Using Guitar Amps for Pedal Steel

Casey Saulpaugh · From: Asheville, NC

I am curious how many players use guitar amps for pedal steel occasionally (or primarily)? If so, what do you use and like about it?

I really enjoy using tube amps for most playing situations, but find the options limited for pedal steel without paying a whole lot. I really enjoy using some older Fender amps, for the tone and reverb - the only downside for me is losing some lows and highs compared to pedal steel amps.

If anyone's interested, here's an article about pedal steel amps: https://playpedalsteel.com/pedal-steel-amplifiers/

There are so many guitar amp options nowadays, I'd love to hear if anyone's getting good results from some of them.

-Casey
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Playpedalsteel.com - An online resource for steel guitar. Pedal Steel Guides & Digital Downloads: https://steelvibrato.com/collections/pedal-steel-instructional-ebooks

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

I have used a JBL-loaded 1964 Fender Vibroverb for many years, and it's still my all-time favorite. Not as much power as the Twin Reverb or Vibrosonic but also about 20 lbs lighter. For stage use at higher volumes I have a Webb 6-14e, same weight as the VV but many more watts thus more low end. Pick the tool to match the job.

I have been through many amps over the years and am quite content at this time.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I don't own any "steel amps", and never have. I've got lots of amps, Fenders, Peaveys, Line 6, along with some other weird ones, but they're all just guitar amps. One of my Peaveys has had a LeMay mod kit added (to tame the mids), and I've tweaked one of my Fender amps slightly to change the sound. But the rest are just straight-ahead guitar amps, big ones and little ones. And I guess the amp I choose to use largely depends on the gig, big gig - big amp, smaller gig - smaller amp. Luckily, I seem to have a knack for getting the best sound from any amp, something I guess I've learned from just using so many different amps for the past 60-odd years. But part of it is also mental, getting a "good sound" as opposed to endless frustration trying to get "the sound"; that one tone that will (hopefully?) make all the steelers in the audience jealous. I feel that once you open your mind up to the possibility of there being many good tones (instead of just one), playing becomes much more enjoyable, and you can concentrate on playing better and making the sound, as opposed to buying the sound.

Might not be everyone's bag, but it works for me. Oh Well

Johnie Helms · From: Oklahoma, USA

Lab Series L9 and Musicman 115HD both have Electro Voice, 15” Speakers.
Plenty of power and plenty heavy…

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

I have a mid-1980s Evans FET-500LV and a Fender Steel King.
I love them both.

These days, I tend to grab one of my little Roland Cube 80XL amps for gigs.
They sound great and for large venues the line out works well.
_________________
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

Jim Pollard · From: Cedar Park, Texas, USA

Quilter MicroPro Mach 2 8". My swiss army knife amp. I've used this for acoustic and electric guitar + vocals. For playing harmonica, lap steel and pedal steel and been happy all the way. Happy back as well weighing in at 19 lbs.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Read Donny’s post again. He is absolutely correct and he does what working and recording players do.
The article makes some valid points but is incorrect in many ways. His statements about frequency are just not true. The difference between 12” and 15” speakers is not frequency range. It’s in the shaping of the midrange.

A tube amp usually will have a better range in the high frequencies also. Especially when slightly pushed. The irritating spike with square wave distortion in the 2K range that the solid state amps he recommends have has taken solid state amps out of the studio for the most part and also out of the PA in club gigs. Spike the sound man with that tinnitus machine once and your fader is down and will stay there.
Plus all that clean headroom that gives you those big lows that you feel are high passed in the studio and don’t make it 10 feet from the stage. They do serve to muddy up the stage sound and make the steel player more regular though !

Plus there is no mention of an actual problem. Pedalsteel pickups are bigger than guitar pickups. Therefore they have a higher output that can overload standard amp inputs which is a nasty sound.

Paul Franklin took us out of the amp dark ages in the early 90’s when he worked with dire straights. He went back to using good sounding amps like his idols in the 60’s.

With that rant I want to also say that sometimes a Nash 400 sounds freakin perfect and whatever amp that gets a sound that works is cool. There is a presence in the articulation with solid state amps that is an essential part of many tremendous players sound. It’s just that the rules of thumb that are constantly repeated about steel amps are false and misleading.

Like Donny says, follow your own ear and use whatever works for you.
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Bob

Justin Shaw · From: Ontario, Canada

I agree with Bob and Donny.

I will add that 3 factors that effect my amp choices are: the high output of PSG pickups, the increased need for string separation, and the ability to handle the lower end of my extended E9. For my own tastes I have found that very high headroom & high wattage amps tend to solve all of these requirements at once. It appears I am not alone, as many of the amps attractive to steel players over the years include these characteristics. Examples include those listed in the article, as well as the Little Walter, etc.

Everything I just said was about my experience with tube amps though. I have nothing say about the classic solid state amps most commonly used with PSG. I just haven't had the chance to try them, although I would like to.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Been mostly using steel amps(Sess500, NV112, Milkman PS300), but the last couple of gigs I've been using a Twin Reverb head into a Bassman cab with 2 Celestion 12's, which I think is pretty deep in guitar-amp territory. It worked fine with both 6 string and steel. Fender guitars are derivations of the Fender lap steels which came first so it makes sense Leo would voice his amps to match and the DNA shows. I had the head and speaker cabs done in smooth blonde so it looks (sort of) like it stepped out of an Astronauts album cover.Who says we can't have a little flash once in awhile? Winking

Here's a rig pic.

James Holland · From: Alabama, USA

I've played steel on and off for a decade, as such, I've made my guitar amps work. A 1970 Twin Reverb is my best steel amp presently. I do wonder what I'm missing, never trying a Nashville/Session or other steel amp.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Well James, I have several steel amps and guitar amps including a couple Twin Reverbs and the new Tonemaster Twin. I still love and use my old tube twins and the lightweight Tonemaster Twin as much as the Telonics, Nashville 1000, Session 400 and Quilter. It's a toss up.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

James(and Larry)-

My best steel amp is my Milkman PS300. The Session 500 sounds 99.5% as good,just a little different and has patch points which are much in its favor, but it's monstrously heavy and stays home. The Fox-chipped(thanks Ken!) NV112 isn't quite the amp the other two are, but did more than OK for some time.
I think I'll take out the Twin head once more, this time with the D-120F-loaded '64 Bassman cab, just to see if the sound it gets at home will translate to the stage. I've been playing a lot more six-string of late and having that second channel helps.

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

I freely admit I am a tube-aholic. I tried a Peavey and an Evans briefly but something was missing. I resolved this with the help of a good tech. He let me play my pedal steel through the chassis of my Twin Reverb while he clipped various resistors into the tone stack until we found the perfect combination for my instrument. Paired with an Altec 418b, I no longer had to settle for just good tone and enjoyed working with my perfect tone for 16 years, until I quit my last band. I'm sure audiences would not care or hear any difference, but having a sound that inspires you makes a big difference.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Dave, I agree on the Milkman. I play Telecaster and steel so the Twin is definitely a plus. I love having 2 channels set up for the different instruments. My Quilter micropro mach ii has 2 channels and it works out for both. I have also used my Bassman 50 for both but an effect pedal is needed on both channels for reverb and delay.

George Seymour · From: Notown, Vermont, USA

Why not... the best steel guitar amp I've ever had..

Standel 82L15V

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Old Emmons D-10's & Wrap Resound 65, Standel amps!
Old Gibson Mastertones

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

When I was first getting into playing in bars circa 1965 Standel amps had the reputation of being a quantum level above all the rest. I've never gotten to play through a Standel, but seeing one like George's gives me a little thrill of the kind Steely Dan can't buy! Winking

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

I was never exposed to a Standel. But my favorite guitar player Chet Atkins was using them. I honestly never seen one in person and I'm 74. Where are they now? Fender was the most popular in my area.

Mark Perrodin · From: Tucson Arizona, USA

1962 Brownface Pro with an Electro-Voice coffee can SRO for me with a Morgan RCA35 a close second.

George Seymour · From: Notown, Vermont, USA

Tony Oresteen · From: Georgia, USA

So far all I have used with my PSG/console steel/lap steel guitars are regular guitar amps. Mostly a silver stripe Bandit 112 clean channel, a Peavey silver stripe Ultra 112 clean channel, and a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb RI. The Peavey amps have a Peavey 112SX extention cabs. All amps & cabs have Weber speakers in them (Blue Dog & Silver Bell). The Deluxe Reverb Has an extention cab with a Weber 15" California ceramic speaker. I can't remember exactly which Weber speaker the Deluxe Reverb has in it.

I just bought a Peavey silver stripe Nashville 112 as I have never used a "steel guitar" amp and I am very interested to compare it to my guitar amps. The Nashville 112 is at Peavey right now for a checkup and some minor repairs (reverb etc) so it supposed to be shipped today. Should arrive Saturday.
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Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster T8 black
PedalMaster D8

James Holland · From: Alabama, USA

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Geeze, two people agree with me!

(Gotta be a record, here. Cool

)

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Yes Donny, I would agree.
I miss my old Nashville 400.
Now have DV mark, good but but not as beefy as the 400.
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Just 'cause I look stupid, don't mean I'm not.

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Jacob Yergert · From: Centennial, Colorado, USA

I only use guitar amps for my steel.

I have a slightly-modded Fender Blues Deluxe that's about 10 years old that I usually use just because it's easy. It is occasionally TOO loud though.

I've also used it through a 65 Bassman AB165, but that's a pretty dirty amp compared to the tweed.

Sometimes I'll just plug straight into the interface as well if Im recording at home.

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