Wha it the most popular Peavey steel amp

Steel guitar amplifiers, effects, etc.

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Norris Ashment
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Wha it the most popular Peavey steel amp

Post by Norris Ashment »

It seems every one has a NV400 amp. If one comes up for sale it gone before the ink can dry. Is it still the most popular PV amp
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Brett Day
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Post by Brett Day »

I'm not sure cause a lot of players in addition to the Nashville 400s, they are also usin' the Nashville 112.

Brett
Norris Ashment
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Post by Norris Ashment »

I figered that one would right in there. May be I should have quilfed the question as to wattage but where the fun be in that.
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Damir Besic
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Post by Damir Besic »

I don`t think 112 is as popular as NV400 was, if it wasn`t for Peavey discontinuing production of old NV400 they would still be selling like crazy, it was a good little amp...

Db
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Brett Day
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Post by Brett Day »

Didn't the Nashville 112 come out in 2003? I got my NV112 in December of '04 after I bought my GFI.

Brett
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rpetersen
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Post by rpetersen »

I bought my first 112 and sold in very soon because I didn't care for the tone - I later bought another new one and set it in my shop and pluged the stereo into it and cranked it pretty good for a couple of days - LOVE IT!!!!!
Those speakers have to be broke in!!
Ron Petersen
Hal Higgins
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Post by Hal Higgins »

The Peavey Session 500, although it weighs a ton, (it seems like) they were and are still a great sounding amp for steel. I used to play through 2 of them. HAL
HAL...Excel D-10 w/ 8 & 5. SteelSeat.com w/back,SteelSeat.com Pedal Board on Legs with Quilter Tone Block 200 amp, Boss GE 7, Boss DD 3, Boss RV 6, Boss RT-20 Hilton Expression Pedal, Evans Cabinet with 4 ohm Eminence 15" speaker. BJS birthstone bar, Powder coated Tone bar by Michael Hillman. Dunlop Coated finger picks and Zookies L30 thumb picks.
Walter Haynes
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{Peavey Amp

Post by Walter Haynes »

I have 2 Peavey 400,s and they are fine amps great for steel guitar. I am selling one because 2 are getting to heavey for an old man like me to carry around! Anybody intersted e-mail me and we will talk it!

Hayneswalter@yahoo.com
David Hartley
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Hi

Post by David Hartley »

Tried them all and have always stuck with the session 500. Two handles each side now and two persons to lift it. If you ever get a reliable one keep it forever. I am on my 4th.

The Black widow speaker siezing is the latest thing caused by the foam disintergrating in the back vent and glue-ing up the movement of the speaker. Quite easy to repair.

Steel King is the next best amp in recent years.

IMO of course.

It's about time us steelies had a new amp to try out Peavey?

With a 15" BW or better.

David Hartley
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David Chapman
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Best Steel Amp

Post by David Chapman »

FROM DAVE CHAPMAN IN THE UK THE PEVEY SESION 500
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Terry Wood
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Post by Terry Wood »

I have played through the Peavey 400's since the 1970s.

I have had Nashville 400s and Session 400s and also I have a Session 500. THey are all great!

My only complaint is the weight of the 500. I have one in excellent condition I want to sell but nobody seems interested because of the weight. It's on wheels but it still takes a BULL to carry it. :D

I bipass the reverb on my Session 400 and use an Alesis Microverb unit with the digital effects and usually that's only reverb or delay.

My opinion!

Terry Wood
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Damir Besic
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Post by Damir Besic »

I love those old 500`s too, have one and it is a heavy bugger but the tone kicks butt...
by the way, does anyone knows a shop in Nashville where I could take my 500 to be restored...? and my reverb is gone too...

Db
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Dick Sexton
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Favorite Peavey Amp?

Post by Dick Sexton »

That would be the LTD 400, small cabinet, big sound. Wish I'd bought ten back then. I'm 65 and can still lift it. I've got an NV1000, an NV112, but I keep going back to my LTD to get the sound I love. Something about those old transister amps. The new ones just sound sterile to me, good, but sterile. JMHO
DS
Donny Hinson
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Re: Wha it the most popular Peavey steel amp

Post by Donny Hinson »

Norris Ashment wrote:It seems every one has a NV400 amp. If one comes up for sale it gone before the ink can dry. Is it still the most popular PV amp
Most popular - as in "most-used steel amp out there?", or "biggest seller ever?" Yes, without a doubt.

I don't agree that they're hard to get, though, as your "...gone before the ink can dry" statement alludes. There's always several of them on e-bay, and they're easily the most available used steel amp at most music stores, due both to the amount of them made, and the long period of manufacture (almost 20 years).
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Ernest Cawby
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hi

Post by Ernest Cawby »

The Nashville 400 with Ken Fox Mod. the only reason I sold my Vegases was the weight, and I learned how to set up the 112. I would have sold my 112 but Nan would not let me. The speaker definately has to be broke in to sound good. And it has to to be set right, mids down bass uo, the rest at 1:00, master gain on the right all the way up, then set the volume to how much you need, works for me.
LOu Rouschell called and said I had the best sound at the meet Saturday, just his and 5 others opinion.

as ever

ernie
David Hartley
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Hello?

Post by David Hartley »

We have a new member today guys. Its Dave Chapman ( Jonny Rondo) from Norfolk UK. Hi Jonny, nice to see you on the forum.

David Hartley
David Hartley
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QUESTION.....Black Widow?

Post by David Hartley »

Has anyone ever removed the 15" BW from a session 500 and replaced it with something else for better or worse?

David Hartley
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Gary Lee Gimble
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Post by Gary Lee Gimble »

Hey David, I am in the process of doing just that, the speaker is out, waiting for a new home. I am not sure what direction to take, any suggestions?
Bill Myrick
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Post by Bill Myrick »

Here's something I would never do for a gig (too old for the hassle) but I have the older 400 with the kit in it and a 112 which I play through today. Recently I experimented by running a delay and going through both of them -- with the 400 slightly delayed . Wow !! IMHO of coarse. :)
Ernie Pollock
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Wow, thats an easy one!!

Post by Ernie Pollock »

I would say the Nashville 400 would be the most popular steel amp. I have had several of them, but my favorite is one that has the John LeMay Mods. It is just such a great sounding amp, regardless of the steel you put through it. I do, however have an Evans SE-150, which I like and a Fender Steel King, which the group I have been playing with once a month likes the best of the 3 of my amps. When I go out & do my track thing, I use the Evans, do to the weight, my wife can carry it. But that old Nashville is still my favorite.

Ernie :D
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Jack Stoner
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Post by Jack Stoner »

The Nashville 400 probably is the most "popular" Peavey steel amp. But then, that probably has had the longest production run. There have been several model Session 400's but no long production run for each model.

Given that models do not have as long a production "life" as they used to, probably no other model Steel amp will have the longevity and sales of the Nashville 400.
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W. C. Edgar
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Post by W. C. Edgar »

My all time favorites were in this order
1.mid to late 70's LTD
2.mid to late 70's Session 400

I still have an early Nashville 400 as well as a Session 400 Limited but the Old Nashville kicks the Limiteds ass.

As for the Session 500, I think they are best suited for:
A.Boat Anchor
B.Door Stop

I wouldn't take a new Peavey amp if it were free. They have got so far away from the clean basic unit that it makes me wonder who is in charge of the steel amps there. I have a student from Wichita I give lessons to that has the Nashville 112 and its a piece of junk!
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Ron !
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Post by Ron ! »

Mister Edgar....what DO you recommend you students to buy?
A Fender Twin?Talk about another boat anchor.No difference between that and a Session 500.
And when you talk about a B*ttwoopin'....that 500 will do it for you.I have used probably every available amp known to man kind for steel guitar and I always come back to 2 specific amps....the Session 500 and the NV400.

Steel players have not that many choices when it comes to picking out a good affordable amp for their expensive hobby.

IMO is the NV400 the best bang for your buck if you need a cheap, good and reliable amp for the steel guitar.

I too have students here and they all say the same thing.The NV400 is handy, good sounding and above all affordable.

Ron
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W. C. Edgar
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Post by W. C. Edgar »

Like David Allan Coe said, "Ya Don't Have to Call Me Mr, Mr" Ha! Well I always tell em to find an old Nashville 400 with the chrome corners (not the black ones) or an old Session 400 (not limited. I never ever liked any of the fender amps for steel guitar and never had the chance to play an origional Vibrasonic model with the 15. Sure dude, I know lots of guys that used to haul around a Session 500 but I never needed that much power all in one unit as I play through two amps all the time. the 500 was like a complete PA system and had about that much power to boot. I also think that the "to and from pedal inputs" as well as the "string effect" was a waste of time. The LTD's were clean as hell and after picking I never once had to spend all my cash I made to pay the chiropractor the following week for what the 500 would have done to my back. How does that fare with ya? When it comes to tone, I'm just old school (Emmons) I've always thought that him and Lloyd got some of the best tones out there.

Added:By the way, that Nashville 112 my student has doesn't use the B/W speaker. If you are going to play "live" you have to have a B/W speaker, no, not a JBL, but a good ole Peavey Black Widow that will really get the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I have always played a D-10 and yes I play both necks so I need the complete range that only a 15" B/W can give me. Soooo, whats the arguement?
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Larry Bell
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Post by Larry Bell »

(W.C. -- You and I have IDENTICAL taste in Peavey steel amps)

The original Sessions and LTDs were the best IMHO. Most popular? I'd suspect, like others, that the Nvl 400 was the one that more people play or played (or how ever you measure popularity). And, yes, there are a bunch of used Nvl 400s out there. The 112 is ok, but it really doesn't have the midrange voicing that the original Sessions had.

The gold standard steel amp for me is the Standel Custom 15. 120W, solid state, clean as a whistle -- designed for jazz guitarists -- loud when it needs to be. If it needs to have the gain set above 3 I use two of them. Popular? NO (they're pretty rare) Just the best steel amp I ever plugged into.
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