The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic Best setting for session 400 amp
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Best setting for session 400 amp
Joe Blount

 

From:
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2017 12:53 pm    
Reply with quote

What setting do you use on session 400
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Ricky Davis


From:
Bertram, Texas USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2017 3:58 pm    
Reply with quote

Presence and treble 12 o-clock.
Mid Off so that's like all the way to the left.
Shift; 2 o-clock.
Bass 3 o-clock.
sensitivity or master knob....all the way up...and volume on something that doesn't kill everyone around you...and same with reverb..
(of course the type of steel and pickup and volume pedal and whatever else you have or don't have in line...makes a "o-clock"diff; here and there...but that will get you generally going)
Ricky
_________________
Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2017 5:59 pm    
Reply with quote

I'm in close agreement with Ricky.
Bass for me usually a bit higher than him, around 4 o'clock, turn it down if it's a bit "woofy."
I run the shift about 2 o'clock, but I run the mid at around ten o'clock.
The rest exactly like Ricky.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Joe Blount

 

From:
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2017 6:44 pm     Session400
Reply with quote

Did peavey have any type of chart or info on setting
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2017 3:42 am    
Reply with quote

I'm not sure.
Here's a video I did on mine
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fzsSi9kpkcg
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Dave Meis


From:
Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2017 7:20 am    
Reply with quote

Here's a link to the 'Owners Manual' with the settings Peavey recommended..

https://assets.peavey.com/literature/manuals/80300811.pdf
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2017 7:46 am    
Reply with quote

On a related note, is there a browser in Android that will open a pdf without saving it?
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Peter Freiberger

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2017 9:24 am    
Reply with quote

Yesterday we had an amp comparison at JayDee's. StereoSteel, Telonics, Revelation tube pre-amp with a power amp I can't recall, and my Session 400. All the high end rigs sounded very good, as you might expect with JayDee playing on a P/P with Pittman humbuckers, an Emmons pot pedal and Matchbox. I think the consensus was that the Telonics was super clean and the StereoSteel had a little more "grit". Same impressions for Bob Bernstein on his LGIII.

I recently put a SICA 15" in an old Session 400 (with a Brad Sarno Session 400 Geek page re-cap), so I brought it along to compare with these high end rigs.. Here's what worked for JayDee. My own settings are similar, but less Presence and Treble, as I use a Telonics pedal, which lets significantly more high end through. I felt that as a lower budget mono alternative, it compared quite well with the the other rigs.

View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 20 Jul 2017 10:00 am    
Reply with quote

Peter, in my three-amp shootout video, opinion splits almost equally between my Session 400, a 65 Reissue Twin with 15,and my Milkman.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

John Limbach

 

From:
Billings, Montana, USA
Post  Posted 21 Jul 2017 5:15 am    
Reply with quote

This sheet of the pro's settings for the Session 500 has been posted several times over the years. Should work for the 400 I would think.


View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Justin Griffith


From:
Taylor, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 3 Aug 2017 4:05 pm    
Reply with quote

Try the shift on 10 and cut the midrange completely. Thats how I run my LTD
_________________
Emmons/Sho~Bud/Blanton, Fender/Peavey.
Telonics pedal
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Jim Reynolds


From:
Franklin, Pa 16323
Post  Posted 3 Aug 2017 7:39 pm    
Reply with quote

Jeff Newman put one out years ago. I have it some where close. I could send it to you, if I had your e-mail. I never played through the Session, so I can't give any advice. I had the Vegas 400, and now the Nashville 112.
_________________
Zum U-12, Carter SDU-12, Zum Encore, Emmons S-10, Emmons D-10, Nashville 400, Two Peavey Nashville 112, Boss Katana 100, Ibanez DD700, Almost every Lesson Jeff Newman sold. Washburn Special Edition Guitar, Can never have enough, even at 80. 1963 Original Hofner Bass bought in Germany 1963, and a 1973 Framus Bass also bought in Germany 1974.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Dennis Detweiler


From:
Solon, Iowa, US
Post  Posted 3 Aug 2017 9:46 pm    
Reply with quote

The Session 400's were passive controls, so may not be the same compared to a Nashville 400 or Session 500. Also, the Session 400's were transistor circuits compared to the later Nashvilles and 500's, which used IC's.
My 1974 Session 400 is mod'ed. Playing my U-12 Zum through it with TT pickup wound to 18000. Settings:
P= 9 o'clock, T= 9 o'clock, M= 9 o'clock, Shift= 12 o'clock, Bass= 1 o'clock. BW DT 1501 spkr.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 4 Aug 2017 1:32 am    
Reply with quote

I think the 400 was active, not passive. Brad Sarno ran one through an analyzer, and it was most interesting.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger

Dennis Detweiler


From:
Solon, Iowa, US
Post  Posted 4 Aug 2017 4:01 am    
Reply with quote

Flat settings on the Nashville 400 and the Session 400 "Limited" were straight up, which I refer to as active. Left was cutting and right was boosting. The old original Session 400's the Mid control was a cut only which I refer to as passive, even when the knob was turned full right it still cut, but nearly flat. Treble on the older 400's were controlled at a factory 2.7K Hz. The Nashville 400's were at 6K Hz. I would assume that the preamp on a Session 500 was the same as the Nashville 400, but maybe some subtle differences in tone stack?
The Session 400 Limited (not to be confused with the LTD) had a very treble tone stack and wasn't as desirable during it's tenure. I still have one and never liked it's tone. The IC mod helped a little. Plus, transistors (older Session 400's)seemed a little warmer than the IC chips that took over later.
You can't set the knobs the same between different era's of the Peavey steel amps and get the same results. Different beasts.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Jim Reynolds


From:
Franklin, Pa 16323
Post  Posted 4 Aug 2017 6:59 pm    
Reply with quote

Joe, I posted this for you, not sure where it went. I'll try again. This was Jeff Newmans monthly newsletter back in 1989 on the settings for the Session 400. Hope it helps.

_________________
Zum U-12, Carter SDU-12, Zum Encore, Emmons S-10, Emmons D-10, Nashville 400, Two Peavey Nashville 112, Boss Katana 100, Ibanez DD700, Almost every Lesson Jeff Newman sold. Washburn Special Edition Guitar, Can never have enough, even at 80. 1963 Original Hofner Bass bought in Germany 1963, and a 1973 Framus Bass also bought in Germany 1974.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Dennis Detweiler


From:
Solon, Iowa, US
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2017 4:52 am    
Reply with quote

Jeff mentioned the "new Session 400 amps are out", which is the Session 400 Limited. It's not the same amp as those Session 400's produced before the Limited came on the scene. The Limited had patch inputs on the front panel. These amps had the IC chips and a very treble tone to the amp. The IC mod helped a little, but never were capable of delivering the same tone as the earlier transistor Sessions.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Dennis Detweiler


From:
Solon, Iowa, US
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2017 8:08 am    
Reply with quote

The Nashville 400 was by far a better amp than the 400 Limited.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP