Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

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JCHORD
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Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by JCHORD » Sat Jul 26, 2014 6:02 pm

So I was at a flea market, and against my better judgement I purchased an amp I know nothing about. It appears to be a late '70s or an '80s model. Black fake leather wrap, brown face, silver knobs. 2 bright, and 2 normal channels. Nob sequence is Bright and normal Volume Controls, bass, middle, treble, reverb, Tremolo controls depth and rate, then a Master Volume. It says Peavey on the speaker face, and Classic on the control face next to the power light. On the back by the fuse it says 3 amp above the fuse and 117 VAC 200w below the fuse. Power switch is a Rocker switch left or right (I assume for grounding purposes) Then the ensignia. classic PEAVEY series, and it says Peavey electronics corp. Meriedian, MS. U.S.A. Then it has the Speaker jacks, 1 and 2. then a footswitch plug. It has 2 6L Groove tubes. 2 12" speakers, aftermarket I assume as I am pretty sure Peavey never used Pyle Driver speakers. Any information helping me discern what I have would be greatly appreciated.

JCHORD

JCHORD
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by JCHORD » Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:40 pm

After some serious efforts on Google, the best I can figure is it is a V220 otherwise known as a Classic 50. Am I wrong?

TimmyV
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by TimmyV » Sat Jul 26, 2014 9:45 pm

70s peavey classic 50 watter. Originally came out with Eminence speakers. Solid state preamp and tube power amp. Not a bad little amp. Depending on what you gave for it. Kinda the peavey mace's little brother. The peavey mace was used by southern rock bands like Skynrd and 38 special.

JCHORD
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by JCHORD » Sat Jul 26, 2014 9:50 pm

225 is what i gave. It's an okay amp, i would like to put a higher quality speaker in. The speakers in it now have some issues. I was debating the new marvels or a celestion.

TimmyV
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by TimmyV » Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:10 am

JCHORD wrote:After some serious efforts on Google, the best I can figure is it is a V220 otherwise known as a Classic 50. Am I wrong?
It's not a classic 50. That's a totally different amp. Peavey classic vt series version 1 the version 2 had the colored knobs and a phase shifter instead of a tremolo.

Wannarock8
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by Wannarock8 » Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:51 am

TimmyV wrote: It's not a classic 50. That's a totally different amp. Peavey classic vt series version 1 the version 2 had the colored knobs and a phase shifter instead of a tremolo.
The version with the colored plastic knobs and internal phase shifter was introduced in late 70's or early 80's.
The amp JCHORD got is older than that. A friend of mine in high school used to have the amp that JCHORD is describing. No phaser. Tremolo instead. And metal knobs, black in the middle with silver grips around the outside.
The amp it sounds like JCHORD got:
Image

A later, 1980's Classic with phaser. I used to have one of these. Got it in 1985 and sold it a few years later to my brother. He still has it.
Image

Congrats, JCHORD! I still remember the days, around 1980 when I was just learning to play, and I'd go over to my friend's house and listen to him rocking some Zeppelin or Queen riffs through his old (not that old at the time) Peavey Classic.

TimmyV
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by TimmyV » Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:31 pm

Exactly!

JCHORD
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by JCHORD » Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:09 pm

The first pic is the same amp, except the dials are slightly different. Same arrangements, just a color change. It sounds ok, and with a little tlc it could be a screamer. I prefer 10s myself. In my research of this amp I came upon the new classic series and the delta blues 210 intrigues me. I have an old fender with a spring reverb and tremolo that I used alot, but it is in need of some repair. Not sure what will happen to the classic 50. I may pit some decent speakers in it and see how she sounds. I like blues classic rock to the gun's roses sound. I think it will accommodate me just fine. Thanks so much for the info guys. I will keep you posted. P.s. speaker recommendations?.

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GennyFan
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by GennyFan » Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:06 pm

Are those the square back Eminence speakers?

Someone told me that those are actually alnico... I have no idea if that's true or not.

Perhaps someone more knowledgable could deny or confirm that? Were the square back Eminence speakers alnico magnets?

Wannarock8
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Re: Help!!! I need help identifying my amp

Post by Wannarock8 » Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:13 am

JCHORD wrote:Not sure what will happen to the classic 50. I may pit some decent speakers in it and see how she sounds. I like blues classic rock to the gun's roses sound. I think it will accommodate me just fine. Thanks so much for the info guys. I will keep you posted. P.s. speaker recommendations?.
if you come across some Peavey Scorpion speakers, I'm told those are a great match for these amps. The Scorpion was Peavey's speaker specifically designed for guitar. I'm not sure if they still make them, but they can be found on E Bay or guitar shops.
I've also gotten great classic rock overdrive tones through Celestion Classic Lead 80 speakers.

The old Peavey Classic amps had quite a bit of gain available, though it sounded a little mushy if you turned the gain up real high. It's not like more recent amps where they design it so it stays tight sounding even with lots of gain. But at the gain levels you're talking - for blues, classic rock, hard rock - the Classic sounds quite good.

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