Peavey Classic 50 opinions

[Tubebender]

Looking for some input on a Peavey Classic 50 combo 4x10. Good, bad, great? How is it, what music do you play with it (if you own one), and how are the clean and dirty channels? I'm looking for the best of both worlds, great clean and great mild to searing distortion.
Please withold other suggestions for trying other amps. Just info on the Classic 50 please.

[bubbaheat]

I've got the 2x12 and it's a good amp. Not great but very good. The cleans are nice and punchy and if you peg the clean channel it breaks up very nicely. The distortion channel is typical 70 rock and roll fare. It's all very usable but not amazing. The main issue is one set of tone controls for both channels. Dial one in and you loose the other. The reverb tank is also ok, but not as sweet as my Fender Twin.
For a working musician these are a great deal. They are bullet proof, have really good tone and there are a ton of Mods that guys swear by. Mine is straight stock. I would probably consider a speaker swap if I started using it again.

[OnlyVees]

What kind of magic does Peavey use to get 50 watts from four EL84's? It seems that most amps using a quartet of 84's nets about 30 watts.

Someone please educate me.

[touji]

I tried playing through a 2x12, and I remember it being extremely nice on the cleans. On another forum I'm on, one of the members swore by his PVC50 4x10 for something like 10 years. Again, like bubbaheat said, I've heard that the overdrive is a lot better than a lot of other amps out there but not amazing. I would say its a solid amp that can take a beating!

[blackba]

The Peavey Classic 50 is a great amp for the money. Very nice cleans, good gain channel. With the right tubes and speaker it will stack up against alot of amps that are more expensive. I don't think you can go wrong picking one up.

On its own the Classic 50 won't really get into the high gain area, it gets around AC/DC type distortion. Its a nice crunch, but may not be enough gain for you on its own...

[keith_t4e]

It is the best thing they have ever made not that there is a lot of competition for that. I love that amp. The litle tweed head with the chicken nobs was way cool. It is the speakers that kill the combo. The amp is very nice for the money----probably the best bang for the buck you can buy.

[59Vampire]

theres one on the bay going pretty low buck

[Tubebender]

Thanks for the responses. Had a friend of a friend offer me a 1997 Classic 50 410 model for 300. I don't 'need' another amp, but would you call that a "don't pass up"??
Down the road my intent was a Fender Blues or Hotrod Deville 410 thou. Never played a Peavey tuber, but my first amp was an old 12" Peavey solid state. ick.
And thanks for the input on the distortion, 70's rock & AC/DC tones are good....(I've found the 'not as hyper' and lower gain distortion cuts thru better at loud vols)

[jumpchamp]

i'll echo most of the comments - solid performer and you can definitely make it work. the shared EQ doesn't help anything, you're probably best off finding a setting you like on the OD side that can get you to clean by rolling the guitar volume back, and then hit it with an OD pedal to get some more gain.

it's truely a one channel amp, with the second 'channel' being a controllable gain stage on that channel. speaker upgrade will help tremendously.

[southpawmax]

Fantastic amp. I love how it takes pedals. On its own it has a good clean channel, great light grit and mild overdrive to distortion but it can't really get "searing distortion". I play funk, rock, ska, blues, and dabble in jazz and hardcore punk. Also it isn't quite 50 watts. My tech told me it measured at about 44 watts.
As people have said, there is a shared EQ. It doesn't bother me though. I usually set it to the lead channel, post amp cranked, pre amp at about 5 or 6 and master volume where I need it. Then I kick in the OCD or OD2 depending on what I need. Beautiful sounds come from that.

[thesteve]

If you were thinking about getting an HRDvl later on, but could sacrifice those bright spanky cleans for a more usable second channel, then the Peavey Classic 50 could be the perfect choice for you. I would also say that at $300 you are getting an excellent price.

The guitarist for my old band used a C50 410 pretty much exclusively. The recording quality isn't the best, but you can here some tracks at www.myspace.com/yourfavoriteband

[stevebest2]

I have had a few Classic 50's and for the price you can't beat them!
My first was a 4x10, in fact, I've had two! After that a stack.
I've gigged and recorded (where you crank 'em all the way up!) and they can go for hours and never blow up!
But you have to decide if it's right by you so go try one out.
But I think you'll like it!
Steve Best

[mesabooger]

I had one last year for a few days. I got one when they had the awesome deals going on. It was a fantastic amp, but it had too much headroom for me.

[guitargeezer]

What kind of magic does Peavey use to get 50 watts from four EL84's? It seems that most amps using a quartet of 84's nets about 30 watts.

Someone please educate me.


Heh, heh...No magic, but the devil's in the details. Peavey has always been a little "generous" in stating their wattages.

[eyeball987]

I had a 2X12 for a while and really liked it. I ran it through a 4X12 though. I didn't like the stock speakers at all and preferred the closed back tone.

[rockon1]

What kind of magic does Peavey use to get 50 watts from four EL84's? It seems that most amps using a quartet of 84's nets about 30 watts.

Someone please educate me.

An EL84 is a 12 watt tube. Seems resonable that 50 watts is available from 4 of them. Bob

[buddaman71]

LOVE the drive channel and the clean channel, while nothing special, takes pedals like a CHAMP!

I've stated this a few times here, but Tele + EMG in bridge + C50 is a killer budget Keith Urban tone. (If you like that sort of sound)

[echodeluxe]

my first tube amp was a peavey classic 50. the 4x10 version. i had that amp for 5 years and it never let me down. not once.

it has been my favorite amp to this day. its perfect. 50 loud watts, great drive channel, great reverb, and versatile as hell. takes pedals really well, and looks spiffy. well, the newer ones with the lame cosmetic changes kinda look dumb to me, but whatever.

it even has a built in fan and effects loop. such a great amp.

[bubbaheat]

looks spiffy. well, the newer ones with the lame cosmetic changes kinda look dumb to me, but whatever.


Agreed. I have an older unit and once you pull off the 1980's plastic Peavey logo it looks like a Tweed Amp should.

The Funny thing is I haven't played mine since I got my Twin 4 or 5 years ago. You guys are going to make me pull it out again.

[echodeluxe]

yeah that peavey logo has got to go.

i was gonna buy a hot rod deluxe, but if this talk keeps up im gonna have to wait it out for another classic 50.

[mvd18969]

I owned a classic 50 4x10 combo a few years ago. The clean channel was good but the lead channel was just awful. Very grainy and harsh sounding. If you're looking to do any sort of lead playing that requires sustain, forget it. The lead channel was ok for ringing out open chords (at a loud volume), but for solos, it had no sustain and the notes would quickly die out.
I had it for about 6 mos then dumped it.
I was playing classic and 80s rock.

[NFB]

My goto 50 watt head ..........has never let me down.........

Great amp.......disconnect the negative feedback circuit and the amp comes alive.....!:dude

[Tubebender]

Thanks for all the responses, I just bought one for 300. Using my Mex strat, I was sold in 2 minutes. great everything. Good deal. As soon as the house clears out, ill rattle some windows and keep ya posted.
TB

[Tubebender]

My goto 50 watt head ..........has never let me down.........

Great amp.......disconnect the negative feedback circuit and the amp comes alive.....!:dude
hunh?

[NFB]

hunh?


PM me and I will show you how to do it......

[Tubebender]

yeah that peavey logo has got to go.

i was gonna buy a hot rod deluxe, but if this talk keeps up im gonna have to wait it out for another classic 50.

I now have both. The HRD has it's own mojo. Speaker and tubes made a BIG difference on that one. THe amp battle begins of which to use!!!

[rockon1]

I owned a classic 50 4x10 combo a few years ago. The clean channel was good but the lead channel was just awful. Very grainy and harsh sounding. If you're looking to do any sort of lead playing that requires sustain, forget it. The lead channel was ok for ringing out open chords (at a loud volume), but for solos, it had no sustain and the notes would quickly die out.
I had it for about 6 mos then dumped it.
I was playing classic and 80s rock.

We obviously have very similar ears. My Classic 30 didnt last long. That said many find them to thier liking. :) Bob

[205]

^^ I've never based my opinions on an amp by the dirty channel, they're very rarely up to par.
The best way to run any of the classics is to use the clean channel with effect pedals.

[Tubebender]

^^ I've never based my opinions on an amp by the dirty channel, they're very rarely up to par.
The best way to run any of the classics is to use the clean channel with effect pedals.
I dont' ever use od/distortion on two channel amps, when with time and patience, there is always a window for your sweet tone. BTW, my ears hurt, this amp has a total different attitude from anything I've played and0 brings out a whole realm of new sounds. It seems to really like single coil guitars, which is strange, since I had to put down my nice fat strat, but brings be back playin my 93 strat bought back then. good stuff. I like the amp. Curious what NFB is on to thou.
TB

[illini]

They are top of my list for high quality cheap amps. The shared e.q. is a pain on that amp, but livable. The clean channel works great with overdrives.

[echodeluxe]

I owned a classic 50 4x10 combo a few years ago. The clean channel was good but the lead channel was just awful. Very grainy and harsh sounding. If you're looking to do any sort of lead playing that requires sustain, forget it. The lead channel was ok for ringing out open chords (at a loud volume), but for solos, it had no sustain and the notes would quickly die out.
I had it for about 6 mos then dumped it.
I was playing classic and 80s rock.

sounds like bad tubes.

[jcs]

my bro terry kilgore (aka tube tramp) used one of these amps on the 'david lee roth' recording 'your filthy little mouth' for the clean tones mainly.

the amp was stock (i think) and of course terry, being a tube guru these days, knows the amp could have easily been improved on with proper nos tubes (not to mention speakers).

all in all a pretty darn good amp imo..

[mvd18969]

Nope, tried new JJs and Mesa tubes and still sounded the same. A lot of people love the C30/C50 around here. I drank the c30/c50 kool-aid but at the end of the day, it's just not my type of lead sound.....

sounds like bad tubes.

[Tubebender]

Hey so I got this thing last night (Classic 50 410), and the manual is very vauge to the speaker impeadance. One thing I dont' like is the knob configuration. It's backwards compared to fenders, when looking down in front of the amp. Good thing im dyslexic?? But, the issuse is:

The internal speakers were plugged into the 8 OHM jack. When I unplugged the speaker cord/ jack (1/4") and tested it thru a mulitmeter, I got around 15 Ohms. To make sure I didn't do something wrong, does anyone know the internal speaker impeadance???

Also, are the jacks wired in "parallel"? The manual reads that using both output jacks yeild an 8 OHM load.

That would mean : Internal speaker load =16 ohms x 16 ohm extension cab= 8 ohm total load. (parallel config)

Just want to make sure I need to be plugged into the 16 ohm port while ONLY using the internal speakers, and that I can ONLY use a 16 OHM extension cab while plugged into the internal speakers as well.

[rockon1]

sounds like bad tubes.

No. I know exaqctly what mvd18969 talking about.-its the character of the OD. No tubes will change it significantly. Thats OK its not his or my cup of tea. It is plenty of others though.
:BEERBob

[LPMojoGL]

Hey so I got this thing last night (Classic 50 410), and the manual is very vauge to the speaker impeadance. One thing I dont' like is the knob configuration. It's backwards compared to fenders, when looking down in front of the amp. Good thing im dyslexic?? But, the issuse is:

The internal speakers were plugged into the 8 OHM jack. When I unplugged the speaker cord/ jack (1/4") and tested it thru a mulitmeter, I got around 15 Ohms. To make sure I didn't do something wrong, does anyone know the internal speaker impeadance???

Also, are the jacks wired in "parallel"? The manual reads that using both output jacks yeild an 8 OHM load.

That would mean : Internal speaker load =16 ohms x 16 ohm extension cab= 8 ohm total load. (parallel config)

Just want to make sure I need to be plugged into the 16 ohm port while ONLY using the internal speakers, and that I can ONLY use a 16 OHM extension cab while plugged into the internal speakers as well.

Funny, I just picked up a Classic 50 2x12 for...$300. Congrats on your new amp. I had a Hot Rod DeVille 2x12 once. It was LOUD. I like the Peavey better. It's just more versatile. The gain channel does get harsh/grainy as you dial the preamp up, but I think different preamp tubes will help, as well as keeping the pre below 9 and using a pedal to get higher gain tones.
As far as the ohms go, the stock speakers plug into the 16ohm jack. You can plug another 16ohm cab into the 8ohm jack for a total of 8ohms running 2 16ohm cabs in parallel. Or, you can disconnect the internal speakers and run an 8ohm cab in the 8ohm jack. Or, you can run the 16ohm cab in the 8ohm jack for a little less output and different tone. Just don't run an 8ohm cab in the 16ohm jack, or run any cab with a lower value than what you are plugged into, like 4ohm into 8ohm jack...

[Tubebender]

Funny, I just picked up a Classic 50 2x12 for...$300. Congrats on your new amp. I had a Hot Rod DeVille 2x12 once. It was LOUD. I like the Peavey better. It's just more versatile. The gain channel does get harsh/grainy as you dial the preamp up, but I think different preamp tubes will help, as well as keeping the pre below 9 and using a pedal to get higher gain tones.
As far as the ohms go, the stock speakers plug into the 16ohm jack. You can plug another 16ohm cab into the 8ohm jack for a total of 8ohms running 2 16ohm cabs in parallel. Or, you can disconnect the internal speakers and run an 8ohm cab in the 8ohm jack. Or, you can run the 16ohm cab in the 8ohm jack for a little less output and different tone. Just don't run an 8ohm cab in the 16ohm jack, or run any cab with a lower value than what you are plugged into, like 4ohm into 8ohm jack...

Right on. good info. How did you figure that you could run JUST an 8 ohm cab in the 8 OHm port? (yes that sounds completly dumb of me, but..the confusion lies when you plug another 16 ohm into a port that's labled 8 ohm....) While this makes good sense looking at it, there is simply no Peavey support or tech info on this.
I'll go with your reponse. thanks.

[Tubebender]

No. I know exaqctly what mvd18969 talking about.-its the character of the OD. No tubes will change it significantly. Thats OK its not his or my cup of tea. It is plenty of others though.
:BEERBob

Hmm you dont' seem to like either of the amps I like and have posted on both threads (Hotrod Deluxe post and this), but always chime in to explain how they are such lackluster amplifiers. What IS the ideal amp under $1000???? Anyone discussing these types of amps, know they are budget items and want the most without spending the grocery money for the month, yet are reliable and Can get GREAT tones for people with patience and skill.

[Primakurtz]

BUY IT NOW! The 4 X 10s are really good. Andy Gill (Gang of Four) uses 2 of them. I played through one last week and was really impressed... and it was priced at $700.

[Twangmaster]

Hmm you dont' seem to like either of the amps I like and have posted on both threads (Hotrod Deluxe post and this), but always chime in to explain how they are such lackluster amplifiers. What IS the ideal amp under $1000???? Anyone discussing these types of amps, know they are budget items and want the most without spending the grocery money for the month, yet are reliable and Can get GREAT tones for people with patience and skill.

Not meaning to highjack the thread, AAMOF, I'm plugged into a PVC50 2/12 right now. I had an old pair of real-deal greenbacks laying around, and I stuck them in it. Now it's sounding good.

There's really no single 'ideal amp' for everyone. Every amp i've ever owned is unique between models, and even individual amps of the same model. So far, the best low buck amp i've ever owned is still a Traynor YCV80Q. 4-10's and would do about anything short of mesa od. New tubes, JJ's and Ruby finals, helped it a lot, but then I stuck a 2/12 traynor cab underneath mine and it really woke it up. Kinda loud for the bedroom, and it definately liked to be played with the power cranked up.

[LPMojoGL]

Right on. good info. How did you figure that you could run JUST an 8 ohm cab in the 8 OHm port? (yes that sounds completly dumb of me, but..the confusion lies when you plug another 16 ohm into a port that's labled 8 ohm....) While this makes good sense looking at it, there is simply no Peavey support or tech info on this.
I'll go with your reponse. thanks.

When something is plugged into the 8 ohm jack, the amp switches to the 8 ohm tap on the output transformer. So, whether you use 2 16 ohm cabs run in parallel or just an 8 ohm cab in the 8 ohm jack, you have a perfect match. I found this out when I had a Classic 30, and many people suggested putting a dummy plug in the 8 ohm jack to make the amp switch to the 8 ohm tap, while running the stock speaker. This took away some of the high end brightness and lowered the power some. I never cared for it, though.

[rockon1]

Hmm you dont' seem to like either of the amps I like and have posted on both threads (Hotrod Deluxe post and this), but always chime in to explain how they are such lackluster amplifiers. What IS the ideal amp under $1000???? Anyone discussing these types of amps, know they are budget items and want the most without spending the grocery money for the month, yet are reliable and Can get GREAT tones for people with patience and skill.

Sorry, Im trying to temper my view. I dont believe I said the C50 was lackluster-at least not in this thread. I dont find the character of the OD channel to my liking. It does seem to be many other peoples cup of tea though. The important question is-do you like it! If so thats all that matters. We all hear things differently. The HRD has a very good clean channel and makes a good platform for pedals. Pedals just arent my thing though.


Me?- the Peavey Ultra Plus is my type of OD and an amazing value.I picked up this one for 299$ at Sam Ash. Heres a pic and a quick rhythm clip on the crunch channel(3 channel amp). For 300$ this is a lot of amp -in my opinion -of coarse. The Ultra 112 combo on the left can be had for 300$ or so too and sounds virtually identical with only 60 watts and no fancy light up logo.
:BEERBob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os7EHwYjaRc&feature=channel




http://s5.tinypic.com/2gx3clg.jpg

[LPMojoGL]

Sorry, Im trying to temper my view. I dont believe I said the C50 was lackluster-at least not in this thread. I dont find the character of the OD channel to my liking. It does seem to be many other peoples cup of tea though. The important question is-do you like it! If so thats all that matters. We all hear things differently. The HRD has a very good clean channel and makes a good platform for pedals. Pedals just arent my thing though.


Me?- the Peavey Ultra Plus is my type of OD and an amazing value.I picked up this one for 299$ at Sam Ash. Heres a pic and a quick rhythm clip on the crunch channel(3 channel amp). For 300$ this is a lot of amp -in my opinion -of coarse. The Ultra 112 combo on the left can be had for 300$ or so too and sounds virtually identical with only 60 watts and no fancy light up logo.
:BEERBob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os7EHwYjaRc&feature=channel




http://s5.tinypic.com/2gx3clg.jpg

I saw a guy playing a Peavey Ultra in a club one night, his awesome tone blew me away. I demoed a Peavey Ultra not too long ago in a GC. It seemed to me that it was a great amp for metal, with more gain than a person would ever need. In the end, I decided it was a cool amp, but not for me. To each their own. Nice pair of Ultras ya got there!

[rockon1]

IIt seemed to me that it was a great amp for metal, with more gain than a person would ever need. In the end, I decided it was a cool amp, but not for me. To each their own. Nice pair of Ultras ya got there!

Well that seems to be the general view. Its seems to be put into a "metal" catagory unnecessarily. Too bad though since you dont have to use all the available gain. It makes a great amp to cover a lot of styles IMO since its lower gain tones are very good too.(make sure the gain boost button is off on the crunch channel) Admittedly if it has a weak spot its the clean channel. Decent but not great. I'll however take an amp with a good OD channel(or two in this case ) with an "OK" chean channel over the other way around-but thats me. Voiced warmer than its replacement the XXX its my favorite PV amp. Bob

[bubbaheat]

disconnect the negative feedback circuit and the amp comes alive.....!:dude

Please Splain

[mvd18969]

I'll be the first one to tell you that you don't have to spend $1k+ to find a great sounding amp. In fact, you can find some GREAT sounding amps for < $500. The only amp I own that I paid more than that for is my Mesa Mark III combo.
Like rockon1 said, the Peavey Ultra is a great sounding amp; even though it does get dumped into that "metal amp" category. I have the Ultra 112 combo and the 120 plus head. This amp is capable of a wide variety of tones. The crunch channel is eerily similar to my Mesa Mark III. The Ultra channel is there for full blown gain for any hard rock you might be doing. The weakest part of the amp is the clean channel. It's a little thin but still gets the job done.
The combo can be had for the $250-$350 range. If you can't get past the metal stigma, I am also a HUGE fan of the Crate V32. This does everything the c30/c50 does but a whole lot better IMO. The lead channel is so much better than the c30/c50. Hell, the clean channel is as well!
But tone is subjective and to each his own. What resonates well with your ears is what matters.

Hmm you dont' seem to like either of the amps I like and have posted on both threads (Hotrod Deluxe post and this), but always chime in to explain how they are such lackluster amplifiers. What IS the ideal amp under $1000???? Anyone discussing these types of amps, know they are budget items and want the most without spending the grocery money for the month, yet are reliable and Can get GREAT tones for people with patience and skill.

[rockon1]

OT-Da#m mvd18969 we have a LOT of the same amps! You have a V32 too? Bob

[mvd18969]

V32H actually. Also a 5150 combo and a pair of Mesa Boogie .50 caliber heads (EL84 version) from my 80s metal days.

OT-Da#m mvd18969 we have a LOT of the same amps! You have a V32 too? Bob

[Tubebender]

V32H actually. Also a 5150 combo and a pair of Mesa Boogie .50 caliber heads (EL84 version) from my 80s metal days.
Hmm again, gain, anyone tried the Carvin 3 channel, indi eq, master vol, etc up the butt V3????? Gain out da window. Have to keep it around 5-7 on the drive (switched it out to smoother JJ 6L6GC thou), but the whole purpose is making a non-hi gain amp, killer at loud volumes.. Fyi, im into 80s metal aswell as things like Los Lonely boys. It's like trying to get a four cylinder to compete with an 8. .. To me that's fun. That's why I choose to use the natural distortion on the amp. I played metal and punk with a mildly hotrodded silverface 71 bassman head from Russ in Enicintas, Ca. Hell, the tone is basically captured on the HRDx. Keep in consideration, I'm in a working band, that turns the volume up past any given mid point. That's where the tone is baby.

[Tubebender]

Sorry, Im trying to temper my view. I dont believe I said the C50 was lackluster-at least not in this thread. I dont find the character of the OD channel to my liking. It does seem to be many other peoples cup of tea though. The important question is-do you like it! If so thats all that matters. We all hear things differently. The HRD has a very good clean channel and makes a good platform for pedals. Pedals just arent my thing though.


Me?- the Peavey Ultra Plus is my type of OD and an amazing value.I picked up this one for 299$ at Sam Ash. Heres a pic and a quick rhythm clip on the crunch channel(3 channel amp). For 300$ this is a lot of amp -in my opinion -of coarse. The Ultra 112 combo on the left can be had for 300$ or so too and sounds virtually identical with only 60 watts and no fancy light up logo.
:BEERBob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os7EHwYjaRc&feature=channel




http://s5.tinypic.com/2gx3clg.jpg
As long as we're bein vein....http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg161/CHARLESBIKE/AmpsandGuitars3-2009007.jpg

[rockon1]

As long as we're bein vein....

That wasnt my intention. Probably should have just posted the clip alone. The pic was too much of a distraction. If I was trying to be vain I would have posted a pic of all my amps.;) Bob

[Tubebender]

That wasnt my intention. Probably should have just posted the clip alone. The pic was too much of a distraction. If I was trying to be vain I would have posted a pic of all my amps.;) Bob

Hey, I didnt exactly say YOU were trying to be vein, but it gave me a great excuse while the mrs was out to be vien in my own right!!! Ya got me. that be me wad

[NFB]

Had a fellow member, drewdraw over this afternoon to work on a couple of his amps and cranked the peavey throught a 1X12 w/ a EVM 12L and my jaw dropped.............it has been a while since I played the beast.

And may I say drewdraw can sure play..........

It's a sick little amp.............:dude

[In Tune]

The Classic 50............What a great workhorse of an amp...cant go wrong. so go get one! :drink:drink:drink

[Tubebender]

The Classic 50............What a great workhorse of an amp...cant go wrong. so go get one! :drink:drink:drink
Just got one friday night, used it at band rehersal Sunday.
Awesome amp!!!!!