Will I blow a Session 400?

Daniel Haymore · From: Nashville, TN

So, I am going to look at an early Session 400 tomorrow. It has the JBL speaker that I believe they used before the black widow.

Upon reading the forum, I have found a lot of posts about how these amps blow these speakers regularly. Is this true?

I have a couple of important gigs coming up next weekend and I am wondering if I can play this bad boy without blowing the speaker? How loud are they and what should I know about them, and what should I look for when I see it?

I currently have a 70's bassman ten that I have been playing through a 2x10 cabinet. Good clean tone however, when I have to really crank it, the speakers lack a little headroom and get too much trebel response. Do you think the session will be a good bet?

Thanks for looking.
Daniel

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Do you play a lot of C6th? That's much more likely to be a problem. If you only play E9th you're much less likely to blow the speaker. Will your amp be mic'd? How big a venue will you be playing if un-mic'd?
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

Daniel Haymore · From: Nashville, TN

I only play E9th. (one of these days i'm going to start stabbing at C6th!)

I am not sure if I will be mic'd or not. The first night is a large club/dance hall so I assume i'll be mic'd there.

The second night i'm not sure. It's a small town amphitheater.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I had one of the Session 400's with the JBL. I played some large clubs with it, both on E9 and C6 at some pretty high volumes. I never blew the speaker. The output transistors are what kept blowing out on mine. Got rid of it for that reason along with I hated the sound of it.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I would assume you'd be mic'd at the Amphitheater, even more so than the club.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Daniel Haymore · From: Nashville, TN

If any NC/SW VA pickers see this and have an extension cabinet they are willing to move let me know. I am open to that option as well.

I am thinking I will go that route eventually but since I was a little crunched for time I knew I wouldn't be able to have a new cab built.

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

You will be fine if you don't run your amp wide open all night.

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

I own two session 400's. One of them, I bought new in 1974 (the first year of production). The 1974 had a JBL D-130F in it. I blew it and replaced it with a K-130 and eventually blew it. By then, the BW came into production and I never had a problem after that. If the session you are purchasing is a 1974, hang onto it. It had a much more rounded sound and delivered a full 200rms output. Those after 74 produced 160rms. Something to do with protective circuitry. After examining both circuit boards (74 vs 76) there are a few extra components in the 76.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8.

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

Daniel..e-mail sent.

Daniel Haymore · From: Nashville, TN

David...I'm not sure if I have my email set up correctly or not, not seeing it.

Could you send me a pm?

Thanks!

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I concur with the folks saying that with only playing E9th, you're unlikely to blow it. Only rarely do we end up pushing our amps hard.
If you plan on playing C6th and playing loud, I'd replace the speaker with one of the modern neo speakers. Not only are they lighter, but they're rated WELL beyond the output of the amp.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

I've heard that not properly EQing the steel was/is a major factor in blowing these speakers. trying to get more low end than the speaker can handle.
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

Most often it is the hard clipping of the amp from being overdriven, rather than the amount of electrical current itself, that fries a voice coil. A 30 watt square wave will toast many a 75 watt speaker.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

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