5150 discussion

I'm bored right now so I figured that I have a little talk about the 5150. Back when EVH and peavey made the amp did they even think that this amp would be as iconic as it is today for metal? Thinking about it EVH's tone is not exactly metal but it's still to this day that it's a very much used amp for a lot of metal bands

I love the original 5150. Iconic amp for sure.
I feel like they tried to copy an SLO, didn't get it exactly right, but got lucky that it sounded so good anyway.
And for what they sell for used, it's probably THE best value in a used amp out there. Killer sounding amp for the $$
Actually, killer sounding amp period
The only thing that ever bugged me about these amps is the non-adjustable, super cold bias they had stock. Change that 15k resistor to a 10k or put in a pot and it opens up a whole new world of tone. If you've never played one of these biased at 65-70%, you don't know what you're missing.

I had one of the Peavey 5150 2x12 combos. I loved the look and sound of that amp, it wasn't a match for me though, by the time I got one I was primarily just playing at home and it didn't sound great to me till it got to band practice or gig volume. I think it's pretty cool that they have lower wattage options now but I haven't tried them yet.

fusedbrain":asmf2ebs said:

I love the original 5150. Iconic amp for sure.
I feel like they tried to copy an SLO, didn't get it exactly right, but got lucky that it sounded so good anyway.
And for what they sell for used, it's probably THE best value in a used amp out there. Killer sounding amp for the $$
Actually, killer sounding amp period
The only thing that ever bugged me about these amps is the non-adjustable, super cold bias they had stock. Change that 15k resistor to a 10k or put in a pot and it opens up a whole new world of tone. If you've never played one of these biased at 65-70%, you don't know what you're missing.

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----+~{ *TRUTH* }~+----

It's not that surprising when you think about it. Bar none thee heaviest sounds in guitar history are from EVH and Hendrix. As Ed says "till it sounded like they were dying then back it off". It still sounds like that. ADKOT is a very heavy guitar tone, very heavy. Some of its' tone is questionable but in terms of heaviness it isn't. He walked away from certain aspects of tone but he never walked away from heavy. No surprise at all that any amp he endorses or makes isn't the heaviest.

Valtyr":1ifvf9gi said:

I had one of the Peavey 5150 2x12 combos. I loved the look and sound of that amp, it wasn't a match for me though, by the time I got one I was primarily just playing at home and it didn't sound great to me till it got to band practice or gig volume. I think it's pretty cool that they have lower wattage options now but I haven't tried them yet.

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Do looks really matter though?

TheWhiteShadow":1xm1a4jz said:

Valtyr":1xm1a4jz said:

I had one of the Peavey 5150 2x12 combos. I loved the look and sound of that amp, it wasn't a match for me though, by the time I got one I was primarily just playing at home and it didn't sound great to me till it got to band practice or gig volume. I think it's pretty cool that they have lower wattage options now but I haven't tried them yet.

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Do looks really matter though?

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I consider it a bonus when the product happens to look great too.

Valtyr":3htqj95j said:

TheWhiteShadow":3htqj95j said:

Valtyr":3htqj95j said:

I had one of the Peavey 5150 2x12 combos. I loved the look and sound of that amp, it wasn't a match for me though, by the time I got one I was primarily just playing at home and it didn't sound great to me till it got to band practice or gig volume. I think it's pretty cool that they have lower wattage options now but I haven't tried them yet.

Click to expand...

Do looks really matter though?

Click to expand...

I consider it a bonus when the product happens to look great too.

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Looks is half the sound!
Love the Peavey 5150! Awesome sound and feel.

IMO Peavey should bring back the design and the block peavey logo for the 6505, make it as close looking to the original peavey 5150 as possible.
Making it more attractive imo.
My main amp is a Peavey 5150 half stack.

I said this in another thread recently, but it sums up my thoughts on the 5150 perfectly. There's no excuse for ever doing worse than a 5150 (or one of its variations). They're so accessible, affordable, and good at what they do, that there's no reason to have a bad metal tone. It's not my favorite amp, but it'll do the job more often than not.

The original concept with the 5150 was to capture the SLO smoothness that EVH was using at the time, but also have the immediacy of his old Marshalls. I think they did very well. I had one of the first versions, and loved it. Shoulda kept it.

xzacx":2id0a0uw said:

I said this in another thread recently, but it sums up my thoughts on the 5150 perfectly. There's no excuse for ever doing worse than a 5150 (or one of its variations). They're so accessible, affordable, and good at what they do, that there's no reason to have a bad metal tone. It's not my favorite amp, but it'll do the job more often than not.

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This ! I bought a 5150 and questioned boutique amps. It ultimately was not for me but it is a great sounding amp. For $600 used there is no reason to not buy this amp if you are on a budget and need great tone.

I had the combo. Other than having a chiropractor on call, it was incredible. I think it did bridge the Marshall/SLO gap pretty well. It, like the SLO, just had FAR too much gain on tap for me.

That being said, I love the SLO and own one - and I really can't decide whether I like it or my BE100 better.

Had one as my main amp for a few in the mid 90's. It replaced a Silver Jubilee. For the band I was in it was killer. Plug straight in, no pedals needed. I ended up getting bit by the VHT Ultra Lead bug and went that route but in hindsight the 5150 was a better sound for me. Plus used, it was so damn cheap back then. I've played a few over the recent years thinking it would be fun to have one again but I found I've grown out of what they do.

Not sure if it's all they used but the tone on Heartwork by Carcass is some of the most stellar 5150 metal tone I've heard. Wasn't At The Gates' Slaughter of the Soul 5150 too?

On a side note..Check out At War with Reality by ATG. They didn't lose a step at all. Killer.

edit..just watched a making of for Slaughter and they said it was a Peavey Supreme 160 with a Metal Zone! How's hat for tone snobbery!!