Guitar & Steel - one amp or two?

[Larry Beck]

Who else plays both Steel and 6 string on gigs? I use a NV1000 for the steel and a Peavey Blues Classic for the 6 string. I tried using an AB switch for the Steel and 6 string into the NV1000, but when the amp is set for one, it sounds terrible on the other. Will one amp with two channels do it or are there other solutions?
Any suggestions? What's your experience?

[Dave Mudgett]

I'm usually expected to play some 6-string - I don't generally care for PSG amps for that either. I sometimes carry two amps, but it's a pain.

So I tweaked my old Pod 2 to emulate my old Deluxe Reverb pretty well (I had to make some changes to the stock Blackface 1 settings), and usually just run my 6-string into that, and then into the power-amp-in of the steel amp. Then I run the pedal steel into the main input of the steel amp. I have a few different steel rigs - a Nashville 112, 400, and 1000, plus a rig that uses a Tubefex into a high-power bass head - or just my '69 Dual Showman Reverb head - into an EV or JBL loaded cab. These all work fine for this purpose, to my tastes.

Not everybody likes the Pod, so YMMV. But I like it for a classic Fender 6-string tone. Sure beats carrying two amps, to me. I insist on using only the older version of the Pod 2. There are lots of good modelers out there now, so you may find you prefer something else, but that's the one I prefer, and I've tried a bunch.

[Eric West]

Podxt or xtLive.

Blues Jr for the highs just cutting the lows, and a PV CLassic 50 for the bass, just cutting the highs on the amp.

I've got two different models. One for steel, just a "tube preamp" "model", and a few default effects like autopan, tremolo and phase. Guitar pretty much the same except for compression.

I have just gone into both amps without the pod, but for the guitar I have a blue compressor stomp.

Best of all worlds will find me getting my Nv112 repaired and using it for the lower end with the Blues Jr (with a Weber Blue Dog) for the highs.

That way the 112 compresses when it's get hit with too much bass, and the Blues Jr keeps the highs crystal clear.

JMHO.



EJL

[Marc Jenkins]

I finally bothered to try using separate amps for the first time last weekend. For loud gigs, I'll never go back... as long as my ride doesn't mind.

[David Mason]

Triple threat - a SWR SM-500 stereo 500 watt bass amp, bass into the front, steel & guitar into a modeler into the power amp. I found both the Boss VF-1 and Digitech modelers to sound better to my ears than a PODxt or 2.0, but the principle is the same.

[Jerry Hayes]

Larry, I play steel and lead on my gigs and use the following amps depending on my mood and the size of the venue........

an old Musicman HD-212 One Fifty which is a killer amp. It's set up just like a twin reverb with the 1st channel that no one uses. With this amp I put my guitar in the main (middle) channel and my steel in the first channel. This way I can EQ each instrument as I need to. Since there are no effects on the first channel, I use a Boss Digital Delay and a Goodrich Match Box. Occasionally I'll also use a Bosstone. This gives a very good steel sound.

Next, at times I'll use my Peavey Stereo Chorus 400. This amp also has two totally independent channels which you can EQ any way you want them. It has Chorus and reverb and both effects work on both channels. It has a very nice overall sound on both instruments but the lead guitar sounds better on the MusicMan......

My favorite rig at the moment is a two amp setup consisting of an old Randall Steelman 500 amp and a Peavey Classic 30 for lead guitar. I can really get what I want out of both instruments with these amps but the MusicMan runs a pretty close second. Ocassionally on a large venue I'll use the Randall for steel and the MusicMan for guitar because of needing higher clean output for the guitar.

I've seen some guys use the same amp for both with basically the same EQ but it just doesn't sound good to me. For steel I like the bass all the way on 10 and the treble cut back less than half. On guitar I like the treble all the way on 10 and the bass on 4 or 6. I leave the mids at about 3 on both. That's why a single channel won't work for me.....JH in Va.

[Eric West]

Oh, and I forgot to mention.

It matters what the difference is in the "heaviness" of the pickups.

My Marrs with 16k JW rewinds has a sound that's every bit as "thin" as my teles. That makes it easier to use the same settings if I only run them direct.

There are a number of processors that fill the bill for switching.

I've come to like the Podxt line the best.



EJL

[rpetersen]

Peavey Vegas 400 - 2 channels -
Or, run either the steel or guitar through an equalizer and into 1 amp

[Henry Nagle]

I almost always bring a two channel Fender amp (Deluxe Reverb, Vibrolux Reverb...etc).

I have them set up so the reverb is on both channels. Independent volume and tone control, sounds great for guitar and steel, one amp to carry around. It's perfect.

[Chris LeDrew]

I'm doing double-duty a lot these days. I use either a reissue Twin Custom 15" or an SF Twin 212. Both are great double-duty amps. I need the wattage for steel headroom. Anything less powerful and I'd be distorting all over the place on steel. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not my sound.

[Jerry Hayes]

Another thing that's nice about not using a single input amp is when using two separate channels or two separate amps you can play "together".

I play guitar and steel both with thumb and fingerpicks so you can do some licks in tandem on both instruments this way, especially on ballads. My wife does "Help Me Make it Through the Night" in the key of A. On the instrumental ride I start on on the low strings of the guitar and play the melody and then drop my hand and do fills with just my right hand and the pedals then go back to the guitar for the next line, drop the hand for the fills, and so on. It's really a great sound and makes some heads turn. Try it sometime, it's a lot easier than it looks. I usually just do this in E, A, and sometimes D.

Also, you can split rides just as if there were two lead players. It's easy to go back and forth on the instruments even in the middle of a ride. Just grab an open string or two on either instrument and pick a note or two while you're either picking up or putting down your bar. Also, wear your guitar high enough so it doesn't rest on your legs and use a strap that doesn't slide........JH in Va.

[Tony Dingus]

I use to play 6 string along with steel with my family in church. I ran my guitar through a Genesis 3 into the fx loop return of my amp and use the amp's foot switch pedal to turn the fx loop on and off. Worked great.

Tony

[Robbie Daniels]

I use a small mixer

[Jonathan Lam]

I have use d aprinceton reverb and an Evans combo, but right now im using a super reverb in a 1x15 for both.