Buy a Peavey Classic 30? My internal moral debate...

two4motion · 05-11-2007, 01:39 AM

Here's the situation, I've been looking at getting the Peavey Classic 30 for quite some time now, but I'm having some small reservations about it.

I've played the amp, and really dig the sound and think it would suit my needs fine, so let's just get that out of the way.

I guess my issue is with some of the other products the company offers. First of all, not that I don't ever drink (although, when I do, it's in moderation), but I'm not really in love with the whole Jack Daniels line they have. Something about that just doesn't seem right to me. Ironically their JD30-T is (as far as I can tell) the same amp as the Classic 30, just with a really nice looking branding on it. Along the same lines, I'm not in love with the "mud flap" girl on their XXX series cabinets (in fact, the whole XXX name is pretty cheesy in my opinion). Nor do I care for their sister company having a pedal called the Womanizer.

Having said all that, here's what I like about Peavey. Most of their gear is Made in the USA. I like that from a quality standpoint, but I also like knowing that there's a pretty good chance that my Amp is not being made by sweatshop labor (which is something that worries me about my VOX AD30VT, made in Vietnam). Secondly, Hartley Peavey has made it a point of saying that he wants to offer his products at a fair price, not just want the market will bare. I respect that greatly.

From what I can tell,Traynor is about the only other amp manufaturer that has similar values in this price category. I just can't afford the boutique amps (Bad Cat, Top Hat, Dr. Z, etc).

So, I guess I'm wondering if I'm the only one who over thinks this stuff or not. I just don't know of too many other companies' that offer a 20 to 30W 2channel amp with EL34's in this price/quality range.

The point is, I like to try to support companies that have similar values to my own.

Maybe I'm over thinking this.

Any thoughts?

Keith L · 05-11-2007, 06:41 AM

I don't think you are overthinking. FWIW, I've struggled in the past with seemingly insignificant issues such as whether it's disrespectful to play an SG at church because I grew up with a steady diet of AC/DC and that's what I associate the SG with. At the same time, I used to play my Fender SRV strat in church and never associated it with the same company that makes John 5 (Marilyn Manson's guitarist) tele's.

I used a Peavey Classic 30 for some time and never thought of Peavey's other amp lines. It has a very understated appearance and if you remove the Peavey emblem it looks just like a Fender tweed

. Peavey has had a strong presence in churches for many years. They even offer a Sanctuary series of sound gear. IMO, they make good quality, durable gear at a price most of us (and churches) can afford. Like most companies, however, they market to a diverse group of customers.

Bottom line.....if it causes question with you, no matter how small or silly others may think your issues are, look elsewhere. We are fortunate to have an abundance of great gear to choose from. The Traynor YCV20 is a good choice. Also, look at the Fender Pro Jr. and Blues Jr.. All three are really good EL84 amps and are affordable.

My .02 - Hope it helps!

Keith

RubberChipmunk · 05-11-2007, 08:23 AM

Personally, I would have no problem playing a pedal called the "Womanizer" in church. I would even tell people what the pedal was called if they asked how I get my tone. I would have no problem playing something with beer/alcohol logos or images of mud flap girls, either. Tone is the biggest concern for me. Those are all cosmetic details that can be covered up or hidden fairly easily if you think someone would get offended. Personally, I wouldn't even care enough to do that. Don't get me wrong, though, I also think the XXX line is silly, but cosmetic details wouldn't really prevent my from playing one if I liked it, as there are plenty of things I could do to it to get rid of designs I don't like.

Companies market things with names and designs like that in order to appeal to a market. Fender has an endorsement deal with John 5 because it gives Fender more exposure in a certain market and creates for them more business. Angus Young uses SGs because he likes them.

If you like Peavey, and want a Peavey, you don't have to get the Jack Daniels line, or the XXX line. Get a Classic 30 if that's what you like. Play it, crank it, love it, and don't worry about it.

Hellfighter · 05-11-2007, 09:13 AM

I don't have a problem with the 'womanizer' pedal, if you think about it "woman-tone" is a very common description of the sound popularized by eric clapton, a womanizer can help get your tone there, who cares.

bobthecockroach · 05-11-2007, 09:21 AM

Well, I'm not going to presume to tell you how to make value judgments.

Another company you might want to consider is Carvin. They are, I believe, still a Christian-owned company. They used to (and may still) include a Bible verse in the opening page of all their catalogs. I'm not sure where their amps are made (their electric guitars are made here), but as far as I know, they don't have any promotions involving questionable morals.

Ax · 05-11-2007, 09:45 AM

You do know that Peavey offers a church series for their pro-audio equipment and gives discounts to churches right?

**thesteve** · 05-11-2007, 10:15 AM

I certainly respect your line of thinking, though as other's have pointed out, with almost any major company you can run into either the "sweatshop built" or "questionable sponsorship" problem. You've already ran into this example with Peavey (and their Valveking line, made in China, may be the product of sweatshop labor). It seems like this would be a potential concern for any company that does manufacture outside of the US, which would end up including just about everyone except perhaps Traynor.

and what happens if Traynor doesn't have the sound you'd like...I guess you're out of luck.

The primary complaint I've heard with Carvin is from a couple of people about the way their BBS is run...some people agree with it and others...well don't. Also, going with the SG/Angus and the Fender/John 5 theme, Carvin has a few endorsements that some people might find questionable (Vince Neil from Motley Crue, Willie Nelson, just to name a couple).

My point being, if you're looking for a flaw in a major company, it's not hard to find one. I tend to agree with RubberChipmunk, find something you love, and make it your own. The majority of church-goers are never going to think "oh that guy's playing a Marshall and they sponsored Hendrix" or take the time to look at your pedal board and say "that guy has a BOSS DS-1 just like Kurt Cobain, he must be evil too."

Oh...and in terms of covering up the "woman-plate" on the XXX, I'm pretty sure that plate is fairly easily replaced if needed. I think it' just cosmetic and is held on by four screws.

telecasting · 05-11-2007, 10:55 AM

Get a kit and make an amp yourself. No endorsements, no sweatshop labour, no worries! You can get kits for 2 channel 15 watt heads that sound awesome for probably a lot less than a new amp.

Dbmaj7 · 05-11-2007, 10:57 AM

The key is the message that comes out of or through your gear not the marketing messages put out by those that make your gear. If there is a symbol or text with an objectionable message than by all means I'd remove it or cover it over or something. If the dilemma is whether or not to spend any of your money on merchandise from a company that doesn't represent Christian values... well #1 I don't think it is possible to do and #2 I don't think it is a biblical issue. I'd stay away from satanic cult fund raisers though.

Db

RubberChipmunk · 05-11-2007, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dbmaj7

If the dilemma is whether or not to spend any of your money on merchandise from a company that doesn't represent Christian values... well #1 I don't think it is possible to do and #2 I don't think it is a biblical issue. I'd stay away from satanic cult fund raisers though.

Db

Its possible, but you'd have to never shop at publix, albertsons, winn dixie, kroger, food lion, food city, etc. again. No more buying clothes from anywhere but online christian clothing stores, but you couldn't get online to do that because giving your money to an un-christian ISP is a big no-no. Basically, go live in a cave and hunt your own food.

RedsFan75 · 05-11-2007, 12:03 PM

Think about it this way as well, by marketing the JD line and the other things it allows Peavy to give those church discounts, and still keep prices down.

Major Tom · 05-11-2007, 01:51 PM

If you buy a used one, you aren't supporting them, and you're saving some $$ to boot. Those are very common amps and easy to find used ones in great shape.

I've seen guys post things about the "sweatshop labor", and not wanting to support that by buying products. If we were to boycott products like that, and that company lost sales to the point where people working in those plants lost their jobs, and then were not able to feed their families - how is that going to help anything?

two4motion · 05-11-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith L

I don't think you are overthinking. FWIW, I've struggled in the past with seemingly insignificant issues such as whether it's disrespectful to play an SG at church because I grew up with a steady diet of AC/DC and that's what I associate the SG with. At the same time, I used to play my Fender SRV strat in church and never associated it with the same company that makes John 5 (Marilyn Manson's guitarist) tele's.

It's a good point, just about all the major companies fit this mold. Fender endorses John 5, the guitarist for Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson with his own telecaster. Gibson's BFG Les Paul (guess what the BFG stands for), and look at some of the endorsements for that thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith L

I used a Peavey Classic 30 for some time and never thought of Peavey's other amp lines. It has a very understated appearance and if you remove the Peavey emblem it looks just like a Fender tweed

. Peavey has had a strong presence in churches for many years. They even offer a Sanctuary series of sound gear. IMO, they make good quality, durable gear at a price most of us (and churches) can afford. Like most companies, however, they market to a diverse group of customers.

Yeah I definitely applaud them for the Sanctuary Series.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith L

Bottom line.....if it causes question with you, no matter how small or silly others may think your issues are, look elsewhere. We are fortunate to have an abundance of great gear to choose from. The Traynor YCV20 is a good choice. Also, look at the Fender Pro Jr. and Blues Jr.. All three are really good EL84 amps and are affordable.

My .02 - Hope it helps!

Keith

Thanks it does.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubberChipmunk

If you like Peavey, and want a Peavey, you don't have to get the Jack Daniels line, or the XXX line. Get a Classic 30 if that's what you like. Play it, crank it, love it, and don't worry about it.

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback.

Thanks to all you guys for all your awesome feedback. The result is I'll probably end up getting the Peavey. I just needed to kind of play the scenario out in my head.