Evans SE200 sound.

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 26 Jul 2009 10:52 am

I bought an Evans SE200 to replace my much heavier Nashville 400. Scott is indeed a pleasure to deal with, and has been very helpful in finding settings to my liking. I used the SE200 live again last night, and even with all the last tips I got on using the amp at higher volume settings, I simply could not avoid overdriving it at times. It actually seemed a desirable OD at times, but when I needed a clean sound, I could not get the volume I have with my NV400.
I reduced the bass, set the Master and Volume at ~7, turned off the Expand using the +6db jack, tried the normal channel - still distorting. I recall seeing a post here about using a BW speaker (which I'm not sure is readily available), and now I'm wondering if I need to replace the speaker to jack up the clean-and-loud capability. The SE200 has a superb tone, which has been duly noted by other musicians I respect; I just want to know what options I might have - short of using 2 amps - for getting this to play as clean as my 400 at relatively high volume.

baxter vaughan · Post by **baxter vaughan** » 26 Jul 2009 12:54 pm

daniel i too play through an se200; and i too agree with their suburb tone. these are the setting i use and have played at high volumes with no distortion:

master: always 1 to 2 nothces high than the volume.
buff: 6 to 7
reverb: 7
bass: 7
depth: 3 to 4 o'clock
body: 7
expand: down
treble: 2
volume: below master setting by 1 or 2.

i have a post asking others how they set their se200. but none have jumped in there yet. these are the cadillac of steel amps, i believe. i was playing a job a couple of months ago where i had to play at a very loud volume and my se200 was flawless.
for some reason, i wish i could pull more of the highs down and boost the bottom up. if you know what i mean.
baxter

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 26 Jul 2009 5:41 pm

Thanks for that, Baxter.
I'll give your settings a try and see what happens.
People at the two gigs I've used the SE200 all said it sounded good, and no one specifically mentioned distortion, but it was indeed present.
Yes, I think my NV400 has a bit deeper bass response than the Evans. Somehow rounder. Scott actually recommended backing the bass to 4 or even lower, as he feels that's what's leading to the distortion, but I think it gets too thin. He also mentioned that the player hears things differently than the audience, and that's certainly true.

Which input jack do you use - normal or +6db?

baxter vaughan · Post by **baxter vaughan** » 26 Jul 2009 5:53 pm

i use the 6db. i was able to get a louder / cleaner sound.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 27 Jul 2009 1:16 pm

Although I'm not an Evans SE-200 owner,I'm thinking very seriously on becoming one,so I'll chime in and say that on all my MV amps,including a NV 112 and a Session 500,having the MV substantially higher than the pre-amp volume made for a clearer,non-distorted sound.I always use the hotter input as well.I(and I'm sure Daniel as well)would be be very interested in hearing comments from SE-200 users on that method and any others anyone's developed for avoiding distortion with that amp.

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 27 Jul 2009 1:49 pm

Thanks, Dave.
And I am certainly open to further comments on this.

Jim Meiring · Post by **Jim Meiring** » 21 Aug 2009 7:24 am

I have recently purchased an older SE 200 and I love it. I'm still tweaking the controls and would like some opinion of the Depth and Expand knobs. Scruff is not recommended to use at all on the steel guitar. What are your settings on this amp? many thanks

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 21 Aug 2009 8:58 am

Depth up, expand down, scruff off
Treble at 3.

This is in the head verison thru a eminence neo 15 in a marrs cab. These are the settings the seller was nice enough to recommend, and after some trial, they did indeed turn out ot be my prefered settings as well.

That scruff knob is a curious thing. Be mindful it doesnt accidentally turn itself on and up while moving your rig.

For regular guitar(I had to double in my last band), to me that amp sounded horrid till I put a tube preamp in front of it (duncan twin tube)..and turned the expand knob UP. as always with amp settings YMMV

Danny Naccarato · Post by **Danny Naccarato** » 21 Aug 2009 9:51 am

I put a Kappalite in mine, which eliminated the distortion problem. I had at first thought it was the speaker that was originally in it, that somehow had a problem. Now I am wondering if it was just the speaker that couldn't handle the load. At any rate, it sounds fine with the Kappalite. Incidentally, I ran it nearly wide open to test it, and the volume at that level would never be used on stage.

I have mine for sale in the Buy/Sell and will make someone a deal....

Danny

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 21 Aug 2009 1:22 pm

Thanks, gents.
I don't have "scruff" on mine, but I do have buff.
I think the speaker is an Eminence; expand off, bass down, volume and master at 7 and it's distorting. I don't know if there's a problem, but Scot (at Evans) suggested that if I need more volume, use another amp or cab. Not realistic; I don't seem to have that issue with my older Nashville 400. I may eventually have to send it to Scot to have him check it over thoroughly. If all's well, I may decide to switch out the speaker for a 1501 BW or something else. Nice sound, but where's the 200W - same as the 400?

baxter vaughan · Post by **baxter vaughan** » 21 Aug 2009 1:46 pm

i set in with a band i had never worked with before last weekend. the drummer was the 1st to comment on how much he liked my tone. can you believe it! the drummer even noticed! the sound man across the room was next. i have settled in with the volume 2 below my master. i have been experimenting with the dwell on the back of the amp as well. if i have my reverb up to about 8, dwell on about 11 o'clock and the flange engaged, i get a really full sound. i seem to like the expand up as well. hey danny, who sells kappalite speakers and how much are they?

Larry Robinson · Post by **Larry Robinson** » 21 Aug 2009 2:16 pm

I have an Evans AE100 I bought from John Hughey. I use an external E-120 speaker with it. John had this amp made to his specs. It has a scruff control but it acts just like the buff control (John's spec's). Always set the Master higher than volume. If your PUPs are high output, use the -6db input. Set your bass as follows" turn up bass while hitting a low bass string 'till it gets "boomy", then back off 1-2 numbers. I find that 3-4 is sufficient. Expand emphasizes bass and treble, use per your choice. Body give more mids and attenuates highs. Treble I find falls in about 1-2. Experiment. I don't go over 3 on reverb setting, usually 2.
I did have a distortion problem. However, after talking with Scott, I changed my settings IAW those above and my distortion went away. These amps are like a woman, if you want them to work right, you have to keep fooling with them

.

Alan Harrison · Post by **Alan Harrison** » 22 Aug 2009 4:10 am

Hi Daniel, I also use a SE200 and use about the same settings as Baxter is using. I do use the scruff set between 4 and 7. I have replaced the Eminence speaker with a BW 1501-4 with a neo magnet.

It will knock down free standing walls or stop a flock of ducks in mid-flight without my old ears hearing any noticeable distortion. Just MHO, but I think the difference is in the 4 ohlm speaker.

Danny Naccarato · Post by **Danny Naccarato** » 22 Aug 2009 7:04 am

Tom Bradshaw sells the Kappalites

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 22 Aug 2009 11:16 am

I have an SE200 that I have been playing through for about eight years and I never set my master past two or three and my volume I have set on 4 and occasionally, if I need it, 5 and I have plenty of power. I use JBLs (older models) maybe this is the difference.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 23 Aug 2009 6:22 am

The original speakers in Evans amps are 8 ohm. With that load the amp puts out about 120 watts. Add an 8 ohm cab and you`ll get the full 200 w.
Or use a single 4 ohmer.
I have an RE200 with a Weber 8 ohm spkr. For louder gigs I add a cab w. an 8 ohm JBL.

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 23 Aug 2009 1:52 pm

I have a 1983 Evans FET500 and a 1999 Evans SE200. Both amps came from the factory with 4 ohm speakers. 1983 amp was JBL 4 ohm and 1999 was Evans Eclipse 4 ohm.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 23 Aug 2009 9:38 pm

OK, I guess it`s just the more current models with the 8 ohmers ?

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 25 Aug 2009 9:43 am

Daniel, as others have said, set your pre-gain at a level lower than your post-gain (master volume). I have an SE-200, and frankly, I can't make it distort. It's a late 2001 vintage with the Eminence "Delta" (not "Delta-Lite") 4-ohm speaker. I keep the master volume set at about 80% (I've never had to go to "afterburners"

) and the pre gain is usually at 1 or 2. If I have to go to a higher pre-gain number, the dogs and cats in the next county have trouble peein'.

When I first bought the amp I tried to make it distort, just to find out it's limits. Even with the pre-gain higher than the post-gain, the amp wouldn't distort, it just lost some of it's tonal character. If your SE-200 truly does distort so easily, there might be something wrong with it. My suggestion would be to contact the folks at Evans, once again, and find out if it might need some components replaced.

BTW: My settings are: Bass: 7; Mid: 5; Treble: 1; Depth switch: on; Expand switch: on; Scruff: occasionally set at 3 for rock-steel playing. The guitar is an Emmons p/p (lacquer body/metal necks).

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn