Lightweight stereo combo amp?

[John McClung]

Can anyone recommend a great-sounding, true stereo combo amp with built-in twin speakers? More and more of my stompboxes demand true stereo, I'm looking for a simple grab-and-go amp that does it all. I remember years ago a terrific=sounding Peavey Stero 212, but I'm sure it must have been quite heavy. I'm willing to replace stock speakers with neo's.

NOTE: I already have a Stereo Steel combo amp/preamp, but the fussy wiring is kind of a drag. I want to just plug 2 wires from the last stereo effect into dual inputs on an amp's front. And still get killer pedal steel tone.

Thanks for advice.

[gary pierce]

John, It's not a combo, but I have a 2x12 Mathers cabinet that I used with the SS pre, and amp so I could just grab one cabinet.
It has two Telonics 12-4's in it, and looks like a new Fender with d2f cover.

[Gary Thorsen]

I bought one for $150 with two black widows, a bit heavy of course but a killer guitar and steel amp with stereo effects

[Gary Thorsen]

Just stick a couple PFM 350s in it and you're set!

[George Seymour]

Two separate amps in one box..hum I'd be interested in hearing about that as I'm not aware of any presently in one box on the market. I use the "stereo" out of my Strymon and Wet stereo to two amps of my choice. Sounds really good and enveloping on a bigger stage set up, but I'm sure you are aware that without two separate pickup on the guitar it isn't true "stereo" but splitting hairs there. I'd venture to say a useful do it your self would be to mount a couple of those Class d type amps..Tone blocks from QSX of something similar as has been discussed here on the forum, in to a 2X12 Mojotone custome cab, couple light weight Telonics 12's or TT's or heavier Pf-350..although the spacy effect of two amp might not be too noticeable in on box as opposed to two separate amps spread out a little on stage..good to see you are up and at em again..

[Rick Stratton]

I've been looking at this one as a possible solution for Steel and guitar.
There is a 2 X 12 speaker box available for it that I believe would allow stereo.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... NMQAvD_BwE

[Mike Perlowin]

In my opinion, in order to get the full benefit of stereo, the amps or speakers should be 4 or 5 feet away from each other.

I suggest a pedal board with 2 outs going to separate amps. Maybe a pair of Peavey 112s.

Back in the 80s, I had a Boss Chorus connected to a Music Man 212-HD and a Peavey LTD 400 with a Black Widow speaker. The 2 amps weighed around 140 pounds, but their combined sound was simply amazing.

[Marty Broussard]

John,
FWIW, I had the Peavey Stereo Chorus 212 and the Stereo Chorus 400. To my ear the 400 sounded better. Both sounded surprisingly good in stereo mode....like the speakers were several feet apart.

Maybe save a search on Ebay and Reverb.com for both models? Also, you can do a country-wide search on Craigslist and save it too. I forgot the name of the app but it's available via the Apple App store.

One last thing, have you considered contacting an amp cabinet builder to build a cabinet to mount your current rack gear into and wiring it up? You could get a 2x12 combo rigged up pretty easily.

Just my 2 cents.....


Good luck to you.

[Ian Rae]

a great-sounding, true stereo combo amp with built-in twin speakers

Stereo-in-a-box is a bit of non-starter - as Mike Perlowin points out, the speakers need to be some way apart before anyone will notice much. I like to share the stereo reverb I enjoy at home by playing through a pair of Fender 112s (one within arm's reach as I use the preamp). They're easier to carry than a single big box would be.

[John McClung]

Thanks for all the ideas, guys. I, too, used to run my Webb and Peavey Special 130 together with a Boss CE-1 Chorus, now THAT was a big sound! But oh the weight!

Sounds to me like there's a bit of a market for a lightweight amp like this.

The trouble with twin amps or speakers is stages can seldom accomodate that much gear. But some new effects I want to use are the E-H B9, and TC-Electronics Mimiq, and both sound puny in mono.

I'll look into all these suggestions.

George, I'm feeling pretty good now, hoping to gig a little more this year. Still quite busy teaching E9 students.

[Mike Perlowin]

The other option is a stereo power amp and 2 cabinets.

[ajm]

As has been hinted at but maybe not spelled out: Whatever you use, be it a combo or a separate amp and cabinets, to get stereo you will need two individual power amps. Each amp will drive its own speaker(s).

When I first read your post I envisioned you plugging a stereo chorus pedal (or whatever) outputs into channels 1 and 2 of a two channel amp (like a Twin Reverb, for example). That isn't going to do it since that is a mono amp, and may lead to other problems like phase cancellation.

If you could find a combo that is stereo, AND has a stereo effects loop, you could put your effect/pedal in the loop.

Just off the top of my head I'd check with Peavey or maybe Line 6 or Fender.

Peavey used to make a small one hand carry stereo chorus amp called the Studio Chorus or Studio Chorus 70 or something like that. I think it had two 35 watt power amps and was 2x10. I seem to recall that it had a stereo effects loop but could be mistaken. That was many years ago so you'd need to find one used.

I believe that Fender used to make or maybe still does an amp similar to the Peavey mentioned.

Peavey used to make a Stereo Chorus 212. Two 130 watt power amps, 2x12, 3 channel, digital reverb and chorus. A lot of guys liked them, but they were heavy.

[John McClung]

Turns out Peavey has a couple of good answers, imagine that!

Their new Session 115 seems to have stereo sends/returns that put out true stereo when an extension cabinet is used, but sum to mono if just the one internal speaker is used. Anyone have experience with that?

It also uses a neo BW, so weight "packed" is just 50.7 lbs.Anyone know the true weight of just the amp? Anyone compared its neo BW speakers to Eminence TT-12?

https://peavey.com/products/index.cfm/item/1073/118860/

They also have the RR amp, but all I'm looking for is clean power, not high gain sounds.

[Pete Burak]

Two Bandit 65's would work great for a Stereo rig... Pretty light, pretty loud, pretty inexpensive, take up about the same space as a 2-12, and you can move them farther apart whenever possible.

[Jim Sliff]

I'm curious as to what pedals "demand" stereo. I've seen plenty of stereo pedals but every one could be used in a mono rig just fine.

[James Holland]

Turns out Peavey has a couple of good answers, imagine that!

I think Peavey and Fender and Marshall have "Chorus" amps that are stereo, some having stereo inputs. Also, check-out the Fender Satellite SFX series. I used a Cube 60 and Cube 80 for a while, but sold the 60 to a friend, after going back to a single box.

[Frank De Vincenzo]

Take a look a Roland's Jazz Chorus40 John.
L/R Stereo inputs on the front panel and stereo effects loop jacks on back panel. , true stereo w/chorus, reverb and vibrato. 2x10's. Pristine cleans. I run an SD10 and electric and acoustic guitars thru mine. I don't know why this amp hasn't caught on with the pedal steel crowd? It's one of the most uncolored clean sounds I've heard. Maybe because it's not tubes?

[Mike Perlowin]

Take a look a Roland's Jazz Chorus40 2x10's. I don't know why this amp hasn't caught on with the pedal steel crowd?

I don't think 2 10"s will cut it for steel.

[Leo Melanson]

Some of these require outside the pedal steel guitar box thinking ..
but are stereo combo amps.

Roland Jazz Chorus
Line 6 FireHawk 1500
Peavey 212 Stereo Chorus
Roland KC990 Stereo Keyboard Amp
Blackstar ID260 Stereo guitar amp