Session 500

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 15 Aug 2002 7:43 pm

What's everybody's opinion on these amps besides being heavy compared to the Nash 400
and 1000?

Tony

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 15 Aug 2002 8:33 pm

Tony, I have had the 400s and also have a Session 2000 PX 300 combo but nothing sounds as good as my Session 500 with the LeMay mod kit. It's incredible.

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 16 Aug 2002 7:13 am

Peavey customers who own this particular amp usually love them and would not part with them, but yes, they also comment about the weight of the amp. The '500' was a good model for us and it might be the right model for you.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 16 Aug 2002 7:15 am

Tony, I have a Session 400 Limited, an Evans, and Session 500 and have had a Nashville 400, plus a Webb. The 500 sounds better than all of them and I don't have the mod!

You sent me the settings for the 500 that Jeff Newman published in a newsletter a few years back. Works for me and thanks again.

David Weaver · Post by **David Weaver** » 16 Aug 2002 11:56 am

I just bought a Session 500 with the LeMay Mod. off of the Forum Buy and Sell, and I am looking forward to trying it...

(as opposed to looking forward to LIFTING it).

I've heard good things about it.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 16 Aug 2002 12:57 pm

I have had my "500" for about 20 years, but have played through a Stereo-Steel amp in recent years.

Last year I had a theater sit-down job, March thru August, so I hauled the Session 500 over there and left it on stage all season. I had almost forgotten how good that thing sounds!
www.genejones.com [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 16 August 2002 at 01:59 PM.]

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 21 Aug 2002 8:16 pm

I think the "500" stands for the weight but it also stand for ideal tone. I always heard that the quality furniture is heavy, it also applies to amps. Teenie is tinney.

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 21 Aug 2002 9:13 pm

Awesome amp!
Bought my first one new in '82.
No trouble till the transformer went out last year; also had to have some solder reflowed.
Found another on the road in Alabama and bought that one, too.
Run 'em in stereo or biamped depending on my mood.

Quesney Gibbs · Post by **Quesney Gibbs** » 22 Aug 2002 3:22 am

I played a session 500 for years and loved it but some mexican varmits in Houston helped themselves to it along with some other things out of the back of my truck one day. I have wished more than once that I had those rats in my pistol sights.

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 22 Aug 2002 1:50 pm

I have one and cut the head off!
I remade the top of the cabinet into an amp-only section, which still weighs about 50-60 lbs, but at least it's manageable.
I had to make a new cabinet for the 15" speaker since the bulk of the original cabinet was used to house the new amp head.

jeff reynolds · Post by **jeff reynolds** » 22 Aug 2002 2:44 pm

I Own A Session500 and I am pleased with it It also sounds good for a Six string Guitar

I'd like to know more about this LeMay Modification... How can I tell if Mine Has it already? What Does it Do For the Amp?
Waiting Your Replies,
Jeff

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 22 Aug 2002 2:49 pm

Tony P., I went the other way. My brother-in-law has a workshop and I took the head out of the original enclosure and he built a cabinet around it. I just left the speaker in the original enclosure and to my ears and to everyone else I've asked, it sounds fine. Both pieces weigh about 40 lbs.[This message was edited by Don Walters on 22 August 2002 at 03:50 PM.]

Fred Murphy · Post by **Fred Murphy** » 23 Aug 2002 7:16 am

Jeff, if you want to know bad enough to take the amp apart, you can look at the op/amps, the little square, black colored, componets that have numbers one them. The original ones are 5532's and the modified ones will be 2604's, if they have the Peavey Modification. This number will show on top of them. If it has the Lemay modification, these will probably have the numbers painted out with either gold or red paint. There are about six or eight of them, and they are all alike. If you ever play through a modifed amp, you can easily recognize the difference in tone of a modifed amp by simply playing through it. If I were happy with the tone already, I wouldn't worry about it. I have always thought that the Peavey amps had a hard, cold, sound that I didn't like, although they always had plenty of clean power. When modified, to me, it warms them up and gives them a tube amp sound, which I love. It makes a great amp out of the 400, 500, and 400 Limited. It doesn't do much for the Vegas however, I think it is the worse sounding of them all.

Ad Kersten · Post by **Ad Kersten** » 23 Aug 2002 3:29 pm

Tony,

I still have my Session 500 that I have played for almost 10 years. I think it is very good for steel guitar. It is clean, clear and has a lot of headroom. While playing with my band I didn't like the high end very much: it can be very pronounced. For some reason I did not experience this when playing at home. I also could not get a decent sound out of it for my electric guitar, so I switched over to a Tubefex (which has disadvantages too, like hiss and compression, but I like the sound...). Anyway, the Session 500 is a good amp for steel in my opinion.

Ad

------------------
Zumsteel S12U

Yo, Man!

JOZEF SMITH · Post by **JOZEF SMITH** » 1 Sep 2002 8:44 pm

I am in the process of buying this used Session 500 amp. But I was unable to get a solid undistorted sound. I tried various settings with no succsess. Can anybody advise me in what position to set all those knobs. I will be using this amp with my Emmons and profexII.
Your input will be really appreciated.
Jozef
Emmons D-10, 8P/6K
MSA D-10. 8P/4K

John Cadeau · Post by **John Cadeau** » 1 Sep 2002 9:06 pm

I've had my "500" for about 15 years, I also have a session 400, but I wouldn't trade my "500" for nothing. It's a great amp. I have installed the Lemay mod kit and it did smooth out the high end and improve the tonal separation. To me it's the amp.
John.

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 1 Sep 2002 10:21 pm

Jozef, you may be overdriving the preamp,check my email I sent you, Gary.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 2 Sep 2002 3:43 am

Jozef.....check to make sure that the "string" and "edge" effects knobs are all the way off. Sometimes those not familiar with this amp do not realize that there is a "detent" on each of those knobs.

Since the other knobs do not have the detent it is easy to overlook. www.genejones.com

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 2 Sep 2002 4:17 am

Josef, I asked the same question about 500 settings some time back. Go to the search feature and put in the name Tony Dingus. There are several responses here. I use the one that Tony listed and works great, which came off of an early Jeff Newman newsletter.

JOZEF SMITH · Post by **JOZEF SMITH** » 2 Sep 2002 10:44 am

Gary, Gene and George, thank you very much for your input. I will try it out.
Regards,
Jozef