Sesion 500

John Kalament · From: South Carolina

Was the Session 500 a good Steel Amp ? Anyone have some settings to start out with for this Amp ?
Thanks,
John

Danny Letz · From: Old Glory,Texas, USA 79540

A lot of players swear by them, but I think they are the reason that the slogan "Peavey Amps, a free anvil in the bottom of each one" started.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

I bought one when they first came out,really liked it,but you needed a forklift to get it on a stage,now I really enjoy my NV-112.DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Shorty Smith · From: Columbus, Georgia, USA

Had a Peavy Session 500, used it for12 years, it was a super Amp with a great sound for the steel guitar. I now use a Peavy 1000 and 112, but I surely can't knock the Session 500

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

I bought the first one that Bruce Music in Ft. Worth was able to get in 1981. It is sitting in my studio right now, and still looks and sounds as good as the day I brought it home. Great sounding amps. If you are not built like Hulk Hogan, and want to use one of these on gigs, I would suggest separating the head from the speaker.
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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro.

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

I liked all the other Peavey steel amps better than the Session 500.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I got the first one the Music Store in Kansas City got in from Peavey. I carried (lugged) it around until 1996. I put handles on each side, like the handles Scotty had on his and that helped in lifting it. But, to me, it was the best Steel Amp Peavey made. The smaller Nashville 112 comes in a close second.

Jack Goodson · From: new brockton,alabama (deceased)

i have an 82 year model that i have owned for years, dont use it out anymore due to the weight and my ability to lift it. i recentely had it modded by peavey, and it sounds great. definfitely the best peavey amp ever built.....thanks jack

Larry Hutchison · From: Peoria, Illinois, USA

Hi John. I have 2 Session 500's plus a Nashville 400, and In my opinion the 500 the best steel amp that I have used. Of course thats only my opinion. They are heavy but for my ear going to a smaller amp like the Nashville 112 didnt work out for me. Both of my amps are 1982 models. You asked about the settings, below are the settings I use. I play a Marlen D-10 and prior to that I played an Emmons D-10 push pull. I use the same settings with both steels. (I no longer have the Emmons)

Pregain - 4-5
Low - 8-10 depending on the gig
Par - -3 to -6
Shift - 800
Pres - -3 to -6
Postgain 5
Reverb 5 - 7
Hi -3 to -6

Those settings sound good to my ears. Anyway its somewhere to start. Make the adjustments easy for your ears.

Regards
Larry Hutchison
Peoria, Illinois
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Larry Hutchison, Marlen D-10 8 x 7, Peavey Sessions 500(2) and Peavey Nashville 400

Jack Goodson · From: new brockton,alabama (deceased)

larry: do you use the pedal loop?...thanks jack

Larry Hutchison · From: Peoria, Illinois, USA

John, yes I use the pedal loop. I use an old emmons volume pedal also with 500K pot and string.

John, if you want to chat about the amp, please give me a call.

Home: 309-676-3977
Cell: 309-645-1566

Regards
Larry Hutchison
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Larry Hutchison, Marlen D-10 8 x 7, Peavey Sessions 500(2) and Peavey Nashville 400

Steve Hamill · From: California, USA

I love that amp. I use it for steel, strat, bass, synths. With all the input/output options I can use it for all of them at the same time. Steel into input 1, Strat into input 2,line out to stereo efx/power amp/ speakers, bass from separate pre-amp into power amp in. They all sound good through it.

Jim Bates · From: Alvin, Texas, USA

The Paramid at - 3 and Shift at 800 is what I use. The low, high and presence all depend on your room acoustics (dead halls will usually need more boost in the high and presence) and your own ears.

For big halls, I set the Pre-gain 2 -3 and set Post wide open (10)

Thanx,
Jim

Don Sulesky · From: Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH

I bought mine in 1980 and used it until 1998 when I sold it to guy in NY state.
It was probably the best amp I owned except for the weight.
I used it for my Steel, Bass and Guitar.
My setting for Steel were bass +9, mid -3, shift 800, high & presence 0 to +3. The same I used for all my Peavey amps the NV400, NV1000 and NV112.
Now it's the NV112 for me and I love it.
Don

John Kalament · From: South Carolina

Thanks so much guy's !!! I just unpacked it and it looks almost new ! I paid 329.00 for it with shipping included which I thought was a pretty good price.

Thanks so much again to all of you and also for your settings.
John

Darvin Willhoite · From: Roxton, Tx. USA

That was a good price, probably about half that was shipping. Smile

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Darvin Willhoite
MSA Millennium, Legend, and Studio Pro, Reese's restored Universal Direction guitar, a restored MSA Classic SS, several amps, new and old, and a Kemper Powerhead that I am really liking. Also a Zum D10, a Mullen RP, and a restored Rose S10, named the "Blue Bird". Also, I have acquired and restored the plexiglass D10 MSA Classic that was built as a demo in the early '70s. I also have a '74 lacquer P/P, with wood necks, and a showroom condition Sho-Bud Super Pro.

Don Blood · From: Illinois, USA

I paid 200 for mine, and 115 for shipping. Actually, I bid on it on ebay, and didn't notice that it said local pick up only. I was lucky to find someone in Erie, PA to pick it up and ship it to me. There was a UPS store just up the road.

I love the sound though, but dread lugging it up the stairs.

I'm sure you'll be happy with it John.

Don Blood http://armrest.donblood.com

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

Best amp Peavey ever made. Just too heavy for us small framed pickers. Jody.

Richard Marko · From: Dallas, Texas

Session 500 - Best amp I've ever played through !!
I play now through a POD XT directly into mixer and using in-ears and I'll tell you this :
I took for granted the Session sound and miss it so much, hate the effects to mixer and the ears approach, it seems to lose that special tone and flexibility that I had with the Session.
Yes, I do agree it is a back breaker but mine is 27 years old and still kicking.
I can't seem to duplicate the string (distortion) that the sesion has on the POD XT so even through alot of guitar players say so much good about the POD it does have its limitations.
I wish that Line 6 could emulate a session !!!
I've tried e-mailing them and I get no response which puts a bad vibe in my gut towards any future Line 6 items.

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

We were all younger and stronger in earlier years.

Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

You are so right, Mike. At this time, my Session 400, Session 400LTD, Nashville 400, and even my Nashville 112 seem to get heavier as each day passes. You just can't beat a Peavey amp. Jody.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Here's some settings from back when the Session 500 was THE amp:

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