Do you use "odd-ball" amps or EFX ?

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Being the self-confessed hack that I am,I was wondering if I am the only one using "non-standard" equipment ? I started out using a Profex and a power amp. That had to be sold to afford a NV 400. The NV 400,a real good sound that had the Peavey Mod and The Reverb Mod,had to be sold to afford a new guitar. I was really wondering what to do for a new amp when Mike Wheeler sold me the amp I have now. It's a Dean Markley closed back bass combo ! It sounds good though. I didn't think it would be loud enough for a big room unmic-ed,so I bought another one off of Ebay for 85 bucks. For effects, I am using a digitech rp-150.It has a lexicon reverb chip in the box ! I use the twin setting with analogue delay and room reverb. I have experimented with my Music Man sixty-five and a cab,and it just sounded awful ! I have thought about changing amps lately due to the guys in my band saying that I need lighter gear ! It really can't get much lighter than it is now ! I've looked into all the options. Other than buying an SKB bow case and putting foam in it to make the guitar lighter,there ain't much that can be done. Do any of you guys use odd-ball equipment,or am I the only one ? I wish that the next Peavey steel guitar amp would come w/delay and reverb already built in. How about a newer version of the Session 2000 in a NV 112 format ? That would be hot ! Am I off base ?
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D.S. Rigsby

Bob Knight · From: Bowling Green KY

I am presently using a Peavey Transfex Pro Series 2 Head unit(130w X 2) w/ 1 Nashville 112e speaker cab(1203-4) and 1 Nashville 115/e(1502-4) speaker cab.

This is one of the better setups I have used.

Bob Smile

David Doggett · Posted 31 Jul 2009 9:55 am

I don't use an amp designed for pedal steel. I use a Fender Dual Showman Reverb head, with either 2x12 or one or two 15s. The Twin family memebers (Twin, Vibrosonic, Dual) are the most popular tube amps for pedal steel, so I don't consider them oddball.

Tell your bandmates they simply don't know what they are talking about. Nobody expects a bass player to have a small lightweight amp or speaker cab. Steel is in the same boat. We have to have a big powerful amp with lots of clean headroom. It's not so much for playing super loud, rather it is because of the way we use the volume pedal for sustain. Guitar players don't understand that.

If solid-state tone is okay for you, you should consider a Peavey NV112. It is about the minimum you can get by with for steel in terms of power, size and weight. Some steelers who mike their amp and don't play with a band with loud stage volume find the NV112 adequate. Others will bring two NV112s for the loud situations.

Someday solid-state and tube amp makers will figure out how to deliver power and tone with less weight. Everything is moving in that direction.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I often use a Pod XT or an H&K RotoSphere. I don't know if these are "oddball" or not - they just happen to produce the kinds of sound enhancements I enjoy most.
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James Mayer · Posted 31 Jul 2009 10:11 am

I use a Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue. I like overdriven tones so I don't worry much about headroom.

If I do get a loud solid state amp for pedal steel, I will not pay extra for built in effects like delay or reverb. Those two effects are just too important and personal. I prefer tape delay or and Ibanez DE-7, both of which will be better than whatever vanilla delay someone put in an amp as an afterthought.

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Ive been amazed at the incredibly wide variety of amps Ive seen steelers here using. Marhsalls, Mesa's, Peavey Windsors, tweeds, bass amps, deluxe reverbs, silverface bassmans...not to mention all the SS amps, rack power amps etc. its endless.

delay in an amp? no thanks. reverb? yes please but make it good or dont bother.

Lightest affordable rig with near acceptable tone? (YMMV natch) Crate powerblock into an ultralight cab with neo speaker, seyour duncan twin tube to give the powerblock some semblance of tone.
Half a split case for the guitar body only. legs and pedalrod into a padded shotgun case.

Ive since got a 20 lb evans head that sounds REALLY great...and a 38lb fender showman head that sound like gabriels horn. I gig with the evans because if I put that showman on top of my ultralight cab it might crush it like a beer can, and yet I have to put something on it or it might blow away in the wind. Razz

no, truthfully I just dont want to haul the extra 18 lbs for the showman. when i start doubling on guitar and steel again, then it will be worth the extra weight.

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

Wow, all this feedback is great !

The SS combo amps I use are about the same weight as a NV112. I have made the decision to stick with what I have got. It works and I know how to get my "tone" out of it. I may think about investing in a good cart that folds up for easy storage. All of the other amplification options that would sound as good as what I have would be way out of my price range.I would like to see more commercially available class D amplification. I dig the TC Furlong customs,but,they don't publish the prices. I was always told that if you had to ask how much something costs that it ususally meant that you couldn't afford it !

I made this deal with my lady that the music has to pay for itself. My first two grand that I make with this band is going towards the purchase of an LDG or a Blackjack. I'm leaning toward the Blackjack right now because I like the changer design.

Ronnie Boettcher · From: Brunswick Ohio, USA

I have no idea what all the amps that are out there do, but for me, I do not play huge dance halls, or outdoor arenas, and I use a VOX 50 valvetronix. It has a delay, and reverb, and I am satisfied with it.
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Sho-Bud LDG, Martin D28, Ome trilogy 5 string banjo, Ibanez 4-string bass, dobro, fiddle, and a tubal cain. Life Member of AFM local 142

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

Dustin..."Gator Cases" makes a heavily padded amp case with casters and a folding handle that has worked well for me. I have the single 112 model which not only holds the amp (Nashville 112), but my pedalboard and two amp wedges as well. A large zippered accessory compartment in the front will hold your VP, cables, and most anything else you may need.

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

David,
I am glad you posted,as I didn't know that Gator made that stuff that was readily available. They have a line of roto-molded cases that I think are going to work best for me.
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D.S. Rigsby

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

I have a 4-space SKB case with a fan, power supply and a SWR SM500 bass head in it - stereo 250w X 2. Two Peavey 112E's, and some sort of outboard processor/reverb - RV3, RP250, Boss etc. It's loud enough to delaminate walls, extremely versatile tonally and nothing weighs more than 30 lbs. But, you have to make a lot of trips. Confused

Any old head with some juice, and some method of adjusting the ratios of upper and lower midrange frequencies can be worked with, if you've got decent speakers and an ear. At certain times, it pays to stop buying stuff and start working the stuff you have - this may be one of those times? Exclamation

Barry Blackwood · Posted 1 Aug 2009 5:54 am

I am still amazed that digital reverb hasn't completely replaced the spring units that so many amp manufacturers still use. It would solve so many problems inherent with the spring reverbs. Is it not cost effective, or what? Confused

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Barry,I wuz wondering the same thing? Confused

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Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

David Mason, I hear ya loud and clear. Actually,those were my thoughts as well. Like I said, I would like to have some amp cases,other than that,I'm gonna stay where I am. Very Happy

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D.S. Rigsby

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Des Hetherington · From: New Zealand

Im using a Way Huge drive, and a Way huge Safron Squeeze compressor, luv em both and havnt seen or hear of anyone else using these pedals
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Des Hetherington · From: New Zealand

Oh and i also use an old 70's Roland Space Echo, the chorus is kool but i dont dig the echo or reverb, and the fact its almost as big as my amp it stays at home now.. lol
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Rains SD10 4 pedals 5 Levers, webb 614E,Goodrich Vol

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Look at my signature. I like to break the rules.
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Sho-Bud Pro III + Marshall JMP 2204 half stack = good grind!

Rich Peterson · From: Moorhead, MN

Buffer preamp between PSG and volume pedal, to Yamaha PG1 preamp, to Yamaha SPX90 followed by Alessis MIDIVerb 3. MIDIVerb 3 is used to adjust reverb to the room and serve as master volume control, as the Marshall Valvestate 8004 (40 watts/side) doesn't have volume controls. It drive 2 Electrovoice EVM-12L speakers in individual deep openback cabinets.

Bob Knight, I envy you for the TransTubeFex head. I've been trying to score one of those.

Jim Peters · From: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.

Peavey NV 112,Ibanez TS7 for distortion, Ibanez soundtank delay( very underated), Digitech RP50 for "Dirty Business"(auto wah), a ZUM volume pedal, and the piece d'resistance, one of my 2 PEI Junior leslie sims, a KILLER pedal, especially for steel, though I rarly use it. JP
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Tommy Shown · From: Denham Springs, La.

I use the G D Walker Stereo Steel System with a Digitech Studio Quad 4 effects rack and two (2) JBL 15 inch speakers. The settings I use on the Quad 4 are the warmed delay reverb, cathedral, 4 channel reverb,and the 500ms delay settings. The warm delay reverb setting I use the most. because it gives my steel a warm mellow tone. I use to use the NV400's but after years of repetitive picking them up and carrying them took its toll on my shoulder and I had to get something that was easier to carry and at the same time give me great sound. The Peavey amps at the time were just too heavy and I am getting too old to be luggin and tugging. Maybe if I were 20 to 30 years younger.But I am soon to be 51. Besides my roadie (wife) has had too many back operations and she can't life any thing that heavy. So now she totes my pick and bar bag.
Tommy
Tommy

Gerald Menke · From: Stormville NY, USA

On most of my live gigs I use the most traditional setup imaginable, i.e. a black push pull into a NV 400, but a lot of the sessions I do require me to step outside the box quite a bit. Last night I did an internet session, and one overdub was the steel into a Moog Freq Box, into an old Boss DD-5 into a reissue plexi. I used an ebow on the second overdub... I will try anything when it comes to recording, SS practice amp, baby monitor, crappy vintage ribbon mics, you name it. Very simple way to satisfy those artists and engineers who don't want it to sound too "country"...

Gerald

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