PV stereo chorus

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 16 Mar 2005 12:07 pm

Has anyone tried a stereo chorus 212 for PSG,loks like a lot of players are switching to 12s, what are the advantages/disadvantages..how heavy? Also fair price.

Thanks Bill

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 16 Mar 2005 9:57 pm

Hi, Bill, I had a Stereo Chorus 2-12 I used for several years for guitar. It sounded ok for steel but I had a Webb at the time I much prefered. The weight is medium for a 2-12 as it's solid state. Very very good sounding chorus, not something you'd want to use all the time for steel, but at a lower setting it makes for a nice spacious stereo vibe. Cool amp.

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 17 Mar 2005 7:43 am

A Peavey Stereo Chorus amp is not designed around the parameters of a steel guitar, so there will be limitations such as frequency response, voicing, etc.. A Nashville amp is developed using the parameters that our engineering group have compiled over the past 35 years. These are two different amps that are made to sound different.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 17 Mar 2005 8:11 am

Thanks Guys,
I was thinking about something maybe to leave at church, it would be miked, had a chance at one for $200,don't know if it's still available, or if thats a good price.

Bill

Dyke Corson · Post by **Dyke Corson** » 17 Mar 2005 8:29 am

Bill I used one of these in church on steel and it worked great. I used a ProfexII and ran the left/right out into the stereo inputs. The EQ on the ProfexII worked great, and all the efx were in stereo.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Mar 2005 8:51 am

I've used one for years. Mine has the LeMay mod installed. Before that, it was a pretty crappy-sounding amp, but the mod kit added a lot of lows and cut the mids...just what the amp needed. The all-digital effects package is what sold me on the amp (no spring reverb). It has a good chorus, a great reverb and slap-back, and a couple of rather limited delay effects too. Power is fine, 130w per channel...total 260w. They came with Scorpions (not really a good steel speaker), but it's still, in IMHO, Peavey's best all-around amp. I wouldn't trade it for 2 Nashville 1000's.

Like most 212 combos, it's not a lightweight (63 lbs.), but if you want it all in one package, this one (with a mod kit) will do 'ya. Used (because they're no longer made), they go for $300-$400.

Note: Peavey made several, lower-powered, 212 chorus amps, but the Stereo Chorus 212 is the one I'm talking about. That's the one with the digital effects and 130w per channel. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 20 March 2005 at 06:32 AM.]</p></FONT>

Tom Diemer · Post by **Tom Diemer** » 17 Mar 2005 5:13 pm

I have a Stereo chorus 400, really like it for guitar or steel. Loud as heck too if I want it to be.

I would use it all the time except mine tends to get hot after an hour or so of hard use, and when it does the tone goes out the window until I let it cool for a while.

No idea how the new 212 models compare, this one is pretty old, but sounds great to me with steel or anything else I plug into it. Has a very rich sounding 3 spring reverb too.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 18 Mar 2005 8:43 am

Speaking of Peavey Chourus amps...
A friend of mine has a Peavey Backstage Chorus 208 (a practice amp).
It sounded really Killer for guitar, and I wanted to buy it for home use, but it wasn't for sale.
'Stumbled into Guitar Center last weekend and they were setting up for a sidewalk sale, and found a Peavey Studio Chorus 70 with a GC price-tag of $45.
I tried it out and it too sounded great (love that velvet-ee chorus!), and it is 70W total power, 2-xlr outs, 2-effects loops, headphone jack, 2-channel with Bright and Thick switches, etc.
I will likely put it on an amp stand right in front of me as a monitor, with a Nash 112 behind me.
I had been using a Fender Champ right in front of me, but it is not loud enough for drummer gigs.
I saw a Chorus 212 for $100 on the Craigslist a while back, but figured I was set on full size Peavey amps with my Session 400 (although I assume it too sounded great).
~pb

David Friedlander · Post by **David Friedlander** » 19 Mar 2005 7:01 pm

I have loved Peavey amps since 1975- the 212 stereo chorus is a great amp.
I also think it's awesome that Mike Brown posts here on behalf of Peavey.
Mike I worked at Grayson's music in 1975- one of Peavey's first NY dealers.
I don't pidgeonhole amps- I've honestly never tried the Nashville amps-
but I did play steel thru an old Peavey Stereo Chorus 210 in the studio last week- it was awesome. The spring reverb on that amp is very good.

I mean to say that although an amp was not designed for Pedal steel, that does not mean it won't sound good with a steel ( E9 at least)

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » 22 Mar 2005 6:24 am

David, I did some research a few years ago with playing my Emmons LaGrande II through every six string electric amplifier that we manufactured at that time. I did this for the very reason that I receive many, many calls and e-mail messages from customers inquiring about how well non-pedal Peavey steel amps perform with a pedal steel. At that time, I had no reason to find an answer to that particular question because we have always offered at least two amps designed specifically for use with steel guitar.

However, I took my steel to what we call the "fish bowl" at plant 17 one Saturday morning and tried every amp that we make. Surprisingly, the Peavey Envoy amp sounded pretty good with a steel. However, the rest of our models "lacked" in a pleasing sound.

My point is that you might come up with an alternative amp that works for you, but our Nashville and Session series of amps still are the models that accurately reproduce a steel guitar response the best. If I play through a non pedal steel amp and then return to either a Nashville or Session model, I discover what I was missing.

David Friedlander · Post by **David Friedlander** » 22 Mar 2005 9:29 pm

Mike,
Isn't the sound one hears subjective.
In other words, how can one say that one amp sounds "better" than another?
OR- IF one person prefers a certain amp that does not mean that someone else might prefer another amp.
I don't see how it's possible to know exactly what any electric instrument sounds like without an amp, therefore how can one say that a particular amp is "more accurate"

It's admirable of you to say only certain peaveys are good for steel- but I feel you are doing a disservice to those people who want a "different" sound from their steel.
How boring if everyone used an Emmons and a Webb.

I have a number of steels including an Emmons P/P- yet I don't like the sound of the Emmons as much as either my Marlen, or Lamar. That probably puts me at odds with 99% of this forum, but taste is a matter of...well, taste.
Did you try the Stereo Chorus 210?