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Topic: Steel Amps |
Bill Moran
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 2:15 pm |
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Why do more steel players prefer the Nashville 400 over all others ? 
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Bill |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 2:31 pm
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Because it is a great sounding, very reliable amp.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 4:05 pm
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IMO, everything named Nashville sounds inferior to everything named Session.
But steel has special requirements, like crazy amounts of headroom and a way of taming the mids the pickups put out.
So steel will sound best in amps designed for both of those.
I don't mean to diss the NV, it's still good. But a Session 400 Limited sounds better to me.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 4:45 pm
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I prefer the Nashville 112, but might prefer a Roland Cube 80XL, if I can ever try one...
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Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 5:01 pm
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| It is considerably less expensive than, but modeled after, the high-end steel guitar amps such as Evans, Webb, etc., and it sounds like it. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 5:30 pm
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| Lane Gray wrote: |
IMO, everything named Nashville sounds inferior to everything named Session.
But steel has special requirements, like crazy amounts of headroom and a way of taming the mids the pickups put out.
So steel will sound best in amps designed for both of those.
I don't mean to diss the NV, it's still good. But a Session 400 Limited sounds better to me. |
I don't agree 100%. I had a Session 400 (not a limited) and it never sounded good. My favorite Peavey amp was the Session 500, but the weight was a killer. Also, mine kept breaking down and made many trips to the local Peavey repair store under warranty. Finally the music store took the amp back, and gave me a Nashville 400 for just sales tax.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 6:12 pm Peavey amps
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I'm a fan of all the peavey steel amps, and I've owned a session 500, Nashville 400, and 112. I've heard the old Session 400 was a great amp, but for me , not having an effects loop is a deal breaker.
That keeps my NV 400 with the Fox intense mod and lightweight Emminence speaker in the rotation with my NV 112, WEBB, and my Twin. It's a great amp, and the effects loop makes it a keeper for me. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 7:10 pm
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Yer Twin has a loop?
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 8:55 pm
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i personally think nv400s sound better than webbs at a third the price. i don't think anything sounds better than a nashville 400 really, especially when you consider everything else about them...power, price, availability, fixability, reliability, size.
i like my ltd400 the same...slightly funkier mojo.
but the nashville will cover any job as well or better than any amp. they'll probably eventually have to reissue them when everyone gets smart.
hey mike brown....!! endorsement? ...kickback..? eh? |
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Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 9:00 pm Twin with a loop
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No loop on the twin. I sure wish it did. I've seen someone run a twin into one channel, out of the same channel, into a DD3, out the the stomp box and into the second channel. It sounded good.,I couldn't do that, as I have the reverb in both channels mod. When you add that wet signal to a channel that has reverb....it sounds bad.
I just mentioned the twin with the WEBB , in addition to the peaveys ,
to show that to me, they all have a spot in the rotation. All good amps, all have served me well. |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 6:36 am
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Played last Saturday night. Grabbed a NV400, again, for the 500th time. Or more. Raised it a bit off the floor on a stand like I always do. Took a minute to set up. Took a minute to tear down. Cut through when I wanted it. Super clean. Sounded great.
Just my opinion. And I really do respect others who like different setups. Nevertheless, dang, the amp is a hugely reliable classic and there's a reason you see so many of them on steel guitar show stages.
Last edited by Eric Philippsen on 30 Dec 2013 4:29 am; edited 1 time in total |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 9:56 am Steel Amps
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I had a Nashville 400 LTD and could never get a decent sound out of it, so I sold it. I have always heard that the original 400's from maybe the 1980's, not sure about the date, were the one's that had the sound to die for. I would like to try one of these some time.
I don't know if I agree with your statement that more steel player's prefer the 400 or not. With the 112's success, I think it may have moved to the front of the pack, passing the 400 and the 1000 as the most popular Peavey amp.
The best sounding Peavey amp that I have ever owned, hands down, is my Session 500 from the early days when they first came out with them. It weighs 85 LB and at the moment, is not working. I can't handle the weight anymore, but what a sound that amp has. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 10:07 am
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Not to split hairs, but a "Nashville 400 LTD" doesn't make sense.
LTD, LTD 400 (the same thing), Session 400, Nashville 400 and Session 400 Limited were all real.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 10:42 am
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| The NV400 is a decent enough amp, but if you set it up next to a Randall Steel Man 500 the NV sounds cheap. It's a lot easier to find a Peavey, though... |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 11:39 am Steel Amps
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| Lane, it has been many years since I had what I remember as a "Nashville 400 LTD" Maybe I got the name wrong, but it was definately a 400 LTD something or the other. I thought it was a Nashville 400 LTD, but if you are saying there was no such amp, then I stand corrcted. What day is it anyway? And nurse, where do I go to find out who I am? |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 1:11 pm
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Right. The steel amp succession went
Session 400 and the LTD (same guts, different cabinet)
Session 500
Nashville 400
Session 400 Limited
Nashville 1000 and 2000 (I believe that the 2000 came later, but didn't last, and the 1000 stayed in production)
Nashville 112
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 11:17 am
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| no offense dave, but...i remember the adds for the steelman500, and over 30 years later i've still never seen even one! on the other hand,i've seen hundreds of nash400s. logic dictates that if the randall was a better sounding amp, i probably would have seen one...maybe even two. |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 11:53 am
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| Quote: |
| logic dictates that if the randall was a better sounding amp, i probably would have seen one... |
Surely you recognize the flaw in that logic, Chris. As I mentioned initially, the NV400 - with a BW speaker and cheap reverb tank - cost considerably less than the amps it was created to compete with, including the Randall SGA500, that's been Hartley's M.O. from the beginning and is one of the reasons his company has become so successful over the past forty years, the other being mass distribution of his product line. The ubiquitous Peavey mixers are sonic disaster zones but how many Midas or Harrison mixers have you ever seen? This does not equate to the Harrison being an inferior product...
I have owned several of the "Steel Man 500" amps, all of which shipped with a 4-ohm JBL and a Type 9 long-decay reverb tank. You don't have to take my word for it, but ask any of the folks who have heard them at our steel jams and you they will tell you the same thing, the NV400 sounds cheap next to the Randall. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 12:15 pm
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well..maybe so. i still think , living in a steel guitar world for so long, that i'd have seen one. i thought they should be good from the ad. do you use one regularly now?
you're right about that peavey PA fiasco. i don't know how many people sent those back to fix the gremlins and even the company couldn't find them. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 1:02 pm
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Chris, the problem was that the Steelman didn't compete against the NV, it was up against the Session 400 and the Session 500. And cost almost TWICE what were the best sounding amps Peavey ever made.
Randall quit making them because more people bought Sessions.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Bill Howard
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 1:49 pm Glad you like it
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Lane I'm happy to hear your happy with the Session I sold you:). But I just don't see why others want to say this or that Amp sounds the best,Personally i think whatever tickles your ear is the one for you.
That Session I sold you was a killer Amp,That has a 1501 B Widow,do you know what year it is?. I got it at Cash Pawn America last Summer,I had another Session limited it didn't sound near good as that one, that Amp really kicks I just wanted another Nashville and got a chrome corner one in nearly pristine condition.
I remember a steeler here in Indiana who at one point wanted to trade my almost new NV 400 for his Webb 614.
I almost traded him then I thought this guy had been playing a lot longer than me so why does he want to trade?? Mine must sound better to him:).. I have own to many Amps to count but ...Vegas 400 (1), Session 400(3) Session limited(2) Nashville 400's (4),Peavey classic 30(1),Reno 400(1).Twin reverbs(WHo knows?).
One of the best little Amps I ever owned was a Behringer Blue Devil I had 2 of them these are KILLER Steel Amps I even played a fairly large room with one they are 60 watts with jensen 12" but Behringer uses a ported cabinet to get bass response.
I owned a cpl randall amps sorry not for me.My NV blows em off stage:) |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 3:33 pm
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The Randall amps have been my main working amps since I got my first one from Lane "Race" Hogan about ten years ago, Chris. Paul Brainard recently bought one from me for use in high-volume situations. I do also use a reworked BDR for quieter shows and some recording, but all of the Ron Rogers shows and recordings have been done with the Randall Steel Man amps, usually with no other effects than the on-board spring reverb.
Nonetheless, if I am specifying backline preferences for a travel show it will read something like "Twin Reverb, Session 500, Nashville 400, in order of preference" - gotta be able to work with that's out there after all... |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 8:10 pm Re: Steel Amps
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| Bill Moran wrote: |
| Why do more steel players prefer the Nashville 400 over all others ? |
As far as I can tell this is not true. I do see maybe 1 in 10 steel players using the nash 400 still. Of the guys playing them about half like them and the other half use them because they still work or they don't want to spend the money for something else.
I think they are great amps. I am into other things these days but the Peavey Nashville 400 sure will get the job done.
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Bob |
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