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Peavey Delta Blues

Summary
Price New Peavey Delta Blues @ Musician's Friend
Manufacturer URL http://www.peavey.com/
Features 8.1 (121 responses)
Sound Quality 8.8 (124 responses)
Reliability 7.7 (89 responses)
Customer Support 8.0 (56 responses)
Overall Rating 8.6 (115 responses)
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Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $450 new
Submitted 06/06/2003 at 01:01pm by Adam Way
Email: www<dot>barneysjiveband<dot>com

Features : 7
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.

Sound Quality : 8
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.

Reliability : 8
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.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Haven't tried yet

Overall Rating : 7
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $325.00 used
Submitted 06/05/2003 at 10:35am by James

Features : 8
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!

Sound Quality : 10
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.

Reliability : No Opinion
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.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Don't need 'em....Got a Peavey workshop handy.....

Overall Rating : 9
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!


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $440
Submitted 05/13/2003 at 06:53pm by Mark Nock

Features : No Opinion
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.

Sound Quality : 8
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.

Reliability : 10
Aside from replacing the power output tubes, no issues.

As reliable as any tube amp I've owned.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : No Opinion
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 04/06/2003 at 06:52pm by Charles Gray
Email: kucielelectronics at hotmail<dot>com

Features : 9
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.

Sound Quality : 9
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.



Reliability : 7
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.

Customer Support : 10
Always great.

Overall Rating : 9
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


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $300 used
Submitted 03/09/2003 at 08:26am by Jayson Chance
Email: StratBoyGa<at>yahoo dot com

Features : 8
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.

Sound Quality : 8
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 $$$.

Reliability : 9
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.

Customer Support : 10
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....

Overall Rating : 8
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.....


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: 500 (EURO)
Submitted 03/06/2003 at 08:53am by matteo
Email: mekke<at>yahoo dot com

Features : 7
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.

Sound Quality : 10
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.

Reliability : 9
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.

Customer Support : No Opinion
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

Overall Rating : 10
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $445.00
Submitted 12/31/2002 at 08:14am by Bluewilly

Features : 9
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).

Sound Quality : 10
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.

Reliability : 8
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.

Customer Support : 9
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.

Overall Rating : 10
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $358 cosemetic blemish
Submitted 11/17/2002 at 08:19am by Anonymous

Features : 7
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.

Sound Quality : 9
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.

Reliability : 10
Haven't had any problems yet.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $400
Submitted 10/28/2002 at 11:09am by drwho
Email: baldj at tds<dot>net

Features : 9
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.

Sound Quality : 9
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...

Reliability : 9
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.

Customer Support : 10
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?

Overall Rating : 9
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $475
Submitted 10/12/2002 at 11:45pm by Anonymous

Features : 7
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...

Sound Quality : 9
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)

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

Customer Support : No Opinion
NA

Overall Rating : No Opinion
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $300 used
Submitted 07/11/2002 at 10:12pm by Lee
Email: wholemessablues at hotmail<dot>com

Features : 8
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.

Sound Quality : 9
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.

Reliability : 7
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).

Customer Support : No Opinion
Well, I bought this amp used, so I've never directly dealt with Peavey, but I have found their website to be very helpful.

Overall Rating : 9
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $400.00
Submitted 05/30/2002 at 11:54am by Ray Webb

Features : 5
'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..

Sound Quality : 5
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...

Reliability : 5
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.

Customer Support : No Opinion
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.

Overall Rating : 5
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 05/21/2002 at 07:24am by Sir Grendel

Features : 8
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

Sound Quality : 10
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!!

Reliability : 9
So far so good, but I don't gig with it as it's just too fragile.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : No Opinion
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)


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 05/13/2002 at 04:16pm by Anonymous
Email: finastbeans<at>yahoo dot com

Features : 7
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.

Sound Quality : 10
This amp sounds tasty at high volumes. The clean channel does not distort. It is creamy.

Reliability : 6
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.

Customer Support : No Opinion
n/a

Overall Rating : 10
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $250 used
Submitted 03/31/2002 at 11:20am by Jonas Reilley

Features : 6
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.

Sound Quality : 10
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.

Reliability : 6
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.

Customer Support : 7
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.

Overall Rating : 9
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 03/14/2002 at 09:10pm by Sir Grendel

Features : 7
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).

Sound Quality : 10
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!!!

Reliability : No Opinion
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.)

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with them.

Overall Rating : 8
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


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $450 approx.
Submitted 03/10/2002 at 05:13pm by RockinRob
Email: bystanders at yahoo<dot>com

Features : 7
I purchased this amp in December '99. Feature-wise, see above.

Sound Quality : 6
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.

Reliability : 2
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.

Customer Support : 1
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?

Overall Rating : 3
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!


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: 700.00 (Canadian)
Submitted 03/10/2002 at 06:43am by Paul

Features : 8
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.

Sound Quality : 9
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!

Reliability : 10
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!

Customer Support : 10
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!

Overall Rating : No Opinion
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).


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $300 used
Submitted 01/25/2002 at 09:56am by 'fixitman

Features : 9
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).

Sound Quality : 10
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!

Reliability : 10
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.

Customer Support : 10
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.

Overall Rating : 10
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: 1250 (australian)
Submitted 12/31/2001 at 04:37pm by rocketrod

Features : No Opinion
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.

Sound Quality : 10
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)

Reliability : 8
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.

Customer Support : No Opinion
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.

Overall Rating : 9
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: 1499 (Australian)
Submitted 12/16/2001 at 05:34pm by Anonymous

Features : 8
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.

Sound Quality : 8
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.

Reliability : 8
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.

Customer Support : 9
Received an extended 3 year wrranty on purchase. Website good. Reverb repair done quickly and without fuss.

Overall Rating : 8
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $525
Submitted 12/14/2001 at 09:26am by Anonymous

Features : 7
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.

Sound Quality : 9
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.

Reliability : No Opinion
Just got it, but appears to be very solid.

Customer Support : 10
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.

Overall Rating : 8
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $325 used
Submitted 11/19/2001 at 08:34am by Patrick Coletta
Email: tentucker at hotmail<dot>com

Features : 10
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.

Sound Quality : 10
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.

Reliability : 9
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.

Customer Support : 8
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.

Overall Rating : 10
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $225 used
Submitted 10/26/2001 at 07:54pm by Lee
Email: hagenl<at>wi dot rr dot com

Features : 7
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.

Sound Quality : 8
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.

Reliability : No Opinion
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.

Customer Support : No Opinion
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.

Overall Rating : 8
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.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $435
Submitted 09/28/2001 at 10:30am by ken
Email: gallard at newmex<dot>com

Features : 8
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.

Sound Quality : 9
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.

Reliability : 9
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.

Customer Support : 9
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.

Overall Rating : 9
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).


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $479.00
Submitted 09/26/2001 at 04:41pm by Michael
Email: leafonatree<at>hotmail dot com

Features : 10
I just bought a new 2001 Delta Blues 1x15 and it rocks. Its tricky to rate an item on its sound and features with out telling you my style of music. I guess im a blues player. I've tried to play different styles but I always end up going back to the blues. So with that in mind it covers all of the bases. I like things simple. The more opitons im givin the more prone I am to messing things up. So thats why it gets a 10. Other player might give it a three because it does lack in toys like the digital amps, but do any of you favorite guitarist us digital amps. I hope not. And you get what you pay for. Nothings more true in life than that. So to say that a $400.00 digital amp is going to sound like all of these high dollar amps is crap.

Sound Quality : 10
There's always been this coment of "if only you could find an amp that had the clean sound of a fender tube amp with a tube screamer built in" well this is a close as it gets. I have a tried every thing to get that Stevie Ray Vaughn tone. I even bought a Fender 65 deluxe reverb, and a ts 808. And that does sound cool but you have to turn it to 9 or 10 and it still doent sound like one complete unit. It sounds like and amp with some fuzz or an edge on top. Im just not a petal person. The Delta Blues functions as one complete sound. Very Cool. Its one of those amps that you can crank it to 6 or 7 and let your volume controle on your guitar determine the amount of gain you get out of it. Very touch responsive. And with a 15 it has a very full sound. Im sure all of this depends on what type of guitar you use. I perfer strats.

Reliability : No Opinion
I have only had it 3 hours so im not qualified to answer that.

Customer Support : No Opinion
I have only had it 3 hours so im not qualified to answer that.

Overall Rating : 10
If you want a tube amp with at least 2 channels with what seems to be of good construction and under 500 dollars look no further. I work at a guitar shop and have had the opportunity to play every thing under the sun. And for this price, this is as good as it gets and then some.
I have researched everything. If theres something better out there I would love to know. And dont get me wrong, there is lots of other cool stuff out there but in the 500 to 600 price range, this is it.













Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: Trade used
Submitted 07/29/2001 at 08:15pm by Anonymous

Features : 8
Well, let me start by saying I traded a line6 Spider 112 for this. As you probably already know, the Line6 spider 112 is an all digital "amp modeling extravaganza" which looks good in a magazine add and sounds pleasant enough in the comfort of your own home, but just wasn't cutting it playing out. I play blues music and a Line 6 digital amp is kind of like driving a Lexus in an Off-road Rally. So I went from an OK sounding digital amp with effects galore, to this tube driven monster which is minimalism at its best...nothing but reverb and the sweetest tremolo north of Stovall's Plantation. Normal and lead channels. Effects send and return. Not many features, but what little it does have is darn close to as good as it gets.

Sound Quality : 10
Has a bit of a rattle coming out of the back but its nothing that is cause for concern. The normal channel is very clean and you can tweak the lead channel to dirty it up as much as you like. I'm not a gear snob so I dont own a PRS or ES335 or "limited edition" this or that. I have an Epiphone Sheraton, a '78 Fender Mustang, and a couple of other guitars of no real significance. Although I believe there are far to many harmonica players in the world (me being one of them), this amp a perfect companion to any Marine Band in your arsenal.

Reliability : 7
My beef, if I have to have one, is that the tubes are exposed in the back. So extra tubes are a good thing to have lying around, just in case. Hasn't broken down yet (knock on wood). The thing is built like the proverbial Brick S*%t House.

Customer Support : 8
Bought it used and downloaded the manual from the websight. What a great time to be alive. Never had to have it serviced.

Overall Rating : 9
Been playing for several years. I actually had my heart set on buying a Fender Blues Deluxe. I sat down and played around with the F.B.D. and was about to sign on the dotted line when a voice in my head told me I should try the Peavey. "Peavey?" I said to the voice. "Thats absurd, what could a Peavey amp have that a Fender Blues Deluxe doesn't?". Pound for pound these amps are dead even but, to my ears, the two amps didn't even compare when it came to overall tone and mojo. I cant imagine someone stealing it (it's freakin' heavy), but if they did, I would first admire the amazing feat of strength and then after a day or two of being pissed off at man's inhumanity to man...I would explain to my wife why me getting another one of these amps is more important than making a mortgage payment.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $500
Submitted 07/25/2001 at 07:11pm by Chris B
Email: teleman28056 at cs<dot>com

Features : 9
I bought this amp new in 1995. It was my first tube amp, and my first amp with tremolo. I like it OK. It's got a cool tremolo, effects loop, reverb, a clean channel and an OD channel, and a boost switch. It's loaded with features, and that tremolo is a feature not found on most modern amps.

Sound Quality : 6
I play mainly blues, rock, and metal, and this amp works OK for all of those styles. I say OK, because I'm not too fond of Peavey's choice of speaker for this one. I don't know if it's the 15" speaker, or just the brand, but it has a fuzzy tone to it, something that you may like or dislike, but I don't like it. The clean channel is great, and has a very "Fender" like quality to it. Nice thick low-end and good chime on the top-end. The distortion, on the other hand, is brutal. The OD channel sounds OK with a Tele or RI Danelectro, but it's not nice with humbuckers, that's that fuzzy sound I was refering to. The amp is fairly quiet. The OD channel is a little noisier than the clean channel, but that's normal. Don't ever use the boost, unless you have a death wish! Feedback from hell, and shrill highs, too.

Not too bad, but would sound a lot better with a different speaker.

Reliability : 10
Don't know, I don't play out much. It's still hanging in there after 5 years of playing. I haven't had to take it to be repaired yet!

Customer Support : 10
Great customer support. The techs at Peavey.com are very helpful.

Overall Rating : 9
It's a good amp for the money. If you spent $500 on the amp, and another $100 on a speaker, it's still a great deal. Much better than a solid-state amp for the same money! I love the tremolo, hate the speaker. The boost switch needs to be modified too, unless you're suicidal.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $450
Submitted 07/24/2001 at 04:48pm by Martin
Email: nectaral<at>yahoo dot com

Features : 9
Very straight-forward amp. Simple but powerful.

Sound Quality : 9
This amp can do just about anything. I run it exclusively on the clean channel playing either a Tele or a Strat through a Digitech RP7. From metal grunge to classic rock to twangy country, this amp can do it all.

Reliability : 9
I've never had a problem with the amp except a little tube rumble, probably due to rough handling. I agree with other reviews that the tube setup is unprotected and vulnerable to damage. I've been hard on this amp and, after 6 years it still works great. If anyone has a solution to the tube rumble problem, please e-mail it to me at nectaral@yahoo.com.

Customer Support : 10
Never needed it.

Overall Rating : 10
Overall, a killer amp for the money. I hear you can get a used one for 250 or less. For that money, you can't touch it. All tube, 15 inch speaker, incredible volume and bottom. Buy one today.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $250 used
Submitted 04/09/2001 at 11:24am by annonymous
Email: none

Features : 8
This thing is a powerful instrument. I play in a alternative rock band and have found the gain channel to be sufficient for a heavy tone. You don't loose the fullness of your midrange with the boost on which is a neccissity with our music. i do use the tremelo and find that it does cut back on volume, but for light music it's a nice touch.

Sound Quality : 10
I haven't heard anything better yet.

Reliability : 6
It's tube chasis is unprotected, so in travel I have broken two or more tubes. I have stripped the crossover before as well and have blown the fuse box. When in working condition though, it's never gone out on stage.

Customer Support : 9
great.

Overall Rating : 10
for $250 it's the best amp I've ever seen


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $265 used
Submitted 03/26/2001 at 04:06pm by Anonymous

Features : 7
All tube amp with 3 12Ax7s and 4 EL84s. Really cool looking amp that is built real solid to take some abuse. See other posts for all the features. I would rate it higher here if it had a stabdby and seperate EQ controls.

Sound Quality : 10
I just got this amp used off the internet and am amazed at the sounds this thing produces. I play a Les Paul Studio Light, mostly rock and blues, and used to have a Fender Ultra Chorus, this amp blows that Fender away! It has a crisp responsiveness to pick attack, good sounding crunch on the gain channel, great tone at bass, mid, and treble. It is a little dark sounding but I keep the treble up to 10 or so and it sounds great. When I first got it there was a bad tube so I replaced the preamp tubes with JJ's Euros and that thing sounds twice as good! I can dial in sounds ranging from clean surf all the way to (almost) grunge. This is a really good sounding amp for anything from slight over the top blues to Van Halen sounding heavy rock and roll.

Reliability : 8
I have not had it long enought to make this call but have noticed Peavey reps showing up on different internet sites (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deltablues) to offer advice and assistance, which I think is pretty cool.

Customer Support : No Opinion
None needed

Overall Rating : 9
I have played on and off for more than 20 years and have played through a lot of different amps but this one is a keeper. I am not playing out right now so I cant comment on how well it will sound live and suspect I will have some trouble switching sounds without a box. But this is a great sounding amp straight in and would like to keep it no matter. Now that I know what Peavey can sound like I'll probably be looking at a 5150, never satisfied, you know how that is.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $345.00 used
Submitted 01/27/2001 at 09:02am by Anonymous

Features : 8
This is a 2-channel amp w/on-board tremolo and 30 LOUD watts pumped through (1) 15" speaker. It uses (2) 12AX7 preamp tubes and (4) EL84 power amp tubes. The controls include volume (for the clean channel), pre- and post gain (for the overdrive channel), shared bass, midrange, and treble controls, reverb level, and speed and depth for the tremolo. The only minor negatives here are that (1) it only has a single input jack, and (2) there is no standby switch -- it's either on or off. The vibe is definitely vintage. Mine is an older model with the gold tweed covering and brown grill cloth -- very '50s.

Sound Quality : 10
For my style of playing the tones are perfect -- the clean channel is sweet and round, and the overdrive channel provides a smoothe, warm, bluesy overdrive -- even at reasonable volume levels (important for me in an apartment). Definitely NOT for shredders. The reverb is amazing! It's not as rediculously deep as Fender reverb -- the range is much more practical. The tremolo is OK -- it's not quite smoothe and rounded as my old Ampeg but with the proper tweeking it suffices.

Reliability : 10
This amp is built like a tank!

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
I've owned about a dozen amps over the past 20 odd years. Some were too clean, some were too loud, some were too heavy to lug, etc... I'm glad to say that I've found my LAST amp! The Delta Blues has the perfect blend of features, vibe, power and tone for me. I would never part with it.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $425 new
Submitted 12/20/2000 at 06:56am by Anonymous

Features : 7
Pretty well described in other above reviews. I play original blues tinged rock and roll so generally need a bit of distortion. Mostly in small club settings. Use both Teles and a Dan Armstrong/Ampeg plexi with it. A stand by would be nice. Really has enough power for a club and could be miked and run through the monitors in larger venues. Took me 20 years of playin gto figure out that any wattage over 50 is pointless with my style. If you need clean tone I could see it. Gets a good lead tone (when not crapping out:see below) and nice old school Stonesy rhythm. I always have liked the sound of 15 inchers.The tremelo sounds cool buit is hard to use as the vopume drops a lot when you kick it in making it difficult to incorporate into a song unless you use it corner to corner.

Sound Quality : 8
The distortion can get noisy at some points. I rarely used the amp in clean mode. Generally set it up with the post at noon and the pre around one o'clock with the boost channel in. I also used an ancient Fender Blender boost pedal on most of the time and controlled levels from the guitar volume knob. Sounds pretty warm but can still get that solid stateish cheese going.

Reliability : 5
And here lie dragons. Had a good bit of trouble with chassis rattle, tube problems and began making a high feeback sound when the reverb was turned all the way up. You could turn it down and it would stop only to return moments after you went back up. The various noise problems ranged from this to a breathing type sound to a tube rattle to the chassis vibrations. I never died on the job but often had to be talked out of it.

Customer Support : 10
Dealer was most helpful and candid about the chassis vibrations, etc. Never dealt with Peavey but my experiences on other products ahs been excellent.

Overall Rating : 8
I am selling the amp and continuing the search for the Holy Grail (tone). I just bought a Boogie Nomad 45 and am trying to decipher it. I originally bought the Delta Blues as a back up for a 1955 Fender Pro Amp that could be touchy at gigs due to age (not unlike me) and wound up using the Peavey and leaving the old timer at home. the Fender has killer tone but no reverb and sometime shad to be cranked a bit loud to get what you needed. Tone was good when it was good. What can I say? I hated the noise and various demons that seemed to inhabit it though basically for the money I think it is one of the best amps I have ever had...I've been through Twins, Boogie SOB, Ampeg Reverborocket and now the new Boogie which, by the way, is not exactly noiseless and over twice the price.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $425
Submitted 12/12/2000 at 02:21pm by Darin
Email: Darin1

Features : 8
2 channels. all tube. Clean and Overdrive. Reverb, Tremlo, 1X15 30 watts. 1997 model. I don't have the footswitch, but it has one avaible and I wish I had it. Has effects loop and speaker out. EQ is shared on channels. I wish is was a seperate EQ.

Sound Quality : 9
The amp is very good for all tube blues amp. I love the clean sound. Very warm. The overdrive is cool. But don't expect Metal sounds out of this amp. Its pretty loud amp for 30watts. I like the the bigger speaker. The reverb is ok. The tremlo is fun to play with. This amp was a good deal cheaper than a Fender but able to get similar sounds

Reliability : 8
Never had a problem with the amp, but it has an open back with the tubes exposed.Seems fragile. I wouldn't gig with it. Its a cool homebound amp

Customer Support : No Opinion
never delt with them

Overall Rating : 9
Cool all tube blues amp to jam at home with


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $399
Submitted 11/21/2000 at 01:22pm by Anonymous

Features : 9

Sound Quality : 6
This is an update to a previous, very enthusiastic review. I loved the hell out of this amp till i started gigging with it. At gig volumes the clean sound seemed harsh and very hard to dial in. I play a strat and like Steve Cropper soul tones which this think delivers at low volumes in spades. cranked, it stays clean but there's something crackly and unpleasant about it. maybe the speaker just isn't for me?

Traded it in on a Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb which i'm VERY happy with. I also bought a used Peavey Classic 30 which to me does everything the Delta Blues did but sounds better loud with the 12" speaker. The classic 30's drive channel is awesome, but for clean i prefer the fender.

so i'm fickle. but aren't most people around here?

Reliability : 9
seemed solid as hell.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : No Opinion
Two things: before you buy play at all volumes, stand back and listen. Also, consider the classic 30. almost as loud, and the 12" may work better for you. Lot's of people love the 15", but it wasn't for me and I also found it a bit hard to mic well for recording.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $365
Submitted 08/30/2000 at 11:45am by Sarge
Email: Sargeslide at aol<dot>com

Features : 8
Features have been listed umpteen times, why waste the space?

Sound Quality : 10
I love the Clean Channel cranked! I bought the amp because it sounded just like a BF Vibroverb. I AB'd them with a Morley box and it was all good! So I had to get the DB! It has 10 less watts but you really can't tell when they are cranked up! I dime everything and control tone and volume from the guitar. I use a Strat with Texas specials, and this amp just sings. The 15 really gives you a killer bottom end, and the amp is just soo expresive, why blow all the cash on a boutique or vintage amp? If I want one that bad, I'll save up for awhile, while playing this. The drive channel can be brittle, but I just twiddle the knobs until I find a sweet spot and leave it there.
I don't use that channel much because it is a preamp kind of drive, I prefer power tube overdrive, sounds warmer to me

Reliability : 8
Well, I guess I have to be realistic, it is a PCB amp. I do expect some problems down the line, with the tube sockets being directly attached to the board, and the little wire jumpers that they used to connect and support the boards. If it ever just goes kaput, I'll just do a point to point job on it!
Oe problem everyone has with this amp is the exposed tubes. If you are not careful, you'll break them! They are exposed to help hem cool, this is a supposed "Class A' amp, meaning that the power tubes never idle (Another reason that there should be a standby switch) always run full out, so they get real hot!
The other is no standby switch, this tends to shorten tube life, because the tubes are slammed with alot of power before they are warm.
Other than that I can't see to many problems

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never have, hope I never do

Overall Rating : 10
I have been playing longer than I like to admit! I really hope I can find another if anything happens to it!
I wish it had,1. A standby switch. pretty obvious. 2. A tube rectifier, this would really make the amp breath, especially on a class A amp! 3. Seperate EQ for each channel, that way you could really work with the drive channel, and maintain a killer clean tone!
Problem is, with these mods the amp would cost alot more than it does! and for what I paid, this is a steal! I also played Fender hot rods and some others against it, it was for me hands down, and the least expensive. The only amp that I would love to other than this? A Fender Vibroking, Killer Amp, Killer price! The thing I love the most? The tone! I put a slide on the strat, crank the volume, and just enjoy the tone to the bone! I am giving it a 10 overall for the price and sound, I don't think you can do any better!


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $200 used
Submitted 08/25/2000 at 11:31am by Dr. Humpty
Email: blindslim at hotmail<dot>com

Features : 10
This is a depressed update. My DB 115 died. I went looking for a replacement, since I wasn't sure that I was happy with it. I've played everything, from the crappy Flextone amp modeler series, the Tech21 solid state amps, even looked into a Fender Twin or a Super Reverb.

I miss my Delta. What a great amp. When it worked, I was always thinking about that awesome TWIN tone, wishing for it. After actually playing through a TWIN, I've discovered that the awesome TWIN tone will work only if you set up your amp outside of the bar, otherwise, the volume will HURT everyone.

From there, I looked into the Vibrolux. Smaller than a TWIN, not as loud, but tone is as good. Sounds just like the Delta Blues.

Now, I'm not saying it sounds EXACTLY like it, but, put me in a bar with 50 dancing drunks, let me A/B the two amps, and stop the song, and ask these folks "which tone do you like better? can you tell?". HELL NO. This amp HONKS. If it hadn't died, I guess I wouldn't appreciate this.

Sound Quality : 10
Screams. Wails. Farts. Screams. Sours.

So, the problem originally was that I couldn't boost the amp during solos. But alas, I've solved the problem (well, 'til the fucker DIED) by using a Tube Screamer through the clean channel, then the distorted channel had just a little more bite added. WHOOOOO!

Doesn't COLOR the guitar sound like a Marshall or them crappy Line 6 modelers. This is a GREAT sound. My one beef was that there wasn't much of the sound cutting through the crowd -but, after comparing it to a TWIN, which cut the crowd in half via sound waves, I'm believing that this amp does the job fine. A presence knob woulda been good - I looked into a MOD for the DB, only to recently discover that I just need to change to MONSTER CABLES.

Reliability : 5
Well - like I said, Bessie's DEAD, so, I'd have to go 50/50 on the reliability. Them crappy tube holders are the problem (I think). And at the volumes I had it at, I'm guessing I must've overheated the puppy. Dunno. Gotta wait until the amp man tells me what killed it.

Customer Support : 9
Their website's pretty thorough. Haven't actually CONTACTED anybody at Peavey, since I bought this thing used, but there's a damn CULT behind this amp.
http://www.egroups.com/group/deltablues

Overall Rating : 10
I WILL buy another one if this thing won't come back to me. Unless of course I find a SUPER REVERB for $200. I don't see that happening. This amp has been fantastic, from the looks to the versatility.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $389
Submitted 08/16/2000 at 01:11pm by Geoff MacAdie
Email: jgmacadie at mhpfund<dot>com

Features : 9
I purchased this amp new and believe it's a 1999 unit, with blonde tweed and a single 15" Blue Marvel 16ohm speaker. It looks fantastic, a very retro 50's kind of boxiness. I was searching for a smaller tube amp without the boutique pricetag that was capable of a good clean sound and a moderately overdriven blues sound for classic rock stylings or blues stuff. On all accounts I am absolutely knocked out by this amp. I've owned a bunch of amps of many varieties over the past 30+ years in bar bands and like everyone else, have been searching for the "holy grail" of tone. I've gotten great clean sounds with this amp that make my '71 Strat sing, and terrific dirty sounds with the Boost engaged (it's a one channel amp, with the Boost basically adding another gain stage). I love getting solid sustain without sacrificing all the tone at low and moderate volumes. The amp has decent spring reverb (although not as "surfey" as a Fender Twin or Fender Vibrolux) and tremelo. The tremelo is only marginally useful and not as buttery as I'd like. The amp has plenty of power at 30watts and would probably cut it easily in a small club setting.

Sound Quality : 10
I play a '71 Strat and a 1996 Yamaha AEX1500 primarily (mini-humbucker, jazz archtype). The Strat sounds very good in the neck and middle pickup position, with a great roundness clean. The neck pickup also sounds great with a little dirt from the amp's boost button. I'm also impressed with amp's clarity with the Yamaha, which I use for jazz instrumentals and occasionally with the piezo pickup for simulated acoustic guitar type material. The 15" blue Marvel could be brighter with the Strat but I really haven't experimented with my stomp boxes (a SansAmp with the brightness up might do the trick). I tried my Zoom 3030 foot pedal in the effects loop and it was ridiculously noisey, so for the time being I'm playing straight (or with effects in line and not in the loop). I've pushed the amp hard in the clean setting and was unable to detect any breakup up to about 6 (anything louder than that and you're a candidate for serious tinnitus anyway as this amp has plenty of balls). The pre/post controls on the boost setting enable you to completely saturate. Not to my taste, and probably too muddy for any serious metal wankers, but I really don't believe this is what Peavey had in mind for this amp. To my ears, this is great, great little club amp.

Also, I plugged my bass in just for laughs. The 15" speaker does a very nice job at a low rehersal volume. No thunderous lows, but certainly adequate for an acoustic jam or low volume band practice. An additional surprise!

Reliability : 5
Haven't owned the amp long enough to know. I also am pretty careful about my equipment. The exposed tubes in the amp is a serious design flaw that Peavey should have recognized. I plan on manufacturing a wood or metal bar to protect the tubes. However, my experience in the past says that most tubes get broken through sloppy handling and storing junk in the amp that subsequently bounces around and breaks the tubes. Also, the tube hangers on my amp are cheesy metal straps that don't do the job. I'd be interested in hearing from other users that have come up with alternatives. My amp came through with Sovtek tubes, which I plan to replace with JJ Electronics in the near future to improve headroom and overall tone.

Customer Support : 5
No repairs to date. Two year warranty on amp (90 days on tubes), extended to five years by Peavey when they get customer info survey back.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing over 30 years. I own a bunch of guitars (an old Guild D35, '71 Strat, '96 Yamaha AEX1500, '65 Fender P-bass, '71 Fender P-bass fretless, generic Yamaha cheapo Bass, etc.), keyboards, and a mountain of recording and PA gear (Roland 880vsEx, Mackie 1604 VLZ,PA cab's, power amp's etc. etc. etc.)Although I haven't owned the amp very long, I am surprised at some of the other reviewers' negative comments about durability. This amp is an incredible value relative to the other Fender Hot Rod's-Crates-baby Marshalls-Line 6's of the world. I think the Fenders are over-priced and harsh sounding, the Crates are cheesy, Marshall's are one-dimensional (and expensive), and the Line 6's are tube-amp wannabe's (or a little of everything equals master of nothing). I would definitely buy another of these amp's and my guitar playing partner is currently looking to buy one (and he's played through every amp in the world, and owned about half of them). I'd like to get my hands on the 1 x 15" extension cab in matching blonde tweed, or a 2 x 10" extension cab to match this amp. I hope Peavey takes its users' comments regarding the exposed tubes, tube hangers, and tube sockets seriously and makes these simple design mod's on future versions.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 06/07/2000 at 10:50am by Anonymous

Features : No Opinion
This is an update to my previous review. I've been playing the DB for about a month now and I have a pretty good feel for its sounds. So I went back to the guitar store and played through every amp I'd compared it with when shopping and I few I hadn't. Fact is, I like the DB MORE now in comparison with the others. The only amps that had the kind of tone the DB does were the Fender '65 Twin reissue (very different tone, but very nice amp) and a Groove Tubes Soul-O 75. But let's face it: the Twin is too heavy, too loud, to expensive for what it is and it only does one thing. The GT is a phenomenal amp, very versatile, beautiful tone (your guitar's personality comes through no matter what) but do you have $2000 to spend on an amp? As for the other Fenders, (including the deluxe reissue, the hotrods,and the vibrolux) Crates, etc. FAGGEDABOUTIT! The peavey sounded good when I bought it and it sounds better now.

Sound Quality : 9

Reliability : No Opinion

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US Package deal
Submitted 05/11/2000 at 11:07pm by Troy D. Jacobson
Email: tpjacobson at juno<dot>com

Features : 8
1996.
See other reviews for features.
Wish it had reverb and boost selection on the footswitch.
Came stock with cheap Chinese tubes... swapped out for cheap Peavey Sovteks with a pretty big difference in tone (I followed Steve Ahola's suggestions for preamp 12ax7's... much warmer sound).

Sound Quality : 9
Using primarily a 96 G&L Legacy Strat (tone pots control treble and bass for all 5 positions) with a Little '59 single coil sized humbucker in the Bridge.

Occasionally use a DeArmond Starfire (without the Bigsby Trem) with stock DeArmond pickups.

Optional Settings for warm, clear, chimey tone:
BOTH CHANNELS PUSHED...
* Normal Volume at 12 }
* Post Volume at 12 }> Control Volume and rumble with Legacy Volume.
* Pre Volume at 6 }
*Bass, Mid, Treble EQ's all at 1
(This dramatically reduces hiss at peak volume... Control EQ for 5 positions mostly with the Treble pot on the Legacy... Between 5 and 8.)
*Reverb at 5 (More sounds robotic... less sharpens the treble EQ.)
*Boost Button pushed in or ENGAGED (Actually gives more clarity to highs)
*Tremolo Speed - set to liking
*Tremolo Intensity - set to 3 (just enough to get movement without losing volume)

BOTH CHANNELS WARM AND BRIGHT:
* Normal Volume at 4-5}
* Post Volume at 12 }> Legacy Volume 7 for Distortions and 9 for
* Pre Volume at 4 } Clean
*Bass, Mid, Treble EQ's all at 12
(This seems to balance out the highs and lows VERY WELL... warm, round, chimey tone without shrill highs or muddy lows.) Legacy treble pot on 5-6 for Little '59 humbucker and on 7-8 for strat chime.
*Reverb at 4-5 (More sounds robotic... less sharpens the treble EQ.)
*Boost Button DISENGAGED
*Tremolo Speed - set to liking
*Tremolo Intensity - set to liking ( Can use Dirty channel as second clean channel with gain in volume for solo's or to compensate for lost volume with Tremolo.)

Reliability : 8
Tremolo Circuit pooped out after about a year, but was fixed by local Dealer for no cost.

I use it twice weekly for youth group times of worship and it has sounded sweetly for almost 4 years now.

Had to replace tubes, but that was more an issue of tone than reliability.

Customer Support : 8
Peavey is an enigma... Suped up web site, but hard to find what a person is looking for... They emailed me promptly, but I still was unable to get the answers I was looking for at the time... (have forgotten them by now).

Overall Rating : 9
Before buying this amp I demo'd a bunch of Fenders (not too impressed with their reissues), Mesa Boogies (a bit too nasally for my liking, not to mention the $$), Marshalls (mostly valvestate, but a couple of tube as well - not the half stack earbangers though),and others (Laney's, Crate's, Epiphones, etc.) and decided that I liked the G&L Legacy Strat + Delta Blues combo together best. Now, I must admit that I was looking for a sweet vintage vibe rather than any head-banging stuff, so my review is obviously biased.

I use a couple of pedals that have made the amp pretty versatile sounding... they are:
Guitar
V
Visual Sound Route 66 (Compression + fat, deep, overdrive)
V
Purple Bud Wah (Round, warm, wow - wow, very vintage sounding, but not shrill at the top)
V
Boss DS-1 (More midrangy, fuzzy, than Rt. 66)
V
DOD FX 90 Analog Delay (Bouncy, smooth, slap-back mostly)
V
Boss TU-2 Tuner

Overall, this amp/guitar/pedal combination gives me all that I need for the styles I play (mostly Alternative/Rock/Mellow worship music)

IF ANYONE HAS ANY OTHER IDEAS FOR SWEET TONE WITH THIS AMP, PLEASE LET ME KNOW... IT IS A BIT LIMITED IN USE, BUT I'VE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH IT SO FAR! Blessings!


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $399
Submitted 05/09/2000 at 06:33am by nick
Email: nicnite at aol<dot>com

Features : 9
I play soul, blues, funk and rock and roll. I use a '79 strat and a dano U1. This amp is extremely versatile. two usable channels (clean and drive), a decent reverb, passable tremolo. 15 inch speaker, 30 very loud watts, and a channel/tremolo footswitch.

negatives: no standby switch, no reverb on the footswitch, no "presence" knob (would help as this amp is on the darker side).

I compared this amp to the fender vibrolux, twin, deluxe reverb, and hot rods and it came out way on top:
vibrolux: awesome glassy fender sound, awesome reverb and tremolo. BUT it drives too early and it's a loose, rumbly type of drive. don't dig it. also too damned expensive.
twin: stays clean, but too loud and too big, and too expensive.
deluxe: too small.
hot rods: drive too soon, and sound generic when they do. too expensive for what they are.

peavey: stays clean up the dial on the clean channel. drive channel is nice and very controllable. 15" speaker means really full, tight lows, and surprisingly bright, round highs.

Sound Quality : 9
i have a '52 tweed deluxe and this amp sounds very similar. only thing it won't do is a glassy fender clean (i've been told you can do a bright switch mod), but it does the round tweed clean beautifully. i like the 15" speaker a lot (less harsh than the 2x10 and better with distortion). the highs brighten with volume and pick attack. this thing is loud for 30 watts and will stay clean if you want it to. drive channel is very nice, very full. pedals work great with this thing. dano fabtone gives me a marshall sound. crybaby is great. reverb (transistor driven long spring) is nice but more subtle and slightly less interesting than fender. tremolo is okay, not as buttery or subtle as fender.

Reliability : No Opinion
not sure, just got it.

Customer Support : No Opinion
not sure.

Overall Rating : 10
just excellent value. i like this amp because it sounds distinctive. i think it's the speaker. and it's versatile. and very responsive to playing. a balanced sound, a complex sound. seems a bit hard to record (might be the speaker size). but i love it and for the money you can't beat it.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $395.00
Submitted 05/01/2000 at 07:09am by Anonymous

Features : 7
The overall features are decent, however, with no master volume, when you change the volume of the clean channel you have to do a trial and error deal to reset the lead channel. A master volume control would remedy this.

Sound Quality : 7
I ues a standard Tele. I like and play the blues and a little Rock-nRoll. The clean channel sounds nice until you get it up about half way. Then, it gets a little muddy when you strum cords. The lead channel is only average. I actually think they should have called this amp "Delta Headbangers". If you like a very distorted lead sound, it's not bad at all but if a little warm distortion with sustain is what your looking for this is not the amp. I'm looking for something else!

Reliability : No Opinion

Customer Support : No Opinion
Have not had to deal with Peavey for any problems.

Overall Rating : 7
I give it an overall 7 because it just lacks the warm distortion on the lead channel and no master volume control. It's an OK amp, but I will soon put it up for sale and get something else.
One little glitch; One of those Mickey Mouse wires that prevents the tubes from falling out was missing when I bought the amp new.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $375.00
Submitted 04/11/2000 at 11:33am by TDW
Email: Welshtimd<at>aol dot com

Features : 8
Decent features, not the best reverb, but it will do. Would also like it to have better base, but that is what the $1200 Fenders are for. Boost switch creates a loud hum..needs grounded?

Sound Quality : 10
Sounds great, I play a Strat with Texas specials and it pretty much nails the SRV sound if that is what you like(love). Creates a nice overdriven Fender sound at a low volume. I need to pick up a Tubescreamer TS-9 and use a wah-wah in open wah.. I am sure it will be better.

Reliability : 8
Gives me a loud hum with boost turned on. But what do you expect for $400 out the door.

Customer Support : No Opinion
NA

Overall Rating : 10
Overall for the money, assuming you are not going to drop 600-1200 for a real Fender, it gets the job done. I love the sound. And, where else can you get a 15in speaker without buying an old Vibroverb?
Get what I am saying.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $300 used
Submitted 03/18/2000 at 03:08pm by Anonymous

Features : 7
I believe it is a 97 model. The amp is relatively versatile. It can meet the ground from blues to rock to lite heavy. It has two chanels, clean and overdrive. The clean breaks up nicely as you increase the volume. External Cab out in the back and footswithch input. For my needs, the amp just barely falls short of having enough clean headroom, just barely.

Sound Quality : 8
The amplifier sounds great. It is capable of getting clean blues, rock, heavier rock. The 15" inch speaker compliments the overall sound and gives the amp a dark flavor. The only problem I have is that using P90's the sound is too dark. Its very difficult to use the neck pickups at all. The distortion channel can be "brutal" when pushed.

Reliability : 9
Haven't had any problems to speak of. As usual with tube amps, the tone does fluctuate at atimes but thats the nature of the beast.

Customer Support : No Opinion
N/A

Overall Rating : 8


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $400
Submitted 02/21/2000 at 10:24pm by Anonymous
Email: repsac69<at>hotmail dot com

Features : 8
All tube, 30 W, 3 band EQ, and 15" Speaker.

Sound Quality : 10
I love this amp the clean and distortions with pedals sounds great. The clean has a nice full sound, but the distortion on the amp is a little week. I wouldnt play it distorted with out a pedal. But hey it is suposed to be for blues, not metal.

Reliability : 7
The amp is a tube amp so maintaining it is hard. I play heavy music and this amp should be mostly used for clean. Tubes are a hasle....

Customer Support : 10
Peavey is a great company. There stuff is some of the best on the market today.

Overall Rating : 8
Overall I am happy about this amp. I am thinking about switching to solid state, but am going to keep this amp for playing soft music. I love this amp.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 02/18/2000 at 11:22am by Charles Gray
Email: newdelta at excite<dot>com

Features : 10
This is to update my last review about the Delta Blues guitar amp with the 15" speaker.

I have been using this guitar amp extensively over the past few months. I have used it for electric guitar and even bass. Since I give guitar and bass guitar lessons, this amp has more than paid for itself. I have even used it as a home stereo and it sounds pretty good.

I have to say that this is the best combo amp that I have ever played through and heard in my entire life. I know that may sound like a huge exageration, but I am stating the truth. I have played through Fenders old and new, Marshall combo's, Mesa Boogie Combo's, and the list goes on. I just love the sound and versitility of this Delta Blues amp.

I have found that using the delta blues with a Peavey Classic 115E cabinet sounds even better. The extension cab makes the Delta Blues sound fuller.

Sound Quality : 9
We all know its great sounds, so I am just going to list the Delta Blues Pros and Cons. So here it goes:

PROS
-----
1.Affordable
2.Nice clean sound
3.Great distorted sound
4.Nice reverb(too bad it is not a tube reverb)
5.15" speaker awesome for blues and folk
6.Sounds great with electric guitar
7.Sounds great with bass guitar
8.Accoustic guitar can be used with it
9.Has both tremelo and reverb
10.Peavey stands behind their products
11.Looks cool
12.Clean circuit board/ good internal workmanship
13.Goes really loud if needed
14.Can create distortion at low or high volumes
15.Very versatlie
16.Real wood speaker baffle
17.Tubes are easy to get at
18.Easy to fix if needed.
19.2 channels
20.The best combo amp(sound and versatility) ever!
21.Modern output features

Reliability : No Opinion
Here are the Cons:
------------------
1.Cheap clotheshanger-style tube holders
2.Does not have tube reverb/solid state reverb sounds good but a tad noisy
3.Tubes are mounted directly on circuit board(danger of melting c.b.)
4.Peavey discontinued the 15" speaker version of it(too bad!)
5.Amp's body(excluding speaker baffle) is some form of particle board.
6.No standby switch(should have been put on!!!)

Customer Support : 10
I can just say that I love this amp to death and I will never sell it.

I have heard mostly good reviews and a few bad ones(mostly about the rattle). Do you know what the rattle is? I know part of the problem is those cheap tube holders. They love to rattle.

It still amazes me that Peavey can put out a comprable product to lets say Fender, offer more features, more varieties of sound, more everything and for less money. Fenders are nice, but each amp can only offer one sound(albiet an great sound), but Peavey has found a way to pack a variety of great sounds in one amp.

Some people really try to say Peavey stuff is s**t. My answer to that is:
1.Older Peavey gear(even from the seventies) is still around and being used without having to be restored.
2.Some people keep on thinking about Peavey's P.A. stuff and that's all.
3.Like any company, Peavey has put out a few duds, yet some people just focus on the few duds and nothing else.
4.Peavey's prices are really reasonable, so sometimes people may think "Well since this Peavey item is so inexpensive it must not be any good." The truth is that Peavey uses verticle integration(makes their own parts) which lowers the price. Other amp companies hire buy their parts of suppliers which raises the price.

Overall Rating : 9
If you get a chance to buy the Peavey Delta Blues, buy it. It is a really great amp that is accessable to anyone. I am totally happy with mine even though it is not perfect. Nothing is.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at my new email address: newdelta@excite.com


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: #400 (GBP)
Submitted 02/12/2000 at 03:53pm by Geoff Brookes
Email: geoff dot brookes<at>virginnet dot co dot uk

Features : 8
THis amp was made in 1999. I purchased it new from Electro-Music in Doncaster, UK. I played my Godin LGX thorugh a number of amps before choosing the Delta Blues. In the end both the tonal qualities and the price convinced me to buy - so far I have not been dissapointed. I play in a pop/rock covers band, mostly rhythm, the guitar/amp combination suit me perfectly - the Tremelo is a nice touch - I wont use it a lot, but in comes in useful on Blondie's "Sunday Girl"! The amp isn't packed with features. It could do with a separate EQ on both channels, a prescence switch and a standy switch. The sound is typically tube, very warm and full of rich harmonics and swells. The 15" speaker clealry adds to this. It has a boost switch, but unusually this can't be accessed from the footswitch which seems rather silly.

Sound Quality : 8
I play a Seymour Duncan Hunbucker equipped Godin LGX and the only pedal I use is a Boss Chorus. The amp suits my music style down to the ground. It is also light enough to carry and just fits in the boot (trunk) of my Saab. It is not a noisey amp. It can produce a reasonable range of sounds from very clean (although this does start to break up once you pass half way on the volume knob) to a rich meidum gain distortion (not good enough for Metallica though) - but as we don't play much metal - I'm not too worried!

Reliability : 7
As yet no problem. I do worry about reduced tube life from not having a standby switch and as you will have read in other reviews the tubes are mounted right onto the PCB. However, if others are to be beieved this is not a problem. I use it to gig with and find the 30 watt amp to be full of balls - no problem whatsoever in small to medium gigs. For large gigs we hire a sound system and mike up the amps anyway.

Customer Support : 8
No problem so far. The Peavet website is brilliant (www.peavey.com) and has a number of information forums, where you can ask questions and share views with the experts and other users.

Overall Rating : 8
As stated I play a Godin LGX thorugh the Delta Blues. I also own a Martin HJ28. If the amp were stolen, I would seriously consider replacing it, although I might look at a Peavey with a few more features.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 02/08/2000 at 11:05pm by Chris
Email: hijodelCid<at>aol dot com

Features : No Opinion
This is an update of my previous review.

Sound Quality : No Opinion

Reliability : 1
I love the tone that comes from that 1x15 speaker, but the thing is,this is the second one that I owned and they both have the same problem - CABINET RATTLE AND HUM - which is quite intolerable! What it is is that the wrap-around chrome/silver cover for the amp ends up resonating/vibrating on certain pitches so as to make those notes unusable - just like a snare on the snare drum. Anyway, like I said, I love the smokey, ratty lo-fi vibe of this amp, I just wasn't satisfied with all that vibration. Oh yeah....after waiting for a couple of weeks for this amp, I went to the dealer, picked it up in the box, brought it home and not only noticed the cabinet buzz but also - TWO PRE-AMP TUBES WERE DEAD!! They needed immediate replacing.
Dealer did that but still couldn't figure out the buzz/rattle part. But they were great and refunded my money right away. I did try a classic 50 4x10 to see if I'd like that but still didn't think its tone was as good as the delta 1x15. So I give Peavey a 1 for this amp.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Dealer good. Peavey? - don't know.

Overall Rating : No Opinion
I've had two of their competitors' combo tube amps and they were both dead quiet compared to this one(Marshall, Fender). What can I say, Peavey lost a customer because of poor quality. I would never get one of these again unless it was proven to me that it was dead quiet and would never develop a chassis hum or other bothersome cabinet noise again. I ordered a marshall Dsl401 and can't wait to hear it!


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $450.oo
Submitted 01/11/2000 at 09:09pm by Chris
Email: hijodelCid at aol<dot>com

Features : 8
1999, 1x15, two channel, shared EQ(passive treb, mid, bass), boost switch, reverb level, tremelo w/speed and intensity, 30 Watts, 3 12Ax7, 4 El84(sovtek), basic effect loop, Speaker out jack. Pretty versatile for the $$. Footswitch(optional) for channel switching and tremolo on/off. Wish it had either a presence knob or a bright switch/jack. Maybe seperate Eq for each channel although the tone isn't so drastically different between the two channels as on one of Fender's Hot Rod series which IMO make their practical usefulness nil.

Sound Quality : 9
Clean channel - GREAT! It never gets to a point where its muddy or unusable although you do want to cut some bass if you're playing it *very* loud. Holds together well with humbuckers on my Heritage 535 which can't be said about my Fender Vibrolux Reverb (absolute low end mud on chord work!). It's a little thin sounding on my stock Mexistrat which, in turn,sounds quite good on the Vibrolux.
Dirty channel - I actually like this channel. Again with my 535, it sounds kind of like a TS9 with a tube. You can get from an almost clean sound to a very Marshall-like Overdrive(I know, I've owned them). It really doen't sound all that good with my Strat though which is partly due to the cheap pickups I'm sure.
Reverb - Sounds really good and on a par with any Fenders I've played.
Tremolo - Well, this really can't compare to the trem on my vibrolux but it is usable.
Again, the clean channel is what really shines on this baby. It almost sounds like a class A amp (probably the El84s). Sweet, natural OD which cleans up real quickly, responds superbly to pick attack. It's plenty loud enough for club work, cuts through the mix, and can really sing. There's plenty of lowend (this thing moves some air!) but great high end clarity. I popped in a copy of BB King Live At The Regal and I swear I was getting that kind of tone out of this amp with my Heritage.
As far as styles go: Blues, Jazz, Rock, Hard rock I want to see if it will handle some Metal Pedals I have (the Vibrolux sounds like s%$# with them).
I compared this against other peavey and Fenders (Hotrod Deville 2x12, 65 Twin reissue, and a Vibrolux) I don't really like the sound of the 65 Twin - it's harsh and brittle, The clean channel on the Deville actually sounds quite rich and of a better quality than the Delta, but it costs 250-300 more and the disparity in the eq voicings between its two channels make it useless as a channel switcher.
So I must admit, the Peavey does sound kind of like a poor man's Fender. But I love it! Its got a kind of lower fi sound to it that reminds me of all the classic blues and Rockabilly tunes of the 50's-60's which have a kind of smokey, ambient magic to them (& I'm no nostalgia head either- I wasn't born when that music was recorded).

Reliability : 3
Well here's the thing. I bought it, took it home, plugged it in and was confronted with a huge chassis rattle and hum. I cursed it, isolated the main rattle and tightened down the chassis mounting and baffle board screws and this lasted for a whole day! So I took it back to the dealer, turned it in and asked him to get me another one. He said sure and so I await my new beast with baited breath. I figured after reading the reviews here that I must have ended up with one of the 1 or 2 out of ten that come crappy from the factory. We also did check a 2x10 version side by side and this one and it didn't have any rattles at all. Even though the 2x10 is more midrangey, it still moves alot of air and has tons of low end too. I like the sound of the 1x15 better it sounds richer and fuller and so I ordered another and am hoping that Peavey gets it right this time! If not, the dealer said I can get a full refund, so while I will be majorly disappointed because I love the tone, I at least won't be stuck with a lemon.
You know, I've heard people say things like "What do you expect for the money?". But that's a really dumba$$ed opinion. I expect to get quality for my $450.00. I mean I bought this thing brand new w/my hard earned bucks and I don't want some piece of junk that is unusable!

Customer Support : No Opinion
Dealer gets big points for standing behind their products even when they know my money could very well walk right out their door. I'll either get my money back if the next one doesn't work out or I'll keep ordering one until they get it right.
I guess it's kind of hard to assign a score because we'll see how Peavey does and then I'll submit a follow up for you.

Overall Rating : No Opinion
I'll wait on this one until I get the new one and play with it for a while. From the amount that I've played the first one, all I can say is I HOPE IT WORKS OUT!! It's a potentially perfect match for my Heritage 535 if I can just get a decent one.


Product: Peavey Delta Blues
Price Paid: US $350 used
Submitted 01/07/2000 at 10:52am by Brent
Email: absummers<at>aol dot com

Features : 8
Mfg. 97, but bought used in '99. 30W, all-tube combo w/15" speaker (other features have been detailed by other reviewers). Tremelo and bass-mid-high controls are a bonus, but no standy switch is a minus. All else is pretty standard in this class. However, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts - this is one flexible little amp! It also looks cool with the Tolex/tweed style covering.

Sound Quality : 9
The 15" speaker is a real asset - it can add warmth without mud. With a Fender Standard Strat, it can speak the blues or stay squeaky clean (I don't use the boost channel, so no opinion there). With a Rickenbacker 360, it adds warmth to the chime and ringing tone, but can get gutsy too (this is also a very versatile guitar). However, the best surprise is with my acoustics. Separation and tone with a Taylor 414ce (standard Fishman saddle pick-up) is great, but with a Martin HD-28 (Baggs Dual-Source - simply the best acoustic pick-up system) this amp really shines. It even adds depth to an Ovation CS-257 shallow-body. You need to make the effort to experiment and learn the right settings, but there's a very wide variety of sounds in this little box. I'd give it a 10, but no amp is really perfect and this one can exhibit some noise.

Reliability : 7
No problems yet, but I agree Peavey could have put a bit more into construction. I keep it at home only, so I can't really add much to how it would stand up to gigging. I'll give it a 7.

Customer Support : No Opinion
No opinion.

Overall Rating : No Opinion
I've been playing on and off for 25 years. Mainly acoustic, but some electric, as well. All in all, I think this is a great package, especially for the price. Nothing else came close to the sound and versatility for the money, plus the power is useable in the home without window damage. I would buy it again.

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