PV LA-400 Amps

Earnie Sumerall · Post by **Earnie Sumerall** » 13 Nov 2001 5:24 pm

Anyone have any good or bad experience with a Peavey LA-400 Amp? I see that the manual indicates it has a tube amp response.

Bill Taft · Post by **Bill Taft** » 13 Nov 2001 5:42 pm

Ernie I played lead through one of these amps for several years and owned three or four. I think I paid 150.00 for the last one and it looked new and sounded great.
Now as for a steel amp I couldnt tell you I never played steel at that time and the last one I had burned in my house fire in 98. I looked for another one for a while and while I was looking I started using my steel amp for lead and got use to it so I quit looking. I use a session 400 or one of my LTD 400's now if I'm playing lead for someone. I have two LTD's with the peavey JBL's and a session 400 with the peavy JBL so now I just use one of those amps, but I thought I'd never use any other amp for 6 string then the LA400 what a great lead amp.
Bill Taft

------------------
btaft

Tom Diemer · Post by **Tom Diemer** » 13 Nov 2001 5:52 pm

I've had one since the early 80's. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Very tough amp, even survived an 85 mph head-on car accident with me in 1988.

Loudest guitar amp there is, anywhere near it's size. If you are looking for a clean snappy sound, it has it in spades. The distortion channel is very usable, but not as good as a tube amp would be.

It's basically the same power amp as the Nashville 400 and Renown 400. Think it's 220 watts RMS into 4 ohms. Has a 12" black widow speaker, and is VERY heavy for it's size.
In fact, it seems heavier than my Nashville, to pick it up. It is the same size as a Nashville, but about 1 inch or so shorter.

BTW, it sounds wonderful with steel. I also have a Nashville 400, and they both have that same tone, with the LA being stronger in the highs, and the Nashville being stronger in the lows. The LA's reverb is great! They both have the same kind of midrange parametric EQ.

I'm really surprized there aren't more LA's around. Think it was Peavey's best kept secret in those days.

The only downsides I know of, are the weight, and no option to hook up a second speaker.

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 13 Nov 2001 7:56 pm

Since getting my Nashville 400, I wouldn't even consider playing my steel through 12" speakers again. And you can get a fairly good tube amp sound out of it.

BC

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 14 Nov 2001 9:29 am

The Peavey LA 400 was part of the "City Series" from the early '80's. Yes, it was powerful, clean and loud. The other members of the City Series were the Nashville 400, Austin 400, and the Reno 400.

There was a gentleman who dropped by our service department yesterday here in Meridian that said that he used an LA 400 for steel guitar, but he also had a Session 500.

Thanks for your comments and support of our products.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation

Earnie Sumerall · Post by **Earnie Sumerall** » 14 Nov 2001 2:40 pm

Thanks guys,
I just happened upon this amp at a Pawn shop and was not familiar with it.
I have no plans to change from my NV1000.
By the way, this LA400 had a 15" BW speaker in lieu of a 12". Somebody must have converted it.