Peavey Classic 20
Phil Perkins
news:gj5h5v4fn3a4vv0jr...@4ax.com:
>
> Just won a Peavey Classic 20 from eBay for $180. Is this a good catch?
> The seller says all of the tubes need to be replaced.
> Will I have to re-bias the amp or is it cathode biased?
>
> Thanks
> Ernst
>
OK, Ernst, now YOU are pissing me off!!!!!!
I WANTED TO HAVE THAT AMP TOO!
I had it on my watch list, but forgot to place a bid.
Be assure that if I did, you'd have to pay more than $180 now ;-)!
Wanna trade it for the Fender clone we talked about earlier? LOL
Now, this is really funny. I mean, how likely is it that two guys
from this group bid on the same amp at Ebay?
WE DID IT TWICE!
;-)
Phil
LenBum
what it's value is. A "I just had to have it" situation. Welcome to the
club........:) I happen to scope that amp out too. But right now I'm
re-financing my domestic establishment. Are my priorities out of whack? :)
"Ernst Ottenbacher" <otten...@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:gj5h5v4fn3a4vv0jr...@4ax.com...
Matt
From: "Ernst Ottenbacher" <otten...@despammed.com>
Newsgroups: alt.guitar.amps
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 8:39 PM
Subject: Peavey Classic 20
>
> Just won a Peavey Classic 20 from eBay for $180. Is this a good catch?
I think so. Sound can be improved with better speaker - mine has a 60 watt
Celestion Vintage 10. Also if you want more clean sound from the amp it can
be modified pretty easily to switch between clean and dirty sounds.
> The seller says all of the tubes need to be replaced.
> Will I have to re-bias the amp or is it cathode biased?
Cathode biased, I think.
> Thanks
> Ernst
Matt
Phil Perkins
> Also if you want more clean sound from the
> amp it can be modified pretty easily to switch between clean and dirty
> sounds.
Could you let us know more about this modification?
Matt
"Phil Perkins" <Phillip...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns932B8F7...@195.34.132.23...
I found I could get a good range of clean and dirty sounds from my Classic
20 by switching 'in' or 'out' the cathode bypass capacitor in each of the
three pre-amp gain stages. Switching out the capacitor meant lower
distortion and a slightly lower gain.
Now I find I usually play with all the cathode bypass capacitors switched
off and the amp still gives nice tube distortion, although not as much as it
used too. For example I found I could get a tone quite similar to the
guitar tone Larry Carlton got in Steely Dan's Kid Charlemagne - I think he
played through a Fender tweed deluxe. Unfortunately, I don't play as well
as Larry. Almost forgot - this was with the tone circuit of the Classic 20
modified slightly.
My amp now has three switches at the back panel to set the value of the
cathode bypass capacitor in each of the pre-amp gain stages. Aside from
giving the option to remove the capacitor, the switches also allow an
alternative value of the capacitor to be selected to give variations in
treble and distortion. There was a thread in this newsgroup discussing
cathode bypass capacitors in more depth a few weeks ago.
Hope this helps.
Matt
Phil Perkins
Miles O'Neal
> Just won a Peavey Classic 20 from eBay for $180. Is this a good catch?
> Will I have to re-bias the amp or is it cathode biased?
If it's in good condition, I'd pay that much for it.
Wonder why all the tubes need replacing. Was it just
neglected, or did he put all crap tubes in it?
Miles O'Neal
> OK, Ernst, now YOU are pissing me off!!!!!!
> I WANTED TO HAVE THAT AMP TOO!
...
> Now, this is really funny. I mean, how likely is it that two guys
> from this group bid on the same amp at Ebay?
Happens all the time. I've lost at least three
amps to others on this list. Of course, I ended
up getting to work on two of them!
> WE DID IT TWICE!
That may be a *liitle* less common.
8^)
Zorro_2K2
"Matt" <n...@this.address.com> wrote in message
news:3e58d290$0$9534$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
Matt:
Since you enjoy going into your amp, why not try taking away the negative
feedback
to the PI and see what happens or just putting in a pot to reduce the FB..
Zorro_2K2
> Matt wrote:
>
> >> Just won a Peavey Classic 20 from eBay for $180. Is this a good catch?
> >
> >I think so. Sound can be improved with better speaker - mine has a 60
watt
> >Celestion Vintage 10.
>
> half the price. Should have buyed one...
>
> Ernst
>
Should have BOUGHT one (kauft)
Matt
"Zorro_2K2" <pco...@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
news:vRy6a.36695$0n2.5...@twister.tampabay.rr.com...
[snip]
> Matt:
>
> Since you enjoy going into your amp, why not try taking away the negative
> feedback
> to the PI and see what happens or just putting in a pot to reduce the FB..
>
>
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm actually quite a newby with amp
modifications, although I've made a few changes to try to get the tone I'm
after. Can you tell me how I would make the changes you suggest? I've got
a schematic.
Matt
Zorro_2K2
See that connection point just below R24 (220K ohm) thats connected to the
Master volume pot wiper ? Not the point that C20 connects to, but just above
that point. I believe that you would break this connection so that there is
no connection back to R35/C16. This would eliminate the negative feedback
And I don't think it woudl have any other impact on the amp circuitry. Check
with another source on this.
Ernst Ottenbacher
>> Just won a Peavey Classic 20 from eBay for $180. Is this a good catch?
>
>I think so. Sound can be improved with better speaker - mine has a 60 watt
>Celestion Vintage 10. Also if you want more clean sound from the amp it can
>be modified pretty easily to switch between clean and dirty sounds.
Experience:
The Peavey arrived yesterday, rumbling around in an old cardboard
without any protective stuff (argh!!!)
Well, no damage anyway. Seems to be a tough amp.
Work:
I pulled the chassis, baffle, speaker, handle and cleaned the whole
thing with a vacuum cleaner, a supercharger and some shampoo. There
was an infamous amount of dirt inside. I was really pissed!
One of the EL84 was broken near it's socket and burnt out
(lucky me, obviously the only reason for giving the amp away)
See: <http://www.datavisual.de/tube.jpg> (62kb)
Mods:
The seller must have damaged the tube by uncautiously handling with
the power cord. A typicall Peavey issue. To avoid such damage I modded
the power leads. I milled a hole into the back panel and installed a
socket from an old computer. I can remove the power cable now and
store it apart. See <http://www.datavisual.de/mains.jpg> (65kb)
Tone:
First I replaced all tubes according to the tube chart. The amp
sounded muddy, always with an amount of overdrive (I was starting to
think about wether I will keep it anyway)
Then I changed the 2'nd 12AX7 for a 12AU7 and the Peavey really came
to life. On clean settings it sounds very fenderish and has way more
headroom. Distorted settings sound more transparent. The 12AU7 is a
great improvement.
Sumary:
I think the amp now matches my acoustic needs. I'm beginning to like
it. As soon as possible I will replace the stock speaker with a
Celestion V10, and then, maybe I will begin to love the amp :^)
Ernst
John King
Ernst Ottenbacher wrote:
Hey Ernst,
Having amps shipped to me in poor packing like that, and then discovering
problems like you did, is the reason I'm VERY careful about amp buying on eBay.
I'll ask several questions before bidding. If I don't get complete and honest
sounding answers, I move on. If the sellers feedback shows no previous
experience with amps, I ask about their intentions as for shipping prep, and
tell them that double boxing is expected.
The addition of the IEC cord socket was a very good idea! One that Peavey
should have adopted themselves (Like a metal or plastic mesh tube protector).
If you ever decide you want a some more drive back, you can always try a
12AT7 in #2 hole. It works great too.
I know some folks are sold on Celestion speakers, but of the few I've had in
a single speaker combo, I've been unimpressed with their price/performance
ratio (I've heard and played on several 4-xx" Celestion cabinets that killed
though). I'd probably lean towards something from Weber VST, but I'm stuck on
the idea of personalized service like they (and some of the aga folks) give.
Good Luck!
John King
http://www.angelfire.com/blues/rockinjohn/rockinamps.html
Ampmedic
have a packaging regimen that the seller has to agree to
in order to get paid.
If the seller is evasive or stupid sounding I pass the item by.
Check your mailbox for my packaging recommendations.
Phil Farano
Ampmedic
"Ernst Ottenbacher" <otten...@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:lcgm6vk3v2ppn254f...@4ax.com...