Looking to go tube:Delta blues vs. Classic 30

  • Thread starter Thread starter akaMrC
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I guess we're down to different gigs, then. I have a classic 20 and have used a classic 30 a bunch and use an old classic vt 212 most of the time, which is rated at 50 watts. I don't think even the 50 is 100% adequate for outdoor gigs with no backdrop. The sound just fizzles out once you get out from in front of them. Maybe 100 watts isn't enough if you're not pushing through the PA.

It is funny, though how some people just don't like that Peavey sound. I have found a segment of the musician population that I fall into. I play roots rock and roll/rockabilly/country kind of music with single coil pickups on all my guitars. My guitar tone is mostly clean, with just enough distortion to get a little sustain. Peavey amps rule when it comes to this tone. Fender amps have a nice warm sound, even when you have them clean. The Peaveys have what I heard a guy refer to as "clang" that you can't get with other amps. It's like a peak to the high side of high mids. Bright and cutting rhythm guitar.

Maybe it's not all of them. But the ones that I like had it. I think maybe the guys who don't like the sound of a peavey are looking for something more crunchy, and I readily admit they don't gove outstanding crunch. I really do like the tone that they do generate, though.

A Peavey Bandit was 50 watts in my day, with a single 12". They were cool amps, 100% solid state, because they were loud and easy to carry around. They really didn't push the way the 212 combos do in my opinion, nor did the 410 and 210 closedback cabs I used in the past.
 
The Delta Blues is not powerful enough to play out with. It is a great sounding amp, but just doesn't have the headroom for clubs, gyms, etc. Although you could mic it through the house PA system.
 
Valley Arts Kid said:
Although you could mic it through the house PA system.
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Ahh....the point I've been making for such a long time...

I don't know what people's obsession is with having amps "loud enough" that they don't have to run it through the PA. Jeez people, it's not just about volume! It's about clarity of tone. You can have a sound that's loud as hell, but if it's all just mush, then what's the point???

For instance, take a 50 or 100 watt stack. Pretty damn loud. Set it up so that it sounds really good when you're right in front of it. Then step around so that you are at about a 45 degree angle or so. Still really damn loud, but it has now lost most of its clarity. Guitar amp speakers are so ridiculously directional that really anything over 30 watts is kinda dumb unless a lot of clean headroom is needed. Just accept it: you will NEVER get truly good dispersion out of a cab. Sure it will be loud, but it will just be loud, not sound good.
 
Just want to thanks everyone for all the replies. I've really been thinking on getting the Classic 30. One thing is it's an affordable tube, I've always had Peavey, it's actually about 5 pounds lighter than my Bandit; and now I know that it will be loud enough for what I do.

As for stainless brown's post mentioning mesa, matchless, and rivera, I'm sure they're great amps (I know the mesa sound), but they are way out of my price range for the power I need (or want at least).
 
If you get the classic 30, just make sure the first thing you do (assuming you have the $) is to get a new set of tubes for it. C30's work really well with JJ tubes, which can be had from many sources, one of which is www.eurotubes.com. You can call up Bob from Eurotubes and tell him what style you play and he'll come up with a good set of tubes to match, and have them to you in just a few days.

A lot of people replace the speaker as well, but that's just to tweak the sound some. The stock one is fine.
 
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