Good amps for steel

Mike Harris · From: Texas, USA

I play a Stringmaster. I have two Peavey amps, each with a 15" Black Widow speaker (one is a bass amp and the other is a keyboard amp with a horn as well). There are a couple of Session 400 amps for sale near me at present. Given what I already have, is it worth my while to nab one of those "steel" amps in search of a better steel sound?

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I always preferred a tube amp when I was playing Stringmaster.
I would look for a Fender, maybe a Twin Reverb. Very Happy

Erv

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I am personally less-jazzed about 200+ Watt pedal steel amps for a vintage console steel like a Stringmaster. Of course, they work fine. But they are designed to give extra horsepower for pedal steel, which is typically a different sound than the old-school lap/console steel sound. A lot of that extra pedal steel horsepower is essential for the dominant style of playing with the volume pedal heavily throttled-back except to create extra sustain. Add to that the extra wide range of pedal steel notes, from the low C on a typical C6 neck and the high G# on the E9 neck, plus the tendency to play way up the neck a lot. Not only is the note range wider, but the need to compensate volumes depending on where you are really makes heavy demands for clean headroom on the amp.

Of course, you already have some high-power Peaveys with 15" Black Widow speakers. I personally would prefer something like a Session 400 to Peavey bass and keyboard amps. So maybe it's worth checking the Session 400s out with an eye to replacing what you have if what you really want is a high-power solid-state pedal steel amp type of sound. The good part is that they are not expensive - tops on an old Session/Nashville 400 is around $400-500 for a really nice one with, perhaps, an expensive neodymium speaker in it. I see average examples in the $300-400 range.

But for nonpedal use, I would also go looking for either an old tube amp, or maybe a somewhat smaller Peavey. With a lap or console, I tend to like to push the amp a bit harder than for pedal steel. For an old tube amp, depending on how loud I want to be, I tend to prefer something like an old Princeton or Deluxe Reverb, or perhaps a Pro/Twin Reverb if I really want to be loud. Of course, the cool old hand-wired Fenders are pretty pricey these days. Pro/Twin Reverb less so - Princeton/Deluxe/Vibrolux are crazy right now. I'd also suggest old tweed Fenders/Gibsons, and so on, but the prices have really gone crazy on them. Total sticker shock city. Whoa!

On the smaller solid-state side for non-pedal steel and guitar, I'll tell you that I personally use the little Peavey Backstage/Backstage Plus for rehearsals or low volume gigs, or a Peavey Studio Pro 40 or 50 quite a bit for dual lap/console and guitar use. These things are, to my tastes, really excellent for that use case. Also excellent are the slightly larger Peavey Bandit/Bandit-65. I paid in the $50-100 range for all of the above smaller Peavey amps, so it should be real cheap to check them out. I assume that, like everything else, they have gone up in the last couple of years. But I still see them pretty reasonable. BTW, I specifically suggest the 80s amps like the Backstage/Backstage-Plus, Studio Pro or Studio Pro 40/50, or Bandit/Bandit-65 with the Saturation control, and not the later versions when they went to the more buzz-saw distortion SuperSat control.

In general terms - a lot is made of the fact that the Peavey pedal steel amps are 'voiced for pedal steel'. I think that is true, although the smaller Peaveys can be made to work for pedal steel also. But I personally tend to favor amps that are 'voiced for guitar' for both guitar and lap/console. I think at least part of the reason for this is that lap/console steel pickups are much more like guitar pickups. Again, I think both can work for either pedal or non-pedal steel. But why carry around a 60-70 pound pedal steel amp when a 30-45 pound guitar amp will do, and IMO, actually sound better to me for both nonpedal steel and guitar? And doubly so when you can pick these smaller amps up for a song.

Jim Kennedy · From: Brentwood California, USA

I use a Fender Blues Jr for lap steel and harmonica. It is a very loud 15 tube watts. It is a very hot amp and over drives easily, as it is designed to do. I replaced the 12ax7 tubes with 12au7 tubes. Changing to the lower gain pre amp tubes allows me more volume with less early break up. Works good, IMHO. It was a less expensive solution than buying a new amp.
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Steve Spitz · From: New Orleans, LA, USA

Some good helpful comments here.

I too, wouldnt use a high power dedicated steel amp for a string master.
I wouldn’t want a session 500 for that . Sounds like you already have the powerful peavey in the stable.
I’d look for something low powered, tubes, and reverb.

I used a blackface deluxe or super, but anything smaller would work as well
.
I stumbled onto a peavey delta blues at a yard sale. Brought my stringmaster there, hooked it up and took it home. The folks with the yard sale were very amused. That amp was perfect, with a 15” , tubes , and reverb. Looked cool as well. Sounded bad for pedal steel , but great non pedal amp.

Hope that helps.

Brett Lanier · From: Madison, TN

I bet the new Pro reverb reissue would be great with a Stringmaster. 40 watts 1x12"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9edzG2Ah3XI

D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

My Stringmaster sounds the best when I play it through a Quilter MicroPro with stock 8" speaker or extension cabinets. The amp allows me to "dial up" a certain amount of tube character to suit the situation and the room.
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Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

I would encourage you to try a good tube amp. I get great results with my '56 Stringmaster with a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue. Like Dave said above, I like to push my amp a little for non-pedal and the DR gives it just the little bit of hair it needs without blowing the windows out.

I also have a little tweed Vibrolux clone that really nails that '50s era Stringmaster tone. Sounds a lot like Buddy Merrill's tone on this clip where he is almost certainly playing a tweed amp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcipRLzk4zM

Mike Harris · From: Texas, USA

Lots of good and interesting comments, thanks to all. FWIW I have a re-issue Vibrolux that I'm trying to get repaired. One thing I like about the Peaveys is the multiple band EQ. I hadn't been successful in dialing in a sound I like on the Fender but will try again when it returns from the shop. Heavy as it is (2x10" speakers), it's an easier tote than the Peaveys.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Note that the highly respected Peavey model is not the Session 400 Limited which came later (ridiculous job, naming it that). It's not awful but it's not the one people love.

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

Peavey Nashville 112 with a Steel Guitar Black Box.

Carl Williams · From: Oklahoma

As of this minute/second 😉, 2003 USA Peavey Nashville 112 with a Sarno V8 Octal. I upgraded the amp with the “Fox Mod” (IC Chip upgrade to 2134’s) and new 3-Spring Reverb Pan).

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Fender tube amp.. Early silverface,blackface, or an even earlier one if you can afford it..Using the common lexicon we all embrace these days, those amps are voiced for that guitar. Peavey for a Stringmaster???... Not something I would use.
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K Maul · From: Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL

I’d use a Quilter for almost anything. That being said, a Blues Jr is great and I really loved a 90s tweed Bassman 4x10 for a Rockabilly band I work with.
Nowadays it’s almost ALL Quilter amps for me. Aviator 8, TT 202 or Interblock 45.
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Larry Bressington · From: Nebraska

The Peavey keyboard amp is a great bullet proof amp, I’d unplug the horn to see if that gets you what you like if you don’t play keyboard, I remember the horn was quite bright on those, great work horses though with lots of punch and headroom.
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Mike Harris · From: Texas, USA

Update: I finally got my Vibrolux back from the shop. While the stringmaster sounds good through Peavey, it sounds better through the Fender. I have always preferred tube amps for electric guitar so I don't know why I would expect any different for steel. Many thanks to all who posted on this thread.

Graham Bland · From: Tennessee, USA

Mike, you might try a Evans FET 500….
Excellent amp and durable over the long haul…suggest Derrell Stephens era…as to most experienced players can confirm are the best made “FET” meaning field effect transistor” which simulates a tube sounding amp. And does a pretty good job of it!

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

Currently using a Nashville 112 with the Fox Chip Mod I put in ( I might add a black box eventually) for PSG.
I agree with the other posters if you are after that classic console steel sound you're going to want a Fenderish tube amp probably a Twin possibly with steel voiced speakers.
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Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Difficult to answer from my perspective. What sound are you looking ? for ex: A Blues Jr is a great amp but its not even close to the clean levels that a 200 Watt PV amp will offer.

What kind of gigs are you playing, small room, big room ,practice room ? Small band, medium band BIG band ?

Seeing that you asked , Very Happy

here's my take LOL !

Blues Jr- great small amp with plenty of volume, but breaks up early and offers a nice "DRIVE" it doesn't get louder though, it just breaks up some more. I still own one

40 watt Fender Tube amp with a 12, like a Hot Rod Deluxe. Plenty of clean before it breaks up and plenty loud for a good sized room . I've owned a few of these, don't own one now

If you desire a bit more clean headroom, grab a 60 watt Hot Rod Deville 2x12, great all around Fender amp, but heavy, 60 pounds. I still own one.

Old school Fender tube amps, BF or SF, you can never go wrong with any of them as long as they are serviced and brought back to stage reliability.

PV Nashville or Sessions. for me I never found the sound I was seeking, but they are the cleanest at any gig volume. I don't own one anymore and don't want one either !

DV Mark amp heads. I used a 50 watt for a bit but then upgraded to the 250 watt head ( 5 lbs) Very clean, exceptional EQ , switchable drive, reverb and good grief, plenty of volume if needed. Of all the SS amps I have owned and used, this one I can use for double duty.

So if you are gigging, you may need 2 or maybe 3 different amps that fit the room/stage scenario

Again, what sound are you looking for because each of the amps mentioned are not equal in TONES.
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Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

At the risk of getting flamed, I’m gonna recommend a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. A pretty impressive amp. Your back will thank you.
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Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Tom, no flaming necessary. I own a ToneMaster Twin and so do many other steel players. It's a decent amp with a tone much like the old Twin reverbs which I still have. Plenty loud and very lightweight. Not exactly like my old Fender Twin tube amps but close. It has the power scaling option so it will serve home and stage use. Some like them and some don't.
Tony is right on the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I have one and it's fine up to a certain volume. But it's heavy compared to the ToneMaster Twin.

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