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Topic: Good Amp For Bass And Steel? |
Jason Weaver
From:
Topeka, Kansas
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Posted 28 Feb 2005 3:32 pm |
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Hello all,
As I am looking for my first steel, I am also looking for that one amp that will work for PSG and bass guitar. I was hoping to use the Peavey KB 300watt keyboard amp that I have been using at church, but as someone pointed out the PSG doesn't get along too well with horns and tweeters.
I did see that some of the Peavey steel amps have a low-end mod. Does that make them suitable for bass?
There may not be a magic amp for both, but I thought I would ask. Thank you in advance for your help on this.
Jason |
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Gary Walker
From:
Morro Bay, CA
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Posted 28 Feb 2005 11:17 pm
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| The Peavey Session 500 can do both, but a good bass amp needs a closed back to handle the low end. Now if you could just lift the 500 without dislocating something important. They are the granddaddy of steel amps. |
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Rick Johnson
From:
Wheelwright, Ky USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2005 5:04 am
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Jason
I have a '67 Dual Showman with the
1/15 closed cab. Its great for bass.
I had the tremolo circuit rewired
for reverb. I have a smaller 1/15 open
back enclosure I made to use for the
steel. It sounds great.
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Rick Johnson
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 1 Mar 2005 5:10 am
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A few years ago my session 500 went out so for a couple of weeks I used my bass amp for steel which was a Peavey TNT 130 with a 15" speaker, closed back and all. I used a small Boss delay pedal with it and the thing really sounded great to my ears. JH in Va.
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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2005 7:27 am
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| Years ago, I used a Fender Bassman amp, along with a separate Fender spring reverb for steel. Sounded great for both. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 1 Mar 2005 8:53 am
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If I were going to do this, I'd first find a high powered steel amp (100-300 watts) that I liked the sound of, because any steel amp will make a good bass amp, but the reverse is not true. Then I would get a good closed-back bass cabinet. Then make any mods it takes to make it easy to switch from the internal speaker to the bass cabinet. A bass cabinet is not likely to sound great for steel, and the internal speaker in an open-back amp is very, very easy to blow with a bass, even at low volumes. If the amp is internally wired to the speaker, have a speaker jack installed, so you can manually switch between the speakers, or connect the amp to a switch box. Also, you will probably need two channels on the amp with separate tone controls, so you can adjust the tone for the steel and bass separately.
Having said that, the 300 watt keyboard amp you have might do passably for steel and bass, as long as you use switchable speakers as described above. The keyboard amp will tend to have harsh mids and highs with the steel, but you might be able to dial in a decent sound. If it only has one channel, you will have a problem getting the right tone for both instruments. A separate EQ unit or preamp with two channels could solve that. [This message was edited by David Doggett on 01 March 2005 at 09:00 AM.] |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 1 Mar 2005 2:28 pm
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Like Jerry said, the Peavey TNT will do in a pinch (I've used one myself). All you need to do is add a delay pedal. Even better would be the Peavey "Data-Bass" amp. This amp has more power and a graphic EQ, and with a delay pedal would kick seriuos butt! (Both these amps are discontinued, but readily available on the used market)
Of course, if you like Fender, then the old Bassman or Showman with a delay pedal would do a decent job, too!
Bass amps do a credible job when used for steel, and the best thing is you don't have to worry about them breaking down when you hit that boo-wah pedal!  |
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Jason Weaver
From:
Topeka, Kansas
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Posted 1 Mar 2005 9:14 pm
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A couple have mentioned the Dual Showman and that got me thinking. I was looking a few months back at getting an Alembic F2B pre for my bass. This is a grade-A handwired version of the Showman pre. If I used that with a power amp and a Bag End S15 sealed 15" I should be good to go for bass and PSG!
Any thoughts on that setup?
Jason |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Mar 2005 3:08 pm
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Jason, the first answer was the best answer IMO. Even with the open back, a Peavey Session 500 kicks bass just fine, and of course it's a great Steel amp.
Casters are essential - and even then you gotta be tough! People are selling them dirt cheap ($200 - $250), I guess because of the weight . .
RA[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 04 March 2005 at 03:09 PM.] |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2005 6:29 pm
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Jason,
I think you may have the right idea....The Alembic Pre is nothing more than a clean sounding Blackface Fender circuit ....The Bag End speaker would KILL for bass, but I'm not really fond of sealed cab's for pedal steel ....Not that it wouldn't work, but it would not be optimum .... Worst case scenario, you get an open back cab and put a 15 " speaker in for pedal steel, and use the same pre/amp combination ...The only addition ( only if you had to ) would be another speaker cab ....You could even go with a high powered solid state rack amp for plenty of clean headroom for both bass, and for steel..Jim |
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Jason Weaver
From:
Topeka, Kansas
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Posted 7 Mar 2005 6:09 am
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Thanks for all the great input everyone!
Jason |
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db
From:
Bethlehem, PA 18015 USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2005 7:32 pm
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I use a Hartke KickBack 10 for both.
Maybe a little under-powered for your application.
I also use an Eden CXC-110 @ 230 Watts. . .
With a little more power if you add an extension speaker to get 330 Watts.
As you can see, I am after compact power!
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Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3
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Jason Weaver
From:
Topeka, Kansas
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Posted 18 Mar 2005 8:13 am
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db said: "As you can see, I am after compact power!"
As am I brother! My high school days of SVTs and 8x10 cabs are over. I have had some serious back problems over the last five years, and need maximum impact from the smallest box.
Thanks for the heads up on the Hartke. I loved my 410 that I used to have, it was just so heavey for the little wattage it handled. I have heard that the aluminum cones are ultra sensitive and will fry with even the slightest excess in power. I would be afraid that the super hot PSG signal would pop it. I assume you have never had an issue with it?
Jason[This message was edited by Jason Weaver on 18 March 2005 at 08:14 AM.] [This message was edited by Jason Weaver on 18 March 2005 at 08:15 AM.] |
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Alan Kirk
From:
Scotia, CA, USA
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Posted 18 Mar 2005 8:47 am
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I've got a vibrasonic that was cut down to be a head only, which I run into a separate cabinet with a 15" EV. I love the bass sound of this rig. I don't really use the vibrasonic for steel, but I know a lot of people do.
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db
From:
Bethlehem, PA 18015 USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2005 12:18 pm
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Jason,
I did blow a Hartke speaker while playing steel once . . .
But, it was because I put the amp on a chair
and the back port was closed off by the seat back . . .
I won't do that again.
BTW . . . No other PSG problems in 7 years!
But, the last time that I used it for Bass . . . I had an over heating problem and had to place a fan blowing on the amp to keep it cool enough so that it would not distort.
P.S. I just bought second KB10 so that I can go with 240 watts stereo.
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Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3[This message was edited by db on 20 March 2005 at 02:50 PM.] |
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db
From:
Bethlehem, PA 18015 USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2005 2:46 pm
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Jason, The KB12 is very easy to find (used) but the KB10 has a much better tone range for PSG and has the best power to pound ratio @ only 30lbs.
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Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3
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