hadn't liked the sound I wouldn't have bought it in first place). If/when the pre amp valves wear out I would probably put in lower gain 12AX7 valves in positions 1 and 3 (i.e. input valve and driver valve) and higher gain in position 2 (the high gain valve switched in on channel 2). To get better clean sound.

When playing live I tend to stick the amp over other side of stage - I have found that the Tele will give loud hum the closer you get to the amp - so you need keep good distance between your guitar and the amp. Other than this it is pretty noise free (bearing in mind I don't use the high gain stage much).

Given I am not into any kind of distortion beyond old rock - I can't comment on how good it would be for metal or other stuff. For cleanish jazzy the clean channel is great especially with a ES335. For Blues the dirty channel is also good and has reasonable range from grit to well overdriven. For rockier stuff the Boss BD2 on clean works better for me than trying to mess about with the pre- and post gain controls of the dirty gain stage - again set them, leave them alone and control everything from minimum of pedals.

Key measure here is you get what you pay for. I compared against Fenders (Blues Hot Rod, Deville), Bad Cat, Vox, Marshall etc etc - and for the money I liked what I got. This is a cheap valve amp no two ways about it - but it sounds great for the money. Over years (>35 of playing various styles) I've had Selmer T'n'B, Vox AC50, Fender Twins, etc I don't change very often - this amp does what I need with the minimum amount of messing about or additional pedals - it is simply a good valve amp doing what good valve amps do best.

The amp is good enough to get a variety of sounds from different guitars - main live guitar being the Tele Custom. I also use Gibson Les Paul Standard - good combination with Classic 30 for 70's rock, Gibson ES333 - good on clean channel for the jazzier stuff and also a nice "nasty" tone with the dirty channel. I find I get greater tonal range with different guitars than trying to do everything with one guitar and a load of knobs on an amp.... The Tele is never going sound like a Les Paul no matter what its played through.

Amp has sufficient tonal range to get what you need from different guitars.

Score 8 = sound / cash.

So far so good. Gigged live as main amp - with/without miking up. So no worries. I do take back up (a little Vox and also a POD in case something goes wrong both of which can be plugged into main PA) - but not yet had to use.

I do take spare 12AX7 with me but not had to use it yet.. will get spare EL84s soon to be on safe side. However, I don't play with everything on 11.

Not dealt with directly.
Bought from Manson's Exeter UK - good folks, let you try out everywhichway and compare with what you want until you are happy - good store.

Playing >35 years both acoustic (duos / trios) and more serious (three / fourpiece and bigger bands).

If lost I would reassess what was on offer and how much cash was at hand. Without disrespect to Peavey there are obviously better amps around - but they cost more.

As noted above this was compared to regular Fenders and more up market Bad Cat's (I wouldn't have bought the Bad Cat - this was just to compare the cheap amp to the most expensive in the shop). I chose it because it was warm clean tone, small, light, good price and the Fenders didn't sound #200 better.

Score 9 on value for money.

I find these reviews very useful to home in on stuff - but always try it out before buying.

Pretty basic features - just what you need. No frills. 2 channels (clean & OD), reverb, and an effects loop. Nice and simple.

Mine's a 2001 model:

For the money you can't beat the sound of this amp. I think the clean channel sounds great - nice overall tone - balanced EQ and lively - with some balls behind it. Works great with pedals too. There's also plenty of clean headroom as far as I can tell. Haven't run into a problem yet with my band. The OD channel is great too (although if you dime the preamp knob, it gets a bit noisy - but what amp with the gain knob dimed (and without a noise gate) doesn't get a little noisy?). The OD channel is great for blues or classic rock tones....it's not heavy enough for metal type tones, but your pedals thru the clean channel solve that problem. The OD is very musical, smooth and has that old school classic rock tone that I love. I can some great Clapton, Bad Co., and AC/DC type tones. I think the OD channel definitely works better with HB's rather than single coil pups...at least with my Strat, Tele, SG, and LP's.

The reverb sounds good...not quite as good as the reverb in my Fender Deluxe Reverb...but good overall. I don't use the boost button since it's not footswitchable....which is too bad.

Overall - the amp sounds great. I'm thinking about replacing the spkr with a Celestion Vintage 30...but I really don't need to touch it...or the tubes for that matter....sounds really good stock IMHO.

Overall the amp seems well built. But as many others have found with this amp - the EL84 tubes do rattle a bit from the cab's internal speaker sound hitting them. I figured that out by pushing up on the tubes after hitting a chord...the noise was gone after I pushed up on the tubes. So after very little research on my part, I found two guys that sell tube retainer devices for around $20. They are designed to keep the tubes from rattling so I'm hoping mine will do just that. Waiting for it to arrive. I think Peavey should have included this type of tube retainer with the amp, instead of using those lame tube holder clips which keep the tubes from falling out, but do not do anything to prevent tube vibration. Points off there.

Well I really didn't need another amp - I've got a Marshall TSL60, a Mesa Boogie DC-5, great sounding rack cube featuring a Rocktron Voodu Valve preamp and a Boogie 20/20 stereo power amp, a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12, Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Blues Jr., and a Roland JC-55.

But once I got my mind set on getting something small and portable that I could use at local jam sessions or smaller gigs, I decided to start checking out every 1x12 amp I could find. I love my Deluxe Reverb, for recording bright clean tones with an awesome sounding reverb you can't beat it..but I find that it's too brightly voiced for most live rock applications plus it's got no midrange - no body - and doesn't sound all that great with my OD/Dist pedals...the BJ is a great small portable amp that does sound great with my pedals, but at 15 watts it doesn't have enough clean headroom to use with my band....so the search was on. After trying out many 1x12 amps (including some that cost 7 times as much as what I paid for my Classic 30)...I found a used Classic 30 in mint condition at a local store. After 2 minutes of playing thru it in a sound proofed room, I knew I was taking it home...plus at $275 I thought it was a steal.

Great little amp. Many, many uses. No, of couse it's not the greatest sounding amp in the world - there are more expensive amps with better sounding clean tones and other amps with better sounding overdriven tones....but I'll say it again - for the money you just can't beat this amp. What an awesome little combo. Nice job Peavey!

Simple, straightforward amp. 2 channels (well, one channel, then more of said channel), shared EQ, spring reverb. It can get a wide range of sounds within the Fender/vox-y range, but probably not as versatile as some Mesa with 239486238 knobs on the front.

With the stock speaker or with a replacement, this thing rocks. We use it in my band playing live (along side a Fender Twin Reverb and old Ampeg V4b) and it keeps up great, both volume and tone-wise. It was also nice in the studio, not a tremendous amount of noise, even at higher volumes. It gets used with Strats, Teles, SGs, and Sheratons on a regular basis, and it does all those varied tones justice.
I wouldn't say it has "brutal" distortion, it's more of a crunchy overdrive, but it's more than enough for my uses.

The tube holders rattle, there's no tubeguard stock, and the damn handle keeps falling out. It always sounds fine once it's going, but having to carry it up to the stage like a box of laundry is irritating.

No idea.

I use it for myself in a home recording environment, and the guitarist in my band uses mine live at every gig and practice we play. I've never had a complaint about the sound. (even with the dreaded boost button pushed) I checked out a lot of the newer Fender tube amps and this stood up to them for significantly less $$$. And since I am a broke musician, that was a key aspecct. My bandmate would most likely replace this with the same if it were stolen, I'd probably buy an old Champ, since I only use it for studio work.
If only the handle worked, and the tubes didn't rattle, it would be just about perfect for our needs.

Update on my old review. See the reviews for Features.

I have replaced the stock speaker with a Celestion Vintage 30, bought a tweed Peavey 112E extension cab, and installed a Celestion G12H (70th anniversary speaker). The cabinets (the amp's AND the ext cab), should be thicker pine or birch, and larger in size - to improve overall projection. Still OVERALL a great amp. I have added a Marshall JCM2000 TSL60 with 2x12" Celestion V30s, and a Blues Junior (replaced speaker with a Music Man 70s era Alnico speaker). The Peavey gets alot less use than it used to considering I have the Marshall dialed in how I like it, BUT in my home studio, the Peavey is used in almost 75% of the songs in some fashion (the Marshall is used in 100% of the dirty guitar sounds, the Peavey for blend, or feedback, clean, or composites). With the speaker upgrades, the tone and percieved volume have jumped up a step or two. GREAT FOR LIVE SHOWS, loud enough to me (especially with the V30 speakers).

Still kickin'. The other 2 Classic 50s I have I sold to friends, and they are still using them!

Great amp for live. It has a great dirty and a great clean channel, plus using an EQ pedal in the series effects loop can give you more clean volume (try a dist pedal with any Volume or Level control to add a "third" "lead" channel).

I am going to de-simplify my live rig, so the Peavey just is not used as much as it had been (it will remain a backup, and great all purpose amp). I plan on having my Marshall for dirt, a Fender for clean, and a D.I. for my piezo "acoustic" pickups in my Electric guitars. All of these three options will simply be routed to the amp or DI box using a 4 way selector footswitch. The Peavey covers clean and dirty effectively, but I'm going for a step up on both.

Features covered in previous review.

This is an update to a previous review regarding speaker selections. I have recently tried a Jensen MOD speaker which claims to have a "British" flavor to it. This speaker worked quite well with this amp. The celestion G1230H has a open woody sound and gives the Classic 30 that classic blues/rock sound with a fuzz type of overdrive where as the Jensen has a tighter more focused sound. It caused the overdrive to lean more towards distortion. The Jensen was quite smooth while using the overdrive channel and worked even better at higher volumes. The clean channel was still chimey with the Jensen. I found the Jensen sounded a bit strange in the midrange at first but then I set the Mid range at zero and then added more as needed. The highs were smooth and well balanced and the speaker responded well to the amps tone controls. It's an inexpensive speaker worth playing around with but it has a different character or style than Celestions.

Amp is fairly new and no problems

Have not dealt with the company

It's a nice amp, I recommend trying other speakers and runnning it through different speaker cabinets. The guitars pickup and it's tone and how hot it is will effect the amps tone so try various ones till you find the match you want and you should be pretty satisfied.

2004 model, I have had it for about a year, nice clean tone, plenty of distortion for hard rock. A boost switch that works best if you use it for a different tonailty as it gives a fatter midrange, depending on the speaker and the guitar the boost switch is great other times it's not desirable.

I use an Epiphone Les Paul copy, Fender Esquire with Invader pickup, Fender strat. The stock pre-amp tubes are very bright and this combined with the stock speaker can make this amp shrill at times. The bottom end is weak and theres not much to be done about it. JJ pre-amp tubes helped the shrill highs but I prefered the new chinese pre-amp tubes (they are hotter, give a diferent type of distoration and have a different tonal response (Marshall like). They especially helped in tube slot 3 (V3) to pump up the distortion, however JJ's may be more musical. I did not like the JJ power tubes in this amp (I love them in my Fender Blues Jr.) as they were to midrangy and tended to make the amp sound like a solid state, so I mixed two JJ's on the outside with two Sovteks on the inside, will try Harmas power tubes next. I tried several speakers, an Italian Jensen which was horrible, a Celestion Vintage 30 which had too much midrange which I could not seem to roll off but it sure made this amp into a Rock amp! I tried a Celestion green back and got weaker bass muddy mids and fizzy treble, nice speaker in a 4X12 but not a match for this amp. I settled on a Celestion G1230H which seemed well balanced. The stock speaker had a horrible high end that never seemed to break up nice in the distortion channel. I finally got some nice bass by adding a second cab with another G12H. The two speakers helped to add the bottom it seem to be weak on. I recommend trying others speakers till you find what your after, perhaps Eminence. Theres not many amps out there in this price range that puts out the distortion this thing does and also has that chimy tube clean tone (though a little bright at times). Fenders still have that deeper rich bottom which really fills out guitar tones.

Reliability has been fine

I have not dealt with the company

I have been playing 5 years and have owned Fender Deluxe, Mesa Boogie F50, Peavey XXX, Peavey JSX, Pignose G60v, Fender Blues Jr., Marshall 6100 aniversary. It's a nice amp but needs some changes to get better sound (tubes, speaker). For the money I do not know of a better amp with such a nice clean and plenty of distortion.

Amp was made in 2004
It's versilate enough for me, my first tube amp.

Has 2 channels, clean and overdrive.
Has a boost switch wich increases the volume too much in my opinion and changes the character of the amp, I must say the amp sounds better without it with the volume pretty high.

Footswitch included, channel switch and reverb switch.
It has enough power for me, I use it at home and small gigs.

In my opinion this amp sounds great, it has a nice clean tone and if you turn the volume up on the overdrive channel it really kicks. not the best for metal though.
I use it for blues to hardrock.

I haven't had this amp for a very long time so I can't tell if its realiable on the long term but I can say that it looks reliable. The tubes are protected.

N/A

Ive been playing for almost 4 years now. I use a gibson les paul special.
I compared this amp with some other amps that were priced pretty close to this one, ENGL, H&K, marshall and they all sound nice but for the price I don't think you can go wrong with this one!

A footswitch for the boost would be nice, but I don't really use the boost that much.

This amp was bought new a couple of months ago (nov 04). The amp is versatile enough for what I play. I am in a blues and classic rock cover band and an all original hard rock/punk band . The amp has two channels and a third 'boost' switch, but it doesn't come with the 'optional' footswitch for reverb and channel-switching. Why this amp doesn't come with the footswitch is completely beyond me. I've been trying to track one down at every music store in the Baltimore area with no luck, so I had to order one (NOT pleased about that). I would have gladly paid the extra thirty bucks to have it included with the amp. Swiching channels by pushing the channel-switch button on the back panel of the amp is a major pain during gigs. I have been using this amp for gigs and rehearsals, and am a little dissatisfied with the overall output. I expected a little more , I had used a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for a couple of years, but it was always a little too loud for most clubs and small rooms, so I thought by dropping to 30 watts from 40 I would be in a comfortable area. Not so - I have this amp cranked at every room I have used it in , and am not happy with the results. When this amp is cranked up, it is NOISY , I mean EXTREMELY NOISY, obnoxiously NOISY . Maybe the speaker they supplied would be the culprit, as 30 watts all tube should be more than enough for any of the rooms my bands play (Even the larger ones, as it gets miked anyway). I don't know if it is worth going to the trouble and expense to find out, as I will most likely sell this thing in the next few months.

I'm using this amp with a Telecaser Custom (sc-hb),a Strat(sc-sc-sc) and a Blueshawk (P90s w/dummy coils). The amp suits the music I play quite well. Wish it had a bit more power. This amp with the preamp turned up on the gain channel is EXTREMELY NOISY. It doesn't matter what pickup combination you use, what guitar you are playing, how many stomp boxes (or none at all), this thing buzzes like all get out. The clean channel has a great sound, and cranked up it gets a little mushy. The gain channel has a decent overdriven sound, but it is so friggin noisy, you'll get tired of hearing the constant buzzing. Even though it means absolutely nothing, the knobs are cool "these go to 12" and I am running it between 9 and 10 constantly .

Don't know, but since I am pushing this amp pretty hard all of the time, I will probably find out. This thing is built like a tank (although it has no tube protection from the rear at all). Hope nothing finds it's way too close while it is in the trailer.

Haven't had the need, but overall because the amp requires an 'optional' footswitch, I have an opinion of the type of support they are giving me from the get-go.

I've been playing for 34 years, and have run through a mind boggling array of equipment. If this amp were stolen or lost, I would not replace it. I compared it to several other amps that shared similar fetures, I should have spent a little more and gotten something else. The price I paidfor this amp, after it is all said and done, is a little too good to be true, as this amp 'seemed' to be quite a bargain.

-Bought it slightly used from my guitar teacher, God bless him
-The amp is more than versatile for my style of music (blues-rock, classic rock, some jazz)
-Has 2 channels, wish it had a headphone jack, and seperate equalization for both channels, but i'm not complaining..
-I use this amp in my home, and jamming with friends...compared to a solid state amp, tube amps are so much louder

no nonsense or tricks, very simple to get the sound you want

-Using it with a standard strat and stock pup's (still shopping around for the right pickups)
-As stated above, this amp is great for my style of music
-With any strat, you'll get some buzz on the 1,3,5 switches, but that's just my guitar's fault, not the amps
-i've never been so compelled to write a review, this amp blew me away. The clean channel is excellent, the overdrive is probably the best feature. You can go from a hard rock to a smooth, bluesy sound with just a turn of a knob. The amp is very versatile..I could probably do without the boost switch though...
(I wouldn't recommmend it for metal or hardcore, obviously!)

I've only had it for a short time, but it seems to be holding up well..
I've heard that the handles on these have been known to come loose, but i'm not too worried

never dealt with them..i don't plan to!

I've been playing about 4 years, the other amp that I own is a marshall 30 watt with all the effects, but that thing is a toy compared to this...hands down the best 300 dollars i've ever spent.
If it were stolen or lost, i'd be devastated...i'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
For the price, this is probably the best tube amp you'll find on the market.

I LOVE IT!

The Peavey Classic 30 is an all-tube guitar amplifier. But you already know that. You probably also know all the other features and technical data so I won't repeat.

I will just say that it is (despite few knobs) a very versitile amp.
I play mostly metal so I boost it with a BOSS MT-2. It makes it sound great, not too buzzy at all.
The 30watts are more than enough for band practice and smaller gigs.
I got the tube guard stock.
The stock speaker is not the best, but I love the tubes.

Otherwise, I am completely satisfied with the features.

I'm using a two humbucker (Seymour Duncan JB on bridge and an old 80's Gibson humbucker taken from a Les Paul standard on the neck position) mahogany body bolt-on neck custom hand made guitar. The clean through the neck position is just brilliant. Extremely smooth yet with loads of definition. The overdrive is very dynamic and bluesy and it works very well. When boosted the amp delivers more than enough distorsion even for some really brutal metal (I tried Deicide - it worked). The clean stays clean if you play clean. Again, the amp is very dynamic. There's almost no audiable noise except tube rattle (which was to be expected). Sometimes it compresses the sound too much for my taste but that's probably the speakers fault. With the JB coil tapped I can make great SRV-ish sounds.

I must say I was surprised by the sound quality.

Never had problems. The tubes are functioning without maintanance

Never deakt with them.

For this kind of money it is undoubtfuly a best buy. I compared it to many solid states in this price range but none could match it. I love this amp and if it were stolen I would most likely buy it again (or maybe the Classic 50).

2004 Peavey classic 30. Here's what it features: 30 Watts (12 inch Blue Marvel speaker), 2 channel preamp (push switch or optional footswitch), 3-band passive EQ, Push boost switch, and Reverb.

This amp is quite small, but it delivers a good load of sound. It's only 30 watts...no need for more. I played in many venues (from 50 to 900 people) and it delivered everytime. In practice and on stage I keep the volume around 3 (on stage it's miced, and the soundman always tells me to crank it down).

I don't quite understand the boost button since you can use any footswitch to control it...

And why doesn't it come with a footswitch for the channels?

The sound is very good. Pure tube amp that is warm and dynamic (you can play it smoothly or make it scream). This amp as the depth only tubes can give you. I use it with a Epiphone dot and it gives me crunchy clean sound (but not to chrunchy). With my strat it gives a good ringing sound.

i used to play with a fender performer 1000, a transitor amp, and it cannot be compared with the classic 30. the tubes make all the difference.

I'd only have it for 4 months so I can evaluate it's reliability for now.

NA

This amp is the perfect little tube amp I was looking for. I first though about buying an old fender twin, but they are rare and expensive. This peavey is easy to carry around and sounds really warm. Perfect for the folk-rock music I'm playing.

this amp doesnt have many features but hey-I like simplicity over 20 knobs and 5 channels and 150 effects w/ 200 amp/cab models. its your basic 2 channel ALL TUBE amp w/ and FX Loop and Reverb. i think this thing was made for me!!

i have a Les Paul w/ Gibson Dirty Finger HB in bridge w/ a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck and this amp sings to me! in line with the amp (in order) are: Classic 30>>>BOSS SD-1 Super O/D>>>Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (NYC)>>>Dunlop Crybaby Classic Wah>>>>>>Les Paul. Then in the FX Loop (in order) are: FX LOOP>>>MXR Phase 90 (modded by FX Doctor- "Script mod, True-bypass, and a hella bright Blue LED that pulses to the speed of the Phase only cost me $55!)>>>BOSS DD-3 Delay, and BOSS BF-3 Flange>>>>FX LOOP. This amps dist. sounds AWESOME by itself but w/ the SD-1 it gives you the Zakk Wylde sound. W/ the Muff its sorta a reminicant of Jimi...great for solos. The clean channel is nothing like a Fender but for $405 it think it kicks ass. i play mostly heavy rock like AC/DC, Metallica, Led Zepellin and Guns N' Roses. This amp can cover my area but if you are into Megadeth or any of those speed metal bands you might want a pedal or look elsewhere (prob. Solid States) but for me-this amp totally rocks and will blow any solid state or amp modeler outta the water!

it seems durable, but ive only had it a week so its hard to say. i wish it came w/ a tube protector though...wouldnt want them babies to be shattered--what a tragety that wood be!! :-O

never dealt w/ em

I've been playing for 2 yrs. and all ive had was a Peavey Rage 158 solid state 15watt prac. amp and a Metal Zone. i KNEW i wasnt gonna get another solid state. i heard that once youve owned a tube amp and are accustomed tothe tone youll never go bakc to SS's. theyre right. also- the Reverb really brethes life into my tone ---ecspecially whem i palm mute the speaker seems liek its bout to rip apart. VERY great dirty channel alright clean channel but i hardly ever use clean by itsself so it doesnt matter. the clean sounds best w/ Reverb on bout 6 or 7 and my modded Phase 90 w/ the Coil Tapped Neck pickup.

2003 Classic 30. This is my second one, the first lived a rough life of beach weather, drink spillage (stupid drunks who get anywhere near the stage should be shot!), and animal fur (we now keep all the gear in a seperate garage). I've had this one for almost a year now, retubed it with JJs before even turning it on, put in an Eminence V12 (Vintage 30 style) after a couple months. Wish it had independent channels with seperate EQ and gain controls. 30 watts of tube power hasn't let me down in the last 5 years for medium sized bars and clubs. Have used it outside quite a few times too, just slap an SM57 in front it and your good to go.

Guitars cover the 3 basic food groups: standard single coils, Soapbars, and Humbuckers. Used with the matching 1x12 extension speaker which I replaced the stock speaker with an Eminence GB12 (Greenback style). Lots of pedals from wah, chorus, vibe, fuzz, trem, eq, boost, and volume. The only pedals that matter for this review are the Danolectro Mini EQ and MXR Micro-Amp. I like a British tone that leans more towards Marshall than Vox and that is where the EQ pedals come in. You can get a poor mans Vox tone from the dirty channel with modest EQ settings (B-5, M-8, T-5). This is my starting point. From here I use the EQ to create a smooth mid-curve boost (makes it tonally similar to utilizing the amp's boost switch but is much smoother, less noisy, and allows more gain...the boost switch has a tendency to smack the amp with a noisy ugly stick). The boosted mids, along with the GB12 in the extension cab give me a nice fat tone that is similar to an old Marshall if not as sweet. The strats sound like they have P-90s, the guitar with P-90s gives a nice snarl, and the guitars with humbuckers are real smooth. Overdrive pedals do not really sound all that great through these amps in my opinion. Makes them sound kind of fake. However, the Micro-Amp is great for taking the dirty channel from Led Zepplin to Van Halen or STP because it doesn't really fool with the EQ, just drives the signal. Makes a nice volume boost on the clean channel for clean solos.
For my tastes, the amp sounds better with the tube and speaker changes and there is only one thing that I miss. The amp doesn't really compress as much at the volumes I play at like the old one did that I had left stock, but the overall tone is much more pleasant to me.

I have to depend on it, its my only amp. I've gigged with it for a year with no problems (gigged with the last one for 4 years with only problems coming from microphonic tubes and the junk that got inside the chassy...just keep it clean!). The new models are being shipped with nice little faux leather covers...they look nice and keep the pet hair from mucking up the stuff. I'm not going to worry about this one the way I had to for the other one.

Never dealt with them, nor will I hopefully.

Been playing 10yrs. Various pedals, Marshall VS65R (practice amp...will NEVER play this live...lifeless solidstate with no volume or punch compared the the C30) and some strats, epi's, and a custom handmade Dodson Sharky's Machine guitar. Been playing Rock (50s-early 90s), Blues, and some Motown with this rig and it has been able to cover the distance for me. Still wish it had independent channels with seperate EQs but hey, its an inexpensive amp that has a decent tone and is easily modded or upgraded. If it was stolen I would be out an amp until I could afford another...would have to borrow from pops (not so bad considering he uses either Blackface Tremolux piggy back stack, Bandmaster head, or Deluxe Reverb...all original except for a Vintage 30 in the Deluxe Reverb). Didn't compare with anything else to speak of...the first one was good enough for me to want another. Learn the basics of EQ adjustments and their effect on tone, then apply that to whatever you have...I assure you that it will sound better. Enjoy

I've had two, both made in the mid-90s, and both purchased used. I used the first playing in cover bands that did Reggae, another did Southern Rock, and I used it for Jazz recording at home. The second one has been used exclusively in a very loud Southern Rock band. These are single-channel amps, with a distortion circuit that kicks in when you hit the footswitch, not a true two-channel amp. It works just fine, though. Most people don't know the difference. It shares and EQ section, but I have NEVER had an issue getting two usable sounds - good clean and good dirty - out of it. It has a footswitchable reverb and a chassis-switchable boost circuit that I don't really care for. Please note ... this is the LOUDEST 30-watt amp I have heard in twenty-five years of playing. I single Classic 30 will hang unmic'd in a band situation. I'm using one C30 right now, and I don't use the boost switch, and I have never had to turn it above SIX (halfway). It will gig just fine, and it is as loud as any 50-watt combo made. It doesn't get a TEN because it shares an EQ, even though that isn't a problem.

The Classic 30 has one of the most beautiful cleans of any amp, even my Fender Vibrolux. It hangs with Fender cleans any day, and I know becuase I have owned three Fender tube combos (Twin, Vibro, Showman).

The Classic 30's dirt channel/circuit is a bit more American-sounding than British (cranked Fender), but you can get a Marshall tone out of them with Humbuckers.

With my Classic 30s, I have used a Les Paul, Epiphone Shereton, American and Japanese Strats, custom-made Strat copies, Ibanez jazz boxes, and even a Precision Bass through them. Humbuckers, single-coils, and Filtertron-style pickups all sound great through it.

The Classic 30 is usable right out of the box, but a speaker change (I use an Eminence Greenback clone) and a retube (JJs) sends it off the map. The Classic is very sensitive to speaker and tube changes and you can make it Vox-ish with a Weber Blue Dog and EI tubes, Fender Blackface with a heavy Jensen or the right Eminence and JJs, or Marshall-ish with Groove Tubes and a Celestion Greenback or Vintage30. It's very versitile, and even stock you can dial in very good tones, even though the distortion tends more towards classic rock, and not metal. This amp will do metal, but you'll have to stick a pedal in front of it.

I have dragged, dropped, beaten, and banged four Peavey Classic amps all over the east coast and I have never had so much as a tube rattle. I bought three of mine already well-used, and still ... the have served without a hiccup, even after being left in trunks, left in cars in the cold overnight, left in too hot rooms, left on for hours by accident ... you name it ... I've done it. The faithful little beasts always fire up with a complaint. Peavey builds the most reliable amps ever made ... period. Considering the sheer number of Classic 30s and 50 that have been sold, you should hear about more of them actually exploding due to the law of averages. But you don't. They just keep plugging along.

Well ... here's where things get sticky. I have never had to contact Peavey due to an amp problem - even though I've owned eight Peavey tube amps - but I have ordered parts to build an extension cabinet. I'm afraid it has been a disappointing experience. Everyone says they're great with product issues, but for ordering stuff ... they sick. Sorry.

Since there is no ELEVEN, the Classic 30 gets a TEN. I am not praising my latest wonder toy the first week I get it, like some reviewers. I'm relating my experience across eight years with Peavey Classics. If it were stolen, I would be glad Peavey had another convert, and I'd go pick up another C30 for $300 and never miss a beat. In my humble opinion, based on twenty-five years in the business, Peavey tube amps in general are the most reliable, best-sounding, most flexible amps made. For pure rock and roll crunch, the very reliable Marshall JCM800 cannot be beat. For clean Jazz and Blues alone, Fender tube amps are the most dependable, best-sounding amps for this alone. But for a do-anything amp, and one that your grandchildren will still be playing when you're wearing diapers and sitting in a rocking chair ... the Peavey Classic is IT! They can get a decent approximation of almost any other amp, they sound good when doing their own special thing (and it is distinctive), they are more affordable than anything made that half decent, and unless you get the one out of each thousand that statistically goes haywaire ... they will last forever.

Purchased in September 2004 - built in 2003 I think.
Is sold as a Blues Amp and that's what it is.
Two channels I guess - but only one set of EQ's (that'll do me.)
Features are fine - although 16 ohm speaker out is a bit odd.
It doesn't need any more features - I just want tube tone and volume.
I use the Amp for practice (and to annoy the family and hated neighbours).

Power - I think Rolls Royce prefer not to quote power output. "Adequate" is their description, and quite accurate for this baby also.

Main guitar is a Fender FMT Tele with twin Humbuckers and coil tap.

Blues of any style really. Current favourite though is The Black Keys and this Amp has the grunt to emulate their nasty sound.

Amp is noisy with the gain cranked and/or with reverb up near the max. Best sounds I have found are through the clean channel with a Boss Blues Driver rammed therein. Effects loop is also noisy with my Digitech RP50 plugged in - maybe different tubes will improve this aspect but money situation dictates I wait until the original tubes cark it before I spend any more money. (Fitted tubes are all Sovtek, although one is badged as Electro-Harmonix "Made in Russia".)

Quote from Dave Gilmour - "Where would rock and roll be without feedback."

I am a learner so gigs of any sort are currently a bit of a dream. Based on what I hear, this Amp should be fine without a back up.
I have only owned the Amp for 4 weeks so reliability is not an issue yet.

Haven't used Peavey support. With any luck I won't have to. As I live in Australia I will probably have to resort to the local supplier--- may your favourite Deity help & support me.

Been playing about 5 years. I also own a Fender Squier Strat (Hank Marvin version) about 1990 vintage, a Danelectro U2, an Epiphone Biscuit Resonator and a no-name Electro-Accoustic. Also have a cheapo Theremin but that may not count in this company. I have a Vox Pathfinder and a really nasty Danelectro Dirty Thirty.

If this Amp was stolen I would get another for sure. This is my first tube Amp and there is no comparison really to solid state stuff - the Classic 30 sounds so "alive" by comparison.

Anything else I'd like to share? Yep, buy the Kill Rock Stars album by LiLiPUT/Kleenex if you'd like to find out how great two chords can sound.

Basically a twin 30 x watt class B valve amp.Comes complete with footswitch and the capacity to run another speaker cabinet.Comes with switchable reverb and finished in a retro tolex.
I wanted a back up amp to take to gigs, use at home and for band practice so I could "save" my mesa boogies.

Very pleased with the sounds and power available.A very good clean sound with decent headroom and a very decent O/D channel.This amp will cover everything from hard rock to coutry and western with ease.Although its rated at "only" 30 x watts has bags in reserve to cut through and doesn't need miking up for average venues.
The only mod Ive made is to swop the stock speaker which was possibly its weak point for a Celestion G12 which has given the amp more grunt.

This is its strong point.It came with sovtek valves plus a few more mods that peavey have carried out due to customer complaints due to the potential of damaging valves as they were exposed.
Ive had it a year now.Its been thrashed within an inch of its life and hasn't flinched.The build quality is A1 and the internals seem more than up to the job.Ive swapped one microphonic pre-amp valve.Thats all.

I did e-mail them once and got an immediate responce.

Ive been playing for 30 x years and owned numerous amps.Marshall stacks,DSL's ,vintage,Valvestate, VOX, Mesa Boogie, Line6,ENGL.Don't be put off because its a Peavey ( I nearly was).This is an excellent little amp, sounds fantastic and will do anything you want.Its also built to last.