Peavey Classic 50-212

features already covered.

American Standard Strat with Texas Specials. Primarily blues.
Has good rock tones/ distortion. Screams quite happily. Designed for Rock. Lacks depth for blues.
Overall reasonable tube sound but zero bottom end to speak of, marginal mid-range power. Have heard other players using it in gigs and the same thing: have heard players way better than me play it and they still sounded like something was missing. Reverb is only OK- loses definition and 'disappears' as volumes go up. Ended up moving back to fender for the warm blues feel.

Peavey are built to be played/ abused. No problems.

Have been playing 20 years. 18+ of it in bars.
Have Fender Quad Reverb(don't need to go to the gym if I'm hauling that around), Fender Hotrod Deluxe (my main amp now)and somewhere in Jamaica Plain is my Fender Super 60 (she still hasn't paid for it yet.....).
Have a Squire tele somewhere in Cambridge......My stuff tends to wander when I start neglecting it.....

If I was into playing Rock, I would love this amp, but I tend to stick to blues, so it is gathering dust.

I bought thi s ten years ago and it was beatup then - I have no idea how old it is. It has the normal(1,2) bright, and autoswitch channels, reverb, phaser, and a metal footswith that it virtually indestructable.

I use this with a Les Paul Standard and a Strat (mexican), and it puts out great tone. With those two guitars can replicate almost any classic rock / blues tone. Thats pretty much all we play so its perfect.

Never had any issues with it at all. Super reliable.

Never had to deal with them. Thats a good thing.

I would buy the same amp again for sure. My buddy has a newer Fender 212 that cost over twice as much as this one, and I think my tone is every bit as good, if not better.

My amp was made in Y2001
2 chanels shares same EQ section. This is my ony problem in connection with versatility....however Clean and Lead sounds good with the same settings. Yeah it has loop however Iam a guitar direct to amp guy. I only use wah wah, but not in loop. Basic footswitch. :)
I wish it had a bit more complex footswitch, or maybe dedicated eq section for both normal and lead.
I use it home smaller gigs. For band practicing, jamming I use 412 marhall 1960 and River knucklehead. (I hate to carry my combo. :)

I have loth of guitars. Lone stars( 1 with factory settings and another with Dimarzios Pro track parallel, Area 61 Reverse, Evo 2), Les Pauls (1 factory 490 R, 498 T, and one with Virtual Vintage neck and Norton Bridge), 1 PRS and so on. Tha best thing about Classic 50 is that this amp lets the guitar live. The Amp has a basic caracter. I mainly use eq setting like this Bass 7,5 ; Mid 9; Treble 5, presence variable. Pre volume 8-9, Post volume 4-8. In this way my amp sound very thick and a little dark, with tons of mids. I really love it. I love that I always hear myself during the gigs. From this point of view I prefer Classic over my Rivera.
In anyway two greatest values of this amp are overall tonality, and technically endless versatility. From countrey to heavy rock, at home, till gigs everithing works, everywhere and sounds at least acceptable way.
I really like clean channel, however lead is my fav. Lead is the cradle of incredible blues and rock sound. I am an EVH fanatic and this amp can really give you that very early EVH sound. I don't really know why.

Some tech help for those who plans to buy this amp.
Please respect your amp- This amp deserves better tubes than factory settings. I use tubeampdoc tubes. lot of percentage improvement tonewise.
Please recpect the 212 speakers (these speakers are very important component of that classic tone). Give them air to breathe. Don't cover rear side (LIKE RECTO CABS) and dont place this amp to a 3x4 feet sound trap. Give the speakers area, in order to reach their focus point. Oherwise your tone will be "chaotic, fizzy.
Be careful with post gain. Post gain is a great character potmeter, helps You to find the ballance between smooth and raw settings.
Be Careful with Pre gain (volume) past 10 radicall?? changes character.

Great versatile amp. I really like it

Never had any problem, never broke down. You have to change tubes regularly, dont look inside :)don't mod it, and save your speakers.
My points are not 10 because you have to change Power tubes more often than in other 4x el84 power section.

It is must be ok! However i have no experience.

Great all tube Amp one of the best buys. for 1100USD there is co more complex package and there is no such a delicate sound.

This amp provides everything you need in the form of features.

Clean Channel: Check
Distortion Channel: Check
Eq: Check
Presence: Check
Gain Control: Check
Volume: Check
Ability to power external cabs: Check

What else do you need?

I have to be honest. I've played a lot of amps over the last 15 years (from Marshalls to Mesas to Fenders). This is my favorite. If I had a blank check to build any type of guitar rig I wanted, the first purchase would be a Peavey Classic 50. The clean tone is fantastic, clear, and crisp (but still warm). And the distortion rocks. I play mostly rock to hard rock, and I've gotten absolutely fantastic sounds out of this little amp. Then, if I want to play the blues, I just tail off the gain a little, and I'm in business. I run it through a 2x12 Marshall 1936 cabinet (for a total of 4 12s), plug in a Les Paul, and the sound it absolutely tremendous.

Never had a single problem with it. I bought it used in 2003, and it's still rockin in 2008.

Never needed it!

I can't say enough good things about this amp. It's 50 Watts of tube power are more than enough to play any gig. The sound, in my opinion, is superior to any other amp that I've played. Whether you play jazz, blues, rock, or metal, this amp will give you the sounds that you need. Bottom line - Peavey makes really good, reliable tube amps, that really have no business being cheaper than its inferior Marshall and Fender cousins.

The only two things negative about the features that I can say is that in a dark club, with the amp tilted back on an amp stand, it's a little tough to see what knobs to tweak. Of course, if the chicken heads were on the front, it wouldn't look as cool...Gotta love tweed!
I bought this amp new in 96 or 97. The store had both the 4x10 and the 2x12 model. I play Rickenbackers so the 4x10 was the one I really wanted. Unfortunately, when I came back a week later to put cash down on it, the 4x10 was sold. Rather than look for another one, I ended up getting the 2x12. At the time, I was playing in a country band so most of the stuff I did was clean, however I can still get a good snarl out of it when needed.
The only other problem is that the tubes can be hard to get to...Although I've never had to change them, so at this point it's not that big of a deal. I purchased a complete set of pre and power amp tubes two years after buying the amp, but so far I haven't had to replace them...Of course NOW when it comes time, I'll have to remember where the heck I hid them.
This amp is definately NOT underpowered, although in a large hall (really large) the open back cab won't project as far. then again, that's what the sound guy and his PA are for, right?

I've owned all-tube Marshalls and Fenders, but this amp seemed to be the best of both worlds. To me the distortion doesn't sound harsh or over the edge because I play guitars with single coil pick-ups. In the ten or so years I've used this amp, I've been in a variety of country and top 40 cover bands, and I've been able to get everything out of it I want. The clean channel stays clean at high volume with just a hint of break up if you play hard. The 2x12's don't chime as well as the 4x10's, but the Sheffield speakers do very well with a little extra on the presence knob. I've never needed to turn the gain up more than halfway at a gig, and usualy have the treble, bass, and mid set dead center. It just seems to sound the way I want it to without a lot of messing around. From time to time I'll bring along a Boss Bluesbreaker pedal, just to have another distortion setting, without having to adjust the gain and volume on the overdrive channel.

Ten plus years and never had a problem!

Never needed it!

I've been playing in bar bands for 30 years and have played a Ric 330, 360, 360 12 string, and a 350SH. I've played them through a Carvin half-stack, Highwatt stack, Marshall half stack, and various Fender and Marshall combo's. I also owned a Vox ac30 for quite a few years, but it seemed like it was in the shop more times than not. Recently, I picked up a used Vox vt120 modeling amp, but after reading all of the reviews on them here, I'm bringing the Peavy along for a back-up. Maybe I should have saved up a couple of more bucks and got the Peavy Classic 4x10? Time will tell.
The only thing I with the Peavy had was a boost button on the foot pedal like my Carvin, or Princeton Reverb. A Boss EQ pedal will do the same thing, though.
If it dissapeared suddenly, I'd DEFINATELY replace it...I think the new ones are going for something like $800 or $900. I haven't seen any used ones around, and I'm sure there's a good reason for that.

I believe that the year mine was built was in 1997. That was what I was told when I bought it from the original owner. This amp is 50 watts of tube tone which will blow the socks off of any solid state half stack that I have played, seen and heard thus far. This amp features two channels and reverb which are both footswitchable. It also features an effects loop and a standby switch (the classic 30 doesn't have a standby). This amp has all the right features for gigging and practicing with a full band. Even at large venues this amp could be miced and mixed through a PA.

Let me first say that I am a tone freak. I have spent lots of money on gear to get "that sound" which the pros have. This amplifier is the first amplifier that I have owned where I actually find myself using this amplifier to gauge all other amplifiers to. This amp is very versatile, ranging in all music styles country, blues, rock and metal. I personally use this amp for classic rock, hard rock and alternative. Other than a Marshall JCM 800 Half Stack I haven't heard many other amps that sound as good as the classic 50. There are very few situations where you can play a Marshall Half Stack at a reasonable level and get "that sound". I have found that 50 watts of tube is about all you need. It reaches that happy medium: not too loud, but still sounds good. Most tube amp half stacks sound great, but are just too too loud.

Occationally I use a Fender Stage series 4x12 cabinet which works well for larger shows.

I have owned this amp for 3 years and so far so good, no problems. I have always heard that the best part about a tube amp is that the only items that you need to replace are the tubes and speakers. Those are the only items receive the wear and tear on the amp.

I have had other Peavey gear and ordering parts is a breeze.

I have been playing for seven years and have been gigging regularly and I have owned a fender hot rod deluxe, a marshall combo, a Marshall AVT 100 head and matching cab and have owned other digital junk (ahem digitech ahem). Nothing has compared to the Classic 50.

I play with a Limited Edition Gibson Les Paul w/ Burstbucker V pickups (not all Les Pauls have V series pickups). I also use various pedals. I occationally use a Boss DS-1 Keeley Mod, to get a variation other than the tube overdrive from the amp. I also use a Rocktron Hush pedal, a BBE compressor pedal, a Boss CH-1 Chorus and a DD-2 Digital Delay.

The only thing that I wish this amp had was a third channel for lead settings. Oh and I can't forget this part of the review, if it were stolen or broken I would hunt down the poor thieve/moron and break my Crate Strat(yeah they actually made a guitar) over his head.

Not sure on age. Seems late 90s/early 00s. Blue Marvels, 2 channels, bright/normal inputs. Recently refurbed. I was playing through a single-channel VTM 120, which was great but too hard rock-oriented and much too loud for my needs. My band's songs switch a lot between clean and distortion, so I had to buy a Marshall Gov'nor pedal for gigs, despite my preference for amp distortion. I also wanted to be able to put a touch of reverb, which the VTM does not have. I just bought the Classic 50, and so far I am very happy with the features.

This one is fun. I also have an Avatar 212 cab loaded with Eminence speakers. Running it with just the extension cab they're punchy but a bit sterile; running it without the extension cab is warm but just a touch dull. Run them together and it sounds amazing -- warm, full and punchy. The amp has a great clean sound, and while I don't much care for the Fender DeVille distortion (generally the basis for comparison), I am really impressed with the Classic 50, particularly when using the extension cab.

Not sure. This is my second Peavey. The first was very durable and never gave me any trouble, despite being at least 15 years old.

n/a

I used to be a snob about Peaveys; I didn't even look at amps that weren't Marshalls or Fenders, but the VTM changed my mind, and the Classic converted me. I suspect I'll always play Peaveys from now on.

I own three of these. I acquired #1 at a pawn shop in 1977. After you hear a Peavey Classic, you always recognize the tone. It sounded great the first time I plugged it in to a trashed-and-tortured Strat at the pawn shop. Creamy and clean and round and warm. My old lady called it ???cuddly???.

After #1, I acquired #2 about five years later, then #3 sometime in the early 90s. Natural and earthy. The more I play these amps, the better they sound. After three decades, I easily and quickly set them up to sound like any of the high-buck amps.

#1 was built in 1977. The year disco tried to molest the Blues, and the Blues laughed in disco???s face.
#2 was built in 1980. The year Big Hair tried to molest Rock-n-Roll, and Rock-n-Roll farted in their hair spray.
#3 was built in 1974. The G. Rudolf Ford years. The first of America???s unelected presidents.

I played Blues and Jazz and pretty much any song with a decent melody with my Family growing up in the 1950s, and owned and played through nearly every amp made. Listening to the radio, I grew up playing along with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, Patsy Cline. Then, the Rolling Stones and Ten Years After. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company. Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen. George Benson and Scotty Moore. All are easily obtainable on these amps.

Clean on these amps is anything you need your clean to be, or if we play an Irish wedding, I may add a Tube Screamer to nasty it up a bit. With two of these 212 combos as I describe below, I have a great 3-channel stereo rig, ready for Ethnic, Blues, Rock, Country, and easily clean enough for Jazz.

I can't help it-- it???s the nature of my obsession to dive into the dynamics of my tone, seeking the sensitive understated delicate nuances. I'm weird that way.

Likes:
Quiet idle,
Fundamental,
Clean is clean,
Heart and soul,
Basic and fundamental,
Perfect for my old-school combination of warm meaty Blues and Jazz and Rockabilly.

Dislikes:
Heavy.

After playing every available guitar for about 50 years and feeling the need to modify each one of them, I designed and built a Warmoth Spalt Maple and Basswood chambered Strat with a 24.75??? Maple/Rosewood neck. Neck pup is a Shadow AZ48 floating off the fretboard, and the saddle is a GraphTech Ghost. Each pups has a separate output to stereo the individual amps (usually amps #1 and #3).

A second amp is the way old-school players like me create simultaneous ???channel-switching??? -- we like to mix old with new music tones.

My other guitar is a Myka Dragonfly, with similar pups and outputs.

Everything else hit the road.

After thirty years on the original tubes and caps, I depend on these three Classics.

I'll say it again -- all original. Every pot, switch, tube, cap -- all original. And this is after thousands of hours of jams and gigs.

One problem -- Due to contaminated power, I burned through one of the round glass automotive-type fuses in the holder above the power cord, so I use a APC battery back-up designed for computers. It protects against electrical surges, but more important, in a black-out, it gives me a couple minutes of juice to inform the crowd of the situation. I also use a power conditioner -- no worries. I use my gear for outdoor wedding receptions in high temperature and humidity, and they always perform.

Mods:
I want to be able to check my settings at a glance, so I replaced the round chrome knobs with chicken heads.

Here's something cool: The brass corner protectors (instead of plastic) each show a nice patina of wear. Earned ???Vintage???.

Well-made. Solid workmanship. Each of mine fires up on the first crank, and I expect only one thing from them -- sit there and efficiently do their job.

Over the years, some the set-ups on some guitars put some hum through them, but a few minutes to install some simple shielding in the guitar cavities, and they cleaned up, pronto.

Excellent. Since my three amps are absolutely reliable, I had no need to contact Peavey for repair or service.

So, in preparation for this review, I e-mailed Peavey customer service for date of manufacture. That was on Saturday. Monday, the information was waiting in my inbox.

I'm impressed.

Would I acquire another Classic? YES!!! Did I mention I own three? Two of my bandmates own at least one each, as well. A half dozen of these amps in a five-person band.

Tone and reliability. I played at playing for a half-century, and one of these days, maybe I'll take a lesson. I love these old amps. I feel attached to them, more than any other equipment I own.

What would it take to make them better than perfect? Some warm boobs and a cold Guinness tap.

One modification you might consider??? after my first rehearsal with #1, I installed casters. They???re heavy, so I have my old ladies do my set-up. Repeat after me: ???Old ladies -- good.???

We gig nearly every Thursday evening since 1983. Hundreds and hundreds of jams. For thirty years, #1 sounded fine without any toys -- I played straight into it. Fingers >> guitar >> cord >> amp... no sissy stuff.

Then, in 2006, I acquired a VOX Tonelab SE to play with. Great toy. If you believe you need more gain or wish the EQ range could be wider, you might be able to solve each of these non-issues with outboard gear.

How much do I like them? I???d get a fourth one -- their tones make me want to play all the time. Every turn of any knob makes these amps sound good -- sweet and creamy, clean or gained. I can hear them calling to me at work, at church, and occasionally out on a date. Good equipment makes me want to be a better player.

These are old-school quality products built by Americans with American dedication and craftsmanship. I see myself learning from them for another thirty years.

PS: I wish I had some negatives to balance this review, but there isn't anything to report. This is plain good basic easy-to-operate easy-to-maintain equipment... a lot like me!

Everything you would really ever need the pedal it came with is cheap plastic though.

This amp was the sound I've been trying to get throughout my whole guitar experience. This sounds better than a lot of amps in this price range trust me. Like the reviewer below, I brought home the fender hot rod deville 410 the next day it craped out on me no sound whatsoever no matter what i did.I took it back and got my money, I'll never buy another fender amp. This amp is a tone machine, if your really into alternative up to hard rock it's a really good choice.Acually its goo for numerous styles thats just what i'm into.

Just got it.

Not sure

Been playin ten years. I own a telly, les paul, parker nightfly, and a solid state marshall amp. If it were stolen I'd buy another. Gave it a nine just because I've only had it a day. Based on sound, and quality I'de give it a ten it's very solid on the downside it's pretty heavy for only 2 12s. I don't need all the effects built in I never use them anyway. Compared it too fender devilles, crate v50, ampeg r212r and this peavey had the best tone plus a fan to extend the life of tubes. I do wish it was 100 watts, not to say it isn't loud it just wouldv'e been a nice option yet it does have a speaker out in back thats a plus.

Mine is one of the newer facelifted models, made in the USA (unusual for most amps at the this price point I think) and was made in 2005/2006. I bought this amp through eBay from the original owner who decided it wasn't for him - it was practically mint and I got it for ??200 less than the best on-line deal I could find in the UK.

When you get down to it this is a very simple two channel amp with a single set of EQ controls and spring reverb. I nearly didn't buy it because I was worried about the lack of a second set of EQ controls but as it turns out this really is no problem - I can get a very decent tone out of both channels with the single set of controls.

The best feature on the amp are the pre and post gain controls on the drive channel. This allows you to use as little or as much overdrive (using the pre gain control) whilst controlling the volume with the post control. This allows you to practice quietly with a full over drive and to perfectly balance the volume on the clean and drive channels.

I have scored this amp as a worthy 8 on features - it has pretty much everything I was after, two decent 12" speakers, all valve, included footswitch etc. It would have got a 10 if a cover and third channel was included.

Fantastic! The first thing that struck me about the Classic 50 was how easy it was to get a decent tone - I plugged in and no matter what you do the tone is great. I have owned Marshalls and had a brief experience with a (truly horrible) Fender Hotrod Deville (which I hated!) and this is way easier to use than either.

I think of this amp as the perfect combination of Fender & Marshall. It has a full rich clean channel, very Fender ish to my ears, whilst the drive channel does Marshall classic rock tones to perfection. I was surprised by how good the drive channel is - the best I have ever used and I certainly have no need for any external boxes (unless I am going for full on nu-metal which seems unlikely!)

The drive channel will cope with anything from crunchy country rock to full on AC/DC drive and well beyond, I use this in a classic rock covers band and it is fantastic in that setting.

The other thing to note is its volume. First of all (unlike the Fenders which are either silent or ear splitting!) you can get decent tones at bedroom volumes without ripping ears off. Equally I gigged in a busy function room last night, with a seriously noisy band and I never went over half volume - I use a slight volume boost for solos but the amp cuts through the mix very well.

I have only owned it for a few months so it is a a little early to say although I have regularly gigged it in that time with no backup and I have no worries (apart from what it is going to cost to re-tube in a year or two!)

No experience, but their website is crap!

I have been playing for 20+ years and have a small collection of Strats & Teles which all sound fantastic through this amp. What I have noticed most are the pick-up upgrades. I put some Duncan QTR pounders in one of my teles a couple of years ago but (apart from the extra output/volume) didn't really notice much of an improvement. Having got the Classic 50 all of a sudden I can appreciate these pickups, the Peavey has really brought out the tone and it sounds fantastic. It is ironic that what was pretty much a fourth place back up instrument has now become my main gigging guitar - all because I changed amps!

I compared this product very closely to the Hotrod Deville from Fender which is a near identical spec - in fact I actually bought a Deville but hated it so much I sold it within 6 weeks. The Classic 50 destroys it to my ears for two key reasons:

1) The overdrive channel on the Fender was the worst I have ever used - totally unusuable, I would have needed a pedal (which is ridiculous when all you want is a natural overdriven valve amp sound!).
2) The controls on the Fender were hopeless, the went from 1 - 10 or whatever but they were just so sensitive - very hard to control.

The only improvement I would make to this amp would be to add a third channel, it would make it even more versatile if you could kick in a gain boost on the drive setting for solos (and other noisy bits!). If it had a third channel this amp would be completely perfect, and is about as good as a two channel valve combo for sensible price is going to get.

I have scored it a 10 because I love it, it is not the best amp in the world but it is pretty much perfect to me!

First, let me give a bit of background on this particular amp. I bought it used and broken. It is one of the OLDER models. Probably early 90's or late 80's. At the time, it had two Celestion Vintage 30's, and a blown fuse, and blown tubes. This model was so old, that it had no effects loop.

Now, I've replaced the tubes with JJs and Electro Harmonix. The Celestions are still in. It works fine now, despite it being almost vintage. I've had it for a couple of months now.

I play a wide array of music. Mostly hard rock though. If it helps, my favorite bands are: A Perfect Circle, Saosin, Converge, Breaking Benjamin, Glassjaw, Blink-182, Dillinger escape plan.......

So as you can see, I play a wide array of styles. I'm also in a youth contemporary band, so that also plays a huge factor. I needed a versatile tube amp on a 16 year old's budget, and something I could grow on.

I'd also like to say that this is not a "for the money how is it?" type review. This is a "how good is it when compared to much pricier amps" review. If it was a review based on value, I might be giving it 10's across the board.

Oh and I'm running an ESP EC-2005 through this.

Features...features...features. Well, it's a master volume, with two others for the other two channels. So I can't complain there. The EQ is VERY responsive. Much more than I would have guessed. For example, move the treble just a half inch and you'll notice a HUGE response. This is both good or bad depending on how you like EQ's to be. If you are a tone junkie and love sensitive knobs, this is uber nice. But if you want a "rock out of the box" type EQ, look elsewhere. It took me a week or two to get a pretty good feel for it.
Sure, it's not as hard to dial in as a mesa, but still...

Some people have said this amp is more like a 40 watt. BULL. I can get this thing as far as level 4 in my bedroom and it's thumping the walls. The same goes for at practice. If I had this thing at 11 or 12 o'clock I could see some pain coming. I'm gigging this amp very soon. I can't see a situation where it wouldn't be loud enough.

The reverb is...okay...like everyone said. Sure it's usable, but I would strongly recommend getting a stomp box or something for it.

I'll start with the clean. It's basicly what you would expect. The versatile EQ makes it easy to get a whole lot of sounds out of it. Fender clean...sure. Marshall clean...fine. I haven't tried getting one of those "Mesa Dual Rec glassy cleans" out of it yet, but it could probably get close if you wanted to. The Celestions make it sound really great on a warmer EQ setting. Sometimes they can be a bit harsh if you have the treble or presence up too high. But that would be expected of V30's. I don't know if the clean channel distorts at high volumes because frankly, I haven't had a chance to get her even half way there.

Now for the lead channel.
Let me confirm...you WILL NOT get any kind of metal or even hard rock sound with this amp alone. The distortion is just too weak. Period.
However, with the right pedal, it can easilly be done. I have thus far done it with a tubescreamer. It WILL do high gain, but the bad part is it hums like crazy when you aren't playing. This can be managed though. Just don't have your volume knob on unless your playing. I've just ordered a Bad Monkey to see if it works as good as the TS-7.

My ESP EC-2005, of course has some hottt EMG pickups in it. They work fine on both channels and do a good job of helping along the overdrive.

It basicly does everything I need it to. I can get virtually any clean sound I need out of it. The crunch is great with a good OD pedal.

Once again, it's only noisy when overdriven for metal, but if you are playing Metal who cares.

I have hauled this thing to 4 band practices so far, without a case. Given it's age...I think it's held up like a tank.

This thing is so old, Peavey couldn't help me.

Given that I'm the one who biased the amp, I could probably fix her if she broke down.

I've been playing for a few years now. Guitar is my life. I have a few other guitars and other various things. On my budget, this thing was a godsend. There is absolutely no way I could have gotten this versatile an amp at the same price anywhere else.

Obviously it's not quite going to hold up to amps that fall into the $1500-$3000 range. But I would pit this thing against any other amp up to $1500 easy.

Peavey Classic 50 2x12. I think this amp was made right before the "facelift".

Tweed
2 12 inch Peavey Blue Marvel speakers
Lead and Normal channel
Accutronics Reverb
Effects Loop
built-in cooling fan
4x EL84's, 3x 12AX7's
Normal and Bright inputs
3 band passive eq
master volume and presence

This amp is a piece of work. I had the Classic 50 4x10, but sold it. I instantly regretted the sale, I loved that amp. So versatile, so good sounding, so reliable. I had the chance to nab a 2x12 version, so I jumped at it. I love this as much as I love my old one, maybe more. Extremely versatile, really easy to get that tone you want, very reliable, really nice looking too.

I love the sound of this amp. This is what I'm running:

Fender Standard Tele w/Hot Rails > Korg DT-10 Tuner > Boss NS-2 Noise Supressor > Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man > Danelectro Dan Echo > Line 6 Echo Park > Classic 50

(in NS-2 effects loop) Electro Harmonix Pulsar Tremolo > Boss OD-3 Overdrive > Digitech Bad Monkey Overdrive > Boss PS-5 Super Shifter (end loop)

I play indie/ambient in the vein of deathcab for cutie and mogwai, and spacey/zeppelin inspired rock in the vein of the mars volta, portugal. the man, and circa survive.

This effects setup is great for all of that. The only problem was the amp I was using. It was a 1978 Fender Bassman Ten. Its a cool amp, but it wasnt loud or versatile enough. I was never happy with the sound. So I sold it and bought this. Never looked back. I love this ampo to death. I can nail a very high gain sound with the overdrives, a sweet clean sound with th delays, and everything in between.

The clean channel stays really clean really loud. I mean LOUD. it seems like this amp is louder than the 4x10 version. or at least my old one. it is really loud. it cuts through really nicely, and the eq is very responsive. i sold my boss pq-4 eq pedal because there is no need for it anymore!

the amp is pretty quiet. the fan makes a slight noise, but thats only when you arent playing and who cares? its not loud at all.

im using hot rails in my tele right now, but the sound is too plain and the output is too high, so im switching to duncan vintage stack for the bridge to bring back those tele tones. i cant wait to hear it through this amp.

These amps (im my experience) are super reliable and super sturdy. I took my old classic 50 on tour with me nationwide and it was a champ. not a single problem. well, i broke a knob but that was my fault.

i put new tubes in my old one (JJ's) and it came to life!!! I've got Sovtek power tubes in mine right now, with some Electro Harmonix preamp tubes and it sounds great, so I think I'll keep these tubes in.

I messaged one of the customer service guys on the board a while back about dating my old 50, and he responded the next day with a manufacture date, date that batch shipped, and date the speakers where made. they are very helpful.

This amp is amazing. I have relied on it on the road and in the studio and it has come through allways. i love it and I will always have a classic 50 closeby.

If this where stolen or lost, I would be upset, but I would buy a new one as soon as I could.

Its perfect for me and what I do, its extremely versatile and extremely good sounding.

Seems to be an earlier model, first wave or two after they added the affects loop. Channel switching, shared tone controls, 8/16 ohms speaker out option.
"All tube" circuit. Looked inside, there was more to the amp than I expected. Full time cooling fan, very well put together when you consider they were trying to fill a niche and do it for a good price.
Wish it had a tone control for the clean side to run separately, clean channel is sometimes boomy when low end is adjust in for dirty channel.
3 - 12AX7's and 4 - EL84's, all of Russian origin.
Tried NOS and the improvement was there but not remarkable.
I use the amp in practice and playing out.
50 watts, plenty of power but not paint peeling loud.
Nice volume for my purposes.
I feel like I got a great deal for what I spent!

Using a Les Paul Standard w/Manlius handwound PAF style pickups (great products from Mick).
Guitar and amp suits my style. This setup actually steers me towards an aspect of my style, a great combination that is a pleasure to play. Not noisy at all, I expected the opposite.
Amp is super sweet, shared tone controls limit versatility but the amp has a great clean channel that gets slightly more distorted as you turn it up, like a nice Bassman RI.
Dirty side is heavenly. This amp may be based on an AC30 w/ a quad of EL84's, but it's old Marshall city to my ears and my hands.

I must add that I pulled the Blue Marvel speakers (which sound great in their own right) and put in 2 Weber speakers; a ceramic 1230-55 (30 watt) and a ceramic Blue Dog (50 watt).
This speaker combination definitely propelled the amp closer to an old Marshall than I expected. The amp even behaves according to volume level, like a Marshall.
With all volumes on around 6, the amp sings with a great voice.
Great solo tones and rhythm tones.
I have used a Keeley Blues Driver w/ Phat mod with both channels and pulled even more great tones from the amp.
I regretfully sold a VHT Pitbull 45 combo to raise some cash, and bought this because I wanted as good an amp as I could find for cheap.
While this amp does not match up to the Pitbull, I've been extremely pleased.
The sonic differences are such that I've actually picked up a few qualities with this amp that the VHT did not posses.
One being this amp moves a good bit of air and has an open "breathy" midrange and thump that larger amps seem to posses.
I think the amp sounds fantastic and can't wait to try it in a group.
While the amp requires some tweaking to transistion from vibe to vibe, I'll give it a 9, it does the old Marshall thing as well as any amp I've tried (Rivera, Boogie, Marshall, Fender, VHT, Mission Tweed, Sundown). Not saying the amp would keep up with those higher dollar amps under extremely demanding circumstances, but for most any type of gig short of a very large hall or some tight studio needs this amp delivers.

The amp is around 12 years old and has never broken down.
It has some cosmetic wear, but the sound of the amp is consistent from the time I turn it on (still getting warm) to when I've played for a couple of hours at a pretty decent volume.
Peavey's products are made of iron and they stand behind them pretty well.

No needs as yet but I sleep good at night knowing it's a Peavey from a support standpoint.

I've been playing for 26 yrs (yikes) and have been fortunate enough to own multiple models of the best amp manufacturers out there, short of the highest end stuff like Victoria, Bogner, Diezel, Two Rock, etc.
If I can't enjoy an amp and get good service out of it (ie playing pleasure and meeting my current playing requirements) I will move on.
I don't see myself needing or wanting another amp unless maybe $800.00-900.00 suddenly starts burning a whole in my wallet.
I've owned enough to know I could spend another $300 or $400 and not get any better amp or tone. I think you have to assign ratings with those considerations. For what I paid and for what I really like to hear, this amp rates near a 10, so I'll give it a 10.

2005 Model (old style logo)
Standard features, as per every review below :)

Right.... this is an update to my previous review from 8 months ago.

After buying this amp (and putting JJ tubes in it) I went out and bought a Fender Twin, and loads of other stuff.
Im not sure why.... somehow i thought that because this amp was better than anything i had heard before, then surely a Fender Twin would be better again.

Well.... I use the Peavey to practice with every day, and it has been to a fair few gigs. The Twin has been on the road a bit too.

My honest opinion: The Peavey Classic 50 is one of the best amps on the planet. This amp has sooooo much character and tone. It sounds like how you think a Fender should sound like (as opposed to how a Fender does sound - trebly, punchy, glassy, boomy, loud) the Peavey is warm, smooth, rich and has a smashing clean tone. This amp takes pedals really well too, unlike a lot of other amps out there.

Oddly i have read reviews on here and on guitargeek and suchlike, where people say bad things about this amp and try to rubbish it.... they must be idiots, either that or they have never actaully played one, or possibly they are looking for a hardcore thrash/metal amp, and that's not what the Classic is for.

Honestly, if you get the chance to buy one (especially the older style one before they changed the badge) then snap it up.

Fantastic.... no trouble at all

This is a fantastic, wonderful, perfect little amp.
Its loud, its clean, its reliable, its got great tone, its got smashing projection and it will handle most styles of music you want it to (except metal).

The Fender Deluxe and Deville amps which first appeared in 1995 were actually Fender's attempt to challenge this amp. the Peavey had stolen Fenders thunder, making a very Fender sounding amp for half the cost (and with twice the quality) of any Fender amps.
10 years on, Fender have re-released the Blues combo's, and they still can't beat this.

The Peavey Classic 50 is a keeper.

not sure exactly what year it was made. early '90's i think. it's got the blonde tweed covering. think the speakers would be sheffields. 2 channels, shared eq, effects loop, reverb (tho it's stopped working). 50 watts all tube 12ax7's and el84's.

i play everything from blues to rock to metal. the band i'm in at the moment play a mix of acoustic pop to full blown rock so i wanted something versatile. i use it both live and in the studio and it has more than enough power. i still get asked to turn down by the drummer. i only use the clean channel. i think the drive channel is lacking but i'll get into that later. it would be good if it had seperate eq channels but as i'm only using the clean channel it's not a big deal.

i use a cole clark mistress with seymour duncan humbuckers and a schecter tempest custom with high order humbuckers. pedals are a crybaby wah > modded mxr phase 90 > mi audio tube zone overdrive > boss ge7 eq > boss tu2 tuner > amp.

this amp simply loves pedals. there is nothing this amp won't do with the right pedal. my band play a wide variety of styles so i need to be able to go from a prisitine clean to a brutal crunch easily. i used to use a peavey 5150ii and quad. yeah the distortion is the most brutal thing i've ever heard but forget clean. with the mi audio overdrive pedal i can get pretty damn close to the 5150ii o/d but with a great clean tone. i will add that the mi audio pedal has more gain than a boss metalzone pedal but is a hell of a lot more organic and as close to a real tube amp as u will ever get. the amp lacks a little bottom end but that's typical of open back cabinets anyway. i can hook it up to a quad but there's no need.

it's reasonably quiet altho when sitting idle the fan can be kinda noisy. not a problem unless you're recording. even cranked up it's still pretty quiet. i could disconnect the fan but it's not that big an issue.

the clean channel can be set to break up or stay very clean. it all depends how u use your channel and master volumes. i generally set it to break up a bit when i hit the guitar hard. this gives me a bit more punch when i kick in the o/d pedal. i've never had the amp loud enough for the clean channel to be distorted cos i'd like to keep my hearing.

i don't like the overdrive channel on this amp. i find it flat and lifeless. i spose it's hard after spending so many years with the 5150ii overdrive cranking out behind me. still the sounds i get from the mi audio tube zone make people think this thing is something else. they don't believe me when i tell 'em it's a peavey classic. they think i've beaten up a boutique amp and re-badged it.

i bought it used about 6 months ago and have had a few minor issues, but then it is around 8 or 10 years old and has been gigged a hell of a lot since new, so i kinda expected a few minor niggles here and there. the biggest problem was the reverb not working. my tech resoldered a few wires for me when i got it and it worked for a while. i don't use it anyway so i don't care that much. maybe one day i will get a sherlock reverb put in. it's never broken down on me and i don't gig with a backup. if it dies on stage i'll just run a DI after my pedals and go thru the PA. i'm aiming to get some sort of pre-amp pedal just in case.

i've always used peavey amps. i've tried other stuff and just keep coming back to them. i've had a few minor issues with my 5150ii's (footswitch was dry soldered from factory) but not with this. it's not under warranty naturally. my tech has always done my servicing (he used to work in a peavey authorized service centre) and he knows his stuff. peavey build stuff like tanks. unfortunately some of it isn't much lighter than a tank either (5150) tho the classic 50 isn't too bad.

i won't give a rating cos i've never dealt with peavey altho i think they'd be pretty good.

when i was looking for another amp (i got sick of lugging the 5150 and quad around) i tried all sorts of stuff. the new vox ac30's, fender twins, framus ruby riot, orange ad30. pretty much every 212 combo that i could get my hands on. this was as good as some that were significantly more expensive and better than others that were more expensive. i was mostly looking for a good clean channel as i had the killer o/d pedal for my dirty sounds.

i've been playing for 18 years and have had all had mostly peavey's from day one. i've tried a lot of gear and had stints with other stuff like boogie's and line 6. i run an amp festival for boutique makers and have had a chance to compare this amp side by side with a lot of stuff. for the money you can't go wrong with this amp. there's nothing i dislike about it.

if stolen i'd look at some boutique aussie gear like a ledford or BJ. if i didn't have the big dollars that they command then i'd definately get another classic 50.

don't write this amp off just cos of it's price point or the fact that some people like to bag peavey. hey eddie and satch wouldn't touch 'em if they were crap would they.... it's a killer little amp that's really versatile and has a big sound. it definately give's the guys with their heads and quads a run and it won't kill you lugging it around.

Made 2001,50watt , 2/12's, 2 channel with shared EQ,Blue marvel speakers,Normal /Bright inputs,Reverb and Presence(ultra high bright control for acoustic" and air),2-12AX7's preamp tubes and 4-EL84's stock sovtek for now. but when its time to replace I'll put in JJ's. Wish list, seperate EQ,remote switch had other function other than reverb on/off I think this is a waste I've never heard of why you need this? I'm into blues and Rock, But hey I play anything from christmas to metal if I'm asked to, and this is the point does this amp cut it in EVERY situation. Yes it does and with Good volume and low distortion/hum. If there is one thing, and this is a sniggle, it's that I wish it had an effects loop. Modulation/Chorus and Reverb should always be seperated from the distortion in my book, But not withstanding I found that this unit took an inline effect admirably . Some amps do not. I bought this amp for my project studio and for the road, Peavey has some right sturdy equiptment and the 12 year old PA I have has stood the test of time and abuse,ie dropped amps, rain,overplaying and general abuse from typical gigging, if this holds up half as well I'll be very satisfied.I have an audio level meter that sounded the clean channel at vol.7, 122 db This is the clean channel with a tele and that means LOUD,excuse me VERY LOUD. My drummer has no problem hearing the guitar now. The lead channel is insane and I play with the big boy's who put a lot into there stacks, I've had back trouble so I need something lighter than my usual rig a Crate vintage club 50 with 3x10 cab ( damn fine unit if you've never heard it), If it had an effects loop I'd give it a 10.

I play everything strat, tele, moded tele, Hamers, Les Pauls (if my back is up to it), elec. acoustics,electric banjo, dobro,lap steel and classical ( takamine EC132sc). I need an amp with that invisable charicture, and for my soul it also has to burn when I need it to. Its not an easy thing to find I've found out, To me when the equiptment becomes an non-issue then you know you've got the right amp. It should just be seamless. This amp did this the first gig, Bite when I asked, distortion on demand ( I like to do it with my picking technique) and even the reverb evened out the classical with a sooth creamy sound that made the song flow.I belive that all you really need is a two channel amp and too much distortion is for kids that haven't learned to play yet, this amp really has all the distortion you'll ever need, Its not a matter of distrotion its a matter of pre EQ and post EQ This is why I have a programable EQ inline all the time. If you doubt me I challange you to try a 7 band eq before your favorite distortion pedal and a 7band eq after, let me know in a few months how many times your jaw dropped from the endless varieties of sound, grasshopper you are now ready to leave....

I've already stated my love for Mr. Peavey's products but alas I've never had to contact them, I'm used to tube amps, Replace the tubes Yearly and they won't crap out on you, Had 7 tube amps and never had one fail in a live situation,But that dosen't mean I'm stupid I always carry an old GK 250ML if you find one they are the best insurance and Yea there Damn Loud( does a good impersonation of boston era rock too)and I've had one power two 4X12 cabs in stereo totally awsome...I should add that I was offered this amp used and I don't usually buy used equiptment but the sound and the fact that I gigged with it for two weeks no strings attached really made me realize what a good amp this was. Lighter than my main road rig, just as loud, very versitile and the other guy I play with liked it so much that he's looking for one too (he's now playing through a Victoria and he doesn't want it to get beat to shit...hummmmm 2 grand for a boutique amp and he wants a $400 Peavey fact is stranger then fiction) Next thing you know our drummers going to turn in his DW's for pearl exports (sorry just went on a little tangent , he really loves his DW's, maybe too much)

OK so I'm 46, Been playing something or singing as long as I can remember,Drums, Upright bass(arco no less), elec. bass, tuba, piano, church choirs, 20years ago or so I took up Guitar, 15 yrs ago I started recording, Been gigging most of my life inbetween trying to make a dollar, I own an astonishing array of equiptment but that doesn't mean that I have to always own the top of the heap. Some times the best is the one that works and the classic 50 is a rare breed, its vintage when it wants, its rocky when it needs and its polite to acoustics, If you know how to control your ax's and what pickup should sound like what, you'll go alot further to loveing what this amp does. I own a mesa boogie mk4,a budda, a marshall, a SFX fender and a twin, The crate vintage 50 club, lexicon pre amp and SB 210cab, roland midi stuff (GR1,GR33) rocktron,digitech,and roland pedal boards,25 aux. pedals like steve Vai's bad horsie 2 wa's, echoplex,EH stuff, TC electronics and the like. I said it was bad I'm a charter member of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) hell I'm there poster boy at this point. Why not take the expensive stuff out on the road. My 72 tele and my Les Paul costom and my marshall JCM 800 were ripped from our truck in the back of the Headliner in brielle in 82, I will commit murder some day when I find the bastard ( not really,.. I've found jesus and I asked him to do it for me, he assured me he will) Any way I got alot of toys, and I know sound, and if you can trust a complete stranger to some how steer you into buying "THE" perfect amp This is not it, Its a Damn good amp that does the job as good as ANYTHING and if you learn it it will repay you a thousand times over. Buy IT. Thank you

Bought just before the August 2005 ?facelift? with the old style Peavy name plate with blond tweed.

50W into 16 or 8 ohms
2 - 12" Blue Marvel? speakers
3 - 12AX7 preamp tubes
4 - EL84 power amp tubes
Normal and bright inputs
3-band passive EQ
Presence control
Normal and lead volume
Lead post gain
Master volume
Reverb control
Effects loop
Fan cooled
Chromeplated chassis
Tweed covering
Footswitch included

I am not sure if this amp delivers 50 watts RMS. I believe it is more like 33 watts RMS. However this is not a problem for me. I like the Vox-like sound of the EL84s.

The Reverb is okay by me. I noticed you have to set it to a higher level than the Fender reverb to get the same results. Unless you like to use a lot of reverb, this is not a problem. Actually, it might give greater resolution of control in the range that most players use.

The footswitch has two buttons. One is to change channels (which is good) and the other is to turn off reverb (which is weird). Who turns off their reverb? I would rather have it bypass the effects loop but this is really a nit-pick. My pedals feed the front end anyway.

As mentioned in other reviews, there is only one set of tone controls for both channels. I have not found that to be a problem as I mainly use the clean channel. The tone controls are very responsive.

The fan is a great idea and a real asset for an EL-84 powered amp because these tubes tend to run hot. It is embedded in the chassis and is not directly accessible to cause damage or injury. Nice.

Some people knock the plastic tweed-like cover material, but if you gig a lot, you will appreciate it. My Fender HR Deluxe LE with the laquered tweed is already showing wear after two years of steady weekend gigging. I like the covering on this amp.

70 lbs is normal for a twin-12 combo.

No amp cover provided. I bought one from Peavey for about $18.

Overall, this amp has everything you need to turn on, turn up and play.

This is too hard to rate. First of all, it is so subjective. Comparing a 6L6 amp to an EL84 amp is like comparing apples to oranges. Again, I like the EL84 sound. Also, the style of music played may be a factor. To add perspective, I play a mix of country, classic rock and blues with single coil guitars.

After buying the amp and using it on gigs for about two months, I can say that when playing a Strat in the clean channel, there is a subtle shift from clean to driven tone, and it easy to get overdrive either by turning up the volume or even playing your riffs aggressively. The amp responds well and seems to allow me to play loud without being overpowering. The sound is not as full on the bottom end and I think this is a valid gripe for some, but IMO this helps put the guitar out in front of a moderately loud band. If you like a lot of bottom end, you might want to look elsewhere.

All that said, I do not feel comfortable giving the Sound category a rating. Guitar players are a finicky lot ? you have to find your own way to ?tone nirvana?, and it can be a long, lonely, and expensive quest. All I can say is that my quest has taken me into the direction of EL84-based amps and the Classic 50.

Don?t know yet. However, if you look through the reviews for the Classic 50, you find many users that attest to its high reliability - folks have been playing this amp for years without problems. This was a major factor in my purchase. I average about 8-10 gigs a month and I want an amp I can depend on. We?ll have to wait and see, but I am hopeful. This thing seems to be really sturdy.

Never contacted.

I have been playing guitar and bass since the mid-60s both professionally and semi-pro, and I have a lot of experience with amps - mostly tube. One of my current favorites is a Traynor YCV20 that offers 2 EL84s in class A bias and it?s a real gem; but with 15 watts, it just doesn?t have any headroom. I was looking for an EL84-based twin-12 combo and did some research on them. The Matchless is out of my price range. The new Vox AC30 reissue runs too hot and from the reviews appears to be of low quality. I hate to parrot other reviews, but so far I am really enjoying this amp. To sum it up, the guys I gig with like the the sound of this amp as much as I do, and they don't even play guitar.

this amp is one of the simplest amps I've ever use, not too many knobs and buttons,just the basic needs to get the job done, and you could do it well with this amp. its all a matter of how its set-up. especialy at situations where sound checks are very short.it has clean,and dirty channel and if you cant figure this out its time to play the drums or something cause you dont need rocket science mind to figure this out. also has parallel effect loop which is for people who use rack effect system. I just use one pedal which is the boss overdrive pedal,I use it only for solos which is hook up thru the front of the amp. if still in doubt read the manual on how its set up,peavey gives you a basic starting point on how to get started,and how to use both the channels for specific styles of music your into,and its barely two pages long. this amp is user friendly and everything is within the line of sight.

Now this is where its all about concerning this amp! basicly to begin with there are three electric guitars in this world that the majority of musicians world wide know about, the gibson les paul,fender strat,and the tele. when I played these three guitars with the dynamics of the band I play with, I could tell the difference between the three guitars, and so is the rest of the band and thats what the amp is supposed to do is amplify the guitar and the guitar players personality in the song, not so much color the players style or the guitar,just make him(her)louder to be heard and blend with the band.I've played enough amps in the 20 yrs of my guitar playing, that bands I've been with in the past tell me there's no need for bass player cause my sound just sounds too big. if you want those paying gigs, this amp does all except metal which it realy does not pay the rent. do yourself a favor, if youre like me that gigs every weekend and you want to blend well with the band,love a creamy tone and sparkling cleans as well as get payed to pay the rent. GET THIS AMP YOU WONT BE SORRY! oh yeah dont worry about noise, this amp is pretty quit,even at loud volumes. if your using single coils alot just turn the volume knob to zero setting when your not playing got it!

never had any problem or whatsoever with this amp. and I've had it for more than two years, use it every weeked and its all good. I just replace the power tubes one's a year. If you want a thick tone, try the sovetek 12AX7's on the pre-amp,and JJ matching tubes for the power section and your in tone heaven!

the customer support at peavey is pretty good. they usualy get back to you within the next 2 or 4 working days except during tornado or hurricane when the power lines and the computers are down. I forgot that they are down in missisippi which is part of the tornado alley.

been playing for 20 yrs, and I've sold everything for this one. I'm in the process of purchasing the classic 30 which is the same but 30watts for those quick rehearsals. If this amp were stolen I hope the person that stole it has fire insurance cause thats where he(she)is going. I love this amp and there is nothing to dislike about this amp especialy the price. as far as comparing to other amps boogies and marshals are overpriced and overated. I've had every boogie combos anybody could think of and I sold those, tried the marshal TSL lines and the DSL,wasted my time and money. tried the fender hotrods,and fender will always be known for there clean sounds but thats about it. the classic 50 had three times better distortion than any fender amp and thats without the pedals. and it had three times less the coloring towards the guitars I've mention. I would leave this one alone its just right.

Black Classic 50; I believe it's a 1999; it doesn't have the effects loop. Otherwise, the same as everybody else's. One channel with a footswitchable extra gain stage that makes it a faux two channel amp. Decent reverb. One set of tone controls (BMT and presence). Normal and bright inputs. It makes something around 50 watts out of 4 el-84s. The one thing I might like is a footswitchable boost but I just swat it a little harder with a pedal. All in all, it has everything I need. Anything else would be a luxury. At this price point, I would rather have the basics done right. They are.

I primarily use this beastie with an American tele--it's a beautiful guitar and it gets me most of the sounds, even some of the heavier ones, that I'm looking for. Also own a Mexican Strat with Tex Mex pickups that I can't get a decent sound out of to save my life and a '79 Gibson SG that is a fine player and sounds good through this amp.

I play roots rock, punk-influenced stuff, classic rock, blues, country rock, alt-country, hard rock, pretty much any kind of hyphen-rock you can think of. I'm not a shredder or into nu-metal but I'm generally willing to take a crack at anything depending on my mood.

Got a pile of pedals. A Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus and a Crybaby see the most use. Other stuff rotates in and out of my pedalboard. Been plank spankin' for about thirty-five years now; one of these days I'll take a lesson and learn what I'm doing wrong.

The Classic 50 gets the job done for me. The clean, while not the Fender shimmer that I do enjoy, is a throaty roar that gets tasty when the master volume goes above halfway. Plenty of clean headroom. We played an outdoor gig, unmiked, a little while ago and I had plenty of clean headroom up to about 7 on the dial (with the "normal gain" on about 7). Even then, the amp was only very mildly overdriven and would clean up nicely if I curbed my enthusiasm. This was with the tele, I'm sure the SG would drive it harder. The tone controls do not make a tremendous difference; they seem to be there more to tweek the signature tone of the amp rather than to give it different tones. I find taking the Marshall approach to dialing this amp in works well--turn everything to 10 and then dial out what you don't want. I usually wind up with the bass on 4 to 6 (depending on the room and the volume level), the mid on 6, the treble on 5 and the presence on about 5 or 6. It is a bright amp but I like a bright sound. I'm doing most of the lead playing in my current band and I find something bright works for me. I do have to watch it, though, it goes from "cutting" to "excruciating" pretty easily.

The dirty "channel" takes care of most of my needs. I always have some sort of overdrive pedal set too provide a volume/gain boost so this functions as a four channel amp for me (clean, clean with overdrive, distorted, waaay distorted). I haven't had any practical problems with only one set of EQ controls. The signature tone of the amp works fine for me. While I wouldn't call the distortion "brootal" by any strech of the imagination, I can get a nice thick, creamy crunch for rhythm and a good biting (bridge pickup) or warm (neck pickup and tone rolled back) lead tone. I have noticed that the amp is nowhere near as sensitive to picking dynamics on the dirty channel as on the clean but that shouldn't really surprise anybody. Likewise, single coils are a lot more dynamic than humbuckers. Have never tried the Classic 50 with active pickups. What would be the point?

The reverb ain't Fender but you can do a reasonable facsimile of surf with it. It sounds pretty good on about 3 on the clean channel to add some spaciousness.

There are plenty of amps out there that sound better. They all cost more. There a plenty of amps out there that sound worse. Many of them also cost more. This is a reasonably versatile amp that someone who gigs a couple of times a month, like me, can work with.

So far, no problems. I've had a number of Peavey products and they've all been built like shit brickhouses. This is a tube amp and it does have PC boards inside. I wouldn't abuse it, but I wouldn't baby it either. Get a cover for it, change tubes as needed, don't move it when it's hot, use your head. ALWAYS have some sort of backup, even if it's just a Sansamp in the gigbag. You're being paid to play music, not to spend the evening onstage up to your elbows in amp guts.

If I was playing for a living, travelling and beating on an amp every night, I would get something sturdier. For what I do, the Classic 50 is just peachy.

The forum's good, the products are supported. I've never had to contact them for repairs. I've never had a Peavey product go down. I'm not wild about Hartley's politics but he sure knows how to build an amp for the working man.

The comparable Traynor wasn't out yet when I bought this, I might give it a spin if this one goes away. Then again, I might just replace it with another Classic 50. I compared this with a Hot Rod DeVille. The clean on the DeVille was more up my alley but the "drive" and (especially) the "more drive" made me cringe. My budget won't allow me to consider Bad Cat but Dr. Z might hover on the edge of affordability.

All in all, an excellent amp for most anybody who plays the bars with some regularity. A good professional sound in a reasonably robust package for not a lot of green. The whole adds up to more than the sum of the parts so I'm going to take all my "8" ratings for the different sections and give it a "9".

Features are pretty well catalogued in other reviews. The high points are:
2 channels
Shared EQ
Pre and Post gain settings
Presence and reverb controls
2 12" speakers
Pretty much anything you would need.

I use this with a custom shop Gibson Les Paul (one-off, non production model), sound chambered, set up with a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the neck and a Burstbucker 3 in the bridge, and strung with 10s. I also play a Gibson Nighthawk (3 pickup) and a Fender Strat through it.

I use a Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes distortion pedal (with groove tubes replacing the stock cheap tubes) to give this amp a third, SCREAMING channel.

The lead channel on this amp distorts nicely, with a "British" classic rock kind of overdriven sound. I believe the speakers are made by Emmince, but even if not, the speakers add to the distortion, as they themselves distort at lower volumes. I don't use the clean channel that often, but it is serviceable.

I own a Mesa Boogie Mark IIB, a 65 Fender Dual Showman, an Egnater TOL 50, a Marshall AVT 50 and a number of smaller 15 watt or less amps. I use the Class