Would like to retube a Blues Deville and a Classic 50....

cowboy · December 5th, 2005, 09:04 PM

Got both luck enough to get both amps for $550 total and would like to retube them before making any other decisions...keep one or both, etc. Both are in very good shape and working fine but...

I find the Blues Deville 4-10 to be dark sounding and would like it less so. Any recommendations on tubes, power and/or preamp. If anyone could tell me which preamp tubes do what I'd appreciate it.

The Peavey Classic 50 4-10 sounds fine but I'd like to sweeten up the "drive" channel. Help with tube suggestions and like with the Deville, I'd like to know the role of the preamp tubes.

BTW, I usually play blues/classic rock....too old to get too heavy...

Thanks in advance.

cowboy

Caper · December 5th, 2005, 10:12 PM

Talk on the net is that both these guys are excellent to deal with, either one will answer your questions. JJ's are a brand of tubes worth lookin in to.

LORD VALVE

KCA TUBES

ruger9 · December 6th, 2005, 07:05 AM

I can give some recc's re: the Classic 410. That's my amp! The drive channel on these amps is the #1 complaint from owners. For whatever reason, the tone stack of the drive channel is different from the clean channel- you lose bass, upper mids & treble is added, it's quite frankly a bit of a mess. I LOVE this amp, but HATE the drive channel- especially with Teles.

Alot of people assume that V1 = normal channel, V2 = drive channel and V3 = phase inverter. I've read over on the Peavey forums that:
1st 1/2 of V1 = normal channel
2nd 1/2 of V1 + ALL of V2 = drive channel
V3 = phase inverter.

As for sweetening it up, there's not much you can do. In V2, the GT 12AX7M or JJ ECC83 both sound good in the drive channel, with my preference being the GT. Lowering the gain of the drive channel a little helps- you can do that with a 12DW7/ECC832 from Eurotubes (JJs). That's a very nice tube for the drive channel. If you want even LESS drive from the drive channel, you could try a 5751. You could also try a 12AT7, but you won't like it. Thin nasally tube in this channel.

Some people change V3 (the phase inverter) to a 12AT7, which should give you more headroom & less gain in both channel.

There are also some mods you can do (or have done) to the drive channels tone stack, I've been threatening to do these mods for 2 years, and just haven't gotten around to it. Some people say the help sweeten the drive channel. You can find info at www.blueguitar.org

At www.eurotubes.com you'll find loads of info about some of the tubes mentioned above. The JJ's are really nice EL84s... almost as nice as my $$$ JAN NOS Phillips...

also talk to the guys over at the Peavey forums:
http://forums.peavey.com:8080/~Amps/login

December 5th, 2005, 09:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
cowboy Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: West Gardiner, Maine Age: 58 Posts: 142	Would like to retube a Blues Deville and a Classic 50.... Got both luck enough to get both amps for $550 total and would like to retube them before making any other decisions...keep one or both, etc. Both are in very good shape and working fine but... I find the Blues Deville 4-10 to be dark sounding and would like it less so. Any recommendations on tubes, power and/or preamp. If anyone could tell me which preamp tubes do what I'd appreciate it. The Peavey Classic 50 4-10 sounds fine but I'd like to sweeten up the "drive" channel. Help with tube suggestions and like with the Deville, I'd like to know the role of the preamp tubes. BTW, I usually play blues/classic rock....too old to get too heavy... Thanks in advance. cowboy __________________ my dream is just a couple of notes with some passion and soul.........

December 6th, 2005, 07:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
ruger9 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hackettstown, NJ Posts: 1,726	I can give some recc's re: the Classic 410. That's my amp! The drive channel on these amps is the #1 complaint from owners. For whatever reason, the tone stack of the drive channel is different from the clean channel- you lose bass, upper mids & treble is added, it's quite frankly a bit of a mess. I LOVE this amp, but HATE the drive channel- especially with Teles. Alot of people assume that V1 = normal channel, V2 = drive channel and V3 = phase inverter. I've read over on the Peavey forums that: 1st 1/2 of V1 = normal channel 2nd 1/2 of V1 + ALL of V2 = drive channel V3 = phase inverter. As for sweetening it up, there's not much you can do. In V2, the GT 12AX7M or JJ ECC83 both sound good in the drive channel, with my preference being the GT. Lowering the gain of the drive channel a little helps- you can do that with a 12DW7/ECC832 from Eurotubes (JJs). That's a very nice tube for the drive channel. If you want even LESS drive from the drive channel, you could try a 5751. You could also try a 12AT7, but you won't like it. Thin nasally tube in this channel. Some people change V3 (the phase inverter) to a 12AT7, which should give you more headroom & less gain in both channel. There are also some mods you can do (or have done) to the drive channels tone stack, I've been threatening to do these mods for 2 years, and just haven't gotten around to it. Some people say the help sweeten the drive channel. You can find info at www.blueguitar.org At www.eurotubes.com you'll find loads of info about some of the tubes mentioned above. The JJ's are really nice EL84s... almost as nice as my $$$ JAN NOS Phillips... also talk to the guys over at the Peavey forums: http://forums.peavey.com:8080/~Amps/login __________________ "I've got callouses, from all those nights, spent playin' a Telecaster, 'till my fingers bled Bud Light" - Travis Tritt

December 5th, 2005, 10:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,169 7 Photos	Talk on the net is that both these guys are excellent to deal with, either one will answer your questions. JJ's are a brand of tubes worth lookin in to. LORD VALVE KCA TUBES