Peavey Classic 30

gary mitchell · #1 08-05-2010, 11:57 AM

My cousin dad just recently pass away, and left him a bunch of guitars and amps. Out of all this stuff, was a Peavey Classic 30 a newer model, 2004 I think. Anyway my cousin wont play nothing but Hiwatt and Fender. He thinks Peavey is for cowboys and Southern Gospel Bands. He told me if I would give him a 100 bucks and pay for shipping I could have it. Have any you guys ever played this amp, and could it be cool for Jazz. The amp look like it had hardly ever been used according to him, his dad was a big Evans man. He played a Gibson ES 175 with Lollar pickups last I knew. Sorry about rambling on, I need to know about the classic 30.

Chito · #2 08-05-2010, 12:26 PM

You can never go wrong with the Peavey Classic 30. And for a $100 and shipping that is a steal. I've had my C30 since 2004 and it has served me on all sorts of bands that I've been involved with the last 6 years, from country to rock and now to the lounge music that my latest band play.

Just to let you know, I've replaced the speaker on mine with a Weber Blue Dog ceramic which even made it a better amp. Recently I bought a Fender DRRI only because I felt I was missing the Fender clean sound. Interestingly enough after I bought it and played it side by side with the C30, I'm surprised the difference in sound played clean was not that much.

derek · #3 08-05-2010, 01:14 PM

I completely agree with Chito. One of the best all amp series Peavey has ever come out with. It is $600 new, and a very versatile EL 84 based amp, that weighs in around 40lbs. It is one of the most perfect bar band amps I have ever run across. Sounds good, reliable and not very pricey.

As far as jazz goes, I have not tried to play such thru one, but I don't see why not. For $100, a new Roland Micro Cube costs more, so I would jump on it if it were me.

Baltar Hornbeek · #4 08-05-2010, 01:41 PM

I had one, bought new back around '95? Used it for a loud band of out of tune basement rockering. It was popular amongst the studio mates, for me it just made my mistakes louder. Sold it a couple years ago for more then I paid for it. Picked up a micro cube, my ears are happy.

msr13 · #5 08-05-2010, 02:51 PM

My teacher gigs it with his trio and solo stuff. He uses a 335 PRO, the C30, and a few pedals (for the trio work-- fusion stuff, as well as standards). Swears by it. He used to use a Twin, but hated carrying it, switched to a Princeton, but liked the Classic more.

brian329 · #6 08-05-2010, 04:27 PM

If you don't buy it, send me his address and I'll give him 100 bucks for it.

A very good amp that needs a couple of tweaks to be a GREAT amp.

clem_gael · #7 08-05-2010, 05:21 PM

Can't go wrong with a C30!!!
I got mine 17 years ago and still playing it every time I practice.
2 years ago, I decide to remove the speaker, to cut the cabinet in 2 (My classic 30 is a HEAD now), to change the tolex and put new tubes. I plug this head in a homemade reazer's-edge style cab with Eminence delta speaker in it and...wow!!! Pure jazz tone!!!

g.lawless · #8 08-06-2010, 01:12 AM

I think the Classic 30 is a really good amp capable of producing all kinds of jazz guitar tones. Chord/Melody, single note lines, clean, a bit of hair,humbucker, P-90 etc... it's all good.

valriver40 · #9 08-06-2010, 08:44 AM

over the past fifty years or so i have owned and played thru a number of amps. my best two and final ones are the peavey 30 and the roland cube 80.

gary mitchell · #10 08-06-2010, 08:46 PM

I purchase the amp this Friday, so I should be getting it soon. Ill let you all know what I think of it when I get it. I think it will sound good with my all mahogany body and neck Godin LG. I loaded it with some early 60s Gibson P 90s.

Chito · #11 08-07-2010, 06:33 AM

I'm sure you will love it specially with the P90s. I've been playing guitars with P90s exclusively nowadays, be it archtop or solid. All of them work well with the C30.

Congratulations!

C.A.JO. · #12 08-07-2010, 11:13 AM

I just bought one today myself: Great amp! I was on the look for a new little tube amp, and chose C30 over a fender blues junior...

Try plugging a semi-hollow into the C30's clean channel, Bass on 7, Mid on 5, Treble on 5 or 6, reverb on 4, then roll a little tone off on your guitar's neck pickup (humbuck).... On my setup that sounds pretty jazzy! Nice, thick, clear, and organic tone.

I paid $ 600 for mine. Great buy and I highly recommend it. Furthermore it's unbelievably loud! You'll never worry about getting heard anymore.

Doctor Jeff · #13 08-08-2010, 10:36 AM

I had one a few years ago. Great amp for the money--I would say it excels at rock and blues, but there's no reason it shouldn't work for jazz if you like tube amps.

I would point out it is quite heavy--about 50-60#, so you're not going to enjoy lugging it from room to room or carrying it long distances. Second, it is very loud. At home I was never able to turn it up past 3 without breaking windows, annoying the neighbors, etc.

I wish I had gotten a Classic 20 when they still made them, as that would have suited my needs for a living room amp much better.

brian329 · #14 08-08-2010, 10:42 AM

Actually the Classic 30 weighs 39 lbs. Pretty manageable compared to the amp I'm using right now which is 50.

valriver40 · #15 08-08-2010, 11:00 AM

i keep the amp vol. at 4 and my guitar on 2, great bedroom vol. i am playing my gibson herb ellis, using the c30, clean channel, bass 6, mid 5 and treb 3. it does weigh 39-40 lbs.

Doctor Jeff · #16 08-08-2010, 06:13 PM

OK, my mistake, it just FELT like 50#.

It is still an awkward thing to lug around by the handle. They should put wheels and pull-handles on them like luggage.

g.lawless · #17 08-08-2010, 09:04 PM

The Classic 30 is about the size of a Fender Princeton...