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Topic: What is your favorite steel guitar amp, past and/or present? |
Joe Shelby
From:
Walnut Creek, California, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 7:48 am |
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I'm partial to Fender tube amps. My first steel amp was a 1964 blonde bandmaster with a Fender tube reverb unit (1963-1964) which I used for practice and some gigs until I realized it wasn't powerful enough for what I needed at the time. I used a silverface super reverb with two of the speakers working. It had been modified (power amp?) by Magic Music Machines in Oakland. That amp wasn't mine, but that amp sounded the best
to me with the Sho-Bud Maverick I was using at the time.
I'm currently using a 1977 Fender twin reverb with a Catalinbread Topanga, which sounds better than the amp's internal reverb. I love the tone I get with it.
I'm asking what your favorite (amp/amps are). What has/had inspired you most. No regard for weight or recurring problems.
Joe |
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Nick Fryer
From:
Ohio, USA
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Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 8:58 am
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My two faves are my late '80s Session 500 and '19 Milkman Half & Half 15" combo. I really like all the patch points on the 500, and I'm even more jazzed about the Milkman's feather-light grab-and-go-ness.
Close behind are my 2014 Twin Reverb Custom 15 and (Fox-chipped) 2007-ish NV112.
Never played through any of the other steel amps folks talk about (Steel King, Evans, Sho-Bud,Quilter, Webb, etc.) but I'd like to! 
Last edited by Dave Hopping on 23 Sep 2022 2:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 10:25 am
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| Early Session 400 with an Altec 15 |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 10:28 am
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I bought a Fender Twin reverb back in 1966.
I ordered it with two JBL speakers and, as of this date, it is still my favorite amp. 
Erv |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 10:51 am
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90s era Evans SE 150
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Kevin Maul: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Decophonic, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 11:38 am My favorite for low volume gigs
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A late ‘63 non-reverb Deluxe
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 12:55 pm
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Past, SF Twin Reverb (AB768) with a K130 speaker.
Present Quilter Travis Toy 12. Best steel amp I've had since the Twin.
_________________
GFI Ultra Keyless S-10 with pad (Black of course) TB202 amp, Hilton VP, Steelers Choice sidekick seat, SIT Strings
Cakewalk by Bandlab and Studio One V4.6 pro DAWs, MOTU Ultralite MK5 recording interface unit |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 23 Sep 2022 2:48 pm
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Evans
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Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat |
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Fred
From:
Amesbury, MA
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Posted 24 Sep 2022 3:28 am
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| Mesa Maverick |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2022 3:29 am
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| LTD 400 w/BW 1501-4. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 24 Sep 2022 4:17 am
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If the band volume level permits it, I still love a vintage Deluxe Reverb. For steel, with a JBL D120F. Desert island amp for me, for either steel or guitar. With proper PA support, it can cut any gig for me.
I also love the tweed Fender 4x10 Bassman or blackface Fender Super Reverb. And of course, a blackface or early silverface Twin Reverb.
For practical pedal steel gigging volumes and ease of transport, I really like and use the Quilter Tone Block series with a lightweight cab and high-power 12" neo speaker. I'm using the 201, but the others also sound great to me. And for a solid-state Peavey amp, it's hard to beat the original 70s Session/LTD 400.
About 20 years ago, in a fit, I sold or traded several of my non-reverb amps, including a couple of tweed Fenders, opting for (mostly) Fenders with reverb. I quickly regretted that decision, and the advent of good digital reverbs makes lack of reverb, pretty much, a non-issue these days. |
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Dennis Detweiler
From:
Solon, Iowa, US
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Posted 24 Sep 2022 8:03 am
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Past: 1974 Session 400. Still have it.
Present: Quilter amps and Revelation pre. Rack gear.
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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. |
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John Poston
From:
Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2022 9:19 am
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Past, Session 500. Present, Milkman Creamer.
Interesting, they're very different kind of amps but some of the best at what they do.
Other amps I've played through that I can remember, Milkman 50W Sideman, Steelaire, TB202, The Amp 100, Nv112, Nv400, Nv1000, Fender Twin, Musicman HD212, Peavey Bandit 75, Blues Jr. |
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gary pierce
From:
Rossville TN
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Posted 24 Sep 2022 5:21 pm
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Past are Ltd 400 with Jbl k130, Telonics 500A, Stereo Steel
Present NV400 in a Huff cabinet with a TT115 speaker |
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Johnie Helms
From:
Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2022 8:29 pm Lab L9
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Lab L9 for double duty.
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 26 Sep 2022 1:49 pm
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1947 National 1205. Warm, deep, round cleans with a good dose of compression.
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Peter Freiberger
From:
California, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2022 3:18 pm
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| In the '70's I loved playing an S10 P/P Emmons with original s/c pickup through a friend's Twin with JBL's. Now a welded frame EMCI with a Telonics X10 pickup through a StereoSteel rig sounds great to me. Also through a Session 400, re-built to Brad Sarno specs. |
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Fred Rogan
From:
Birmingham, AL USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2022 3:19 pm
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A Milkman The Amp 100 into an 15" Eminence PF 400.
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Show Pro SD10 guitars
Milkman Amps |
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GaryL
From:
Medina, OH USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2022 5:26 pm Favorite Amp(s)
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Quilter Steelaire (combo amp, or rackmount(s) through cabs, depending on power needed)
Telonics preamp/ amp rackmounts (through cabs).
Cabs loaded with 15" Travis Toy speakers.
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Emmons LeGrande D-10
GFI Ultra D-10 keyless
Quilter SteelAire |
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Steve Mueller
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2022 6:56 pm
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Milkman the Amp 100 through 16 ohm 12" Jupiter ceramic
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2016 Williams D12 8 x 8, 2015 Williams D12 8 x 8, 2023 Williams S12 4 x 5, Milkman Amps, 1974 Gibson Byrdland |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Brett Cooper
From:
Mississippi, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2022 8:37 pm
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This…
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‘82 Emmons Push/Pull D-10, Emmons LL2 SD-10, Sho~Bud Pro III - Nashville 400, Nashville 112, Fender Twin, Hilton VP, Steeler’s Choice seat, SG Blackbox. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 28 Sep 2022 12:35 am
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For me, for over 4 decades, it was a 1970 and then a 1971 Twin Reverb. Today its a DV Mark GH 250 (250 watt head-6 lbs) and a speaker cab. More than satisfied with tone and power.
Currently I am seeking a Styrofoam Double 10 which performs like the Emmons Legrand II. 
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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
Last edited by Tony Prior on 30 Sep 2022 1:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 28 Sep 2022 8:13 am
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My alltime fave was a rack system with a Furman Sound PQ-3 Parametric EQ/Preamp, Furman RV-1 rackmount spring reverb, powered with a Peavey M3000 power amp. This fed into the Peavey/Jbl in a silver knob early Session 400 that the amp had died.
2) a Webb 6-14E head into a custom JBL spec'd cabinet with a K130.
3) Session 500
4)Nashville 400
5)Twin Reverb w/JBLs
6)Nashville 112
That lousy Session 400 does not even make this list. Worst amp I ever played through.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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