The Steel Guitar Forum

Hello everyone, I need some advice on which amp is the best for a steel guitar. I am fairly new to steel guitar and would appreciate any help i can get. Thanks; frank

Peavey Nashville 112 best all around for small and big jobs and light.

Frank Shoptaugh wrote:Hello everyone, I need some advise on which amp is the best for a steel guitar. I am fairly new to steel guitar and would appreciate any help i can get. Thanks; frank

Be forwarned! When you ask what is "best", you will get lots and lots of opinions and favorites. There really is no "best".

If you can try to listen to some steel players and chek out what they're using. Any of the Peavey steel amps are fine. Nashville 112, Nashville 400, or the older Peavey LTD or Session 400. My favorite these days is my Fender Vibrosonic for a more vintage sound. I also have an Evans FET 500 that is a great steel amp. You just need something with enough power to sound clean.

Frank
I've been playing professionally since the mid-60's and let me tell you, I've played through all of them!

My favorite amp for weight, size and sound, is the Nashville 112 hands down. Full sound as "good" as a Webb... of which I have two... and it's 2/3 of the weight and half the size. And at almost 62... even a spry 62... it's definitely worth it to me. It's the best for 95% of my gigs, and I wouldn't leave home without it.

I've got two LTD's,a Fender Vibrosonic and I just got a Fender Steel King a few months ago,These are all heavy amps to make sure my family never sees any grand kids outa me,If Herb says the 112 is great that's good enough for me because he always gets a great sound.The Steel King is pretty cool so far,I had to jack up one of the mids a whole bunch.My next amp will be a 112.

For a steel amp, without a doubt, I like the Nashville 112. Easy to carry and big enuff to play anywhere. It was designed for steel guitar. Jack

thanks to eachone for your advice, its a peavey nashville 112 for me
Thanks again, Frank

If it's a Peavey, Use a Vegas ! Other combo's, Use a Steel King. I have heard the Peavey 112 sounds good up close but be sure your sound man feeds the house. The 112 is weak if the sound man is not on top of things !
Most sound men only understand 6 string guitar. Not steel. Beware of the Peavey 112.

Frank, what style of music will you be playing? Country? Jazz? Blues? Rock? Do you want clean? Edgy? Distorted? Is this for pedal steel? Lap steel? Are you trying to fill up a dance hall with music or just a living room?

Even with all that information, you will find out what our favorites are and what our opinions are.

Best? That's for you to decide.

Another thing the 112 has going for it is that it is inexpensive!

Go see all the good players you can, and their various amps.......... then when you figure out that they sound good no matter if they're using a Peavey, Fender, Webb, Evans, all kinds of effects, etc....... go buy yourself a Nashville 112, and practice all you can. I don't think you can go wrong with the 112 for price, weight, sound, etc... I'm happy with mine. I use it for steel and fiddle both. I've got a 400, but I haven't used it in several years since I got the 112.

To Bill Moran if your 112 is weak, it must have a problem. I've used my 112 at very large and loud venues, including the Merritt Mountain Musicfest here in British Columbia Canada, which is an outdoor event, very large theaters, and with bands that play a lot louder than they should. Ive never had a problem anywhere I've used it. I have a Session 400, a Session 500, but for sound, and tonal seperation I will put my Nashville 112 above all of them
John

Pod Xt. 4Lbs
Mega P.A System, supplied and carried by somebody else.

For me the PEAVEY-112,Wish it had been around years ago,maybe my back would be in better shape,Over the years have played Fender Twins,Peavey 500,[need a forklift for that one],400's,400 LTD, The 112 is a dream come true.Had mine for about three years,played small rooms,large rooms,and a LOT of outdoor gigs,worked GREAT for all of them.LOVE IT, DYK?BC.

Getting a Peavey Nashville 112 was probably the only thing I ever did right. I ordered another one as a back up and practice amp.

I agree that you'll get a hundred different answers on this. I have a couple of amps for steel but the NV100 is the most expensive.

By that I mean when I crank it to 8 or so, the wife heads for the mall and it costs me another $200-$300 each week.

At this rate the amp will be have cost me a trillion dollars by next Christmas. Just doing my part to stimulate the economy.

The NV1000 or the 112 are great amps. I am still impressed by the sound that Al Perkins gets out of his little Risson.

Rick Campbell wrote:Go see all the good players you can, and their various amps.......... then when you figure out that they sound good no matter if they're using a Peavey, Fender, Webb, Evans, all kinds of effects, etc....... go buy yourself a Nashville 112, and practice all you can.

That sounds like something I'd say.

NV-112. I like the 112's that are a different color other than black. Fender Steel King with Peavey 1501BW is my second choice.

Wow! In just a few posts it has been ascertained what amp is "best" for steel guitar! (Regardless of the fact that we still have no idea what the gentleman actually needs.)

I just love these "best" discussions...

He asked for ADVISE,He got it,seems the NV-112 won out,But he should try several out and make up HIS own mind,You won't find ANYTHING that everybody will agree on,except maybe BAMA Charlie is a bonofide nut. DYK?BC.

Bama Charlie, yes we would probably agree that you are a nut! I do love BAMA peanut butter, though!

My point was, it's hard to give good advice without all the facts. For example, if the gentleman that started this thread is planning on playing lap steel in a blues band, I don't know that the NV112 would be the "best" amp for that purpose. If he's going to be playing music quietly in his living room, there are less expensive amps that will do the trick.

Lee

Thanks for all the advice, my steel is a gfi.
I have been taking lessons for about 3 months. All of my playing at this time is in my living room, but as i get better i hope to play with a local country western band that meets in our church on sat. nites.
i am getting a new desert rose next month. my favorite music to play is country western. Looks like most everybody has a high opinion of the nashville 112. Hope to get one soon, at present i have a fender champion 300.
Thanks; Frank

My only real concern with my 112 is that my FX setup(FX send->an old Alesis Quadraverb->one side of an Alesis 3630 comp/limiter->FX return)sucks up so much headroom that the NV 112 can't handle it at stage volume.Without the effects rack,it's got power to spare and great tone,provided I just about dime the treble and the presence.Whether that last is an idiosyncrasy peculiar to my amp,or all NV112s,or a personal consequence of rock and roll lead guitar hi-jinks back in the Sixties I don't know.YMMV.

Peavey Vegas 400 has been the one I prefer and use. Great too if you double on lead guitar as it has 2 separate channels. Very CLEAN.