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Topic: Please close Bob |
Don Christy
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Posted 9 Feb 2021 12:38 am |
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Post is CLOSED!
Last edited by Don Christy on 25 Aug 2021 9:49 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Larry Jamieson
From:
Walton, NY USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2021 5:06 am
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| I owned three different Peavey amps in my lifetime and my favorite was the Nashville 1000. Terrific lows and all the volume you'd ever need. It had 300 watts and 15" black widow speaker. But... It weighed close to 70 pounds and I got tired of lugging it to gigs so I eventually went to a smaller amp, a Roland Cube 80XL, pretty good sound and around 30 pounds. |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2021 4:30 pm What's the best Peavey amp for getting the best lows
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| Not answering your question, but somewhat related. I was at a Ray Price concert and Julian Tharpe was the steel player. He was playing an Evans FET 500, of course built by Derrell Stephens.This was years before he sold the business to Ed Buffington. Julian was playing a 14 string universal which had some really low strings. I asked him how he liked the Evans, and he said it was the only amp he could find that could handle the low end. This was a very long time ago, probably before Peavey started making steel amps. I know this doesn't help you any, but I just thought you might like some history on low end steel amps from the past. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 9 Feb 2021 5:41 pm
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Just my opinion.
I think the Session 500 was the best Peavey I ever owned. Great tone from top to bottom.
Next would be the NV400 I have been using since 1984. It has a 1502 speaker and a Ken Fox Intense Mod. Great tone.
I also had a NV400 with the black hardware and a 1501 speaker, no mod. Wasn't even in the same ballpark as the 84 with silver hardware, Fox Mod and 1502.
The worst amp I ever owned was an early, silver knob Session 400 with a Peavey/JBL speaker. Couldn't get that turd to sound good to save my life.
Have also had a Twin w/JBL's, a Webb head w/ custom JBL cabinet, a Bradshaw Webb, a rack system with an Evans preamp, and I'm just starting to use another rack system with an Evans preamp.
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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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Don Christy
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Posted 9 Feb 2021 6:55 pm
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Hey guys...this is what I was looking for with all your experiences. Its very interesting about the Evens 500 and the Session 500.
The NV 400 with mod kit sounds like a good choice too. In my opinion so far it sounds like you have to have the power and the 15" speaker to produce these lows no matter what pedal steel you own.
But, the weight is a huge factor if doing gigs. The amp I will get will be for home use only. I plan to play out on my new patio this summer and invite some neighbors over for a cook out.
Keep the experiences coming so I have some good feed back. The new amps this year seem like they dont have the punch or growl on the low side when I tested them out at Guitar Center. I will have to keep my eye out for a NV 1000 and test it out when it comes into Guitar Center. Sounds like its a really good amp too.
I always wondered about having an amp with a 18" speaker. Maybe the response time on the speaker might be to slow for steel playing...just wondering. |
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Sandy Inglis
From:
Christchurch New Zealand
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 2:10 am
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I have nothing to compare it with (steel wise) but I have a Nashville 1000 with 15 B/W with a Neo magnet. It is not too heavy!
It sounds great on Pedal Steel but not as good on guitar so I have sometimes set up two amps (one HiWatt Valve amp for guitar) one for each, but very gear intensive.
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01'Zumsteel D10 9+9; Sho Bud D10 SuperPro; 6 String Lap Steel (Homemade); Peavey Nashville 1000; Fender Deluxe 85;
1968 Gibson SG; Taylor 710 CE; Encore Tele Copy; Peterson Tuner; HIWATT T40 C 40W/20W Combo |
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Steven Paris
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 3:55 am
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If you do use a PV NV400, be SURE to change out those stock low-value coupling capacitors for the higher value ones like the ones Ken Fox used---they will DEFINITELY make a difference in the low frequency performance.
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Emmons & Peavey |
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Bill Ferguson
From:
Milton, FL USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 7:54 am
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FWIW:
Where you place your amp makes a huge difference in how you perceive the low end.
For me, it's the NV112 all the way. Put it on the floor and put a 2/4 block under the front.
I have to set my lows on 0.
Are you wanting to sound like a bass guitar? Because while lows sound great sitting at home, they get lost in the shuffle on a bandstand.
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AUTHORIZED George L's, Goodrich, Telonics and Peavey Dealer: I have 2 steels and several amps. My current rig of choice is 1993 Emmons LeGrande w/ 108 pups (Jack Strayhorn built for me), Goodrich OMNI Volume Pedal, George L's cables, Goodrich Baby Bloomer and Peavey Nashville 112. Can't get much sweeter. |
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Larry Behm
From:
Mt Angel, Or 97362
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 8:30 am
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Richard we must be brothers from another mother. Right on.
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Planet Wave cables, Quilter 202 Toneblock, Telonics 15” speaker.
Phone: 971-219-8533 |
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Don Christy
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 10:50 am
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Yes Bill...the amp will be for home use only. I dont play out or do gigs...so I wont be running over the the bass player....Ha! Ha! Ha!...lol!
I do like the idea of the 2 by 4 though.
Steven..it sounds like I need to ask Ken Fox some questions again. Maybe this time Ill learn something new from him...thanks for the info! |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 1:21 pm
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| Bill Ferguson wrote: |
FWIW:
Where you place your amp makes a huge difference in how you perceive the low end.
For me, it's the NV112 all the way. Put it on the floor and put a 2/4 block under the front.
I have to set my lows on 0. |
Amen to all that.
And, if you want more lows (actually sub-harmonics) out of the NV112, just bypass the pre- and eq-sections and plug the steel, buffer or whatever you play through, directly into the "power IN" at the amp-front. That way you'll bypass all the various built-in "high pass" filters those amps have in and between the sections. As a result: the NV112's power section gets fed a couple of octaves lower unfiltered signal – if the instrument can deliver.
FWIW: I set up my unmodded and modded NV112s as described above (by Bill and myself), and play my extended E tuned PSGs (Dekleys) through either one of them. Leaves me with a treble control on the buffer to trim the top, reverb in the amp, and plenty enough of undistorted power fed into the original speaker. |
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Ron Shalita
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 2:16 pm
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I have always thought that the more power, the better the lows are.. if that is the case get a Telonic’s... they have 600 watts, also I had a stereo steel with 600 watts and 2x15’s, it got some great lows .. probably the best all around sounding amp I have ever had..
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Been playing all of my life, Lead Guitar, and Pedal Steel, sing Lead and Harmony.. play other Instruments also but I hate to admit to it.. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 2:36 pm
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| Ron Shalita wrote: |
| I have always thought that the more power, the better the lows are.. |
Put that way … no.
In wrongly built speaker cabs (all open-back ones of "normal" sizes) power used to reproduce low frequencies is mainly just wasted energy. The more power fed to the speaker, the more goes to waste. |
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Dennis Detweiler
From:
Solon, Iowa, US
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 2:50 pm
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Any steel amp that is voiced for steel should get you there. If you're talking about more bottom end and power, a bass amp. Having said that, in a band, you don't want to hack off the bass player and mess with too much of his tonal range.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8. |
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William Gallagher
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 4:57 pm
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I've tried a bunch of amps and always went back to my trusty Nashville 112, although I do have a 12" Paul Franklin PF-350 speaker. I rarely get above 0-1 and there plenty of bottom end for sure.
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'75 Emmons p/p, Duesenberg Alamo, Dobro with Hipshot, Nashville 112, Little Walter 22/50, Fender Blues Deluxe, and enough effects gear to fill a dump truck. |
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Don Christy
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 5:44 pm
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Hey guys...great information on the size of power and NV 112.
I never knew about the filters Georg talked about.
Dennis..I sure know about ticking off the bass player for sure. I got carried away on my steel in a garage band when practicing songs.LOL!
I guess what Im after here as far as a low sound is getting a sound like the old Sho-Bud. Back in the day..its all I ever heard when I was a kid. Now and then I would hear these low sounds, but could not put my finger on how the steel player was getting it.
I would always see these big bass amps or I thought they were bass amps. This was back in the early 60's and mid 70's I kept hearing these low growls...low punchy sounds coming from big speaker amps. I never knew what kind of amps they were since I was a kid back then. |
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Ron Shalita
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 6:27 pm
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Geog , I have been an audio file my who life and for me to reproduce good bass I needed a lot of wattage your remark made me wonder if I was just blowing smoke out of my ... lol... well here ya go this show that it wasn’t smoke after all... https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/why-are-bass-amps-so-high-wattage-compared-to-guitar-amps/
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Been playing all of my life, Lead Guitar, and Pedal Steel, sing Lead and Harmony.. play other Instruments also but I hate to admit to it.. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 7:06 pm
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| Don Christy wrote: |
Hey guys...great information on the size of power and NV 112.
I never knew about the filters Georg talked about. |
That is because they are not "marked" as filters in the NV112 manuals.
Regular RC connections are found at the outputs/inputs of each sections and in the individual stages (as in all amps), and values are selected to make the NV112 in its entirity handle the "useful frequency range" in the best possible way for the instrument it (mainly) was made for, the humble PSG.
As old audio tech it did not take me long to figure out that those values were a little "on the safe side", and rolled off the bottom frequencies higher than I liked. Instead of modifying the amp (one was actually modded before I got it), I simply use only the parts of the amp I need, which is the (pretty good) power stage and speaker.
Those pre-stages don't introduce anything I have any use for, but may do for whoever may get them when I no longer need them. Just plug it all in the regular way and these amps are "complete" again  |
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Asa Brosius
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 7:09 pm
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| If you're on an at-home bass odyssey looking for that steel guitar show tone, I'd recommend an old Session 400 pointed at your head. They're cheap, the big cab helps with bass response, they sound great, and the silver knob version is as good lookin as a Peavey gets. For me, the JBL is a better sounding speaker, but the BW is fine. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 8:07 pm
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That's OK…
Most of the effect in an amp is there for pushing/pulling lows, but without the right speaker/cab most of those Watts just heat the speaker coils.
The people behind the big stage setups I sort of had to compete with in my past, with lots of Watt behind big speakers, never could figure out how my much tinier (but heavy) setups could deliver clean sound at higher levels, wider freq range and with wider reach across packed fields then theirs.
They had typically 400-600Watt behind each element - of which they had up to eight in separate cabinets. I had 2x60Watt behind two 7inch speakers in cabs of my own construction – just a hobby of mine since I like good sound. (I am actually a mechatronic automation engineer since before they knew what to call that profession, and now I'm retired and farming for the fun of it.)
It is all about speaker/cab efficiency … theirs was at less than 20% at 50Hz – pretty normal for bass-horns, while mine was at 75-80% at 16Hz – cut transmission lines w/passive slave elements for virtual expansion and correct phasing.
So, basically they were burning off about 80% in heat without getting much value for money in the form of lower range sound-pressure, while producing growling and indistinct lows, while I lost about 20-25% in heat while producing precise and punching lows along with the rest of the freq range.
The humble NV112 is not anywhere near what's mentioned above, but it is plenty powerful and clean enough for everyday use and delivers lots of lows when placed well and turned up. Besides; it is cheap and light to carry around, and mine was neither |
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Don Christy
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 10:50 pm
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Georg and Ron thanks for clearing things up about watts, frequencies, amps and cabs ect.
I have to ask all you guys on here if you ever played through some of these bass amp heads like TC electronics...Trace Elliot...and many more?
I do have a closed back speaker cab in my closet with a 4 ohm BW 15". Its not powered. So what are your thoughts about this if I hook it up with a Trace Elliot Elf to get my low sound instead buying a combo amp like the NV 112, Session 400, NV 400, NV 1000 ect? |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 10 Feb 2021 11:51 pm
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Don,
Just a simple question: do you want to hear your steel's natural lows amplified in natural balance with the rest of its frequency range, or do you just want "more lows" ? |
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Don Christy
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Posted 11 Feb 2021 12:31 am
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Georg,
Not sure, but maybe stay with natural ranges. I would like to know about the difference between these if you can fill me in. What are the differences between using a combo amp verses a bass head amp with cabinet?
I always thought the sound would be the same no matter what setup I had...maybe not...lol! |
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Ron Shalita
From:
California, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2021 3:58 am
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Geog that was a good question .. I play through a different amp everyday and one day a week i go directly through my board in my studio .. for me I like them all they all have a different sound and they all make me play differently ..some days I play with NO effects not even reverb.. so maybe Don should listen to other steel players to get an idea to what he is really wanting to hear .. hey thats what i have done all my life .. everyone hears different and everyone plays differently BECAUSE of what they hear... good luck to you in your quest..
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Been playing all of my life, Lead Guitar, and Pedal Steel, sing Lead and Harmony.. play other Instruments also but I hate to admit to it.. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 11 Feb 2021 4:00 am
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| Don Christy wrote: |
Georg and Ron thanks for clearing things up about watts, frequencies, amps and cabs ect.
I have to ask all you guys on here if you ever played through some of these bass amp heads like TC electronics...Trace Elliot...and many more?
I do have a closed back speaker cab in my closet with a 4 ohm BW 15". Its not powered. So what are your thoughts about this if I hook it up with a Trace Elliot Elf to get my low sound instead buying a combo amp like the NV 112, Session 400, NV 400, NV 1000 ect? |
I have a Markbass Little Mark 250 Blackline. Loud, clean, but I couldn't get a tone I liked to save my life. I tried through my NV400 speaker (BW 1502) and a Telonics 15" speaker (the worst sounding of the two). My ex bought it for me to lighten my load because of my bad back. I would NEVER recommend it for steel.
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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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