Fender Steel King

Larry Kinner · From: Texas, USA

Hey folks, I've been reading the forum for a couple of years and finally decided to join up last week. I've played steel off an on for about 25 years. Played for a quartet for a few years. Did a couple of sessions. Owned a couple of S10 Deckleys and a MSA Vintage (wished I still had it) through the years and right now have a S12 Deckley. I've always played though an Evans which brings me to my question. My Evans according to Scott is obsolete (25 + years old) and needs repaired (the Reverbs humming). Had a local work on it but it only lasted a few months. I've been looking at the 112 and FSK. For the difference in money which has the best sound?

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

IMO the Steel King, hands down. The NV 112 has, to my ears, an unpleasant nasal midrange which can't be eliminated, no matter what you do with the EQ. The FSK has a lot of flexibility in its EQ--the controls have the same functions as those on the 112 (and all other Peavey steel amps), but the basic voicing of the amp is much better.

BTW, I always played through an Evans FET500LV before I got the Steel King.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

I agree with Brint and I have played both side by side for about 3 months. However, you really should try both if possible yourself so you don't have buyer's remorse. I have listeners that swear my Steel King must be a tube amp. It sounds great right out of the box, thunderous well damped lows, warm tone, easy to adjust controls, gobs of power.

In fact I have been comparing the Steel King side by side with my Revelation tube pre-amp rack (includes a Lexicon MPX1, Stewart World 1.2, 2 custom 15" enclosures with neodymium speakers) and at this point it holds its own pretty well in all departments. I sold my Webb 6-14-E after I saw that the Steel King could outperform it and had more intuitive tone controls.

Greg

Larry Kinner · From: Texas, USA

Thanks, guys. I'll probably have to take my steel to the music store and play thru both amps (They've stopped carrying steels). I listened to a strat playing thru the FSK, but really thats no comparison.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Although I'll give you another thumbs-up on the Steel King, I question the idea of the Evans being obsolete. If it were me, I'd consider sending the chassis to Evans for a rehab. I can't believe that there's anything in there that can't be replaced & brought up to spec, good as new (or maybe better?) This is what I need to do with my FET500 too. But it will end up as a back up for my FSK.

Larry Kinner · From: Texas, USA

Hey, Jon. What Scott at Evans was telling me is that on the panel the description for one of the toggles is "bite". He said those amps were built out of television parts (resistors, capacitors, etc) He's afraid it would be putting good money after bad or vis-versa to try fixing it. I don't know, I don't mind shipping it to him. I've even thought of buying just a newer brain. The speaker and cabinet is in great shape. If the reverb is off it still has a great sound. I thought about an external reverb unit, but I play a lot direct to a sound board using Avioms and ear buds for monitors. Thats my other problem. I need at times to cancel the speaker (no stage sound).

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Ooops, Larry. I didn't realize from your first post that the Scott you referred to was at Evans. I'm dumb but I'm not dumb enough to argue with 'the house'. If that's the word, that's the word. Which worries me since my Evans needs some major TLC.
But sorry about my misunderstanding your post.
If you search the forum you will see that there are some concerns about the long term build quality of the Steel King (see Ken Fox's explorations into the innards). I'd be nervous if I were thinking about buying one. But since I did buy one, all I can say is that it is a great sounding amp and I have had no problems.

Larry Kinner · From: Texas, USA

Jon, sorry about not "splainen" who I had been talking to. I play guitar thru a cube 60 and it does fine. Money wise the NV-112 might work great for what I do.

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

I had a 112 and now have the Steel King. There is no comparison, the Steel King has the cleanest and clearest sound I have ever heard. It is the sound that I have been chasing for 35 years. I owned a 112 and it was a great little amp and sounded darn good. It just didn't have the sound I was looking for, so I sold it. I have had a Webb, Nashville 400, Session 400 LTD, a Session 500, and an Evans FET 500 (old one built by Darrell Stephens), which I still have. It now has the Steel King speaker in it and the Steel King has the Black Widow 1501 that was in the Evans. There are Steel Kings available on the forum for $500 to $550, which puts them closer in price to the 112. If the 65 lbs weight of the Steel King is not an issue with you, I highly recommend that you go with the Steel King. The 112 would make an ideal backup amp and for practice and other less demanding situations.

I sent my old Evans to Scott at Evans for a tune up and they did a great job at a very reasonable price. They said their insurance wouldn't allow them to send it back to me with the 2 prong 110v. cord, so they put a new 14 ft. long, 3 prong replacement cord on it. The long cord really comes in handy. Evans was super in working with an old amp that they didn't even build. Scott said that those old amps were using 1950's technology and would never be as quiet as the new ones. I give them an A+ on service. I also told Scott something that he didn't know that I learned from Darrell Stephens: The amp was blowing fuses pretty regular and I asked Darrell when I was at Scotty's convention, what he thought the problem might be. He asked if I was using the fuses that looked like a lightning bolt that I had been getting at Radio Shack. I said yes, then he handed me a box of fuses (no charge!) that were just the straight wires. End of problem. I never blew another fuse.

Larry Kinner · From: Texas, USA

Hey guys, I'm going with the FSK. Got the approval from the missus. By the way Greg I've been on your web sight. Like your style. Also you've inspired me to "re-learn blocking" pick-blocking that is.

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Keep in mind that it would not be a fair comparison between these two amp models as they are designed totally different, ie; 80 watts vs. ? watts, 12" speaker vs. 15" speaker, 42lbs. vs.80 some pounds. All of this has to be taken into consideration. The true test would be for you to play through each amp to see if it fits your playing requirements.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

I've got a Nashville 400, Jazz Classic 400, Valve King 212 combo, and a KB 100. So Peavey products score for me on the reliability front and price wise. I'm just about to put an order in for a Steel King as the NV 112 doesn't hack it for me personally. I have been toying with getting the SK for ages, and its got to be done. I have a spare Black Widow 1501 that will go straight into the Fender when I get it.

I'll still keep the Peavey amps, but it is nice to widen the choice of amps, especially for recording. My Valve King is an incredible amp for the money, and is much lighter than my old Fender Twin with JBL's and is virtually as nice sounding in my opinion.

John Steele · From: Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

It might be difficult to arrange, but trying them out on the bandstand would be a good idea. What works at home sometimes doesn't work on the job.
For instance, the harsh mid range honk that someone correctly pointed out as being annoying is sometimes necessary as the only thing that slices through the band. imho.
-John

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I agree with Mike, it's not a fair comparison as they're different animals.

Practice amp w/80 watts and a 12

vs.

a pro "gig" amp w/200 watts and a 15?

If the 112 really sounded better, someone at Fender would probably be getting a "pink slip"! Laughing

Larry Robbins · From: Fort Edward, New York

Mike Brown,
what is the 80some lbs your speaking of?
The Steelking weighs in at 65 lbs, as I am sure you know. Just a couple more than the Nash 400.Another very good amp. Smile

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Twang to the bone!

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Larry Kinner · From: Texas, USA

I agree with everyones perspective (if thats possible.)The big question I guess is what it's used for. I play mostly for church, but at one church I go through the main board (no open amps on stage)so the NV112 would work, at another church I play with a live amp and need the wattage, then at home I'm working on sound tracks for some steel solo's. I've also played open air. At home I tried recording direct with pre-effects and then again with post effects but didn't get that "steel sound". So I'm thinking the FSK would be more versitle.

Rick Alexander · From: Florida, USA, R.I.P.

Well, I've tried both amps and I prefer the NV112.
Two of them together sounds nice and full.

However, both of these fine amps are totally smoked by this one:

70s Silverface Twin Reverb
Tons of clean tube headroom -
Too bad it weighs more than a box of rocks!

Amps

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

I have both, i prefer the Nashville 112 for small gigs, carrying two of these defeats the purpose of having a smaller amp to begin with in my opinon. But for tone, volume, and all around amp. The steel king would be very very hard to beat right now. JMHO

Jim Walker · From: Headland, AL

I was one of the lucky few that had the chance to try both amps before I spent my hard earned money. I picked the Fender Steel King. One thing I will admit here, the stock Fender speaker started buzzing after only 3 months of use. I replaced it with a Black Widow 1501-4 and then the amp really came alive. The Peavey speaker gave it more headroom, better string seperation and it weighs 9.5 lbs less than stock. In another recent post I admited to being in love with the tone of my rig, and I am.

JW
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Show Pro D10, Session 400

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I tried both at Bobbe Seymour's last summer with every type of guitar he had in the joint. They're both good amps, to my ears, but I bought the NV 112. It was a bit warmer and rounder, to my ears, and I especially like it with my old Sho Bud.

I absolutely don't consider the NV 112 a practice amp. YMMV - but if I insisted on playing louder than that is capable of, the people I work with would dump me. But I'm not doing a lot of clean low-note work (C6 or universal E9/B6) and we're not going for jet-engine sound pressure levels on stage, either. I can see why some people would prefer Steel King or one of the bigger Peavey amps. But for E9, I like the NV 112 a lot.

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I think the operator's manual for the ’65 Re-Issue Twin~Reverb Custom™ 15” that I had stated that the amp. weighed about 65 lbs., but; when I took it for shipping, when I sold it; (even without pre-packaging) it weighed in at 76 lbs. No wonder I couldn't lift it into the back of my YUKON! I find it much easier to carry (2)-N–112's at 42.3 lbs. each than one Fender amp. although all the amps are fine sounding amps! I must say that I plugged into a FSK once, but; didn't spend any time tweaking, but; it wasn't a sound that knocked me out! And then again, on the other hand, (besides 4-fingers and a thumb) I have a friend that plays well and has various good amps. He acquired a new FSK several weeks ago and he sounds better than I've ever heard him!
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Gil Berry · From: Westminster, CA, USA

Rick, I respect your opinion, but just don't agree on this one. I have played though pairs of silver-face (and black face) Twin Reverbs with Fender-Lansing, Altec, and JBL's at one time or another. I just don't think they come close to a pair of the FSK's which are brighter (transistor vs. tube, apples and oranges maybe) but most importantly to me - quieter!! When I'm not playing through the FSK's there is NO SOUND coming from them even with the volume knobs cranked up to about 2 o'clock. Every other amp I have ever owned had at least SOME hum. I know you like your vintage stuff - but in this case, you're welcome to it. Now, if we were talking about stringmasters........

Larry Kinner · From: Texas, USA

Got my FSK and love the sound. Problem is, now I can hear a hum in my pickup! I couldn't hear it playing thru the Roland cube 60 I used for practice.

Rick Alexander · From: Florida, USA, R.I.P.

Gil, not all Twin Reverbs sound the same. If they haven't been biased properly and otherwise tweaked for Steel, they can sound terrible. In fact, I bought a silver face Twin Reverb on eBay a couple of years ago and sent it back because it sounded terrible.
But since then I've hooked up with tube amp genius Andres Olea, and I've been able to get serious about vintage amps. He has restored several amps for me including 2 silver face Twins. They just sound amazing. No "C6 crapout" whatsoever, just tons of clean tube headroom.
Everybody hears differently, and everybody has their own concept of what sounds best - but I bet if you came to my studio and compared 2 FSKs, 2 NV112s, and the 2 sf Twin Reverbs - you might be inclined to re-evaluate.
The difference in tone, warmth and headroom is remarkable - and as long as I don't crank it past about 6 it's pretty quiet (6 is LOUD).

However, that being said - they do weigh a ton (well, 85 lbs, more than double an NV112) and since my lower back ain't what it used to be - I'm not sure I'll be bringing them to a lot of gigs in the forseeable future.
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BIG STEEL

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