Peavey classic 30 valves.

hassleham

I'm gigging with a peavey classic 30 at the moment and we've got a couple of big Christmas gigs coming up so I feel like treating it to some new valves.
Its also running a bit noisy and I don't know when the valves were last changed so it seems like a good idea.

I don't really have a clue what do about getting new valves for it. I've seen that they sell valve sets but it feels like I would be buying cheap junk if I bought that.

I gather it's best to go for a matched quad of power valves (it currently has Mesa el34's) but I'm not sure of best brands or what sort of price I should be paying.

Also preamp valves?

Any advice please?

If you're selling anythin suitable then please message me.

ecc83

ICBM and others will be along no doubt.  Hang on! FOUR EL34s for 30 watts?  Anyhoos.. the bottom line is...

If the amp is fixed biased you need a tech if cathode biased you don't.  Personally I would not pay for 'so called matched sets' Instead I would just buy 4 valves from a good supplier (they ^ will tell you who)  and, assuming YOU can fit them, swap them around for minimum hum.

Pre amp valves? You only need get one of each type and they are probably all ECC83/12AX7. KEEP the old ones!

Dave.

ecc83

Aha! It uses EL EIGHTY FOURS ! So, likely cathode biased, everything else is the same.

Dave.

hassleham

@ecc83 ;

Haha I didn't even realise there was a difference! Shows exactly how much of a valve noob I am

Cheers.

Modulus_Amps

Personally I would get matched power valves, I used to say don't bother with matching, you get more second order harmonics if they are unmatched etc etc, but actually in terms of valve life and biasing and noise getting a matched set is worth it if you want to plug them in and not fuss over them, especially if the amp runs the valves biased hot like allot of EL84 amps do.
Last time I checked a run of JJ EL84 I think 3 out of 10 ran really hot.

ICBM

EL84s - fixed bias, non adjustable but the stock setting isn't too bad. Or not considering it tends to kill them by vibration before they fail through heat…

JJ for EL84s - the most robust current production.

I prefer Tung-Sol, EH, or TAD (or other generic Chinese are fine, in fact) 12AX7s - but it probably doesn't need all of them changing, I would probably get one and see if it makes any noticeable difference in any position.

jpfamps

I would ALWAYS get matched valves.

Firstly it means you can bias them correctly.

Secondly they will have been tested, which weeds out defective valves.

Most vendours sells matched valves at no extra cost.

The Peavey Classic 30 is fixed bias, has no means of adjusting the bias, so ideally you would need a set that have lower current draw.

jpfamps

ecc83 said:

Aha! It uses EL EIGHTY FOURS ! So, likely cathode biased, everything else is the same.

Dave.

No, fixed bias.

Philtre

When I had one, I bought a matched set of 4 JJs. No biasing done.

ecc83

Philtre said:

When I had one, I bought a matched set of 4 JJs. No biasing done.

Check it in a darkened room! Thanks jpfamps, did not know that.

DJH83004

JPF makes a very good point by buying matched, generally means they have been in a suppliers tester here in the UK, which is a must.
I agree with all, JJ EL84s are the way to go, even though with non-adjustable fixed bias, they get less of a hard time than cathode biased. 

hassleham

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

There is a JJ revalve kit on ebay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Replacement-Valve-Kit-For-Peavey-Classic-30/332189115040?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Any reason not to go with that?

ecc83

I defer to those that have had good results with matched sets. I based my view on a small sample some years ago where I found there to be no better matching  INSIDE a group than out of it.

Seems some thing do get better!

Dave.

crunchman

ICBM said:

EL84s - fixed bias, non adjustable but the stock setting isn't too bad. Or not considering it tends to kill them by vibration before they fail through heat…

This.  When I had a C30, the valves would go start make a rattling sound.  I used to have to replace them every year - sometimes more often.

My one also chewed up phase inverter valves (the 12AX7 nearest the power valves) with great regularity.  Drive sounds would start to sound very nasty until I changed the valve.  Normally that only lasted 6 months or so.  I once got 10 months out of a new old stock Brimar, but that was when they could be had for reasonable prices.  I don't know whether all C30s do that, or whether there was a fault with my amp.

I opened it up to do some basic diagnostics to see if I could find an obvious reason for the phase inverter valves being chewed  valve and discovered the abomination that is the 3 sided circuit board.  At that point I decided it was simpler to sell the amp.

Personally, I'd sell the C30 and buy a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.  Only 2 power valves instead of 4, and they will probably last 5 times as long.  It's also much better built.

Philtre

crunchman said:

...and discovered the abomination that is the 3 sided circuit board.  At that point I decided it was simpler to sell the amp.

Personally, I'd sell the C30 and buy a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.  Only 2 power valves instead of 4, and they will probably last 5 times as long.  It's also much better built.

And that is exactly what I did. If the caps go on the C30 you can kiss goodbye to your wallet.

hassleham

@crunchman ;
How do they compare soundwise? I've never played one.

crunchman

They aren't exactly the same.  The HRD clean channel is better for me.  If I was using a drive channel the Peavey was better than the HRD, but I got into using pedals for drive.  The HRD with a decent drive pedal was better than I ever got out of the Peavey drive channel.  For me the Peavey is a bit compromised anyway as a two channel amp as the eq is shared between both channels.  If I set it so it sounded at it's best clean then it wasn't at it's best driven and vice versa.

What I would say is the that HRD needs a speaker swap to get the best out of it, although that's true for a lot of modern Fender amps.  I put a Weber 12F150 in mine and it sounded really good.  I played a limited edition version in a shop with an Alnico Jensen that sounded really good as well.

rawk100

I've used JJ el84's in my classic 50 and they've been good enough although some sets have died quicker than others. The TAD str is fatter sounding than the JJ and seem to be a good robust valve (think they can run at higher voltage), although the second set didn't last as long as the first. Presently using Harma el84's from Watford valves and they sound good and clear and have lasted well to date. 

jpfamps

ecc83 said:

I defer to those that have had good results with matched sets. I based my view on a small sample some years ago where I found there to be no better matching  INSIDE a group than out of it.

Seems some thing do get better!

Dave.

Depends very much on the vendour.

The fact that the valves weren't matched not a argument for not using matched valves.

jpfamps

Philtre said:

crunchman said:

...and discovered the abomination that is the 3 sided circuit board.  At that point I decided it was simpler to sell the amp.

Personally, I'd sell the C30 and buy a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.  Only 2 power valves instead of 4, and they will probably last 5 times as long.  It's also much better built.

And that is exactly what I did. If the caps go on the C30 you can kiss goodbye to your wallet.

Last C30 I changed the caps on came to around £100 all in (+ £48 for a set of EL84s).

Philtre

jpfamps said:

Philtre said:

crunchman said:

...and discovered the abomination that is the 3 sided circuit board.  At that point I decided it was simpler to sell the amp.

Personally, I'd sell the C30 and buy a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.  Only 2 power valves instead of 4, and they will probably last 5 times as long.  It's also much better built.

And that is exactly what I did. If the caps go on the C30 you can kiss goodbye to your wallet.

Last C30 I changed the caps on came to around £100 all in (+ £48 for a set of EL84s).

Was it a bugger to do it?