Trash or Treasure: Peavey Blues Classic

The mid-’90s, 50-watt Peavey Blues Classic featured a single 15" speaker, two channels, onboard reverb, and a tube compliment of three 12AX7s and four EL84s.

This all-tube 15" combo from the mid-’90s was produced for just a couple years, but helped develop an amp series that lives on.

Hey Zach,

I bought this Peavey amp back in the 1990s as a more affordable version of a Fender. (Let’s face it, I was broke.) Doing some quick internet research tells me Peavey still makes amplifiers, specifically the Classic Series, but I can’t really find anything about my Blues Classic. Can you tell me anything about it and what it’s worth today?

Thanks,

Chad in South Carolina

Hey Chad,

Thanks for the question! I remember those days and the always difficult choice of trying to afford decent equipment or pay the bills. The good news is you happened to find an amp that was a relatively good bargain then, and still is today. Yes, you are correct that Peavey still produces the Classic Series, but let’s go back a bit to explore Peavey’s history and how your amp came about.

Hartley Peavey grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, and after spending time in his father’s music store, he began building his own guitar amplifiers while in high school. In 1965, Peavey decided to go into business himself and founded Peavey Electronics in his parents’ basement. He initially only built PA systems, but after rapid company growth, Peavey began building guitar and bass amplifiers in the 1970s.

While there is no direct relative of this amp in Fender’s lineup, it is somewhat similar to an early Bandmaster, Bassman, or a mid-’50s Pro, which all utilized a 15" speaker.

Circa 1973, Peavey developed a line of Fender narrow-panel tweed-inspired amps, appropriately called the Vintage Series. These amps utilized 6L6 power tubes and relatively obscure 6C10 preamp tubes. The Vintage Series eventually evolved into what we now know as the Classic Series, with most of the amps utilizing traditional 12AX7 preamp tubes and EL84 power tubes. This is somewhat of an unusual combination, however, since it uses both American (12AX7) and British (EL84) tubes to make a unique sound. Think Fender meeting Vox.

Your Blues Classic has 50 watts output, a single 15"speaker, and the American/British tube combination of three 12AX7s and four EL84s. Italso has two channels, spring reverb, a master volume control, and an effects loop. While there is no directrelative of this amp in Fender’s lineup, it is somewhat similar to an early Bandmaster, Bassman, or a mid-’50s Pro, which all utilized a 15"speaker. Keep in mind that many blues/jazz players choose 15"speakers as they tend to not lose the treble/high-end tones, so it makes sense this amp was coined the Blues Classic.

You don’t see these amps very often, mainly because the Blues Classic was only produced in 1994 and 1995. That said, there are a lot of different Classic Series models out there. The most common/popular model is probably the Classic 30, which has 30 watts output and a 12"speaker, and is similar to a Fender Deluxe. Other models in the series include the Classic 20, Classic 50, Classic 100, and Delta Blues, and all are wrapped with tweed-style covering to project that 1950s look and music style.

When Peavey discontinued the Blues Classic in 1995, it retailed for $800, but you could probably have bought it brand new for about $650 with standard discounts. It’s worth between $325 and $400 in excellent condition today. It may seemlike the amp hasn’t held its value very well, but the reality is that the value hasn’t changed much in nearly 25 years. (The used value of this amp in the mid-1990s was probably between $325 and $400, too.) Most Peavey Classic Series amps are still very affordable today, including the models that were discontinued many years ago. And from what I’ve heard and read, these amps are generally favorably reviewed. Maybe that means it’s a hidden gem? I’m not sure, but it’s reassuring to me that there are still some legitimate deals out there.

Hartley Peavey continues as the CEO at Peavey, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2015. The company still offers a full line of guitars, amplifiers, and PA equipment, and continues to innovate within the industry. Like many other guitar and amp manufacturers, Peavey now outsources most of their production overseas, but their headquarters remain in Mississippi.

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Trash or Treasure: G&L HG-2

Swap my motorcycle for your guitar? Sure!

Zach,

I received this guitar in 1989 as a birthday present from my dad, who traded his Honda motorcycle for the guitar and a Marshall amplifier. I have had it ever since, and play it regularly. I know there were not many of these made, so they have at least some limited collectors’ appeal, but I wonder if it is actually worth anything? The guitar is all-original, with typical scuffs and scratches that a teenager would inflict. It has a date stamp on the neck, of June 21, 1984, and on the body, of March 1, 1984. It’s small, light, and easy to play, which is why I have kept it around. What do you think?

Thanks,

Robert in Apex, North Carolina

Nice guitar and great story. Dads can be the coolest, right? In reference to the guitar being “small, light, and easy to play,” that doesn’t surprise me since Leo Fender was a pioneer in the electric guitar industry and he obviously knew what he was doing. That said, legend has it that Leo never learned how to play guitar.

In 1965, Fender sold his enormously successful company to CBS due to health concerns, and signed a 10-year non-compete clause as part of the deal. Leo’s health improved and he consulted for Fender after the company’s sale, but he largely remained out of the guitar business until the mid 1970s, when his non-compete clause concluded.

In other words, it’s a rare instrument, and G&L guitars from this era are quite collectible overall.

Along with longtime friend and associate George Fullerton, Leo started CLF Research in 1975 and began building instruments for Music Man (another company started by ex-Fender employees). The relationship between CLF and Music Man eventually went south, however, and CLF stopped building guitars for them in late 1979.

In 1979, Fender, Fullerton, and Dale Hyatt (another longtime Fender associate) started a new guitar company called G&L. G&L stands for George and Leo. Fender served as president and provided the designs and technical insight, Fullerton ran production, and Hyatt oversaw management and sales. Until Fender’s passing in 1991, G&L produced approximately 27,000 guitars with monthly production not reaching more than 800 instruments. It was during this time that Fender took his guitar innovation to another level and patented several new designs. As Fender was famously quoted in G&L literature, “G&L guitars and basses are the best instruments I have ever made.”

The HG series consisted of the HG-1 (one pickup) and the HG-2 (two pickups), and were only produced in 1983 and 1984. So, the date stamps on your guitar coincide with production dates. It’s estimated that just over 100 total HG models were ever produced, with less than five of them being single-pickup HG-1s. The HG series guitars were similar to the more common SC series guitars, but featured G&L’s Magnetic Field Design (MFD) humbucker pickups. The MFDs utilized a ceramic bar magnet with soft iron poles, rather than the more traditional alnico magnet.


Only about 100 of G&L’s short-lived HG-2 were made. The model features an offset maple body, a bolt-on maple neck, and the company’s Saddle-Lock bridge and MFD humbuckers.

The HG-2 features an offset maple body with double cutaways, a bolt-on maple neck, a 22-fret maple fretboard, six-on-one-side tuners, and G&L’s Saddle-Lock bridge (vibrato optional). The two MFD humbuckers are governed by a volume knob, a tone knob, and a pickup switch mounted on a half-moon shaped panel. The HG-2 was available in various colors, though it’s unknown how many different colors exist.

Based on G&L’s 11-year production of around 27,000 instruments, the HG series guitars made up about a 1/3 of a percent of all G&Ls built during Fender’s tenure. In other words, it’s a rare instrument, and G&L guitars from this era are quite collectible overall. Today your HG-2 is worth between $1,750 and $2,000, in very good condition as described. This value is also based on your guitar being all-original. Hopefully you’ll keep it that way no matter how much you play it!

After Fender’s death, his wife passed G&L on to John C. McLaren of BBE Sound, and they continue to build G&L guitars in the U.S. and overseas for their Tribute Series import line. I don’t know enough about motorcycle values to determine if your dad got a good deal or got swindled, but, in my opinion, you got a piece of history and a great guitar to play for years to come. Hopefully your dad never regretted his decision!

Sources for this article include researcher/historian H.L. Garrett and G&L: Leo’s Legacy by Paul Bechtoldt.

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Trash or Treasure: Framus Strato Super

They may not command the price or popularity of some other ’60s vintage guitars, but these solidbodies from Germany have a solid footing in guitar history.

Hey Zach,

I enjoyed your recent article about the Italian-built Eko 500 and wanted to know if you could shed some light on my favorite (make that only) German guitar in my collection, a Framus. I think it’s from the 1960s, but there isn’t a model name on it anywhere. I’m curious about the history of this guitar and what it is worth today.

Thanks,

Edwin in Hartford, CT

Hey Edwin,

Thanks for the kind words about my Eko article. There are certainly a lot of cool guitars across the pond! Framus’ history begins at the conclusion of World War II, and the division of Germany into two distinct sides: East and West. Framus founder Frederick Wilfer was from Schönbach, a musical community with many established violinmakers, in the Eastern part of the country.

At the end of World War II, Wilfer realized that his homeland was going to fall under the control of Russian forces, so he made the move West, to Bavaria. And in 1946, he founded the company under the name Franconian Music Production Fred Wilfer Investment Trust, in Erlangen, which became a central location for displaced instrument makers from Schönbach. The company only offered violins at first, but soon evolved into guitar making.

Production increased rapidly, and the Framus factory expanded several times by the mid-1950s. Framus built thinlines and archtops initially, but solidbody electrics arrived in 1958 just as rock music was beginning to take off.

Since many American servicemen were stationed in Germany during the 1950s, and brought their American music with them, it gave Framus a head start on where guitars were going.

Since many American servicemen were stationed in Germany during the 1950s, and brought their American music with them, it gave Framus a head start on where guitars were going. By the 1960s, Framus was producing a variety of electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, and distributing them worldwide.

Your Framus is a Strato model, officially called the 5/155-52 Strato Super in factory literature. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand what the company was going for in the name. It features a solid, unspecified-wood body with sandwich construction, a rosewood fretboard, a tremolo, two single-coil pickups, and was available in sunburst (most common), blue, red, or beige finishes. We know it was produced in the late 1960s, but exact dating by serial numbers only exists for a few Framus hollowbody and classical guitars of the era.

Framus also produced several other variations of the Strato model during the 1960s, with most of them being slight variations of a double-cutaway solidbody with two pickups, like yours. They also offered a three-pickup configuration with their higher-end Strato de Luxe series, which included the elaborate Golden Strato de Luxe, with gold hardware and onboard organ effects.

Framus continued to build instruments into the 1970s, but due to pressure from Japanese and other Asian manufacturers building guitars for much less at the time, Framus filed for bankruptcy and ceased all production. In 1982, Frederick Wilfer’s son, Hans-Peter Wilfer, started his own bass-gear manufacturing company called Warwick. And after establishing Warwick, Hans-Peter reintroduced the Framus guitar trademark in 1995. Today, the Framus and Warwick brands are like a one-two punch, offering quite a wide variety of guitars and basses.

Whatever the reason, we don’t typically hear much about guitars from this era that were built in Germany. Hofner is probably the best-known German guitar manufacturer, thanks in part to Paul McCartney playing a Hofner bass early in his career. Since most vintage Framus guitars are generally priced at less than $1,000, that makes them a relative bargain when it comes to guitars from the 1960s. Given that your Super Strato is in excellent condition, its current value is between $650 and $800. And since it’s your favorite German guitar in your collection, it sounds like a treasure to me.

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Trash or Treasure: Eko Sparkle Top

Has a reader’s investment in a funky, vintage Italian solidbody been profitable, or will it need to cook longer?

Hey Zach,

Back in the early 2000s, I bought this Eko sparkle-top guitar as a quasi-investment (’50s Strats were too expensive for my blood), thinking it fell into that cool 1960s guitar movement, with an awesome finish. I really don’t know much about Eko guitars, except a web search says they are still around, but how has my investment done over the past 15 years?

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