[oddio]

Perhaps some of the more "tonally inclined" folks can provide direction regarding a minor problem. It's probably best to start this off with some background info, so here goes. I'm a bassist currently gigging with some great players; folks I've known musically for 30-some ought years. Our guitarist, while being a truly outstanding player, has never been overly concerned with the tone of his amp. To top it off, with guitar being his first love, his day job nets an extremely modest budget so there's little if anything to work with.

Currently he's using an early tweed Peavey Classic 50 with 2x12s... the oddball model that has a solid state preamp and tube power section (from the late '70s I think). Typically he sets and forgets the volume level on his amp and guitars, relying on a couple of Boss pedals for all adjustments: mild distortion, reverb etc. He does great slide-work but we're playing mostly straight-ahead bluesy rock (think Little Feat). This amp is an old friend to him, but sounds sterile and lifeless to my ear. My main and underlying concern is our overall sound as a band.

I thought that I might assist by picking up a reasonably priced amp on the used market. He would accept this gesture in the manner in which it was intended - simple assistance as opposed to meddling with his personal formula. If I *did* manage to get him interested, I'm hoping that he might also start to experiment with preamp gain, the volume controls on his guitar(s) and rely less on his pedals.

The recent all-tube Peavey Classic 50 2x12" (tweed only!) seems to be about right. Unfortunately most of the ones I've seen lately have been pretty beat up, but they apparently do go on forever based on experience with his current amp.

Are there alternatives to consider? All polite advice is welcome.

 

[Tarl]

For newer models the Traynor YVC50 Blue or the V series from crate ( I own a 50 watt V) are great mid priced tube amps that will do the blues-rock thing well. Older Traynor heads and combos can be found for reasonable prices and offer some great tones. And as you mentioned a good used Peavey could just be the ticket. I would suggest that if at all possible you take your buddy and his axe along with you if shopping for a new amp. There are many good used amps out ther from various sources but I,ve found it always is best to try before you buy.

Tarl

 

[bzborow1]

Does he really need the Classic 50? The 30 seems plenty loud on its own and is cheaper still.

 

[david henman]

...my traynor ycv40wr is a flawless and incredibly reliable combo. however, with regards to "tone", i believe the peavey has more character and personality. and, yes, the classic 30 really ought to be loud enough. i'm hoping to buy one later this year, as well. but i'll buy brand new, for the new look and the warranty. at $600 (or less...), its a pretty good deal.

check to see if this is still available - good price:

http://toronto.craigslist.org/msg/170431807.html

-dh

 

[bickertfan]

The Classic 30 or 50 offer very good tones on a budget without having to rely heavily on pedals. Keep in mind the shared EQ though if you have to switch back and forth from clean to dirty. Songbird had a 2 X 12 - 50 watt combo on their website recently. The last one I tried seemed managable to carry as well (unlike say a Fender Twin)

 

[oddio]

Great advice! Thanks are due to everyone who has posted thus far. I'm fairly certain that a 2x12 50w is just about exactly right, but it may be possible to try out a 30w. I had scoped the tweed at SB here... it's a bit beat compared to the last one they had (which I missed by minutes), but would probably be fine. I hadn't considered Traynor, although I had a YBA-3 which I held in very high regard so that could be a possibility as well.