Keybaaord amp

Roxie Klaus · Post by **Roxie Klaus** » 23 Mar 2003 1:28 pm

Have any of you tried using a keyboard amp ( Roland, etc.) on pedal steel? How did it sound?

R.E. Klaus

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 24 Mar 2003 2:21 am

I have tried the one made by Fender. It's a big amp, but doesn't have enough tone controls, and it didn't have any effects, like reverb, either. (Apparently, keyboard players are't the "tone slaves" that we steelers are.)

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 24 Mar 2003 7:00 am

Roxie, I recently tried a Roland keyboard combo amp in a music store with my S12U Fessy. It was clean but sterile sounding. No character. Donny is right that there was not the EQ flexibility one wants for steel. I think keyboards are made with fairly balanced tone, so they don't need to monkey with it much. Also, I think it didn't have compression. Keyboards have very even attack and sustain, so they don't need compression like a steel does (to smooth out the volume and save speakers). Finally, at 70 watts (which is a big keyboard amp) it didn't have the power steel needs (not for volume, but for clean head room and pumping the volume pedal for sustain), so I would have had to buy two of them. Hope this helps.

Check out a post of mine on the Line 6 Vetta 200 watt amp head. If I were buying an amp right now I would seriously consider it because of the power, clean head room, tube modelling and FX all in a single lightweight package.