NAD: EVH 5150IIIS LIMITED EDITION STEALTH

[nevusofota]

Congrats!!..... and I envy your amp room!

I know there are many variables associated with capturing an amps subtle sonic nuances but my take is that it sounds exactly like the standard 100w, just with more gain. The tone in the channel 2 video is great. It depends on the style you play of course but I would rarely use channel 3, much like I do now with the standard. It's too compressed, less organic, and doesn't cut well in a live mix. There's a reason Jake E. Lee never leaves the blue channel Channel 3 for me, is for low volume, at home jamming.

 

[Bishop5150]

Mine came with the same manual the original version does. Did you guys get the same manual ? I would assume they didnt bother to make a new manual for this version since its essentially the same amp.

Mine also included a separate 1 page multi language addendum to the manual showing the bias and resonance features.

 

[nevusofota]

Mine came with the same manual the original version does. Did you guys get the same manual ? I would assume they didnt bother to make a new manual for this version since its essentially the same amp.

Mine also included a separate 1 page multi language addendum to the manual showing the bias and resonance features.

Hey Todd, I'd really like to hear your take on the comparison between the stealth and the standard.

 

[Bishop5150]

I'll post something up in the next few days. I've got some remodeling going on at my house so it a madhouse around here right now.

 

[byrdparis]

Hey guys...
Someone had a chance to here the stealth against the EVHIII 50W?
Sadly I can't buy the stealth around here, and i am getting a great price for some last 2013 inventory from a local store (the 50w) so I'm very GASing for it right now.

Thanks!

 

[Bishop5150]

I have the regular 100 watt, stealth and the 50 watt. I use the 50 watt just for rehearsals and use the 100 watt and will start using the stealth for gigging. The 50 watt is great but the volume issue between channel 1 and 2 is a little bit of an issue and it just doesn't quite have the thump of the 100 watters which is to be expected but it fits my need great for band practice. Love the stealth though. Channel 2 is worth the price of admission alone.

 

[nwright]

I'd love to try the stealth. I've got the original 100 and the 50. I'm a red channel guy, but when I do use the blue channel, I prefer the original 100 watts lower gain. Everything I've read points to the stealth's blue channel being more like the 50's in terms of gain...Which IMO just puts it a little too close to the red IMO.

The originals blue channel through the EVH 412 with a Tele with vintage output pickups blows my mind, haha. I love it. A nice clean boost (pure signal juicing) brings it up for those times when more blue gain is needed...I just don't get the same vibe from the blue channel on the 50. It sounds killer, too, but the blue on the original just does it for me (when I use it).

but man, the resonance, bias and low end adjustments for the Red channel really have me interested.

 

[BYTOR]

BLUE is now VERY high gain and RED is Spinal Tap gain. Lol

Even the clean channel is high gain you can do AC DC crunch easily on channel 1.

True dat..........Blue channel is awesome though!...............they all are.......love my Stealth

 

[eddyrox]

I'm joining in on the fun...my 5150 100S should be here at week's end....

 

[nevusofota]

I'd love to try the stealth. I've got the original 100 and the 50. I'm a red channel guy, but when I do use the blue channel, I prefer the original 100 watts lower gain. Everything I've read points to the stealth's blue channel being more like the 50's in terms of gain...Which IMO just puts it a little too close to the red IMO.

The originals blue channel through the EVH 412 with a Tele with vintage output pickups blows my mind, haha. I love it. A nice clean boost (pure signal juicing) brings it up for those times when more blue gain is needed...I just don't get the same vibe from the blue channel on the 50. It sounds killer, too, but the blue on the original just does it for me (when I use it).

but man, the resonance, bias and low end adjustments for the Red channel really have me interested.

100% agree with all of this.

 

[jcj]

I like these clips better than anything you've posted.

Sounds like a great amp.

 

[taliababa]

If Darth Vader played guitar that would be his amp. EVH=Evil Vader Head. I can get over how cool that amp looks. It sounds great too.

It's really the coolest looking amp in my collection.

Awesome stuff man. Congrats on the new 5153. I'm going to have to seriously look for one after I get an EVH USA Stealth.

 

[eddyrox]

not trying to stoke fires or demand but I just spoke to my dealer, and he says he got a call from his sales rep at EVHgear in Corona who reports that there is not any intention of "going into production" with the 100S and/or its mods, and this was a "one off". Officially they "sold out" pretty quickly.

however, he mentioned that EVHgear also said another run in later 2014 may be a possibility.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

not trying to stoke fires or demand but I just spoke to my dealer, and he says he got a call from his sales rep at EVHgear in Corona who reports that there is not any intention of "going into production" with the 100S and/or its mods, and this was a "one off". Officially they "sold out" pretty quickly.

Interesting, I was wondering if they might eventually incorporate the tweaks into the standard 100 watt model or not.

The stealth release has had an anti-gas affect on wanting to try out the regular 100 watt head. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't get one though I came real close a few times.

As the gear world turns...

 

[eddyrox]

not trying to stoke fires or demand but I just spoke to my dealer, and he says he got a call from his sales rep at EVHgear in Corona who reports that there is not any intention of "going into production" with the 100S and/or its mods, and this was a "one off". Officially they "sold out" pretty quickly.

Interesting, I was wondering if they might eventually incorporate the tweaks into the standard 100 watt model or not.

The stealth release has had an anti-gas affect on wanting to try out the regular 100 watt head. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't get one though I came real close a few times.

As the gear world turns...

caveat is that as of now "right here, right now )" there seems to be no intention of going into production from I'm hearing.
BUT....
who knows after the NAMM show and later on in the year....
I mean, the 2007 EVH 5153 was EVH's amp "in studio and on stage... " and now the 100S...
LOL!
m.

 

[nevusofota]

not trying to stoke fires or demand but I just spoke to my dealer, and he says he got a call from his sales rep at EVHgear in Corona who reports that there is not any intention of "going into production" with the 100S and/or its mods, and this was a "one off". Officially they "sold out" pretty quickly.

Interesting, I was wondering if they might eventually incorporate the tweaks into the standard 100 watt model or not.

The stealth release has had an anti-gas affect on wanting to try out the regular 100 watt head. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't get one though I came real close a few times.

As the gear world turns...

caveat is that as of now "right here, right now )" there seems to be no intention of going into production from I'm hearing.
BUT....
who knows after the NAMM show and later on in the year....
I mean, the 2007 EVH 5153 was EVH's amp "in studio and on stage... " and now the 100S...
LOL!
m.

His amp is whatever they are trying to sell at the time. I doubt the 100s will be permanently out of production and I expect it will be reinstated in some incarnation.

 

[eddyrox]

[
His amp is whatever they are trying to sell at the time. I doubt the 100s will be permanently out of production and I expect it will be reinstated in some incarnation.

totally agree!

 

[yngzaklynch]

Sounds pretty nice!!

 

[ElMuchoDingo]

I just up boxed mine and after playing 20 minutes it seems to be a different amp from the original ( which I have had a couple 100 w and one 50w). The green and blue seem to have a lot more gain. The amp seems to have much more upper mid focus and is a brighter amp. Not as polished at the original So far I'm kinda impressed

 

[JeffHenneman]

I have been putting the 100s thru its paces the last few days and it is everything I was hoping it would be. I had a regular 100 and it was cool but there were just a few things I didn't like about it. I was either gonna sell it or mod it, but when the 100s got announced I took the plunge and so glad I did.
This is all from memory but I will lay it out how I remember.
Evh 100:
1. It had a mid voicing that was a little to dominate to my ears, turning the mids down made it too scooped. I couldn't find the right balance.
2. The blue channel was way to bland. It was like too much gain for low gain and not enough gain for high gain.
3. As far as tightness on the gain channels , it was in the middle of tight and loose. Just was not too my liking.
4. The gain was way too smooth for my taste.
I was a little disappointed with the amp. Did I hate it? NO. It just wasn't quite what I wanted it to be, it fell just a little short of my expectations.
BUT, when I thru an MXR 10 band eq in the loop, I got an awesome metal tone out of the red channel. I am all about high gain and it sounded great. When I seen the description of the 100s, I took the risk cause it seemed like they changed all the things I didn't Like about it.
To sum up the 100s, They hit it out the ball park. Its as plain and simple as that. The four things I listed that I didn't like about the regular version got tweaked to exactly the way I wanted it, Yet it still retains a lot of core tone of the original. Although the stealth seems to be a lot more versatile, the resonance controls really add a new level to it.
My favorite things about the 100s:
1. The blue channel has more gain now, but it also takes a boost really well. I am not very much into using pedals, but it take the maxon 808 like a champ.
2. The red channel is a little bit more aggressive now, not full on aggressive but just a little more angst.
3. I love how tight the red channel is, It can be deep and low, but still be tight.
I wish I could compare the two side by side, but I did my best trying to compare using my memory.