Fragglerick
Active member
Kinda curious what it would sound like.
napalmdeath
Well-known member
Fragglerick":12ngn7hn said:
They make an EL34 version. 6534+. Killer amp.
Chester Nimitz
Banned
New member
You cant do it safely because of the traces on the board and a few other things.
Quote :
" In response to some comments here (and I'm getting requests often) you can NOT upgrade the current line of EVH-III's to EL34's for these main reasons: The current power transformer is completely under rated and can barely supply enough current for the 6L6 filament (and all the 12ax7's). The filament voltage needs to be within +/- 10% of 6.3V for them to function properly and to last as long as they are designed to last. The 5150-III amps measure 5.2 - 5.5V which is too low. I get lots of those amps in the shop and they all measure like that. EL34's need about 70% more current than 6L6/5881 tubes, so it would drop the filament voltage that the tubes might not work at all and the PT will heat up. One could install an external filament PT which is relatively small but then the next problem is that the PCB traces from the PT to the tube sockets are only designed for this lower 6L6 filament current, so there is a potential fire hazard and I have repaired Peavey 5150 amps where the PCB's were partially burned up where the filament traces were. Even the Peavey 6534+ has this potential problem and I also fixed some of those. It's just not enough to put a different PT and swap the screen resistors. The whole wiring and PCB traces need to be considered. So I hope that the new 5150-III was upgraded at the circuit board and wiring level as well !"
Quote :
" In response to some comments here (and I'm getting requests often) you can NOT upgrade the current line of EVH-III's to EL34's for these main reasons: The current power transformer is completely under rated and can barely supply enough current for the 6L6 filament (and all the 12ax7's). The filament voltage needs to be within +/- 10% of 6.3V for them to function properly and to last as long as they are designed to last. The 5150-III amps measure 5.2 - 5.5V which is too low. I get lots of those amps in the shop and they all measure like that. EL34's need about 70% more current than 6L6/5881 tubes, so it would drop the filament voltage that the tubes might not work at all and the PT will heat up. One could install an external filament PT which is relatively small but then the next problem is that the PCB traces from the PT to the tube sockets are only designed for this lower 6L6 filament current, so there is a potential fire hazard and I have repaired Peavey 5150 amps where the PCB's were partially burned up where the filament traces were. Even the Peavey 6534+ has this potential problem and I also fixed some of those. It's just not enough to put a different PT and swap the screen resistors. The whole wiring and PCB traces need to be considered. So I hope that the new 5150-III was upgraded at the circuit board and wiring level as well !"
Z
zoom club
New member
He said pv not fender.
sahlomonic
Well-known member
There was a guy back in the old HC days (like 1999-2000) that had his 5150 modded with 'integrated quads' - so he had both EL34 and 6L6 in his, kinda like a Simul-class Mesa. It sounded KILLER. I want to say his name was David Gerlach/King Crimson/Electric Glide. I know I saved that clip 15 years ago; lemme dig it up.
godgrinder
Active member
Might be cheaper to sell the 5150 then buy an used 6534 really.
johnpace2
Well-known member
napalmdeath":1y04kv1j said:
I'm very curious about the 6534+. You tube clips sound great, but I wonder if it's different enough from a regular 5150 to justify owning both?
rcm78
New member
The amps are so close you can EQ the 6L6 version to sound like EL34's pretty easily. No need to mod it...
metalsoup
Member
Talk with Jerry at FJA Mods. He does that kind of mod work and knows how to tweak 5150s better than just about anyone. In fact, I had mine modded to switch between 6L6s and EL34s, and I like it with EL34s a little more--gives it a little more zing or sparkle in the mid to upper frequencies. I use Ruby EL34BSTR tubes like my Cobra has, and they keep the bottom end big and tight. It's not a huge tonal difference between 6L6 and EL34, but when I do an A/B test between the two types of tubes, I favor the EL34s. That however may have more to do with me being an EL34 fan than anything else! It's why I had Jerry do the mod in the first place. If you really like EL34s, I think you'd be pleased with the results.
prsplayer86
Member
Jerry at FJA all the way for the 5150 mods. If your feeling froggy check out his metal mod.... wowzers!
anywho, i've AB'd the 6505 + and the 6534+ and they had inherent differences in tone, but nothing earth shattering. IMO it sounded like the same amp with a different boost in front of it. Both good, both fun to play.
anywho, i've AB'd the 6505 + and the 6534+ and they had inherent differences in tone, but nothing earth shattering. IMO it sounded like the same amp with a different boost in front of it. Both good, both fun to play.
Chester Nimitz
Banned
New member
Jerry wont help unless he replaces the board and possible PT along with the mod for a 6L6/EL-34 conversion.
6L6 is a Tetrode, EL-34's are a Pentode.
6L6 is a Tetrode, EL-34's are a Pentode.
messenger
Well-known member
Here's what jerry at FJA says
"
Can I put 6550's, KT88's, EL34's, etc. in my 5150?
NO! The amp wasn't designed to run any tube but a 6L6 period, end, I don't care what you read on a tube salesman's website. The amp can be modded to us those tubes, but it's quite involved and the end result is not worth the effort.
EL34's require the bias circuit be modded, screen grid resistors upgraded, and one of the power tube sockets re-wired to use them. They sound like a muddy mess. The 5150 gets it's tone from the preamp and has a ton of gain, adding any distortion in the power amp section sounds bad. The amp needs a clean, powerful power amp if you want a tight, big bottom end tone.
6550's/KT88's require a bias mod and screen grid resistors. They also sound a bit loose and muddy, but not as bad as the EL34's.
Integrated quads can't be used either without mods. You will damage the amp. The screen grid resistors on the 5150 are way too small to run anything but a 6L6. They fail quite often even with the 6L6's. Why in the world would you spend big money on a KT88 and then run it cold? That's a total waste of your hard earned money."
"
Can I put 6550's, KT88's, EL34's, etc. in my 5150?
NO! The amp wasn't designed to run any tube but a 6L6 period, end, I don't care what you read on a tube salesman's website. The amp can be modded to us those tubes, but it's quite involved and the end result is not worth the effort.
EL34's require the bias circuit be modded, screen grid resistors upgraded, and one of the power tube sockets re-wired to use them. They sound like a muddy mess. The 5150 gets it's tone from the preamp and has a ton of gain, adding any distortion in the power amp section sounds bad. The amp needs a clean, powerful power amp if you want a tight, big bottom end tone.
6550's/KT88's require a bias mod and screen grid resistors. They also sound a bit loose and muddy, but not as bad as the EL34's.
Integrated quads can't be used either without mods. You will damage the amp. The screen grid resistors on the 5150 are way too small to run anything but a 6L6. They fail quite often even with the 6L6's. Why in the world would you spend big money on a KT88 and then run it cold? That's a total waste of your hard earned money."
metalsoup
Member
I would certainly not be one to argue with the master. If all a person were interested in was modding the amp from using 6L6s to EL34s, it (probably) wouldn't be worth it since the difference is not that significant considering the time, effort, and money required to do the mod work. Now that being said, Jerry offers more than one 5150 "metal mod." There is, of course, the 120-watt metal mod based on running four 6L6s, but there is also a 60-watt metal mod that allows a person to run the amp using two 6L6s or two EL34s, and you can switch between the two different tube types very easily via a toggle switch on the back of the amp. I had that 60-watt metal mod done along with several more of Jerry's tricks and tweaks. It wasn't cheap, but the result is killer. That amp is certainly one of my favorites and always puts a smile on my face. It's a keeper for sure. It's easy and fun to play, letting me lose myself in that sweet spot of aggressive chunky rhythm and singing lead tone. I think Ruby EL34BSTRs keep the bottom end big, tight, and clear while allowing the mid and higher frequencies to really shine. When I A/B test between the two tube types, I can certainly notice a difference. Both tube types sound great because the amp has been finely tuned and tweaked by Jerry to yield optimal performance, but I have a definite preference for the EL34s. They give the amp a bit of sparkle without losing definition or its inherent aggressive character. If anything, its character is enhanced. You probably wouldn't notice it in a mix, but when you are just riffing alone at home (which is what I mostly do), you can really enjoy it. It's like a little bit of magical pixie dust. And that's all I was ever looking for--a really nicely tuned up 5150. It scratches that itch every time. Needless to say, the end result is different than a stock Peavey 6534, though I have always been curious as to what Jerry could do with a 6534. I'm sure the results would be just as magical.