Peavey Delta Blues 210 vs 115

[Archangelmm]

Hello,

I am interested in buying my first tube amp mostly for home use and to jam with friends, I play Country, Blues, Classic Rock and trying my hand at learning some Jazz, I am 58 years old and have only been playing for a couple of years. I have a Roland JC40 SS amp and love it but would like to buy one good small tube amp, small enough for home use but also big enough to play in a mix with other members, I have looked at several other name brand amps but trying to decide between a Peavey Delta Blues 210 or 115.

Any thoughts on the difference in sound between these two?

Are these built as good as the older Bandits?

Are they as good or better than the Classic 30?

Anything I should be looking for when looking at used amps?

Is there a fix for the looper issue I saw in this video?





Thank you

Michael

 

[schmee]

They are mostly a Classic 30 with vibrato added. I liked the tone of mine. It was a 1 x 15. Either could be good. I would lean toward the 15" just because el84 power tubes tend to be more middy anyway and the 15 might make a fuller sound. But that is just conjecture.
Be aware that the C30 and DB both sometimes have some issues over time, so test a used one well. Let it warm up a long time. The tubes are mounted direct to the PCB board.
My experience is these amps are good amps and generally reliable, but not as bulletproof as the Bandits were. Of course these are tube amps and older Peavey SS amps seem to be bulletproof. . I have played the C30 and my DB15. They are comparable amps. The C30 is a great flat out Rock and Roll amp. I would think you could get a tone you like out of either.

 

[uriah1]

Delta blues are great. Loud as get out. FYI. I am in the c30 camp. But I sold years ago.

 

[schmee]

Looper issue? You mean Reverb? Hard to say, not had that issue. Tube?

 

[Henry Mars]

I have heard both but my preference would be the 115. I would try a C30, a Traynor YCV50 too before you plunge unless you have your heart set on a DB. I don't see much use for a a tremolo in my world.

 

[foundjoe]

I played a DB210 and a C30 side by side and thought the DB had a much warmer tone than the 1x12 in the C30. YMMV.

 

[magic smoke]

I gigged with a DB 2x10 for a couple of years. I took the name badges off and had people complimenting my tone and asking about the mystery amp at just about every show. Great clean channel. @schmee is right about potential reliability issues, be sure to do a thorough test once it’s good and hot.

 

[charlie chitlin]

I've owned several 1x15 amps (still do) including a DB.
I LOVE the sound of a 15.
Huge, fat and juicy.
IMO, though, they're impossible to appreciate until you get 25' away because they're so beamy.
I have been on stages where I moved 10' to one side and could no longer hear my amp.
I also feel that microphones particularly love small speakers (an engineer once explained this to me in therms of cone deflection) so a mic helps, but isn't a solution.
Turning the amp sideways can help...pointing it into a wall or corner...
There is NOTHING like the sound of my '54 Fender Pro, cranked way up...alas...I can't find a way to use it on most gigs.
So...the short answer is...2x10.

 

[charlie chitlin]

I've owned several 1x15 amps (still do) including a DB.
I LOVE the sound of a 15.
Huge, fat and juicy.
IMO, though, they're impossible to appreciate until you get 25' away because they're so beamy.
I have been on stages where I moved 10' to one side and could no longer hear my amp.
I also feel that microphones particularly love small speakers (an engineer once explained this to me in therms of cone deflection) so a mic helps, but isn't a solution.
Turning the amp sideways can help...pointing it into a wall or corner...
There is NOTHING like the sound of my '54 Fender Pro, cranked way up...alas...I can't find a way to use it on most gigs.
So...the short answer is...2x10.

Also...on the DB, I found the reverb to sound crappy and there was an annoying volume drop with the vibrato, so I used neither.
I did find, though, that judicious use of the oft-maligned master volume (gain knob...whatever) yielded some pretty good cranked tones.

 

[schmee]

I've owned several 1x15 amps (still do) including a DB.
I LOVE the sound of a 15.
Huge, fat and juicy.
IMO, though, they're impossible to appreciate until you get 25' away because they're so beamy.
I have been on stages where I moved 10' to one side and could no longer hear my amp.
There is NOTHING like the sound of my '54 Fender Pro, cranked way up...alas...I can't find a way to use it on most gigs.
So...the short answer is...2x10.

My buddy's was a bit marginal at gigs. My BFDR would overwhelm it. Is that what you mean? But back then, 13-15 years ago we were play a lot louder. Would probably b e fine today.

 

[11 Gauge]

Also...on the DB, I found the reverb to sound crappy and there was an annoying volume drop with the vibrato, so I used neither.

The good news is the amp has an effects loop, so you can put your dream 'verb and trem pedals there. No need to be stifled by what they hardwired inside the chassis.

 

[11 Gauge]

I had the 1X15 DB for about a decade, and thought it was a great amp. I had no problems with mine, other than some microphonic preamp tubes, but that wasn't the amp's fault.

They didn't offer the 2X10 back when I got mine, so I had nothing to compare the 1X15 to. That said, I really liked the 15 in that amp, and compared to the C30, it was absolutely no contest, IMO.

Some folks think that the reason these amps have mid emphasis is because of the EL84 power tubes, but I did work under the hood of mine, and I know for certain that it's because of the preamp circuitry. You've basically got a tweed Bassman tone stack in these amps (and the clean channel has a filter that emphasizes low mid frequencies, too), so you're never going to get the mid-scooped BF Fender thing.

If you ever have an opportunity to crank the clean channel of a DB 1X15, it really has a great sound, IMO. Too bad it's really loud like that!

 

[P Thought]

If you ever have an opportunity to crank the clean channel of a DB 1X15, it really has a great sound, IMO.

That pretty well describes my agenda for today!

 

[Flaneur]

I've been gigging a very old C30, in Country and Blues bands, for about five years. I like a trebly tone, especially when playing with a keyboard player and another guitarist. The boost channel doesn't sound good, to my ears. I'd love a DB with a 15, for solo or small, lo-fi projects- but maybe not, for the stuff I do most often.

If you could A/B the amps you'd like, that would maybe help? Your idea of a great 'Country Tone' or 'Blues Tone', may be nothing like mine.

 

[Archangelmm]

I've owned several 1x15 amps (still do) including a DB.
I LOVE the sound of a 15.
Huge, fat and juicy.
IMO, though, they're impossible to appreciate until you get 25' away because they're so beamy.
I have been on stages where I moved 10' to one side and could no longer hear my amp.
I also feel that microphones particularly love small speakers (an engineer once explained this to me in therms of cone deflection) so a mic helps, but isn't a solution.
Turning the amp sideways can help...pointing it into a wall or corner...
There is NOTHING like the sound of my '54 Fender Pro, cranked way up...alas...I can't find a way to use it on most gigs.
So...the short answer is...2x10.

I am planning on using a “Tone Shield” with my amp.

 

[charlie chitlin]

I am planning on using a “Tone Shield” with my amp.

Seems good.
I'd want to try one,of course.
Whoever that guy is, he's a badass player!

 

[schenkadere]

I would personally look at other options. Huge Peavey fan. Just not the classic or delta blues. Now the old hybrid Classic is another story. That’s a fantastic amp.

 

[ce24]

I am planning on using a “Tone Shield” with my amp.

I like it...easy to make one of those.

 

[blowtorch]

I have a Peavey Blues Classic 50 1X12. The percusor to the Delta Blues, and it looks just like this one
image removed

Sounds great, LOUD, and quite heavy

 

[charlie chitlin]

I like it...easy to make one of those.

Just what I was thinking...