Oddball" amps.. anyone use one??

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 5 May 2005 7:11 am

Just wondering.. most steel guys use a Peavey, maybe an Evans or Webb, some Fender guys, Standell, etc... I wonder how many guys regularly use something REALLY out of the ordinary.. some oddball you found at a garage sale that makes your steel sing loud and sweet..anyone?? bob[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 05 May 2005 at 08:12 AM.]

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 5 May 2005 8:32 am

I'm using a Rocktron "Sidewinder" rack preamp in my rack system. The Rocktron's are not associated with steel guitar amps but it works good.

I bought it dirt cheap (they are all used, as it's been discontinued for quite a while) as an interim preamp but after using it and getting it set, the interim changed to permanent.

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 5 May 2005 9:01 am

Jim Phelps should be around shortly. I don't know if he cares to share with everyone, but when I saw his rig, there wasn't a peavy, webb, or evans in sight!

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 5 May 2005 9:27 am

I got a bargain on a Music Man 112. I am amazed at this compact, light 100 watt amp. It has a solid state pre and 6L6GC tube power amp. It has all the low end you could ever want for steel, and the mids are so scooped I have to dial them up. It doesn't quite have the tone of my Fender all-tube amps, but it is the next best thing, and much smaller and lighter. Someday I'd like to compare it face-to-face with a NV112.

Mark Ardito · Post by **Mark Ardito** » 5 May 2005 9:34 am

A guy I used to work with had a "Wabash Deluxe" amp. It was a single 12" amp from the Wabash Company in Chicago. It was manufactured in the early 60's. The thing only had a volume, tone and tremelo knobs on it. I played lapsteel through it for a couple of sessions. It was one of the SWEETEST amps I have ever played through. I have search for a very long time on getting my hands on another one of these Wabash Amps, but can't find them. I have found that they were intended for Accordian use. I have offered tons of $$ to this former co-worker for the amp and he won't sell it. He likes it also...

Mark

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Sho~Bud Pro I, Fender D-8 (C6&E13) http://www.darkmagneto.com
http://www.arditotech.com

Jerry Gleason · Post by **Jerry Gleason** » 5 May 2005 9:52 am

I'm currently using an Acoustic Image Clarus amp head with my steel cabinets. I guess that's pretty unusual in the steel guitar community. The amp is the size of a cigar box, weighs only six pounds, puts out an honest 200 watts into a 4 ohm load (300W @ 2 ohms), and has a nice digital reverb built in. Hard to beat if weight and portability are a priority.

I bought it to use for jazz guitar with a Raezor's Edge Stealth 10 cabinet, which sounds great, but I'm finding a lot of other uses for it with the appropriate speaker cabinets for bass and steel guitar, too.

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 5 May 2005 10:04 am

Sometimes I use my Yamaha G100II 2x12. It is one of the old brown ones. The III later ones don't have quite the same circuit.
Very clear, 100W power, and OK reverb. Definitely a sleeper amp, although maybe not very oddball.

Glendon Powell · Post by **Glendon Powell** » 5 May 2005 10:33 am

HAHAHA..Do not think Iam crazy. I use a Vintage SEARS SILVERTONE Tube 1483 Guitar Amplifier Amp.and a digitech reverb. Beleive it or not it got a the tone.I fell off my chair when I first heard it. planning to get a Nashville 112 soon
I seen a Vintage SEARS SILVERTONE Tube 1483 Guitar Amplifier Amp on ebay. it going for $300 bucks Thats a shock to me too.. Here the link for it http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10171&item=7320600328&rd=1
I paid 25 buck for mine

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 5 May 2005 11:40 am

I wanted a Musicman, but settled for a couple Peavey hybrids due to cost, not bad amps

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 5 May 2005 1:50 pm

Those Silvertone amps have shot up in value since Jack White got famous. He has never used anything else to my knowledge. And he used it on Loretta's album, too...

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Sierra S8, Gibson GA30RVT, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro heavily modified, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, pyrex and bakelite bars

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 5 May 2005 2:23 pm

Hmm. I know where two of those Silvertones are.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 5 May 2005 4:12 pm

I have the 1484 version (two channels w/reverb going to two Jensen 12's) that I'd trade for a 1483 setup with a 15.....

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 5 May 2005 6:23 pm

60s era Magnatone M10 C, one of the all time great amps. Ask Jimmy Bryant.

50s Gibson Stereo, extraterestrial.

Magnatone MP5, w/Voice of the Theater cabs and JBL 130s!!!

Lectrolab, same as BB Kings home amp, sez it's his favorite distortion.

Crate Vintage Club 60/6212, get one.

Micro Cube, anything, any where, any time.

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 5 May 2005 7:05 pm

I use a Roland Jazz Chorus 50 (one 12" speaker) that can be seen to Al Vescovo's right (with my Lexicon MPX-100 strapped on top of it) in this photo from the recent San Jose jam:

http://www.rahul.net/thinker/steeljam-04-23-05/steeljam-04-23-05-Pages/Image21.html

I've had some knowledgeable steelers say they like the sound of my MSA through that amp. Me? I just don't know any better.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 6 May 2005 11:03 am

In the late 70s/early 80s,I got a Polytone amp in a trade with a bunch of other equipment and it turned out to be a damn good steel amp for coffeehouse size gigs.It had somewhere around 100 watts and one 12' w/a sealed back cabinet,VERY basic EQ and a decent spring reverb but it happened to have a wonderful honkin' tone for pedal steel and it was VERY lightweight. For bigger rooms,I used to sit it on top of a small extension speaker cab I built which housed an EVO 15" and together in that configuration,it would cut most clubs and honkytonks I played. I had some reliability problems with the amp however,and it was in the shop a few times. Shortly after that,I moved on to other amps. In all fairness,I was told by a few jazz guitar players including Joe Pass that my problems were an abberation and that Poly-Tones were generally very reliable. I'd try one again if I got the chance.

Another amp I now use for rehearsals,recording and coffehouse gigs is a Fender Champion 30 which I got at Sam Ash for $199. It's solidstate,30 watts into one 10" speaker which,for $40 I upgraded to a 150w 10PW3 Selenium speaker which is made in Brazil of all places.Very "blackface" Fender tube amp sounding in spite of the fact it's SS. Good amp for lap and pedal - especially with a speaker upgrade and a Nanoverb sittin on top.
-MJ-

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 6 May 2005 12:10 pm

I have an amplifier I made from the remains of a Stromberg-Carlson console record player that was built in 1961. Two 6L6GBT's and an RIAA front end that I modified. Big old 12" dynamic speaker.

I also have the power amplifier and speaker cabinet from a Hammond organ (no, not a Leslie, darn) that came out of a church. Haven't been able to play with it yet, but it's got 2 12 inchers in it. Someday it'll be fun to fire that pig up. Gotta determine the input level required, and where it goes. I guess I can plan someday to play with it unless my wife demands I remove it from the Dining room.

[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 06 May 2005 at 01:12 PM.]

Rand Anderson · Post by **Rand Anderson** » 6 May 2005 12:55 pm

I got y'all beat.
1954 US Army General Issue Green 11 watter - korean war Public Address/record player.
It originally came with to jensen field wedges for mess hall dances and such. I modded the input and speaker jacks and it runs a 15" 4 ohm JBL or an older fender leslie cab. great with a dyna comp.

John Poston · Post by **John Poston** » 6 May 2005 2:14 pm

Mark - Ha! I forgot all about the Wabash Deluxe. I was there when he bought it.

I used this amp

for awhile with my Fender 400, but it has a huge horn and I would have to dial down all the treble (I think it had 1 tone knob on each channel?). Then I got the Session 500.

[This message was edited by John Poston on 06 May 2005 at 03:15 PM.]

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 6 May 2005 2:37 pm

Not really an "oddball" amp except not a lot of folks use one for steel...Marshall
JCM 800 and a 1/2 stack w/4 greenback clestions. Not too bad for good ol country rockers but, it did have its limitations.
Though I must admit I could crank er up at about 2;00am and make the people down the street wet the bed!

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Sho-Bud ProII, Pro III custom,Steelking,Hilton pedal,Tut Taylor"Virginian"

"Theres been an awful murder, down on music row"

[This message was edited by Larry Robbins on 06 May 2005 at 03:38 PM.]

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 6 May 2005 2:53 pm

I used a Sunn Solarus tube amp with two Standel 12's for several years until I got my Peavey LTD in 1980. The best I remember, it had a great sound for steel and guitar both. But, it may have sounded terrible to anyone else, the memory kind of fades after that many years.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

Henry Nagle · Post by **Henry Nagle** » 6 May 2005 9:00 pm

I occasionally use my 1962 Carvin. It's a tube amp. 40 or so watts. Doesn't sound great for steel on its own. I pair it with a deluxe reverb. The deluxe sounds sweet and the carvin has punch.

ed packard · Post by **ed packard** » 7 May 2005 8:59 am

There is that Carvin name! I have been a Carvin addict for the past 20 yrs.= amps, preamps, speakers, and instruments; probably the best $ buy in the industry.

Any good for steel? You might be surprised what super picker uses Carvin ... maybe he will chime in.

Polytone is a great jazz amp, but I can't get the bite out of it for steel use.

Harold Dye · Post by **Harold Dye** » 7 May 2005 9:30 am

It might be more common for an "oddball" to use an amp.

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 7 May 2005 9:48 am

By that definition all my amps are oddball amps...

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 10 May 2005 1:57 pm

My "no Peavey, Fender, Evans, Webb" amps:
Traynor Mark 3 2-12 combo w/EVM12L's
Sunn Sceptre w/4-12 cabinet
St. George 18W tube amp modded to Vox AC15
Mesa Boogie Studio Pre, Hafler P3000, JBL D130 or Celestion Vintage 30.