Other web Sites
Harmonica Blues  Harmonica Amps
Harmonica Links Harmonica Pages
• Archives Home
• Years
 · 1992
 · 1993
 · 1994
 · 1995
 · 1996
 · 1997 		 · 1998
 · 1999
 · 2000
 · 2001
 · 2002
 · 2003
 
Web HarpL
Ebay Searches:
Amps:
Microphones:
Effects:
Harmonicas and Gear:
Harmonica Music and Instruction:

 

 

Harp-L Archives

[Previous Message] [Next Message]
[Next in Thread]
[Start of Thread] [End of Thread]

From: James Hanson
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 15:48:29 -0400
Subject: Re: peavey classic 20

Do you get that "breath noise" when playing single notes or only when
playing chords? Does it depend on how loud you have the amp?

I at one time played quite a bit through a Classic 20 and it is an OK harp
amp (although not very loud), but needs a lot of "fiddling" with the settings
before you understand how to set it.

I'm guessing that it isn't "breath noise" at all but distortion that occurs
when you have the gain on the pre-amp turned up too much. This amp
has "master" and "volume" controls, one of which is the pre-amp gain and
one of which is the power-amp gain. (I don't remember which is
which...) You want the pre-amp set pretty low, as pre-amp distortion
sounds fairly ugly and if you have the gain high here it tends to feedback
easily. You want power tube distortion instead - as I understand it,
pre-amp distortion gets re-amplified in the power tubes and can turn into
"noise", while power tube distortion goes straight to the speaker and gets
turned into gritty music..... It can help to swap the pre-amp tube - stock
is 12AX7, using a 12AY7 or 12AU7 (lower gain tubes, I think) makes the
amp sound better and have more usable range.

I could be wrong - maybe it is breath noise - but I remember having the
sound "break up" a LOT when the settings weren't right!

J.Hanson