Questions about the session 500 Amps

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Hello everyone

Back in 2002 when I retired I decided to learn the pedal steel guitar, during that time I started searching the internet for information and came across this great Steel guitar forum. I have been reading the forum ever since and a few months ago I decided to join.
I was raised on traditional country music and play piano and lead guitar which I have always enjoyed doing but when I retired I decided I wanted to learn something different. Something that would keep my mind occupied that was when I decided on the psg, I can tell you these last four years has been a real trip.
The other day I came across a Peavey session500 mark 4 Amp, this Amp is in excellent condition but I have no Idea where to even begin setting the controls to get the best sound out of it. There is no manual with this amp I guess that’s why it’s so hard to figure it out at my age. I have read a lot here on the session 400 but nothing on the 500 I’m wondering if any one here has a 500 and could help me out?
Evidently they subtitled the word volume control for gain control or maybe I’m just out of touch because all of my other equipment of the 70s which I bought new at he time states volume control. Any help here will be highly appreaciated.
Here is my control layout on my Amp
The 1st control is for gain—then string effects Level and edge. The next set of controls are for Active Equalization—Low—paramid—shift—high—presence. the next control is a gain control following color—rate. Following that is Variable crossover, well I know what reverb and rate is. You know, here I am trying to figure this out and haven’t even learned how to program my VCR or what all those buttons do on my TV remote Razz

Jerry Shaner

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The Peavey site has the downloadable manual for this. http://www.peavey.com/search.cfm?c=0&term=session+500+manual

It uses basically the same EQ system as the Nashville 400/Nashville 1000/Nashville 112.

I had a Session 500 that I used for 15 years. Great amp. My EQ settings have basically been nearly the same on the Session 500 as my current Nashville 112.

Here is a starting point
Low +9
Mid -3
Shift 800Hz
High and Presence +1

There has been a lot of discussion of the Session 500's in the Electronics section (where this will probably be moved to). Do a search.

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Thanks Jack i really appreaciate this,if i get the controls sit up all i'll have to do next is buy a forklift to help me load it into the van Razz

Jerry Shaner

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

If you do a search on the "old" Steel Guitar Forum, you will find some settings for the Session 500.

I am in posession of a couple of these amps and the secret to a good sound is getting them dialed in.

There are soooo many knobs that some help is really necessary. Otherwise, it is a rather frustrating experience trying to dial it in.

It is well worth the effort, however! Very Happy

Jim Bates · From: Alvin, Texas, USA

The tone settings above are good starting places, but set the pre-gain 2 - 3 (and never higher than the post gain)
Make sure the String and Phasor effects are Off

Try the post gain at 4-5 for home and up to full on for playing gigs.

Plug into the top input jack or use the bottom jack if your pick-up is too hot (or for home practice)

I have played Session 500's since '83.

Thanx,
Jim

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Hi Erv, over the past four years i have printed off a lot of good information concerning the steel guitar but since the change here at the forum i have no idea of how to access the old forum archives unless I’m over looking something here. I know there's a lot of good information in there i wish i would have paid more attention to the posts on Amps.

I set my Amp to the setting that Jack gave me and it sounds good, i still have no idea what the variable crossover is for though. When i bought the Amp the control was set at 175 so i just left it there. Now my next project will be printing off the manual from the Peavey site I hope they also have a schematic there because in time I might need it.

Jerry Shaner

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The crossover is used if you want to "bi-amp" (two amps and different frequency range on the other amp). If you are not using the bi-amps then it doesn't matter where that setting is.

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Thanks Jim

I haven't tried it yet but i'm wondering if i could play lead guitar through this Amp also? I wonder how it would sound, i hate to lug two heavy Amps around.

Jerry Shaner

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Thanks Jack,that clears that up.You guys have been a great help and i thank you.I'm prionting all this information off if not i wouldn't be able to remember it Very Happy

Jerry Shaner

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Jerry,
If you go into "search", there will be a message in red in the upper left corner concerning the old Steel Guitar Forum. There is a place to click "here" and that will bring up all the old posts. If you type in "Session 500" you should get lots of hits. When I did that in the past, There was a whole sheet of different settings for the 500 by a bunch of different steelers. At one time it was THE amp of choice.
I found the chart and got most of it on here:

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Thank Erv,i miss the old archives, when i first got my steel i spent a lot of hours there just reading posts. There’s a treasure of information in there especially for beginners

Jerry Shaner

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

It's a monster but sounds good. Pick up a NV-112 at 45lbs. and you'll really appreciate the 112. I hauled two 500's around years ago along with the old heavy D-10's from the early 80's. Of course, I was 20+ then and now I'm 50.

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

I know what you mean Billy. The young fella at the music store that sold me the Amp took one look at me and offered to carry it out and put it in the van for me. Just some of the perks you find as you get older. At my age I’ll take any help I can get
I have a son that’s 33 that plays with my group and he doesn’t let me do too much heavy lifting, he loves the old traditional country music and he’s ready for a gig at any time so I’m a winner there.
This Amp does have casters on it which helps out. And Yes, I was looking for a lighter Amp but here in this city I don’t believe there’s other steel players around so I was surprised when I seen this at the music store which we only have one of. Sort of a sad situation out of a population of 45,000, I can remember back in the 50s when we had five music stores up town and you could find anything you needed or wanted but not any more.

Jerry Shaner

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Jerry - as a 6-string amp it will be semi-fair sounding only if you want to play squeaky-clean, and it will sound harsh. Steel amps as a whole are EQ'd for full-range like keyboard amps, and the upper-mids on 6-string jump out in a nasty, biting, icepicky way. I've tried a 500 with a Tele and Strat and it was plain awful, no matter how I triied to EQ it - if I tried to kill the harshness it sounded like the amp had a blanket over it. Due to the fact you would have to completely change the amp settings every time you plug a guitar in, and even then end up with mediocre sound, it's better to use a real guitar amp for your 6-string.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Al Terhune · From: Newcastle, WA

Jerry,

Jim's advice is for those with very good and picky ears. I've learned a lot from Jim and have gone to him for advice on several occasions. That said, I've used the same settings on my 500 for both steel and 6-string guitar, and love the sound I'm getting for both--but then I can't tell the difference between tubes and solid state amps, unless you crank up the tube and it loses the cleanness. At low-to-mid-volume stage levels, tube and solid state amps sound the same to me!

Further: Adding a distortion effect (or even the "strings effect") for the 6-string on the 500 sounds great, too -- to me.

Further note: Jerry Reed's guitar amp for the longest time was the 500.
_________________
Al

My equipment:

One heck of a Wife
The ghost of a red Doberman
Several pairs of reading glasses strewn about

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Thanks Jim and Al
I bought a new Peavey classic for the 6 string back in the 70s it's a great Amp but still heavy, I just thought maybe I could eliminate that Amp by using the session 500 and still get a decent sound on the 6 string.
I now have the 500 set up and it’s sounding great more like a steel guitar should sound. Now if the good Lord gives me another five years maybe I’ll really improve my playing.

I have found that the pedal steel is like no other instrument when it comes to learning it, it can get frustrating, confusing and make you want to pull your hair out at times, that’s something I don’t have much of.

Jerry Shaner

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Jerry, I will be glad to assist you with the operation of your Session 500 amplifier. I am a steel guitarist who works here at Peavey Electronics, so I believe that I can help you with your amplifier.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corp.
Toll Free at 1-877-732-8391, ext. 1180.

Jerry Shaner · From: Ohio, USA

Thanks Mike, I appreciate this, I copied and pasted your number to WordPad and put it on my desktop so I’ll know where it’s at.
Jerry Shaner

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Call me if you need me.

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