peavey classic 30

[guitarwill]

hey i've got a peavey classic 30. what would a speaker upgrade do for this amp, worth it or not? I'm into clapton, srv, mayer etc... Any suggestions?

[Prodigy]

Originally Posted by guitarwill

hey i've got a peavey classic 30. What would a speaker upgrade do for this amp, worth it or not? I'm into clapton, srv, mayer etc... Any suggestions?

Fender....seriously, for the money to upgrade, you could probably find a nice Fender Super or Deluxe Reverb RI if you trade or sell the Peavey. I've got a C30 and love it, but for what you want to do, which seems to be bluesy stuff, Fender is the way to go....

[guitarwill]

I like your suggestion, it makes sense. This is where i keep running in circles.

I don't really want a deluxe. It isn't going to give me the tone i'm looking for. If i'm going to spend that much on an amp i want something that i could also gig with.

The super seems like a good logical route to go. Since you have a peavey 30 also. How much louder is the sweet spot on a super going to be compared to say the 8 on the peavey?

My other question is being OCD about the gear, here is what i would eventually do to the super. Blackface it, replace the tubes and upgrade the speakers. I think that would take me as close as i could get to my ideal tones. Ideal being dumble/two rock sound.

Would i be better off just saving awhile and getting a used two rock? or maybe i should just get a hod rod and say who cares about the gear? This is where i start going in circles and eventually end up staying with what i have.

[shane88]

i have a c30 and i reckon the stock speaker is better than most peeps make out
mine's a stock ~2000 and it gives a lot of v expensive amps a good run

[Prodigy]

Well, I wouldn't be able to tell you what the sweet spot differences are, as I'm no Fender guru, but I can say I'm headed in the same direction (upgrading)...The C30 is a good amp, even a great amp, don't get me wrong, but there are better amps out there for a bit more money IMO...The thing is, everyone has different definitions of what "better" is. My opinion is, and you can take this with a grain of salt, is that you shouldn't lust after gear you haven't played or heard in person. Two Rocks and Dumbles are great amps, I'm sure, but I would never throw down $5000+ for an amp head only to have some rabid drunk crowd damage it beyond repair at a smokey bar gig, or just because Mayer or Bonamassa use one. I think that's a HUGE jump from a C30, and maybe it's a better idea to sort of gradually get better and better amps...kinda like your first car. When you first start out you have a 1988 Ford Escort and maybe 20 years later you are driving a high end Lexus. Maybe you'd like your C30 better than a Two Rock. Maybe you'd like a Fender Super Reverb,or a Splawn Quickrod, or an Orange Tiny Terror better than a Dumble. I'm just throwing out random examples here, but I think you can see where I'm going with this....I think it's a good idea to not have any expectations when amp shopping...You may find an amp that completely blows you away and completely alters your perception of your ultimate tone. What works for Mayer, Clapton, etc etc may not work for you. Different hands, different ears, different playing styles, etc etc etc...Just keep an open mind, don't buy anything sight unseen, and you will find your ultimate tone IMHO. I totally understand the going in circles thing, but I think we all go through that quite a bit. It's a normal thing for guitar players, but I think it's loads of fun and I will always enjoy the hunt just as much as obtaining new gear. Also, I think it's important to get your touch and technique together before investing thousands of dollars in boutique gear. Expensive/'booteek' gear CAN make great players sound better, but can also make poor to mediocre players sound much worse IMO.

[guitarwill]

hey just a side question, what kind of tones do dr z amps get? say a dr z z28

[smolder]

For 50 - 75 bucks fins a good used greenback/V30/G12m 70th... you will be very happy with the upgrade for not a lot of money... especially if you like the EL84 kind of sound. I did this exact upgrade 6 months ago.

Of course, just as you are asking... I then switched to a Max Jr and am even happier.

[Prodigy]

Never tried one, but I've heard they are great amps for country.

[Migs]

I first changed to JJ tubes and then a year later put in a V30 - I think the tubes made a bigger difference, but both helped.

[jmcorey]

Peavey amps go with JJ tubes totally. Changed my classic 20 into something great.

[jspartz]

I have a C30 and have been playing with it myself. I like it for a great portable combo amp. I thought that the original speaker worked ok for some blues tones but I then swapped it out with a 12" British Lead (warehouse guitar speaker). I like it for the most part (clean and dirty) but lately have been thinking about swapping it with a Weber Blue Dog (ceramic).

[jspartz]

I should add that I did drop JJ's in the C30 as well.

[5E3]

I used to own one. I installed a Celestion Vintage-30 speaker and a JJ retube kit from Eurotubes. Huge improvement!