tone is in the hands

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Donny, I am with you on this one!! bring those guys down to my steel meeting on the 28th August and you can all have a play through my 1966 circuit Fender Twin with the JBL E120 speakers... that should settle the argument
The only thing that may come close is Dave Beaty`s new amps for a zillion dollars but thats only "close" IMHO Fender got it right years ago......

[bob adams]

Ah! 'Donny Boy' that will be why the two recent clips on here sound so utterly crap!

http://www.pedalsteel.co.uk/The-Blanton

Both on the Session 500 ........rest my case!

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

Very interesting debate here, its kinda swung round to just being about amps, but TONE is about all the different ingredients, hands, picks, feel, volume pedal, etc etc but sure, the amp and speaker cannot be underestimated, the best TONE i ever got was in the early 90's from a Fender Super 60 all tube Combo with a JBL F120 12" speaker, clean, rich, sweet, but sadly while the overdrive channel was mega loud, the gorgeous clean channel was seriously under powered, have tried lots of amps since, but never got that sweet tone, i agree with Paul, who like me, owned a 65' re issue twin reverb, it was bobbins [manc slang for useless] for steel, nashville 400, couple of Musicman combos, i bought a Fender Steel King, and in my opinion, didnt sound as nice as my Peavey Nashville B/W, that i keep in Manchester for my occasional gigs in U.K. so i traded it back and got myself another Peavey Nashville, this time putting an EVM 12 in,
and im kinda happy enough with it, BUT, would always be on the look out for something better, and i think i am strongly leaning to John's belief that older Fender's pre circuit board, with the RIGHT speakers in it would be the best of all Peavey and Fender options, but its not just about the badge, a lot of Fender Amps are now made in Mexico, and Solid state, ie the 'STEEL KING' which was considered by many to be a flop, and was fairly quickly dropped by Fender, a lot of Steel players were very excited by it, when it was coming out, BUT it could in no way be compared to an earlier all tube Fender Amp, and sales were very dissapointing, a lot of players now seem to be going for the various specialist, but expensive, Steel amps, and even a Bass amp, the MB200? and getting their own custom cabs, maybe the way to go, i just dont buy into the 'all peaveys are useless, and you only have one cos you cant afford a Fender argument, thats simply not true, when i find an amp that will do a better job than my present N112, i will buy it, but it wont be a solid state Fender,
ps. i totally agree re Peavey P.A. Systems, harsh and nasally are the words that spring to mind, Dynacord every time, wish they made Steel amps,

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

very sweet Mr Adams, I never got to play through a Session 500, but they are reputedly the best amp Peavey ever produced for Steel,

[Ken Byng]

very sweet Mr Adams, I never got to play through a Session 500, but they are reputedly the best amp Peavey ever produced for Steel,

Not in my book. The most unreliable amp I have ever owned. The Nashville 400 (even unmodded) delivers a better sound IMO.

Bobbe Seymour (never short of an opinion or two) states quote

An amplifier needs to be deliver the sound of the guitar without adding or subtracting a whole lot. I can't understand the guys that pay big money for custom amplifiers. They're in vogue today and out tomorrow. If they just bought one or two Peavey Session 400's they would sound better. As far as I'm concerned the Session 500 was the dog of the era. Considered great by amateurs only. You can't beat the 400's. The joke amongst Telecaster players goes: Question: What do you do if you see a steel guitar player drowning? Answer: Throw 'em a Session 500 amp! The 500's weren't even as powerful as the Nashville. I use two Session 400's.

[Donny Johnston]

Well, Well, Well, stirred up a hornets nest here, thanks for the comment Mr Adams (b-----d ) but you have never been able to afford a Fender so I had to use the Pe Pea, that thing, and you ambushed me I didn't have the Fender in the van. I am still more than happy to remain Peavey free. Thanks for the support John, the best Fender sound I have had was with a Fender Twin I bought new in 1978, I eventually took out the two 12" speakers, changed the baffle board,and fitted a 15" 4ohm JBL, should never have got rid of it, but we've all done it. If you we could return to the original point, TONE IS ABSOLUTELY IN YOUR OWN HANDS, that's why everyone has their own sound, good or bad.

[STEDDIE EDDIE]

Interesting view Ken, as i say, i never played through a 500, so i cant comment other than what i have heard, but it shows just how diverse people tastes are in amps, i always struggled with peavey's nasally middle honk until the n112 came out, [just my view] couldn't seem to dial it out, but lots of steelies, far better than me, own 400's and love them, i guess its all very subjective.

[saddletramp]

@Malcolm I've been thinking about getting one of those GK MB200 amps. Is it the bass amp?

Chris

[bob adams]

And this started out about hands too! mmm!?

Anyway! .....
Bollocks Mr Johnstone, I have an early seventies Pro Reverb upstairs! Might bring it down for your next visit!

As for my hands! .... think about a Harp!..... I mean a real Harp .....and think about the potential for variety of tonal change! ????

[Malcolm]

Chris, Mb200 is available from MB Music Bognor Regis and Sica speakers from Hot Rox London.I have back problems and anything that saves weight is ok by me,It amuses me to see all these" old gentlemen" lugging these old amps that you need a JCB to lift, if they keep on doing this they may get to play that harp Bob was talking about sooner than they think, either that they are all loaded and have a young roadie (or groupie) who carries it about them. Having been to a few of the Dallas shows and heard and saw what the top guys were playing through, I can honestly say that there were very few Fenders, and it didn't matter what amp they played through in the side rooms they sounded fantastic ---moral of story ---It's in the hands, just my opinion.