The Steel Guitar Forum

I went over to a practice the other day and the bass player told me I could run through one of his old amps and save my back from hauling the NV 1000. I figured I would try it out (a Peavey Bandit 65 single 12). This amp flat put out the sound. For a single 12 and only 65 watts (I think it's even solid state) I was really surprised. I could probably even use it for some small gigs.

Yes Dean, the Bandit 65 or 112 amps make a great practice amp for steel guitar. Cranked, mine puts out exactly 65 watts on the meter. It's a solid-state design, very reliable. Bandits do have a couple minor disadvantages in their tone: lack of big bass response and a reverb that is voiced for electric guitar rather than steel. The bass response thing doesn't really cause any difficulties on the E9th tuning. As for the reverb, I solved that by purchasing and installing a different reverb tank with a slightly different impedence rating, voiced for steel guitar with a significantly longer delay. It's a drop-in fit and the reverb sounds much better than stock, even with a regular electric guitar. The greatest thing about a Bandit is that they must have made tons of them. You can buy a used one very cheaply.

Tim R.

Tim,
What type of reverb tank did you install and what was its impedence rating? Where did you buy it and what did it cost? Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve!

On the reverb tank questions, it's the same brand of reverb tank as comes stock in all Peavey amps (for the life of me I can't think of the brand name but they are a Hammond clone). I'd tear mine apart and tell you, but the reverb units in these amps are housed in a Tolex-type bag which is screwed down to the bottom of the amp cabinet and I just don't have the ambition nor spare time to rip into mine right now. I got my tank from a guy here in Michigan who is a great amp tech and does Peavey amp repairs for dealers and musicians. His name is Kim Knickerbocker, he lives at Marion, MI and builds amplifiers, speaker cabs, guitars, etc. under the name of Titan Sound. I don't recall the impendance figure either as I installed this tank several years ago. Mike Brown from Peavey would be able to look up the impedance and tank number you need, it would very likely be the same as used in the Session 400 or 500 amplifiers or the Nashville 400, etc. Most any good Peavey amp tech should be able to tell you the number and may even carry the proper reverb tank in stock. Reverb tanks are quite inexpensive (seems like mine cost $24 or $26) and the right tank will really make the Bandit sound great with the steel guitar.

Tim R.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Tim Rowley on 28 January 2001 at 08:43 PM.]</p></FONT>

Hi Tim:

I believe the name of the reverb tank you're taking about here is Accutronics. And you are right, the Peavey Bandit is a very versitile amplifier.

Best Regards,
Danny

Yes, Danny Hullihen is correct, the brand name is Accutronics. Swap yours for one that is voiced for steel guitar and you're in business. Oh, by the way, Danny Hullihen (Harrison Music) is a Peavey authorized dealer and can probably find you the proper reverb unit to bring your amp to life. And he is a great guy as well. Why don't you give him a look at www.jagwirestrings.com. His business phone number is also posted there.

Thanks Danny for remembering the name Accutronics for me!

Tim R.