PEAVEY

CLASSIC: £435

I looked in the bottom of the box to see if Peavey had included a truss. Alas no. This 100w combo is a cracker of an amp, the best of their's I've ever tested, but it ain't 'alf heavy.

Peavey technology that perfected the robust Black Widow speakers has gone on to develop the two cheaper 12in Scorpions used here, with a claim that their timbre is similar to Celestions.

I'd disagree. I found them harder and gutsier speakers, and was favourably impressed.

The bold Peavey insignia and aluminium side panels around the black cloth add dash to the overall looks, though I wouldn't have objected to spending a few more notes for castors, a large footswitch (too easy to hit two buttons at once) and some indicator LEDs to show what channel you're on.

Extras are a reverb (okay) and a phaser (quiet and deep) which can be frozen in mid sweep for special tonal effects. Though the Classic uses 6L6s, the most common tube in American amps, the circuit has been gimmicked so it will adapt to alternatives, providing they have the same pin configuration. It will detract from power and performance and Peavey urge that it should only be used as a temporary measure, but it will get you out of a hole at a gig.

The two channels are clean, with a single gain control, and dirty which has pre and master volumes plus a special trick called "Saturation".

I believe the firm have it patented and here lies the secret. I've seldom come across an amplifier that gives such an incredibly fine control over the amount of distortion available, and its tone.

If you imagine that the pre control dictates the amount of edge at the beginning of the note, then the Saturation fills in the overload behind it, you might have grasped 25 per cent of what this circuit can do. It was a joy to use.

The clean channel had plenty of headroom before it too began to break up (certain combos can con you in this regard).

The valves ensured warmth, the tone controls created power, the speakers generated bite and the weight gave you blisters. Still, a small price to pay.