OLD Session 400

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 10 Dec 2003 7:40 pm

I need help identifying a Session 400 I bought today. It is an awesome sounding amp and so old Mike Brown don't even know what year it was built. I bet some of you guys can tell me pretty close. It has a metal chrome face with black painted background, a metal "Peavey" nameplate, a Lansing speaker. The speaker was bad and I put another Lansing in it and it sounds sooooo good. Can someone tell me about when it was built? The knobs are chrome but a little bit larger than other Peavey chrome knobs I have seen and smooth on front so I don't know if they are original or not. The knobs look like they were turned on a lathe out of aluminum bar stock. Help?
Jerry[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 10 December 2003 at 07:43 PM.]

Alvin Sydnor · Post by **Alvin Sydnor** » 10 Dec 2003 8:56 pm

I think a lot of us would love to see a picture of this baby.Is that possible??
Alvin

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 10 Dec 2003 9:13 pm

Well, it is pretty road beatin' but it sure has a sweet sound with just it's reverb with a push pull played thru it. I have spent the last hour just sitting at the steel strumming chords and playing and just soaking in the rich tone of this old amp. I can take photos and email them but I don't know how to put them on the Forum.
Jerry

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 10 Dec 2003 10:20 pm

I'll post your picture for ya here Jerry; Not a Prob.....send it to me....Try taking the shot at around 600X400 area...ha
WEll it's probably one of the first ones..wasn't that '72 or '73-ish???
I've seen and played through an LTD that Lloyd Maines let me play through when we doubled at a gig...and it had the great big round metal knobs on it as you say...and the only thing he said I remember was..."I bought it new way back in the '70s"....
These LTD's and Session 400 from that era are awesome....and was before Peavey put that yucky Compression/Limiter in them and stopped their breathing.
Ricky

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 11 Dec 2003 6:08 am

I believe that '74 was the first year and the first circuit design according to the schematic. They tried JBL's but kept blowing them. Ricky, it's not just the limiter circuit that makes the newer amps different, but on the originals the entire circuit design is all discrete transistors and the EQ is different. The modern amps use opamps instead. On the Session 400 and LTD amps, the midrange control is a passive circuit and is cut-only. People dont seem to know this but there is NO mid boosting possible on the old Session 400 or LTD. With the mid cranked and the sweep cranked, that's how you get the tone "flat". Anything else is a cut. It's part of the unique voicing of that amp. That all changed with the active boost/cut mids on the modern EQ. These old amps are really great.

Brad Sarno[This message was edited by Brad Sarno on 11 December 2003 at 06:41 AM.]

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 11 Dec 2003 7:42 am

Jerry,
My Session 400 is a '76 and has the later silver knobs with the black vinyl insert. That would make the one you have earlier than that I think. No serial number on the back panel? The early ones had black and silver serial number plates, at some point Peavey changed the style a bit and went to black and white serial number plates. My '76 is black and silver.

The real early ones also didn't have the chassis straps on top (like a Fender amp) just four screws with finishing washers holding the chassis. I've seen several of those and they also have a kind of funny vinyl that has more of a crosshatch texture.

Post some pics...

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 11 Dec 2003 8:33 am

I believe that Jerry has one of the first Session 400's by his description.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 11 Dec 2003 12:26 pm

Bill, this amp is as you describe, no straps on top, just screws and finish washers and the vinyl has a strange pattern. I will email photos to Ricky tonight and he said he would post them.
Jerry

RON PRESTON · Post by **RON PRESTON** » 11 Dec 2003 12:29 pm

That's OK about the tore up and banged places, Jerry, I'm SURE the "Sweet, Mellow, Crisp Bite" will come through just fine. The older 400 I bought last Friday is not THAT old, But, Lord, it IS Sweet.

Now, if I can just FIND and BUY one of the first "Webb's", I'll have an OK setup.
With a S-10 Emmons, Evans FET 500, Session 400 LTD, ProFex 11 (With JN Fixin's) AND a WEBB, I MIGHT sound alright with SOME tone to Da bone. I'll get my TOUCH in the 'Acceptable Range in my NEXT life...Yea

Ken Fox · Post by **Ken Fox** » 11 Dec 2003 1:56 pm

To the best of my knowledge the Session 400 anf LTD 400 amps were all the same electronically, one schematic fits all! They are discrete transistor design and no DDT for protection. The Session 400 LTD, a later amp had DDT and was OP amp front end based in design.
I just got three Session 400's in, all mid to late 70's. All sound great! One went to a fellow steeler locally (he is really pleased with the tone), one for myself and one is for sale. I have a lot of guitar playing friends here in the area using these now as well now, great jazz and fingerstyle guitar amp as well.

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 11 Dec 2003 2:40 pm

Brad hit it right. It's a 1974. If the back panel is still original, it will have a metal serial # plate on it with numbers beginning 4A-
The description you gave is 1974, which is the first year and only year with metal face plate and smooth knobs. It came originally with a gray basket JBL, which probably wore out or was blown out early. I have a 1974 that I bought new. The tone of the 74 is more unique than those built after that year.
Dennis

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 13 Dec 2003 10:19 pm

I left my camera at the office so no photos yet, but, I took the old Session 400 tonight and thru it at the Little O' Opry and wow does it sound great. Beat up and ugly don't hurt a thing when it can sound like this thing sounds. It is amazing and though I moved some control knobs several times I never got anything that sounded bad. Oh, Dennis, you are right, the plate is as you described and the serial number starts with 4A.
Jerry[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 13 December 2003 at 10:21 PM.]

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 13 Dec 2003 10:46 pm

Jerry, It's a keeper!