the rossness":18bvdp03 said:
I've had both a JVM and a 5153 at the same time. The EVH has more of a liquid feel to channel 3. It's one ferocious channel. I hated channel 2!!!!!!!
The JVM is a good all around amp and can cover classic rock to metal, but isn't as saturated as the evh is. You can get it to sound good, but really, the amps two different beasts.
I'm going to try try to lay down the "facts" (yes, facts" here without trying to offend you. Please don't take anything I say as offensive, but I think I have some hands on experience here since I do own both of these amps, and I do record them several times a week as part of my recording career.
If you'd like, you can dial in channel 2 and channel 3 of the 5150 III to sound near identical, ESPECIALLY if you want to boost it. You just need the gain down on 3 and the gain up on 2 and a bit of play with the EQ. I even fooled the4thlast1 in a blind test, and even myself on a few occasions. While tonally they may sound different with all knobs at noon, the amp has a "sound" that kind of comes fill circle. I also used this amp on nearly every reamping job I did for nearly a year straight and STILL own this amp, even though Fortin modded it. Now I use is as my live amp, at it kicks all sort of ass.
Also, the JVM is probably the only amp in the word that has as much if not more gain and saturation than the EVH/original 5150 series amps. Both of those amps on the highest gain red channels can get so saturated its ridiculous. I have never run the gain higher than noon on my JVM red OD2 OR my EVH 5150 III, and that is WITHOUT a boost, WITH low output passives. I don't know why anyone would unless they were playing super "filthy" sounding music, and even then it would just feedback like crazy.
I will agree that the two amps have very different flavors. I would be EQUALLY happy with either, but I honestly prefer the EVH for "fatter" tones, and the JVM for the more thrashy stuff.
Again, I'm not trying to sound like a know-it-all here, but I actually have both of these amps in my possession and use them all the time... if you need help making a decision, feel free to contact me.