Poll - Best Version Of The 5150 Series Amps?

  • Thread starter Thread starter angelspade
  • Start date Start date

What Is The Overall Best Version Of The 5150 Series Amps?

  • Peavey EVH Block Letter

    Votes: 17 22.7%

  • Peavey 5150 / 6506

    Votes: 8 10.7%

  • Peavey 5150 II / 6505 +

    Votes: 14 18.7%

  • EVH 5150 III

    Votes: 2 2.7%

  • EVH 5150 III Stealth 6L6

    Votes: 15 20.0%

  • EVH 5150 III Stealth EL34

    Votes: 5 6.7%

  • EVH 5150 III 50W 6L6

    Votes: 5 6.7%

  • EVH 5150 III 50W EL34

    Votes: 2 2.7%

  • EVH Iconic 6L6

    Votes: 3 4.0%

  • EVH Iconic EL34

    Votes: 4 5.3%
  • Total voters
    75
RaceU4her said:
the 6505+ is the only amp i have that ive never bonded with in any way, it just does not respond to my playing at all, just feels slow and dumpy. my 5153 EL34 50w i did the c137 mod to i really dig though. ive actually never played a regular 5150 as crazy as that seems, i kind of avoided them just cause there were so many in the metal and hardcore scene back in the day that i just had to have something different.
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I modded mine and now it is amazing.

Added switchable option for the 5150 values (with an additional option each,) variable negative feedback and enough bias range to fit most all tubes.

Thing rips.
 
Bram576 said:
Owned tons of 5150s… block letter was my favorite, then the II. Peaveys always seemed to break for me unfortunately…. So, moved onto the IIIs and have a stealth 100 now. They’re killer amps. Not the most reliable. I do want to try the 1992 iteration.

I know guys like a lot of boutique stuff around here, myself included, and a lot of those amps are unique sounding but 5150s sound good. There’s a reason they’ve been used on so many damn albums.
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Same here. I love 5150s but they always seem to break for me.
 
Erock said:
if you didn't like the +, I don't think you would like the original either. It had more of that sag, and a fatter bottom IMO. YMMV.
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I gotta disagree here. I owned both at the same time and never bonded with the +. To me, there was something missing in fact my OG 5150 pretty much dethroned everything I would buy back at that time and for whatever reason, I just couldn't get on with the +. Even had a modded one and it was worse lol.

Been a minute since I owned both but the OG, just had more depth, easier for me to play and a wallop the + didn't have. And the kicker for some is I didn't use a boost with the OG, or any amp for that matter. The OG just had a bigger feel and "to me" more gain. The + always seemed a bit smoothed out and tamer. As I have said since Peavey released the reissue, if they had fixed the master volume I'd own one again. And really the whole reason I'm looking into the Synergy stuff is for the 6505 preamp.

I own the EVH Stealth and when I first fire it up, it brings me right back but after a bit of playing there is something there that lacks sweetness the OG had, as @TheGreatGreen said above, maybe it's the tone stack but there is something there from a lead playing perspective that I find missing, I can feel it in my finger tips for lack of a better explanation.

As always though to each their own.
 
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Rex Rocker said:
I'm surprised more people prefer the II over the I and the III.
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Of the Peavey versions, I actually preferred the 5150 II over the original. Because of the slight shift in voicing from low-mid centered to upper...It presented as slightly tighter (especially in lower tunings), slightly brighter and cut-through in the mix of my two guitar band noticeably better. That was just my experience.
 
Greazygeo said:
OG 5150. Mine was first run with the usa tubes.
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Same. My backup was the Signature. I had stupidly packed the head on top of my gear in my Jeep one time, came to a sudden stop and that thing went flying, basically broke the back of the front passenger seat. Not a dent in the amp and fired right up. Have to agree with @angelspade, never an issue with them from tons of gigs, rehearsals, recordings and travel.
 
I haven't tried them all but I find it hard to go past a 90's 5150 II for rock and metal. Not the most exciting option but it just works, and I prefer having control over any HPF action on the front end.

I think many of the more modern amps that were nominated in the "most disappointing amp" thread have some pretty aggressive low cutting early in preamp which doesn't universally work.
 
The red Chanel on stealth 100 is amazing with a gate and and even a boost . It’s super cool .
 
ZEN Amps said:
I haven't tried them all but I find it hard to go past a 90's 5150 II for rock and metal. Not the most exciting option but it just works, and I prefer having control over any HPF action on the front end.

I think many of the more modern amps that were nominated in the "most disappointing amp" thread have some pretty aggressive low cutting early in preamp which doesn't universally work.
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Absolutely. I still haven’t figured out why more amps with a hardwired HPF don’t at least put them on a pot so you can blend them in or out as you see fit. There are just too many variables in guitars and pickups to be able to successfully just pick one low cut value and lock it in for everybody.
 
TheGreatGreen said:
Absolutely. I still haven’t figured out why more amps with a hardwired HPF don’t at least put them on a pot so you can blend them in or out as you see fit. There are just too many variables in guitars and pickups to be able to successfully just pick one low cut value and lock it in for everybody.
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If you're talking about an actual HPF, It's just a whole lot easier to have fixed network than a variable one.

But many of these amps don't have a filter per se, instead they implement unusually small coupling caps around the 1st and 2nd gain stages. This is an easy way to effectively raises the frequency of the LF rolloff, but of course isn't at all adjustable.

If only some amp-nerds down under would hurry up and release an amp with an onboard boost that let's the user tweak the HPF frequency and level...
 
Greazygeo said:
OG 5150. Mine was first run with the usa tubes.
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I have a real nice one in mint shape too, the first Block Logo run with USA Tubes. The bias is at 12 / 17 / 10 / 14 mA though.😑
Seriously!
I finally found one of my USA NOS quartets that bias at 28 mA. The amplifier really does sound better when it’s biased closer to properly.
Everybody always said that it didn’t change the tone much, but I disagree.

I guess if I was going to play the amp a lot, I would get the bias mod done at some point.
 
SQUAREHEAD said:
I have a real nice one in mint shape too, the first Block Logo run with USA Tubes. The bias is at 12 / 17 / 10 / 14 mA though.😑
Seriously!
I finally found one of my USA NOS quartets that bias at 28 mA. The amplifier really does sound better when it’s biased closer to properly.
Everybody always said that it didn’t change the tone much, but I disagree.

I guess if I was going to play the amp a lot, I would get the bias mod done at some point.
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I actually like them biased colder. Raised the bias on my Triple Recto and it doesn’t sound as good. Still need to lower it back down one of these days.
Wish I still had that 5150. Friend got one after he heard mine. His never sounded as good. He was pretty disappointed in it.
 
angelspade said:
What is the overall best version of this series amplifiers and Why?

Or do you just pass on them all together and Why?
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The first two choices are the same amp. Only difference is the block letter originally shipped with American made power tubes, Sylvanias. I chose the second choice because a sig version is what I had in the mid 90’s and it was awesome.
 
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