Peavey Delta Blues

30 watts, 2 channel, 3 band passive EQ (shared by both channels), reverb, mid-boost switch, tremelo(speed and intensity), footswitch and external speaker jacks, effects send and return. Basically the same design as the Classic 30, however the Delta comes with a 15" spkr and a trem circuit. Tube configuration is 12ax7 preamp and EL84 power amp tubes. Beautiful yellow tweed covering in a "retro" styled box (think 1940's luggage). The only negatives I can see are no standby switch, presence or individual EQ per channel. Considering this amp is geared toward the "vintage" market, I would rate the features as versatile and useful.

I play Fender Strats, a '78 Tele Thinline (w/Fender Humbuckers), and have even played my bass through this amp. Have only had it for about 2 weeks, but have given it a pretty thorough test drive at all volumes. The clean channel is nice and round, with great bass response due to the 15" spkr, but not much treble "sparkle". A presence knob would remedy this. The dirty channel is suited for blues and classic rock, NOT metal or heavy grunge tones.(after all they did name it Delta Blues). I have had great success with "Texas Tones", and the amp really shines with moderate overdrive (5-6 on the gain knob). I have a plethora of stompboxes, but only run an Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer and a Boss chorus into the front end - I never use the FX loop. I really love the tones I can get with the Tubescreamer on BOTH channels. It acts as a nice boost on the clean channel, but really cooks in conjunction with the dirty channel. Roll off the tone knob on a Strat, set the amp gain to 6, and step on the Tubescreamer ... WOW! Delicious compression and subharmonics and Hendrix/Trower tones leap off the fretboard. I agree with other reviewers about the boost circuit- it does sound awful at any tone setting, and I never use it. I do like the tremelo circuit for very limited use on the clean channel only. It works well on the intro to "Gimme Shelter" and is useful with the chorus pedal for ambient, clean tones. It's rather annoying on distorted tones (sounds kinda like there's a short in the signal chain). I have an old 2x10" spkr cab that I rewired for 16ohms, and using this with the single 15 yields wonderful tone. TRY THIS IF YOU CAN!!! It really gives a full sound, and the 10" spkrs enhance some frequencies that the 15 doesn't.
The amp is plenty loud for club volume, and you should have no problem cutting through the mix. NOTE: At higher volume, I was getting horrible vibration and noises from the chassis, but a Phillips screwdriver remedied this - almost every screw on the amp needed snugging up. I think Peavey could increase their screw torque requirements, and use a little Loctite to eliminate this problem.
Overall, this amp is best suited for blues, classic rock and funk. It is NOT a good choice for metal/thrash/punk/techno, and that's fine by me. I compared this amp to Fenders, and there was NO comparison. Fender makes nothing for $400 that sounds even close.

Haven't had it long enough to truly rate the reliability, but Peavey has a solid reputation so I'm not too worried. I was suspicious of getting an amp with Chinese tubes (due to poor quality and short lifespan), but was tickled to see that this Delta came with Russian pre and power amp tubes. When it's time for replacement, I will Groove Tube it, because this worked wonders on my Crate VC3112 (see review). Like other reviewers I am concerned about the exposed tubes, but have come up with a cheap solution: a 4" strip of expanded metal across the back of the amp works well without hindering ventilation.

I e-mailed the company with some questions initially, and they responded within a day. They offer online amp forums for questions and advice, and seem generally helpful. This is more than I can say for some of their competition.

Been playing for 21 years and have owned some top-end equipment, but due to budget constraints over the last few years, I have tried to get the most product for the least cost. I shopped extensively before purchasing this amp, and quite frankly nothing with tubes sounded this good in this price range. I do wish it had individual EQ for each channel, a presence circuit and a standby switch, but for under $400 bucks how can I complain? If Crate was still making the Class A VC3112, I would have bought a second one (I LOVE THAT AMP), but this Delta Blues sounds good, looks great and fits my needs perfectly. As a matter of fact, I am using an A-B-Y pedal to run the Crate and the Peavey which gives me EVERY tone I need, plus gives me a back-up amp should either one croak during a gig. Both amps together cost under $1000, and sound unbelievably good, so I'll leave the Matchless, Kendricks, Mesa Boogies and Victorias to the rich boys and the amp snobs.

It has channel switching and it shouldn't as it quite noisey. Overall it does look cool (love that tv styling) The reverb is alittle lacking

'61 strat, '56 Mary Kay relic, '88 american tele, 83 paisley tele, 47 gibson es-150, Again the distortion channel is noisey and not well suited for blues. Distortion is best achieved through an outboard box of some sort (we used a tube screamer and a H& K metal shredder) With all guitars the amp seemed brittle and very tight. No singing sustain here
My dog howls, my neighbors fear me HELP ME JESUS!! We wasted several hours of band practice coaxing a tone from this beast

I've seen the inside of this amp and it's a repair bill waiting to happen. Using capacitor leads as a structural point is just silly and no access to pots and tubes is intolerable.

I have Hartley Peavey's phone number on speed dial.

I own a 53 deluxe, 63 bandmaster. No I wouldn't buy a delta blues again, in fact if you wanna buy one still , give me a call.

Mine was made in 1997. I wanted a tube amp that could distort at low
volumes or be clean at high volumes, sounded good, inexpensive,
with reverb. Yep, I know I asked for a lot, but I found it too.
I use the tremelo at low, medium, and high settings. I love this
amp. Peavey really outdid themselved this time.

Clean-nice and warm Distorted-from blues overdrive to heavey metal nasty. (I heard some guys say,"Stay away if you play Heavey Metal." I disagree. I play a strat with zero effects and I just put the gain at max, and I can totally play metal even at low volumes)
(I must add that no amp that exists with distort as much as a dedicated transistor fuzz box or distortion box.)

Reverb is O.K., but slightly noisy too. So are fenders, so both companyies should start using better transistor drivers for reverb.

Everything about this amp screams reliability except for those
cheap-assed tube holders that look like bend clothes hangers.

Superb.

I have been playing for 5 years now. I love everything about the
delta blues, expecially the 15" speaker. I hate the tube holders.
Fenders tube holders are 50X better. I would replace it if it were
stolen. I would have to kick the thiefs ass and at the same time
buy him a drink since he would have to have great taste in stealing
this amp.

I compared it directly to the Fender Blues Deville. Why is this amp
still better than the Fender? The Fender is way too loud even at
the one setting. The fender has to be cranked almost full to get
amy real distortion. The Delta Blues give me distortion whenever
I want it at whatever volume I want it at.

Oh, I opened the Delta Blues. Some people have said in past reviews
that the amp looks cheap inside. I disagree. The amp is very clean
and the circuit board is exactly like those expensive ones Trace Elliot uses in their rack pre-amps. The only thing that just sucked about the inside was =>tubes mounted directly on circuit board(the
sound is the same of course, but I worry abou those tubes melting
the curcuit board over time). Also I wish the tube holders were
ceramic. I hate plastic tube holders because they may melt.

Hey Check this webpage out:

http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/radiohead/1364/

This site is a new website about Peavey gear done by "who knows?"
but not done buy Peavey Electronics. Really neat and different.

Two Channel, trem, 15" speaker,tube

I use a Fender Strat Deluxe Plus with Red, Silver, and Blue Lace sensors. I play a wide variety of styles but with a lot of blues and soul. The clean channel is okay and kind of breathy but I have to have the bass control up all the way to get the tone fat enough. I miss my old Fender Twin. The distortion is either to edgy & muffled and/or not enough clarity. I have had trouble finding a sweet spot.

This has been the most unreliable amp I have ever owned. It has been in the shop five times since I bought it 9 months ago. The tube sockets, tubes, chassis rattle etc. makes this amp unsuitable for gigging or recording. The tube sockets and circet board seem cheap.

The dealer that I bought the amp from has tried to be helpful. But, Peavey has been horrible in sending the right parts and or shipping the parts and with answers on what is the problem. The last parts took two months to arrive. Nobody seems to know why the amp keeps having a tube rattle,etc. Peavey says the clips are the culprit but the clips have been removed. The tube sockets have been replaced with new horrible noises. They just do not seem to know what is wrong!

I regret ever buying this amp. I used to think Peavey was a super company but their handling of this warranty service, poor service, shipping and cheaply made product means that this is the last Peavey product I buy. (I have bought many Peavey products through the last 25 years.) What happened to quality and relialibility?

This Delta Blues amp with the 15 inch speaker was made in 1997.
This amp is very versitile for the 60's and 90's music that I am now into
playing. I read in the owner manual that it can also be used as an
Accoustic Guitar Amp which is just great. An all tube accoustic guitar
amp is something I have always wanted. I have not used it for the
accoustic purpose yet.

It has two channels(boost and norm) which work effectively as well as
reverb and tremelo. The tremelo is a great addition to this amp. The
gain is a bluesy type of distortion due to only 2 12AX7s pre-amp tubes and
the 15 inch speaker adds to this.

I bought this amp because it only has 30 watts. I also have a Blues
Deville but it gets way to loud with distortion. The Delta Blues
distorts at a moderate volume.

Great sound for my single and humbucker electrics. I haven't tried the
accoustic on it yet. I wonder about whether bass would sound good through it. Vocals sound warm through this little 30 watt wonder.
The sound with the boost switch is better than the sound without.

It is not as versitile as a rackmount system but it is much more portable. Sounds as good as a Fender tube amp, but for way
less money!

This is the part in which I have a big problem with my amp.
I don't trust it entirely because(Here the part with my story):

I presently don't drive so I took the train to the downtown area
to pick up my Delta Blues at the Greyhound Bus Terminal. You see,
I ordered this amp from a really great music store in Kelowna, B.C.,
Canada called "Wentworth Music." I no longer live in Kelowna; I now
live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Anyway, I unpacked the amp
from it's box and packaging so it would be easier to carry to the
LRT station(rapid train system). The amp is almost 50 pounds. Not heavy
if you are taking it from your house to your car, or from your car to
your gig. Ah, alas. I wasn't. Thanks Quinty?!

As I was carrying the amp out of the Greyhound Bus Terminal, one of
the tubes (EL84) fell out of the amp and on the the cement. The tube
was fine. I looked in the amp and I noticed the major thing I hate
about this amp. Instead of a spring-platform kind of Fendery device to
hold in the tubes were bent wire(like clothes hangers but thinner)
which were shaped to each tube. O.K. if the amp is stationary, but
once the amp starts swinging, the wire system swings and lets go
of the tube. Kerplunk. Good-Bye Tube!

Anyways, this amp was really heavy and a complete hell to carry
to the LRT and a real wench to carry from the LRT station to my
house which is three city blocks away. My hands were red by the time I
arrived home. I went to plug in the amp and try it out. Damn another
tube is missing!!!!!

I looked in the back of the amp, and sure enough another tube had
dislodged itself. Oh great! The wire thing is missing. I put the fallen
tube back in. KERBALMMM!! The tube shorts out and takes my amp with
it....Now I wish I had never laid eyes on this amp. I should have used
my money to get laid in another kind of way. Just kidding !

I phoned Wentworth Music. He said check the fuse. I did. Ah-ha
the culprit. The next day I had to make a special trip to an
electronic repair shop(no I didn't have to bring my amp) to get a new
fuse. I got home.. Voila. The amp works!! It sounds great and has not
given me anymore problems. The holders for the tubes still really suck.

It is great for home and gigging(when I get a vehicle that is). But I'll
never actually carry it to another gig. It sounds great, but those tube
holders totally turned me off. I am happy that I bought the amp since
the sound it super, it is versitile, and I got it at a super sweet price.

The customer support is always top notch at Peavey Electronics.
There customer service is the best in the west. Wentworth Music
was incredibly helpfull to me. And that's why I still shop there even
though I live 1000 miles away.Wentworth Music's customer service
is the best out of any music store in Western Canada. Believe me!
They were willing to pay for its repair. Also they are sending me
another tube and a replacement tube holder for free.

I really don't have too much else to say. I hope everyone got some
good entertainment out of my story. The amp is a good amp. The only
aspect that sucks is those simply garbagey tube holders. Those belong
in the Peavey junkyard along with the Peavey Rages with
the screwed up pots and harsh sounds.

Wentworth Music rules as usual. I would probably be screwed,
blued, and tatooed if I bought this amp from a less reputable store
like _.X._ M.U._.I.C.

Bought this amp about one month ago after swapping my BOSS ME-30, SansAmp GT2 and a Fender Champion 110. After lusting for a real tube amp and having done extensive research on tube amps in Harmony Central, I went to the music store and tried out several amps including a Fender Blues Junior, Gibson Gold Tone (this amp is superbly built and it has a killer clean tone it being a Class A amp) and a Fender HotRod. I brought down my guitar which is a Yamaha Pacifica 604W (Black with pearly white pickguard, Wilkinson Tremolo and locking systems, original HM, SC, SC pickup combination, D'Addario 11 - 52 Strings gauge and Jim Dunlop 0.96mm picks).

I tried the Gibson GoldTone first and have one of the store salesperson used my guitar to show what the amp can do. I was amazed at the clarity of this amp. It's real loud and every note seems to just have that sparkle that's not too trebly and at the same time not to mushy, very tight and deep. I love it but the price is a bit beyond my budget. I moved on to the Fender Blues Junior. This has good clean tone too but it's not the same after hearing that Gibson. Mind you, the Blues Junior is a very good amp with hearing that Gibson first just does not seems to do the Fender's justice. The price is within budget but I decided to snoop a bit deeper. I ask them for an amp that has more gain than the previous two. I tried the Fender HotRod (2 x 12), this has plenty of gain and it's a hybrid tube/solistate technology. It's just not the same as an all valve amp. I am nearly frustrated at this stage. The store salesperson then decided to show me the Peavey Delta Blues which just came the day before. It was not on display yet (still boxed) so they brought the box out and pulled the amp out and plugged it in for me.

This amp totally blew me away with it's golden tweed cabinet and chrome chassis and has the control placed at the back (just like the Bassman and Vox AC30). It's a 30W all tube (2 x 12AX7 preamp + 4 x EL84 power section), has a single 15" speaker, 2 footswitchable channels, 3 band vintage EQ, effects loop, Boost switch which i never seems to use or need so far, Tremolo and Reverb.

It has the same sparkling clean tone that I heard from the Gibson and the drive has enough gain to make me happy. I am not really into heavily distorted tone so it's good enough for me. After playing it for 10 minutes and testing out all different variation on the pre and post gain settings, I found it to be quite flexible for my taste. I bought it and never regretted it. This amp is something I want to keep. If I ever need more gain later on, I will buy another amp but I will not trade or sell this one.

I listen and play to classic 70's (Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Creedence, the Doors and Eric Johnson and of course SRV). For the type of music I play, I do not need any fancy effects, just a bit of reverb will satisfy me. I have a whole dozens of rack processing equipment that I have sold off (during my Ibanez Satriani and Vai days......it's over....don't get me wrong.....they are fantastic players, but i'm in love with the old guitar tone and most importantly the music, the blues).

This amp when cranked up will deliver smooth creamy singing lead tone with a bit of added noise. The dynamic is very good, has good headroom (for example : with the neck pickup at full 10 volume and with the pre at 9 and post at 4, I can strum quietly and when picked harder you get that distorted tone without even using the volume control). At gigs, I can get awesome blues tone with the pre set to 5 and post to 7 or 8 which is loud and will cut thru the other instruments. This amp will be used with a Fender Stratocaster Vintage (which is my dream guitar) so i know it will sound even better with that. I tried a Fender SRV Custom Shop Guitar with this at the store and it blew me away.

The clean channel is superb. Clean, sparkly and deep with a tight bottom not mushy. Even when cranked up to 7, it still is clean. This amp is pretty loud. Another good thing is that, you can get pretty good drive tone even at low post settings. Good for a quite practise in the room. A good combination for someone who craves a little more gain is to use an Ibanez Tube Screamer which I did try at the store as well. I did not buy the Tube Screamer yet simply because i'm still happy with this much gain that i have at my disposal at the moment.

Gain-Head or metal head Beware : DO NOT BUY THIS AMP. If you are into the classic 70's blues or rock, it will not disappoint. It's a simple all valve amp with the classic look which is an added bonus and at this price, that tremolo is almost an extra bonus. It's cool.

I does not do extensive gig like I used to. I've been playing for 14 years now and finally I found a truly good friend which will hopefully last me for another 14 or more. I only have it for about a month and so far no problem. Stock tubes are in good working order still. I rate it a 5 since I will not know what will happen in the future days.

I have not dealt with Peavey directly (apart from the fact that I posted my warrantly card to them after purchasing the amp) so I would not know what their service would be. The amp came with a 3 year extended warranty if you posted your warrantly slip within 7 days of purchase which is what I did. Again, I will rate it at 5 for this category.

I love the look and the sound of it. It satisfy my need for a good guitar tone so far. The first amp on my list before I go out to the music store is a Fender Twin Reverb but sadly, I do not have that kind of money. I will get it someday. I choose the Peavey becuase of the price. I think it's very good value for money.

An excellent tube amp!! Needs a headphone jack - but otherwise I love it!

Works great clean or dirty - this amp covers a variety of sounds from rock to blues to country very well

No experinces yet

I have been playing for 20 years and compared this amp to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The Peavey sounded just as good, was cheaper, and the Peavey dealer was excellent!!(The Fender guy was a jerk!!)

1998 model with the "upgraded" Blue Marvel 15" spkr. 30watts, 2 channel (clean and lead) reverb and tremelo, effects loop tweed covering, oxblood grill, looks like a classic blues amp, but its a wolf in sheeps clothing. EL84 power tubes w/12ax7s in the preamp. The only thing it lacks that I wish it had is a footswitable reverb...I like to use reverb, but not all the time, I have to compromise a bit with this but its only a minor gripe. A presence control like the Classic 50's would be nice as well. There is also a boost button which seems to boost the vol and mids of both channels...but to me makes the amp sound way to muddy...LEAVE IT OFF and get a TubeScreamer and you won't miss it. They should have left this off and added the presence knob, to me its totally useless and corrupts the nice tone of this amp. Lots of features packed into a nice little amp

Eventhough this is a "Blues" amp...I am a bastard who pushes it to play heavier stuff...and it holds its own!! The first thing I did though was put better tubes in it...the stock were microphonic! Read on later for comments on this. I use a 72 Gibson SG loaded with SD pickups, a Custom in the bridge, AlnicoII Pro in the neck spot...it screams and growls! Through this amp the sound is monster...the amp is made to be pushed and the SD's do just that and do it well. Let me just say..this is the loudest 30 watts I have ever heard, its wonderful...loud without being ridiculous, it just performs beautifully and pushed some major air from the 15" spkr. I wasn't real sure about this amp for my style, I play quite an array of styles but mostly what I fall back on is stuff like Social Distortion and The Damned. as well as Leeds era Townsend. But after playing the amp on the store and throwing some Social D chords down I fell in love with it. I needed an amp that was loud enough to gig and record with but also didn't break the windows if I wanted to crank it up at home and this fits the bill perfectly. The clean channel is warm and round and will break up past 4 or 5, add some reverb and tremelo and you can turn out some nice spooky tones for haunted rockabilly or surf. This channel is nice but doens't sparkle like a Fender...like I said, a presence knob would help. The lead channel is great....fat fat fat. Get the bass knob over 5 or 6 and its too much low end via the 15", keep it down and crank your treble and set your mid at 4 and you have a wonderful sound. The secret though is to crank the Post (power amp vol) knob and then adjust your Pre from there...really thick overdrive with harmonics and sustain that last for days...its great. It almost sounds like an old cranked Marshall...not a small EL84 powered amp! Its really that fat with my Gibson. I would say the cranked lead tone at the right settings is a cross between Angus Young and Mike Ness. I should note however, again, I did change the tubes to Sovteks which made it sound a bit darker. It nor made for "brutal" distortion but rather very fat smooth overdrive like an old Marshall...not a 5150 or a Rectifier. Its a warm fat sustaining tone, not a crushing tone. If you need more gain or a boost for leads an Ibanez TS works very nicely. If you need more than that you need to think about another amp. Again, a presence knob would be a great addition....PEAVEY do you hear me? Again, the boost button...crap, you don't need it, it destroys the amps tone. The amp also has a slight hiss in the lead mode when you are not playing, such is life though, right? Play loud and you won't have to hear it!

The amp seems very sturdy, the tween will probably earn some scrapes and nicks. The thing that really got me though were the tubes. After playing for about 15 mins the thing started squealing like a stuck pig, and wouldn't stop, even with the vol down and nothing in the input!! SO I turned the thing around and started giving the preamps tubes a once over...sure enough, total microphonic SOBs!!! I yanked them out and stuck some spare Sovteks in and the problem was solved but the amp sounds a bit darker now. The thing that surprised me though was that the phase inverter tube was a Phillips!! The rest were all shitty Chinese made. I don't think this is a reflection of Peavey's reliability or workmanship, the amp is solid...they just use cheap tubes and don't test them as rigorously as high end amp manufacturer's do but what do expect for this price? I can excuse this little "problem" but I dont think it would hurt Mr Peavey to use some better tubes as stock, I would pay a little more for better tubes than get the amp home and have to replace them right away. I should also mention that I tried out a 5150 combo in a store once and it had the same problem, bad preamp tubes...the salesman agreed that is seems to be a trait with Peavey, you can expect to put your own preamp tubes in right away. The amp comes with a 1 year warranty on the amp and 90 days for the tubes. The store I bought it from also includes there own added 90 day warranty on both over Peavey's

I did email Peavey about the tubes but have not gotten a response, but it has only been 24 hours. In the past with other amps I have owned, mostly used models they have been very helpful and quick when I need a manual or advice. I can't give them a rating yet though based on this amp.

Ive been playing ove 10 years now and have used a lot of different amps from cheap combo's to expensive Mesa 1/2 stacks and I have to say this is one of the nicest little loudassed amps I have ever used, I like it a lot and am very happy with it, which is hard for me considering my picky ears.

THIS IS A TRUE BLUES TUBE AMP WITH 2 CHANNEL (I GOT A FREE FOOT SWITCH WITH THE DEAL TRY TO WORK THIS WITH THE DEALER IF YOU CAN) 3 BAND EQ, PRE AND POST GAIN CONTROL, BOOSTER, TREMELO EFFECT, EXT. SPEAKER JACK, EFFECTS LOOP, REVERB, 30 WATT ALL TUBE. THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE A 15" SPEAKER THAT SETS THIS AMP APART FOR HIGHER PRICED BLUES AMP.

I PLAY A FENDER STRAT WITH DIMARZO VINTAGE BLUES, THIS AMP IS MADE TO PLAY TRUE BLUES, BLUES ROCK, SOUTHERN ROCK, ETC. THE CLEAN CHANNEL CAN EVEN HANDLE A LITTLE JAZZ SOUND. THERES LITTLE NOISE, AND THE CLEAN CHANNEL STAYS CLEAN WITH A NICE DEEP TONE. THE DISTORTION CHANNEL IS MORE OF A OVERDRIVE IT DOESNT GET REAL DISTORTED BUT IT CAN STILL HANDLE MOST ROCK SOUNDS. I STICK WITH BLUES ROCK AND IT DOES THE JOB.

IVE HAD IT 2 MONTHS NOW WITH NO PROBLEMS, SO I WONT RATE IT HERE. THE TUBES ARE EXPOSED IN THE BACK AS OTHERS HAVE LISTED, AND IT HAS NO STAND BY SWITCH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, BUT... IM NO EXPERT BUT IT APPEARS TO BE WELL BUILT TO ME. THIS IS ALSO MY FIRST TUBE AMP AND WHEN ITS TIME TO REPLACE THEM I THINK I'LL STEP UP IN QUALITY.

IVE NEVER DELT WITH THEM. I SENT IN THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY CARD AND HOPE I NEVER HAVE TO USE IT.

IVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 4 YEARS AND JUST GOT IN A BAND TO START PLAYING SO I PICKED THIS AMP FOR SOUND, DONT LET THE 30 W FOOL YOU ITS LOUD AND I JUST MIC IT TO THE BOARD AND ALL IS WELL. IT SOUNDED BETTER THAN FENDERS FOR LESS MONEY AND THE 15" SPEAKER GIVES DEEP TONE. IM HAPPY WITH THIS AMP, I CHECKED OUT A FEW AMPS IN THIS PRICE RANGE AND SOUND WON OVER ALL OTHER, NEXT TIME AT THE STORE TAKE A LISTEN...

The Delta Blues features switchable channels (normal, lead), three band eq for the normal channel, effects loop, speaker out, boost switch (adds more volume), tremolo, and reverb. There are a few things i wish it had: headphone jack and a standby switch. The lead channel is a little on the cheesy side, so metal guys steer clear. I would not really define it as distortion, but more in between over-driven tube and a distortion. As for the tremolo, i don't use it that often, but it can replicate some Skynyrd stuff (I Need You). Reverb is nice, and you can get some BB King sounding things out of it. This amp has plenty of power (30 watts all tube), and can gig or do as a practice amp. I primarily use this amp at home, and anywhere past '3' on the main volume gets complaints from my roomates. It also has a 15" speaker which really moves a lot of air, and kicks out a lot of dirty, low tones.

I use this amp with a Les Paul 100 from Epiphone with stock neck and bridge pickups. It perfectly suits my tastes of Southern rock, blues, classic rock, and alternative. It takes some fiddling, but with the right combinations the aforementioned styles can all be had with the Delta Blues. It is very quiet even at high levels, until you start plugging in pedals, etc. Feedback rules, but I usually curtail this problem by adjusting my guitar volume and tone. The clean channel starts distorting at about 4 or 5, and it is wonderful. All classic tube tones here. The lead channel leaves something to be desired, so the most distortion out of that is like Lenny Kravitz 'I Wanna Fly Away.'

I have had this amp about a month now, and I have not had any problems whatsoever with it. If anything, I would screw a piece of wood in the back to protect the exposed tubes. If I gigged a lot, i would trust this amp without question. It does not get very hot, and it is very sturdily built (except for the exposed tubes).

I have not tried to contact Peavey, but the warrenty is for five years i think. Although it is limited, it covers things that would happen in transport, or a factory error. If you kick in the speaker, you are screwed. Finding a service center is easy...Peavey are like Japanese cars. They're everywhere!

I have been playing guitar for six months, but have been playing drums in rock bands for about four years now. I have seen a few amps, and this one definitely sounds the best. It is cheaper than a Hod Rod deluxe, and in my opinion is more versatile with its sounds. I was going to buy a Classic 30, but this one was available closer to my home. I feel I paid a little too much for this baby, but when I look at other options (Marshall VS65, Hod Rod deluxe, Blues & Pro junior, any Crate tube amp) this was the most I could get for the money. Many people have written about the shabby build quality, but if you don't abuse it, there is no way this thing is going to break. I do wish it had a headphone out, but I have a Gorilla amp for headphone playing. I love this amp, and if it were to be stolen, i would buy another, or look for a bigger used Peavey tube amp. I am satisfied, and the name Delta Blues says it all.

This is my first tube amp; I bought it seeking the "old Marshall" sound to play blues, blues-rock, southern rock, and classic rock (e.g. Allman Bros. Band). The Delta Blues is an all tube, 30-watt combo, with one 15" speaker. According to Peavey tech support, this amp is identical to Peavey's "Classic 30" amp, only the Delta Blues has a 15" speaker and the tremolo effect.
The amp has a fairly straightforward set of features: tremolo (speed and intensity knobs); bass, mid, and high EQ knobs (for both channels); reverb; "boost" switch (gives a bit more volume); post and pre volume knobs for the overdrive channel; volume knob for the clean channel; channel select button; effect loop; optional footswitch jack; external speaker out jack. The Delta Blues lacks an important feature for a tube amp: it has NO standby switch! The amp is also very heavy, and farily large; it is cumbersome to move around. I bought a set of four Peavey casters from a local store $15(US) for the set, and the Peavey tech told me it does not void my warranty to add these wheels. The warranty is a five year limited warranty.
I wanted a fairly simple, straightforward sound, and this amp's features are adequate for my needs. With experimentation and patience, it is possible to dial-in to a few really warm, singing sounds. It is definately not high-gain, though, this amp would probably not suit the hard, heavy, and metal crowd.
The lack of a standby switch really irks me, though, and I worry about decreased tube life. Also, the tubes are completely exposed in the back. Fortunately, I don't gig -- I would probably break quite a few tubes with lots of on the road time. It probably wouldn't be too hard, though, to hack up a makeshift cover for the tubes.

I plug in a Fender Standard Stratocaster (Mexican), with the following modifications: the bridge pickup has been replaced with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails; the neck pickup has been replaced with a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. The new pickup to not buzz or hum at all, on any amp setting or volume. The "middle" pickup is still the stock single coil, and it does hum and buzz with the Delta Blues (but also on every other amp it's been plugged into).
With the amp turned on, and no guitar or cable, there is a very slight hum, but barely audible.
The clean channel is very nice; it is warm, and fairly balanced. I run the amp with the EQ settings all cranked up to "12," and this gives me the almost the exact tone I like. Past "6" or "7," the amp starts to distort with natural tube overdrive sounds. I do not gig, but typically jam with friends and just practice. When the amp goes past "6" or "7" it is no longer at bearable practice volumes, because it is extremely loud. But, if I'm jamming with a friend, or put the amp in another room and crack it up to "10" or so, then I have an almost perfect, near-vintage Marshall sound, no cracking or undesirable noises, but a warm tone with some raunchy tube overdrive.
I don't use the distortion channel as often, and as others have said, it is rather cheesy. There are a few sweet spots, though. This amp is definately not a high-gain amp.
At the higher volumes, this amp is fairly responsive to pick dynamics. I can play softly, with just pure tone, or really dig in and hammer my strings (11 gauge Boomers), and get some real punch. At the higher volumes, you can feel that 15" move the air.
I think the secret to the Delta Blues's tone is the 15" speaker, because I played on a Classic 30, and it seemed to trebly, even with the bass cranked out and the treble turned down. The 15" speaker give the Delta Blues the extra bass kick it needs to be playable.
There is only one thing that really bothers me, sometimes, is tube rattle, which seems to come and go depending on my mood or the weather, or something I haven't placed. Initially there were some really bad rattles, caused by the "bent coat hangers" that hold the tubes in. I just bent them to be more rigid against the tubes.
The tremolo is goofy, I only use when I'm just screwing around, and not doing anything serious. If I turn the intensity and speed all the way up to "12," and play the highest not on my guitar, it makes this cool "sonar" type of sound. :)

So far this amp has been 100% reliable for me. As I said, I worry about the tubes not having any real form of protection. But I have moved this amp between my parents' house and school several times (apprx. 2 hour drive), and several trips between my place and my friends' place.
If I did gig, I feel I could rely on this amp to perform.
It came with a five year warranty, too.
One thing to note; I don't know enough about tube amps to tear them apart and critique their manufacturing quality, but I scanned for folks' opinions on DejaNews (www.dejanews.com) on the Delta Blues. The general consensus was that the amp has good sound, but I apparently, it's cheaply and cheesily manufactured. This hasn't been a problem for me, I really baby and take immaculate care of this amp, but the hard core amp folks seem to think it could benefit from better manufacturing.

I've never had a serious problem with this amp, only miscellaneous questions. Peavey has online "forums" (similar to Usenet newsgroups) where you can post your various tech questions, and they can be answered by other customers, but are also answered by official Peavey reps. All of my questions have been answered within a day.
As mentioned above, the amp came with a five year warranty. Note also, I added those Peavey casters to the bottom of this amp, and tech support said this modification does not void my warranty.
If you get this amp, do add wheels, it will save five years on your back!
I have seen folks posting messages to the Peavey support forums asking about the chasis rattle in their Classic 30s. The typical response seems to be "take it to your Peavey dealer and they can re-bend the chasis or send it back to the factory." I guess this is an acceptable response, but I have a feeling if there was any shipping involved, that the cost would fall on the customer! (note these posts were with respect to the Classic 30, not the Delta Blues).
Before you buy a Peavey product, or as part of your research for a Peavey product, it's probably a good idea to browse their online tech forums, so that you can get a feel for what problems and/or concerns people have voiced with their Peavy product(s). http://www.peavey.com
Manuals and schematics of all Peavey amps are also available on their web site and/or for ordering (also through their web site)

I'm a guitar player of about four years. I'm a college student, so I'm poor, and my equipment is limited to the Standard Strat, the Peavey Delta Blues, some cables, and a Vox Wah-Wah pedal. My first amp was a Crate GX15 15 watt beast.
I feel this is a decent amp for the money, especially because I can dial into the blues, blues-rock, classic rock, and southern rock sounds I really dig. I can get acceptably near the sounds of the artists I emmulate, Allman Bros. Band, Ted Nugent, (some) Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Clapton, etc. And that is exactly what I love about it, I can get these smooth, bluesy tones.
I feel I paid too much for it, though, I think I could have talked the store owner down another $40(US) or so, i.e. if you find a good dealer, one of these could be had for around $400(US) or so.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd probably buy something else, just because I like to try new things... but I would go through a considerable period of mourning if this amp were stolen or lost!
As far as its comparison to other amps, I have to admit, I was comparing strictly to amps in this approximate price range. But, I really got the sound I can dig, and despite some folks saying it has cheap construction, I've never had any technical or breakdown troubles.
My only real concerns/wishes for this amp are as follows: standby switch, I'm learning more about tube amps daily, and it seems as though tubes are usually what craps out on tube amps (first), and a standby switch just logically seems as though it would add tube life; a protective grill or some type of enclosure around the tubes, they're simply too delicate to be fully exposed, with no real form of protection; better tube "mounts" or "holders," there is only the equivalent of bent coat hangers holding the tubes firmly in place (and actually, they're probably unneccessary), I think a better method for securing the tubes could be engineered, that was not subject to rattles, and looked a bit more elegant.
Also, I don't have the web address handy, but if you check the reviews on this Harmony Central database of the Classic 30, one individual lists his homepage where he has several modifications described for improving and bettering the Classic 30 -- several of these mods apply also to the Delta Blues, but many will void the warranty!

This is a follow-up and it has the same features as before; they're all the same, anyway. I found a new use for it, however. I have a Yamaha DX-7 keyboard, I've loaded the cartridges with Hammond sounds. I plugged it into the Delta Blues with a chorus pedal just because it was sitting there handy. Now I know what the overdrive on this amp is really for! The closest I can describe the sound is "Deep Purple". It really screams. I suspect (and will try when I can) that a Fulltone stereo Roto-vibe would really sound right. It's also a lot lighter than a Leslie. I think the great 15" speaker is what makes it sound so sweet. BTW, I've used this amp for recording bass guitar. It sounds great for that, also.

Still sounds great, excepting with heavy distortion, which I don't use anyway. It's especially cool as an organ amp (much to my suprise), and the distortion works for this use.

Except for the initial problem, caused by a broken tube, nothing has ever gone wrong. I still say it's not very well designed, but considering the price, it's better made than one might expect. I'm still planning on hand-wiring one when I can find a used one real cheap.

I haven't needed customer support except when buying it but they were certainly helpfull then.

If I had to compare this amp to another I'd say, think of a black face Fender Bandmaster, running 4 EL-84's class A, with reverb, through the sweetest 15" speaker I've ever heard. That's about as close as I can aome.

I mostly play in a church, so I need a great sound at low volumes. It gets miked through the sound system. Plenty, plenty, plenty of power! I leave the Normal knob on '2' and back off with my guitar volume. I thought I would never use a Lead channel, but this one is nice. My wife doesn't complain so much because the amp/guitar sound is not at all harsh. It is noisy at very low volumes, but the noise disappears into the background as you turn it up. I pull the amp's Treble down (4) and turn up the guitar's Treble and can reduce the noise quite a bit.

I use a Jackson Stealth with 3 HB's. I bought the guitar 5+ years ago for the neck, not the tone. It sounded very crappy through my old silverface Deluxe Reverb (thin and harsh), but now sounds quite good through the Delta Blues. I was really looking for a new guitar, but now I can stick with what I have for a long time. You definitely have to tweak the knobs a bit, but I can get a great "2" and "4" position sounds. It can be bouncy, percussive, and mellow, depending how you fiddle with it.

I bought it used, and one of the tube holder thingies had fallen off into the bottom of the amp. Before I discovered that, I had trouble with "crashing noises" after 1.) moving the amp in/out of the car, or 2.) playing extremely loud - testing purposes only. Fiddling with one preamp tube always fixed the problem. Now that I've put the tube holder back on the preamp tube, I don't have that problem, knock-on-wood. It appears to be well-built, but I've only had it a couple of months.

I don't expect any support, and probably wouldn't use it if they did provide it. I know enough about electronics and tubes to figure most things out.

I've been playing electric guitar for 8 years or so. Acoustic adds another 10 to that. If lost or stolen, I would definitely buy it again. I've looked at, played, borrowed, owned lots of different amplifiers. When I was looking for this one, I was really looking for a Fender Pro Junior (12", 15W), but it couldn't hold a candle to this amp, which cost only a few dollars more. I also looked at the Trace Elliott Velocette series. Nice sound, if that's the sound you like (Class A mode). Epiphone has a ~20W 12" all-tube amp which was actually a close second. I was very surprised. I played that amplifier for an hour or more at the store. I have a Zoom effects rack, but it will now be sold or ignored. I was also hopeful of the Line 6 amplifiers. Though they cost about $250 more than this one, I hoped their versatility and sounds would be worth it. I was sorely disappointed. While they have more of a tube sound than most solid-states, they do not have what I like in an amplifier. After playing one, I received a demo CD in the mail. It showed exactly why that amp is not for me - too much oriented towards Van Halen wannabe's and other pseudo musicians. If you can't play very well, at least you can play loud.
After the trouble with my old Fender Deluxe Reverb, I thought I was going to have to compromise my personal values and buy a solid-state amp. No solid state amp exists to fill the void. I hope and pray that by talking nice to this amp, it will not let me down for 20 years or so. We've come a long way in tube amp design since the early tubes. The transformer's are much better than they used to be, so say my educated sources. You don't have to play so dang loud to get a good sound.
I didn't rate it a 10 because you do have to tweak the knobs quite a bit to get good sounds. This may have as much to do with my guitar as the amplifier.

Normal and lead channels, tremolo,eq, effects loop, reverb. Cute tweed finish. Channel switching is done via push-button or an optional footswitch. It sould be handy to have a second input jack. I don't use the trem because the sound doesn't suit the blues and classic rock that I'm into. I use this amp mainly at home for practice. I can get nice sounds out of it at low volumes, but this amp is loud if you want it to be!

I use this amp with a PRS McCarty Model (check out my review in the guitar database). The amp provides lovely warm sounds that complement the PRS in humbucking mode but has plenty of bite when switching to single coils. It produces very little noise - just a gentle hum which is more pronounced while warming up (this only takes about 30 seconds). The distortion channel *can* be used, but I suspect an overdrive pedal is probably a better way to go. This amp is plenty loud enough for me - that 15" speaker really is good for a rich, bluesy sounds with plenty of power when it's needed.

I haven't had it long enough to have problems (touch wood). I suppose, like any tube amp, I have to expect to have the occasional breakdown.

Never dealt directly with Peavey. I did like the way they provide a PDF copy of the user's guide at the Peavey web site: www.peavey.com so I'll give them half marks.

I compared this with the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, but decided at GBP100 cheaper, I'd go for the Peavey. I don't regret it. I still think it represents great tone for the money.

2 channels,trem,eq,fx loop,reverb

I use a Fender American Standard Strat , all stock for blues and blues rock. It suits the style well. I like the sound when it is doing its thing rightly. It is noisy in all settings and all environments, but i have learned to live with it being a single coil user. I like the clean channel but the drive channel sucks. I also dont use the tremolo, it robs to much tone. The best distortion comes from this thing if you just get the clean channel up high, although this amp has had its moments, i can never get it to do the same thing twice.

I cannot depend on this amp. I have gigged without back up and gotten lucky, but I am searching daily for something better. When I first brought it home I got a wicked low freq hum out of it that wouldnt die. I blocked the reverb tank off the bottom and that seemed to help. One thing I can do is touch it when its truned on, the thing sounds like a truck running into a pack of shopping carts. I have changed tubes to all sovteks and that helped the tone, but the crashing noises are there every now and then.

I have not dealt with the company. I know the runaround I will get and it aint worth it. I will have the local Frankenstien take it to his lab before I give it to the factory boys, I hav heard 6 month horror stories and refuse to live one of them. Warranty Shmarranty. I know the game.

I have used it for two years out of sheer lack of cash to replace it. I would not buy another one. I like the tone when it is in the mood. I hate the unrealibility. Searching for a Supro

I own 19 amps, Marshall, Fender, Gibson, etc, but, except for the smallest clubs, I always use the Delta Blues. Any venue where this amp isn't loud enough, you should be miking it, anyway. I play blues and this one does it for me. I get a lot of sneering because it isn't "politically correct", according to the blues snobs, but when I'm performing, I go for the sound, not for the label and date of manufacture.

I use this amp with a Strat with Texas Special pickups., a Yamaha SBG2000, a '65 Gibson Firebird, and a Gibson Trini Lopez. It sounds fine with all of them. The distortion channel sucks, but I never use it, anyway. The mid boost is nice, and adds just a little distortion. Perfect for my style. The 15" speaker in this thing is the best I've ever heard.

As far as I can tell, mine was the first Delta Blues sold. I called the factory and sweet talked a lady in sales into selling me one before they were released. The first time I turned it on, a tube shorted out and took a couple caps with it. I got it fixed, and I've never had any trouble since. I use it without backup but one of these days, I'll be sorry. I've pulled it apart and looked at the inerds. It's actually pretty cheesily made. Very little point-to-point wiring, everything is on circuit boards, even (gasp) the tubes! To be fair, nothing in this price range is made any better, in fact this is probably a little better than average. I'm looking for a used on I can pick up cheap. I've ordered the schematics and I'll remount the tubes on the chassis and hand wire one for myself. It's the labor that costs so much, anyway. I rate this a 7, not because it hasn't been reliable, but because of it's build quality. I've been spoiled by vintage amps, I guess.

They were VERY helpful, when ever I've called. Their web site has the owners manual, if you need it. The nearest sevice center is under 2 miles from my house.

I've been playing guitar for 35 years and have used a lot of different amps. I wouldn't say it's the best, but it's great for the music I play and the clubs I play it in. Peavey could lose the distortion and tremolo (not that it's bad, I just never use it), and add a presence control. When I make my own, I'll do that. For the price, it's hard to beat, especially with that great speaker.

This is an update of my previous entry, a lot of people have been saying bad things about the distortion channel and most are quite valid, this is deffinately not a high gain amp (it isn't intended to be) but this amp can make a few great distotion sounds. This amp sounds great for that old Marshall sound (tight with sharp powerful mids) when you first use the mid boost button and then use the preamp gain as the volume and crank the post to 12 (I use the pre at 6-7). I think it also helps that I use a Les Paul with emg 81's and they can really drive that amp. Another great sound requires that you turn off the mid boost, add bass (about 9 or 10), scoop the mid (about 3), add some treble and I use a Big Muff and it gives a great driving fuzz with plently of power; the secret to greatly increased and fabulous tone is that I use a Marshall JCM 900 4x12 cab. I couldn't believe that this is a 30-watter, definetly loud enough for most any occassion. I recently e-mailed Sovtek and asked them about some tubes and they said that their 12ax7wb's will add some gain to the amp but I haven't tried it yet.

Still going strong with no problemas.

A great amp for classic blues and clean sounds but is quite versatile with a little creative thinking. They have a new 50W version (or so I think) which should be loud as hell since the 30W seems louder than most of the 50-watters I've played and was quite a bit louder than an old solid-state 80W Peavey. A great overall amp, not for the thrash and gridcore guys but that is what the 5150,dual-rectifer and JCM 2000 are for. enjoy!

The other guys have described the amp pretty well. I justed wanted to add my voice to the others praising this thing. I have had it for about 6 months No problems. Sound is versatile, great clean, nice distortion tones, though a little one dimensional. I play with a guy that uses a Hot Rod deluxe and side by side its hard to like the fender better. It must be that big speaker...

What blew me away was how well it worked as a an acoutic amp. I play a tele and a strat, also washburn and taylor acoustics Distortion nice, Tremelo is very cool if you are into that thing this one is good. Clean is very nice. The reverb is not as good as fender, but only matters if you really soak it.

So far so good, but how can anybody rate a tube amp as more than a 6 or 7 here? I seriously question the objectiveness or intelligence of anyone who does. Tubes just don't last without at least changing the tone. And they can blow at any time, leaving you in the lurch. But as tube amps go this has been good so far. I can't say I'm overly impressed with the fit and finish, but its as good as the others in this price range (fenders, crates, etc).

Compared to the other amps I've used, I really think this is great combination of good price, sound, versatility, and VOLUME (this thing is pretty loud!) But I play in the house alot and it realy sounds better than most at lower volumes.

This is a very versatile amp ( versatile enough for me, that is). I only use the clean channel, usually, or I switch channels for subtle tonal changes, so I don't mind the fact that the two channels share the same 3-band EQ and reverb controls. I play blues and rock, and I get all the sounds I need or want out of this amp. I use it with a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver and a Jim Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Wah.

This amp sounds great! I use an Epiphone SG and I get really great tone out of this thing. I've played a Classic for about a year now, and this amp sounds way better. I think it's because of the 15" speaker. On the Classic 30, I always rolled off the treble and the bass, or else my tone would get muddy or piercingly thin. Now, I just put all the passive EQ knobs at the max and it sounds incredible! I get loads of clear bass and smooth, balanced highs. The distortion is sort of cheesy, but I rarely use it. If I want real nice distortion from this amp, I just play fucking loud, but I can never really make it go that loud. That's why I have a Blues Driver. The reverb is OK. It's not real cheesy, twangy or anything. I set it around 4-5, depending on where I'm playing. The mid-boost takes your signal and turns it into a fart-it's a really crappy feature. I never use the tremolo, so I can't really tell you about it.

I've played a Classic 30 for about a year now and I haven't had any problems with it. I would guess that all of Peavey's classic series amps are equally reliable.

The day I bought this amp, I tried out three other amps with the same guitar: a Crate VC3112, an Ampeg Superjet and the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe- all in the same price range. The Delta Blues was less expensive any of them and sounded better than all of them; the Crate was good, but didn't have the bass clarity or high-end sparkle of the Delta, the Ampeg's reverb was a bit cheesy and all of the above can be said of the Hot Rod. This amp was a great value. I would definitely buy another one if mine was stolen.

This amp is pretty basic (in terms of features) except for that big badassed 15" that everyone talks about. It's 30 all tube watts, has two channels, reverb and tremelo. The reverb has a great classic Fender-y spring-y kind of sound. The tremelo which unfortunately doesn't seem to popular among other players is very trippy sounding, especially with high intensity. My only gripe with the trem is that it sucks up a lot volume. The gain channel is certainly no 5150 but can do quite nicely if you like a Jon Spencer raucous blues sound or a East Bay Ray(Dead Kennedy's) early eighties punk sound, but it is much to thin for any hardcore or thrash tones. The Delta Blues also has a mid boost switch, the amp kind of thin when this is off unless your at high volumes.

If you want big fat phat and more fat tone a la SRV then this is a killer amp. Crank this amp past 6 (of 12) and you get magical tube distortion. I use a strat w/texas specials and 11-50's and this seems to complement this amp quite nicely. The 15" speaker is the real special selling point for this amp and boy does it speak volumes. I also a Ibanez re-issue ts-9 and a big muff re-issue for extra distortion and they both sound great. I get great feedback even form the tube screamer that is very smooth and quite controllable...even with single coils. My Les Paul has a tone so fat and smooth that it should carry an American Heart Association warning on it. With a healthy amount of reverb mixed with the tube screamer and strat you can get some very cool Man of Astro Man? sounds. With the gain channel being a little on the weak side (remember this a blues amp and not a thrash monster) the big muff sounds quite nice a cuts well even on the 15"... however you get maximum volume at around 8. This amp is very loud for being only 30-watts, definately loud enough for club work. With some work I can get blues, jazz, punk and surf sounds that are all very tone-full.

I've had no problems after about six months and have known others who have had this amp longer and have had no problemas. But I'm a little concearned about the reputation of the chinese tubes.

I have not dealt with them yet(knock on tweed).

This amp is one great sounding amp and if it died I would buy it again. The price compares quite nicely to a Vibro-King or a Bassman re-issue. It has a definite vintage flavor, it has very vintage yet unique look to it. I would really like to run a 4-10 cab off it to get a nice blend of tone. It would also be nice to a/b it with a high gain amp a la a 5150 to the best of both worlds. This is not a do all amp, but is one of the best sounding amps I've ever heard.

I am primarily a Chicago/Texas blues player. You could probably read the features in other submissions. This amp has just about everything you would need for a blues club-amp. The 15-inch seaker is what really does it for this combo, a very wise decision on Peavey's part. The cabinset is a little too open in the back, both for sound and tube-protection reasons. But it is plenty loud enough for most small to medium size clubs, and it is relatively easy to tote around. I think a presence control would be the only thing that I would add to this package. The boost switch is not particulary useful, becuase it sounds rather ratty.

The best thing about this amp is the clean channel. This amp stays relatively clean all the way up the spout, and the overdrive that you get once you pass seven or so is girthy, but the basic tone keeps its clean characteristics and definition. The key, I think, is the 30 watts into the fifteen inch speaker. There's plenty of bottom end, and it stays nice and defined. The overall clean tone is pretty round, and it really starts to sound nice once you hit seven on the volume. I play a strat and a tele (with a mini-humbucker in the neck), and the round quality of the amp helps bring out the qualities of these guitars. Gibsons also sound very nice through this amp, again the bottom end definition of the fifteen inch speaker doing its job. The distortion is very strong, a better choice for rock and even metal than for blues. For overdrive, I use a tube screamer, and believe me, this sounds ten times better that the boost switch. This amp lacks the rich, bouncy character of, say, a blackface Super Reverb, and there are probably dozens of reasons for that, including price. The reverb is satisfactory, but I use a Boss reverb pedal in front of the input (rather than in the efx loop), which helps sweeten the tone a bit. This amp is not the most responsive combo out there, but once the volume starts to get cranked, you'll notice more push behind your notes. For the price that you are paying, though, this is a pretty good sounding amp for blues. I think the Peavey Classic series' closest competition (in terms of price and features) is the Fender F.A.T. line, and I'll describe my experiences with them later.

I bought this one used, and well-used at that. I've gigged twice, no problems yet. So I can't tell.

Don't know yet.

Here's the real thing. You've got to judge this amp by it's price, what sort of music it's geared towards, and it's closest competition. For the price (even though I bougt it used), it's a very good value, and it does what it's supposed to do. This is an adequate blues amp, so we're not judging it against, say, a solid-state trick amp or a do-everything combo. The alternative, in terms of price, features, and power, is the Fender deVilles and deluxes.
I've owned a Fender Blues DeVille (both the 4x10 and 2x12), a Blues Deluxe, and a Hot Rod Deluxe. For the money, interms of features, these amps are very good. As far as tone goes, these amps SUCK. The key word is BRITTLE. For those of you who can afford $1500 and up for a Matchless/Bruno/Kendrick/Budda/etc., congradulations...you can buy yourself an amp with a tailor-made tube tone. For the rest/most of us, I don;t think it's unreasonable to ask for a good-sounding tube amp for under a grand. The Fenders sound awful. The louder they get, the harder and more brittle the tone gets. Even with the midrange cranked, your tone sounds like its hitting a brick wall. The Peavey's maintain a rounder and richer clean tone as you turn them up. Go ahead and try them side by side and listen carefully.
If you can get one of these amps new for around $400, you've made a good deal. But stay away from the Fenders, they're possibly the most frustrating amps on the markets. They come so close in all areas except for one, TONE. And thats a crappy deal no matter how much you pay.

I HAVE OWNED A LOT OF DIFFERENT AMPS OVER THE YEARS AND THE PEAVEY DELTA BLUES IS BY FAR THE BEST AMP I HAVE EVER OWNED.FENDER BLUES DEVILLE 4X10 HAS TO BE CRANKED UP TO LOUD TO SOUND GOOD,FENDER HOT ROD DELUXE HAS SAME PROBLEM,MARSHALL VS100 DOES NOT HAVE GOOD CLEAN SINGLE COIL SOUND,TUBE WORKS 2100R IS DECENT AT ALL POWER SETTINGS BUT THE DELTA BLUES HAS ALL THESE BEAT.IT GIVES MY FENDER STRAT THE BIG FAT BOTTOM END THAT IS MISSING IN OTHER AMPS.IT DOES THIS AT CONTROLLABLE VOLUME LEVELS AND THE O/D SOUND IS CLASSIC BUGS HENDERSON.IF YOU NEED 1 AMP FOR PRACTICING OR PERFORMING THIS IS IT. SELL EVERYTHING ELSE.

IT CAME WITH CHINESE 12AX7'S AND I REPLACED THEM WITH SOVTEKS.HAVEN'T OWNED IT LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE A CALL HERE.

Two Channels (clean/gain), tremolo and 'verb three eq's. Optional footswitch for tremolo and channel switching. Also has an FX send and return. Boost switch, too- but it sounds like crap when it's active. Oh yeah, it has one 15" speaker. That really helps kick out the low end and mids.

The clean channel is CLEAN... it even stays clean at very high volumes. On the flip side, the gain channel can go from clean to total 'cardboard box full of bees'- but there is a sweet spot that reminds me of an old bassman combo- with guitar volume full out, it has that silky sustain with a growl that jumps out when you dig in to the strings, and goes shimmery clean with the axe volume rolled back. Very nice!. It's also loud- the 2nd guitarist in my band has a 50 watt Marshall half-stack, and I can keep up with it (!!!!!).

No problems after four months of gigs and rehearsals- the back of the amp is open, and I worry about knocking the tubes out (or worse) as they are very exposed.

Peavey has always responded promptly to my e-mail inquiries.... I haven't had to have any warranty service yet, so I can't comment on that.

Would I buy it again? Well, a week after I bought it, the store got an old Music Man 65/135 212 combo for $400- if that had been there the day I bought the Peavey, I probably would have gone with the Music Man instead. I'm very satisfied with the Peavey, but I'm not fanatical about it.

2 channel, 30w, all tube combo with tremolo, reverb and channel switching 15" speaker, speaker extension jack, effects loop. I play blues and the 30 watts are more than enough. This is a loud bastard. I never use the tremolo, I loose to much volume.

As I said I play blues and Hendrix stuff. The overdrive is absolutely great, sounds a bit like an old Marshall. The clean channel is OK, but not very great. It will distort after "6 o'clock" and the sound changes to a harsh irritating noise. I use an American standard strat (only single coils)

NO NO NO...that means I'll never gig with it without backup..In fact I don't even take it with me to gigs anymore! The damn thing keeps breaking down, eating tubes and making noise and crackles all the time. I HATE IT! Wish I've never bought it. Thank God I saved some cash so I'm gonna sell it and buy me a Fender Blues DeVille, which I should've done before buying this shitty amp!

The repairman at the shop where I bought this amp tried to get some schematics from Peavey...he waited 3 weeks and still....no schematics!

NO!!! I'll never buy a Peavey anymore...just Fender for this guy! I bought it because it sounded pretty okay for the money.
Buy a Fender, much more reliable!

Wanting a 1x15 tube combo I could afford, this Delta Blues is a godsend.Playing in a duo, in small clubs & lounges, 30 watts is more than sufficent.Although it has all the latest features(channel switching, fx loops) I'm used to my tube screamer & vibro-verb & don't use them on stage.When playing at home though, I use it all.Perfect for practice or stage.Why are tremolo & vibrato not included anymore?

I play every thing from Sinatra to SRV & this little monster smokes!Playing country,blues,rock,& standards,I generally use a clean setting up front,which can be difficult playing 4 hours( no standby?), but it remains clean as a whistle.Gives my Tele & Strat the big fat tone I love.

I've been using this amp for 4 months w/o a back-up & have not had a single problem. I have used Peavy gear for years,so I'm very familar with their exellent service.I don't even bother to worry about it.

I've never had a problem finding a Peavy dealer anywhere, big city or small town.Find me another company in America who consistently produces quality,up-to-date,&affordable equipment.Hartley For President!!!!

I collect tube amps(Fender,Ampeg,Supro,etc.) but I gig with a Delta Blues & a 4x10 Classic,love 'em.My Delta Blues also makes a killer harp amp.Try hooking a small horn or tweeter to the ext. speaker jack for your "unplugged" set.Remember, PLAY!!!!

With only 30 watts, this all tube amp sports a huge 15" speaker, and two superb footswitchable clean and drive channels. The volume on the channels can be adjusted independently, and along with its reverb and tremolo, can be accessed from the footswitch. It also has an effects loop, and adjustments for boost and intensity. The most surprising feature is its low price (in the $600's).

This is the most versatile amp I've ever played. It can go from really clean, to blues, then to rock and roll in a heartbeat. Its great tone is aided by a huge 15" speaker and its arsenal of three 12AX7's and four EL84's. This amp is loud ? while it has only 30 watts, it's almost as loud as the Fender Blues DeVille (60 watts). In fact, I bought this amp to replace my Blues DeVille. It was a better choice, not only from an economical standpoint, but also because the DeVille needed to be cranked up to half volume to sound good. While this was OK for live situations, it was way too loud for practicing at home. The Delta Blues however can achieve full and beautiful tones, both clean and broken up, at very manageable volumes. Other advantages include agile footswitch control of channel switching (with independent controls for lead and clean), a wonderfully lush tremolo, it's a remarkably versatile amp. One thing though, while the reverb is not bad, its not as intense as it could be and could use a bit of improvement.

Even though I've only had it a few weeks, I'm certain that with Peavey's reputation for building solid amps, it will be just fine.

I would buy it again. It's an extraordinary amp with sweet sounds - an excellent value for the money.

Good clean sound, good drive; remind me of old '65 twin reverb but with drive channel! It sounds better than blues deville (have both) dont worry about the 30W, it's loud!!

Great vintage sound!! Any body want to buy a JCM 900??? would trade for a delta blues!!

1 day old !! no problem!! ... yet???

??

Would buy a second one!! for stereo!

Has tremolo,reverb,channel switching,4 el84, 15'speaker : what else?

Very loud.Can sound like a Vox ac30 or a Fender Super reverb: I prefer the clean channel for the headroom and the dynamic, if I want more bite I put in front a Marshall Guv'nor and It's ok.

I have it since july '95 without any problem