Got to dime a 5153 today

[Steinmetzify]

Took the day off for financial stuff; got something in the mail the other day that warranted my attention. After a phone call, I'm 2k richer.

Ran around doing stuff and stopped by GC for free strings. Buddy in there bored as shit and asks if I wanna jam for a minute. No one around, dude hands me a 7 string, dimes the amp and drags a drum kit over. We go at it. I'm blown away by how this amp sounds; it's perfect. Tight, articulate, CRAZY loud with the matching 2x12. Loved it.

I get what you guys that own them are talking about. I could have stayed on ch3 all day, but I wanted to check out the Blue channel too. Awesome as well. Cleans you say? Pfft....who gives a fuck. I was THIS close to taking the whole rig home. I'm in an apartment, and would never get to turn it up above even 1....sounded just ok at that volume, but 2 was way too loud for my neighbors. Left it there and now I'm sad.

Was also tempted by this:






But I have enough guitars at the moment and I'm waiting for a certain 7 string sig to come out. Anybody interested in the RR, it's in GC SLC. Plays like a dream and I talked dude down to under 2k.

 

[ejecta]

I've got the 50 watter and love it. I'm using my POD HD500 for effects and as a controller and it works really well. I'm typically not a huge fan of playing "signature" gear but this sounds and works so well for me I don't give a shit about that anymore with this amp. IMHO Fender and Ed made a very very nice amp.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Was the 50watt I played. It was stunning dude; if I was in a house I would have had to take it home. Really responsive amp, and even the 7 sounded great on it. They did a great job with that one.

 

[madrigal77]

If you think that's good, try the 100w through the matching 4x12!!

 

[Les Zombie]

i have the 100w and the evh 4x12 and i think its pretty awesome.

 

[ejecta]

Was the 50watt I played. It was stunning dude; if I was in a house I would have had to take it home. Really responsive amp, and even the 7 sounded great on it. They did a great job with that one.

It made me sell my Bogner.... yep it's that good IMHO.

 

[nevusofota]

It's a great all around amp. Very versatile. I have the 100w through a Mesa 4x12 as well as the 50w with the matching 2x12 for smaller gigs. It's unfortunate but they never get the respect around here compared to the booteek stuff.

 

[Steinmetzify]

It's a great all around amp. Very versatile. I have the 100w through a Mesa 4x12 as well as the 50w with the matching 2x12 for smaller gigs. It's unfortunate but they never get the respect around here compared to the booteek stuff.

That struck me....I couldn't believe what I was hearing, especially for the lack of interest around here. I thought they'd be all over this board sounding like that. Just goes to show I'm not really down with a lot of the boutique stuff.

 

[glassjaw7]

Great amp indeed.

 

[Beyond Black]

It's a great all around amp. Very versatile. I have the 100w through a Mesa 4x12 as well as the 50w with the matching 2x12 for smaller gigs. It's unfortunate but they never get the respect around here compared to the booteek stuff.

Do you notice a big difference between the 50w and the 100w?

 

[nevusofota]

It's a great all around amp. Very versatile. I have the 100w through a Mesa 4x12 as well as the 50w with the matching 2x12 for smaller gigs. It's unfortunate but they never get the respect around here compared to the booteek stuff.

Do you notice a big difference between the 50w and the 100w?

Not a big difference in tone. However, if I could only keep one I would sell the 50w because:
- I don't like the volume drop when switching to the clean channel of the 50w
- I like having 3 independent channels with separate EQ's
- I think the fx loop of the 100w sounds better. I thought this even before finding out that its tube driven in the 100w but solid state in the 50w.
- I like channel 2 of my 100w more because it is more of a true crunch channel and feels tighter than ch 2 of the 50w. I feel the 50w (as well as the late model 100w) has too much gain on channel 2.
- My 100w is a very early model, made the first few months of production. I have played many 100w in the stores and just feel mine sounds less compressed and more articulate. I think it is due to the EHX/Sovtek tubes that were used in the early production line (only about the first 1000 made).
- My favorite rhythm tone is my 100w, channel 2, boosted with an OD9, through a Mesa 4x12 w/ V30's. In a band setting I like the Mesa cab over the EVH cab because it seems to cut through the mix more.

Many have asked why boost channel 2 when you can just utilize the higher gain channel 3. The answer is channel 2 is inherently slightly tighter, less compressed, and more "organic" in nature. Using a boost retains these qualities but adds more sustain.

 

[Beyond Black]

It's a great all around amp. Very versatile. I have the 100w through a Mesa 4x12 as well as the 50w with the matching 2x12 for smaller gigs. It's unfortunate but they never get the respect around here compared to the booteek stuff.

Do you notice a big difference between the 50w and the 100w?

Not a big difference in tone. However, if I could only keep one I would sell the 50w because:
- I don't like the volume drop when switching to the clean channel of the 50w
- I like having 3 independent channels with separate EQ's
- I think the fx loop of the 100w sounds better. I thought this even before finding out that its tube driven in the 100w but solid state in the 50w.
- I like channel 2 of my 100w more because it is more of a true crunch channel and feels tighter than ch 2 of the 50w. I feel the 50w (as well as the late model 100w) has too much gain on channel 2.
- My 100w is a very early model, made the first few months of production. I have played many 100w in the stores and just feel mine sounds less compressed and more articulate. I think it is due to the EHX/Sovtek tubes that were used in the early production line (only about the first 1000 made).
- My favorite rhythm tone is my 100w, channel 2, boosted with an OD9, through a Mesa 4x12 w/ V30's. In a band setting I like the Mesa cab over the EVH cab because it seems to cut through the mix more.

Many have asked why boost channel 2 when you can just utilize the higher gain channel 3. The answer is channel 2 is inherently slightly tighter, less compressed, and more "organic" in nature. Using a boost retains these qualities but adds more sustain.

I also boost the blue channel of my 50w with an OD-9 and it sounds killer. Thanks for the detailed response.

 

[SFW]

I've been rocking my 100 watter for about two years now. Great amp.

 

[ejecta]

It's a great all around amp. Very versatile. I have the 100w through a Mesa 4x12 as well as the 50w with the matching 2x12 for smaller gigs. It's unfortunate but they never get the respect around here compared to the booteek stuff.

I'll be honest... I was sticking my nose up at them for a while even though I heard clips that made me curious to play one in person. I've had all kinds of amps from lower lines to high end boutique. In my experience the boutique tended to be more what I was looking for in build quality and sound however there have been some mid level to slightly lower end amps that have really impressed me "for the money". When talking about the 5150 III 50 watt I'll never use the term "for the money" because it's just a great sounding amp with awesome features.... no matter the price.

 

[Orvillain]

They are really cool amps. I bought one kind of on a whim, and realized for high-gain metal tones, I *PREFER* the EVH5153-50watter I have to my Marshall Satriani JVM. The clean tones in the EVH are very nice, but as someone else mentioned... the volume drop. You basically have to decide - do I use the amp as clean+high gain... or crunch+high gain.... and then go from there.

I am currently experimenting with modellers into the FX-Loop for my clean tones. Had some success with the GSP1101, but I want to try a few others too. Maybe even add another amp to my live setup specifically for cleans. I do have a stereo cab after all!

 

[rupe]

Anybody interested in the RR, it's in GC SLC. Plays like a dream and I talked dude down to under 2k.

Please tell me that your not one of those dudes who beats someone up on price and then doesn't buy

 

[ejecta]

They are really cool amps. I bought one kind of on a whim, and realized for high-gain metal tones, I *PREFER* the EVH5153-50watter I have to my Marshall Satriani JVM. The clean tones in the EVH are very nice, but as someone else mentioned... the volume drop. You basically have to decide - do I use the amp as clean+high gain... or crunch+high gain.... and then go from there.

I am currently experimenting with modellers into the FX-Loop for my clean tones. Had some success with the GSP1101, but I want to try a few others too. Maybe even add another amp to my live setup specifically for cleans. I do have a stereo cab after all!

I actually use the clean as much as do the crunch. I really like the clean channel a lot and I use the red channel mainly for leads. I'm not a metal tone chaser though.

I'm using the POD HD500 4CM to even the levels out between the clean and crunch just a little bit and it has worked so well that I've not found a need to use a model out of the POD for my clean but it's cool to have that option like you do with the GSP. You know though.... I really didn't have a huge volume bump at all even without using the POD so it was just a matter of a little bump on the volume in the mixer in the POD on my clean patch and I was good go.

I wonder if some of the people who say there is a huge jump no matter the gain or volume settings have an amp with issues.

 

[Orvillain]

I wonder if some of the people who say there is a huge jump no matter the gain or volume settings have an amp with issues.

Nah man, just very different settings I suspect. When I use channel 1 as a clean, my gain is at 11 o'clock, and my volume is at noon. Switching over to channel 2, you'll get more than +5dB volume difference. It's pretty huge in these circumstances. If you crank the gain to about 1-2 o'clock, the volumes start to even out. So it's possible you're just using those kinds of settings.

Do you not get annoyed by the volume drop using the HD500 and switching patches?? Or are you mostly in a single patch, and are changing the amp channels from midi messages on the top row of footswitches?

 

[ejecta]

Do you not get annoyed by the volume drop using the HD500 and switching patches?? Or are you mostly in a single patch, and are changing the amp channels from midi messages on the top row of footswitches?

Nope I use several patches. Since I use it 4CM and have the 5150 III's pre amp in the loop of the HD right before the mixer..... I use the volume in the mixer section of the POD to bump up the volume of the preamp just a hair on my clean patches. Works really well.

 

[SBlue]

I have a few high gain amps here at the studio, and the two fave for 7 & 8 strings guitars are the 5153 100w and the Steavens Poundcake 100 MK-1. The 5153 is still the tightest one of them all with a low tuned guitar, chnl 3, master volume above 10:00.
Either amp will shake the entire studio, but the 5153 is still a bit tighter and precise.