Steel Amplifiers

Chuck Jacolucci · Post by **Chuck Jacolucci** » 14 Dec 2000 5:10 pm

I'm a newbie on the steel and am totally unfamiliar with the many breeds of amps available except for what I've heard around the forum. What are the differences in the Session 400 and the Nashville 400? They seem to be a popular choice, but I havent had the opportunity to hear one.
Thanks

FRANK MARIANO · Post by **FRANK MARIANO** » 15 Dec 2000 4:53 am

Hey Chuck,I Have both a sesson & a nashville 400.The sesson is a larger cabinet and to me gives of a better tone, however I did have my nash. modified last month by John LeMay in Nebraska and it made a world of differance.They both have black widow speakers in them and are truly a standard in the steel world.If you can try them both out its just a matter of what tone you are looking for.To me the nash 400 is just a bit brighter & thinner in tone than the sesson.Keep picking Frank

Chuck Jacolucci · Post by **Chuck Jacolucci** » 15 Dec 2000 6:37 am

Does either amp have reverb or tremolo, and are these a desirable feature for a steel?
Are they solid state or tube?

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 15 Dec 2000 7:06 am

Chuck.....

My Sessons 400 has both "reverb" and "Tremolo"

My "Nashville 400" dosen't have "tremolo" on tho.

All things considered, I really like the Sessons 400 better. (Eventho, it's a bit more weight)

They are both solid state amps. NO tubes whatsoever !!

Chuck Jacolucci · Post by **Chuck Jacolucci** » 15 Dec 2000 5:24 pm

Thanks for the info, fellas. Looks like I'll be shopping for the Sessions 400. Anyone got any good sales going on?

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 15 Dec 2000 5:46 pm

If I were in your shoes, I'd consider my budget and look at some other options IN ADDITION TO the ones you've outlined already. E.g., newer Peaveys, older Fenders, used Evanses. There's actually a pretty fair choice available. My $0.02.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 16 Dec 2000 10:18 am

I have a session 400 and its very heavey im almost considering just getting a preamp and a speaker beings i use a profex 11 and all its doing is using the amp in the unit the sounds are all mixed in the profex just my $0.02 as well see ya

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carter single 10

Chuck Jacolucci · Post by **Chuck Jacolucci** » 16 Dec 2000 2:08 pm

I appreciate all the $0.02 I can get. Like I said, I havent heard any of them yet and I'm only going by what I hear from you folks. I dont need anything fancy. It is for home use and for a beginner, so I could probably live with my gorilla for a while, but I dont want to insult my Derby D-10 when it arrives. Thanks again for the good advice.

Chuck Jacolucci · Post by **Chuck Jacolucci** » 16 Dec 2000 2:15 pm

I'd also like to figure out why some amps are more suitable for the steel as opposed to a strat or other guitars according to the pro steelers out there. I guess its like anything else - its what suits the individual the best, so I guess Ya gotta hear 'em before ya buy 'em.

Johnne Lee Ables · Post by **Johnne Lee Ables** » 16 Dec 2000 3:26 pm

Chuck,

I'm a newbie like you. In fact I only have a old, non-pedal dbl-8 for now. If you like the Fender Twin sound, you might consider a Carvin. If you want a tube amp try the 212 Bel Air, but if its SS your after... Well, I can't speak highly enough of the SX200D. I've had nothing but great success with Carvin stuff starting back in '78.
www.carvin.com

Like you said, it depends a lot on what you like. Your sound is more than just the amp and fx, too.

Good Luck,

Johnne

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 17 Dec 2000 1:03 am

Think

Peavey...Peavey...Peavey...Peavey...

(Your eye's are gettin' heavy)

Peavey...Peavey...Peavey...Peavey...

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 1 Jan 2001 7:07 pm

what Bill said

BF

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Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 2 Jan 2001 7:59 pm

Just a quick personal opinion...the tremolo really isn't worth having, but a good reverb is indispensible!

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 3 Jan 2001 7:42 am

Hello Chuck,
You may call me toll free at 1-877-732-8391 should you have questions about Peavey products.

Mike Brown
Peavey Customer Service

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 3 Jan 2001 9:12 pm

While I'm saving for my 'Stereo Steel'

- I'm using a Fender Hot Rod Deville w/ 4 10's in it. (60w tube) Works really good. Traded in my Nashville 1000 for it. I use a rack mixer to route steel, lap steel, guitar and fiddle to it. All with their own EQ's. Also use a 15 year old Peavey Stereo Chorus 400 for some small gigs cause I can plug in the guitar to ch 1 and the steel into ch 2. They are both heavy beasts, which is why a 'Stereo Steel' amp is in my plans for the future (or some other light, modular amp and speaker system).
cheers,
Chris

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"We can't afford to let Nature Run Wild" - govt. offical - Alaska

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 6 Jan 2001 10:12 am

The unusually high number of players who use a Peavey Nashville 400 should say, "this has got to be the amp!".

See if you can find one. I predict you will be pleased. I will be the first to admit, there may indeed be other good high quality amps. But you just can't knock success.

I have not heard the new Peavey 1000/2000 since I am no longer actively in the main stream of the steel guitar world, but I can say that the Peavey Nashville 400 satisfies my needs. I am sure many many players feel the same way.

Used with a Boss DD-3 with very little, if any reverb, on the amp, provides me THE sound I want.

Try one if you can find one. You might just like it.

God bless you in what ever you come up with,

carl

Jim Walker · Post by **Jim Walker** » 9 Jan 2001 2:19 am

Well, I might as well throw my 2 cents in too. I've used Nashvilles and Sessions amps for years and I didn't even take up the steel till about 3 months ago. I always liked using 15's for the fatter sound. I like a little thump in my picking. For the last two years I've been running Stereo out of the back of my RP3 left to the Bandit 112 and right to my Sessions 400. Gets me real killer tones, and with the trem on the Sessions I get a Leslie type of sound when mixed right with the other amp. I recently tried a Nashville against my Sessions and the Sessions sounded better. IMO......

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Jimmy The Kid

MCI D10 8+5 / Sessions 400
B-Bender Telecaster / Bandit 112
Digitec RP3 Effects[This message was edited by Jim Walker on 09 January 2001 at 02:21 AM.]

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 11 Jan 2001 2:59 pm

My Session 500 had a built-in chorus but neither it nor my Session 400 nor my Nashville 400 has tremolo.In fact,I've never seen tremolo on any Peavey steel amp.What's the deal? -MJ-

David Biagini · Post by **David Biagini** » 11 Jan 2001 7:09 pm

My Session 400 has tremolo.

PLAYSTEEL9 · Post by **PLAYSTEEL9** » 12 Jan 2001 11:49 am

well i don't have $0.02 (i play steel)
but i used them all they all sound good in the bedroom, but i found that a high stage voulmes the nashiville didn't cut, so i went to fender, it worked for my tele, but it would eat up tubes about evey six months.
the last year,(or more), i have been using a profex with peavey power amp, thru, either 15's or 12's depending on the size of the club or show, and don't think i will ever carry a heavy amp again.
they cost about the same and are lighter, i can place the speakers any where i want and have a stereo rig if needed for recording all in one rack.
now
where can i get that $0.02.

wayne

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Those that make music, pray twice.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 Jan 2001 12:07 pm

Playsteel, you are comparing apples to oranges. What is great for a Tele (or strat or whatever lead guitar) may be terrible for steel or what is great for steel may not be suitable for a lead.

If you are going to compare, you have to compare using the same instrument or compare tube amps to tube amps (and solid state to solid state). Plus if you like tube amps don't even try a solid state amp - 99% of the tube guys do not like them.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » 12 Jan 2001 11:12 pm

Hay Chuck, times are hard I only have $0.01 to add.I Don't play in a band, but I use a 1970's Peavey Vagas 400. It has reverb and it is solid state, also quite heavy. A friend of mine who plays through a Nashville 400 said that the Vagas 400 is the same. I also tried my friends Sesson 500. To much amp for me, also 15 Lbs. heavyer then the Vagas. All the Steel players I've herd are using Peavey amps. Think P E A V E Y !!!
Tom,

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 13 Jan 2001 11:03 am

What is great for a Tele (or strat or whatever lead guitar) may be terrible for steel or what is great for steel may not be suitable for a lead.

Well, I must have lucked out or something. I have a Fender Custom Vibrasonic with a 15" stock Fender/Emminence speaker in it that I primarily use for my Emmons PP. I also got a Tele '52 Reissue last week (althought I can't play the dern thing one lick....), and going through this amp, it just sounds TERRIFFIC! I might tweak up the highs a bit, but holy smokes, it sounds flat out great, as is... TWANG CENTRAL! Course, I also can go upstairs and run it through the VHT/Tubeworks rack system, distort it all to hell, and sound like Keith Richards crashing off of a methedrine high...

this is now my armchair/watching the TV/noodling around instrument