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Author
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Topic: Peavey Classic 30 amp problem anyone ?
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Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 08 April 2005 03:13 AM
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My year old Peavey Classic 30 has been in the the studio since purchase and has a slightly distorted sound on certain notes and not all the time. I first thought that the chassis had a sympathetic vibration from something loose, but it sounds more like when a tube is loose in it's socket and you get that slight "blown speaker " sound . All the tubes feel very tight in their sockets but if I LIGHTLY tap each tube end with a small wooden dowel it also makes a distorted "boink" through the speaker . Have any other Classic 30 owners had this problem ? I think I'm going to drop it off at the Peavy dealer next week . Thanks for any commentsKevin |
Ken Fox
Member From: Ray City, GA USA
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posted 08 April 2005 05:56 AM
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Sounds like you need new tubes. They do wear out! The filament and other parts can become microphonic and are prone to sympathetic vibration.These amps are very hard on EL84 tubes. I highly recommend JJ/Telsa tubes for a Classic 30. They can handle this amp very well. You can get them at:
http://www.tubesandmore.com/ [This message was edited by Ken Fox on 08 April 2005 at 05:57 AM.] |
Mike Brown
Member From: Meridian, Mississippi USA
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posted 08 April 2005 06:19 AM
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The Classic 30 "is" a 30 watt amplifier in a small package. However, when glass tubes are in the vicinity of the loudspeaker, there can be some vibration which will make the filiments begin to rattle. Production runs of this model are manufactured in the hundreds per month and is one of our best selling models. So, when tubes of this quantity are used, there will be some defective ones. Through our several quality control checkpoints, defective tubes are eliminated in the production process. However, the bottom line is that it "is" time for you to change tubes. Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation |
Tom Campbell
Member From: Houston, Texas, USA
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posted 08 April 2005 09:21 AM
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Kevin,I have the same problem and my amp is relative NEW. I tap the last two tubes on the left and get the same result. Also, have had the amp go into a high pitch "squeal". Took it to a Peavey repair shop (no charge)and they couldn't find anything wrong. The next time the "squeal" happens, I will send it back to Peavey (headquarters) for repair. I really love this amp and use it with a Peavey 12" speaker extension cabinet (the one recommended for use with the Peavey Bandit). |
Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 08 April 2005 01:48 PM
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Thanks for your responses . Since stopping the working band last year and working my day job a lot more ,this amp only sees about one hour practice per day at a fairly medium volume, so it seems awfully soon for the tubes to need replacing after 10 months. I played my Ampeg SVT on gigs every other weekend for 4 years and just had the preamp tubes tested and they were still in great shape. I'm expecting I'll get " there's nothing wrong with it " deal when I take it in next week . I do like this amp and it's perfect for my needs although I'd like to add an extension cabinet with another 12" Blue Marvel. The manager of the corner store where I bought it says the Classic 30 is a very popular amp and they sell plenty. Maybe it could have a defective tube although each one makes a slight noise when touched. The JJ tubes are excellent . I replaced the poorr sounding Sovteks in my Fender Pro Jr. with the JJ's from Torres Engineering and the tone was a large improvement. My Classic 30 has Electro Harmonix tubes which sound nice to my ears. I play C6/A6 non pedal and C6 pedal mostly so I don't know if it sounds different for E9.[This message was edited by Kevin Ruddell on 09 April 2005 at 06:01 AM.] |
Tom Campbell
Member From: Houston, Texas, USA
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posted 08 April 2005 03:48 PM
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Hi Kevin,I have about six other Peavey amps, all solid state and never have had a problem with any of them. I also have had a number of Fender tube amps over the years and never any problems with them either. The Fenders were single head/cabinet amps and combo amps...so I don't necessarily buy the explaination that because the Classic 30 is a small/compact amp it is subject to tube vibrtation from the speaker. If this is the case, Peavey needs to redesign/isolate the tube sockets from the vibration!!! |
Ken Fox
Member From: Ray City, GA USA
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posted 08 April 2005 10:59 PM
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Any Fender amp is subject to the same vibration from tubes! When the speaker is in the vicinity of the tubes you are going to have a hard time isolating them from the sound waves created by the speaker. Tubes go microphonic, period. When you hit the right note that microphonic tube will usally sing right along with your guitar, sometimes uncontrolably. Preamp tubes are far more prone to the high pitched squeal than power tubes. When you can tap a tube and it makes a high pitched squeal, replace it! Chinese preamp tubes are the worst I have seen for this, by the way! They also have little to no bass response.
The bias on these tubes is especially hot in the Classic 30. I have replaced tubes for several of the amps. They were usually just plain wore out, less than a year of playing. If you like that kind of tone, and the Classic 30 has a great tone, then you have to run the tubes pretyy hot to achieve it. I bias a 6L6GC at typically 32 ma in Fender amp. Most players for blues and rock consider anything less than 38ma as cold sounding! The higher the bias, the warmer sounding the amp is and the sooner the tubes wear out. Some of those guys bias at 48 to 50 ms! The output transformer gets so hot you can fry eggs on it! Needless to say, such a high bias can eventually take out the primnary winding onthe output transformer. By no means am I saying the Classic 30 runs that hot!
If you have a tube amp and it is the only amp you have, keep a complete spare set of tubes with you. It can save you on a gig for sure! You can also save a lot of expense for tech service by just substituting a new tube for a suspected bad one. |
Ricky Davis
Moderator From: Spring, Texas USA
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posted 09 April 2005 08:27 AM
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If your playing a Pedal steel through the Classic 30; you are overloading/distorting the amp. There's not enough power to handle the pedal steel pickup. If it's just regular Guitar than it might be one of the suggestions above.
Ricky |
Blake Hawkins
Member From: Land O'Lakes, Florida
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posted 09 April 2005 06:18 PM
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I agree fully with Ken's comments above.
Pre-amp tubes will most always become microphonic long before the tube fails completely.
Back in the days when I had only a tube amplifer, (Fenders) I always carried a full set of new tubes with me. Yes, it did save me
several times.
That was before we had to rely on the imports.
I've also had the same experience with Chinese made tubes. |
Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 09 April 2005 06:26 PM
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Thanks for your post Ricky D. and yes , my Fender 1000 pedal does have a lot " thicker " sound than my Fender Dual Eight Professional. I didn't know if it was the heavy metal body casting around the 1000's body , or the pickup , but they are quite different. Didn't a lot of Fender 1000 players of the sixties and early seventies use similar amps like the Fender Deluxe ? |
Ken Fox
Member From: Ray City, GA USA
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posted 09 April 2005 07:09 PM
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The Fender Deluxe is not even similar to that amp! The Classic 30 is a super guitar amp for rock and blues and even modern Tele country. It is rated much higher even by Fender players than the Fender Blue and Hot Rod series amps! It a warm and cruchy amp. Not near so clean as a Fender Deluxe or Deluxe reverb. Not near a s clean even to me as a tweed Deluxe from the 50's. The Classic 30 is a great amp, a very big winner for Peavey. |
Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 10 April 2005 05:48 AM
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Thanks for clarifying that Ken , I didn't know that. Would the Peavey Nashville 112 be a "better" combo amp for steel guitar than the Classic 30 ? |
Ken Fox
Member From: Ray City, GA USA
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posted 10 April 2005 07:43 AM
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For sure! It was designed and voiced for steel. Keep the Classic 30 if you play guitar. However you may still want a tube sound, so it can't be said that is the amp for you! You need tho tray some amps out ans fibd the sopunds that works for you. |
Tom Campbell
Member From: Houston, Texas, USA
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posted 10 April 2005 11:25 AM
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KevinI use my Classic 30 with standsrd 6 string guitar for rock, blues and country. But...if you want a fantastic blues sound, use your Classic 30 with a 6 or 8 string non-pedal steel. I use a 8 string lap steel, tuned to E7, and get a great "over-driven" sound for blues. |
Dan Tyack
Member From: Seattle, WA USA
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posted 10 April 2005 12:12 PM
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I love the Classic 30, and have used it for pedal steel on a number of gigs. But the gigs were typically blues or R&B gigs, and some distortion is an advantage. I'd definitely go out and replace the tubes. It's easy to find EL84s that are fairly inexpensive and good quality. The preamp tubes that Peavey puts on these are Chinese, and of equivalent quality to those put in other production tube amps these days. Which is to say, mediocre (IMHO). You can do a lot better buying replacement tubes. ------------------
www.tyack.com |
Jerry Erickson
Member From: Atlanta,IL 61723
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posted 10 April 2005 01:56 PM
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I think that part of the power tube rattle problem comes from the tube spring retainers not having enough tension to hold the tubes firmly in the socket. I was working on a friend's last week.It was rattling when playing through the amp. With one finger holding each EL84 while the amp was being played, tghere was no tube rattle. As soon as I let go,
the rattle was back. I installed some new retainers from New Sensor and they made an improvement, but I think I'm going to try to fashion some similar to those on my Matchless amps. |
Mike Brown
Member From: Meridian, Mississippi USA
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posted 11 April 2005 08:03 AM
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Any amp will handle any instrument....................to an extent. That's the reason our Nashville Series is best suited for steel and our Classic Series is best suited for guitar applications(or in this case, six string laps).I tend to agree with Ricky Davis on this one. |
Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 11 April 2005 01:45 PM
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Thanks for all your input guys , I guess I should think about getting an amp for my Fender non pedal and pedal steel guitars that is designed with steel guitar in mind. I didn't know the Peavey classic 30 was more of a " hot " amp for rock blues and country or overdriven lap steel . It was a tube amp I could afford , wouldn't break my back ,and seemed like the logical choice at the time. The Peavey 112 wasn't out at that time. Guess I'll hold off til I can try the 112 and maybe it will be a better match |
Kevin Ruddell
Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
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posted 01 May 2005 04:37 AM
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I'll update this issue as I replaced the preamp tubes with JJ/ Tesla Czech preamp tubes from Parts Express in Dayton and there was a sonic improvement , but still the same problem of slightly distorted notes was there. I then called Mike Brown at Peavey and he hooked me up with Gene in their tech dept. After speaking with Gene I installed JJ 12AT7 preamp tubes in the first two slots and now the amp doesn't sound quite so " hot " with the lower gain preamp tubes in place. Maybe I could get the bias reset lower as a previous post mentioned and it would make it a more suitable amp for steel |
Ken Fox
Member From: Ray City, GA USA
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posted 01 May 2005 08:15 AM
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I jusut had a Delta Blues in the shop this week. It had the old original tubes. The power tubes were well worn, they had a very low growl when tapped lightly! This would come thru when the right note was played to make the elements vibrate in the tube! Four new JJ power tubes (EL84)fixed that. Playing later I heard a faint whistling sound in the background. My bet was a Chinese preamp tube was in there! Yes sir, it certainly was! Seen this before in a Peavey Triumph 60! Changed that to a JJ ECC83S/12AX7 and now we have a happy amp! [This message was edited by Ken Fox on 01 May 2005 at 10:42 AM.]
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