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Topic: Curious about Peavy Session 400, 15 inch amps |
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 11 Mar 2013 6:19 pm |
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At one time, the Peavy Session 400 with a 15 inch JBL was one of the most desired amps on the market.
During recent months, I've seen a number of them going for $400 +/-.
Why might that be? |
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Bo Legg
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Posted 11 Mar 2013 9:49 pm
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| I think it is because most or maybe all don't come from the factory with JBLs. Take the JBL out and put in a blackwidow and the thing is instantly worth $400 at the very most. |
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Ransom Beers
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Posted 12 Mar 2013 5:52 am
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| Weight,bulky,is some of the reasons.Since the NV112 came out everybody bought them because they are lighter,take up less room in the trunk or the back of a pick-up. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 12 Mar 2013 6:03 am
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| Smaller is seldom better. I have played Nashville 400's, Session 400's and Session 500's. Besides my rack setup, my present favorite combo amp is the Webb. And I sure don't play it because it's the lightest! But I do like the tone. When I got it it had a Black Widow in it and I swapped that out for a 15" JBL. And then I had Rick Johnson build me a 15" extension speaker cabinet to use along with it. I really like what I am hearing. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 12 Mar 2013 7:59 am
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I have one of the silver-knob Session 400's from the 70's.
You've heard it... I played my Emmons Push-Pull thru it at the last Steel Jam I attended.
It currently has a Weber Michigan 15" speaker in it.
If someone local is wanting to check it out we could probably set that up.
Pete B. |
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Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
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Posted 12 Mar 2013 9:22 am
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I reluctantly gave up my Session 500 because of the weight.
There has never been an amp since to equal it's output for a steel guitar. It was just too heavy for the aging steel guitarists to carry. A sad commentary of our times.
_________________
"FROM THEN TIL' NOW" |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 12 Mar 2013 11:58 am
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My first amp was a session 400 that came with a 15" JBL and sounded great. That speaker quit and I had a Black Widow installed. I didn't like the sound after that. They sounded absolutely best with the JBL
_________________
BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 12 Mar 2013 2:29 pm Re: Curious about Peavy Session 400, 15 inch amps
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| Ray Montee wrote: |
At one time, the Peavy Session 400 with a 15 inch JBL was one of the most desired amps on the market.
During recent months, I've seen a number of them going for $400 +/-. Why might that be? |
Mostly, because it's a old, used, Peavey amp.  Rarely, and I do mean rarely, do any of the used Peavey amps command $400 or more. The ones with JBL's still bring slightly more than the ones with Peavey's own speakers. But anymore, even the vaunted JBL's seem to have lost a little of their former charisma. Fewer people want them for playing, and most of the inquiries I get for them are from "flippers" wanting them for restorations. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 12 Mar 2013 3:12 pm Flippers ?
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| Wow Donny, that seems odd, that there would be a market for a restoration of a forty year old heavy Peavy amp. That being said, with Nashville and Session 400s to be found for around $350.00 or so, that's a lot of amp for a modest price. I'd have a hard time forking over bigger dough because one was "restored" or in great cosmetic shape. Never considered them collectible, as there is a large supply and only moderate demand. I guess any commodity is worth whatever you can find someone to pay for it ! |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 13 Mar 2013 3:15 am
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Get one with the original 4ohm K-130 (or better yet-get two and run 'em in stereo), do all the Sarno upgrades and they are great. My favorite solid state amp for pedal steel.
"Peace through superior firepower" |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 13 Mar 2013 4:40 am
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| I would love to have the money to buy all the latest gear, but in the meantime I'll keep playing through my Session 400 with a Black Widow 1501 SB. Actually I have two of them. I can get a very good steel tone from the amp. The amp is not hurting my career. I just need to play better, and do a better job of promoting myself. |
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William Fraser
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2013 5:20 am 500
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I have a room full of Peavey amps , & recently added a session 500 , at first I couldn't get a sound I was crazy about , then I got a copy of the settings that all the players used at one of the steel conventions , & was amazed ! I had a 22 year old protégé come to visit on a break from school & let him play with it , he hed a perfect Frank Zappa tone coming out of it in about 2 minutes , I made him promise not to tell his Zappa freak friends about it , I recently traded off my 65 Super Re-issue due to it spending more time being repaired under warranty than playing , it was the sweetest sounding amp for a month or 2 , and never sounded the same after the 'EXPERTS FIXED IT' THE Low prices that old peavey steel amps fetch are not an accurate guage of the quality of these amps , the Jazz players who come to get their guitars worked on would all be playing Session 400 Limiteds if they just ate their Wheaties. Bill 
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Billy Lee ,Pro-II,, Session 400,Session 500 , Supro , National, SpeedDemons,& too many Archtops & Stratotones.Lots of vintage parts for Kay ! etc. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2013 6:12 am
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 17 Mar 2013 6:16 am Re: Flippers ?
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| Steve Spitz wrote: |
| Wow Donny, that seems odd, that there would be a market for a restoration of a forty year old heavy Peavy amp. |
Sorry for the misunderstanding, Steve, but I was talking about the JBL speakers from old Peavey amps, not the amps themselves. (People wanting JBL speakers for use in restoring other valuable amps.) A trip to the "boneyard" of most any music store will likely reveal a few Peaveys without speakers; speakers resold and amp chassis and cabinets cast aside. There are still players who go ga-ga over JBL's, but not many who prefer old Peaveys. |
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