I don’t get many Peavey Session 500s through the workshop, so this was an interesting one. This particular amp belongs to UK pedal steel session player Chuck Walton, and it arrived with problems in both the PA section and the speaker.
The decision was made to turn the amp from a combo into a head-only amplifier. A new clean DC PSU was fitted into the preamp as part of the work.
With the combo cabinet no longer required, a new head cabinet was made in-house here at Keld Ampworks. Chuck has a rather distinctive signature royal blue pedal steel, so there was really only one colour choice for tolex finish on the new cabinet! We also swap the front panel LEDs for blue and added an illuminated blue power switch on the front panel in place of the unwanted pedal jacks.
There was also a request for a useful modification for recording work. A dry signal output was added, allowing the recording engineer to take a reverb-free signal directly from the amplifier. The important thing here is that the dry output doesn’t interfere with the normal output of the amp, so Chuck can continue to use the Session 500 with the DI in the usual way while also providing a clean signal for recording.
A few weeks later Chuck brought the amp back in for a little further fettling of the reverb. Rather than simply accepting the original response, we adjusted it to suit his preference by reducing the reverb drive and increasing the recovery gain. This gave Chuck the sweeter, more controlled reverb response he was looking for.
As with all these sorts of modifications, everything was documented on the chassis so that the changes are clearly recorded for anyone working on the amplifier in the future.
Lastly, we 3D printed some custom feet holders to screw into the Fender Tonemaster that Chuck uses as a power amp. These ensure that the peavey doesn’t get dislodged during gigs.
The result is a much more practical Session 500 for Chuck: a dedicated head, new power supply, custom royal blue cabinet, recording-friendly dry output and a reverb tailored to his taste.
You can find more about Chuck and his session work here: https://www.chuckwaltonsteel.com and @chuckwaltonsteel https://www.instagram.com/chuck.walton.steel/?hl=en
If you’re in need of a Peavey amp repair, please contact me.