The Steel Guitar Forum

These days I prefer my 69 Fender Daul Showman Reverb
in a Twin cab W/ 2 12" Travis Toy speakers.


after that my fender Steelking w/ Travis Toy 15"

Session 500,close second a Twin Reverb Custom 15.Close third a NV112 with the Ken Fox chips. The NV is best for grab-and-go, the others for serious gigs where it's worth the heavy lifting: The Twin for 50-50 six-string /steel gigs and the 500 for when it's all steel.

CWT amp, built by Charlie Tryon from Newfoundland

I have been using my old single channel ShoBud amps for the last couple of years. I like the fact that they have a bit of grit to the sound.

GK 500, Pro- Fex II, neo speaker small 15" cabinet. Works great for me, for many years.

I used to have one of the original all tube Music
Man amps made during the time Leo Fender ran the company. It was (still is) a great sounding amp, but it weighs 70 pounds. Today I'm using a Quilter Steelaire. It sounds different from the Music Man, but everybody like its tone. And it weighs only about 35 pounds.

NOBODY has ever complained about my choice of amp, or for matter, the gauge of my picks, or which levers are on which knee.

Dave Mudgett wrote:For me, this choice depends heavily on the application.

Bingo!

Generally my favorite is a mid 90s Evans SE 150 with an Emminence Neodymium 15” speaker. For practical reasons I mostly use a Quilter Aviator Gold now, which is a very close second,with or without an extention cabinet.

Telonics TCA500
Telonics Rack
Peavey Nashville 400

I played through my Aussie mate Michel Rose's Little Walter PF in Australia last June and was very impressed with that also :-}

Early '80's Nashville 400. I have 2 in case I want to go stereo.

Randall steelman 500 and Nashville 112.

Telonics Rack and my old,old ShoBud Amp! Tone to the bone!

Went back to all tubes a couple of years ago, had enough of the solid state stuff. I'm currently using a MESA Boogie JP2-C head, through Weber 15" Neodymium's in Rick Johnson cabinets. Also was loaned a Soldano 44 12" Combo tube amp by Soldano Amplifiers to take for a ride. The Soldano sounds fantastic, not exactly like my Boogies, but crystal clean with great mids, and lows, plenty of head room and punch. A very quick responding amp. The mids aren't scooped like the fenders and milkman amps. A full compliment of mids, lows and sweet high end. It's a 50 Watt RMS Combo tube amp. It came with 6v6's in it, and two 5881's were sent along as the amp can use either. I prefer the 6v6's personally. I think the Soldano tube 44, is a keeper.

Second on the Telonics PRE-1000 based setup. After the PRE-1000 I use a Demeter RV-1D dual spring reverb gated by a Rane G4 Quad Gate/Expander. The tone and ambience is to die for Especially when the signal is also routed to a Le May Modded NV 400 with JBL 140R.

Jack Hanson wrote:

Dave Mudgett wrote:For me, this choice depends heavily on the application.

Bingo!

10-string pedal steel:
Big room: 1977 LTD 400 with BW 1501 from a NV 400
Small room: 1978 Princeton Reverb (stock)

6- or 7-string lap or console:
Big room: 1966 Piggyback Tremolux (stock)
Small room: 1978 Musicmaster Bass Amp with late '60s Vox Bulldog

All-purpose: Polytone Mini-Brute II

1. Sarno Tonic preamp into Peavey 400 power amp-in, with Neo-mag Black Widow 1501-4
2. FYD Amps Town & Country head with Black Widow 1501-4 cab
3. Evans SE200 with new Eminence Beta-15A speaker

I use a Black Box with 2 and 3.

Not necessarily in that order, I like all 3.

There are so many good steel amps out there. I think it's a matter of finding the right combination. Some steels/pickups sound better through one amp and not through others. And vice-versa. For a push/pull with single coils, I think a Sarno V8 and one of my self-powered 12" cabs is hard to beat - that is for my ear... I also think a Nashville 400 can sound mighty fine with a P/P. Too heavy though. For a retro sound, It's a Standel 50L15 at low volume. For a throw and go amp, the Telonics TCA500C is really great. Lightweight with so many nice features.
But I'm a tweak so I borrowed a Kemper Profiling Amp from a pal. It's wicked good sounding. I profiled a 63 Bandmaster head with a D130F. It sounds sooooo good with headphones and a BL710 p/u in my Franklin . I've tried it on stage too. Very good sounding and it weighs six pounds (the head). I gave the loaner Kemper back to my friend and immediately ordered one. If I want, I can have all of the amp sounds in one box. Pretty cool.

Isn't the world of amps a wonderful place to hang out? At least to me it is.

I wish I never sold my Evans FET 500.
I’m glad I sold my Nashville 1000 for my Milkman Half&Half 15” for playing out.
I’m glad I have a Telonic 500C for my studio rack.

I have Stereo Steel, Surgical Steel, and Milkman Half & Half heads
JBL D130, Telonics 15", Double T-12 cabs

I like them all. Lately, I've been using the light and simple MMHH and Double T-12 combination for gigs. Great reverb and the DI output is handy.

My favourite 3 amps for tone are below.

1. Telonics TCA500 combo amp.

2. Webb 614E (with Eminence EPS 15C speaker).

3. Peavey Valve King 100 (with 2 x 12" Telonics speakers).

Billy Morgan wrote:I've owned and and played through a lot of steel amps, but the best for me is the original Peavey Session 400. I also have a LTD 400 and it also is a great sounding amp.

the first generation session amps were the best sounding steel amps Peavey ever made...

This model is virtually unknown to steel players, but actually sound every bit as good, and they can be had for $75-100 all day long in spectacular condition.. Great analog reverb, absolutely bulletproof circuitry, quiet, reliable, 200 watts RMS, tons of clean power, extremely flexible tone shaping, and are excellent bass amps as well.. VERY warm sound, almost more tube like than SS.. Only a few know about these old gems from the 70's, but I have used them for decades, along with fenders... bob

Sorry, Bob, but I can't read that faceplate. What model is it?

Chris Reesor wrote:Sorry, Bob, but I can't read that faceplate. What model is it?

Thats a Peavey Musician series.. Silver knob.. same power as a Session 400 of the period, 200 w RMS, and great wet, warm reverb, terrific tone shaping as well.. VERY organic sounding, not brittle at all.. To my ears one of the best steel amps of all time, and almost totally disregarded... DIRT cheap as well... bob

It's a Musician head Chris. I had one and sold it long ago. Should have kept it. They were from the late 70's I believe. Effects of the left side of unit w/EQ. Plenty of power and nice to have in a "head" unit.

'65 Fender Showman, Travis Toy 12" speaker