Whats the best steel amp ever made?

Jeff Hogsten · Post by **Jeff Hogsten** » 28 Apr 2004 6:35 pm

wow Ive been in the market for a new amp now I know just what to buy a

pevanwebfenstanstereo with two 12s and 2 15s

Bob I. Williams · Post by **Bob I. Williams** » 30 Apr 2004 6:31 pm

BRAD: YOU MAY BE THINKING OF BUZZ EVANS I HEARD HE IS LIVING IN LAS VEGAS. DON'T KNOW WHAT AMP OR SET=UP HE USES. BOB

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 30 Apr 2004 11:04 pm

I was funnin. I meant the Big-E. I believe he used a Vegas for while.

Brad Sarno

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 1 May 2004 3:18 am

Right after I bought the Nashville 400 when they first came out, I was in Herb Remmington's shop in Texas. I commented that I wasnt' overly excited about the 400, especiallly the lows. He said I should have bought the Vegas, that it was his opinion that it was a better sounding amp primarily because of the larger cabinet. I never did buy one, so I can't make a comparison.

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 1 May 2004 12:32 pm

Cabinet size is everything when it comes to the low frequencies. I had my Webb next to my old Session 400. The Webb just wouldn't create those punchy bass notes. They sounded good but just not as fat. I ran the Webb into the Session 400 cabinet and wow, it was huge. The Nashville 400 cabinet was never designed for a 15" speaker. It grew out of the LTD400 which grew out of the Peavey Pacer.
http://home.earthlink.net/~bradsarno/pacerpage.html

You can get better bass response from a 12" speaker in a NV400 sized cabinet than with a 15". It's laws of acoustical physics. The Fender Twin, Sho-Bud single channel, Session 400, 400 Limited, Vegas 400, Nashville 1000, Session 500, and maybe a few others have the "right" sized cabinet for a 15" speaker. The Webb, Evans, NV400 cabinets are inefficient at creating the full bass response. I think it's no biggie for E9, but for fat C6, it takes the larger cab. I'm not knockin the smaller cabinets because it's not always desirable to have the steel making bass guitar-like lows. The smaller cabinets may actually help tame the fatness of the steel's low notes so they mix better.

Brad Sarno<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Brad Sarno on 01 May 2004 at 01:34 PM.]</p></FONT>

Jennings Ward · Post by **Jennings Ward** » 1 May 2004 8:54 pm

What Smiley Roberts Said, and to that I will only add.... the best you can afford, and you will be able to get a better one if you cut out the missus' booze........ sinc ,,,,, jennings, nocaps

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 2 May 2004 7:55 am

Brad is right on the money here. You really need some room in these guitar cabinets. The best 1X12 cab I have heard is my Jim Kelly cabinet, which is almost session 400/twin sized in dimensions. Of course you can have a small cab, and put a standard port in it, but then you really change the sound. I had a Thiele cabinet with an EV, and really didn't like the sound versus the same speaker in my Kelly. It had plenty of lows and highs, but just sounded dead, and 'hi fi'.

My favorite cab is the THD 2X12" cabinet, which combines the best of open back and ported cabinets. It is ported, but the port is the opening in the back (looks just like an open back, because, well, it is open back). The port was also designed to accentuate frequencies that are friendly to guitars/steels, rather than for a flat response. I like a 2X12" because it gives me much more bass response than a single 15", and also allows me to use two different sounding speakers. I love the sound of two different types of speakers, it gives a more 'three dimensional' sound. I use a JBL and a Celestion.

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www.tyack.com

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 3 May 2004 7:38 am

Two 12"s can move plenty of air for sure,
but also the travel is faster because the cones are smaller and lighter.
Hence better response and less distortion.

In a correctly constructed cab they can get basicially the same practical range for steel.
I play bass guitar and contrebass though 12's too. Punchier sound.

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 7 May 2004 6:28 pm

For years I played both steel and lead guitar through Fender Showman amps. I bought the first one about 1960. It was the Showman with one fifteen inch speaker. As I recall it was about 1966 when I bought a dual showman with the JBL set up.This was all I used until 1990 when I bought a Peavey . I believe it was called a Session LTD. Atleast the LTD part is right. This was a great amp.I now use a Evans SE-200 with a 15" JBL D-130 in it. I also have a Session 500 for back up. Also have a Emmons Lashley Legrande 600. This is the heaviest amp I have ever owned.But it will blow the windows out if you crank it up.
I have never seen another one. Is there any out there ?

John Fabian · Post by **John Fabian** » 8 May 2004 12:51 am

Gretsch Nashville made by GMS

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John Fabian
Carter Steel Guitars

www.steelguitar.com
www.steelguitarinfo.com
www.carterstarter.com

Richard Brandt · Post by **Richard Brandt** » 8 May 2004 3:43 am

Steel players are all looking for something that doesn't exist and thats that impossible magic sound.If you want to see your real problem (Look in the mirror)

Gary Preston · Post by **Gary Preston** » 9 May 2004 12:17 pm

I have heard many of these amps that is talked about . It would be very hard to pick either one . I have a Fender Vibrosonic that i bought new in 1976 with the 15 '' J.B.L. D-130 and ( 2 ) Nashville 400 amps and they both sound great . But the Vibrosonic has a very warm sound that the 400 's dont have . I would'nt want to be in the market for another amp because it would be very hard to do . The price of some of the afore mentioned amps vary very much . It almost gets down to how much can you afford to sound good ? I know this does'nt help the question out but who knows ? G.P.

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 10 May 2004 6:27 am

IMHO, the best amp that I have found for Steel Guitar is the new Nashville 112. Here are my reasons.
1. Light
2. Inexpensive
3. Has Headphone jack for Tuning or warming up where you can't use the amp
4. Has CD player input
5. Great on board reverb
6. Light (maybe I said that)
7. Has 2 effects send and returns
8. Has either balanced or 1/4 inch outputs to go to sound board
9. Very tough and road worthy
10. One other thing, it sounds fantastic, the cleanest highs and warm lows

All of that (IMHO) Henry

KENNY KRUPNICK · Post by **KENNY KRUPNICK** » 10 May 2004 8:52 am

Carvin SX100.

Try it, you'll like it.

Tom Hodgin · Post by **Tom Hodgin** » 10 May 2004 2:09 pm

Everyone has his or hers sound that they want to hear from an amp..that could cover many different amps...it's just the sound you like...tom

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 11 May 2004 6:03 pm

Session 500 MKVI. All kinds of stuff. LowZ, Variable Crossover, Phase shifter. Best lows, Best Highs. Most wattage.

Second, Nashville 400.

Third at first blush is the Nvl12.

I had a Gretch Nashville, and it was nice but low wattage, and it fried as they often did.

I'd chose Peavey mainly because of the roadability, longevity, and reliability.

Sound too I suppose.

EJL

Wayne Franco · Post by **Wayne Franco** » 12 May 2004 9:54 am

I really like the Walker Stereo Steel stock setup with the JBL's. Wow you talk about power yet it has to my ears a cool classic sound. Some may like a muddier bass response but I really enjoy the nice clear sound. The sealed cabinets got some getting use to but they are so predictable. I've played several rooms where my Evan's amp went crazy with echo. Couldn't even hear the individual notes. Just played a room with nothing but hard walls, no carpet and lots of windows. It would have killed my open back amp. The owner made a comment on how clear everything was in the lounge as well as the restaurant without being too loud.

Buck Grantham · Post by **Buck Grantham** » 12 May 2004 6:12 pm

I'm using a DP2R sterio Evans pre amp, a profex 11 for delay only and I go into the power amp jack of FET 500 Evans and a Nashville 400 (no mod) and I'm pretty happy with that.

Leon Eneboe · Post by **Leon Eneboe** » 18 May 2004 4:29 pm

The best steel amp is the one being used by the picker who is practicing about an hour or two a day.