Peavey Delta Blues

New amplifier, 2 channels that share the eq, and tremolo. I was looking for a low-wattage amp that I could drive really hard to get a nice blues-driven sound. This works great on the clean channel, but the dirty channel is tempermental and noisy at times... Kind of a let down. The tremolo thins out the sound a lot. 15" inch speaker... this is pretty nice, but I'm thinking of replacing it with a nicer one. Maybe Jensen.

I use an '83 Fender Stratocaster and a '82 Gibson Invader. No effects, only a Maxon CP-101 compressor (get one!). I play jam band/blues style... this amp is good for that because it will punch through without crapping up the mix.

The clean channel is about all I use on it... I just keep it at about 10:00 with my guitar's volume at half-staff until solo time... The balance is great, very responsive to the strength of the signal you send. The Fender sounds very nice on solos and finger picking. But this thing wails with the Gibson humbuckers... I use this guitar only for slide guitar with Dobro Tuning. The 15" speaker kicks through the low D very well.

The dirty channel is where the amp falls short. To get the right sound, you have to have the pre and post jacked up prety hight, then it gets noisy.

The shortcoming of the second channel is no big deal... I have a Peavy Triumph (60 watt 6L6-GC) that I switch to with an A/B box when I really need gain.

The clean channel on the Delta Blues is so unique and useful, I give it an 8 despite the crap channel.

No problems yet... I gig with my band once or twice a week, usually 2 continuous 2-hour sets. This sonv-bitch gets hot after about an hour and begins to break up a little too much for my liking... I read in another review that a fan on the tubes will remedy this...
I don't worry about breaking the exposed tubes... just take care of your stuff and you won't either. It's got the 5 year warranty, so I'm gonna push it to the limit every chance I get. Works fine so far... an 8 due to the early break-up when it heats up.

Haven't tried yet

I've been playing for 10 years. Very serious for the past 2 years... we're about ready to put on a tour and I want to make sure I have the right stuff. I'm a big fan of the Peaveys, I love my Triumph 60, which is why I got this one... The same character and appeal with a different sound. My opinion: Stick with simple gear and use good guitars. That's where the majority of your tone comes from if you play it right. I wouldn't call this a professional amplifier... but I'm going to learn how to use it to its fullest extent... After that I'll get my $3000.00 Boutique amp and rip some ass. If it were lost or stolen... I'd go back to just the Triumph and start saving for the Bruno. Bottom line: It's pretty much a blank canvas begging you to create your own shound character with it. A great learning tool for anyone else trying to learn to get the most from the guitar itself.

Amps is slightly scarred (Tolex), but sounds amazing. Power tubes have been replaced with a quad of JJ/Tesla EL84's. Preamp tubes are 3 ECC83S's ....blah blah the same as evryone else's . Bob at Eurotubes.com will get you in TOUCH with this amp!
Needs a Global EQ, does NOTed a standby switch unless you are playing the Dogpiss out of this thing every night on "12", and replacing your power tubes every 4 months! Crikey!
Does not have the gain of it's cousins in the Classic series...But...
If your effects have gain...and Mine do.... It is sweet as hell on clean! Warm and balmy and FUN!
Clapton's "Pretending" never sounded so goo!

Fender strats....(1972 and a Powerhouse from Meh-he-co!) If you like the power blues, this does in a pinch. I find that the amps without much gain, sound unreal with gain effects added to 'em! Too warm for speedmetal, and who likes that crud anyway? Clean side is Fab, and the dist. side is a little harsh, so back off the PRE and POST and add your own clean gain effect(s), and you'll be happy there! Problem is jumping back and forth with the EQ...But I am at home having fun, while you working class heroes entertain us in the real world(Bars)...LOL.....
Seems like every amp under 500.00 says the clean is great(Fenderish) and the dist. sucks......here at Harmony Central.
My suggestion is that we have a Shredder's section, a Classic Blues/Rock section, Jazz/Country and a Pop section.
This way I won't have to read every thrash metal review halfway through before I find out that Godsmack,Plastica and Weezer are their major influences, as well as conglomerations of effects used.

Be careful with it and don't just flop it into the back of the truck and it will be fine! Still....I heard something (reverb tank?) vibrating a little on the way home with it, and it was placed on the back seat with its little sealtbelt snugly fit around it!
The Tube holders are fine(coathangers clips) and the Tubes are snug.
Just be reasonable. I treat my stuff with respect.

Don't need 'em....Got a Peavey workshop handy.....

Played 30 yrs off and on.....I'd buy it again, or the 210 version , or even the Classic series higher gain amps too! Those are the real Peaveys worth getting, don't fool with the rest of 'em......
I love the bottom end on this 1151 It's Grrrrrrreat! The neighb's don't think so, but I do!
Go with Bob at eurotubes.com
You will not know this amps potential until you do!

I bought this amp in 1999.

All the features are covered below in the previous reviews. It's meant to be a bluesy sound and has the features to cover that arena and more.

Various strats vintage RI strats with stock and active EMGs. Various Gibsons with PAFs, blues 90s. I'm 98% blues and the rest is late 60's / early 70's rock. The amp is pretty quiet.

It's a quad EL84 output stage that is a variation on the VOX AC-30 design. The 30 watt rating is conservative. It's as loud as either of my 40 watt Fender tube amps. I think the tone is AWESOME. The amp has a great progressive breakup type of distortion in the clean channel as you turn it up. The drive channel is kind of raunchy. The EQ settings that make the clean channel sweet make the drive channel too crunchy for me. I gave up on using the drive channel for that reason. I have thought about modifying the drive channel response to "warm" the tone some but haven't tackled it as of yet. I just use a Blues Driver or Tube Screamer stomp.

The reverb is kind of thin, and the tremelo is so-so. The overall volume of the amp drops significantly if the tremelo intensity is set high.

Aside from replacing the power output tubes, no issues.

As reliable as any tube amp I've owned.

Playing 15 years.

Amps: Fender Vibroverb RI, Fender Super Reverb RI, Fender Blues Deville 212 and a couple small Fender tube practice amps.

I bought the amp without auditioning it based on a recommendation of a close friend. He was RIGHT, and I've lovwed it ever since.

This amp is very versatile. It's one of the few purchases that I have kept and will never sell. Enough power, yes, for jamming and gigging it does. One word: flexible.

Hello everyone. Charles Gray here. Yes, some of you may know me as the Founder of the Delta Blues Forum or some may no me by my company Kuciel Electronics, and some others may know me from my group Victory Planet and work with keyboardist Daniel Kuciel. Right now I am going to give you a recent very recent review on my Delta Blues combo(the one with the 15? speaker). I decided to take the Delta Blues on another test run with some guitars(acoustic and electric) and my new Fender P-Bass (made in Japan in late eighties, I think). I never thought there could be an amp for everyone, but there is. Well, almost everyone.

I?m not going to go over what I have before, including Quinten not driving me in his cat-car to pick it up and then I had to carry it home(read earlier reviews by me). Where this amp shines is via my Les Paul Standard and my Fender American telecaster. To keep it short, the Les Paul overdrives the hell out of the amp which gives some really nice break-up. The Tele keeps it nice and clean with subtle breakup but on the gain channel watch out. Nice distortion and tone.

Now accoustic(mic-ed and using a Seagull Grand guitar). Sweet and clean except at very high volumes.

Fender P-BASS time: Yes. Nice fat and warm tone. The 15? speaker can handle it but don?t get too crazy. Reminds me of a Fender Bassman(the one with the tubes, not the solid state copycat Fender is pushing now). And using the bass on the gain channel, reminds me exactly of the SWR interstellar Overdrive made famous by Bob Anderson.

This amp can do it all. Tried vocals with my AKG 800 mic and it gave me(with me voice anyway) a very Morrison sound.

I haven?t tried keyboards or synths with it yet. I want to, but I have to get my hands on a few from friends. O.k. I had to. I tried some of my pedals on it(Nola and Brigitte) and a very nice combination. Great pedals with a great tube amp are always nice.

For the price, it is the combo to get. And you won?t break your back.

Here is the user group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deltablues/

What else can I say, but go to your friends/store, etc. and play one.

Yes, for the most part. The solid state reverb diode dies and had to be fixed. I hate the tube holders but Peavey as fixed that with an aftermarket part. You guys know what I'm talkin about.

Always great.

I'm glad I bought it. Yes, I would buy it again if it were stolen. Loves hates. Isn't love the other side of hate? I compaired it to mostly Fender amps, and it did better. I wish the tweed was real tweed and not tolex. Share: http://kuciel.tripod.com

Here is the user group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deltablues/

Go out and try one. And yes, my email has changed from excite to:
kucielelectronics at hotmail.com

Bought used, seems to be a '97 model based on the speaker codes. Versatile blues amp suitable for a variety of styles. Perfect fit for "roots" style players (blues, country, classic rock/pop). 2 Channels with boost, reverb, tremolo & effects loop. Wish the two channels didn't share an EQ, as the dirty side seems to lose bottom end when engauged. Loud amp for 30 watts, suitable for most venues unless you require crystal-clean headroom. Boost feature might work for blues players who like a lot of lows and low mids, but I don't really care for it.

I play full time in Nashville, and cover a lot of country, rock/pop, contemporary Christian. The Delta Blues 115 fits all of these styles well. I also have the 210 version, which has a little more "sparkle". I'd say the 115 is a little better suited for the "swampy," old school stuff, and the 210 fits the "poppy" sound better. I'm using an American Strat with Texas Specials and a Dunlavey Custom Tele with a Lindy Fralin neck and Seymour Duncan bridge. Nice amp design that runs quietly. Does a good job of old school Fender-ish tones with a little Vox chime thrown in. At gig volumes when cranked, can give a nice tweed Fender-type vibe. Ok, it's not a narrow panel Bassman..... but it's a GREAT sounding amp for the money, and sounds better for the above mentioned styles than many amps costing quite a bit more. If you've considered any of the Fender Hot Rod amps, give the Peavey Classics (including the Delta Blues)a try...you might be surprised. Clean channel is nice and clean until about "5" on the volume, then it starts to growl with single coils. Starts breaking up even more with humbuckers. But the good part is that these amps break up VERY musically....even on volume setting of 8-10, the amp retains some punch and clarity instead of just giving in to mud. Clean channel is the strong point....dirty channel counds good for practice and living room playing, but is not very usable at gig volumes. It does quite a bit of bass when you switch to the dirty side, so I'd recommend using pedals for your dirt. And even still, metal players might need to look elsewhere. That's just not really this amp's bag....The amp does get quite a bit of tonal improvement with better tubes, though. I had all of mine replaced with JJ/Teslas, and it helped open the amp up. Was a little "boxy" and "stuffy" with the stock Sovtek tubes. In my opinion, tube differences are very subtle, and really don't change the *sound* of an amp that much....but what they do is change the response to the player's touch. That's why I like the amp better with upgraded tubes. The clean sound on this amp I'd give a "9", but the dirty channel gets a "6" or "7" tops, that explains the "8". If you are buying just for the clean sound, you can't go wrong for the $$$.

Many complain about the exposed tubes, but I don't see it as much of a problem. I had a Delta Blues 210 right after they came out with them in '99. I gigged with it exclusively for about 2 years until it ws stolen. I had a cover for it, and it did the job. I never had a problem with with the exposed tubes being damaged, and as a full time player I gig a LOT. I have since gotten another 210, and these amps are durable. Peavey's carry that reputation, and I have no problem believing that these amps are as durable as any other tube amp on the market. In two years, the previous 210 model I had broke down once, and it was a simple fix for my amp tech.

Peavey's great. Very customer-oriented. They have a nice online amp forum, in which Peavey employees actively participate. I've always gotten great response any time I've ever had a problem or question. In fact, the handle on my 210 Delta Blues had started to fray and come apart...When I called Peavey they sent me a replacement..postage paid via USPS Priority Mail and free of charge! Nice....

I've been playing for over 15 years, and make my living that way. I've owned LOTS of amps, including old and new Fenders, Peaveys, and others. Peavey Classic Series amps are just very special for working players....there's just something really nice about getting great sounds and reliablity out of equipment that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I don't know, these amps just have some kind of mojo. I mean, sure...if you can afford a boutique amp (like Victoria or Clark) or vintage Fender tweed Bassman or Pro, then by all means, go that way. Those are TRULY special amps. But at a fraction of the cost, especially if you are a gigging player, you can have tone that's definitely in the ballpark AND is easily replacable. Again, if the amp had a better dirty channel, or if there were some way to match the voicings of the two channels since they share an eq, then it would be even more amazing in terms of value. But the dirty channel leaves a bit to be desired. The tremolo is nice for an occasional effect, but not as lush and strong as on a vintage Fender (especially a brownface). Cool for certain things....Overall an EXCELLENT amp for the money. Even if you buy a new one, I think they still only run $450 or so.....not much to pay for an all-tube amp with lots of vibe.....

The features are down there on the previous review. Not much to add....my predecessor-reviewer did a great job. The built in tremolo is very nice, but the effect output should be a little higher: shame there is not a volume knob for the tremolo.
I use it for rehersing and gigging.

I use it with a Fender Strat. EMG equipped, a Strat Texas Special and an Ibanez RG550. I play pretty much everything from pop to hard rock, from blues to funky. This is a grat amp: the clean sound comes with a reassuring slight crunch passed volume 5, and a tone that could rival any big expensive amp out there.
The distortion is very vintage and full; set the pre at full speed and you can even steal some hard stuff: lovely, really.
I plug my little baby to a marshall cabinet 2x12: simply outstanding.
There is so much power in this machine you would not believe its a 30 watts! I will never believe it is, infact.

Well made; seems real solid. Treat it nice and this amp will never let you down. Had it for a year now, rehersing at least 8hrs x week.
This thing sweats its ass off, but always delivers. So far so good.

The website works. They answered to my questions in good time. Thats all I can say.
Warranty wise, which is the hot thing here - well, I cant say much

Been playing for 15 years; I am not the worst guitarist out there. I own a Marshall TSL 60, but lately I don`t seem to get enough of this Peavey Machine. If I think what of what I paid for some other stuff, including the marshall, I have to say this is the best price/quality solution. It`s like having the clean of a Fender Bassman, the distortion of 70`s overdrive and the versatility of a Mesa.
I really reccomend this amp to all those who are getting frustrated over "the sound": if you have been playing for a while and you kind of know what you want from an amp, this is one thing to try. Great machine.
If it got stolen I would replace it immediately. This one is gonna stay.

This Amp was purchased NEW at Willis Music in Cincinnati, Oh.
I bought it in late fall, 2001 and have played it regularly for
over a year. I now feel I am now qualified to give the amp an honest
fair, and informed review. This model has the 15" "Blue Marvel" speaker made by Eminence. Cabinet is covered in a yellow imitation
"tweed" that is really a vinyl material. I think it looks good, OK it's not as nice as "real" laquered tweed but it looks close and from
a distance looks "REAL"! The amp is 30 watts CLASS A/B. THIS IS NOT,
I REPEAT NOT A CLASS A AMP !!!! If you don't believe me look at Peaveys website. The Delta Blues has 3- 12AX7's and 2- el84's as far
as the tubes go, it has a solid state rectifier. The amp has switch-
able channels, clean channel has Vol., Bass, Mid., Treb. The drive
has pre-gain, post-gain volume controls and shares the eq section.
Both channels also share a nice reverb and a better than average tremolo. The amp also has a "Boost" function which is about the only
feature on the entire unit that I believe really comes up short. Some
players might dig it, but I feel it's TOO HARSH. O.K., The control
panel is a real "Tweed" Type affair, I.E The knobs face upward on top
of the amp chasis and it's done in chrome, looks cool and keeps knobs
safe. On the rear panel of the chrome chasis are your fx send-return,
and extension speaker jack. Oh, and back on top there is also a red
light that shines vibrantly when power is on. The amp does not have a
standby switch. Peavey states that due to the modern design of the
tube heaters, that a standby switch is not necessary.
Nice handle, chrome corners all around. Now I know there has been a lot written in many other reviews about the tubes being "too" exposed
on this amp. Well, let me tell ya what I think. This amp has four
EL84 power tubes and brother they get HOT !!! I just bet them ol' boys
down there at Peavey designed it so them tubes could get a lot of fresh air. The GOOD NEWS is that Peavey now sells a protective cover
designed just for this amp....part # 93203274 in case you're wondering
and it goes for $ 20.43 last time I looked. No I don't work for Peavey
nor am I in any way officially affiliated with them. I just read their
on-line forum and I know a lot of you are concerned about that whole
issue. All in all the DB 115 has all the features I need and only
one I don't ....(Boost).

Here is where this baby SHINES !!!
The Delta Blues 115 has a beautiful, clear, and robust clean channel.
It sounds VERY GOOD at low volumes, so good, I can see why so many
people assumed it was a Class A amp!!! The clean channel is very
dynamic and responsive to your pick, Again, tweed-like she starts to
purr at around 5-6 on the vol. from there on up she starts to
GROWL....Delightfully !!! The thing sounds a lot more expensive amp
than it is. Now the O.D. channel, I've read some pretty strange
comments on the O.D. and I just can't understand the negative comments
. I KNOW WHAT THEM CLASSIC MARSHALL AMPS SOUNDED LIKE !!!!! This
little 30 WATT MONSTER CAN FOOL ME INTO BELIEVING I"M HEARING-PLAYING
an old PLEXI. ALLMAN BROTHERS TONES INSIDE!!! I would LOVE to hear
Dickie Betts play the DB 115, I guarantee he would make aaaaa believer
out of anyone who does'nt already kwon that this Peavey is the best-
sounding combo amp available for under $1200.00 for that type of music
I.E. Blues & Blues/Rock.

Well, I've played it an average of 8 hrs. a week now for over a year
and so far ZERO problemo ! K.O.W. I have had Peaveys before and as a
rule they are well-made. I like the fact that they are made in the
U.S.A., keeping Americans working. Also, the fact that Peavey did
respond to customers concerns and made the protective panel for the
tubes available says something, right. Well, maybe not, I heard from
an employee at a local Peavey Dealer that to meet safety requirements
in some FOREIGN COUNTRIES was the ONLY reason Peavey did anything
about the exposed tubes issue. According to him, ONLY THEN did Peavey
offer it to U.S. customers. URRGGGG !!! Anyway, seems tough, of course
I worry about tubes being mounted to circuit board...time will tell.

Never Dealt with them, 5 year warranty. I have heard both good and
bad stories however I REALLY LIKE their on-line support, forums, etc.
The customer reps. do read and PARTICIPATE in the forum giving answers
and seem very helpful. Check it out.

Well I started playing guitar in 1970 or so. I play for fun now with
a couple of different guys, playing blues, classic rock and a little
country. Mostly the Allman Bros. a lot of E.C. of course, Stones,
Neil Young . I play a Les Paul with P-90's mostly, and that guitar
with this Peavey Delta Blues is just about right. It does the Fender
Clean better than most of the new Fenders, can go from that to an all
out GROWLING, spittin' Mini-Bassman sound to a GREAT Marshall type
overdrive when really pushed. I don't know what more you could ask for
for $ 450.00.? I do wish Peavey would make a smaller vintage smoker..
....with this same overall sound in a 7-10 watt deal but alas I don't
see that happening. That is why my next amp is probably gonna be the
little Reverend Gremlin, a low-powered 6v6 amp. As far as the DB 115
if I "LOST" it somehow I would definitely try to find a used one and
maybe even look for the classic 20 that Peavey made. The reason is
that now I'm living in an apt. and when I bought my Delta Blues I was
living in a house ...big yard, you get the PICTURE, I need a smaller
amp now for most of my playin but I have NO INTENTION of parting with
my Peavey. Great overall amp., One of the BEST BUYS in all AMPDOM.

I bought this amp in 2000 new. Before that time I thought I would never buy a Peavey amp. I still remembered the ones produced in the '70s and wanted nothing to do with them. Most of my amps were Fender combos and music man amps. Well, I don't need them anymore because this Peavey does all I need it to do. Exceptional clean tones and excellent blues/classic rock overdrive are the characteristics of this unit. I looked for a long time for a small amp with good tone depth and good overdrive. I looked at the Marshall, Fender and other lines of amps and couldn't find any that would compare. This is only a 30 watt amp, but is enough for what I need it for. I have used it in fairly large areas. I think the 15 inch speaker seems to give a fullness that a smaller one wouldn't. I have never heard the 2-10 version of this amp so I am not sure this is the case though. Features include a clean and distortion channel, decent reverb, and tremelo. This is a tube amp. This unit should be able to handle all styles of playing except metal. I have used an Ibanez tube king { a real tube overdrive pedal that is no longer made. Tube works, I understand still makes an overdrive pedal that is supposed to be nearly the same as the Ibanez }. This should produce all the deeper smooth sustain that one would normally want with the heavier styles of music through the Delta Blues. This amp has a mid boost switch which I never use. I scoop out the mid tones a bit as it is. I feel there is a little too much midrange in the amp to start with, but I easily get the sound I want.
A couple of negative points. I wish it had a standby switch. It makes a loud popping noise when turned off. I can't imagine using this amp at a wedding, funeral or in a church, which places I have played before. It would be too distracting. Also, the tubes are exposed. You have to be carefull how this amp is handled. The tubes could easily be broken.

My favorite setup with this amp is a Fender Stratocaster with texas special pickups. This produces a SRV like sound, warm smooth overdrive. It's definitely a blues setup. The amp distorts alot better than the Fender tube amps that I have owned in the past. The amp is also capable of other stlyes. Add the tube king, mentioned above, and high output pickups and it becomes a heavier rock amp. Don't expect it to sound like a stack though. One 15in. speaker can't do what 4 or 8 speakers can. This unit would even work well with country music. I have heard a telecaster through it and I really don't think any other amp would do better. The clean channel starts to break up around 4, so one can get good overdrive without unbearable volume. One thing I don't like is that when the overdrive channel is pushed too hard it produces a screaming sort of feedback that is unbearable. I replaced the tubes which helped some, but the problem is still there.

Haven't had any problems yet.

I have been playing about 38 yrs. My active playing days are past and this is more or less a hobby. Having gotten rid of alot of equipment, this one stays. I wished this amp would have been available 20 years ago. I would still probably have it, it covers all the styles I need at a low initial cost. Drop a microphone on it and one can probably gig anywhere.

Purchased new in 1999. This is a dual channel (clean/overdrive), 30watt, tube amp, with 2-10 inch speakers and reverb. Very simple from the get go. 1 guitar input. 2 independant channels which could
be switched easily via the footswitch. Footswich easy to use, reverb
on/off and channel switch. This is one of the most under-rated amps
I've ever owned. The 30w of power generated by the 2 EL84 power tubes is adequate for any practise, bar, or small venue.
The clean channel is the true treasure here. This Peavey has a "warm" clean similar to a Vox AC30. Does not have the excessive
treble of Fender amps. Reverb is great. Not exactly Fender sounding:
it reminds me more of the old reverb tank units. It gets deeper the more you increase it.

I ran 3 guitars with this lil' beast: Hamer Stasndard(w/ humbuckers),
Fender "Big Apple Strat", and a G&L Legacy(single coils). The worst first: The Legacy w/ single coils sounded weak in the overdrive channel. It excelled in the clean channel. Aka: the Stevei Ray test;
put your pickup switch in the 4th position(neck and middle) and start playing 9th cords. That was SWEET!
The Big Apple was just so-so. The pickups are "pearly gates" and are
better used with Marshalls and Mesa's where you need to cut through the gain.
The Hamer was the true champion! 2 Seymour Duncan (import) Hums.
I could get this amp to sound like Dickey Betts and Duanne Allmamm
"dead nuts"! IDEAL FOR SLIDE PLAYING!
The Hums do not drive the clean channel into breaking up, even at high volume. And they sustain wonerfully in the OD channel.
If you want to hear the precise tone of this amp, just listen to some
older Allman Bro. or Johnny Winter tracks. Those cats were using
Basic non-mod Marshalls at high volume to create the tone the Delta Blues produces at low volume.
This amp is a steal compared to its high priced counterparts...

Never had reliability issues with this amp. Don't like the fact that there was nothing protecting the power tubes. OH WELL!
Its a Peavey,,,they run til there dead!
Did not have a backup....Regret trading this amp off. Upgraded to a Mesa Tremoverb and it has no clean whatsoever but costed 4 times as much.

Have dealt with Peavey in the past and they are cool!
Never any issues with the Delta Blues.......
Belive the warranty is standard one year?

For the price, this is the ideal studio or small gig amp for those who don't want to pay big bucks for a blues amp. Plus it doesn't fart
or sizzle like the Fender Hot Rod Devilles.

Mine was circa 98.It is as versatile as I need an amp to be,maybe too much so.My ideal amp would come with volume(non master)bass,treble,maybe mid,reverb and tremelo.I like a slightly compressed,power tube overdrive tone over master volume type distortion.Peavey is obviously in the bussines to make money and utilizes many features to appeal to as many customers as possible.I wish some companies would take a leap of faith and create a better amp for the same money without so many features/design conciderations that could be substituted for better parts...

Although not as sharp looking,this amps clean channel sounds at least as good as the Vox AC-30's RI and at less than half the cost.The master volume distortion is ok but not nearly as good sounding as the clean channel opened up.With the clean channel opened up,this amp stays tight and has a NICE Vox growl.It offers more low end(to those who desire,I prefere a mid rangey/lower midrangey voice)and reverb(a decent reverb)which the vox doesn't have.For a lower scale amp with cheap parts,it sure does bark nicely.Not just hype like 90% of the amp reviews submitted at HC.I've been burned by bull*&^t reviews a couple times and I know.The only problem is the fact that it may be too loud for power tube distortion for most people.Great power tube crunch though,esp if you like U2,TP,Queen,White stripes...The tremelo sounds full and round and is among the better I've heard.One gripe owners may have is that the 2 channels share the same eq.Not a big deal except when you set the tone for clean channel,the od channel is much too bright.Set the eq to the od channel,the clean is too dark.WHY didn't Peavey at least put a high end bypass cap on the clean channel volume to offset this issue??(a 10 cent piece)

NA,I sold the amp after 6 months but had no problems while I owned it.

NA

Again,this amp is a great alternative to a pricey/crappy built AC-30RI(I don't deny the RI's offer a decent tone though)The tubes are too exposed though and great care must be taken not to damage them.The cab is constructed well but the fake tweed(I don't like the real stuff either)looks tacky.The black is a little better looking.The amp uses cheap parts like pots,tube sockets... but this is to be expected for an amp of this price.Despite cheap parts,the clean channel is NICE when pushed hard.The delta blues offers a great tone at any price,better than some over-rated boutique amps.(I love some boutique amps but watch out as some of them simply suck,I know.)I could switch out my Tophat or Fargen or Magnatone with a Delta Blues for a gig and not worry about having a lesser tone.Tone wise it keeps up with all of them.(at least with the clean channel pushed,I'm not refering to the Delta'blues od channel)A highly reccomended purchase for those who want 30 watts power tube bite at a great price.

Great amp. I believe mine was made in the late 90's. 2 channels, 3 band EQ, Reverb, Tremolo (nice, but I don't use it), effects loop, and boost switch. This is all tube class A operation. 30 Watts, which is plenty loud enough for me.

I play classic rock and blues(Zeppelin, Skynyrd, Hendrix), and this suits my playing styles to a T. I have a Gibson Les Paul (Gem Series with P-90's), '78 Fender Strat, and Jimi Hendrix Fender Strat. It does get a tad bit noisy at times. The clean channel is wonderful - shimmering clean. I love the overdrive, too, although it does not offer as much gain as I sometimes desire. I use a Danelectro overdrive pedal as a clean boost, and get excellent rhythm and lead sounds. It is a somewhat versatile amp. I would not use it to play heavy metal, but that is not what the amp is made for. The only dislikes I have about this amp are the boost switch and the reverb. The boost switch does something to your tone, I've never really found it to be pleasing. I've also heard better reverbs and had problems with mine. Overall a very good sounding amp, though.

Fairly reliable as far as tube amps come. I use it without a backup. However, the tubes are out in the open, which makes me wonder. Just had it taken to the shop for new tubes and it sounds great. Also, they said that my reverb tank was faulty, and hums when you cut it (reverb) up. I give it a 7 because the tubes are not very well protected and for the reverb deal, although it can be eaisly fixed (for $50).

Well, I bought this amp used, so I've never directly dealt with Peavey, but I have found their website to be very helpful.

I've been playing for over 4 years and I love this amp. It is great for what I use it for, which is to play rock and blues at parties and other small or medium sized gigs. If it were stolen, I'd probably buy it again. You just can't beat it for a shimmering clean and gritty overdrive. I'm hoping to go to a 2 amp setup soon and use a 5150 for more of the dirty sounds, as the Delta Blues is not a high-gain amp. Overall, I rate this a 9, as it has very useable and pleasing clean and overdrive channels, great tone, and is relatively inexpensive.

'98 Peavey Delta Blues, 1x15, Tweed...30watts..two channels, boost switch, reverb, TREMELO, bass mid treble eq knobs...effects loop..

I am a big, big fan of the Peavey Classic 30..have used one for about five years now, and really had high hopes for this Delta Blues amp..but am afraid to say that I am disappointed. Before you buy one of these amps based on one of these reports, look at how many of them say "This is the first tube amp I've owned"..and take that into consideration.

The second channel on the this amp, which should let you overdrive, is sadly lacking, as compared to the Classic 30, which allows excellent distortion. Actually this is not even a problem for me, because I always leave it on the clean channel, and let Analogman upgraded SD-1 do my overdriving...but, if you are buying this amp with the intent of using the second channel as an overdrive by itself, you need to test one thoroughly at a music store.

This amp is almost exactly the same size as a Fender HotRod Deville 2x12, which has a ton more features...including a standby switch. The feature that most people talk about on this amp is the tremelo...and I guess if you've never heard good tremelo before, this would be okay..although inconvenient. Save yourself some money, if you're after good trem, and buy a Supa Trem from Fulltone.com It is the best! I play in, and out..blues, rockabilly, classic rock, country...by the way. I would not reccomend this amp for metal, shred, punk, or that type of music..and probably too muddy for country pickin'...muddy...mmmm..maybe that's why they call it the Delta Blues..

I use a Tele, with Seymour Duncan humbuckers in both positions, with the Analogman upgraded SD-1 overdrive, and a Boss echo..the Peavey Classic 30 has a much clearer sound than this amp. With it's bigger speaker, the Delta is supposed to have "a better low end AND a better top end", but it just sounds muddy to me..In fact, I could not get a good distortion out of this amp...I do not mean METAL or shred type distort, I mean just a good overdriven amp type distort..

It is also very noisy...same power as the Peavey Classic 30, played it in same outlet, etc..and it has a 'wind gust' type sound, as if it's picking up shortwave radio! Also, when trying to get distort, if you turn up the volume, or post gain, you get a feedback type whistle...

Everybody always gripes about the tubes being out in the open..and they are..but they are on the Classic 30, too..and I've played it out for about five years now, and have had no problems. I always try to have two of everything that's important on a gig anyway, so yes, I would have a backup. Another kind of annoying "feature" on the Classic Peavey line of amps that no none else has mentioned...the handle edges come unglued, leaving the sticky crappy edges out for you to grab...leaving the sticky crappy stuff on your hand..I'm having a Fender handle installed on this one, if I keep it.

have not dealt with them, and will not ever..I have a place here that I trust to do my work, and they exclusively handle my amps and guitars. (Tulsa Guitar and Electronics...they are THE BEST)...I will, however, never spend another penny in the store I purchased this amp in...(Music Sound World, Tulsa, OK)..I've always believed in supporting the local business, but they have been rude to me for the last time. Not that it should matter, but I've spent a ton of money in that store (or at least my wife says so) in the last several years, and they still can't grasp the concept of customer service. This is why businesses like Musician's Friend are doing so well...local shops just can't treat people well.

If this were lost or stolen, I would not buy another one..but might give Peavey one more chance..(I've always kinda wanted to try the Classic 50, since the Classic 30 has been so good to me)...I've had a Fender HotRod Deville 2x12, which I like better for many reasons than this amp, and you can find one used for about the same price. Everybody has their own tastes...if you're considering buying one of these amps, my suggestion is to try it out extensively first.

Amps is beat up, but sounds amazing. This is my second report so I won't repeat myself with regards to features. Power tubes have been replaced with a quad of JJ/Tesla EL84's. Preamp tubes are 1 Amperex NOS, 1 JJ/Tesla and 1 Sovtek

All I can say is put some quality tubes in this amp and it's over. Truly rivals some amps costing in the thousands. I'd like to see a head version as I like to experiment with different cabs. I may try and find another used one and convert it to a head. Awesome tone!!

So far so good, but I don't gig with it as it's just too fragile.

One thing that bugs me is that you can only disconnect the internal speaker at the lead. This sucks because if you want to run the amp into a external cab you still hear the 15". Not good if you want to drag the amp into the control room for tracking. Bottom line is, for the money this amp smokes. Change the tubes. (the stock tubes suck)

I bought this amp new in the summer of 1995. I play funk, rock, jazz, afropop and afrobeat - this amp cooks on all of them. Just one channel is a minus, but that is outweighed by the tone of this amp. The distortion channel sounds really "growly" - and very rich.

This amp sounds tasty at high volumes. The clean channel does not distort. It is creamy.

Used in a rehearsal space... wouldn't want to move it around a lot because of dangling, delicate tubes in the back. If I had to I would porobably rig some kind of support/cover for the back. I recently had to have the power supply replaced - first repair in 7 years.

n/a

I spent a whole summer amp shopping to come to this amp. It was a total accident that I even tried it out. I've played through Fender Twins, Marshalls even a soliud state Hughes & Kettner (sp?) and I would not trade this amp for any amount of money. The bottom line is that this amp sounds better than any other amp I've played through.

I bought my Delta Blues used, and at first was extremely pleased with the drive channel, but over time this hiss and moan really shows up. It's a vintage tube amp that has an awesome tone if you eq it right. I run it alone, and have never had any problem getting the right amount of stage volume from it's 30 watts. It comes with an almost useless reverb that does nothing but destroy the tone. The tremelo is a gift from the Gods, except for it isn't versitile enough for stage performance. I would have rather it had a protective board over the tubes, because it takes a lot of wear and tear in traveling. One false move and it's off to the store to grab a new tube.

I use a Digitech GX2, so I only need the clean channel at the right eq. When it ain't dying out because of a bent prong, I have absolutely no qualm with the machine. I play in a rock band, and the fullness of the mid boost is to die for. There's no wimp ass high pitch distortion coming from this model.

Eh...I trust it enough, but if you don't take care of it, it'll bite you in the butt. I now use a Fender Deluxe as backup, and there comparitively good together.

I stripped the crossover wires once, and had it sent in for repairs. They replaced the amp head, and it only cost me $60. However, it took about four months.

Despite all of the mishaps and turnoffs, I can honestly say I would rather use my Delta Blues than any other amp model out there. It has, by far, the cleanest, fullest, punchiest tone I've ever came across. Not to mention, It can push air with the best of them.

Not sure what year it was made. 2 switching channels. Very cool amp for studio use. I haven't tried it live yet. It's really loud for a 30 watt amp, but Class A is always gonna give you more juice anyway. I ran it through a Marshall 4-12" with 75 watt Celestions (not my favorite). Sounded very modern through this cab. I feel that it would sound better through a 2-12 with Vox Blues or a single Weber Blue Dog in place of the stock 15" (which sounds suprisingly good, Very dynamic and ballsy. I'm just picky).

Modified ELP/LTD H-100, Fender Japanese Reissue Jaguar, Yamaha Pacifica. Sounds awesome with all 3 axes!!! The H-100, which has a Dimarzio Tone in the bridge position is thick, creamy and PHAT!! the distortion channel excels with this guitar. The Jag is chimy and very big sounding. Gets a great clean or euro-pop dirty sound with ease. The Pacifica really surprised me, as it was the clearest, purest sounding of the trio. This guitar is totally stock and is the perfect rock guitar to use with this amp. Think, Thin Lizzy meets Van Halen!! This guitar and amp combo gives your a punchy, articulate, early 70 sound, mixed with the Van Halen type liquid, squeeling tone we all know and love. Truly a cool ass amp!!!

Don't know yet. I've only used the amp for studio work, but I can tell you it needs some improvements, if it's to go on the road. I'll be replacing the tubes and providing covers and supports for the tubes.(As it has none. The tube just hang in the open.)

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing 28 years. It's an awesome sounding amp. Just don't tell anyone, because I wanna keep this tone all to myself. I also use a Peavey Classic 50-410 and a Marshall JCM 800 50 watt half stack. The Delta Blues is a great addition to these amps. We'll see how she does on our album and live. I'll report back in a few months.

PEACE

I purchased this amp in December '99. Feature-wise, see above.

I've bought the Delta Blues as a replacement for my late 60's Fender Super, having played a DB when opening for a friend of mine's band -- he had a Peavey endorsement deal. I loved the vibrato, the low end response of the 15" speaker, and the somewhat more manageable size. I sold the Super, and put that money back into the DB and a baritone guitar. I play a G&L ASAT, a Tokai Tele, a Hamer Echotone and a Fender/WD Deep Six Baritone. When it is working (see below), the clean channel was great (at least as warm as my Super) and the overdrive, although not really sufficient for lead work, is okay for a more rockin' rhythm sound. The vibrato is okay, but it isn't as deep-sounding (rich, whatever) as the Fender vibe. But, then again, it's not a Fender.

This is absolutely NOT an amp you can depend upon! Before you dismiss my complaint as an insubstantial rant, let me tell you that I've carefully considered the fairness of posting my feelings. After the 4th incidence of major amp failure in the last 7 mos, I've decided that, in all fairness, I must post my experiences so that others can make an informed decision before they decide to purchase a Delta Blues. Here's the story.

In the first year that I owned it, I had a couple of problems that were tube-related. A comment along those lines -- the back of the amp is almost completely open, and the tubes are supported by fairly flimsy, swinging, wire supports. This is really not sufficient to protect the tubes, even from the normal lifting and carrying of gigging. I'm gigging pretty regularly for a semi-pro (3-4 gigs/month) I am nothing if not gentle with my equipment -- to look at the outside of this amp you'd think it was brand new, so I don't think you can write these problems off to lack of care! Indeed, I play both electric and acoustic guitar, so the amp gets about 2/3 the play it would normally get in a night with a full-time player.

But here's the main deal:

During a gig in June, my overdrive channel simply sputtered out -- it began to cut in and out, lost volume, and finally was GONE. I took the amp down to the store where it was purchased; failing to uncover the reason for this problem, they sent the amp back to Peavey. Peavey sent it back, saying that they had replaced "the board" and that it was fixed. Two gigs later, the exact same thing happened. It was back to Peavey again. One gig, a practice, and another gig later -- no overdrive, yet again. Yet again, the store sent it back to the factory (more on this in Customer Support below). It came back, I practiced with it, no problem. Took it to the gig, the amp wouldn't power on. Nothing. Take it back to the store and the amp tech, who KNOWS this amp is a lemon, decides to take a look for himself. He finds an arced BLACK washer inside the amp, next to a burned out fuse. This amp, as you know, is Tweed, with silver hardware -- no black hardware (see below for more on this). So, the local amp tech removes the mystery washer and replaces the fuse, leaves the amp on for several hours, playing it once and awhile, and everything seems to be A-OK!

So, Friday night I take it to an out-of-town gig. And guess what? First set, it seems to be OK; however, there's this low howl coming out of the amp -- this is something new. It does make it through the first set. But then, first song of the second set, it's toast -- both channels go OUT -- the amp cuts out, and the sound dies a horrible, popping, cracking death!

Luckily, the amp tech had let me keep the Fender Blues JR that I'd been using in practice as a back up, and I was able to (somewhat quietly) finish the gig.

I can't imagine how Peavey, a company that supposedly prides itself on reliability and customer support, could be so clueless. I'm disguted, and so are the folks at my local Peavey dealer, and here are the reasons:

#1 - They had the nerve to actually call the store's amp tech and declare, in an extremely rude tone (the guys at the shop were really offended), "nothing's wrong with this amp -- why did you send it to us?" The Peavey tech had the amp on his bench and had played it for a few minutes, when the info he'd received clearly said that the problem (the original one, with the overdrive cutting out) only appeared after 2-3 gigs. Obviously, it needed to be played in the same conditions, and the same amount of time, to have the same problem.

#2 -- Whoever theses Peavey techs are, they're obviously doing a slap-dash job if they, a) don't read the repair ticket to see the conditions in which the amp is failing (above) and b) are so sloppy as to drop a BLACK washer into a Delta Blues amp -- again, there's no black hardware on the amp! How did that washer get there. Is there no supervision or training of Peavey tech staff? Is the workshop that much of a mess? Do they care so little about their work? Are these people that sloppy?

I've been playing for a little less than 20 years. I play both acoustics (Yamaha, Gibson) and electric (G&L, Tokai, Hamer, Fender -- although the Delta Blues was strictly used with electric guitars), bass (Washburn), and I've owned, at one time or another, amps from Fender, Crate, and Yamaha.

I've wanted to set this amp on fire so many times, but it cost too much for me to do it! I'm hoping somebody steals it, but not before I re-up on the insurance.

When it was working, this amp had a good clean sound, an okay overdrive, and a nice reverb. It was the perfect size, sound and volume for the gigging I do -- small and mid-size clubs. The fact that it is absolutely NOT dependable, and that Peavey's customer support has been somewhat less than helpful (a vast understatement) has led me to the decision to never purchase a Peavey product again. Hopefully, the store where I purchased it will give me a decent trade on this hunk of junk, because Peavey has, several times, refused to replace the amp in total. And I will not take this amp to one more gig! I absolutely refuse!

Purchased this new in 2001. I won't repeat all the features (60 previous reviews here!). Not critical, but I wish it had a standby light/switch and a second input jack. This obviously did not sway my purchase. This amp has all the features I need.

I have a Strat, a Nashville Tele, and a Washburn J-9 Jazz Body. I play jazz and blues mostly and dabble with classic rock for fun. The Delta Blues has a crystal clear clean channel. The Strats "bell like tones" just ring out so clearly at all volumes. Standard jazz tones are so easy to get with this amp, as are the dirty blues sounds. The distortion is awesome (very classic tube sound) and you can dial in the volume for it easily (ie: you don't have to crank it up full on!). This is a very versatile amp. The amp is very quiet with no hiss. I use very few effects, just a Morley Bad Horsie pedal and a Boss Chorus Ensemble. The Boss I run through the effects loop on the amp. This is the only time I notice some minor hissing through the amp (as soon as the effects loop leads are plugged in, its not the effects box). Its not that noticable, I'm just ultra pickey about that stuff!

I've had it for almost a year now and have never had a problem. I really don't understand what all the "exposed tube" complaints are about. Use the cover from Peavey when transporting the amp, and don't store stuff in the back of it. Simple as that! On the plus side, the tubes are very easy to access if you have to replace them!

I've never had to deal with Peavey for a warranty claim, but I have contacted them (through their web site) for information and they responded in 2 days! I've also reaped lots of great information from their "forum" site, which Peavey seems to monitor regularly. I've noticed that Peavey staff have responded to a number of postings with technical information or advice. This says alot about Peavey and its interest in their customers and products! Hats off to them. A lot of companies don't even bother to update their websites!

Before buying this amp, I checked out the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The Peavey sounded "smoother" to me and had a more pleasing jazz tone on the clean channel (with my Washburn J-9). I'm sure this could be attributed to the 15" speaker. I also tried the Peavey 210, which sounded very similar, but didn't seem to have the "depth" in comparison to the 15" Delta Blues. This is obviously subjective, and the Fender is a very nice amp but the Peavey fit my "ideal sound" for my style of playing better. Peaveys customer support is very good, as well (in my experiences).

30 Watts, 15" Blue Marvel speaker, effects out/in, external speaker jack, 2 button footswitch (clean/drive and effects/tremolo select), pre/post gain, reverb, tremolo, boost button, drive in/out button and most importantly, awesome tone through 3 12AX7's and 4 EL84's...it has everything a good blues amp should have. Portable enough to carry on the road. 30W is ample (pardon the pun) for clubs. Only problem is that it only has one input (-1 point).

I use an Eric Clapton Strat, Washburn J-6 and Takamine EG332-C. The acoustic guitar sounds great on this amp...the high/low range of the 15" speaker is great for the acoustic. Of course, the electrics sound great on this amp, too. The clean channel is very soft while the drive is edgy with a smooth bell-like tube tone depending on how hard you work the tubes. Again, perfect for playing the blues!

No reliability problems. The tubes are exposed and possibly subject to damage if the amp is not transported properly; however, the EL84's are sensitive to heating/cooling. When using this amp, I suggest keeping it situated where air can circulate through the open back to reduce or eliminate any "noises" caused by tubes which aren't properly ventilated. I've never needed a back-up amp when using this one, which is more than I can say for any of my Fender amps.

I've had to call Peavey once to ask about the bias setting on the amp and a human answered the phone within the second ring. My question was answered within 5 minutes. I think's that excellent, especially when a human answers the phone these days.

I would definitely replace this amp if it were stolen with another Delta Blues. I've replaced my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with this amp and won't go back. I've also owned other Fender and Marshall amps and they just don't compare to the value you get with this amp. The only drawback to the amp is the one input; but the amp is very versatile and can be used for other instruments than guitar, if needed (vocals, harmonica, keyboard, bass)! For everything you get, it's a great value.

I purchased this amp new in 1996.I have numerous large amps(won,t bore
you with details like some reviews) and having a small car meant family had to stay home as amp & guitars took up whole car.I,ve been
playing in pub bands for over 30 yrs and nothing was ever going to
sound as good as my old amps. This little sucker will make you think again . I,ve read some negative reviews on this amp but as the old saying goes,good tradespeople never blame their tools! If you have a
problem with anything ,there,s always a solution! I,ve had a couple
of minor problems ,but I know a great repairer and have not had them since.Not too many knobs which is good.15" speaker, I think it,s an
Eminence.

I have numerous "Name Brand" guitars ,some vintage and also some early Japanese guitar,s.They all sound great through this amp.I,ve
always been a limited effects user (too lazy to plug ,em in ).You
can always get a great sound plugged straight into this amp. If you can,t, have a serious look at your guitar.If it,s of reasonable quality and set up properly, you shouldn,t have a problem.
Being a pub /club player most of my playing life, I,ve had to play a
variety of styles (Master of None).I seem to get all the warmth &
clarity I could wish for out of this amp.I can also seem to get a pretty good range of overdriven sounds out of it using any of my
guitars.If you,ve played lot,s of different venues, you will know that
some rooms just don,t sound good and some sound great.If you,re plugged into the same circuit as neon lights and refridgerators, all
sorts of things can happen, believe me, dont blame the amp or guitar!
One venue I,d played for years and no matter what guitar and amp I took alway,s sounded pathetic,had a complete turnaround one night when
someone in the audience told me other band,s get the management to turn off a certain light.The improvement was mind boggling.Flourescent lights also play havoc.Just for the record,one
guitar I use a hell of a lot is a Fernandes Strat copy with Seymour
Duncan pickups in it.Cheap but awesome.It seems to cover most styles I play (from dinner music to full on)

This is the first amp that has ever let me down at a gig in over 30 years of playing ! It was the same problem a couple of other reviewers
wrote of (power to valves on printed circuit?).I did ring for backup,
but amp was just out of warranty so stiff biccies mate!Lucky I know a
great technician who has serviced all my amps for the last 25 yrs.
He nailed the problem straight away and was in-expensive to fix.
Don,t let this comment be a negative as I know people who have paid lots more for amp,s and had problems.I would most certainly buy another of these little gems tomorrow but i,m never going to get rid of this one.Surely by now(6 yrs) Peavey have become aware of the minor
faults and rectified it. I,ve had a few of their products over the years and they have all been great!Other Peavey gear I,ve owned over
the years has been great and never let me down.Just unfortunate this happened.

I don,t know. As I said, the amp was just out of warranty when it broke down,so who cares? I,m sure if it was still covered there would
not have been a problem. Just a pity it didn,t break down a bit sooner
like some of the others.I,m sure a company like Peavey does it right.

Apart from the minor problem i,ve written of,I don,t have any problems
with this amp. It,s done lot,s of gig,s and done itself proud.I play
from time to time with some well respected guitarists who also have nothing but praise for it. Look ,it,s 30 watts, compact, puts out a
great range of tones and if you think otherwise, take a long hard
look at your gear and your playing ability.Before I purchased this
amp I was looking at small amps, some over twice the price, but once
I tried this one out,it sold itself.If you do some searching on the net, I,m sure you,ll find heaps of positive feedback about this amp as I have. Maybe not metal and thrash players where a stack is the go,
but for most players,this should sure do the job.
The tremolo is a bit of a let down compared to my older amps, it seems
to lose volume where the old amps I have are a lot stronger and also
3 thmes the wattage so maybe that,s the reason? I think this amp proves you don,t have to pay through the nose to get a great sound,
like I said earlier,I needed something smaller than my old piggyback/
quad box amps as my cars got smaller so i could take the family to gigs sometimes and I couldn,t afford a van.

2000 model. As stated before, 2 channels, reverb, tremolo, boost. 4 EL84 (Sovtek) and 3 12AX7 (Sovtek lps) tubes. Shared eq for the 2 channels. 15 inch eminence speaker. 30 watts class AB.

Using witha hamer echotone or a Maton mastersound Ms500. The amp sounds better after breaking in at moderate volumes for a few months. Clean channel starts to sound nice with master at 4 or above. Breakup starts at around 6-8 depending on whether single coils or humbuckers are used. With master at 6, boost on and witha bridge position humbucker, a thick, warm sustaining overdrive is obtained. The same setting with a neck position single coil screams the blues. The overdrive channel is excellent so long as the master volume (pre control) is above half way. The best sounds from this amp are when it is fairly loud: if you buy this as a practice amp, you may be disappointed. Tremolo is fantastic. Jazz, country, blues and rock are easily achieved. Metal is OK as well. Overall, a versatile amp that sounds great once it is broken in.

Seeems to be well built apart from the exposed tubes. Came with good quality Sovtek tubes. Have tried JJ tubes and these sound different but no better in my opinion. Reverb began to howl when turned up. This was repaired under warranty: just needed some foam installed underneath. take care of it and it should go the distance.

Received an extended 3 year wrranty on purchase. Website good. Reverb repair done quickly and without fuss.

I don't regret this purchase. Tha amplifier sounds very good and witha good guitar, professional sounds can be achieved both at home and at gigs. There are better amps, but it is good value and gives very good clean, blues and rock sounds.

Just bought it new, so I'll assume it was made in 2001.
Other features have been already listed.
Has about the right number of features, so it's not overwhelming.
I would like a standby switch, though.
It has tremolo, but I haven't really used that much. I will say that on a Fender Vibrolux the "vibrato" (Fender's bad terminology) was immediately useful, easy to get into, and sounded great. Not the case for me, with the DBlues tremolo. However, the Vibrolux costs much more. In any case, I was not shopping for tremolo / vibrato, so I don't care much either way. I wanted a great tube amp and got it.

Love the tone. I did a lot of shopping in this price range, and feel very confident this is a great choice.
I have a 2000 American Srat with stock everything.
I enjoy playing classic rock and blues. I'm learning improvisation, and play a lot to blues tracks (Band in the Pocket is great). When I play songs, I'm playing stuff that was considered "hard" 20-30 years ago, like Rush, Zeppelin, etc.
I also like to play things on my electric that are supposed to be for the acoustic... "Blackbird" and so forth. The clean channel does a nice job for this.

I already knew I'd love the sounds this makes. After bringing it home, I was still surprised how much. It made my Strat sound much, MUCH better. With my old solid state amp (Fender Champion 30), I never played the 2 pickup positions near the bridge. They were just way too shrill. On my DBlues, these position sound sweet like a bell. Like having a new guitar.
I usually dislike "clean" sounds... I enjoy some character to an amp. With the Delta Blues, I am learning to enjoy the clean channel.
The lead channel and distortion SOUNDS GREAT!!! This is the overdrive tone I love. I suspect I'll be selling my distortion boxes.
After checking out Mesas, Voxes, Fenders, Riveras, etc. This is the one for me. The other amps are great, but one important consideration -- how loud do you to have crank them to get a good power tube overdrive sound? IMHO, that's why people get too darn many pedals. They buy an amp they can't crank enough, and have to get pedal to fake the great overdrive tone. Especially the Fenders. Price, tone, package, etc., this is the one for me.
I only give it a 9 because the best tone I've heard when shopping came from a big, expensive Mesa solo rectifier. Of course, that was $1500, and I'd have to get a lawyer to divorce my wife to play that sucker loud enough in the basement.

Just got it, but appears to be very solid.

I was AMAZED though at Peavey service *before* the sale. There's a discussion group anyone reading this should check out at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deltablues/ Anyway, I put up a message there about a very minor problem I had with my DBlues on layaway. Mike Brown of Peavey jumped right on it, contacting me via the discussion board (keep in mind, Yahoo!s discussion board), then over the phone, and then calling the dealer. I'm in the web technology business, and this is the BEST example of being "internet" savvy I have ever experienced.
I've spent thousands of dollars on products or services from other companies who would never think of supporting a customer like that.

Been playing acoustic for 20 years, electric for 2 years.
Yes, I'd buy it again.
Love the way it sounds. And love the fact I can get good tone at low volumes.
I very carefully compared this at my dealer with the DBlues 2 x 10". We had them side-by-side using my guitar. They sound very similar. But the DBlues 115 sounds more 'in your face', or 'live' or responsive. With the Strat, the 115 brought out the bass better. Overall, the DBlues 115 is a godsend for Strat tone.

I`m not sure, but I think mine`s a late 90`s model. Tweed, cool looking and GREAT sound! This is by far the BEST amp I`ve ever owned.I`ve owned about 35 amps over the last 30+ years I`ve been playing. @-channel w/effects loop and 1-15" speaker,and tremolo. I use this amp everywhere I play. The clubs I play are normally around 200 people capacity and I`ve never had the volume over 4. This amp is loud! It`s all tube 30 watts, but sounds more like at least 50. I love this amp.

I use mainly my '79 Strat which I`ve modded with a hot rail pickup at the bridge which I can get close to a Tele twang with when I want to. I also have a Mexican FatStrat and a Washburn electric (looks like a Tele but has 2 humbuckers, I can`t remember the model offhand.)All these sound great through the Delta Blues. I play mostly '60's & 70's music, old R&R, and some country. This amp suits all my styles to the "T". My search for the perfect amp is over, this is a keeper. It`s got a decent distortion channel, but I use my effects pedals for that. This amp is the epitomy of clean, so that`s what I use it for. There`s no problem with keeping it clean at high volume. Chances are, you`ll never crank it over 5.

I would definitely not worry about a backup amp. You have to be careful when transporting though because of how exposed the tubes are.
I haven`t had it long, but it seems to be very solid.

Haven`t had to deal with Peavey in years, but when I did I don`t recall any problems. I bought mine used so there`s no warranty.

I`ve been playing about 35 years. I`ve owned other Peavey amps, (MX, Bandits, Special 130, Classic 30, and a Transtube Bandit 112 (I really hated this amp), and also Marshall tube combos, Fenders, a Laney ProTube 30 and others I can`t recall. Anyway, none come close to the Delta Blues. For me-this is as good as it gets. The only thing that I could complain about is that it has no stand-by switch and the tubes are a little too exposed. I can live with these things no problem. I`ll keep this amp as long as I can. I love it and if anything ever happened to it I`d definitely replace it with another.

This one's a '98 model purchased used. Not sure if I'd call this a two channel amp because it doesn't have seperate eq for the lead tones. This would really help. It's name says what it's best at. Best feature is the great tone vs. price ratio.

I own quite a few guitars including Strats, Tele's and a hollow ASAT with humbuckers. They all sound fantastic through it (now that I've done some mods to it.. see below). The clean is as nice as any of my Fender amps. I have a couple of Vibroclones with 15" JBL's and Webers and also a Deluxe Reverb reissue with a Weber and the Peavey is as good. The reverb is outstanding. Blindfolded, I wouldn't be able to tell it from the Fenders. Also, the 30 watts and the 15 leave the DRri in the dust. When the clean is cranked you get a nice (blues) crunch. But, Yeooo, it's loud. With the lead channel button in you get a decent adjustable overdrive, from hardly any to grind city. For single note leads it sounds great, but like most other amps with preamp overdrive, chords get that 'razor edge' raspyness. A bit harsh. At bedroom levels there is a bit of hiss and hum (my DRri is dead quiet) but not too annoying. The boost button is a joke. Can you say 'honky'? One odd thing is you can floor the bass control and it won't come close to being flabby.

Not sure about the long term, I've only had it for month. It buzzed major 'til I sandwiched some thin rubber insulation between the chassis and the cab. The circuit board traces are very delicate and seemed like every time I removed a component, it would pull the trace with it. I guess if you don't mess with it, it should be ok.

Guess I won't be dealing with that after I messed with it. Peavey has been great on help with manuals. I'd give them a ten for that.

I'm a knob and own at least six guitars and ten amps. Been playing obsessively for four years. Not out, but I'm pretty decent and know the difference between good and bad tone. When I first played through it I thought it sounded lame, somewhat nasal. Definately not much better then my DRri. I'm thinking "Geez, now I own another amp that sounds like the rest". I was thinking of selling it until I found Steve Ahola's site (Blueguitar). His opinions on the Classic 30 (basically the same amp) were pretty much identical to mine on this amp. I love messing with stuff, so after a bit of Steve's recommended parts swapping this thing now sounds very nice. It really has a great clean tone. More bass and punch than the DRri. The mods smoothed the lead tone. By no means is it creamy smooth, but it's a bunch better than stock. A 470 or 680 pf cap on the boost circuit will tame that honk. There were also (Fender)mods to the input on the clean side and these helped make it sound more like... you guessed it... a Fender. All in all a great amp, especially when you can pick these up for $300 used. I stole mine off ebay (am I the price winner?). Thanks Mickey. If it disappeared, it would probably replace it. It's really grown on me.

This amp was purchased new in late May of 2001. One 15" Blue Marvel speaker, two channels, passive EQ, reverb, tremelo, boost switch, foot-switchable clean/lead channel and tremelo defeat, EFX loop. Not a whole lot of gizmos--especially the way things are hyped these days. Just an old style (pretty much) simple guitar amp. It would be nice to have easier access to the fuse holders, though.

I am playing an American Strat (stock) and a Matt Guitar Murphy Signature (two splittable humbuckers--very powerful guitar) through this amp. We play mostly blues and rock (old Stones, Cream, Doors, Matchbox 20, Tomy Petty, Elmore James, Howlin Wolf, Eve 6, Travis, A3, Bugs Henderson, Al Kooper, Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello, J. Geils, etc.) and gig part-time in local taverns, outdoor shows. I hardly ever use any effects--just a very occasional Vox wah--maybe on three or four songs. I've got a Boss EQ hooked up through the EFX loop and it is tweaked just slightly at the top and bottom ends. Gives me a bit more presence and fills the sound up a tad. I would agree that this is not a heavy metal amp, but that said, my girlfriend's son seems to be able to get those kind of tones from it. But that doesn't really interest me. For the type of music we are playing, this amp is full of tone. I play mostly clean and use the lead channel for solos and some crunch chords on occasion. This amp really sings with full tones. I came from a Fender Deluxe 90, which I had liked quite a bit, but now sounds tinny and harsh next to the Delta Blues. At other shows I've played, and occasional guesting with other bands, other musicians comment about how toneful this puppy is and how "classic" my Strat sounds through it. My Strat is a 1999, and frankly plays as well as my old 59/60 did and sounds better and more classic too. I know that is blasphemy to some, but that's the way this puppy sounds. The tones are full and strong, though not piercing--with the Boss EQ I can make them that way too. I can't say I've heard dramatic changes in the box since changing to JJ tubes from the original Sovteks the way others have reported. Though my Matt Guitar Murphy axe also sounds big and strong through this amp, my feeling is that this amp was really voiced mostly for Fender single coils. My Strat just sounds so much bigger and fuller through this amp than it does through anything else I've played. I tried the Fender Hot Rod DX, and though it is pretty good, nothing happens on that amp after 6. The Fender Hot Rod DX cuts through very well, but I don't feel it is as full and toneful as the Delta Blues. That's why I bought it. Simply stated it just sounds better than anything I've yet heard. Affordable is nothing to sneer at either. When I first got the amp, I wasn't crazy about the lead channel. But I've grown to really like it for what it does (again I'm usually looking for pretty clean tones). When I use my Strat on the neck pickup and kick in the lead channel (Pre on 8 and Post on 5 to 6), I get plenty of presence at both rehearsal and at gigs (we mike the amp, the drum kick and the bass through our PA) along with a real sweet "chimey" bell-like tone from the guitar. It sounds great. After looking at lots of drive pedals, I've gotten comfortable with this lead channel and can make other adjustments more to my specific needs with the Boss EQ. I am only recently returning to music after not touching any guitars (or owning any gear) for 25 years. Back in the old days, I owned a silver face Fender Bandmaster with an oversized cab that was a dud. I then also had a Peavey Vintage 212 (100 watts) that was OK, but this amp far exceeds any of the others I've ever had. I don't find much use for the boost switch, however.

This amp has been very reliable. It is solidly built and I don't have any complaints about the tube exposure like others. Granted we are not doing tons of road time, but I also use the amp cover that Peavey sells ($19, I think) to transport this thing and it fits tight enough to the cab to allow good protection for the tubes. I NEVER put anything in the back of my amps to transport them. I feel you're asking for trouble with a punctured speaker cone or something. When I first bought this amp (my first version), it blew in 10 days. It turns out that it had some bad diodes apparently. However, the dealer (2 hours from here), had the factory ship me a brand new one directly from Mississippi, which is the one I've been using all these months. That was great dealer and factory support and I have no complaints. I never take a back up to a gig. During one rehearsal, I played a Chris Izaak's tune with the reverb way up and then it began to hum quite a bit. It wouldn't quit until the reverb was practically off. I pulled the reverb tank from the bottom of the amp, installed some of that adhesive backed foam weatherstripping to the bottom edges of the pan, returned it to the amp and there has been no further problem. The reverb springs in this models are just a bit sensitive, but it is an easy fix.

Five year warranty is great. As I stated above, Peavey and the dealer have been great about standing behind the gear. They never hesitated about replacing the first amp that was a dud. They answer all your questions promptly, have a great website and users group, plus the Yahoo users group is excellent source for info as well. I've been impressed with their instant response to any of my questions, orders, or needs.

I played a bit as a kid, but gave it up (along with all of my gear) for 25 years. While I missed it, I was busy having a great time as a magazine and commercial photographer and skiing everyday. Some friends talked me into picking this back up and I am grateful. Between the two fabulous guitars I have and this Delta Blues, I have never been more satisfied with the quality of gear and especially the full toneful sounds I am getting. I'm playing better than ever and it helps to have this great stuff to push your developing sound along with. The Delta Blues is an excellent amp, so full of sound, nice and simple, portable (over 50 crowd) and has really added a great dimension to our sound as a band (3-piece).