5150III 50w

[RSHerhuth]

I had the 5150 LBX which I loved but there was a short somewhere so I had to return it. After thinking long and hard I decided to go with the 5150 50w.

I have to say I was really happy with the LBX it seemed to have a tightness that the 50w lacks...the 50 seems like a rubber band on the low E and part of the A strings. It sounds kind of flabby and doesn't hold together nicely (blue or red channel...10 o'clock gain +). And it really sounds not good when I DI it into ableton.

Surely I am not setting it up right...as everybody goes crazy over this amp. I play at 1 or lower in my home studio through a 1 x 10 (which I also play my Orange Micro Dark, and previously my 5150 LBX which both sound great).

Thanks for any advice you might be able to offer before I exchange this for the LBX.
Ron

 

[Sir Crunch A Lot]

Have you played with the resonance knob on the back? I'm sure you have, but just checking.

 

[hammered]

I played my 5150 50 watters thru a 2x12 and a 4x12 . Theres was no flab to be found . I used a TS type pedal thru the blue channel and there was no pedal needed to tighten the red channel . Maybe it`s the small speaker you're using that`s the problem

 

[nevusofota]

Try it through a 2x12 16ohm cab and turn it up to at least 9:00.

You probably prefer the low wattage LBX because of the low volume through a one 10" speaker. You're going to get a little more power amp tone compared to the 50w this way. If this is going to be the way you primarily use it than I would exchange it back for the LBX.

What's great about EVH amps is you don't need to do too much tweeking. You pretty much know right away if the tone you're looking for with your gear is there.

 

[nevusofota]

Also, is your 50 watter made in Mexico or Vietnam? Some of the earlier Vietnam amps had a component issue (resistor or capacitor) that made the low end flub out. Changing this component apparently solved the issue. This was confirmed by Howard Kaplan, head designer if the 50w.

 

[RSHerhuth]

It is a Mexican version and brand new (it doesn't have the f logo which I find odd).

I got it sounding a bit better by lowering my bridge pickup. I have fx in front and fx in the loop and I found it records best if instead of running the cable back to the loop return I run it to the do box and I use IRs for the cabs.

 

[hammered]

It is a Mexican version and brand new (it doesn't have the f logo which I find odd).

I got it sounding a bit better by lowering my bridge pickup. I have fx in front and fx in the loop and I found it records best if instead of running the cable back to the loop return I run it to the do box and I use IRs for the cabs.

If you ever find the opportunity run that bad boy thru a 4x12 in a nice big room where you can crank it up , it should sound like thunder

 

[MetalHeadMike]

If you haven't already, Try boosting it as stated above by Hammered . I clean boost every amp I have owned, and currently own. And several are some of the tightest amps out there (FB100/Savage 120).

I'm talking TS type pedal out front hitting the input with level@0, Drive 9>10 o' clock and tone knob to taste.

I boosted the blue channel with the above settings with great success with both the 50w and 100w I owned. Only they both needed a little bump up on the drive knob to 11>12 o' clock to get the gain structure and attack I wanted. This was however at lower volumes though. I hated the red channel on both those amps whether boosted, un-boosted, whatever. Red Ch didn't work for me at all