5150 amp debate

[VESmedic]

Was this comparing the red, blue, or both both? I’ve always heard mixed things about the EL34 blue channel being to bloated and loose, but I’ve never played one. Were you able to compare a 6L6 100 Stealth also?

The el34 blue channel gets a bad name from, once again, the 50 watts. The 100 watt 34’s blue channel is awesome. Much more like the original 5153 in that all 3 channels are extremely useable and different. The 100 watt blues channel is tight, aggressive, but much more vintage style midrange and open, verses the 3rd channels more compressed and modern midrange. But it’s still very tight, unlike the 50 watts blue channel which quite frankly, sucks. I could use the el34 100 in the same vein as I could a 101b, with the blue and red channels being different flavors of high gain and using one for rhythm and the other for leads or vice versa. A true 3 channel powerhouse in my opinion. But yes, the 50 watts blue channel sucks, and is nothing at all like the 100 watt EL34s blue. As far as the 6L6 stealth, I’m not personally a big fan of it, way too bloated and gained out to me personally.

 

[JR-OZ]

It has nothing to do with it being more marshally or not , it’s just simply a much better sounding amp to Me. I’m telling you ,’micing them all up in a decent studio and listening through a great monitoring system , I doubt anyone would pick anything over the EL34 100 . It’s just the best of the line simply to me, it was laughable micing up the OG EVH 5153 comparatively, and this was listening to one of the best monitoring systems you could imagine . It was a significant difference in the midrange clarity and a massive difference in the low end.

I had same experience
1084 preamps vintage Neve console
Great monitoring you could make the call from underwater after a few drinks!
the 6l6 stealth isn’t bad just the clarity particularly in the low mids isn’t as good as the 34 stealth.

 

[VESmedic]

I had same experience
1084 preamps vintage Neve console
Great monitoring you could make the call from underwater after a few drinks!
the 6l6 stealth isn’t bad just the clarity particularly in the low mids isn’t as good as the 34 stealth.

Glad im not the only one! Sometimes that’s the problem when people give opinions on a gear, we are not all listening the same way that’s for sure. I couldn’t care less what an amp sounds like in a room for a instance, and I’d bet the majority of guys giving opinions on amps are giving them from that perspective. So naturally, when I make a comment about how much better the 34 is and how it’s not even close to me ( with the way I’m monitoring at a studio) you get people who aren’t going to believe it... but it’s true, it really is. The 34 100s low end and low mid push and clarity is something I’ve never heard in the other EVH models, not even close. It’s the winner by far to me everytime.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

Was this comparing the red, blue, or both both? I’ve always heard mixed things about the EL34 blue channel being to bloated and loose, but I’ve never played one. Were you able to compare a 6L6 100 Stealth also?

The general consensus on the 50w EL34 amp's Blue channel is that the preamp circuit lets too much bass into the preamp gain stages, so as a consequence it sounds a bit more bloated and muddy than it should. There's a "C137" mod out there detailing how to clip a component on the board that cuts that extra pre-gain bass and restores the channel to something closer to the 6L6 50w Blue channel.

The 100w EL34 amp's Blue channel doesn't have this issue.

 

[fearhk213]

The general consensus on the 50w EL34 amp's Blue channel is that the preamp circuit lets too much bass into the gain stages, so as a consequence it sounds a bit more bloated and muddy than it should. There's a "C137" mod out there detailing how to clip a component on the board that cuts that extra pre-gain bass and restores the channel to something closer to the 6L6 50w Blue channel.

The 100w EL34 amp's Blue channel doesn't have this issue.

I didn't know that was only a 50w EL34 problem until you and VESmedic mentioned it here. Good to know

 

[SFW]

I owned the original 100 watt version and played the original 50 watt version several time. The 100 had a much more pleasant bottom end. The 50 had the resonance feature, but just didn't deliver the thump. You will also have more headroom on the clean channel. While I would love to pick up a 100 Stealth, I'm kinda out of the 5050 III game these days.

 

[VESmedic]

I didn't know that was only a 50w EL34 problem until you and VESmedic mentioned it here. Good to know

Surprised this isn’t more prevalent knowledge by now, but I’ve found the same to be true: not many people know this for sure. and then they look at you crosseyed like you are an idiot becsuse “ it’s the same amp bro”.... it’s not at all Even with the c137 mod on the 50 watt I don’t think it’s at all the same as the 100 water. But either way, still a nice improvement over the stock 50 watt.

 

[Bishop5150]

Surprised this isn’t more prevalent knowledge by now, but I’ve found the same to be true: not many people know this for sure. and then they look at you crosseyed like you are an idiot becsuse “ it’s the same amp bro”.... it’s not at all Even with the c137 mod on the 50 watt I don’t think it’s at all the same as the 100 water. But either way, still a nice improvement over the stock 50 watt.

You've got me intrigued. I'm a huge fan of the blue channel of the original first run of 100 watters with the Slovtek's, With a good boost that blue channel was gold for me. I've owned the original 50 watt and the 100 watt Stealth but they didn't do it for me. Too much gain and too compressed. I've since moved on and gone the modeling route still using the 5153 100 watt blue channel in my Fractal. But I need to check out the 100 watt EL34 just for shits and giggles.

 

[VESmedic]

You've got me intrigued. I'm a huge fan of the blue channel of the original first run of 100 watters with the Slovtek's, With a good boost that blue channel was gold for me. I've owned the original 50 watt and the 100 watt Stealth but they didn't do it for me. Too much gain and too compressed. I've since moved on and gone the modeling route still using the 5153 100 watt blue channel in my Fractal. But I need to check out the 100 watt EL34 just for shits and giggles.

I think you would enjoy it. Doesn’t need a boost, but sounds great with it. Much less compressed than ch3 with a more open and vocal midrange, it’s a win on either channel for me!

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

The el34 blue channel gets a bad name from, once again, the 50 watts. The 100 watt 34’s blue channel is awesome. Much more like the original 5153 in that all 3 channels are extremely useable and different. The 100 watt blues channel is tight, aggressive, but much more vintage style midrange and open, verses the 3rd channels more compressed and modern midrange. But it’s still very tight, unlike the 50 watts blue channel which quite frankly, sucks. I could use the el34 100 in the same vein as I could a 101b, with the blue and red channels being different flavors of high gain and using one for rhythm and the other for leads or vice versa. A true 3 channel powerhouse in my opinion. But yes, the 50 watts blue channel sucks, and is nothing at all like the 100 watt EL34s blue. As far as the 6L6 stealth, I’m not personally a big fan of it, way too bloated and gained out to me personally.

I agree here....have not played the 50w Stealth, but owned a 100w Stealth/bogner 2x12 with Greenbacks, side by side with the EVH 6L6 2x12 Combo. I kept the combo. Sold the 100w Stealth. I felt the Combo with certain settings could mimic the stealth, but the stealth couldn't mimic the combo in squish. The 100w stealth was too stiff and bass heavy for me.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

The general consensus on the 50w EL34 amp's Blue channel is that the preamp circuit lets too much bass into the preamp gain stages, so as a consequence it sounds a bit more bloated and muddy than it should. There's a "C137" mod out there detailing how to clip a component on the board that cuts that extra pre-gain bass and restores the channel to something closer to the 6L6 50w Blue channel.

The 100w EL34 amp's Blue channel doesn't have this issue.

What about the EL34 combo?

 

[TheGreatGreen]

What about the EL34 combo?

I have not heard either way about the combo's Blue channel.

 

[MetalThrasher]

I've always wanted to get a 5153 50 watt head! This thread makes me interested again! If staying in the 50 watt range, which one does thrash metal better? The thing that has deterred me from getting one is the type of speaker / cab combo. I've heard that these are picky and don't like V30's and my Orange cab has V30's. Would a 5153 50 watt through my 2x12 that has a Wizard and Swamp Thang work?

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

Bump up....Good knowledge on this thread. I almost jumped on a 1x12 combo, but still would rather have the 2x12 combo cuz of two 8 ohm speakers vs the single 16 ohm. Really wondering about the blue channel on the EL34? If it sucks, I'll buy the 6L6 again.