What about the Austin 400?

[Jacob Yergert]

Well, I’m still very much a beginner on the steel, but I’m looking at starting to incorporate the steel into gigs. I play acoustic as well so I looked for something that would be a nice middle for each one. We also used converted telephones as lo-fi mics, so I was hoping for a second input on the amp. My old Acoustasonic isn’t loud enough and my acoustic hits the tweed’s front too hard to sound good.

Lo and behold, I find a 200 watt Peavey Austin 400 at a MusicGoRound by my house for just $100. I see Sessions and Nashville’s all over the forum, but does the Austin have any reputation?

It’s technically a hybrid acoustic/electric amp. It sounds excellent and the EQ is impressively shaping— the knobs do A LOT. I use the electric input for the lo-fi mic and the low-gain input for steel and acoustic.

The more experience I get with Peaveys the more I’m baffled by their reputation. Had a Musician 200 for my bass, and it sounded crushingly heavy. This amp is killer and was dirt cheap. The Peavey Cvlt is real.

[Doug Earnest]

All of those amps from the City Series are very good amps. For the way you are using that amp it should do the job! As long as you can live with the sound of your steel from the horn it's all good.

The Reno, Vegas, and LA were in that group and I think the Nashville 400 was certainly a cousin as was the Jazz Classic. In a pinch you can plug into any of them and get by.

The Solo Series of about that same era are very useful too. Bandit 65 (and then 75) and Special 130 were two of the more popular ones. These are the early ones with the aluminum strips along the side of the grill cloth. Later models are a different animal.

If you want a real workhorse general purpose do any thing at any time amp to have on hand look for a Rhythm Master 400. Four channels in a wide 15" Black Widow speaker cabinet with the 210 watt power amp.

None of them have tubes or snob appeal but they sound pretty darn good.

[Jacob Yergert]

Thanks for the info, Doug! The only thing I've notice with the horn is that the UA Golden I've been using for Reverb sounds a little glassier on the top end for some more modulation.

If you want a real workhorse general purpose do any thing at any time amp to have on hand look for a Rhythm Master 400. Four channels in a wide 15" Black Widow speaker cabinet with the 210 watt power amp.

I love 15"s to death, so I'll keep an eye out!

[Jerry Overstreet]

https://assets.peavey.com/literature/ma ... 370411.pdf
JIC you haven't seen it or may be interested, here's the Peavey Owner's Manual for the Austin 400.

[Richard Sinkler]

I played a week long gig (5 nights) filling in as a guest (they didn't have a steel player), and they had one of these onstage. I was not able to get a good sound, I think because of the horn. For the last 3 nights, I used my Nashville 400. I would never buy one for PSG, but it may work for some players.

[Jerry Overstreet]

...probably owing to the 2 Scorpion 12's....not very desirable for steel guitar...

I would think for steel guitar, you wouldn't want the horn either, but for the app. of acoustic and electric std. guitar probably a quite adequate unit.