A Peavey Classic 50 story

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richardbruce
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A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by richardbruce » Sat Sep 19, 2020 6:34 am

As some of you may know, for many years I was the proud owner of a beautiful looking and sounding Classic 50 head, Classic 410E cabinet loaded with blue frame alnico speakers, atop a Classic 115E cabinet with the factory original Eminence 15" "no name" speaker. IMHO, and in the opinion of many Peavey enthusiasts, it is the holy grail of Peavey's Classic series, and one of the best sounding amps I've ever owned in my 50 years of playing guitar. And now I've got a story to tell worthy of this rig.

After retiring in 2017, I sold most of my household goods including some of my musical equipment, and bought a 25' travel trailer. There simply was no room for an Ampeg Pro III (the old one, not the new one) with Eden 212 and 15" cabs, a couple of 88-key keyboards, etc. However, I was reluctant to sell said Peavey full stack, knowing I would probably never be able to find said components in suck good cosmetic condition, if at all. So I carted them around for about a year as I traveled the country, surviving on a very modest pension, having retired early before I was eligible for Social Security. Finally, while park hosting in Texas, I was down to hot dogs, baked beans, and ramen noodles (well, close) so I decided to head for the nearest Guitar Center and sell the remaining equipment, including the Nord 4D I had purchased new just 2 years before and yes, my beloved Peavey stack. Walked away with a nice check, and it was back to steak with a good cab for a while. But I deeply regretted selling that stack. It was, as far as I knew, gone forever.

Fast forward to 2019. I'm collecting SS now, and had dragged my trailer to Nashville to promote my debut EP "Sins of the Father". It was a good summer, sharing my story-songs at the Bluebird Cafe as well as many of the other popular Nashville venues. It was October, and I was preparing to return to my winter home in Florida. I'm in Facebook, and I always had FB Marketplace open on the side. On occasion, I would browse Marketplace, Craigslist, and Reverb looking for a rig like that one, but always in vain. There just aren't that many of them around anymore, having been discontinued sometime in the late 90s. Suddenly a Peavey Classic 50 full stack popped up in FB Marketplace. I looked at the photo - then closer - and realized that this wasn't just any Classic 50 stack - it was MY Classic 50 stack, for sale in nearby Kentucky! I immediately reached out to the seller and when I asked if he had purchased it from GC he replied "Yes - how did you know?" and I told him the story. I asked if he would be willing to work with me on the price (he wanted like $800 for it) and after checking with the wife, he came back with a reasonable price - close to what I had sold it to GC for! "The wife said that if anybody deserves a good deal on this, it's you!". I drove up to Kentucky and when I walked into his house, there it was - proudly on display in his living room, complete with the cover I had sold it with! I eagerly asked him if we could hear it (had to make sure) and I plugged one of his axes into her. Flipped the toggle switch and that red gem of a pilot light lit up. Soon those sparkling sounds that i knew so well were emanating from the three Eminence blue frame Legend 1028P speakers (plus the one MojoTone) and hitting the low strings got that 115E Eminence no-name 15" throbbing with joyful low tones. I gladly handed him the cash, packed her up in my Denali, and drove back to Nashville with the biggest shit-eating (am I allowed to say that here?) smile on my face the entire way.

Today she sits proudly in my Florida living room, right in front of the three big windows facing the Indian River and the Kennedy Space Center. With just a couple of NOS EL84 tubes to replace the ones he killed, gigging with her for a year, she's back to her shimmering highs and steamy low tones again. And I promised her I would never let her go again, until I depart this planet. And I'm not talking SpaceX, either. You know what I mean.
With my customized 1975 Gibson S-1, still in the stable
With my customized 1975 Gibson S-1, still in the stable
1975_Gibson_S1.jpg (147.35 KiB) Viewed 5558 times
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With my 1997 Fender Strat Plus, also still in the stable
With my 1997 Fender Strat Plus, also still in the stable
1997_Strat_Plus.jpg (121.5 KiB) Viewed 5558 times

beachbreak
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by beachbreak » Sat Sep 19, 2020 6:27 pm

It's gorgeous! Congratulations on the renion.

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Pappy B
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by Pappy B » Sat Sep 19, 2020 8:52 pm

I like your cone head Gibson.
The more I learn the more I realize how much I don't know.

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JamesPaul
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by JamesPaul » Tue Sep 22, 2020 4:48 am

It is always great when one finds it's way back home :!:

Believe it or not, there were actually 2 of these same half stacks available in Cowtown back in March. I had noted them in the Craigs thread:

https://forums.peavey.com/viewtopic.php ... 55#p332087

They'd been in climate controlled storage at Abell Audio since coming off the road a few years ago.

Anyhow, it is a great rig. I just use my C50 410 on top of my 115E to get those tones. A lot of tight punch from the 410 and a low end you truly can feel in your core from the 115.
Enzo wrote:I find if the amp is working, that is a good point to stop fixing it.
James Paul's Peaveys
Decade, Classics, Ecoustic, Windsors, VYPYR, Triple XXX, XXL, VKs, Bandit, JSXs, VIP, Piranha and a Penta.

dkal2414
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by dkal2414 » Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:12 pm

Great story. I lost a Gibson SG due to theft almost 40 years ago in NYC and I still look for it today. This gives me some hope

Classic30inCincy
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by Classic30inCincy » Sat Sep 26, 2020 11:55 pm

:D 8) :D :wink: :D

PAF Classic Series Tube Kit.......Created By Classic30inCincy
Majic Mojo Tradename..........Created By Classic30inCincy
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JoshToxik
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by JoshToxik » Mon Jun 28, 2021 8:18 am

Great story!!!! I had a classic 50 4 x 10 in the original early nineties iteration that I'd sold when my kids took over life. I'd stayed friends w the buyer though through social media (followed my band) and when he was getting ready to start selling off his childhood back in december of last year he messaged and asked if I'd like her back. I almost missed the mail but serendipity was on her game, $100.00 later it was home... a little worse for wear but it's been 24 years after all.
New tone stack and maybe time for speaker update... 1x15 adds a lot to the mix (no pun) so now looking +1

We are tone-ists without the snobbery. I love when someone bragging on their 3k Matchless or Friedman hears my peavey's as i quack hard through the opening riff of superstition or roll back a little tone and go into Lenny or Little wing. I'm a studio shred guy but I know what gets at peoples emotions musically... ultimately its in the hands but amps and pickups are our paint brushes and the colors we choose? signify who we are...

Peavey was that defiant blue collar American company and there's a romance in that that's worth hanging onto. Folks may not know whats making it sound the way it does but it reaches back to a better time and they appreciate the familiarity.

richardbruce
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by richardbruce » Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:05 pm

Another great reunion story, Josh. Those C50 combos are heavy!

richardbruce
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by richardbruce » Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:07 pm

Pappy B wrote:
Sat Sep 19, 2020 8:52 pm
I like your cone head Gibson.
Thanks! It's almost a Flying V headstock. Bought that axe for $300 in Prescott, AZ. Best $300 I ever spent!

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kingfool1
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Re: A Peavey Classic 50 story

Post by kingfool1 » Sat Jan 29, 2022 9:08 am

Great story, I'm glad you were finally reunited. It reminds me of "Old Yeller"....brought a tear to my eye. I hope you all have many happy years together again.

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