The 5150 is a one trick pony?

[Variable]

I dunno man the cleans on the 5150 might be the worst I have ever heard. Power amp crossover distortion doesn't do clean well as the waveform is still distorting even on the clean channel at the crossover points.

I don't think that anyone ever said that it could really pull off cleans...
Just that it can do all different kinds of dirty.

And really...who gives that much of a shit about cleans, anyway.
This is Rig Talk, not Jazz Anonymous.

Bias mod will be the best $$ money spent on a 5150.

Agreed. It's a damn effective way to spend $15 on parts and 1/2 hour of soldering.
REALLY opens the amp up, even at apartment volumes.

I care about cleans, and I'm sure a lot of prog-metal bands do, too. Opeth comes to mind, as does Dream Theater.

 

[jasonP]

It just seems like this is the view of a lot of people and i want to know where they are gettin it from. The 5150 i had did a lot of tones and did them well.

I think the 5150 is a great amp for metal, but you're kidding yourself if you want to say that a stock 5150 is a versatile amp. Just because you can get different colors of GGRRRRRRRRRRRRR out of an amp doesn't make it versatile.

I've owned tube amps that could play a country gig, metal gig, 80s gig and even jazz gig without breaking a sweat. The 5150 won't do that - everything has that edge to it.

I'm not dissing the amp, but they are pretty much metal machines stock. Now, if you want to bias mod it the amp gets better, but loses the crossover distortion and becomes a better clean but a more generic metal amp. Hey, if I could grab one cheap right now, I would... and I'd play hard rock and metal with it.
Pete

I agree totally with you. Personally found the clean, if you even want to call it that, on both the II and I to be not that good.
Sounds great doing it's one thing it was ment to do.

 

[mrp5150]

Well, considering rock and metal are totally different styles of tones, then no, it's not.

 

[yngzaklynch]

A one trick pony? No way! The 5150 can do metal, black metal, death metal, 80's metal, speed metal, and if you really know how to dial it in the 5150 is pretty good at thrash.

 

[mrp5150]

A one trick pony? No way! The 5150 can do metal, black metal, death metal, 80's metal, speed metal, and if you really know how to dial it in the 5150 is pretty good at thrash.

I'm not sure if you're joking or being serious, but all of those genres typically require a totally different tone.

 

[~Abstract~]

A one trick pony? No way! The 5150 can do metal, black metal, death metal, 80's metal, speed metal, and if you really know how to dial it in the 5150 is pretty good at thrash.

I'm not sure if you're joking or being serious, but all of those genres typically require a totally different tone.

I just alter my picking technique...

 

[Mailman1971]

A one trick pony? No way! The 5150 can do metal, black metal, death metal, 80's metal, speed metal, and if you really know how to dial it in the 5150 is pretty good at thrash.

Wonder about Prog Metal or Nu Metal?

 

[glpg80]

A one trick pony? No way! The 5150 can do metal, black metal, death metal, 80's metal, speed metal, and if you really know how to dial it in the 5150 is pretty good at thrash.

I'm not sure if you're joking or being serious, but all of those genres typically require a totally different tone.

my sarcasm meter is peaking off of the charts.

5150's stock have terrible tone. put some time and money into them - and you can make them very versatile for any genre you need - blues, classic rock, metal, van halen - definately not a one trick pony afterwards. this especially goes for the 5150 II.

how do i know? because i do all of the above with mine without any problems at all. and HAVE done all of the above with the many 5150s i have owned.

 

[saxxamafone]

5150 love

 

[yngzaklynch]

I was joking. Honestly I like the 5150 series. Didn't really like the 5153 though.

 

[Holy-diver]

I was joking. Honestly I like the 5150 series. Didn't really like the 5153 though.

Really though I can see it doing all of those genres.

 

[glassjaw7]

5150 love

F**k yeah! Karnivool is one of the only modern rock bands that I respect. They are making some excellent music and being creative. One of the most unique and inspiring bands around. I like their guitar tones too.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I had the guy at GC rig up a comparison for me today. Marshall JVM 205 vs Peavey 6505+ through same cab using my own guitar. 50w Marshall vs 120w Peavey. Guess who won... place your bets boys... winner gets cake

 

[Holy-diver]

The jvm is a weak shell of a marshall. Marshall had far better clean.

 

[metalone]

I always hear people say that doing the bias mod makes the amp sound worse on the lead channel, but I did mine and played around with differant preamp tubes[old RCAs] and I love the sound
Much clearer now, even though I want some other amps I will always keep it.... just because it sounds good and is easy to play

 

[Holy-diver]

The bias mod makes everything sound better. it takes all the downsides of the amp and really just gets rid of them.

 

[blackba]

I had the guy at GC rig up a comparison for me today. Marshall JVM 205 vs Peavey 6505+ through same cab using my own guitar. 50w Marshall vs 120w Peavey. Guess who won... place your bets boys... winner gets cake

I am guessing the 6505+. I would vote JVM if you had used the JVM410.

I kind of look at a 5150II like my Marshall 2553 silver jubilee, not a very versatile amp, but really cool in what it does. I don't plug into my 2553 and expect Fender BF cleans, but I can get acceptable clean tones out of it. And another point, who cares if people don't think 5150's are versatile, they may be versatile enough for what you need. I know my 2553 worked fine in my last cover band.

 

[Holy-diver]

I actually just made this thread for discussions sake. What I want to know is if the 5150 is not versatile at all (in a lot of peoples opinions) then what would you consider a versatile amp?

 

[rbasaria]

All the internet hype had me believing this before I actually got one. I can get useable cleans out of mine, but the metal and rock tones are ALL in there. You may not be able to have them all at the same time, but they are still there. If you know how to dial an amp, the 5150 is definitely NOT a 1 trick pony...

 

[stratotone]

I actually just made this thread for discussions sake. What I want to know is if the 5150 is not versatile at all (in a lot of peoples opinions) then what would you consider a versatile amp?

I'd consider a Bogner Ecstasy a versatile amp.

Pete