Another Tone question

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

Groan,
Yes another tone q.
Several times this happens and I would welcome Your input.
When setting up onstage I try My steel at various volume levels and I get (to My ears) a good tone.This is done without any other instrument joining in.
Later when We do the soundcheck,playing a test song, My good tone is no longer good.This happens at large and small gigs,sometimes the instruments are mic'ed sometimes not.
I does not happen all the time and I cannot really figure the real reasaon.Is My tone really changing or is it My ear picking up the "cacophany" when the other instruments are playing.Do the audience hear My "good "tone or do they hear what I am hearing onstage.I am aware that there is a great difference between an empty room during set up and one with a number of people in.I sometimes sneak in a riff between numbers when the place is full,or even half full and the tone sounds good.
Billy

[davegallagher]

Hi Billy. I know exactly what you mean. There are probably a lot of different factors that other steelies may point out, but when I set up my amp alone I keep the middle low. I found that when playing with bands, unless they are at unamplified acoustic volume levels, it helped the tone greatly by increasing the middle significantly. I'd be interested to hear what other players think. Dave

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

Dave
Thanks for the tip
I hope You are keeping busy.
I had a Nash 112 which I sold and I had been informed that Derek Thurlby uses this amp onstage with the mids full on and at home with the mids reduced.
I never really gave it a try but I will now,
Perhaps the rest of the gang are still sobering up after the Irish Festival,I am sure We will hear from them soon
Best regards
Billy

[Ken Byng]

Billy
Whenever you play without any other instruments there is no interference with your tone. Other instruments (especially piano) share many of the frequencies that you produce and that affects what you are hearing.

Interesting to see the previous post re Derek Thurlby pulling up the mids on a live gig. I do the opposite - I hate strong mids on a pedal steel. Peavey amps have a pronounced mid-range. I like Buddy Emmons tone that he has got in recent years. Again he takes out much of the mid range. My Webb on setting #2 has a mid range scoop.

ps Derek T gets a nice tone so its a good thing that we don't all set up the same way.

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

yeah i always scoop out the mids at home, it sweetens things up, but increase the mids onstage to add a bit of poke, re peavey amps, i agree they tend to be a bit honky in the mid range, however i definately think that the n112 is the sweetest least honky amp peavey have ever produced, i always set the mid shift just over the 800, and the mid between -6 and 0 for the sweetest tone, but then i boost the signal with an MXR pre amp, i find it works for me,
and your quite right Ken, sharing frequencies with other instruments does seem to take away from your tone,
with regards to sobering up after the irish steel fest, im still feeling a bit wobbly, after meeting up with two friends from Manchester, who forced me to drink all aftenoon, into the early hours of today,

[Dave Nutt]

Hi guys,
Dont want to change the direction of Billies topic but- whilst on the subject of tone and seeing Peavy's mentioned
I have a session 400 Ltd that I got of Barry Gaskell, try as I may I cant get a decent tone out of it in the house,
(I normaly use a small Roland crate 30watt)
The amp is in good nick, no noise, probs etc, but tone? it sounds far top bright and trebley, I have adjusted it until Im blue in the face but still cant find a tone I like. (I havnt taken it out on a gig yet) Is this because Im using it at lower power being in the house?

Im sure some of you gang will have used a Sess 400 at sometime, give us some tips on a decent setting.

Billie ,sorry if this takes it away from your question, but Tone? Peavey? I had to ask.

Eddie, drinking again??? why ho why do you keep doing it?
Dave.

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

Dave,
You are bang on topic,everything is relevant.
Even Eddies alcohol level
Perhaps that would be the answer,get ratted and all of a sudden the tone woulb be forgotten
Billy

[Zebedee]

Dave,
If your Session 400 is the second incarnation of this model (not the 70's version), then I'm afraid that it is almost impossible to get rid of the honkiness.

I think that there may be a mod kit for it, same as for the Peavey Vegas, if there is it will transform the amp.

I had my Vegas modded, and now it sounds like a Session 500, only better