New Peavey Steel Amp

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 24 Jan 2015 1:45 am

So can you get a 15" black widow cab to match and is that a closed back as well?

That would be something totally different for Peavey since all of their past steel amps were open back.

Howard Steinberg · Post by **Howard Steinberg** » 24 Jan 2015 5:13 am

I personally don't care for the RR sound for steel but it may be really nice for guitar. If it does clean steel and is easily switchable to grit, it could be a good amp for players who double. The class D aspect could mean light weight.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 24 Jan 2015 5:43 am

Alot of the way RR plays isnt just the sound he gets out of his amp.
He uses various effects pedals. Different pickup configurations etc. The way he picks is also unique to him. I'm pretty sure if he came over to my house and sat down behind my steel and amp he would still sound like RR. The sound that he goes for is great foe that genre of music if you ask me. I can dial in a sound somewhat similar on my nashville 112 if I wanted to play some soulful blues or rock.
I am sure that if Peavey would put their stamp on this amp that it great sound capabilities.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 24 Jan 2015 6:04 am

meh... Most of us are playing smaller gigs and looking at smaller rigs these days..
Look at the rise in popularity among working steel players in small one handed amps.. Roland XL series, Peavey 112, etc.. IMHO they would have done better with a smallish LIGHTWEIGHT 1 x15 amp with with a flexible tube preamp and Class D output, with a few select hi quality digital effects.. Very few steel players these days, need massive power.. 100-150 watts of clean power is all anyone needs in a steel amp these days, with a few exceptions... bob

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 24 Jan 2015 8:48 am

Right Bob. There is no need for 500 watts. I have a Nashville 400 at 200 watts, and have never had the pregain more than halfway. Any louder and they better be mic'ing the band. Even bands that don't have soundmen should figure out how to mic things. I worked with several bands who mic stuff in small places just to help with balanced coverage in the venue.

John Gould · Post by **John Gould** » 24 Jan 2015 10:04 am

I think some of you might be misinterpreting what's going on with this new product. The first thing power is not just for volume it's for headroom and clarity . I know when I get to a part where I'm attacking the strings harder and asking for the amp to respond I don't want it to crap out. Also it takes more power to keep a instrument like the steel clean because of the frequency range of the instrument. I played on the amp that was sitting there with a Lap Steel , it had a wide range of gain structure and EQ best I could tell in the environment. The amp is still in prototype stages, I was also told that they might make the R R model and then a spin off for the rest of us that don't want as much gain. They asked me several questions about what I thought a traditional steel player would want in the amp. I answered them the best way I could and I'm sure the are watching and reading what we are posting about the amp. I guess the Bottom Line is this is not a finished product and it's nice to know Peavey has not turned it's back on the Steel Guitar community even though it's a small market for them in reality .

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 24 Jan 2015 11:06 am

But still, 500 watts is overkill. If you have that much of a problem with headroom, mic your amp. Other things can help too. I was running my NV400 at about half and band leaders say I'm not loud enough. I don't like running my amps any higher than half. The tone gets funky. I found that if I set my volume pedal so there's signal going through it when it's in the off position, I get to use that headroom a lot easier because the volume pedal now actually makes it to a higher output. Volume pedals normally cut down a lot of the signal coming from your guitar. Both my Hilton and Goodrich electronic pedals are set up this way, but I have also done it with pot pedals by re-positioning the pot position at rest. Just don't set it to where it hits the end of the pots travel. Good way to trash the pot. 200 watts is plenty of headroom.

But with all that being said, This amp looks to be a killer amp.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 24 Jan 2015 2:35 pm

Johnie Helms · Post by **Johnie Helms** » 24 Jan 2015 6:11 pm

I remember talkin' with Grant over at Peavey afew Years back, (talkin bout something new for steel amplification). I suggested something on the lines of the previous Vegas amplifier, only with a real tube preamp stage for warmth and perhaps a high gain second channel (for elect. Guitar) all through a digital power amp.. For loud clean power..
More along the lines of the double duty amps many of us need these Days..

JH

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 24 Jan 2015 7:25 pm

Seriously on the Wikipedia entry for "crotchety" there should be a link to this forum.

Daniel Policarpo · Post by **Daniel Policarpo** » 25 Jan 2015 4:09 am

Dustin Rhodes wrote:Seriously on the Wikipedia entry for "crotchety" there should be a link to this forum.

Ain't it the truth.

One time I used a 600B Peavey PA head since my little Laney 50 watter was not going to be loud enough for the room, or the bass player. I was surprised how good it worked, and how full and clean the sound remained. That Peavey gives us something like this in head form, to mix and match cabinets with headroom to spare is not an attack on those of us who also use less watts or play smaller places. Can't wait to hear one.
Lord, bless us all.

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 25 Jan 2015 6:46 am

It's 250 watts per side - like having two Nashville 400 heads with all the built in effects. Lot's smaller than an equivalent rack setup and I would bet it's going to be priced reasonably.

If it had say, Gary Carter or Tommy White's name on it you guys would probably say it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 25 Jan 2015 6:58 am

Doug Earnest wrote:If it had say, Gary Carter or Tommy White's name on it you guys would probably say it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Well put, Doug. I agree. I also find it interesting that some well respected high priced boutique amplifiers are using Peavey BW speakers. Peavey has been good to this community, what's all the fuss?

Craig Schwartz · Post by **Craig Schwartz** » 25 Jan 2015 7:35 am

Wow , I cant wait to hear it w/whomever they choose first , this could be a universal amp w/Steel included, Thanks Peavey

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 25 Jan 2015 7:41 am

500 watts in is not too much as I have used the Stewart world 1.2 power amp in mono 1400 watts with various preamps to create a pleasing sound.

If peavey is using a class D power amp with a voiced preamp for RR and a voiced channel for standard steel it would have another advantage. Also, i would think the RR vibe would be great for standard electric guitar to serve double duty as many have an interest in.

A head version SS with class D power would be light weight another advantage and you use what speaker cab you desire sounds like another advantage. Peavey service and track record is standard.

My 2 cents...

Lenny

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 25 Jan 2015 8:39 am

The RR model is also aimed at the P&W crowd. If you look at any vids of the Pentecostal church "concerts", you see a ton of Peavey amps.

If Peavey can then make a high-powered "clean" amp that can do respectable "gain" tones too......it's win-win.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 25 Jan 2015 8:46 am

Having access to reverb, chorus and gain in your amp means less extra pedals, patch cables, power supplies to plug in for those of you who dont like having to carry another suitcase of gear along and than have to look for a place to plug everything in.

I wonder if the clean channelpre amp circuit is like the Nashville 1000/112?

kevin ryan · Post by **kevin ryan** » 25 Jan 2015 9:50 am

Can't wait to try one....Could be pretty slick at a reasonable price.

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 25 Jan 2015 12:05 pm

Marty Holmes wrote:Seems useless as t**$ on a nun to the pure of heart country honky tonk steel player like myself. I'll stick to my fenders and music man amps I reckon

Hmmmm....so are you saying that pure honky tonk steel can't be performed, or never has been performed on a Peavey solid state amp?

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 25 Jan 2015 12:11 pm

Bob Carlucci wrote:meh... Most of us are playing smaller gigs and looking at smaller rigs these days..
Look at the rise in popularity among working steel players in small one handed amps.. Roland XL series, Peavey 112, etc.. IMHO they would have done better with a smallish LIGHTWEIGHT 1 x15 amp with with a flexible tube preamp and Class D output, with a few select hi quality digital effects.. Very few steel players these days, need massive power.. 100-150 watts of clean power is all anyone needs in a steel amp these days, with a few exceptions... bob

I agree with this....I swore I was going to "go lighter" this year, and what you described is exactly what I'm looking for.
But, if this one is not too heavy and priced right, it would mean I wouldn't have to carry my pedal board around, and being two piece might help with the weight

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 25 Jan 2015 1:26 pm

Dustin Rhodes wrote:Seriously on the Wikipedia entry for "crotchety" there should be a link to this forum.

You kids, get off my lawn!

Marty Holmes · Post by **Marty Holmes** » 25 Jan 2015 4:30 pm

Of course it can Chris but for me being aim toward Robert Randolph don't sound of much interest to me like the sessions or Nashville would spark my interest. I'm a little prejudice toward a solid state amp in the first place and yes I have played through every peavey amp ever made I just never got the tone I wanted until a twin reverb and a music man amp plus it ain't a combo amp

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 25 Jan 2015 6:02 pm

Doug Earnest wrote:It's 250 watts per side - like having two Nashville 400 heads with all the built in effects. Lot's smaller than an equivalent rack setup and I would bet it's going to be priced reasonably.

If it had say, Gary Carter or Tommy White's name on it you guys would probably say it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Not at all Doug.. Most of us just don't need that kind of power anymore.. there is a reason guys are after Roland 80 XL or Peavey 112 amps, and ditching perfectly functional Peavey steel amps.. Last year I was selling a Roland, and almost every trade offer I got was from someone with a big SS peavey steel amp.. They go for peanuts because for most of us, that time has passed... Maybe you are right and Peavey will sell thousands of this ultra powerful amp, but personally i have my doubts.. Guys want small, clean portable amps with a warm sound... bob

Joseph Napolitano · Post by **Joseph Napolitano** » 25 Jan 2015 7:18 pm

For me to use one amp to double on pedal steel and guitar it would need to have two separate channels. There's no time on a gig to be twisting EQ knobs back and forth every time you switch instruments.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 25 Jan 2015 10:54 pm

I'll be keeping an ear out......

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