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Topic: nashville 400 mod |
Clinton Zimmerman
From:
Memphis,Mo
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 11:32 am |
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| HI GUYS! I have a nashville 400 a sho-bud volume pedal and a DD-7 digital dely can never quite get the sound I am looking for. Is there a good mod I could install, if so about how much do they cost? which amp would be better choice Nashville 112 or 1000? would a different volume pedal help clear it up? THANKS |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 12:20 pm
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What kind of sound are you after and what is it missing?
If it's just a bit lackluster and you want it clearer, I'd suggest either a Lil Izzy or that Holy Grail that's on the forum, as a buffer does wonders
_________________
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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Clinton Zimmerman
From:
Memphis,Mo
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 1:36 pm
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THANKS Lane
The lows are a little muddy and the highs are sort of shrill, might try the Lil Izzy and see what happens the guitar it self has good tone just needs to come through the amp clearer. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 1:50 pm
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In regards to any "mods" for the NV400.
There were three versions of the Nashville 400.
1. The original model that came with a 1502-4 Black Widow speaker (this one doesn't need any mods).
2. The NV400 with a 1501-4, with no tone mod (this one does need the Peavey or Lemay tone mod).
3. Later production NV400's (from about September 1996 to end of production) which have the tone mod incorporated during manufacture. Mike Brown (Peavey) listed what serial numbers have the factory installed mod, I had the serial number but can't find it. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 2:39 pm
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| Quote: |
There were three versions of the Nashville 400.
1. The original model that came with a 1502-4 Black Widow speaker (this one doesn't need any mods). |
May not have needed one, but the Fox mod sure made mine a lot better.
_________________
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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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 2:37 am
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Richard, the reason I said that was I installed a Lemay mod in one and it made absolutely no difference.
I discounted the Fox mods, which is a "boutique" type of modification. Not something everyone does or has done or can afford to have done. And as Ken has closed his shop, they are no longer available. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 4:50 am
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Given the described shortcomings, I'd think the buffer would do more than the mod.
I've made my fondness for the Izzy well-known, but the one in the Grail is nearly as good, and it's an EXCELLENT reverb.
_________________
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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Clinton Zimmerman
From:
Memphis,Mo
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 5:40 am
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Thanks for your help guys,I will see what I can do.
Are the Lil Izzy still avalible? |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Clinton Zimmerman
From:
Memphis,Mo
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 6:54 am
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| Thanks for the link Lane. If I could install A FOX MOD myself would I still need a lil izzy? |
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Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 8:09 am
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Just to be clear, the Fox Intense Mod was the one that involved replacing many components like caps and resistors, etc., and it was only available if you sent your amp to Ken where he would do the work. They weren't for sale separately. THAT upgrade is no longer available from Ken.
The Fox chip upgrades are still available from his website, and come with instructions so you can do the work yourself. Many, me included, think it's a worthwhile upgrade, and produces a nice improvement in the amp's tonal capabilities.
Ken's website is here... http://www.foxvintageamps.com/
_________________
Best regards,
Mike |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 12 Jul 2014 9:39 am
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They do different things. The Izzy cleans the signal before the amp gets it. I'd do it first, based on your description of your dissatisfaction
_________________
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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Mike Brown
From:
Meridian, Mississippi USA
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Posted 17 Jul 2014 8:58 am Nashville 400 mod kit
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We still offer this kit under item number 90500048 and it costs $39.99. If you wish to order this kit contact our factory parts department by calling toll free at 1-877-732-8391, ext.1186. If you wish to have our factory techs install the kit for you, you may send the chassis only to postage prepaid to;
Peavey Service Center
Attn; Repair Department
412 Hwy. 80 East
Meridian, MS 39301
Please include your daytime phone and a note with your request. Our labor rate is $55.00. It will take about an hour to install plus extra time if there are additional problems with the amp.
Mike Brown
Peavey Customer Services |
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James Giebel
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2015 9:03 am
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| Before I invest in the effort to install the NV400 mod offered by Peavey, does anyone understand the theory behind the improvement? I’m mostly concerned with capacitor changes and if audio (bipolar) variety capacitors are being used in the kit. If a standard polarized capacitor is used, I think distortion would be introduced by capacitor leakage. There is no intentional voltage bias across these caps so signal swings will be bipolar. Also, the capacitor changes move the highpass corners of key sections from ~7Hz to well below 1Hz from what I see. 7Hz seems plenty low already? Is it the phase response that makes the difference here? The SOIC amplifier change (to OPA2604) shows mostly improved noise (current input noise) and lower THD distortion – both good things. I figure the distortion improvement here, however, could possibly be ruined by using the wrong capacitors in the signal path. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 31 Jan 2015 9:23 am
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| The Peavey (and Lemay) tone mod is to "revoice" the Nashville 400 for the 1501-4 speaker. The original Nashville 400's came with a 1502-4 speaker (that was also used in the Session 500 and now sold as a bass speaker). The amp EQ response was tailored to the 1502-4 speaker's response. When Peavey replaced the 1502-4 speaker with the 1501-4, the speaker response was much different. The stock NV400 with the 1501-4 was basically all highs and no body or lows. The Lemay mod (the first) changed the EQ or "voicing" for the 1501-4 speaker and restored the mids and lows. Later Peavey introduced their own kit which is basically the Lemay mod minus one capacitor and in late 1996 incorporated the tone mod into the NV400 production. Thus NV400 S/N 08575482 and later have the mod installed during production. |
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James Giebel
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 1 Feb 2015 12:14 pm
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| Thanks Jack. I see I have original component values soldered on the printed circuit board and my unit is very old, but I'm not sure what speaker is in it. I do know I keep the LOW knob at max all the time so it seems like the modification should help. |
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Tom Mooney
From:
Arlington, TN, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2015 6:43 am NV400 Mod
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Clinton, If you haven't already done so, try another set of cords. A cord set with high capacitance can have a big effect on your tone. As for the Peavey/Lemay mods, IMHO, the largest effect is caused by the type of chips that are substituted. The
original chips were a low-impedance type operational
amplifier. The replacements are FET's with a high input impedance. That high impedance has a much lower loading effect on the pickup, resulting in better tone. Also, FWIW, the FET (field effect transistor) uses the same basic principal to control
current through a load as does the vacuum tube. |
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Louie Hallford
From:
denison tx
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Posted 2 Feb 2015 1:13 pm
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A gentleman by the name John Lemay built one for the Nashville 400 ---possibly for other Peavey amps.
Also Peavey had their own kits. I ordered mine from Peavey and a local technician installed it for me.
It will definitely improve your sound. If you have any a knack for electronics, you should be able to follow Peavey's instructions --- you will need a little skill with a soldering iron.
If I can recall, there were probably no more than 10 or i2 parts in the kit,if that many in the kit. Try calling Peavey on the phone. My guess is, it will be in the mail promptly. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 2 Feb 2015 7:14 pm
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The "mods" lower the mids and enhance the bass response. If you play with the middle turned up and the bass set low, you'll probably find that the mod does little or nothing. But if you want a ballsy, full sound with good bass and no midrange "honk", then the mod will definitely help.  |
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James Giebel
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2015 5:11 pm
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| Thanks all for the feedback. I will install the changes. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 7 Feb 2015 5:48 am
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| Jack Stoner wrote: |
| The Peavey (and Lemay) tone mod is to "revoice" the Nashville 400 for the 1501-4 speaker. The original Nashville 400's came with a 1502-4 speaker (that was also used in the Session 500 and now sold as a bass speaker). The amp EQ response was tailored to the 1502-4 speaker's response. |
Jack, the Lemay mod kits were made to correct the nasal "honkiness" of the Peavey amps...which had little to do with the speaker voicing. Turns out, Peavey had severely restricted the low-end response of their high powered amps to reduce speaker warranty failures (Mike Brown admitted that right here on the forum). But, they went too far, and the result was an amp that often sounded hollow and "honky". Enter John Lemay. He saw a need to restore the full tone of the Peavey amps, so he designed mod kits to do just that. After Peavey noticed John's success, they designed their own mod kit, and later modified their circuits, to correct the problem of poor tonal capability in their amps. |
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Bob Lawrence
From:
Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted 7 Feb 2015 7:41 am
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re: Peavey had severely restricted the low-end response of their high powered amps to reduce speaker warranty failures (Mike Brown admitted that right here on the forum)
It's hard to believe that any company would do it on purpose however, even I had to install the kit in my Nashville 400 and to make matters worst I did ESR testing on the kit capacitors before I put them in and found a bad one . Old ESR testing post: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=64970&highlight=
A guy just can't win LOL |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 7 Feb 2015 9:45 am
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The only difference, according to Blake Hawkins who has researched the mods, between the Lemay and Peavey mod kits is one capacitor, that does add more bass. Lemay color coats the Op amp ICS so they are unmarked but the Lemay mod changes the same IC's. Peavey, as they have a warranty, apparently limits the bass to avoid potential speaker problems.
I've played through both the Peavey and Lemay modded Nashville 400, and where I set the bass (+9) makes no difference. |
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