Marshall Bluesbreaker v fender HRD v peavey classic 30

[bellers]

Hello all, this is my first post on the forum. Just hoping to get some responces to a dilema I have at the moment lol! Ok so I mainly play blues and classic rock, to occasional heavier stuff, but really I like a good clean tone. Love to play the likes of Hendrix, SRV, Buddy Guy, Neil Young, the Stones, you know you'll have heard it all before!!
So I have played a fender HRD and i really liked the clean tone, wasnt overly crazy about the crunch channel tho, think they sell for around £450 used. I have also played a Marshall Bluesbreaker reissue and have actually still got it at my house, as the person selling gave it to me to play for a while. I cant really make up my mind on this one though (hense why im here!) its a great looking amp and theres something about having a "marshall" i think but I cant seem to get the same glassy clean tones as with the fender (btw i mainly play a strat), this might be because im playing it at low volumes just now in my room...or maybe its just a marshall thing. I have been offered this amp for £450 also, so because it is over half the price cheaper than wat it was new, this is also playing with my head!.......Then theres the peavey classic 30. I've not actually played one but seen some videos on YouTube with folk getting some greaaat tone out of them.
SO...Should I...Get the Marshall-because its a Marshall lol...and new was over £1000! or should i look into getting a Fender...or Peavey!!!
I would love to hear everyones opinions...Thanks very much

[Liam]

My BBRI sounds great with a Strat, plenty of clean headroom and glassy as you could want. Needs cranking a bit to stop it sounding too "toppy" in fact (Don't bother with Channel I, go straight for II).

I love the Classic 30, but the Marshall is a better sounding amp. Only reason to go for the Peavey would be the flexibility of the drive channel, and it's better for playing at home. If you play out at all, when the drums kick in you'll be glad of the fullness the Marshall retains at volume. HRD is a bit too mushy on the dirty channel for my liking.

I'd go with Peavey for home use, Marshall if you ever get to play loud. And you'll need pedals for the Marshall if you want real dirt of course.

Only downside of the BBRI is lugging them in and out of gigs. Marginally less back-ache than with a Twin. Proper, quality amp though...

Liam

[bellers]

Thanks for the quick reply! yeh i think thats the prob at the moment I've not had it cranked, i've got the feeling it would be worth the wait! Do you link between the two channels at all? Im planning on gettin reverb, fuzz and tube screamer probs. Feel free to suggest any from your experience. Im hoping to be getting into a band soon so, i think this would be the business for that. I think hearing the fenders with reverb sticks in your mind as being kindof glassy, that and hearing people say how good fender cleans are...im prob just making assumptions. Thanks for the input.

[Drew224]

I'd go the Bluesbreaker, provided I could crank it.

[58_Iced_Tea]

Originally Posted by Liam

My BBRI sounds great with a Strat, plenty of clean headroom and glassy as you could want. Needs cranking a bit to stop it sounding too "toppy" in fact (Don't bother with Channel I, go straight for II).

I love the Classic 30, but the Marshall is a better sounding amp. Only reason to go for the Peavey would be the flexibility of the drive channel, and it's better for playing at home. If you play out at all, when the drums kick in you'll be glad of the fullness the Marshall retains at volume. HRD is a bit too mushy on the dirty channel for my liking.

I'd go with Peavey for home use, Marshall if you ever get to play loud. And you'll need pedals for the Marshall if you want real dirt of course.

Only downside of the BBRI is lugging them in and out of gigs. Marginally less back-ache than with a Twin. Proper, quality amp though...

Liam

Excellent post, Liam!!! Spot on!!

[Gtarzan81]

No question. Support your mates, and buy the Bluesbreaker.

[Splattle101]

I agree with Liam.

[Liam]

Originally Posted by bellers

Thanks for the quick reply! yeh i think thats the prob at the moment I've not had it cranked, i've got the feeling it would be worth the wait! Do you link between the two channels at all?

It's pretty rare that I link the channels. It gives you a tonal blend, but ultimately doesn't get you a lot more gain.

Im planning on gettin reverb, fuzz and tube screamer probs. Feel free to suggest any from your experience.

Sounds like you're looking in the right places. Tubescreamer is great with these. If you want a "Fenderish" overdrive that cleans up with volume roll-off the BD-2 takes a lot of beating, especially with Keeley or Allums mods. I'm not a reverb person nowadays. Plenty of good fuzz pedals out there, DS-1, RAT 2, and Tonebenders all work nicely with this amp.

Im hoping to be getting into a band soon so, i think this would be the business for that. I think hearing the fenders with reverb sticks in your mind as being kindof glassy, that and hearing people say how good fender cleans are...im prob just making assumptions.

Yes, they can be. But can turn into a bit of an ice-pick sound as well. The Peavey Classic does classic Fender better than a lot of Fender amps, if that makes sense. I find all of them a little bit weak sounding compared to the BBRI, it's got a lot of mids. I gigged for years with a Strat and a BBRI back in the early 90s, and it's a bit of an undiscovered gem of a combination. Most people just think of the Beano album, and plug a Les Paul into them.

(£450 is a good price if it's in excellent condition.)

Liam

[NYPV]

Bluesbreaker

[bellers]

Originally Posted by Liam

It's pretty rare that I link the channels. It gives you a tonal blend, but ultimately doesn't get you a lot more gain.



Sounds like you're looking in the right places. Tubescreamer is great with these. If you want a "Fenderish" overdrive that cleans up with volume roll-off the BD-2 takes a lot of beating, especially with Keeley or Allums mods. I'm not a reverb person nowadays. Plenty of good fuzz pedals out there, DS-1, RAT 2, and Tonebenders all work nicely with this amp.



Yes, they can be. But can turn into a bit of an ice-pick sound as well. The Peavey Classic does classic Fender better than a lot of Fender amps, if that makes sense. I find all of them a little bit weak sounding compared to the BBRI, it's got a lot of mids. I gigged for years with a Strat and a BBRI back in the early 90s, and it's a bit of an undiscovered gem of a combination. Most people just think of the Beano album, and plug a Les Paul into them.

(£450 is a good price if it's in excellent condition.)

Liam

Yeh, I'll check out the pedals you suggested. I have heard a lot of people going on about when Clapton used them etc. Not really interested in that to much. The amp isn't in mint condition, bit tatty at the front, seen a lot of gigs i think. Valves have recently changed with some top end ones so I've been told. Its one of those things though. I've got a lot more chance picking up a peavey or smaller fender cheap for the house later on down the road than one of these i think. Can't wait to get it cranked! lol Gives the impression it will cut through well when playing live, so plenty of positives.
Cheers again

Chris

[bellers]

still unsure, reason being that I do not know when i would be getting into a band so in the meantime i will jammin by myself lol, so something like the peavey might be better for in my room just now im thinking....really like the fender cleans aswell, can anyone recommend any good fender amps, or tell me how to get as close with the bluesbreaker? i mainly play with a strat.

[rocknhorse1]

Originally Posted by bellers

still unsure, reason being that I do not know when i would be getting into a band so in the meantime i will jammin by myself lol, so something like the peavey might be better for in my room just now im thinking....really like the fender cleans aswell, can anyone recommend any good fender amps, or tell me how to get as close with the bluesbreaker? i mainly play with a strat.

That amp should be able to get really nice cleans. I have never owned one, but I think if you were to run the volume to about 5, but roll the volume down on you guitar to about 5, that should be pretty clean. The original JTM45 was basically the Fender Bassman circuit, but using the parts that were available in the UK at the time. I have an 18 watt amp with that circuit, which has way less headroom than the BB, and I get fantastic clean tones. If you want dirty, just crank the guitar volume from there. These are not set in stone settings, just a starting point.