session 400 sound

[Bob Carlucci]

I bought one new way back when.. Silver knob,around early 1977, but mine had a BW, as by that time they figured out that the 60 watt D130 was no match for 200 watts of clean brutally loud power.

Loved it then, and in later years had a Vegas, Nashville 112, Session 500, and a later model blue knob Session 400.. None came close to matching the sound and warmth of that original.. Only thing I liked as much[in SS amps] was the old Musician 200 watt heads, one that I sold, and regretted it so much I ran and bought another that I still have [and love],, So a few weeks ago I found a raggedy old Session 400 that was a mess, and didn't work.. Got her running, cleaned away decades of filth,grime, and dust, that hid a very nice shape amp, and started playing it.. I had forgotten in my tube amp induced stupor what an absolutely wonderful steel guitar amp Peavey made in those years.. So full and rich, all the deep bass, strong mids, and glassy chimey highs anyone could wish for.. Not only that, it has such sustain, that it matches the tube amps that I have been using with a DBX half rack studio compressor.. No compressor even needed with the session... Reverb is great, trem is great, jeez what great amps.. I used to know that as a young man, and over the decades, I had simply forgotten, and became a "tubes only" cork sniffer. The amp has been sold as I simply have no use for it these days, and I am happy the man that is buying it will get it running 100%... I just wanted to write about this, as like I said earlier, I just plain forgot about why i loved my first "voiced for steel guitar" amp so much... I know the high end steel amps today are great, but I dunno, those old Sessions were special.. I would have LOVED to hear what this session sounded like before someone toasted the D130 that it came with... I recall decades ago when the sound man in the NJ band I was with started yelling at me, and calling me an idiot for daring to buy a Peavey instead of a Fender Twin.. [He HATED Peavey stuff].. He then started railing at the bass player/band leader guy about what a stupid amp that moron Bob bought... The bass player looked at him and said "yeah, but it sounds GOOD!.. Words of vindication!.. anyway, just wanted to write this down, now that I have spent some time once again with one of my first and most beloved steel guitar memories... Peavey did good when they put these amps on the design board... bob

[Bill Terry]

I've got a first year Session 400, the JBL was long gone when I got it, but it has the 'spider web' BW that came along shortly after and it sounds great. I've got a stable of amps that work well for steel guitar; a drip-edge Twin, a Tone-Master Twin, a Quilter Steelaire, a '66 Deluxe Reverb (low power, but great sound), and yet I can't bring myself to sell that Session 400.

When they first came out, I was working in a music store in Fort Worth, TX, and we had a lot of good steel players in the area that did business there. They bought those Session 400s in mass, all you had to do was try one out as a steel player, and you were sold. The heavy hitters on the C neck had problems with the JBLs right from the start. We had blown JBLs stacked up by the service dept like cord wood. But the players didn't care, it was covered by warranty, and they sounded good, so they dealt with it. When the BWs showed up, that problem went away. I'm still surprised once in a while when an early Session 400 shows up for sale with that Peavey branded JBL.. a few have survived.

The Session 400 was really a breakthrough at the time, and is still a fine amplifier if you ask me.

[Steve Hinson]

What a game changer the Session 400 was!

I prefer the LTD 400,but it’s the same amp in a
smaller cabinet…

When I first got to Nashville I traded a BF Twin
w/JBLs for my first LTD-I’ve probably worn out 5 or 6
of them since then…

I’ve never heard anything that sounded better…

SH

[Dennis Detweiler]

I still have my 1974 Session 400. I still have the lifetime warranty card. I blew through two JBL's before the BW was introduced. It can't be beaten with the current flat magnet 1501 in it. I asked Buddy Emmons about his opinion of the Session 400. He stated that his first early Session 400 (silver knob) was the best sounding 400 that he used and wished he still had it. I had my 1974 bench tested against a 1976. The electronics tech said, the 1974 put out an honest 200w rms and the 1976 160w rms. He said, the 76 had protective circuitry added which reduced the output? I compared the two in my living room and there was definitely more warmth in the 1974. Maybe component quality? I don't know? I won't part with it. The only electronic pain with all of them is the frequent need to re-seat the molex connectors and rarely, the power transistor pins. The only current amp that I use that comes close to dialing in comparable tone is the Revelation Tube Preamp, but it's a more complex set of controls and tubes to get great results which has to be combined with a quality rack power amp.

[T. C. Furlong]

I was hooked on a Session 400 from the minute I heard Buddy Emmons record his live record in St. Louis in 1977. I was all of 22 years old and I sat in the front row, on the floor soaking up every note...and the tone was other worldly.

Back up to 1976...I was playing in a band called Swingshift. Our bass player was recording an album - S'Wonderful by Four Giants Of Swing with Joe Venuti, Eldon Shamblin, Curly Chalker and Jethro Burns (Jethro was a member in Swingshift too) Our band leader invited me to attend the two days of recording sessions. Of course, I jumped at the chance. Day one was rocky for Curly. The studio supplied him with a bad sounding Twin Reverb. He hated it and wasn't able to play well because of it. At the end of the night, I approached Curly and said " I have a Session 400, would you like me to bring it for tomorrow?" He looked at me, hugged me, and kissed me on the forehead. I brought my trusty Peavey amp and he used it. Every steel solo that was on the record was played through my Session 400 on day two. None of the solos that were played on day one made it onto the record. There you go.

These two experiences (and countless others) inspired me to put the sound of our beloved discrete solid state amp into a small 1 lb. pedal. You can read about it at www.tcfurlongcustom.com

[Jon Light]

I can't tell you, T.C., how eager I am for that pedal. I'm on the waiting list and I'm poised to mow down anybody between me & the buy it now button when you release the next production run.

My first real steel amp was the later Session 400 Limited and I was not fond of it. But I also did not play well enough to understand how to generate good tone on my guitar.
Years later I've gone thru some tube amps and I'm now playing Quilters. I brought that old Peavey out of mothballs recently just for giggles. It sounds worlds better than I remembered it. The main feature that I've never quite found on other amps is the low-end thump that fills the bottom and low mids without necessarily making mud. It adds up to a sweetness that I really like.

The idea of re-creating this in a pedal, but based on a better model Peavey.....I'm waiting!

[Bill Terry]

..the sound of our beloved discrete solid state amp..

Exactly, I'm convinced the lack of any op-amps is a large part of the magic...

[T. C. Furlong]

Bill, Exactly. In addition to an all discrete transistor design I spent three months selecting the best sounding capacitors. Great capacitors contribute to a circuit sounding musical, clear and sweet in the highs and firm and big in the bass.

High quality caps are really expensive but I think totally worth every penny. And they don’t drift like cheaper caps sometimes do.

BTW one of the caps I use is made by a company who recently announced they were discontinuing that value. So I bought ten thousand pieces. Yes, they are that good and I won’t compromise. I’m kind of nutty that way

[Bill Terry]

I’m kind of nutty that way

You could say that about steel players in general really...

[Ron Funk]

'just another 'brush with Greatness' story by Mr. T. C. Furlong!

TC - do you recall if your Session 400 was one of the 'originals' with the sparkly grill cloth?

Those are really hard to find -

https://www.ebay.com/itm/354358543084?h ... BMkt-jl5xi

Best regards,
Ron

[Dennis Detweiler]

The photo of the Session 400 is deceiving. I don't think Peavey ever put silver sparkle cloth on their amps? The color of Curly's MSA is supposed to be black. Maybe the ebay seller used a low quality camera to take the picture? Also, the very early 1974 original Session 400 Peavey logos were in the corner of the grill cloth. Not long after, Peavey installed their logos top center of the grill cloth. My 1974 has the factory installed logo in the upper left corner at an angle, as were all early Peavey equipment.