Recieved my new Nashville 400......

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 8 Nov 2001 3:24 pm

from Bobbe Seymour. He had a couple left from when they quit making them, and It Is just what I was looking for...and the price was right.

Does anyone have a favorite setting for the EQ's they would share with me? I can get close to the sound I want, but not right on.

I really like It. It doesn't distort when I get up to the 15th and 17th fret like my Twin does. Also It appears to have quite a bit more sustain.

Thanks In advance for any advice you may have.

Bob Carlson.

Steven Knapper · Post by **Steven Knapper** » 8 Nov 2001 3:37 pm

Check the Buddy Emmons "TAB FROM BUDDY" web site. He has his 400 settings listed there.[This message was edited by Steven Knapper on 08 November 2001 at 03:38 PM.]

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 8 Nov 2001 6:14 pm

I looked that up, but Buddys settings are for a five knob. This has six. Low, Mid, Shift, High and Presence.

Like I said, I can get It close but not the sound I'm wanting.

So If some of you guys that have used one of these for years would share your settings, I would say, oh joy rapture thrill spasm quiver quake...and thank you.

Bob Carlson.

Fred Murphy · Post by **Fred Murphy** » 8 Nov 2001 6:32 pm

Put the Lemay Mod kit in it and you will find the sound you want.

Bobby Bowman · Post by **Bobby Bowman** » 8 Nov 2001 7:46 pm

Bob,
May I suggest that you play through the amp as much as you can (hard and loud at times) for at least a couple of weeks. In my opinion, an amp, especially a Black Widow Peavey, (not a slam either) goes through a "break-in" period before it becomes really good, sweet and rich sounding. This may apply more to the new 1000's, but I'm pretty sure some of it applies to the 400 series too.
BB

------------------
If you play 'em, play 'em good!
If you build 'em, build 'em good!

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 8 Nov 2001 8:54 pm

If it is in deed one of the last Nashville 400 amps made it already has the "Peavey" mod built in. It does't need the LeMay mod on the late model version. Check with Mike Brown if you don't beleive me. All of the latter Nashville 400's come from the factory with the Peavey version mod.

Dave[This message was edited by Dave Robbins on 08 November 2001 at 08:56 PM.]

KENNY KRUPNICK · Post by **KENNY KRUPNICK** » 8 Nov 2001 10:44 pm

Does Bobbe have anymore Nashville 400's? New that is.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 9 Nov 2001 1:11 am

Bass 3 o'clock
Mid 9 o'clock
Shift 2 o'clock
Treble 1 o'clock
Presence 1 o'clock
Now give or take a little on just about all of it; cause depending on what guitar you have and what pickups are in it and what volume pedal your using and what chords your using and what bar your using and what picks your using and what effects your using......that should get you in the ball park.
Ricky

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 9 Nov 2001 3:45 am

My settings are just about what Ricky posted. Except the High and Presence are just slightly on the plus side and I run the Paramid Freq at 800Hz and Shift just slightly on the minus side.

This is with my Franklin and Lawrence 710 pickups.

Steven Knapper · Post by **Steven Knapper** » 9 Nov 2001 6:57 am

OR, you can try a Goodrich 7A Super Sustain. That little gizmo got me the sound I was looking for. I have 2 - 400's, one with the factory mod and one that is like 12 YO. I like the old one without the Mod, but I would like to try the LeMay kit, it IS different from the Peavey factory mod, or so I'm told.
Jack, is that correct??

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 9 Nov 2001 7:14 am

Hey Bob
Ricky's is pretty close. again all guitars will vary. The mids should be about -9 to nearly off (-12 -15). You don't need a Lemay mod. The shift is the most drastic when it comes to sensitivity. Try starting at straight up, or 400K. Try tweeking slightly each way and listen to the huge swing in tone. If you are cutting, the tone will get thinner, and will get fatter the opposite. I think you'll be able to dial it in, depending on your pickups. On mine, I have 705 pickups. They are very bright. I have to leave my presence nearly off, and just use the highs. I never use the pull out bright on the volume.
Good luck.

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 9 Nov 2001 7:19 am

I have two Nash'400's too. And I prefer the one without the mod. Both also have 1501's. Both my Vegas 400 (w/1502) or my older Nash'400 will "eat" the later Nash'400 with the mod, especially if I use them in pairs. I guess the older "pre-mod" sound is the sound I prefer. Whenever I have used the two Nashvilles together the "pre-mod" Nash'400 always seems to sound better, and the one with the mod gets lost. Your mileage may very.

Dave

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 9 Nov 2001 7:26 am

Bob Carlson,listen to Dave Robbins, he's a pro with a great sense of tone quality and he says what he means, and it's always "right on". I ecco what he said,There's the help you were looking for.
Don't ignore it.
Bobbe

P.S.,leave the amp alone and play it,these were the best sounding Nash 400s ever made,You stand a good chance of ruining it if you "mod" it. [This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 09 November 2001 at 07:29 AM.]

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 10 Nov 2001 8:59 am

Two years ago I bought a used Nash 400 and asked the same question at http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum1/HTML/006619.html

There's some good replies there.

I still love the amp, no problems, except it seems to be getting heavier.

-j0ey-

Jack Francis · Post by **Jack Francis** » 10 Nov 2001 9:35 am

I've been playing through my Nashville 400 for 16 or so years and love the sound,,,,
Try low +12
mid -3
shift 800
high +3
Prescence +3
Good place to start,,I play a Rustler S-10
(Don't know about the pick-up)
Jack[This message was edited by Jack Francis on 15 November 2001 at 01:26 PM.]

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 10 Nov 2001 9:40 am

I have a 1996 Nashville 400 with the Factory Mod (one of the last ones built before the mod was incorporated into the production units). I tried a 1995 model without the mod and could not find a sound that I liked, it was too harsh. At the time, I took my Franklin in to Scotty's and tried it with the Nashville 400 he had in stock, which was the last one that was left over from the 1995 convention. I tried many EQ combinations and just couldn't find anything that suited me. I wound up ordering a new Nashville with the mod installed by Peavey before it was shipped to the dealer.

My (factory modded) Nashville 400 has almost the same sound as the small cabinet Session 500 I used to use, which I think is the best Steel amp Peavey made.

I recently got to play through one of the older Nashville 400's with the 1502 speaker. I would not consider modding one of those amps as they are great the way they are.

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 13 Nov 2001 4:40 pm

Bobby Bowman,
Been thinking about your reply to my post. You suggested I use the amp as much as I could (hard and loud at times) for a couple of weeks.

You felt an amp, especially a Black Widow Peavey, needs a break in period before it becomes really good, sweet and rich sounding.

Well it appears you're right. Settings that were close to what I was looking for, are starting to sound closer to just right.

I couldn't help but wonder why. Then I noticed the Black Widow Peavey, and began to think what happens to a speaker when played hard and loud. They get streched out (broken in) and the cone starts to flex more. If it gets much better than it is righ now, and I expect it will, I might not be able to stand it.

Bobby Bowman, you pretty smart man, and I thank you for sharing that with me.

Dave Robbins,
I want to thank you for telling me to not put a mod kit on it, because I'm sure I would have had to do that later on.

And everyone else for their input, opinions and sharing their settings with me. Joey Ace, thank you for steering me to the post you made back in 99. It had some good settings.

This is the first time I've asked for advice, and it sure shortened what would have been a long procedure. Thanks everyone.

Bob Carlson.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 14 Nov 2001 5:43 am

I have had the same experience with an amp with an Altec 15" that I've never played much because I didn't like the tone. It was recently borrowed one night by a bass player...and it sounds much better. (I may ask him to use it again)

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 14 Nov 2001 8:36 am

Gene, you think the bass broke that speaker in by the streching it out, is that what you mean? It makes sence to me.

BC

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 15 Nov 2001 5:02 am

Yes Bob...it seemed to make the highs less bright, and increase the lows somewhat. But I wouldn't recommend it as a "fix"...the amp was loaned without my knowledge and I expected it to be damaged by the bass when it was returned..... I was lucky!

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 16 Nov 2001 3:12 am

To All:

Even if you don't wish to do the complete tone mod ("Peavey" or "LeMay") to your "Nashville 400", may I suggest that you change out C-41 to a 22mfd cap. This is the cap that connects the front-end section to the power-amp section after all EQ and effects are done. The original cap was a 2.2mfd, which somewhat limited the signal (freq responce)to the final stage of the amp. The results is a far better low and high freq responce than one could believe. I would NOT suggest a cap more than 22mfd as that would only over drive the power-amp front-end and result in un-wanted distortion.

The "400" is the work-horse of the Steel amps. Due to its simplicity, and conponnet layout, this amp is the best amp for field mods and electronic guru experimenting.

I do not wish to take anything away from the "Nashville 1000" or later amps, but only to say that "400" as it was and still is, and will be the benchmark to judge amps for the Steelplayers.

We all should appericate Mike Brown and the "Peavey" Co for their dedication to the Steel community's needs and desires in audio equipment.

[This message was edited by Bill Crook on 16 November 2001 at 03:20 AM.]

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 16 Nov 2001 3:47 am

Bill, I tried that cap awhile back. That is the only difference between the Lemay and Peavey factory mod for the Nashville 400. Peavey does not change the cap value and Lemay does.

With the cap value changed, I got more lows but it was "boomy". I took it back out.

I've also compared my Nashville 400 with Blake Hawkins' that has that cap changed and I didn't like it.

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 16 Nov 2001 11:51 am

Hey guys (gals?),
if someone doesn't like the sound of the "pre-mod" Nash'400, then they should try the later Nash'400 with the "factory mod", or vise versa, but I'm not for "modifying" any amp. If you don't like the sound of your amp, get something you do like to begin with.
Maybe you should have checked out the sound of the amp before you bought it! There are plenty of good amps available, such as the new Peavey 1000, other older Peavey models, Webb, Evans, etc. Some people are even happy with going back to the "Twinn!" I realize that "no one amp" is going to please everyone, especially with the variance in pickups, brands of guitars, and personal preferences and techniques (some better than others).
Buy something you like in the first place instead of "fiddle-fartin'" around trying to make an amp sound like something other than what it was "intended" to sound like.
I'm sure there are those who are perfectly capable of working/modifying on their own amps, but as for the rest, it's simply a good excuse to "screw-up" a good amp that to someone else would be absolutely fine.
Like I said, If you don't like the sound of your amp,sell it,trade it, or go buy something you do like!!!! Geeez!!! Afterall, that's the reason why Mike Brown and the folks at Peavey work so hard to try to please us finicky, opinionated, steel pickers.
Just my opinion of course (based on my 44 years of experience),....your mileage may vary.

Dave

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 16 Nov 2001 2:11 pm

Dave, my take on the Nashville 400 mod, either the Lemay or Peavey is it was needed.

When they first designed and "voiced" the amp, it was for the 1502 speaker (that was also used in the Session 500). That speaker is now sold as a Bass speaker and it's response curve was better at the low end and not quite as bright at the high end.

When they switched to the 1501 speaker, it does not have the low freq (bass) response of the original speaker and is brighter. In order to bring the amp back in line with it's "voicing", a modification, "engineering change", "production change" or whatever you want to name it was called for.

I like me amps "vanilla" too (no mods) but in this particular case it was something that was needed.

If I had other amps, such as a Session 500 (which I used to have) I would not screw with them.

Bob Carlson · Post by **Bob Carlson** » 16 Nov 2001 8:06 pm

Thanks for the in put guys. All something to keep in mind for the future, but right now I like it 99% the way in came from the factory.

BC