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Topic: What is better or are they equal? session 400or500 |
Roger Kemp
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 1:46 pm |
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What is better or are they equal? session 400 or 500.
I need help!  I just bought a 1978 session 400 amp good condition with a jbl speaker and foot switch one owner. My friend has a later model session 500 with black widow & controls with effects good condition. He wants to trade amp for amp. I dont know the diff I just know A couple other friends said I would be nuts to do it. My friend is a honest person but I dont want to make a bad decision. I dont want to burn him or me take the burn. help please |
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Casey Lowmiller
From:
Kansas
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 2:46 pm
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The 500 is heavier & it features some effects that I hardly ever used. I believe it is a phaser & string effect that come on them...I view them as useless. If you can get a 500 dialed in right, they sound marvelous & some people call them the cadillac of steel amps.
I've played some 400s & they are nice too.
I settled on a LTD 400 with a JBL...it's a sweet amp. So far, I'm keeping it & my BW equipped 500.
No matter which one you get/keep...I hope it has wheels on it.
Casey
_________________
Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan" |
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Roger Kemp
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 2:50 pm What is better or are they equal? session 400or500
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Thanks for the reply. I still need more Input please.  |
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Roger Kemp
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 5:34 pm What is better or are they equal? session 400or500
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| Please I really need help,if you dont want to post here email me. |
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Ron !
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 5:44 pm
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Roger.If you don't mind the weight then I would go for the 500.Like said before....they are the Cadillac under the amps.They were and still are.In my book there is no better amp.But they are HEAVY.
The sound is ONE IN A MILLION.
Ron |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 6:17 pm
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My personal prefrence if I were choosing, would be to trade out amps, but keep the JBL for the 500 and the BW for the 400.
I have two Session 500 with JBL's, and yes they are heavy but best sound for my ears ever. Put casters on them and some 'cargo' handles on the sides so you lift them easier.
Again, to my ears I never liked the harsh attack and the reverb on the 400. The 500 was always smoother.
It's hard to describe, I know. Also, if you are playing at very high volume, the BW is probably better.
You will get lots of opinions on this topic.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Larry Hutchison
From:
Peoria, Illinois, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 6:21 pm
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Roger,
In my opinion the Sessions 500 is the finest steel guitar amp ever built. BUT they are definitely heavy. Although the Sessions 400 is a good amp to. Lot less heavy. But when you get the 500 dialed into your guitar, there's nothing like it. I don't use the effects on the amp except for the reverb, and the sound is fantastic. I've had my 500 since either late 1982 or early 1983. Purchased it new, and have had very little problem with it. I also have a Nashville 400 amp which is also sweet, but to me it doesnt have the full sound of the Sessions 500.
To all fellow forum members, these are only my opinions and what sounds good to my ears. The statements above are not made to discredit any other steel guitar amplifier, cause I've heard them all sound good while being played by other steelers.
Warm Regards
Larry Hutchison
_________________
Larry Hutchison, Marlen D-10 8 x 7, Peavey Sessions 500(2) and Peavey Nashville 400 |
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Roger Kemp
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 6:58 pm What is better or are they equal? session 400or500
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| Lets throw this into the mix. Maby sell the 400 and buy a nashville 1000??? what about that choice its a lot lighter amp. Would that be a better option?? I know that these are all just opinions and I'm not trying to start anything between steelers. I also just ordered a new laquer sd10 mullens, emmonds setup 3pedals&4 knee should I have any extra pedals or knees installed? Is it worth spending the extra on the pre or g2? Im not been doin pedal steel very long??? |
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Casey Lowmiller
From:
Kansas
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 7:58 pm
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You could always get a Nashville 112. They are very lightweight & you can get some nice sounds with them.
Not to mention that they are new & can still be serviced/repaired.
Evans amps are also very nice sounding compact amps that are modern & easily serviced.
As far as the 500 is concerned, I think the large cabinet adds to the resonance of the amp & makes it sound more musical than the 400. It has this bassy warmth thing to it that just sounds smoothe and rich.
I love my LTD 400 and it sounds great...but it is a totally different sound from the 500. Then again, the LTD 400 has the same size of cab as the Pacer which is a much smaller cab.
As stated before, the 500 is a very large & heavy amp. Some people don't like them because it can be hard to dial in a good sound. There are quite a few knobs to tinker with. Once you find a nice sound... you'll absolutely love the 500. There are some user setting recommendations here on the forum that can help you dial in the right sound.
If you're looking for a nice amp for your music room that won't get moved around alot, the 500 is a real jewel. When I bought mine, I rolled it in the corner and it has stayed there ever since. It seems to workout there and my back appreciates the fact that I don't move it around.
Hope this helps,
Casey
_________________
Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan" |
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Greg Booth
From:
Anchorage, AK, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2007 10:40 pm
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I have both and have played the Session 500 for 20+ yrs in every kind of venue. The active eq on the 500 works better and I can always get my sound; 95% of the time neutral eq settings is perfect and seems to complement my guitar (MSA 12 birdseye maple) perfectly. I prefer the 500 by a wide margin. I'm not a big gear nut, keep it simple, plug it in and play music.
_________________
Greg
Kathy Kallick Band
www.youtube.com/user/aksliderdobro |
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Roger Kemp
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 4:59 am What is better or are they equal? session 400or500
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| looks like the 500 wins in the forum |
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Keith Cordell
From:
San Diego
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 5:33 am
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| YMMV, but I had a 400 that was as close to a tube tone as I've ever heard is a solid state amp. Very warm and tasty. The 500 was very sterile and way too loud. The high end was totally over the top. Again, that's just one amp against another, so I wouldn't necessarily accept it as a rule; but I would listen to the two amps, weigh (no pun intended) the benefits of a lighter amp against the tonal difference and take factors like condition into the equation. I've heard great sounding low end amps and terrible expensive ones. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 6:08 am
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If you get the 500, here are some settings from some time back:
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Roger Kemp
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 6:11 am What is better or are they equal? session 400or500
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| That is great Thanks. |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 6:15 am
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In answer to an earlier comment about the 500's 'String Effect' not working very well: the String Effect ONLY works as it should if you use the three cord hookup to amp and pedal. Most do not use this, and I only used it when I first got amp many years ago.
Otherwise with the single cord hookup to amp, the string effect sounds like ??????? The phasor works well either way.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 1:33 pm
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Are they equal? Well, it's much harder to find a Session 400, in good condition, than a Session 500, in equally good condition. People tend to keep their Session 400's. If you watch the prices of these amps, you will also notice that the Session 500's are harder to sell and usually fetch a lower price. The Session 400 you have might be worth as much as $400, the typical Session 500 can often be found for less than $250. I would not make an even trade.
_________________
Bill Moore...
my steel guitar web page
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Marlin Smoot
From:
Kansas
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 3:35 pm
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Over the last 25 years (for pedal steel) I've owned the following:
Session 500 (with 15 inch JBL)
Session 400 (15 inch JBL)
Session 400 (2x EV 12's)
Nashville 400 (Stock 15 inch BW)
I would use any one of these amps for any gig and have had great results with tone and have been trouble free.
The Session 500 has a great tone in part because of the large cabinet size (as mentioned in an eariler post) I would have another only for a house gig where I didn't need to move it and stage room was not an issue. I would put a 15 inch JBL in it. Loud.
The Session 400 (15 inch JBL) is currently my favorite and the one I'm using now. The resale price on the Session 400 seems to be holding plus increasing in value recently.
The Nashville 400 is a great amp and has a small footprint on stage. I currently own 2 of them if I want to run stereo. Easy to haul around.
I didn't own, but have played through an LTD - chrome knob - and loved it. Light and excellent tone.
As others have mentioned, there are of course other amps for pedal steel so this is only information about my Peavey amps I've used and put through the gig mill.
If anyone has a Mint Condition Session 500 close to AZ for sale, or perhaps a trade into one of my Nashville 400's... I may be interested... please send a PM. Thanks. |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 4:05 pm
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Through a strange sequence of events, I have two 500's. One in nearly mint condition with a 15" black widow, and one with some shipping damages and no speaker. They both work great.
One issue though is, they both fire up with the string effect channel active when you don't have the 3 button switch plugged in. I never use that channel and would like to use the dinged up one without having to switch out the pedal. Is there a way to activate the normal channel without the pedal ? |
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Casey Lowmiller
From:
Kansas
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 5:02 pm
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On my 500, to turn off the string effect, I just turn the knob to the left until it clicks. When you turn the knob it will stop...turn it a bit more & it will click off.
Casey
_________________
Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan" |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 5:16 pm
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| Thanks Casey! |
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Shorty Smith
From:
Columbus, Georgia, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 6:06 pm
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| I used a 500 for several years, its really a great Steel Amp. Wish I had it back, The 500 with my P/P really sounded great but I also like the 1000 and 112 that I use now |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 7:04 pm
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| Personally I would get a Nashville 1000 --- it's got more power and it's lighter, and sounds as good as anything Peavey ever made before !! I know cos I've played through most of them. |
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Casey Lowmiller
From:
Kansas
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 8:07 pm
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Steve,
I take it you didn't have the knob turned all the way to the left???
I hope I solved your problem.
I found that out once I got mine home from the pawnshop...the guys at the pawnshop sold me it cheap because it had a weird sound to it...that was the weird sound. I was messing with it & voila...the weird sound went away!!!
Casey
_________________
Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan" |
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Jody Sanders
From:
Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 8:27 pm
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| Other than the weight, I would go with the 500. Jody. |
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Duane Brown
From:
Reno,Nevada USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2007 9:10 pm
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My first steel only amp was a 1978LTD- a great sounding and light weight amp. In Nov.1980 I tried out the first Session 500 to hit Reno and the HUGE sound blew me away. I bought it and have used it for thousands of gigs since and have always been amazed by the sound.It is heavy so I tried out a Nashville1000side by side and the 500 still has a bigger sound. I recently purchased a Nashville112 because of the weight savings. Session 500 over Session400- for me it's not even close.
Duane |
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