Peavey Classic 50-212

I think all of the features have been listed already...

From memory,

Fx loop
Two channels
Spring Reverb
3 band EQ and 'presence'
two inputs (bright and normal)
fan cooled
x4 power valves
x3 pre-amp valves

Erm, think thats about it really. As far as features go this little beauty isn't crammed with features you don't really need.

If you're buying this amp to get a tube sound then it's likely that you've been around long enough to not be impressed by all those in-built effects you get on amps nowadays to sell them.

This amp has what it needs, EQ, pre and post volume channels a (useful) master volume button and an FX loop. So its not JAMMED with features, but then hey who needs them.

In one sentence: this amp sounds absolutely lovely. Stunning.

I'm using this with a USA tele and a couple of external effects, but that takes nothing away from this amp.

This the first tube amp i've been able to afford, and it is a real eye opener.

Starting with the clean channel:

Now I was a little pessimistic about this before it arrived, as I had to sell my fender solid state to pay for this. However any fears I had were soon dispelled after a 5 minute tube warm up. In the normal setting with the presence switch up just over halfway this amp has almost as good a sound as my stage 100 did. I say almost. The sound is a little fuller around the middle and not quite as bright, but don't think that I'm saying it's muddy, it's just a little warmer than a fender. The bright input is pure fender. Very clean, very trebly but with less mids. I find that the bright input works nice on an electro acoustic where strings are more picked. It has a very nice sharp top end.

The amp stays clean right up until it starts getting painful to the ears and by then I couldn't hear anything, let alone distortion.


Now for the serious part. The overdrive on this baby sounds great. With the post gain turned up about half way you get mild overdrive sound that is very bluesy and sounds great for when you're twanging the thick end of your tele. Turn it up a little bit more and you have the nicest sounding overdrive. It's not harsh at all, its warm, smooth and full of mids. Sounds vintage, think the black keys. If you do get this amp I doubt you'll want to turn the post gain up to the full 12 (yes 12!). It doesn't give that full on distortion boosty sound associated with metal solos, but just sounds like an overdriven mess and spoils the sound of the amp. Best to lay off 1 or 2 notches for a nicer OVER overdriven sound.

This amp is perfect for blues, indy rock, a little bit of rock, maybe a little surf (spring reverb is good), and basically any types of music where a lot of mids and a thick sounding overdrive would sound good. I play a lot of blues rock and this baby smokes.

This amp wouldn't be suitable for what the untalented like to call 'metal'. Sorry folks, I just never fell into that crowd, and that crowd wouldn't appreciate this amp. Plus if you don't like the whole vintage thing, probably not best to buy a tweed twin-combo :).

Funny story.

I bought this amp on ebay and paid about #32 for delivery. I even rounded it up to #40 to get some decent packaging and a box.

It arrived 5 days later, wrapped in giant bubble wrap and then in torn brown paper. Upside down. The courier rolled this thing into my house, end over end until it landed with a 'thump' on my hall floor. Uh-oh, I thought.

I was AMAZED to find it, not only in one piece and great condition, but it worked too. My best guess is that this beast can take a beating if you'd want to give it one, and I think it had taken one because the corners were all dented.

It hasn't stopped working yet; after 1 month.

Only needed to ask a few routine questions... logged onto the Peavey forums and had my questions answered by a peavey tech by the end of the day. Can't really ask for anything better than that. I've read a few posts and they're really helpful.

Haven't had to deal with peavey direct just yet. touch wood.

Overall, I love this amp. I was lucky enough to get this second hand for a cool #300. Bargain of the year in my opinion, although having heard it myself if it were stolen I WOULD pay the full #600 for a brand new one if I could. The only point about that is that although I'd RATHER pay #300 for a new one (a la USA) but us brits have to make do with #600.

If you can find one second hand for under #400 then for gods sake buy it before someone else does. You won't regret it. I didn't, and now I'm constructing a matching 212 speaker cabinet for it to sit on.

Enjoy.

reverb. pre- and post-gain. bright and normal inputs. tweed cabinet.

in smaller, more intimate, bluesy settings, this sounds really really good and accommodates that style of music. breaks up nicely. sounds a little thin. humbuckers can really break up the tube sound on high volumes. I use it in a rock band now and notice that it sounds a little thin and tinny in comparison to the tube amps with the larger power tubes. This is NOT a good metal amp. This is an amp that will reveal your mistakes if you make them, so play clean and hard. If you prefer a moderate gain sound it's good. If you want that buttery smooth distortion for metal leads, avoid. Have yet to play an amp that was as forgiving with lead guitar as the Peavey Stereo chorus 212 which can be had for $150 used.

typical. . replaced the power tubes when they started breaking up bad after several years of play. No shorts or crackles of any kind. i severely push the volume on it, and the speakers remain intact. To be on the safe-side with tube replacement, i purchased the exact tubes i took out which are sovteks. Peavey doesn't want you doing this yourself. it's pretty congested in there and i hit the wrong piece of metal and shocked the crap out of myself. unplugged even. i mean SERIOUS electric shock. burning hair.

I own several JC-120s. This is easily a better amp than those. It's much nicer than the Peavey solid-state stuff in the same combo. New, I've seen these run $800. For that kind of money i would serious look into something with a thicker sound. If you pick one up used for under $400, you got a sweet thing.

Bought it second hand, but it's black, which I gather means is fairly new. Still on its original set of tubes too.
Wish it had an eq for each channel - i like the clean channel scooped, and the lead channel with a bit more mids (not too much, because as others have mentioned, this amp seems to be born with a lot of mids).

First off, i'd better say I got new speakers put in, Celestion vintage leads i think? They've made a difference that, although noticeable, is not black and white, but is i guess worth it for the price.

use a MIA deluxe strat HSS (humbucker in bridge).
the neck pickup is naturally, a very middy pickup... using the clean channel, with the amp playing by itself, i dont like the tone. however, when i play with friends, it comes through strong, and sounds great. when playing alone, i use the 2nd position, neck and middle pup, sounds awesome.

ive just realised theres a heap of info below on all these features etc... so, im going to write about what i was worried about when i bought this amp - it, compared to a fender hot rod deville.

i've got a friend who plays a MIA tele deluxe thru a deville, and i play with him a lot. ive tried his amp, and ive heard it a heap, so i feel somewhat qualified to talk about the difference.

lead first... the peavey is 10x better, no question. at all levels of distortion/gain, anyone with an ear would choose a peavey. if you'd prefer a pedal, then of course it's a different question. btw, with distortion more than clean (at least to my ears) crank the peavey, and it sounds a lot better.

clean - i set up both amps side by side, spent some time fiddling to get an approx. equal sound, and used my strat thru both. for an unbiased opinion, i had our drummer there too. we both agreed there was definitely a difference, and we both agreed it was just personal preference as to which was 'better'. the peavey was... thinner... more delicate... lots of adjectives, some good some bad.

the fender had going for it slightly better reverb, and (i THINK, not sure) a bit more power, at least until i got new speakers in the peavey.

overall, id prefer this amp. used to use a rat pedal, until the amp distortion grew on me. its not hardcore, although if you scoop the mids it almost gets there (dont look for compressed tinny shit though). it gets to about weezer... big fat sound. would love to hear it through a 4x12

still on original tubes, an amp technician i talked to said its great for reliability because the fan cools the tubes (longetivity) and something about a chassis and tubes and they last longer.
oh, the 'on' bulbs gone... dont really care.

for the money, great value. especially since the clean is so comparable to fender, and the distortion is better than a lot of pedals ive tried.

made in 2003 has 2 channels with one eq section......has a pressence control which is nice, and a pre and post gain on the the lead channel, as well as a master volume for the whole amp....takes a little while to figure out how to get the tone you want out of it, but it is very usefull.....reverb is good (not great but very good)....comes with a footswitch for channel select and reverb, and also has an effects loop on the back

i really love the way this amp sounds.....some people say its just ok, or you get what you pay for, but i think you get a lot more than what you pay for....i also see a lot of people compare this amp to the fender hot rod series, and although they are similar, i really dont think there is any comparison....this amp is much much warmer...the hot rods sound extremely harsh to me....
the clean channel on this amp is very warm and stays clean at almost any volume level, great for everything from jazz to funk....the only thing i dont like is that its almost impossible to get to break up when you play harder.....but for that sound i have a nice frantone brooklyn overdrive...expensive overdrive pedal, but killer killer sound......
the lead channel is sweet, and this is where i really think it outshines the fenders....it really can be fat and huge, and still stay warm....great for hard heavy rock, and even metal with the right guitar....throw on some reverb and you get a really really nice singin lead tone
my only let down with the amp is its responsiveness.....wish i could do the vox thing....turn the amp up loud, and then play with guitar volume.....but it just doesnt cut it

built solid solid solid.....no worries

actually have to call them today about something, so well see

been playin for 10 years and ive owned and played through everything from really cheap old solid states, to really fancy boutique class a tube amps......money is a big issue for me so i couldnt afford a very high end amp...i did a lot of research and a lot of testing out of products, and i really loved this amp the best.....very versitile....not world class tone, but very very good tone....sturdy and road worthy, and most importantly, very musical.....if price is not an issue with you get a badcat(they are the best!) but if your a little more practical like me (ill wait till im famous and then get a free badcat!) you should seriously consider this amp....much much much better than ANYTHING in its price range

I bought this amp new about one and a half years ago.It has two channels, switching via a footswitch. I play in a band that keeps a bunch of gear in storage so that nobody has to lug their stuff to gigs.We play mostly dance oriented stuff, from jazz standards to R&B, and a few rock tunes. I wanted a reasonably priced amp that sounded pretty good. I also wanted something that wouldn't break my heart if destroyed by roadies. It has plenty of power for what I do in this band. I never turn the channel volume past five(it goes to twelve, better than Spinal Tap!). It's tubes, which, as an old fogey, is the only way I go.

I mostly use my '66 Telecaster. It's all original. Once a month we play in this club in Manhattan with the worst wiring in the world. The single coils in the Tele sound like someone next door is being fried in the electric chair, so I bring my '75 Strat and always keep two pickups on to cancel the hum. That's the guitar's problem, not the amp's. The amp does okay, tonally. Peaveys tend to be a little heavy in the midrange, but I've kind of gotten used to that. The high end is not the greatest. To me it sounds a little harsh, and not as musical as I'd like. My main amp is a Tone King Comet 40B, which cost me 2 to 3 times what this amp cost, and sounds at least 2 to 3 times better. I didn't want to spend that kind of dough again and then put the amp into the hands of roadies, so I got this. The Classic 50 can get some nice warm tones in the clean side, and the lead side is okay. I don't play with a lot of distortion, and I can get a good fat lead sound out of it. The reverb is pretty nasty, though. It has some kind of a ringing overtone happening. The more I think about it, the more I think the reverb is a real drag in this amp. Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for.

The amp has never broken down. I never bring a backup, either with the Tone King or this one. When I first got it the reverb just about stopped working. I brought it into the store, and the tech discovered that a wire in the reverb unit got jammed in a weird place and was preventing the pan from moving. He pushed it out of the way, and I was on my way home. That was my only trip to the repair shop.

I haven't dealt with Peavey, so I can't comment on their performance. The reverb repair was done under warranty, and the store was close enough to my house to keep me reasonably happy. I forget how long the warranty is, and I'm too old and tired to find the papers right this minute.

I've been playing for 37 years. I've done a lot of gigs, including NYC recording and jingles, Broadway, world tours, arranging and producing, teaching in universities, etc. I own my Tele and Strat, a '66 Super 400, a '66 Epiphone Casino, a Guild D35, a 1970 Twin Reverb, an old Fender Champ, a Gibson Varitone amp, and a bunch of other stuff. If this amp were stolen I'd probably check out a Hot Rod De Ville. A couple of my friends have one, and it seems like a nice sounding reasonably priced amp.

This is an older version, black vinyl and brushed aluminium sides. No effects loop, separate speaker output. 50 honest to God tube watts. Two channels. I use the clean only and an OD pedal as the built in OD is too dated and fuzzy.

I use a tele ( American) and a tele custom and a les paul studio. This has a shimmering clean tone. It is a very quiet amp. The distortion achieved by overdriving the channel and lowering the master volume is cheesy. It breaks up nicely on the clean channel and that is what I use. I don't like a complicated setup, as I play and sing lead and harmonies. I'm too busy to dick around on stage, and believe I am there to entertain the crowd not the other way around. So I need an instant workable and rich tone. This amp gives me that.

It is great for rock, country rock and sometimes a suped up folk tune or two. Who cares if it plays metal? I used to have bad technique too. Just practice more.

It is a great amp and built like a tank. I had a PA head by these guys that I used for 20 years. Finally had to sell it for what I payed for it as I could not break it and just got tired of looking at it. That's reliable.

Basic amp anyone can fix ( but me that is). I take care of things and expect no problems.

Beautiful clean sound. I added a 15" black widow cabinet that was designed for a bass amp. I'm not sure I will lug both of them around as they are larger and heavier than a marshall half stack. However if I want some inspiration I just add the bottom and think clean and round....and get sidetracked again. Well worth $600.00 U.S.

50 Watts RMS into 16 or 8 Ohms
Fan cooled
All-tube: 3-12AX7 and 4-EL84
2 channel preamp
Normal and bright inputs
Pre- and post-gain controls on lead channel
Active presence control
3-band passive EQ (bass, middle, treble)
Master volume control
Standby switch
Reverb level control
Effects loop
External speaker capability
Footswitch selectable channel switching and reverb
Tweed covering material
Chrome-plated chassis

:)))))))))

I play Rock music, and dirty blues riffs (Muddy Waters, Hendrix, SRV, KING X, Savatage, ........ Slayer)
I use Gibson SG with Dimarzio Virtual Paf and Drop Sonic. I am in love with this instrument. Drop Conic Kiks Ass (at least ass of my previous Duncan Distortion) It is tuned down to C. And a use a 1976 Fender American Standard Strat with 2 texas Specials, and a Dimarzio Air zone. (EADGBE Monstercaster).
Sorry to tell I love it.
Not enough Drive?? Buy guitar!! Yes I accept if U use Single coil instrument, or something, with crappy humbuckers U need an Eq stomp box. But I never experienced it with my guitars.
I play Diabolus, and God Hate Us All Slayer Classics without any problem. Killng Thick Rock tone.
Extremely Loud. Clean Channel is nice full, great dynamics, Vox kind (not that, but similar). I played Fender Deville 60 w 212 for years. I still dont understand why people are always comparing them. Not the same class. Deville is a good blues amp, but Overdrive was very bluesy even with "more drive" as that is an overdrive. If I wanted to play metal or harder rock I had to use stomp boxes, or my mesa V twin. Classic50 is a plug in and enjoy rock Amp. If the master is under 4-5 U may need an EQ, but nothing else. Above 5 U need nothinng, jut a good guitar! 2nd chanel is not a tipical british blues overdrive, it is thicker and faster, built to Rock, we can nam it distortion, with overdriven feeling.
I accept Reverb and Presence has not a great effect under Master (post gain) 3.

Never broke down. I am not that kind of home player!

no contact

Great for price, if U want to rock hard, and play mellow dirty blues.

Year 2000, Music style: Rock, Soft-rock, pop. The features has been cover. I use the clean chanel only, use a Digitech GNX 2 for pre-amp and effects.

Tube, Tube, Tube... this amp give "the" sound that I was looking for... The tubes were change to Groove Tube... Speaker; original Blue Marvel... Again it has incredible sound plus, it has lots of power to spare...

Just bough it use a week ago, man I can't believe how much abuse this machine has been throw, plus I never seen an amp so dirty. But, it sound sooo goooood, I don't care about how it look.

N-A

Been playing for, more than 30 years, If it were stolen or lost I would buy an other one for sure... Love the sound, hate the tweed cover...
I had a Peavey Express 112, Aria Bass Amp that I used for Guitar, I tried Roland classic, and multiple other amp... This one really has the tube sound I was looking for...

This is an update to my previous critique.I've installed a Celestion Vintage 30 and a Mesa Blackshadow (Celestion) into the stock amp.I play with vintage leaning on hard rock to a little metallish sound and this amp nails it.All I need for features as my tone is created through my fingers with a help from a raw to mildly scooped amp.

Now this is where the story turns because the sound of the amp is tonally awesome with the speaker changeout.I'm using a USA Tele with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders and The sound is comparable to Dr Z's,Badcat,Mesa ,and Tophat-for 1/3 the price even with the Celestions figured in.Notice I said comparable.
Great sustain ,controlled bass,smooth and accurate midrange and sparkling highs.There is more detail and harmonics in the sound and lots of balls are added to the crunch.
the clean channel is jankly,clear and and whole sounding with lots of right in your face presence.

no problems so far and was amazed at the quality of construction when I took it apart to change the speakers.Very nice quality trannys and chassis.

Not a custom boutique amp but a working man's solution to the high cost of gear.Can buy these cheap on ebay or your music store.With the Celestions the sound is improved 300%.

Lot's of features. Perfect for me.
If you think it doesn't don't buy it, or shut up. You tried it out first...Right!

Tubes, tubes, tubes.
Suits several styles.
Blues, hard rock, metal, jazz.....
Not noisy. Big deal about the fan. Just adds to the effect.
Great distortion.

Tank!

Great so far.
Very helpful.
Peavey has a very comprehensive website.

Just a great amp.