What amp you guys use for the pedal steel?

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 19 Nov 2003 9:56 am

"Brad uses "Matchless" amps, which are gorgeous, high end amps".

I thought that Brad uses Dr. Z amps.

KB

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 19 Nov 2003 10:10 am

No comparison Webb to Peavey. Webb wins.

Uwe Haegg · Post by **Uwe Haegg** » 20 Nov 2003 2:09 am

What, in your opinion, makes the Webb amp better than a Peavey?
Is i better built? Is the sound different?
Or is it just another flavour?
Anyone care to elaborate?

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 20 Nov 2003 7:31 am

Yes....Yes....and Yes.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 20 Nov 2003 7:37 am

Uwe, wider dynamic range. JBL speaker. I do think the Nashville 1000 is a decent amp though. Just not in the Webb's class.

kyle reid · Post by **kyle reid** » 20 Nov 2003 8:51 am

Ive owned them all & Webb is the best!Can you Imagine what these will be worth when Jimmy Webb cant build any more?

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 20 Nov 2003 10:02 am

"I thought that Brad uses Dr. Z amps"

er.... yep. I got my high end amps confused

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 21 Nov 2003 5:58 am

I recently saw a music video with Brad. It looked like he was playing through a red Dr. Z.

Incidently, Matchless amps are no longer being made, but the Dr. Z's are "modeled" after them. Most Matchless amps are going for $2K and up.

In the Kevin Fowler band, Kevin plays a Tom Anderson "tele" through Matchless amp and Keith, our lead guitarist, playes a vintage Fender tele with a Bigsby tailpiece through a Dr. Z. The tone is real close. The difference is probably due to the pickers and their guitars.

BTW, I play my Emmons S12 through an Evans SE-200.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
www.kevinfowler.com

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 21 Nov 2003 6:05 am

Sorry ya'll. I double posted. Guess I'll always be a "low-tech, redneck'"

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
www.kevinfowler.com [This message was edited by Glenn Suchan on 21 November 2003 at 10:13 AM.]

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 21 Nov 2003 7:17 am

The maker and designer of the original
Matchless amps (Mark Sampson) has been making "Bad Cat" amps for the last couple years.

Daniel Vorp · Post by **Daniel Vorp** » 21 Nov 2003 10:02 am

I use a Webb 614E for the big rooms and a Peavey 112 for the small rooms.

Tom Diemer · Post by **Tom Diemer** » 21 Nov 2003 9:22 pm

I'd like to add something here, if I may:

I have a Peavey NV400, LA400, Peavey Ultra 4-10 tube amp, and a Stereo Chorus 400.

The Stereo Chorus 400 blows the rest away for tone.. Really surprised I don't hear more people mention them when talking about steel amps.

The Ultra 4-10 isn't bad either, if you like that warm tube sound, very Fender Twin'ish clean tone. Heavy though, and hard on tubes.

Off topic a little, but I also have a PODxt I use direct to a PA or, through an amp. That thing is awesome.

[This message was edited by Tom Diemer on 21 November 2003 at 09:23 PM.]

Steven Black · Post by **Steven Black** » 27 Nov 2003 5:52 am

I use a Randall RG300 which I like quite well
and have been using for years, it is all solid state mosfet, with spring reverb two channel, 15" EV, heavy amp but has the punch when you need it and is clean as well. a friend that I know who builds amps may try to re-clone this amp. Steveb carter 8+5.

Gary Preston · Post by **Gary Preston** » 30 Nov 2003 1:34 pm

It's the same old story . My amp sounds better than yours !! I use (2) nashville 400 amps and i like the sound with my Lexicon processor . The reverb stinks by it's self but other than that they do quite well. I have friends that have the Walker Stereo Steel systems and they like them very much. I have heard the Webb and Evans amps also and i have found that everyone uses their choice of ''Effects'' with them.
So i conclude that you will have to set all of them side by side ( if thats possable ) with no'' Effects ''and then make up your mind. Do you still love me ?? Regards ,,,Gary.

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 30 Nov 2003 9:39 pm

For several years I used two NV1000's. The best tone I believe I ever had was more recently, when I used just one NV1000 and only an Analog-Delay Stomp-box. Then I switched to a Peavey Classic 50/212, looking for the good ole tube sound again, and this suits my fine with the Analog-Delay. I prefer good tone over power to blow the roof off te building. If I need more coverage, I'll use my Peavey EDI, into the board!

------------------
“Big John” Bechtel
http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 1 Dec 2003 3:33 pm

Raj, when you post an open ended question such as, "which amp sounds better?", you will get 1000 different answers. I work at Peavey and have since 1976, so I speak from first-hand accounts as to how our products are built. Good tone is subjective, otherwise you would get one answer.

"Boutique" amplifiers usually cost more because the proprietor doesn't have access to quantity parts pricing and the labor costs involved are high due to the many hours involved in building one amp at a time. Unless the proprietor of the boutique business is efficient in designing,purchasing components at reasonable prices, manufacturing, marketing, day to day sales, servicing the products that he sells, providing the necessary "after the sale" services for many years to come. What happens to these boutique amps after the company that built them are no longer around? There are very few players that will tell you that the existing Fender amps are "as good as the older ones". But, none of my friends actually "own" a new Fender, they all own old ones. But, as technology advances, the manufacturing methods have to advance too. This is not to say that the older products weren't good, but the latest products(not all products) are just as good.

One of the main reasons why you see so many Peavey steel amps is because we "stick with it" while other companies choose to drop the manufacturing of steel amplifiers altogether because they can't do it efficiently, or they can't make money at it.

With almost 30 years at designing and manufacturing steel guitar amps under our belt, I feel that we are far ahead of our competitors in this field. You can count on my participation on the Forum, whereas you won't see other representatives of other steel amp companies on this Forum.

I can be reached toll free in North America at 1-877-732-8391 and will be glad to discuss this subject with you. I welcome your call.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation [This message was edited by Mike Brown on 04 December 2003 at 07:40 AM.]

Tom Vollmer · Post by **Tom Vollmer** » 1 Dec 2003 7:58 pm

I have never seen an ad in steel guitar literature offering to make a Webb amp or an Evans amp sound better by an after market change.IMHI no combination sounds better than an Emmons PP thru a Webb or Evans.TV

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 1 Dec 2003 11:06 pm

Marshall PA head with JBL 15 in. E-145. Alot to carry around but I'm hooked on the sound

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 1 Dec 2003 11:13 pm

Marshall PA head. 100 watts. JBL 15 inch E-145 This is alot to carry around but I'm love the sound. Bill W

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 1 Dec 2003 11:14 pm

Marshall PA head. 100 watts. JBL 15 inch E-145 This is alot to carry around but I'm love the sound. Bill W

Raj Natarajan · Post by **Raj Natarajan** » 2 Dec 2003 7:53 am

Thanks a lot Mike Brown. Yes, it truely great to have you here to answer any questions about the PV Steel amps. I agree with a lot of what you've said. I guess the volume is quite low in the amp manufacturing business I can easily say that it would be quite hard to consistently make the same quality amps (this is so true for tube amp manufacturers in particular) all through the period. Unless one establishes the name like Marshall or Fender, they could be running into this. I didn't realize that it is such an open ended question when I posted this, but the outcome has been quite helpful. Since I am new to PSG myself, I didn't have any clue about the choice of amps for the steel. But I know a few more brands other than PV, like Webb, Evans, etc. I am quite happy with NV400 but some day, I hope to get my hands on the few other amps at least just to try them out. Thank you all of you for sharing your thoughts on this. I guess I would be bit more careful in the future as to what type of question I ask... Cheers,

David Decker · Post by **David Decker** » 2 Dec 2003 8:15 am

Evans FET 500 LV the sound for me. I've had three Webbs and they are great. The last one I had I didn't like, traded it for another 500 FET. I also have a Session 500 that I like, but I won't carry it around anymore.

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 2 Dec 2003 9:56 am

In the competitive amplifer business, it helps to have other brands to compare to. If you perform every night, you may be able to afford an expensive "boutique" amplifier, but it doesn't increase your pay. If you choose a good sounding and dependable product like a Nashville 1000 or 112(or any of the past Peavey models), you get a dependable amp that produces good tone and you are not paying for it for many years to come. It pays for itself.