Peavey Classic 30 using NOS Tubes

[ENB]

I have a classic 30 tube amp that I have had for years that I have grown to dislike starting nearly a week after I bought it. It has been abused and drug around left in gig trailer etc. and frankly, a few weeks ago if any one admired the darn thing, I would have given it to some one foolish enough to think it was cool.

Last week, I replaced the 12AX7's with some NOS Amperex 12AT7's and also 4 (Unmateched) NOS EL84s and now I love the sound of this amp. I know the amp isnt a "true" 2 ch amp but when I use the over drive option, it is lush. All of the brittleness that I disliked before is gone. Will the 12AT7's cause any harm to the amp?? At this point if it will last a few months and will burn up I am gonna stay with it for the tone it is getting.

ENB

[tubeswell]

Amp tone is personal. I like the sound of the C30 with good tubes, and it is even better with Steve Ahola's mods.

12AT7s won't do it any harm what so ever, they will just lower the gain a bit and, if in V3, will clean up the PI. If you can get a good NOS 5751 or Phillips/ Mullard / RCA etc 12AX7 for V1, that will make it sing all the better.

Mullard EL84s are excellent in this amp. For current production tubes, JJ EL84s aren't too shabby either. But I just have plain ole Sovtek EL84s in mine, because I like the brightness.

[Enzo]

Just swapping out current production tubes makes a difference. JJ and Sovtek being the two main choices for EL84. I won;t say one is better, but I think the concensus is that the Sovtek is a little more bright. To some that means sharp and defined, to others it means shrill and harsh, it is all a matter of taste. And the other way, some think hte JJs are smooth or mellow, and others think that sounds dull.

Each of the three small tubes does a different job, so there is no reason to think the identical tube is best for all three spots. On the clean, when you turn up over about 4 or maybe 5 it starts to get a little ratty, does it do that for you? That is the phase inverter tube V3 clipping. A lower gain tube there will improve headroom. I like the 5751 there, a 12AT7 is worth a try, as you found. The center small tube is V2, and it is ONLY in the dirt channel. In clean it is bypassed. SO any changes there affect only the lead channel.

NOS or new tubes, either one, other than a different speaker, changing tubes is one of the more noticable ways to alter tone. And certainly don;t neglect to explore different speakers too. And even just adding an extension cab really wakes the C30 up.

[stokes]

In my experience,NOS tubes almost always yeild the improvements you found.Like Enzo and tubeswell say,it is a matter of taste.I think a better line-up would be 5751 (NOS),to me the current production 5751's sound like weak chinese AX7's, in V1 and 2 and a NOS 12AT7 in the PI position.But if you like what you have with the AT7's,you wont hurt anything.