Question about Peavey Amps

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

One thing I've never understood about Peavey amps: they have been consistently involved with the steel guitar amp market for decades (until recently?), which is great. They have been just about the only mass-market amp manufacturer to design specifically for steel guitars, and to take advice from major steel players when developing their new models. (I know that Fender has occasionally done this too, but not as consistently and for as long as Peavey.)

So, what I don't understand is this: Why does one still need to turn the MIDS practically "OFF" to get an acceptable steel tone on a Peavey amp? I know of "no" steel guitarist that doesn't cut the mids substantially on a Peavey amp that was supposedly designed for steel players. Wouldn't you think that they would have designed it so that the mids would be at 12 o'clock instead of needing to be shut down?

I don't get it....??
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Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

The mid control knob is on there for a reason. The reason is to make guys like you ask questions about it. Laughing

Mike Kowalik · From: San Antonio,Texas

I was told long ago by a well respected steel player in the San Antonio area that the key to Peavey amps was to have the mid and shift knobs directly opposite of each other.In this state they cancel each other out.

In simple terms...have one at 9 o'clock and the other at 3 o'clock.

Bryan Daste · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Hmm...don't think that's true. Isn't "Mid" a mid level control and "Shift" a mid frequency control?

For the record, on my Nash 400 I usually leave the mid at about 12 o'clock and boost the lows significantly.

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Yeah doesn't make much sense does it Jim. Then again, not much does in this crazy old world.
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Clete Ritta · From: San Antonio, Texas

The Mid Shift does absolutely nothing if the Mid Control is at 0 (12 o'clock = flat). I think many probably cut mid control anywhere from -3 to -6 (~10 o'clock) and the Mid Shift set around 800 Hz (~2 o'clock) in opposite directions as Mike suggests, but they do not cancel each other out, just cut a good amount of 800 Hz out of the signal.
Everyone's ears are different, and the Peavey EQ does allow for a wide range of settings to dial in your personal preference.

Clete

Mike Schwartzman · From: Maryland, USA

This is just a guess...Maybe they discovered what worked for an electric bass guitar preamp (in the early days)could also work for pedal steel also.

I don't own an early Peavey bass amp, but it would be interesting to see how the mid controls compared to say... a Session 400
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Bill Bassett · From: Papamoa New Zealand

Lately I've been using an old Renown 400 head with a 15 inch BW. I can make it sound pretty good but like you say, mids almost off. Of course I learned that trick years ago on a twin reverb. I think there is s psycho-acoustic element at play here too.

Vincent Lenci · From: Sussex, New Jersey

Maybe so you're not locked into playing just a psg
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Henry Brooks · From: Los Gatos, California, USA

Having the mid-range cut is the secret to getting a good guitar sound out of any amplifier. The old tube Fender amplifiers tone stack, equalizer, creates a mid-range cut which in my opinion is why Fender tube amps are so popular. The reason why the cut is important is that a guitar doesn't project the mid-ranges. There is a bass peak at around 80Hz cause by the body cavity resonance. Above this point the top is too small in wavelengths to be effective at as a radiator until about 250 to 350Hz. The guitars first string E at the twelfth fret is only 659.26Hz.
When I say guitar I mean a flat top acoustic guitar. The pedal steel guitar is a little different then standard and the magic frequency seems to be around 800Hz. The Fender equalizer is passive and the controls do interact but it can produce cuts more then -20dB. The Peavey on the other hand uses an active equalizer with about +/- 12dB range so the amount of cut needed somewhat depends on how much bass and treble boost your using.
Henry
P.S. People forget that the guitar is really a bass and treble cleft instrument and that music for the guitar is written an octave above the notes played on the guitar.

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

Maybe the Peavey steel amp midrange/shift tone controls are stacked as they are to make it user friendly for 6 string guitar and other instruments which require more midrange boost at other various midrange frequencies? Just a guess.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

You could move the knob.
The big problem lies in that the steel pickup is exceptionally hot in the midrange band: you have to tame them for a pleasing tone.
So if you have a midrange control labeled by what it actually does (most of us cut them a bit), it'll look like that, because we're accustomed to seeing zero in the middle and boost to the right, cut to the left. And most of us like lotsa knobs.
If you want simpler, get a Little Walter. The tone stack is designed for what they believe is optimal for one knob.
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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Malcolm McMaster · From: Beith Ayrshire Scotland

I think that over the years Peavey have served most of us pretty well, I had my Nashville 400 for twenty five years with very little in way of problems,old age and bad back made me switch to 112 to save weight, again an excellent amp.These days the 112 is my spare amp and now use MB200 with Sica speaker, half the weight of 112, but eqally good in sound and extra power.I would have liked Peavey to have developed something along this line but alas not to be.Have always been pleased with sound of my Peaveys and using guitar also, controls suited both, on the 112 did not like fact that control knobs were vulnerable to being damaged, other than that no complaints.I would also say the service that we have recieved from Mike Brown has been exceptional over the years, had noticed lately not so much input from Mike and wondered if he was still with them, or perhaps in another position with them.
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