Practice Amp

RichardMcKinney · From: Battle Ground, WA

hi everybody,
I will be receiving my Carter Starter on Monday and am looking for a decent practice AMP.I wont buy a Nashville 1000
until i feel i'm decent.Wish me luck.I'm excited.Should I get one with reverb?.

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Keep on Steelin
Carter 4/k 3/p

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

Yes you want reverb! I use a Peavey Envoy 110. Nice little amp that weighs less than my equipment box!
JE:-)>

Jeff Lampert · From: queens, new york city

Reverb is as fundamental as a treble or bass control. Some players maintain that it is an effect and that you should learn to play without reverb, but, IMO, that's totally bogus. Every major player I've heard, from Lloyd Green, to Buddy Emmons, to Tommy White, plays with a decent amount of reverb, and has been doing it for basically their entire playing lives. They don't all play with compression, and they don't all play with delay, but they all use reverb, and without it, you have NO chance of playing steel licks and sounding like the record. And you can always turn it off if you feel like it(which you won't). Get it.

[This message was edited by Jeff Lampert on 27 January 2001 at 11:10 PM.]

bob drawbaugh · From: scottsboro, al. usa

Richard look at the Peavy 112 special with the Lamay mod.

Larry Hendrickson · From: New Glarus, WI

Richard, why not just find a used Nashville 400. You should be able to find one for $300.00 or so. It it doesn't have the mod kit in it buy a kit
from Peavey and have it put in. With a Nashville 400 like that you just might not even want a Nash 1000. My thoughts. LH

Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

A while ago, I bought a Used Fender Squier 15 amp, only because it was cheap, and had a headphone jack. By itself, it wasn't too good, but when I used it with an Alesis Midiverb 111 or Profex 11, it sounded like a different amp. Much louder, and a pretty good sound. So, if cost is an issue, I would suggest getting an effects unit and a small low cost amp. The Alesis Nanoverb is pretty cheap, even new, and you can find all kinds of used stuff. Although I've not tried them, I believe that the small Peavey amps would work well too. When you get a larger amp, you will probably want the effects anyway.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

If you're looking for just a practice amp, here's something you may not have thought of. There's a whole bunch of different brands of all-in-one guitar effects pedals out now, (the one I have is the Digitech RP-100, costs $99 street) and they have virtual amplifier settings, all the effects you could ever want, and a great stereo sound out of a jack that you could plug directly into your home stereo system. I have one of these in a little briefcase with a headphone amp and CD player for practicing in our band bus, and it sounds and works great. Can't beat the price if you just need a practice rig...

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Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Pedal, Non-Pedal, Lap, and Dobro

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Hello Richard,
This is some information that I posted sometime ago on the Forum. I hope it helps you with a decision on an amp. If I can be of assistance to you, you may call me toll free in the U.S. at 1-877-732-8391.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've been asked for several years if various non steel Peavey amps would sound good for steel guitar applications. Without having "tried them out" using a steel guitar, I am rather hesitant to recommend any amp other than a "bonified" Peavey steel for steel guitar, until I try it out myself.
I know that many players do not perform on a bandstand with a band, but rehearse using a CD or tape deck and a set of headphones. This past Saturday I took my steel guitar to what we call our demo room(actually,we call it "The Fishbowl" as it looks like a fishbowl storefront) here at Peavey that has just about every amplifier that we manufacture in it. Surprisingly, I found that there are a few low wattage Peavey amps that work very well for steel guitar at "less than stagelevel volumes". I have listed my preferences below. Feel free to check out the features of these amp on the Peavey website at "www.peavey.com"

Blazer 158-This amp surprised me as it had pretty good tone with a 8" speaker and all of the features(headphone out, CD/tape input, reverb) and 15 watts that steel players have been asking for. This one works well within reason. Here are the settings that I finally landed on for the clean channel;
Vol-5
Low-10
Mid-5
Hi-4
Rev-4

The distortion channel could be used for lap steel with no problem.

Transtube Envoy II-This amp is rated at 40 watts with a 10" speaker, external speaker jack, reverb and 3 band equalization.

Vol-5 1/2
Low-7 1/2
Mid-3
High-5
Rev-3
Note;Both MODERN and HIGH GAIN switches can be used for different EQ settings.

Same for the lead/distortion channel here; can be set for use with lap steel.

Transtube Studio Pro 112 II-I didn't like this one as much as the Envoy II, basically because of the voicing that I got from it, but it "worked", just not as good(in my opinion). Here are the settings that I came up with;
CLEAN CHANNEL
Switch at VINTAGE setting
Vol-6 at the maximum
Low-6
Mid-3
High-6

LEAD CHANNEL
Switch to MODERM setting appealed to me on this amp.
Vol-6 at the max
Pre Gain-6 1/2
Low-8 1/2
Mid-3
High-6
Post Gain-4

Note; High gain input distorted with these settings, use low gain input for steel guitar.

For tube enthusiasts, I tried the Prowler, which is a 45 watt, dual channel all tube amp. This amp has spring reverb, an external speaker jack and resonance control which helps control the floppiness of the low frequencies.

As I said, I was real excited about this "discovery" after I tried these amps out, and I don't mind recommending them for small rehearsal amps after I've tried them.

I know that this may come off sounding like as a "sales pitch", but it is not intended to be. I'm just trying to give players an idea of what amp will work for steel guitar. I have basically "blown off" this question in the past unless I had happened to try certain amps, but now I don't have a problem with this after verifying my suspiciousions.

Please understand that each steel guitar varies a bit in output level, so you may have to use the LOW GAIN input instead of the HIGH GAIN input in your situation.

I did try our KB series of keyboard amps(closed back) and a couple of our small bass amps(closed back) and they didn't appeal to me at all.

I hope that this helps players out.

Earnest Bovine
Member
From: Los Angeles CA USA
posted 08 December 2000 04:55 PM
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Do those Transtube amps have all the amp modeling capabilities of the Transformer amp that you had at Scotty's show in St Louis 3 months ago? I was impressed with the variety of sounds that I could get out of the Transformer 112.
Mark Tomeo
Member
From: Danville, PA USA
posted 09 December 2000 01:21 PM
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I've been using a LeMay mod Nashville 400 with a rack mount Roland SD 3000 digital delay for steel, and a Peavey Chorus (2-12) for slide and electric work, hauling it all around.
This summer I got lazy and started leaving the 400 and the delay at home. I got the Chorus tweaked so it sounds great with an Emmons LeGrande II. The secret seems to be dipping the mids to like -5 or -6.
I use a couple of the preset delays and occasionally mix in the chorus effect for some shimmer. It sounds especially good mic'd at low to medium volumes with the signal run back a touch through the monitors.
McVey
Member
From: Fayetteville, Ar.
posted 09 December 2000 02:29 PM
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Hi Mike!....Don't forget the Delta Blues 115...It has the warm tube tone, and still does not overdrive on the clean channel with steel...
Roger Crawford
Member
From: McDonough,Ga. USA
posted 09 December 2000 04:26 PM
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Hey Mike...Our guitar player (who usually uses a Fender Twin) came to practice the other night with a (rather old but in great shape)Special 130.When we took a break, I plugged my steel into it, and man was I surprised. It may not handle the low end of the C6th real well, but the E9th was clear, clean, and sounded great. We mike everything,I may try to talk him out of it!Never had a Peavey product that didn't do everything it's supposed to (and more most of the time). Thanks for a great product and you personnal attention to us steel junkies.
RC
Chris Dufrane
Member
From: Constable, NY, USA
posted 09 December 2000 06:25 PM
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How's the Bandit? I've got a Bandit 65, in my room for my practice amp, since I'm only learning. This is a really good amp, but I find that I can't get the sound I'm looking for. It's great for the west coast sound, but I can't find the right adjustment for that mellow shimmering sound I like, ie. "lost in the feeling". All Peavey amps I've ever seen and tried were great amps. Great price and great sound. What else could a guy ask for.
mickd
Member
From: london,england
posted 10 December 2000 04:23 AM
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I've got a Peavey Pacer (about 20 years old) that I have been using as a straight guitar combo. I've only just started on PSG but when I plug my Sierra Session into it I have to have the volume controls on the amp practically turned right off else its just too loud - doesnt seem to make any difference which of the 2 inputs I use.
Lindley
Member
From: Statesville, NC...USA
posted 10 December 2000 07:11 AM
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Mike,
How does the Stereo Chorus 212 do with the LeMay mod?
[This message was edited by Lindley on 10 December 2000 at 07:13 AM.]

Jimmie Misenheimer
Member
From: Bloomington, Indiana - U. S. A.
posted 10 December 2000 03:59 PM
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Since we are talking Peavey Amps, let me share what I have found - at least to MY complete satisfaction. After 1 "Session 400", 2 "Session 400 Limiteds", ( one with a "mod kit" and one without), 4 "Session 500`s", 2 "Profex Twos",(one with a "mod kit" and one without), a couple of "Fenders", a "Standell", and an "Evans", I honestly believe the best "combo amp" that I've EVER heard is channel two of a "Renown". I let the first two of these I owned, I let get away from me, but I've still got the third one, and I ran across one a couple of weeks ago that became number four. They were all re-fitted with 15 inch B. W. speakers, and this last one now has a closed back, and is "ported" on both sides of the speaker baffle. I've used a rack with an "Ashley" preamp, which I MUCH prefer the E. Q. in, for three years now, so the 1 "Session 400" and 2 "Session 400 Limiteds" are just used as power-amp/speaker set-ups. This is as always just my opinion, but the only amp that I have owned that has ever completely satisfied MY EAR is a "RENOWN". Peace - Jimmie
Bobby Lee
Administrator
From: Santa Rosa, CA, USA
posted 10 December 2000 06:36 PM
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I'm moving this to the Electronics forum.

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Mark Krutke · From: Tomahawk, WI USA

Richard,

I just tried a Peavey Envoy 110 to use my steel on for practicing. For portability, sound and price, it seems like a nice amp. With a 10" speaker, it has a surprisingly nice tone that it gives the pedal steel.

However, if you have a hang-up with sound (like most of us do), it would probably be wiser to pick up a used Nashville 400, or the like, for tone's sake.

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