Fender Steel King info please

[Marty Broussard]

What is different about their design? Is something about the circuitry, components, etc? I am considering finding one to experiment….

Thanks for any insights.

[Dale Foreman]

Hey Marty, what’s up buddy? You playing any? I wanted to tell you that I once had a Steel King and to be honest, I hated it. I could never get the tone that I needed from it.
I’ve been building NV 400’s using Tommy Huff cabinets and Eminence TT 15 speakers. I also modify the tone chip set if necessary. Here’s what they look like.
This particular one is Beau Thomas’s amp, it has an EPS 15 C speaker.

[Greg Cutshaw]

Fender steel king is my favorite steel guitar amp. I hooked mine up to a PV black widow speaker and got sound identical to the PV Nashville 400. As far as I can tell most of the unique sound is in the steel king speaker and not in the amp at self although I do like how easy it is to adjust the amp controls.

https://www.gregcutshaw.com/Black%20Wid ... Widow.html

[Marty Broussard]

Dale,
If we’re not traveling I’ll play if I’m called…lol. When time allows I’ll look at bringing you my NV400….take care!!

[Marty Broussard]

Greg,
Even after the speaker swap did you hear any audible difference that might justify my time on a trial? I heard that those amps might have some FET circuitry—-and Im partial to that. So I’m wondering if the SK is very close to a NV400, but adds the FETs and a Tilt Control. Any feedback is appreciated.

Best regards,

[Jeremy Threlfall]

The amp is basically a 200W tranny Bassman head with a steel-specific EQ section. The Jazz Master is the same thing with a jazz-specific EQ section.

So its a clean 200W solid state amp. What not to like?

[Lee Baucum]

Hey, Marty! I've often wondered about the Fender Steel King maybe having FETs in the circuitry.

Using my 1985 Evans FET-500LV as a benchmark, I am able to dial in a very, very close sound on my Fender Steel King. I love it.

Sam Marshall, who was the Fender engineer (now retired) who designed the Fender Steel King (and maybe the Fender Jazz King?), is a member of the Forum.

You may want to reach out to him for more information.


https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/profile ... ile&u=1122

[Marty Broussard]

Thanks for the info folks!!

[Bobby Harris]

I had a steel king amp I didn’t keep it long I didn’t like the sound sounded cheap

[Greg Cutshaw]

Swapping in a new MOD reverb tank into the Steel King gets rid of the tinny metallic reverb sound and give the reverb a longer tail. Sounds more like a plush hall reverb!

[Jerry Humphries]

I never could get the sound I wanted out of a SK . So I traded it in for one of those new Fender Twin Tone Master. It weighs 33 lbs. I put a PODXT in front of it and its better than the SK. Still not satisfied . I may swap the 2 12's for a 15 in speaker. Cowboy Eddie Long has a demo of one he bought. you can probably find it on youtube. His sounds great !!!!!!!!!

[Dale Foreman]

Hey Marty, I did hear one at the Dallas show with a 15” Black Widow in it and it sounded pretty damn good. as a matter of fact Joe Rogers was with me and he bought it and brought it back in my car! lol

[Lee Baucum]

Any updates, Marty?

~Lee

[Marty Broussard]

Lee,
We’ve been traveling, I started tinkering with a PP project, and I haven’t done anything on this. Maybe I’ll get around to it in a few months. Sure would like to have one to tinker with, but……

Take care!!

[Roger Crawford]

Marty, a friend has a Steel King for sale. Let me know if you’re interested.