Jet City 100w/100HDM vs 5150 II.

Tawlks

New member
So, I've been seriously thinking about selling my 5150 II, since I don't really play much metal anymore and would like a more versetile amp that can cover jazz, and prog rock, which is what I play mostly.

The 5150 II is a great amp, love it, but I think I could have an amp that suited my playing better.

How does the Jet City compare to the 5150 II? I want an amp with really nice cleans for jazz/prog with lots of articulation, and a lead channel that has a nice silky feel with the neck pickup but can get beefy and 'raunchy' for riffs and that has a good amount of gain on tap.

I run my 5150 II's gain on 4/4.5 on the lead channel. Bass 4, mids, 7, treble 5/5.5, res 6, pres 4. These are bedroom settings.

I know both amps are based off Soldano desings, but does that mean they're similar at all, I've heard clips and I like what I hear. Feature wise the 5150 II is far better for me with a footswitchable effects loop, footswitchable crunch, individual EQ for each channel, resonance and so on.

What do you guys think? I don't think I use enough gain on the Peavey to justify having it really. I'm using a Marshall 212 with t75s, should be getting a V30 cab in the not too distant future or some Eminance speakers.
 
I haven't tried the DM model, but paired with the right cab, my JC100H has enough low end with the bass on 4. I don't care much about lots of low end in guitar tones. I don't like boomy, muddy guitar sounds. Let the bass player cover that. It's not what gets you heard anyway.

I would not throw this amp into the same ring as the 5150. I think they're different amps. I think of the 5150 as one of the "go-to" amps in the metal world with gain that borders on over-the-top. I see the Soldano as more of an 80's & 90's style rock amp. The gain is usable top to bottom. Very crunchy, and not the same kind of sizzle as the Peavey.
 
5150s are great amps, but the lead channel is a lot grittier than the JCA100H. The JCA100H has the smoothness of a Soldano (and rightly so). The Crunch channel on the 5150s don't really clean up as well as on the JCAs either. I'd go with the JCA100HDM.

On a side note, my buddy got his JCA100H modded (to have the depth mod at first), and it's been tweaked to Soldano specs. It's a god dammed Hot Rod 100 now. It has the Soldano feel to it, and it sounds great. For the price, it has my vote.
 
Chris O":1thq3lhx said:
I haven't tried the DM model, but paired with the right cab, my JC100H has enough low end with the bass on 4. I don't care much about lots of low end in guitar tones. I don't like boomy, muddy guitar sounds. Let the bass player cover that. It's not what gets you heard anyway.

I would not throw this amp into the same ring as the 5150. I think they're different amps. I think of the 5150 as one of the "go-to" amps in the metal world with gain that borders on over-the-top. I see the Soldano as more of an 80's & 90's style rock amp. The gain is usable top to bottom. Very crunchy, and not the same kind of sizzle as the Peavey.

What cab are you matching with the JC100H? Considering how cheap the Jet City cabs are, I may sell my Marshall 212 and get a JC cab with Eminence speakers. Not sure about 212 or 412. I'd rather have 2 212s for mobility, and the fact I drive a VW Polo, quite a small car.

I'd like to use it for tight, percussive low end style modern metal but I don't use a lot of bass in my sound as it is, but I'd like to have it there. As for 80s and 90s tone, I'm not sure that's really what I'm looking for, does it have a modern, saturated high gain sound or is it more 'vintage'? Can it deliver the jazz cleans?

I noticed it has a choke, I'm not really sure what a choke does but it seems to be a feature that's included in a lot of mods.
 
I find the Jet City stuff a LOT more versatile than a 5150II. The overdrive channel has plenty of dirt for anything I can think of and the normal channel is fantastic as well. With the gain higher on the normal channel , its gets awfully close to pushed JTM45 type of sound. Very Angus-y. I think you will be happier with a JCA personally.
 
Norton666":1u9o8dlj said:
I find the Jet City stuff a LOT more versatile than a 5150II. The overdrive channel has plenty of dirt for anything I can think of and the normal channel is fantastic as well. With the gain higher on the normal channel , its gets awfully close to pushed JTM45 type of sound. Very Angus-y. I think you will be happier with a JCA personally.

Awesome man! How does this thing take pedals? I'm a bit annoyed that I can't use the footswitchable effects loop like I can on the Peavey, to save extra cables I'd like to be able to sit a delay pedal with some patch cables in the loop and sit the box ontop of the headshell, triggering it with the footswitch. I'll get over that. Apparently the effects loop is very good on this amp.

Any thoughts about the standard vs HDM?
 
BeZo":2wbo1ax9 said:
5150s are great amps, but the lead channel is a lot grittier than the JCA100H. The JCA100H has the smoothness of a Soldano (and rightly so). The Crunch channel on the 5150s don't really clean up as well as on the JCAs either. I'd go with the JCA100HDM.

On a side note, my buddy got his JCA100H modded (to have the depth mod at first), and it's been tweaked to Soldano specs. It's a god dammed Hot Rod 100 now. It has the Soldano feel to it, and it sounds great. For the price, it has my vote.

Yeah, the price almost seems too good to be true really. How close is it to Soldano specs? Also, you said it cleans up well, can it do jazz cleans? I've noticed that a lot of people are talking about the crunch with these amps, I'm guessing it does that well?
 
The JC I played was not nearly as metal as the 5150 so it might be right up your alley. :thumbsup:

P.S. Don't breath the poison. Or lick the transformers.
 
madrigal77":29qghu6c said:
What's your budget? I would recommend a 5153. It does everything the JCA and 5150II do, only better.

Well, whatever I can sell my 5150 II for, so.. about £650.
 
Gsxrbusa":19c0wjil said:
The JC I played was not nearly as metal as the 5150 so it might be right up your alley. :thumbsup:

P.S. Don't breath the poison. Or lick the transformers.

hahaha Thanks for the heads up. :LOL: :LOL: Can it pull off the br00tz though? :rock:
 
Ill sell you my JCA100HDM at a discount from the new cost if u like. Its just sitting in my living room. Used only a few times. PM me if interested.
 
PaulyPanacea":17olol3v said:
Ill sell you my JCA100HDM at a discount from the new cost if u like. Its just sitting in my living room. Used only a few times. PM me if interested.

I'd love to man, really would but I'm located in the UK and it would cost a fortune getting it over here, if I'm not mistaken.
 
Tawlks":2jnfdnkt said:
What cab are you matching with the JC100H? Considering how cheap the Jet City cabs are, I may sell my Marshall 212 and get a JC cab with Eminence speakers. Not sure about 212 or 412. I'd rather have 2 212s for mobility, and the fact I drive a VW Polo, quite a small car.

I'd like to use it for tight, percussive low end style modern metal but I don't use a lot of bass in my sound as it is, but I'd like to have it there. As for 80s and 90s tone, I'm not sure that's really what I'm looking for, does it have a modern, saturated high gain sound or is it more 'vintage'? Can it deliver the jazz cleans?

I noticed it has a choke, I'm not really sure what a choke does but it seems to be a feature that's included in a lot of mods.

Marshall 1960A w/G12T75's. Wish I still had my 1960B... :(

Punchy enough, although I think there are better speakers for that. Personally, I'd love to find a basket weave w/Greenbacks just for the heck of it...

Jazz cleans? Yeah, I suppose. Modern gain? I suppose, but it might need some EQ in the loop to shape it. It has the gain, but I think the shape is off. To me it is a late 80's into the 90's amp. But that's just me. It has Marshall nuances without the voicing that is distinctly Marshall.

I don't know what a choke is either. I'm kinda tech dumb.
 
Tawlks":12qceiqd said:
madrigal77":12qceiqd said:
What's your budget? I would recommend a 5153. It does everything the JCA and 5150II do, only better.

Well, whatever I can sell my 5150 II for, so.. about £650.
Well the 50W version is coming out soon and it's about $1000USD. It might be worth it to save up that little bit extra and get that instead.
 
madrigal77":36d5xh57 said:
Tawlks":36d5xh57 said:
madrigal77":36d5xh57 said:
What's your budget? I would recommend a 5153. It does everything the JCA and 5150II do, only better.

Well, whatever I can sell my 5150 II for, so.. about £650.
Well the 50W version is coming out soon and it's about $1000USD. It might be worth it to save up that little bit extra and get that instead.

How much is a 6505+ new? They're about £1000-1100 over here. They seem to be the same amount in pounds as they are in dollars. :(

The EVH 50w 5150 III does look tasty though!
 
Tawlks":3emxog2r said:
Gsxrbusa":3emxog2r said:
The JC I played was not nearly as metal as the 5150 so it might be right up your alley. :thumbsup:

P.S. Don't breath the poison. Or lick the transformers.

hahaha Thanks for the heads up. :LOL: :LOL: Can it pull off the br00tz though? :rock:


Depends on your definition of brootz. It can get heavy but not my definition of brootz. Maybe boosting. :confused:
 
Gsxrbusa":16iudqo8 said:
Tawlks":16iudqo8 said:
Gsxrbusa":16iudqo8 said:
The JC I played was not nearly as metal as the 5150 so it might be right up your alley. :thumbsup:

P.S. Don't breath the poison. Or lick the transformers.

hahaha Thanks for the heads up. :LOL: :LOL: Can it pull off the br00tz though? :rock:


Depends on your definition of brootz. It can get heavy but not my definition of brootz. Maybe boosting. :confused:



 
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