5153 vs. AFD100 vs. JVM410h

[chunktone]

Oh, another thing. There's a method in which you can hook up a MIDI controller such as the Ground Control or G System to a 5150 II via the footswitch cable and the FX return I think. Anyway, it's possible.

If it's possible on a 5150 II then it's possible on the 5150 III. That's something to consider. I'm not sure if it's as fully capable as the other ones I mentioned though.

How do you hook up midi commands with a 5150 II?

You have to use a footcontroler or other piece of gear that has programable relays. I use the relays on a Replifex. You have to make a custom cable to go from the 7 pin din cable jack for the footswitch to the relays. They usually use 1/4" jacks. You can also use loops in a switching system, like the GCX, or RJM RG16 or effect gizmo.

 

[roadifier]

Oh, another thing. There's a method in which you can hook up a MIDI controller such as the Ground Control or G System to a 5150 II via the footswitch cable and the FX return I think. Anyway, it's possible.

If it's possible on a 5150 II then it's possible on the 5150 III. That's something to consider. I'm not sure if it's as fully capable as the other ones I mentioned though.

How do you hook up midi commands with a 5150 II?

You have to use a footcontroler or other piece of gear that has programable relays. I use the relays on a Replifex. You have to make a custom cable to go from the 7 pin din cable jack for the footswitch to the relays. They usually use 1/4" jacks. You can also use loops in a switching system, like the GCX, or RJM RG16 or effect gizmo.

Oh. I already do that. i thought he was saying you could use midi to a 7 pin DIN connector, and I thought that was odd. so I asked if there was a way to hook midi up to din.

 

[Tawlks]

Oh, another thing. There's a method in which you can hook up a MIDI controller such as the Ground Control or G System to a 5150 II via the footswitch cable and the FX return I think. Anyway, it's possible.

If it's possible on a 5150 II then it's possible on the 5150 III. That's something to consider. I'm not sure if it's as fully capable as the other ones I mentioned though.

How do you hook up midi commands with a 5150 II?

Not sure. I read up on it on HCAF ages ago.

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equi ... -midi.html

 

[JTyson]

JVM is all I've heard of those 3, mine was biased slightly cold stk, once dialed in it sounded great. Would be hard to beat for live use, the cleans are good, probably the best cleans Marshall has done to date. the gain is more than you need on the blower channels, and it does in-between stuff well too. The loop does what its supposed to. It has dual-bias controls and the stk reverb sounds great, its digital BTW.
I would like it to be a little tighter under heavy gain, but I would be able to live with it as is. I've read on the JVM forum that pre tubes can tighten it up a bit, but I have not messed with the stk tubes as of yet.
If you need some in between sounds, it will be hard to beat unless your really good with a volume knob on the fly
I've had no problems 2 years in on mine

 

[Moshaholic]

I had a JVM 410H.... see sig for live video

I currently have TWO JVM 210H's and I FREKAING LOVE THEM!!!

I just sold my Savage 120, Peavey 6534+, MARK IV (Still for sale) and my Friedman Brown Eye because I like my JVM's more... The modes, the loop, the midi stlye channel switching and control is just awesome!

I honesly like the JVM 210H better than the 410H I usd to own... I get them NIB for 1200 bux and 6 modes is plenty for me, I don't need the 12 modes of the 410H at all...

The JVM 210H boosted with an OD-9 on the lead channel YELLOW mode just rips ASS!!! more open than the red mode and feels like an older Marshall does...

Best Marshall ever made IMO...

All my guitars love that amp... ESP, Charvel, Fender Tele Hot Rod, Les PAUL VOS, Fender Strats, etc... Passives or EMG's... it just don't matter as they all kick ass!

The amp needs a killer cab to shie to it's full potential IMO and I run a VHT fatbottom straightfront cab and the new front loaded Bogner Uber together and the heads in stereo with a rockron intellifex in the loop of both heads to get the stereo thing going and then I split my signal with a Radial twin city...

Honestly I could give a flamming shit about these 4k moded and custom built heads that seem to change hands daily around here because of these JVM amps just rule...

Oh ya tone is in the fingers!

lol

G.

 

[Ancient Alien]

JVM 410H for sure.
Change out the stock tubes, Bias it, and run it through G12 H30's
Done.

 

[nevusofota]

The 5150III is a perfect gigging amp. I have been gigging with it now for 3.5 years. It has great cleans. The second channel is where you can cover just about all styles, especially when boosted. Channel 3 is great for leads. The downsides are: you must carry extra preamp tubes (the amp seems to blow them more than other amps) and it is a huge head. The only way that I know of to make it midi compatable is to purchase an RJM Mini amp Gizmo. This is because the amp's footswitch "in" accepts a special 7-pin non-midi cable. I use the Gizmo with a Liquid-Foot Pro controller and it switches flawlessly.

 

[aftec]

I had a JVM410 for 4 years and gigged it quite regularly. Cleans are great, but the real clean (Clean channel green) has a lot less volume compared to the other channels. We measured it, it is a 100 watts, but still lacking compared to other channels. Dirty sounds are ok, on OD channels orange and red modes are useless if the gain is above 11-12 o'clock. Instant squeal. The Fx loop has a problem. It has around 3-5db volume loss when used in series mode. Even Santiago said it's an issue, and you need to compensate with dialing in some dry signal with the loop mix knob. If you are using a noisegate like a Decimator Prorack G, it's a PITA due Od channels will still squeal. The amp is quite bright especially turned up, it needs a greenback type cab IMO. It's midi capable, but you can only send PC messages to it, and cannot control individual sections (Channel, mode, reverb, loop, master) just saved sets of settings.
I played an EVH 5153 with a matching cab once, and the JVM was sold in a week. That amp just kills. Great cleans, awesome Marshall type sound on channel 2, fluid leads with channel 3 . 3 Masters, 3 presence and a loop only comparable to an OD100 loop. I set the bias to 130 and changed a tube on channel 3 to a 12DW7 and the compression is gone, now it's like Channel 2 with more gain. Sounds great on low volume too. The EVH 5153 cab is wonderful too. Probably the best cab I ever played (considering almost all Marshall, Mesa Boogie and Bogner cabs). It sounds great with any of my amps.

 

[protoplasma]

Sorry for the shameless self promotion, but this is your ticket. Extremely versatile, high quality, and hand made in the USA. I'll be at NAMM if you want to check one out and are in the area.

 

[Anonymous]

The JVM's I tried sounded good ( especially the 2 channel 50 watter) but the 410 had to be the noisiest amp I have ever played...

 

[Digital Jams]

I had a JVM410 for 4 years and gigged it quite regularly. Cleans are great, but the real clean (Clean channel green) has a lot less volume compared to the other channels. We measured it, it is a 100 watts, but still lacking compared to other channels. Dirty sounds are ok, on OD channels orange and red modes are useless if the gain is above 11-12 o'clock. Instant squeal. The Fx loop has a problem. It has around 3-5db volume loss when used in series mode. Even Santiago said it's an issue, and you need to compensate with dialing in some dry signal with the loop mix knob. If you are using a noisegate like a Decimator Prorack G, it's a PITA due Od channels will still squeal. The amp is quite bright especially turned up, it needs a greenback type cab IMO. It's midi capable, but you can only send PC messages to it, and cannot control individual sections (Channel, mode, reverb, loop, master) just saved sets of settings.
I played an EVH 5153 with a matching cab once, and the JVM was sold in a week. That amp just kills. Great cleans, awesome Marshall type sound on channel 2, fluid leads with channel 3 . 3 Masters, 3 presence and a loop only comparable to an OD100 loop. I set the bias to 130 and changed a tube on channel 3 to a 12DW7 and the compression is gone, now it's like Channel 2 with more gain. Sounds great on low volume too. The EVH 5153 cab is wonderful too. Probably the best cab I ever played (considering almost all Marshall, Mesa Boogie and Bogner cabs). It sounds great with any of my amps.

I experience is 100% opposite, maybe I am just lucky.

Loop is great, clean has a ton of headroom, and very low noise floor and no squeal.

 

[Tommyv]

I have the 5153 and the JVM. Both have very good clean channels. Both have very good crunch channels. I prefer the high gain channels on the Marshall, they seem to cut better, better upper mids, better in a band situation. The EVH has that good low mid chugga chugga sound on the high gain channel, sounds great on its own but it doesn’t cut like the Marshall. Plus’s for the Marshall are the very good digital reverb and midi. The only minus for the Marshall is the high gain channels are a little noisy. The 5153 seems to be a little temperamental with preamp tubes, weird noises happen from time to time, they’re currently all JJ’s, I may need to try some other brands. I think you can find good used prices on either.

 

[Ancient Alien]

I had a JVM410 for 4 years and gigged it quite regularly. Cleans are great, but the real clean (Clean channel green) has a lot less volume compared to the other channels. We measured it, it is a 100 watts, but still lacking compared to other channels. Dirty sounds are ok, on OD channels orange and red modes are useless if the gain is above 11-12 o'clock. Instant squeal. The Fx loop has a problem. It has around 3-5db volume loss when used in series mode. Even Santiago said it's an issue, and you need to compensate with dialing in some dry signal with the loop mix knob. If you are using a noisegate like a Decimator Prorack G, it's a PITA due Od channels will still squeal. The amp is quite bright especially turned up, it needs a greenback type cab IMO. It's midi capable, but you can only send PC messages to it, and cannot control individual sections (Channel, mode, reverb, loop, master) just saved sets of settings.
I played an EVH 5153 with a matching cab once, and the JVM was sold in a week. That amp just kills. Great cleans, awesome Marshall type sound on channel 2, fluid leads with channel 3 . 3 Masters, 3 presence and a loop only comparable to an OD100 loop. I set the bias to 130 and changed a tube on channel 3 to a 12DW7 and the compression is gone, now it's like Channel 2 with more gain. Sounds great on low volume too. The EVH 5153 cab is wonderful too. Probably the best cab I ever played (considering almost all Marshall, Mesa Boogie and Bogner cabs). It sounds great with any of my amps.

I experience is 100% opposite, maybe I am just lucky.

Loop is great, clean has a ton of headroom, and very low noise floor and no squeal.

Exactly.
Sounds like he had a set of bad tubes, which a lot of the JVM's come with.
Mine is super quiet, even at retardo gain settings with no squeal or noise.
I also did the choke mod which really tightened up the amp at high volumes.
Most common problem with the JVM is shit tubes that are randomly put in at the factory.

 

[aftec]

I had a JVM410 for 4 years and gigged it quite regularly.

I experience is 100% opposite, maybe I am just lucky.
Loop is great, clean has a ton of headroom, and very low noise floor and no squeal.

Exactly.
Sounds like he had a set of bad tubes, which a lot of the JVM's come with.
Mine is super quiet, even at retardo gain settings with no squeal or noise.
I also did the choke mod which really tightened up the amp at high volumes.
Most common problem with the JVM is shit tubes that are randomly put in at the factory.

Ok, I guess I was not completely clear.
I was talking about the 410H, I do not have experience with the 2 series. The clean channel green mode has a lot of headroom, but it is lacking in volume level compared to the other channels. I have noticed it a numerous times on gigs. I usually changed to Clean orange with the gain low. The OD1 or 2 is quite noisy in orange and red mode especially with the gain high. I have changed around tubes a lot the original Marshall labeled Chinese Shuguangs are crap (Powertubes are Marshall labeled SEDs. Those are cool.), a JAN Philips 5751 managed to tame the noise, but the tone was bland. My personal favorite was a Mullard in the first position and a JJ in the second.
The Fx Loop issue you can check for yourself, just select any channel, strum a chord and than enable to loop. The db drop is there. It's most noticeable on the clean channel. The sound quality of the loop is ok.
I have tried 3 or 4 JVM 410Hs and they had these symptoms too. Mine was an early model, one of the firsts, maybe they have changed a couple of things since. I did the choke mod too, it helped the low end a bit, but it did not worth the hassle.

 

[JTyson]

I've noticed the vol drop in the loop, I always make up for it with whatever I'm inserting in the loop (output) it has always worked so far

 

[the rossness]

I'm a jvm hater. I've never liked them and never will. They sound like they have too much bass and lower mids. I never cared for them.

I haven't played the AFD.

The EVH 5153 is my main amp. I've had it for about 3 years and I always find that I either love it to death or want to throw it down a flight of stairs. Its just one of those things. Sometimes it has fantastic "The world is coming to and end and I have found salvation" type of tone. Other times I wonder why I bought it in the first place because it sucks so much. Channel 1 goes from fender clean to cranked plexi. Channel 2 is pure Eddie- SLO meets XTC. Channel 3 is where I spend most of my time. It has crazy gain that never gets too muddy and has just the right amount of sizzle.

It also takes pedals really well. I've been running a Suhr Riot into the clean channel and it sounds killer

I use it kind of like a 6 channel amp even though it only has 3 channels. I've hooked up my boss gt-10 into the fx loop running a little bit of delay/ chorus and an EQ. So, I'll hit the loop button on the footswitch and have one gt-10 patch running the fx and one without fx. So in essence I'll have a 6 channel amp.

If I were in you're situation, I would check out a Hughes & Kettner TriAmp. I've found it similar to my EVH but is a little more useable, well, at least for my tastes. I'd probable take it instead of my EVH if I were able to do things over again. I'd also look at a Splawn Quickrod.