Peavey Delta Blues

I use a Strat and a Jackson which is loaded with SD's with it. I mainly play blues, funk, rock and heavy rock and this guy is perfect for those styles. Actually, you can play any style with it with the help of some distortion stompboxes. Throw a boss metal zone in front of it and there you go. It IS a vertasile amp but actually designed for blues style and believe me Peavey did manage to sequeeze some perfect blues sound in it. It has the clarity of a Fender and the chime of a Vox (must be related to the EL84's) like others have mentioned but the sound is unique in itself and characteristic. Not a Fender or a Vox clone. Yes it is not a 1500$ worth boutique amp but whoever says that it does not have a PRO sound is idiot. Completely touch responsive and what tube sound brings to ones mind is definetly in there (warmth, aliveness, breath, musicality... whatever tubes are related to). It is also able to deliver a great amount of punch (I am talking about a real great amount here) which is definetly mind blowing. Yes a 1500 bucks boutique amp would sound a bit better (I don't think that you would hear a huuuuuuuuuuuge difference) yet for 400 dollars, this amp kicks some major butt. Satisfaction is what describes my experiment with it. I really am satisfied with the tube mimic of this guy. You can gig with it easily because it can go real LOUD if you want it to. I can't imagine a drummer who would be able to play as loud to supress it. Btw, if you want some hi-gain sounds out of it forget about the distortion channel and throw in a distortion stompbox in front of it like I mentioned before. I cannot say that its own drive sucks totally but what you can achieve with a let's say a tube screamer or a metal zone for even higher gains, would be way better. However if you are into some really, really old school blues distortion (kind of ugly and muddy) the drive channel would do with the guitars tone knob turned way down. It responds to effects very good so try whatever stomp you have in front of it. And if you have an amp modeler like POD, V-Amp and etc just plug the modelers output to effects return of it and put an equalizer in between for cutting the midrange (500hz) 5 or 6 decibels. You will be in tone heaven. I don't recommend the actual input for this since the preamp would color the modeler. Use effects return as the input (effect send remains unplugged). The poweramp of it is extremly beatiful sounding. Totally responsive to the signal. The preamp is also very good sounding. Has definetly blues vibe in it. Some think that it could be a little brighter but you can make get to sound brighter than a Fender by inserting a graphic or parametric equalizer in the chain. You can use that in the effects send return and achieve even better results.

Well it has a rattle issue and mine did that. The speaker is too big and too close to the tubes and after a while tubes start rattling and you have to change them. I bought it used from a friend of mine and he said that the rattle had begun a few months ago (it was 2 years old). Normally you already have to change the tubes once a year so this is not a big deal. They last 2 years before the rattle begins. But it would be better if it did not have such an issue.

Never dealt with them so don't know.

I have been playing for more than 15 years and I am a professional guitarist who gigs and makes living out of playing. If it were stolen or lost I would definetly go and buy an other one for 400 bucks. There is no possiblity of finding anything better below 1000 dollars. I hate nothing about this amp. Just nothing. This is not my first tube amp. I have owned a couple of tube poweramps before for using with my POD and I know what tube sound is all about. Peavey Delta Blues is able to deliver it in any sense. Try one and you will understand what I mean. I have not even changed the stock sovteks (yet) on it and they are known as being one of the the worst tubes in the planet. :) The sound should improve by 20% if you throw a set of mullards or rca's in it and with that improvement I think I would want to take it into my bed while I sleep. :)

All the features are already covered in other reviews. But I will say this for those of you that have complained about the features.Just stop whinning and buy another amp with the money you saved on this powerhouse of tone.

I play a DeArmond set neck less paul style (M-75) It is korean made but an excellent player. And a Yamaha Drop 6 Pacifica. Both guitars have twin humbuckers if you are not familiar with the guitars. The tone with the DeArmond on the clean channel is awesome, very much a fender type tone. I call it an idealized fender tone because clean channel starts to break up nicely with the volume about 5. You can also cause the clean channel to break up early with the boost turned on. The overdrive channel with the DeArmond is great with neck pickup for blues riffs and soloing in any genre of music. Oh by the way the tone contols actually work. You can get so many sounds out of this amp it is amazing. But this amp really shines with the Yamaha in the overdrive channel. The amount of distortion this amp will generate will blow your mind. It is incredible. By the way I am not a blues guitar player. I play mainstream heavy stuff like Chevelle, Godsmack , S.T.P, Alice In Chains C.O.C. Etc. I play strait into the amp with no effects. This is the first time in my life I have not used effects to get the sound I was looking for. Every time I plug into this amp I like the sound more and more. I have dialed in about 7 different overdrive settings that I use. This amp is the end of a long search for me. I have owned probaly ten or more pro amps in my life and thsi is the end of my search. Again I want to recommend anyone wanting a professional amp. Without the professional price tag. Go to a Peavey dealer with your favorite guitar. Plug in-turn the pre to 9-the post to 5-bass to the max-mid at 1-treble at 9. Reverb and tremolo to taste. At this setting and a hot humbucker in the bridge the most diehard gain freak should get his fix. I am not kidding. If peavey would change the tolex to black instead of tweed and call it the Serial killer they would sell a million of them. The amp is as quiet as any tube amp I have heard. Oh I almost forgot this thing is loud. I mean LOUD. I can honetly say that this amp is as loud as any 100 watt sloid state amp I have heard. I am not kidding. This amp should cover most music styles out there.

I have only had the amp for a couple of weeks. But My brother owned the amp for 3 months before I did. And It have been trouble free a 100%. The guitarist that write reviews in this forum try to sound so professional. They always say I never gig without a backup. Blah Blah Blah. I have played most of the gigs in my life without a backup without worry. Take care of your gear and it will take care of you. I know things happen and tubes blow and all that stuff. I cant afford to have a backup amp. I have a full time job, two wonderful children a wife and bills. When I can afford another amp it will be another Delta Blues just like the one I have. I would run them in stereo for two massive 15's pushing air.

Peavey is known for the customer care the have always been good to me on every product I have ever owned of theirs. I do not think they would be any different with this amp.

I can not say enough good things about this amp. It is the best value I have ever seen in a tube amp. I have been playing for 15 years. I currently own this amp and a peavey practice amp. A few average guitars and a few effect pedals that are now collecting dust. I am an average guitar player that now has good tone thanks to this amp. My bandmates were blown away with the tone of this amp and it has fueled me to practice more than I ever have. I wanted to post this review for people that have a low budget and want a professional sound. To validate my opinion of this amp my brother owns a 2003 Mesa rectoverb combo. Which is the bechmark of high gain amps. The Delta blues does not have as much gain. But 100% of its overdrive is usable. And on the clean channel the Peavey wins hands down. There is nothing about the amp I can complain about. Tone is subjective. And for me this amp does it. If this amp were stolen I can not describe the lost I would endure for it was a christmas gift from my older brother. But I would do whatever I had to to own another.

the features on this amp are pure and simple. evrything you need nothing you dont. although i do wish it came with a footswitch when i bought it and i did wish it have another distorted channel.

i have an epiphone lp and sg and man to me it sounds awesome. in fact the sg was the guitar i tried it with and bought it to. what may sound weird is that i dont use this amp for blues i use it for punk and hardcore. bass at 12 mid at 3 trep at 12 oooh it sounds awesome. for some reason my clean breaks upat around 4 but its perfect when i want to adnenture into post-punk ala interpol and cure. the tubes are stock but it just adds to the grittyness to the sound.

had it a few times start to make weird buzzing noises but that was a while ago

this amp owns

30 Watt all tube amp: 12AX7 (3 - one is for the phase inverter) & EL 84 (4). Nice full,tones on clean channel & the distortion is real rich- execellent for blues & classic rock. Has headphone jack, effects loop, tremelo & EQ booster.

I use two guitars: 1)Gibson "The Paul" & 2) Fender American Strat w. EMG Active Electronic pickups. This amp real quit with the Gibson, a little bit noisy with the Strat(natual for single coils, especially with boosted pickups). The clean does not become distorted with high volumes. Distortion is a rich, somewhat smooth overdriven sound- real nice for blues & classic rock. The 15" speaker is nice for wide range of the sound spectrum. Much fuller than smaller speaker amps.

Very dependable. My only complaint is that the wire tube retainer on one of the EL84's rattles a little with high volume and/or bass.

Contacted Peavey Technician. Actually makes better tube retainers than the stock. Will get them soon.

I have been playing for about 15 years. Best sounding amp that I have owned to date. If it was lost or stolen I definetely would buy another. Before I bought it, I compared it to many makes in its class & price range- such as Traynor and Crate. They did not have most or any of the features this amp had, plus you can't beat the sound of the 15" speaker for blues in my opinion.

Most features are described elsewhere on this page. I wish there was a way to switch on/off the reverb with the footswitch. The Tremelo is nice, but when I turn it on it cuts the volume so much that I don't ever use it live, just when messing around. I use this amp live in clubs in Tucson, and it's got enough power, I've never even come close to going more than half on the clean channel. I play this with a Telecaster and need it to give me a good clean treble country ringing/twang for some songs. The rest of the time it gives me the pure tube distortion that I want for punk rock stuff. For the price, I am very happy with the features

This amp does everything I want. Sometimes playing it live it gives me a kick in the ass and really inspires. I love its sounds and love to crank it.

Very dependable. Been using it live for some time. I check the tubes after moving it it to make sure they are seated. One time one wasn't and it didn't work. I turned it off, waited for the tubes to cool, and reseated them all, waited (for good luck) and turned it back on. No problems.

I would seriously consider buying one again if it was stolen. I would also consider something else, since it's fun to get new stuff, but whatever I got would be held up and compared against this amp.

New 2003
30 Watts into 16 or 8 Ohms,All-tube (three 12AX7 and four EL84 tubes), 2-channel preamp, One 15 inch Blue Marvel? speaker
Tremolo with speed and intensity, Pre and post gain controls on lead channel, Normal volume control on clean channel, 3-band passive EQ (bass, middle, treble), Boost switch, Master reverb, Footswitch, selectable channel switching and tremolo, Effects loop
Classic tweed covering material,Chrome plated,External speaker jack and matching cover.

Amp has all the features I need, I mostly play at home and was looking for the warm tube sound. Money was not a object in this purchase but I couldn't find anything I liked for over twice as much.

Don't think it would match up with son's metal needs.

I play most jazz, blues, fusion, classic rock. Use a 62 resissue strat, a Gibson 335 reissue and sometimes my Les Paul 58 reissue. The clean channel is superior to everything tested in the shop, the 15 inch speaker was rich and full. The 210 had a little deeper base on the distortion, but this was more than adequate and that was not part of the criteria for me.

Not sure about the reliability as of yet, I get buy a tube guard based on a lot of what I have read. Les than $20 dollars on ebay, but the info I got from everyone I know is that the new Peveay's are very reliable. Too early to rate at this time.

I have contacted them a number of times with quesstion, got through and got good responses. There is also someone who works there who looks through the Yahoo Delta Blues Group and has responded, that is a nice bonus (never seen any other companies do that). So far so good but not any real miles on it yet.

I have been playing for about 6 years now, and have had a fender Champion 30 (dsp) and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. This was just right for me, money was not the ojbect, but as mentioned before the price to performance is very attractive, I tested every Fender in the shop (becasue I really like there sound)but this was just the right one at the right time for me. I would recommend people just check it out with the 15 inch speaker if you are looking for something with a outstanding clean channel.

See the other 8X entries below~!
It would be nice to have a standby switch along with a protected back for the exposed tubes.

The amp sounds good. Real good. It has a nice midrangy flavor to it that carries. I use this amp primarily with the Kent State Jazz Ensemble for gigs, rehearsals and practicing. The amp has a definitive sound that is produced in part by a nice big magnet in the back of the blue marvel 15" speaker. One complaint I have is that for jazz,
It does sound different from a fender combo (ie a hot rod deville-one of my other HEAVY amps) which is a nice change. I've found that Fenders clean sounds are a little blurred and don't even think about keeping it clean past 3 or 4 as they distort very easily. (Its just one channel that each stage bleeds into the distortion a little more) The peavey, although not as mellow, has a good clean sound which has punch and clairty than a fender of that sort will produce. I find that it can cover a wide variety of music styles when set up properly. The speaker is so big, it rattles all of those little tubes a good bit... still looking for a solution? anyone? anyone? Bueller?

Ok- I made a mistake. I left the thing out overnight in a van when it was real real cold in Ohio. The next day I plugged the thing in and it was all out of whack.> It crackled, it cut out and it was not good. I took it to the store I purchased it from in Pittsburgh and they set me up with new tubes and said the problem was microphonic (I killed the tubes). A day later, I'm getting ready for a gig and my gig bag gets stuck on one of the tubes and breaks it, bending the socket holder. *$&^$! So I bought 2 matched Groove Tubes to go with the sovteks. Bad move. On my gig, the amp distorted early on as when these tubes get cookin theyre very hot (more distortion). Anyway, my clean wasn't clear and when you don't sound good, you don't play as well. Case closed- I'm going to get 2 matched pairs. BE CAREFUL OF THE TUBES!

The fellas at the store covered my 1st tube change (the rattling)
I paid for the 2nd ones as mentioned above and the 3rd spare ones. In 2 years Ive gone through 10 tubes...but the store took care of the problems.

I've seen these tube guards on ebay but wonder if they would increase the rattling/decrease. Does anyone have one installed? Like I said, I'm a youngin but I've been playing for 12 years and I've owned a good bit of equipment. The peavey gets an 8- it would get a 9 or 10 if the tubes and rattling would cooporate with student life. I recommend the amp as well as a yamaga dg-80. If you don't leave your room, a fender deluxe might fit well, but don't expect Mr. Clean at your next show. Go with the Peavey.

It has great reverb, great tremolo effect, and two channels. What more could you possibly wish for? Well... I would wish for a Bypass switch and a separate equalizer for the two channels.

Really great. I have had minefor about six years. Used it on numerous gigs and on three CD's and on every occasion it sounds great. Gigs for 15 up to 700 people. I play a bluesy rock/pop style, so no metal sounds are required.
I use a Fender StratPlus from'95 and I sometimes blend my sound with some BOSS effects, mainly wah and phaser, for the heavier distortion sounds I use a BOSS distortion.

Although you would expect the tubes to break down, beecause they are not really well covered, I have had no problems at all with mine. In the seven years I have had it now (and I bought it second-hand, so I do not know how old it really is), the thinh never has seen a shop or repair man. And I am not really the most careful player, it has been taken by car, train,bus and even on the back of my bike. To and from dozens of gigs. It has been movedwith cold tubes, warm tubes.... never had any problem! Great!

Great thing, great price. Reliable, great tone, especially clean. I also made my brother enthousiastic, he uses mine at gigs, but he will buy one too.

Mid-nineties delta blues. 3 12AX7s, 4 EL84s. Two channels, etc, everyone else has covered the features. Mine is a 1X15. I practice at home and I have jammed with a few bands with it. It has plenty of power to practice with a loud band. Simple and cheap but reasonably effective clips to hold the tubes in place. Good reverb. It's not too heavey either.

My two main guitars are a Godin LG (P90s) and a DeArmond jetstar (goldtone humbuckers). I think the amp sounds fanastic. Straight forward valvey sound. It doesn't have clean headroom forever, it breaks up at around '5' on the clean channel (which is extremely loud already...louder than I was playing with the band). The second channel can be setup for any level of overdrive. I like the compromise in this amp...it sacrafices endless clean headroom for a good mix of both clean and dirty. It does nice, traditional tube clean and tube overdrive. I don't use a distortion pedal...I like the second channel on the amp for overdrive, but it does sound better the louder you can get it. It's fairly noisy with my Godin, but all amps are. The DeArmond is nice and quiet on it.

I've only had it for a few months, and i've only dragged it around to a few practices, but it's held up fine. As usual, you gotta be careful of the tubes, and getting that 'tubeguard' thing to protect tubes on the open back is a good idea if you move it around a lot. So far, it's been perfect.

I am no expert, and I haven't even played through most of the boutique amps, though I am reasonably familiar with the fender and marshall amps. I've been playing for about 15 years. I love the simplicity. I thought the peavey was a great alternative to a fender blues deluxe or hot rod amp, or one of the cheaper marshall combos. This peavey is great for the price, and it's perfect for me right now.

Purchased used 1999 model with 15" speaker. 15" model sounds better than the 2-10" and is great for everything from acoustic to blues to grunge. The 15" speaker delivers a surprisingly huge high end. Tremolo is ok at lower settings. Just say no to the boost switch.

Sounds awesome with all types of guitars - single coil strats, teles to humbuckers. Smooth distortion, great clean tones. Way loud for 30 watts.

Here is the secret to this amp. The older models (pre 2000) ran the tubes too hot. Retube the amp with Groove tubes rated between 5 and 7 and you will have great tone and long tube life. The Chinese Sovteks that originally come with the amp sound brittle. You can also get tube guards for the back of this amp on eBay.

Good support. Online manuals.

This amp is a steal on the used market. Pick up an old one, retube it and you have a bargin. Designed like the old fender Prosonic, Bandmaster, Broadcaster amps.