EVH 5150 III Comparison: all three EVH 100w amps

[TheGreatGreen]

***NOT MY VIDEO***

I saw this come across my youtube feed. I haven't seen this guy before but the video is very well done, thought you guys might get some useful info out of it. Also, the tones this guy gets from all three amps are great. Check it out.

 

[glpg80]

I liked his rapid change approach. It’s honestly the best method for high gain amps.

Of them all the 6L6 stealth is the best to my ears but I see why some like the EL34.

I was going to go for the best of both worlds and mod my EL34 stealth to run 6550s ? but instead I traded it in.

 

[Techdeth]

I liked his rapid change approach. It’s honestly the best method for high gain amps.

Of them all the 6L6 stealth is the best to my ears but I see why some like the EL34.

I was going to go for the best of both worlds and mod my EL34 stealth to run 6550s ? but instead I traded it in.

I’m a huge fan of the 6l6 stealth . It has too much gain but when you find the sweet spot with a gate on it’s glorious. I love it for band practice

 

[Racerxrated]

Most plastic-y of any amp I've ever played. Not a bad tone, but just not for me. The Stealths have better clarity but the single notes are 'thin' because of it. Even playing chords, they have a thin-ness that I can hear even if the resonance is turned up.
I much prefer the regular non stealth versions...but still get returned every time I've bought one.
Good bang for the buck, I get why guys like them but just not for me.

 

[jasonP]

These amps have 5 gain stages on the blue channel and 7 on the red which makes them very high gain and can sound compressed for sure, they cut shit load of bass on the beginning of the pre-amp which is great for downtuned, or very warm guitars with lower output pickups there is also some smoothing of the top end going on, which I've found when there is an excessive amount the tone can also sound unnatural. I've found that "plastic-y" sound to happen when these amps are down at low volume but after getting them up around 3 on the dial they really start to sing, just imo. On the red channel I honestly run the gain around like 2 and find it's more the enough, and also on the red channel single notes can sound thin because of so much bass cut in the front of the amp on the red channel.
I would agree that for what these amps cost they sound great and really still enjoy mine everyday.

 

[easstudios]

I was going to go for the best of both worlds and mod my EL34 stealth to run 6550s ? but instead I traded it in.

The actual circuits are different, thats got more of an influence on the tone than the valve type on these.

I like 6L6 Stealth best for high gain tones. EL34 has some cool character too

 

[Les Zombie]

I owned the stealth and regular 6l6 versions and liked them with the evh cab but not as much with my v30 cabs, i havent owned the el34 version but i will eventually buy one to see if i like it better. I thought the el34 sounded best in the video.

 

[JerEvil]

Nice to hear those back to back. I don’t LOVE my S100 but now I’m thinking I can solve for that with an EQ in the loop…

 

[napalmdeath]

Most plastic-y of any amp I've ever played. Not a bad tone, but just not for me. The Stealths have better clarity but the single notes are 'thin' because of it. Even playing chords, they have a thin-ness that I can hear even if the resonance is turned up.
I much prefer the regular non stealth versions...but still get returned every time I've bought one.
Good bang for the buck, I get why guys like them but just not for me.

Me either. I just don't care for them. I've had a few variations, thought the 50 watt Stealth was the best, (only the blue channel). Red was definitely tweaked and less thin, more oomph, yet still out of control gain.

 

[glpg80]

The actual circuits are different, thats got more of an influence on the tone than the valve type on these.

I like 6L6 Stealth best for high gain tones. EL34 has some cool character too

Respectfully disagree. Throw some volume at them and with 120W power sections they impress quite a bit of their own character on top of the gain especially with negative feedback involved and presence/reactance tuning available on them. It’s wrong to think tube amplifier tone only exists in the preamp and nowhere else.

 

[glpg80]

These amps have 5 gain stages on the blue channel and 7 on the red which makes them very high gain and can sound compressed for sure, they cut shit load of bass on the beginning of the pre-amp which is great for downtuned, or very warm guitars with lower output pickups there is also some smoothing of the top end going on, which I've found when there is an excessive amount the tone can also sound unnatural. I've found that "plastic-y" sound to happen when these amps are down at low volume but after getting them up around 3 on the dial they really start to sing, just imo. On the red channel I honestly run the gain around like 2 and find it's more the enough, and also on the red channel single notes can sound thin because of so much bass cut in the front of the amp on the red channel.
I would agree that for what these amps cost they sound great and really still enjoy mine everyday.

This is a great analysis - thanks for sharing. Explains why so many love the blue channel.

 

[romanianreaper]

I was nor a fan of the EL34 50 watt but the 6l6 50watt, especially the Stealth is one of my favorite amps I've ever owned. I have a standard 6l6 and the stealth, both 50 watts.

I've owned Friedmans, Marshalls, Mesa, ENGL, etc and the EVH amps, at the right settings, just have the tone that works for me. I find that keeping the gain kind of moderate and EQ settings at 11 o'clock, My band does hard rock and punk type stuff and blue channel at like 10 o'clock gives me plenty of chunk.

 

[mcstinger]

These amps have 5 gain stages on the blue channel and 7 on the red which makes them very high gain and can sound compressed for sure, they cut shit load of bass on the beginning of the pre-amp which is great for downtuned, or very warm guitars with lower output pickups there is also some smoothing of the top end going on, which I've found when there is an excessive amount the tone can also sound unnatural. I've found that "plastic-y" sound to happen when these amps are down at low volume but after getting them up around 3 on the dial they really start to sing, just imo. On the red channel I honestly run the gain around like 2 and find it's more the enough, and also on the red channel single notes can sound thin because of so much bass cut in the front of the amp on the red channel.
I would agree that for what these amps cost they sound great and really still enjoy mine everyday.

Which one of those amps has 7 gain stages on the red channel?

 

[GreatRedDragon]

Never been a fan of the 5150. I've tried them, I think they're too broad and meaty. My modded 2203 blasted with an SD-1 just hits harder.

I'm sure if I took the time to sculpt a 5150III with an EQ it'd be awesome, but at that point I'd just be trying to make it sound like a Marshall anyway.

 

[Exo-metal]

I liked his rapid change approach. It’s honestly the best method for high gain amps.

Of them all the 6L6 stealth is the best to my ears but I see why some like the EL34.

I was going to go for the best of both worlds and mod my EL34 stealth to run 6550s ? but instead I traded it in.

I love 6550s?

 

[TotallyRadGuitars]

Which one of those amps has 7 gain stages on the red channel?

All 3 versions have 6 tube stages + cathode follower on the red channel, 4 + cathode follower on the blue channel
(technically the cathode follower is a "gain stage" but it's not introducing distortion or anything, just driving the tone stack levels)

 

[mcstinger]

All 3 versions have 6 tube stages + cathode follower on the red channel, 4 + cathode follower on the blue channel
(technically the cathode follower is a "gain stage" but it's not introducing distortion or anything, just driving the tone stack levels)

Thanks. I thought so, wasn't sure about the stealth version anyway, never seen a schematic. Cathode follower is not counted as a gain stage of course, otherwise we could also count the tubes in the effect loop as a gain stage, or even the PI and power tubes.

 

[easstudios]

Respectfully disagree. Throw some volume at them and with 120W power sections they impress quite a bit of their own character on top of the gain especially with negative feedback involved and presence/reactance tuning available on them. It’s wrong to think tube amplifier tone only exists in the preamp and nowhere else.

Not saying they don’t have an impact (because I think valves types do), but when the actual circuits are different it becomes hard to pinpoint what is contributing to the different sounds we’re hearing.