| Author |
Topic: What Are Characteristics of a Good Steel Amp? |
Allan Jirik
From:
Wichita Falls TX
|
Posted 24 Feb 2010 9:05 pm |
|
| I'm just starting up again. I have a Line6 Spyder amp which (to me) sounds pretty good for a practice amp on either "clean" or "twang". Should I want to "move up" what factors make a particular amp good for pedal steel and why? Thank you. |
|
|
 |
Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
|
Posted 24 Feb 2010 9:34 pm
|
|
Lots of headroom, which pretty much means at LEAST 15 watts for a tube amp.
Blues Jr being about the lowest powered GOOD steel amp for MIKED gigs.
That mainly.. You are always pushing a heavy steady signal.
Solid Staters are the "coin of the realm" and I suppose Peavey Nashville 400s Session 400s and 500s and 1000s the best of them.
They are the best for loud gigs where you can't mike, or can't count on miking.
The smaller Nvl112 SEEMS to compress the highs with the lows, and they are GREAT miked gig amps except for that, the cheezy reverb and the logo ( heehehehhehe)
Actually I've been using 2 Fender Frontman65r amps, one with a Weber Silver Bell, that I'm testing the reliability of. I mike one or both, and they are loud enough not to mike in bar gigs I've been doing. they don't have any modelling junk, and are loud and seem prety strong. I think I probably didn't need the Weber Spealer, but I thought I'd try it. The stock speakers seem hell for stout...
MANY players use a stereo amp setup, and you need about 50 solid state watts for each channel to compete. Nvl 112s purport about 80w.
Recently Vox has put out a couple real interesting semitube "solid state" hybrid amps that are VERY interesting. No modelling and a 12AXxx tube.
I think the "AC15" type and size amp is about 325$, and I think I'd have tried one if I'd seen one the last time I bought amps, which was the two FRnt65rs a couple weeks ago. They don't have a bunch of "modelling" junk and have purported "greenback" speakers and are enclosed.
They also have an "AC30" 'size' amp with two speakers. I"m sure it's about 6 or 700$.
Like I said, headroom, and it seems solid staters are the best bet.
If you're around a "Guitar Center" they usually let you try one for a week or so.
JMHO.
EJL |
|
|
|
Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
|
Posted 25 Feb 2010 2:15 am
|
|
Eric, well stated
Don't rule out that many will say " you don't need this or you don't need that "..the fact of the matter is until you are playing out and on the bandstand you really don't know what you need so an amp that can cover CLEAN headroom and Volume is a great place to start. As mentioned above the Peavey Nashville series is the ticket if you are not sure, each of those amps WILL perform beyond your requirement ( the 112 may be the exception on a large stage un-mic'd.
Eric above , like many, brings years of bandstand experience to this conversation and is not speaking from the "you must do this" scenario, he is realistic and knows what works best for his scenario.
Me, I'm just old school lazy, for Steel only gigs I carry a Nashvlle 400 , for Steel and Telecaster gigs I use a Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12 ( many use a Fender Twin) . I'm pretty much satisfied that I am not going to re-invent anything here and both of those amps can cover ANY stage situation that will come my way.
Today everyone wants small and lite but demands a big clean sound. The Steel has a special requirement being a 10 string Instrument and possibly a double neck tuning 20 string Instrument. If you are playing on the stage with an under powered unclean amp and you are on that C6th neck down in the BooWah Pedal zone... your amp will talk to you and you will not like what it is saying ! Guitar players want edge, Steel players want NO EDGE...you can't un-edge and amp that is made to give EDGE !
If a new player is not certain which amp to acquire my take would be a Nashville 400 or Nashville 1000. It's not a gamble.
t
ps, if I could only own ONE amp , for me it would be the Fender Hot Rod Deville or a Fender Twin..Sure maybe a bit heavy but the issue is bandstand sound. Getting it from the Van to the stage and back to the Van is a totally different issue !
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
|
|
|
Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
|
|
|
|
