Price no object

Gil Berry · Post by **Gil Berry** » 15 Dec 2003 11:11 pm

I've used several different amps in many years of trying to play psg. Fenders with JBLs, Peavey session with black widows, even at one time a mammoth Fender Dual Showman and a Standell. I've even used a Fender dual 10 with an Acoustic 18" bass amp as a two-amp setup. My question is - and I know this is more personal preference than anything else - if price were no object - what would your ideal electronics setup consist of? I assume (maybe incorrectly?) you would start with a Hilton pedal and go from there to a Webb? A rack system? what?

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 16 Dec 2003 12:24 am

George L chords. Boss turbo Overdrive first. Ernie Ball Pedal type EJ Extra Life Pot. Pod xt running stereo into A Session 500 MKIV with a K140 JBL and a Nashville 400,with a Black Widder. Miked with two SM57s.

That's coincidentally what my system consists of. I've thought of two 400s, but the 500 has features like an active crossover, and with the K140 JBL is heavier to handle more of the lows. Bullet proof and the best sound I'm gonna get.

I'm not kidding in the least. If I wanted Webbs, Evanses or Standels, or even Fender Twins ( though I LOVE the sound) I'd have found a way to buy them. People like Gary Morse are using Pod xts, and I like it better than my univerb and deltafex by a mile. He uses, incidentally, two Nvl400s.

I guess I've never totalled them, but I'd say What 1700$.

I spent that much getting new heads with roller rockers for my 63 Panhead™.

EJL[This message was edited by Eric West on 25 December 2003 at 02:05 PM.]

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 16 Dec 2003 3:14 am

I like to use Steel Amps to play guitar. The range of a steel amp allows me to get the cleanest possible stereo sound.

So I bought this rig after many experiments with Preamps.

2 Peavey PX 300's
1 Alesis Q20 Effects unit
1 Korg DTR 1 Tuner
1 Walker Stereo Steel Preamp

Have about $2000 in it including A small amp stand to put the rack on which is an SKB 4 space shallow roto rack. Not that difficult to move around or set up. A patch cable to each of the PX 300's , Power to the Rack 1 cable(GD Walker has 2 AC Outlets on his Preamps) and The guitar input to the preamp.

Just like the movie, 3 easy pieces.<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_105.gif' border=0></a>
And the sound is terrific, 600 watts stereo and best I've ever had in any amp.[This message was edited by John Floyd on 16 December 2003 at 03:28 AM.]

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 16 Dec 2003 8:54 am

Oh God, this is going to be a long post...................

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James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 16 Dec 2003 9:39 am

Ladies and Gentlemen, Please fasten your seat belts----------Yeee Haaaww!!!

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 16 Dec 2003 3:45 pm

Oh God, this is going to be a long post...................

Free advertisement Mike, Look at it that way.<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_105.gif' border=0></a>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 16 December 2003 at 03:47 PM.]

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 16 Dec 2003 10:45 pm

Heck, this is fun!

MSA M2 PSG>Hilton pedal>Lexicon PCM81>Pair of Standel's new Steel amp (100L15).

The amps are replicas of the original 25L15's with tons of headroom and vintage JBL's.

Now, that was a sweet dream.
(Time to wake up Ron)

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 17 Dec 2003 5:48 am

Permit me to let you in on a secret:
No matter what / how expensive / what specs of the stuff you choose, YOU WILL GROW TIRED OF THE SOUND and switch to something else. It's just human nature. The grass is always greener under somebody else's rig.

I'm playing through what I consider the best sounding setup I've ever used.
A Fessy or Push-pull Emmons
One or two Standel Custom XV's with Altec 418B's
A Digitech 2112 / Lexicon reverb OR Boss GT-6
Hilton pedal
GeorgeL or Lawrence cables

worx4me

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Greg Derksen · Post by **Greg Derksen** » 17 Dec 2003 6:06 am

Amp? Bruno Cowtipper in a Head Version 100W
Speaker? Mars Cabs
Reverb? Lexicon PCM 90
Delay? TC Electronics 2290
After all that is hooked up, I would then do an extensive cable shootout to fine tune the
EQ, and then I would wake up! Greg

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 17 Dec 2003 8:33 am

James, I guess that you are right!

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 17 Dec 2003 9:36 am

Mike; perhaps now would be the ideal time to take that badly needed 2 week vacation to Tahiti? :>)

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 17 Dec 2003 1:35 pm

Don't think that I'm going to make the trip to Tahiti. I think that I'll stick around Meridian for the Christmas holidays. The local lake will have to suffice this time around.

Happy Holidays to all.

Steve Stallings · Post by **Steve Stallings** » 17 Dec 2003 3:51 pm

I own the ultimate setup in my own humble opinion. I wrote extensively about it and the reason for my choices at www.pedalsteeler.com

For the short version:
2 Pacific Cabs with 15 inch BW
VHT 2/90/2 Power amp
Evans Stereo Preamp
TC Electronics M-One

I actually did a "shoot out' and compared and contrasted multiple different amps, preamps, power amps, and rack mount effect units.

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God Bless,
Steve Stallings

www.pedalsteeler.com

[This message was edited by Steve Stallings on 17 December 2003 at 03:52 PM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Dec 2003 6:03 pm

Well, I'm a "combo" (1-piece amp) guy. If I had "roadies" to schlep my stuff around, I'd have a Fender Quad-Reverb cabinet, with a Super-Twin Reverb amp chassis, and four 12" SRO speakers.

Yep, gimme the "roadies", and that amp, and you can keep all those fancy rack systems for yo'selves.

As DVA might say "a ton of tone"!

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 18 Dec 2003 6:51 am

yeee AND hawwww!! go Donny!

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 18 Dec 2003 8:44 am

I'm with Donny and DVA on the Fender big tube amps, but I might use two 12s plus a 15" speaker, with a separate Twin driving each, instead of the single Super Twin. I just tried that speaker combination with my 135 watt Twin and almost stained my underwear.

What I'd really be interested in trying is the new Fender Bassman 300 all tube head, maybe with some mods for more highs. It has six 6550s and is rated at 300 watts (probably 150 watts with 8 ohms). It has a built in 10 band graphic EQ (maybe you wouldn't even need any mods for the highs), with tuner/mute and headphone jacks.

With any of these setups I'd want a POD XT Pro, for its 15 different reverbs, and many other effects, all in a small package.[This message was edited by David Doggett on 18 December 2003 at 11:16 AM.]

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 21 Dec 2003 9:32 am

I've been real happy with this setup for steel and lead guitar

Roland GP-100 (Rockman analog delay,chorus in loop)

Into the front of a 70's Session 400

Into the effects return of a large cab Evans.

I think 2 diffrent brand amps really adds lots of color.

bob

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 21 Dec 2003 9:46 am

Well I suppose if price were no object..

Id'e be driving a brand new Black Z06/405HP 'Vette !

A new amp would probably not even be on the list ! Sorry...

T

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 21 Dec 2003 11:19 am

I can pretty much have whatever I want and I've gone through quite a few variations but this is the rig I've been happiest with for a while: a 10 year old Peavey Nashville 400 with the Peavey mod and a BW speaker(and wheels),an Alesis Nanoverb,a Goodrich LSW volume pedal and a small GFI seat.I use this rig with my Sierra,Excel,Fender 800 and Stringmaster.It's toneful,plenty loud,easy to pack up and schlepp and all fits in the trunk of my Sentra.I use the same exact rig for backyard pool parties,beer joints,Las Vegas lounges,dinner theaters,concerts and outdoor festivals.In a world where gravity and Murphy's law rules - simple is better and less is more. BTW,I have two of everything - just in case. -MJ-

Harold Parris · Post by **Harold Parris** » 25 Dec 2003 1:34 pm

I definitely prefer a tube preamp with a solid state power amp that has a good speaker system attached. I play mostly E9th and the tube preamp is what I've been craving for. Old high wattage tube amps are heavy and expensive to maintain. A tube preamp has one or two low cost tubes that you would want to replace periodically. A good solid state output does not change the sound of the tube preamp and is much more stabil over a long period of time. But as Mike and James are hinting, It is mostly a matter of opinion and opinions are very plentiful. We all like to throw our two cent worth in.

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Sierra Session and MSA Classic Guitars, Nashville 400, Session 400, and Evans FET 500 HiVolt, and Gretsch Nashville Pro Steel Amps, Keith Hilton Digital Sustain pedal and Digital Sustain Box .
Harold Parris email hparris9@aol.com

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 27 Dec 2003 4:14 pm

the best tone I ever had (at least to me) was my 1974 fat back Emmons > hilton> Session 500...what? that`s it sorry...

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