The Steel Guitar Forum

I am playinr through a Fender Deville. I have heard from "many" that Pevy is the amp and more specific the Nashville 1000 (if buying a new one). Let me hear from some of you pros.

Thanks......Ray

What is the right amp? The one that pleases YOUR ears. You can't go wrong with any of the amps manufactured today for steel guitar. Peavey manufactures a line of steel guitar amps and products, Evans has pre-amps and combo's designed with the steel guitar in mind and Webb has their 614-E for steel. Also, Fender still has the classic tube amps from the Hot Rod Deluxe to the Fender Twin. The hardest part is deciding which one you want. You're not going to go wrong with any of them.

Ray, I can say with certainty that if you are playing thru your Fender Deville, you will find a dramtic change in tone should you go to perhaps a Peavey. I have a Hot Rod Deluxe which is very similar in the tone quality of the Deville, but it is a world apart from the Peaveys for tone. But I love playing steel thru it ! Now , I also have a Nashville 1000 and used a Nashville 400 previously. I wouldn't consider giging on Steel without the 1000 or another 400 even though these amps tend to be much stronger in the "MID" range than I prefer. These Peaveys are designed for the Steel and it shows, tremendous volume with total clarity across the entire range especially on the low end where the C6 grabs your gut. Both Fender and Peavey offer exceptional tone that differ from each other . So, the one that pleases your ear gets the call for the gig..
TP

Well let me just add... I spoke with Bud Carter the other day and he recommended the Pevy 1000. I guess the thing I am looking for is the quitness of the amp. This Fender has a "hiss" that really henders in the recording end. Am I still going to have that with the Pevy 1000??? Is it the pickups in my MSA? They are from the factory when it was made and obvious about 18 years old??? Unfortunately I did not ask Bud that question. Oh heck maybe I'm just hissin' and moanin' about nuttin. I'm ready to listen to you folks.

Thanks......Ray

I agree with you 100 percent Mike!

Robert
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Emmons 1974 push-pull d-10 8&4 rosewood

Ray, drive it before you buy it...an opinion is just that, like mine, it's just an opinion...

TP

Ray, that hiss is because you are using a high gain, tube amp. Maybe a noise gate would take that out. Noise gates can be dialed in to cut out things like hiss and hum when you are not playing. All those noises are still there when you are playing, but tend not to be noticed because of the increased level of sound. Peaveys are solid state, and have no noticeable hiss. For the most part, solid state amps are not as warm sounding as tube amps. Its' a trade off.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John Flewellen on 04 March 2002 at 11:27 PM.]</p></FONT>

If you are Playing a 10 or more string instrument, I suggest something with at least a 15" speaker. The Peavey Nashville 1000 or the Evans Amps are both great choices . The Nashville 1000 has a digital power amp and a little more power and slightly lighter than the Evans. Really its a matter of choice, what sounds good to you is the most important thing.

I know a player up in this area who uses a small Fender with a 12" speaker on a 1974 ShoBud D-10 and to his ears, He is happy with it. To my ears the tone is so thin you could scrape paint off windows with it.

Personally I like the Nashville 1000 even for my Telecaster. Great Amp and Great Company, Plus You have Mike Brown from Peavey on this forum. He answers a lot of Peavey questions right here on this forum.

If you are looking for something less expensive. The Peavey Keyboard amp KBA-100 might be a good trade off, 75 watts, 15" speaker, piezo tweeter and built in spring reverb. has 3 input channels and one channel can accept a Low impedence mic. Sounds pretty good.

Like everybody else sez, test drive them all before you buy and bargain with the Dealer, Sometimes the NAshville 1000 can be had for as little as $650 new, if you can drive a hard bargain. Cash money speaks loudly, especially in these times.

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John
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 05 March 2002 at 04:19 AM.]</p></FONT>

If I remember, the DeVille is available with two 12's or four 10's. If you've got the 10's, the tone might be a bit thin for pedal steel. If you've got the 12's, you might want to consider changing the speakers out. I've got a Blues Deluxe, which is like the Hotrod Deluxe/DeVille except for the extra high-gain circuitry. I use the amp for lower volume gigs, but I did change out the stock 12 to an EVM12L, which gave me a more solid bottom end. The only drawback is that it does make the amp heavier.

I too have the Fender DeVille. Mine's got the 4 10's. 60watts. I've never had to turn it up past about 3! But we're just playing country It is seriously loud. Anyway, the tone is a little bright, but not bad. You do NOT need to use the high boost button! Lows are good. Mid's are a little harsh - but it's a guitar amp! For now I'm happy but still looking for 'the amp' for my taste. I tweak the tone a little with outboard effects.

I'm going to do the Lemay mod on my Peavey Stereo Chorus 400 ('85) and see what that's like. Hate to say it but I had the Peavey 1000. It broke on me 3 times on stage. Went to the factory 3 times. Don't want to slag on Peavey or turn this into a Peavey service thread! - because they really are great and they tried. But the amp just sounded brittle to me. And after 3 strikes the store gave me the Fender. Maybe that's what you get by being an early adopter and the amps are better now. I figured if 4 10's work for bass players it'll do for steel for awhile. Those 4 10's move a lot of air! And I wanted to try tubes. The DeVille is too heavy however so the quest continues. But I play guitar too - so when the perfect steel amp shows itself, the Deville will be used for that , or likely sold to fund a new Reverend Hellhound!
cheers,

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"We can't afford to let Nature Run Wild" - govt. offical - Alaska

Having played many different Peavey models, I've come round to the tube tone camp, using a TubeWorks preamp in my rack rig--which includes a 15" EV speaker. Super tone.

However, I recently purchased a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for playing guitar and have been using it on practices for steel and it sounds surprisingly good. Plenty of bottom end. I occasionally use a Boss GE-7 graphic for even more bottom end. I used the Fender for my Strat the other night along with my rack setup for steel. The Fender (40 watts) had an amazing amount of gain, I couldn't turn up past about 4 (on a scale of 12). I was tempted to plug the Zum in for a few songs just to check it out. I will definitely give it a try (on steel) for smaller venues, I love the portability. Wish Fender would get serious about making a steel guitar amp.

--JR

It's your own personal preference. Tone is very subjective. The Peavey 400's and 1000's are very quiet, solid state amps. Lots of clean headroom for live performance. They don't cost much, will take a beating on the road (unlike tube amps). If you go direct from the steel to the amp, my preference is the 400. If you use a processor, a 1000 works well. Something about my 1000 that won't let me dial in a good tone without my ProFex. Could be my pickups and will vary for you. About recording. I get good results recording direct. I'll monitor with a little verb, but go to tape dry and add color on the mix. Hope this helps.

Hello All,
I've said it before.............."tone is in the ear of the beholder". But, if you are curious about what amp is best suited for the steel guitar range, its the Peavey Nashville 1000. Using any MI amp for steel guitar is fine, but until you compare the voicing of the amp to a true steel guitar amp, you won't know what you are missing or how good a real steel amp can sound..........responsewise, featurewise or powerwise. And I caution that a 50 watt amp is sufficient enough power for a live band type situation. I wouldn't purchase an amp with less than 150 watts if you plan to use it onstage.

Here's the link to the Peavey Nashville 1000 amplifier. http://www.peavey.com/products/amps_mi/guitaramps/nashville1000.cfm

I've used one on several occasions and it provided the best performance that I've experienced onstage. The 1000 is rated at 300 watts, so there is plenty of headroom for steel guitar reproduction.

I have other Peavey amp recommendations if you wish to contact me toll free here at Peavey. My number is 1-877-732-8391.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation

Just got my 1000 and by far the best amp ever. I never did get in love with my Nashville 400.But I never did think that a amp could sound better than my old Session 500.But this 1000 has them all beat

I am looking forward to getting my Evans in the next few weeks, but will keep a Nashville 400 for back up or power amp when needed. I just passed one of my Nashville 400's to a new player, he seems to be happy with it so far. The Evans I'm getting is the 150 watt model, good enough for most work I'll be doing in bars, and small venues.
It weights only 35 lbs., I got torn up rotator cuff that will always hurt when I lift heavy things, so it's a big deal to me, weight.

I think that the Nashville 1000 is by far the best sounding amp for the money.

My only comment on this subject is this. Do away with the old belief that you have to have a 15 for a steel amp. I use and I know dozens of top notch pro players who prefer 12 inch speakers over a 15. I use to be one of the guys who thaught that an amp had to have 300 watts solid state, 15 inch speaker and variable mids for it to even be considered a good choice for steel guitar. Not anymore, I finally shut up and listened to several different rigs that were not traditional steel rigs and found out how wrong I had always been. Just my 2 cents worth.

Jeremy

Tell us more Jeremy!
Brands/models?!

Pete,

Here are a few of the requested rigs that I have played through and some of the players that I know are using them. All of these players can speak for themselves, but this is what I have seen them use and what they have told me. Bruce Bouton has numerous rigs, but one of his rigs is the Boogie Studio Pre, mossvalve poweramp and 2 of the Peavey single 12 cabinets. yep 12s. At the time that I played through his rig he was using the small Mossvale amp, not the 500. I spoke with him via email last week and he said that he had been using "some old fenders" lately. Pauls studio rig is, once again, the Boogie studio pre, Mossvalve poweramp and some other toys, but he uses 2x12 closed back cabinets. Wow, 2x12 cabinets, looks like a rock stars rig, but doesn't it sound wonderful? Does to my ears. Live Paul uses a Walker Stereo Steel preamp/poweramp combo, Lexicon reverb, POD and Marrs single 12 cabinets. 12s once again. Last time I saw Jeff Newman he was using the ProfexII and the Peavey single 12 cabinets. Paul Franklin also told me once that he and some of the Players did a fly date and he was furnished 2 of the new 65 re-issue twins and he thaught they sounded great, and that is with stock speakers. I also had a new twin on the road for a while and really enjoyed it. I am currently using 12s as well. I have a 2x12 closed back loaded with an EV and 2 single 12 cabinets with BW speakers. I have 15 cabinets as well but they are not near as punchy and they do handle the low end with out any problems. The trick is to have the correct spkr. The BWs are probably the most widely used. I have also used and know many players who use and like the VHT stuff, all tube and plenty of power. They have a little 50/50 that is a wonderful amp and plenty of power. Tube watts are not the same as solid state watts. Moss Valve/ Tube works stuff is killer also. Listen to Herby Wallaces tone. I have a Roland GP100 that I got after talking with Bruce Bouton and Wayne Doll and it is killer!! I would have never thaught that a single rack space, preamp/multieffects unit could sound that good for steel, but it does. I ahve even tried running my Nashville 400 through a 12" cabinet and I must say that I really liked it. I could go on and on but my point is to try gear out and listen to it. Just because it does not fit into the stereotypical mold that an amp for steel guitar needs to fit in does not make a bad choice. Just listen to it.

Jeremy<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeremy Moyers on 11 March 2002 at 01:33 PM.]</p></FONT>

I would clearly agree with Jeremy here, I have seen and heard a few custom "RIGS" with 2x 12 cabs and 2 x15 cabs and they were awesome.

My only comment would be that for a weekend warrior a small compact 15" combo like the N400 or N1000 is very cost effective compared to the custom rigs with no sacrifice to tone or volume.

I think a Nashville 400 in quality used condition for around $350 is probably one of the best amp values on the market . A little heavy yes but who said tone and volume would come in a light package ?

tp

Jeremy, it just goes to show, in the big wide world of steel guitar there`s just not one way to cut the tator, Skin the cat ect. A pair of 12`s a single or a pair of 15`s it all work`s and work`s well.Tube or transister, analog or digital. But one thing`s for shure those in the steel guitar industry can get you where you need to be, better than those companie`s that know guitar gear,and THEY are less interested in the almighty dollar than they are in the art of steel guitar.
Chuck Norris NFM

Chuck, you are exactly correct.

I was posting some other examples of gear that guys use. This was not intended to downplay the very important roles that companies like peavey, webb, Evans ect. have played in the developement of fine steel guitar products. I also agree that for $350 you can not beat a Nashville 400. I have alot of other toys, but I would never go without having a trusty 400 around. My main point was not to let specs talk you out of a purchase. There is a lot of fine equipment out there that is wonderfull for steel guitar if you will just listen to it. IMHO there are alot more available amplifiers that are well suited for steel guitar than just the typical 300 watt single 15 combos.

Tony you are also correct, but I have one question for you. You said in your post that a "Nashville 400 or 1000 is very cost effective compared to the custom rigs with NO sacrifice to tone or volume." I would have to say that there is a difference in tone between a 400 and my "custom rig". If there were not any tone diffence I would have saved thousands of dollars and just stuck with a 400. Once again I love my 400. It is a great little compact rig that does the job fine, and what a work horse. But to me it does not sound as good as some of the other rigs I have played through.
Jeremy<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeremy Moyers on 12 March 2002 at 08:07 AM.]</p></FONT>

One other reply, On the road I used a 400 for a long time. The BIG advantage that a peavey player has if he or she is on the road is that every town has a peavey dealer, and that 99% of the time if something happens to your amp while half way across the country you can either find a replacement or get it repaired with no problem. The service that Peavey offers is excellent. So to get back to the original question of this topic, The correct amp strongly depends on what you are doing. Studio stuff I use my custom rig, live it depends on the gig, I am not going to take a big rig out to do a run of county fair "mud and dust"shows, however, If I were doing a show in a more intimate situation with a listening audience I would probably take the rack rig out. When I am doing week end club gigs I just see what I feel like taking out at the time. Just Listen.

Jeremy<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeremy Moyers on 12 March 2002 at 08:21 AM.]</p></FONT>

Jeremy:

You are right on about tone, Peaveys, Fenders, etc. For most bang for the buck, the award goes to Peavey, no argument about it.
It seems that the pros I've seen using Peaveys are often using a processor in front of the amp, often a Tube-Fex or some other FX device. This will enhance the tone considerably. Alternatives to this would be a custom rack rig as you and I have mentioned. These can be fun to set up since there are so many components to experiment with. For me, the big break-through was getting the TubeWorks Real Tube 2, same as Herby W. uses. This is one sweet tone pre-amp that can be configured for the higher voltage PSG pickup. There is no "honk", no midrange fuss, just set your highs, mids, lows and enjoy the classic sound we all remember from the early '60s (Fender) days. There are other good pre-amps as well.

I think the secret to good tube tone is fresh tubes and proper bias but good speakers are equally important. For newcomers to the steel guitar world, the disadvantages to the Fender Twin are well known: extremely heavy and expensive to maintain. But the reward is brilliant, crisp, fat tube-tone. I don't know any solid state amp that can really get that. If you also play guitar, it's almost mandatory to use a tube amp with 12" or 10" speaker(s). I haven't ever found a solid state amp that measures up. My little Deluxe Hot Rod has got me playing a lot more lead guitar than I used to and it works well for steel in small rooms. As I said before, the gain is surprising.

That's why rack rigs are getting so popular. You can get that classic sound with just a couple of boxes that are very easy to move around. The only downside is that you have to be knowlegeable about hooking everything up and you will need to add your FX devices. I prefer to do that than to deal with digital FX devices, just my preference. I use stomp boxes for delay, EQ, reverb and chorus and I can see each device, adjust each one and get my sound on the fly, no trial and error.

JR

John, At the risk of sounding like a jerk, I question how you can say that Peavy gives you the most bang for the buck and then go on to list all the effects people use to make it sound like a vintage tube amp.
Why not just use a good tube amp if that is the sound you are seeking? Am I missing something?
Ray Rasmussen