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MGR/David Houck « Peavey Classic 20 »
Published on 12/13/03 at 15:00I bought my Classic 20 on Ebay for $180 from a guy who said it was one of his favorites, but wasn't using it enough to justify keeping it. I was looking seriously at the Peavy Classic 30 at the local music store ($450.00 retail) but it was just too much amp to use on stage at my church. By the time I got the tubes heated up, there would be people running FROM the altar instead of TO it!
The features I like are the clean tube sound and the size. It's a 15 watt amp that's easy to carry and more than loud enough for my purposes. I really wanted to stay with a tube amp, and the Classic 20 is all that. With the master knob up 3/4 of the way and the volume knob just barely at 2, I get a warm, MOSTLY clean sound, with just a hint of distortion. With the knob settings reversed, the crunch factor is ferocious, which is a good thing when my wife is out and I want to make some noise.
There is no way to switch channels (clean and crunch). You have to turn the knobs to do that, so it's impractical in the middle of a song. The "boost" button makes the amp a little louder, but it doesn't have great tone on this setting, so I wouldn't ever use it. The Classic 30 does have a footswitch, so if you're leaning one way or the other, that could make all the difference in your choice.
The construction is sturdy, with stainless steel corner guards. The grille and tweed fabric covering are pretty tightly woven and seem to be able to take some abuse. as ithers have mentioned, the tubes are exposed, and get mighty hot, so you have to be careful handling the amp while its warmed up.
For me, this amp still beats the larger Classic 30 having the right amount of power and not too much. It's not as clean as the Fender Hot Rod Delux, but then, that amp has a lousy drive channel. If you use effects pedals for your distortion, this amp is all you need. But if you need a footswitch, go with the Classic 30.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
The features I like are the clean tube sound and the size. It's a 15 watt amp that's easy to carry and more than loud enough for my purposes. I really wanted to stay with a tube amp, and the Classic 20 is all that. With the master knob up 3/4 of the way and the volume knob just barely at 2, I get a warm, MOSTLY clean sound, with just a hint of distortion. With the knob settings reversed, the crunch factor is ferocious, which is a good thing when my wife is out and I want to make some noise.
There is no way to switch channels (clean and crunch). You have to turn the knobs to do that, so it's impractical in the middle of a song. The "boost" button makes the amp a little louder, but it doesn't have great tone on this setting, so I wouldn't ever use it. The Classic 30 does have a footswitch, so if you're leaning one way or the other, that could make all the difference in your choice.
The construction is sturdy, with stainless steel corner guards. The grille and tweed fabric covering are pretty tightly woven and seem to be able to take some abuse. as ithers have mentioned, the tubes are exposed, and get mighty hot, so you have to be careful handling the amp while its warmed up.
For me, this amp still beats the larger Classic 30 having the right amount of power and not too much. It's not as clean as the Fender Hot Rod Delux, but then, that amp has a lousy drive channel. If you use effects pedals for your distortion, this amp is all you need. But if you need a footswitch, go with the Classic 30.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com