Session 400 Peavey JBL

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

I recently picked up an early Session 400 - it has the raised plastic control panel with chrome knobs and a Peavey 15inch that looks like a JBL type frame.

I was told by the previous owner it is a JBL made for Peavey. It is mostly black in color with the driver cover and frame.

Can anyone shed light on these speakers and what years they were installed into the Sessions. And if you feel they are good sounding speakers...

AND if anyone has 2 chrome knobs - please let me know as this amp is missing 2 of the originals.
Thanks a bunch.

Benton Allen · From: Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA

Hi Marlin

Does it look like this one?

If so, it was made by JBL for Peavey. It is a K-130, 4 ohm JBL speaker good for about 125 watts RMS. They sound great! The only problem was that the high power output of the Peavey 400 amp could easily exceed the speakers power handling capabilities. That's what prompted Peavey to build their own and hence the Black Widow series. As long as you use a little discretion , you should have no problem.
I don't know what years they were used. Maybe someone here can help with that.

Cheers!
Benton

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

Benton,
Thanks for the picture and yes, it looks like that one. If this speaker ever gets blown can it be repaired? I know some parts for some speakers are rare.

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

this is a first year version, i think i bought it in 74-75.
Peavy serviced it a couple years ago.

it always sounds great.

Tom Quinn · Posted 9 Dec 2008 5:38 am

Those old 400s are fantastic amps, look great and are way, way underpriced...

Dave Zirbel · From: Sebastopol, CA USA

Hi Marlin. I believe the model of that speaker is either an M30 or M31. I had three of those at one time. I now have an old one in my Webb and it seems to hold up. I think the story with those speakers is that after JBL dicontinued the D130, there was still a demand for them so JBL came out with the M30. Supposedly they have a lot more handling power than D130s and D130fs. It's difficult to find a lot of info on these speaker. I think mine sounds real good! Try a search with those model numbers.

Dave

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Hi Marlin,
I have the same amp, and I blew the JBL. It can be reconed to K130 specs--kits are available. Weber makes a good kit and could do the work for you. I replaced the JBL with a Neo Black Widow. The BW sounds great but the JBL was really nice. I will be definately getting the JBL reconed.

Cliff

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

The original Session 400 amplifier of 1974 came equipped with a JBL speaker. The problem was that the amplifier produced 200 watts into the 4 ohm speaker, and the speaker could not handle the power. This is when the Peavey Black Widow came along.

Chris LeDrew · From: Canada

I blew the K130 in my Session 400 playing Tele and using feedback. Just bad judgement. I didn't realize at the time that the speaker was delicate. I now have a BW P.A. speaker thrown in there, and it still sounds great.

I love my Session.....it really sounds incredible. Probably the quintessential country steel sound. Great 'verb, a ton of power, and an array of EQ choices make the Session the perfect pedal steel amp. For the price (usually under $300), I think everyone should have one in their arsenal.
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com

Marlin Smoot · From: Kansas

Thanks to everyone who helped out with information.
Bo, thanks for the pictures.

I got the amp home last night and it sounds great.
Had the volume below 2 and was fairly loud for home practice but very clean and quite. Fairly easy to move around too, not too heavy.

I also used my Steel Guitar Black Box and was happy with the overall sound of the Session 400. This is my second one, my other is packed away but also has a JBL - but not the Peavey JBL.

Thanks again to everyone...

Bob Bowden · From: Vancouver, BC, Canada * R.I.P.

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Not to get off topic, but I too would like to find a source for knobs for the early Session 400. I have the knobs, but they are worn and hard to see the line. Rather than modify them I'd like to replace them....any ideas where to get them, or any good replacements that would work well?

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Bob: look at the picture in Bo's post of the serial number plate. The first numerial followed by the letter (5A in the photo Bo posted) gives the year as 1975, so, as I understand these numbers, 5=1975, 6=1976, etc.

Bob Bowden · From: Vancouver, BC, Canada * R.I.P.

Cliff,

Unfortunately, the back panel with the serial number is missing on mine. The previous owner said that it wasn't even there when he bought the amp used in a small shop about 12 years ago. Since it has the BW, I guessed at between 76-78 but I have also seen a version with raised letters and "Equalization" written above the controls similar to the writing above the Tremelo knobs.

Mike Brown, can you add to this???

Tom Quinn · Posted 9 Dec 2008 11:45 am

I have an original metal-face 74 with an Altec 8 ohm in it. The JBL died uears ago. It is a killer amp worthy of reissue...

Michael McGee · From: Everton, Missouri, USA

There are kits available to recone these speakers. Using the latest technologies, these kits allow a reconed peavey jbl to handle a lot more power. Change the sound? As always, your mileage may vary. I love them with the new kit (but I love fried green tomatoes, so you can't say you haven't been warned!).

I am sure there are others here who mod these speakers, but I know my good friend and forum member Randy Weideman can install a new kit for you. He can tell you much more than me about the process.

Casey Lowmiller · From: Kansas

Randy can rebuild these things like they are new!!! He researched them & located all of the materials that the factory originally used!!!

Randy's the man!!!

Casey
_________________
Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan"

joe long · From: San Antonio, Texas

My first Session 400 had the J.B. Lansing speaker. Wonderful sounding amp with great tone. When the Black Widow speaker came out I bought another Session with the BW. I use to compare these amps a lot. To my ears the Lansing speaker was a lot softer than the BW. The BW liked to be pushed up in volume. The harder it was played the better sounded.

I still have a system with the DF-130 JBL's and to my taste they (JBL's) are hard to beat for a beautiful tone.

Kenny Davis · From: Great State of Oklahoma

My Session 400 came with the M30. I didn't like it, so I traded it to Maurice Anderson for a good D130. Replaced it a several years ago with an E130-8.

On a side note, I kept the D130 in the E130's box. That came in handy when my amp was stolen from a club where I was working. My amp was missing the back piece with the serial number, and when it was recovered the only way I could prove the amp was mine was the speaker serial number I got from the box!

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