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Topic: Keyboard amps? |
Daniel Morris
From:
Westlake, Ohio, USA
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Posted 10 Dec 2011 7:09 am |
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A bandmate (the drummer) asked me if I wouldn't be better off using a keyboard amp for my pedal steel.
I'm not familiar with those amps, but he said with a horn, it should be even better with the extended range of a steel.
I have no idea.
Without going into great detail (I'm tech-challenged), can anyone fill me in on what I could - and could not - expect from a keyboard amp? One thing I assume is that while it may be fine, it may not give me the sound I want or need; sort of like a Marshall amp, which I don't think would be optimal for pedal steel. For me, anyway. (I'm not looking to swap out my Little Walter or Evans, just curious, and I wanted something from steelers to tell the drummer).
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1979 MSA U12 Pedal Steel
1982 Kline U12 Pedal steel
2019 Sierra U12 Pedal Steel
2011 Bear Creek MK Weissenborn
Milkman 40W Mini amp w/Telonics 15" speaker.
Dr. Z Surgical Steel w/TT 15" speaker.
Frenzel MB-50 head.
Spaceman, Empress, Eventide, Pigtronix. |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 10 Dec 2011 9:30 am
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my advice would be to avoid any amps with a crossover and separate tweeter. Its gonna be way too bright and honky for the steel, which in my opinion, benefits greatly from being mellowed out by a single speaker.
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Milkmansound.com |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 10 Dec 2011 11:51 am
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Tell your drummer to stick to playing drums.  I've seen a few steel players using keyboard amps. They have good power reserves and oftimes a 15" speaker. They work well for keyboard or sometimes bass guitar. They always sounded harsh to me with steel guitar.
A horn/tweeter is the last thing I would want in a steel amp. You're always fighting the high frequency overtones as it is on the small strings, so this would only add further complications IMO. No wheezing, whistling, ice pickey tones for me, thank you.
There's a reason amps are specialized for a particular instrument. For these reasons, I would advise you to stick with an eq spread and speaker system designed for steel guitar voicings or at the very least, similar amps designed for clean guitar. JMO |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 10 Dec 2011 1:01 pm
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Not a good idea. I was gigging one time and left my steel and keyboard equipment at the club I was playing. I ended up in the hospital and had my bass player get my stuff. The next weekend I was playing another gig and asked him to bring my steel and my amp. I forgot that I had taken my Nashville 400 home with me the last week, and he brought my Roland KC550 keyboard amp. Crappy sound to say the least (no reverb either). That gig was a LONG 4 hours to say the least.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Daniel Morris
From:
Westlake, Ohio, USA
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Posted 14 Dec 2011 5:39 pm
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Thank you, gentlemen. I figured there might be a good reason we generally don't use keyboard amps but couldn't say for sure, to the drummer's satisfaction. Definitely don't want more shrill/high-end/honk to my sound!
_________________
1979 MSA U12 Pedal Steel
1982 Kline U12 Pedal steel
2019 Sierra U12 Pedal Steel
2011 Bear Creek MK Weissenborn
Milkman 40W Mini amp w/Telonics 15" speaker.
Dr. Z Surgical Steel w/TT 15" speaker.
Frenzel MB-50 head.
Spaceman, Empress, Eventide, Pigtronix. |
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Tim Lane
From:
Garfield, Arkansas, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2011 8:54 pm Don't knock til ya try it
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I'm actually using my Behringer keyboard amp as a backup right now as my NV112 is not working. Its got a 5 band EQ and I'm able to tone out the harshness. No it's not a NV112, but it's definitely a good backup, and the reverb sound good.
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Rains SD10, NV112, Hilton VP, Godin xTSA with Roland GR-20, Martin HD28V, Martin SPJC16E, Player of many - Master of none! |
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