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Today I finally had the opportunity to CRANK my Peavey C30 with a newly loaded G12H30 and see if my past criticisms of the speaker were hogwash. Well, I cranked the Post, cranked the Pre and tried to do my best early Clapton on my SG Standard w/ 59's and the verdict was...the amp is history.
The last time I was able to crank the amp was with it's stock Blue Marvel speaker and I wrote on the board about how the amp did not handle loud volumes well. It sounded like it was loose, was inarticulate with gain and sounded like it was going to crack up. I figured maybe it was the speaker so I installed the Celestion G12H30, and I got the same results. The amp sounds really nice with PRE at about 1 or 2 o'clock and POST at 9 o'clock, but once I start bringing the POST up the amp sounds like muck. I don't know how I can articulate this, but it just sounds like it's about to derail, like the sound isn't tight anymore and is coming apart. I've played through cranked Marshalls at GC's loud room and they seemed to hold all of the tonal nuances of a cranked amp together. This piece doesn't. I just bought a Vox Valvetronix for my apt, so I'm covered there, and once I want to spend on a LOUD tube amp again, I am going with Marshall, no questions asked.

Sorry to hear that but no amp is going to remain clean and keep it together as you've stated with the gain and volume controls cranked. That's just not going to happen. By cranking them you're overdriving both the pre-amp and poweramp.

I do agree with your choice for your next tube amp.

I hear ya on the Classic 30 not sounding Marshall enough... I mostly use my Classic 30 and Classic 50 for the Clean channels... I like pedal distortion boxes sometimes for band practices thru the C30.... I do use the OD channel when i get a chance to push the power tubes good. I find once the volume is up i cut the pre back by a mile.... There is a lot of gain in the c30 when cranked but it is a different gain then say a Marshall may bring ya... Good luck on your next amp....

Erik - the amp was breaking up with PRE at 1 o'clock and POST at about 12 or 1 o'clock. Don't you think it should stay together at that level with that type of speaker? Out of curiosity, what levels do you (and whomever else is reading the post) play at when jamming? All of the advice I received in other posts was to CRANK away to get the most out of the guitar and amp, so surely I should be able to go higher with the POST than 12 o'clock, right? The amp actually sounds really nice with PRE at 1 or 2 oclock and POST at 9oclock. But once that POST starts going up, OUCHH!!!!

I play with the Master Volume on my Marshall at about 3 or 4 (on the dial), Pre-Amp volume up full, Gain at noon. It's plenty loud. I'm also using a 4x12 with it. If I want them to hear me in the next sub-division then I'll crank it.

With the post at 12 or 1 o'clock, I'm not surprised it's breaking up, even with the pre at 1 o'clock. The post is the master volume, which sits right before the power tubes. Bring the post down a few notches and set the pre to about noon or 10 - 11 o'clock.

For most band practices i used the volume around 4... but for club shows i used to have my Classic 30 pre up about 60% and the Post up about Half way.... 12 oclock i guess.... Never anymore then halfway... If i want more volume i added a cab/ I use a C30 Ext cab sometimes.... It was a single 12 Peavey Classic sealed back cab that i don't think they offer anymore... The ext cab is in matching tweed... I did run into some chassy buzzing noises in my C30... sounded like there was something loose inside the amp... It has since gone away for some reason.... I need to re-tube my C30 soon.

The Ext cab with the sealed back added all sorts of more low end that you can not get without... But i do use the C30 more often without the extra cab then with.... It's not everything i want in an amp but it does pretty much what i need it to do and i picked it up for dirt cheap with cab thrown in...

I have a Marshall 800 and a 5150 and most of the time i end up using my C30 for pretty much any jamming i do these days.... It's easy to carry and if i bring a few pedals i have a compact little rig and save my back on the stacks for important gigs.


Originally Posted by WhoFanFor most band practices i used the volume around 4... but for club shows i used to have my Classic 30 pre up about 60% and the Post up about Half way.... 12 oclock i guess.... Never anymore then halfway...

Jeez..and here I am turning putting the post at 100%...no wonder my ears were bleeding

I guess I was under the misconception that I needed to have the C30 dimed to really bring out the amp and the SG's flavor. At least I accomplished one thing - I finally proved to myself that the SG is NOT a thin sounding guitar.

Since you guys both play Marshall's how would you compare the C30 with a Marshall. Do you think the Marshall's are warmer and hold their crunchiness better?


Originally Posted by jonnymangiaJeez..and here I am turning putting the post at 100%...no wonder my ears were bleeding

I guess I was under the misconception that I needed to have the C30 dimed to really bring out the amp and the SG's flavor. At least I accomplished one thing - I finally proved to myself that the SG is NOT a thin sounding guitar.

Since you guys both play Marshall's how would you compare the C30 with a Marshall. Do you think the Marshall's are warmer and hold their crunchiness better?

It's been a long time since I played a C30. Take a listen to the clips in my sig at one of the quot;Hear Itquot; links. Then you can decide from there.

BTW, WHo Fan since you use the C30 mostly for cleans, what level do you play through on the clean channel? I couldn't get past 40% without the amp starting to loosen the foundation of the house!

There's a sizable difference in tone when you start getting the C30's cranked. I've known players who prefer that sound but I wasn't one of them. I sold mine awhile ago. It was a great amp, but just not the amp I was looking for.


Originally Posted by jonnymangiaBTW, WHo Fan since you use the C30 mostly for cleans, what level do you play through on the clean channel? I couldn't get past 40% without the amp starting to loosen the foundation of the house!

Roughly the same. Up about half way at the most. sometimes if i need a bit more i'd push it slightly more... Anymore and i started to feel it was not going to be too good for the amp and my hearing. I've never bought into turning an amp up to the point you could damage it. I mean 75% up is really pushing an amp! I sometimes i think it's a myth and something stars say in interviews that they use their amps on full.

It took me a long time to learn how to use the controlls on my Classic series amps to get a better tone out of them. C30 is a straight forward compaired to my Classic 50 head. When i first got the C50 head i had no idea that it had a Pre, a Post and a Master Volume. Been a while since i plugged it in so i hope i remember right. I used it for months with the post all the way up and the pre all the way down almost. I had no idea that there was a Master Volume until i found it by accident. I was setting up the Clean channel all wrong too. Took a while to learn by my mistakes and dail in some great sounds. By the time i got the C30 i had a better understanding of Peaveys amp layouts. And it's a little easier then the C50. Pre at about 60% when i have Post up halfway... But at lower POST volumes i turn the pre up more. Clean channel i set to sound about the same volume sound as my Dirt channel so when i switch it matches. If i use my Godin with Piezo's i reduce the clean channels volume slightly as the Godins Piezo's are rather hot and loud.

The Classic series is missing some low end thump. Even my Classic 50 head thru a 5150 cab does not have the thunder i like in a stack myself. Sometimes i find it's the EQ filters in amps that make them sound great, not how much gain is in them. The EQ panel i have found after years of searching is so important. The 5150 has that insane distortion to it but it's the EQ section i like!

As i said i like to use Stomp Boxes with the C30 a lot. For solos when i had the OD channel on i used a Tube Screamer from the late 80's... a TS10. No volume boost just a gain boost. But i figured if David Gilmour had great sounds with stomp boxes thru clean amps i could give it a try. so i made up a pedal board for using at jams and band practices when i have a band. Been a while since i have been in a band. Anywyas i like a good volume boost out of my amp for solos. Like with the 5150 where you have a seperate solo channel! Love that gain and volume boost.

So i found that using a Boss Line Selector pedal with 2 different distortion box's made a very cool set up. In Loop A of the Line Selector i have a BOSS DS1, and in Loop B i have a Danoelectro Fab Tone. The Fab Tone is for solos only. (When you switch to a louder distortion box thru an amps clean channel you can get a huge boost in volume, which i like.) I will be replacing these distortion boxes with higher quality Diamond units when i can afford it. Diamonds are great and almost no hum useing them even at high gain settings. So on my pedalboard i have the C30's Channel pedal, The Boss Line Selector, a Boss DS1, a Fab Tone, a Boss Chorus, a Cry Baby, and sometimes Delay as well as a pedal that i can turn my cord off to change guitars without the noise when i pull the cord.

This C30 set up when i use my Godin that has Piezo's gives me a multi channel type set up. Thru the clean channel I have Clean amp sounds, DS1 distortion, Fab Tone distortion for solos with a volume boost. Then the Amp OD, Amp OD with a Tube Screamer if i want, Plus for acoustic numbers i can use the Piezo's thru the Clean channel of the C30.... Add the Chours or a Flanger, a Wah and maybe a Delay and it is one hell of a nice compact rig with many different sounds.

Jonny, how old are the tubes in your C30? Quite possibly a tube change could put some new life into your amp.


Originally Posted by Mike M.Jonny, how old are the tubes in your C30? Quite possibly a tube change could put some new life into your amp.

The tubes are a couple of months old according to it's former owner (I recently bought it on Ebay). They are never driven hard as I can't play loud in my apartment. I've had the amp for about 6 weeks and have cranked it 2x.

Punt it. Keep the nice speaker. Sell the amp, add some money, and become one of the legions who don't use Peavey and Carvin anymore. haha

Maybe the new blue Traynor with EL-34's? It's only a few hundred more.


Originally Posted by GearjoneserPunt it. Keep the nice speaker. Sell the amp, add some money, and become one of the legions who don't use Peavey and Carvin anymore. haha

Maybe the new blue Traynor with EL-34's? It's only a few hundred more.I wouldn't mind one of those new Traynors myself... If i get rid of my Classic 30 set up the Traynor is the way i would go... But for money reasons i'm using the C30 for a good long time yet... If i can afford it i want to keep my C30 and get a Traynor.... I hate selling gear... i always miss it...

Since I was 14, I've always been an amp nut, and have really owned more than 60 amps. If I posted a list, you'd have a hard time believing it. I've had almost every classic amp there ever was, including a Classic 30, Classic 50, Classic 100 head, 5150 head, Carvin X100B, Legacy, Bel Aire, and a couple old vintage SS Carvin combos. I just buy them and sell them for a few hundred more, so it constantly pays for new ones. Over time, I just kept going more and more expensive, and believe me...you don't miss the old ones.
It's almost hard to plug into them, when you've got better ones sitting next to them. After awhile, the sentimental stuff goes away....except for the cream of the crop pieces.

Amen brother


Originally Posted by GearjoneserSince I was 14, I've always been an amp nut, and have really owned more than 60 amps. If I posted a list, you'd have a hard time believing it. I've had almost every classic amp there ever was, including a Classic 30, Classic 50, Classic 100 head, 5150 head, Carvin X100B, Legacy, Bel Aire, and a couple old vintage SS Carvin combos. I just buy them and sell them for a few hundred more, so it constantly pays for new ones. Over time, I just kept going more and more expensive, and believe me...you don't miss the old ones.
It's almost hard to plug into them, when you've got better ones sitting next to them. After awhile, the sentimental stuff goes away....except for the cream of the crop pieces.

Ya i guess so.... I've been wanting to unload some stuff for years and upgrade too.... I have been debating to sell my 3 MIM strats to raise money for 1 Warmoth strat parts guitar.. Been thinking of unloading a few amps for better ones too..