Peavey 5150 212

The features here dont have all the unneeded bells and whisltes of a the mesa rec's or the new Marshall JCM's but you can dial in the same range of tones if you have half a brain and understand the function of each EQ. The key here is to balance the resonance and presence EQ's as well as the pregain and post gain. The possiblities are broad. Those that say it has a one dimensional sound arent using this amp right. Inputs are pretty standard with an in and out effects loop and a line out to extend into a cabinet.

OK i've had a mesa single rectifier (sounds thin with no warmth or color to its sound) and a triple rectifier (gain monster with no warmth or color to its sound), a mesa DC-5 (great head with tight high gain but, distortion isnt loose enough to play fast rythem), A mesa Caliber .50 ( great amp head with tight shredding distortion and bass but sounds a little dry) A marshall valvestate head (Great distortion but isnt saturated enough). Overall the 5150 presents the positive qualities of the amps I just mentioned without any of the negatives. THis amp is an untamed gain monster with the ballsy bass of a mesa, the treble presence of a marshall, fierce shredding cutting mids, and saturated warmth that makes you want to keep on playing. I dont know how the hell Eddie Van Halen influenced this amps design since its so over the top from what he plays. its the loudest 60 watts i've ever heard. This amp is suited for extreme metal but, if EQ'd right it can play all other styles. In fact the rythem channel can be turned into a distorted crunch channel by setting the post and pre gain to the correct settings. If your giggin this amp is ideal but for practice its a to loud. You'll need an attenuator or volume box to lower it to suitable practice volumes that wont get you evicted from your apartment. an attenuator also adds a dynamic presence that enriches the sound. I would also recommend a noise gate to tighten the distortion. This amp does tend to hiss a bit and a noise gate would elminate that entirely. I have a morley noise gate and it did wonders for my tone, i literally am able to get any metal tone I want by adding that pedal. A noise gate is pretty much all you need to shape this amps tone.

It seems to be built well with its wooden outter shell covered in black leather.

Seems corporate everytime I call. It takes a while to be directed to the right person who can really answer your question but, they are very attentive and available.

Been playing for 9 years. Have ibanez and jackson shredders. If it were stolen I would probably get the head version although I dont know how anyone could steal this big of a unit. I wish it had a true master volume so I can play at practice volumes. I play metal, metalcore, thrash, and this amp gets those sounds with attitude. This amp sounds unique, and most importantly this amp sounds Mean.

Features are 2 channels, reverb, 2x12, 60w. It has been described well enough on other reviews.
The only other feature I wish it had is a footswitch for the clean/crunch switch. Other than that it's good.

I use it with Gibson guitars and a strat with a HSS pickup configuration. It sounds great. I have been playing 1/2 stacks all my life and it's the first time I am able to get a decent heavy distortion out of a combo. I am happy to finally be able to downsize. The amp sounds really good but I had to swap the speakers (with Celestions) and the tubes to get it where I wanted it to be.
The stock speakers were too bright and harsh and the stock tubes were too noisy. I replaced the speakers with an old Celestion GH12-70M and a new Vintage 30. It sounds much better now. The tubes were repalced with JJ 6L6s and a combination of NOS RCA, JJ and GT tubes in the preamp. With this mods, I can give the amp a 7 in the tone department. Without them it would be a 3 and I would probably end up selling it, but I really like its tone now.

One good thing about this amp is that even though it has tons of gain, it still lets the character of the guitar shine through. My strat still sounds like a strat, the Gibsons sound like Gibsons etc.

It's really a shame that Peavey chose such crap speakers and tubes for this amp. A lot of people will pass on it because of it.

Well I bought it just a few weeks ago and just had my first band practice with it last week. So far so good. I have had good experience with Peaveys in the past as far as reliability goes so it should be ok. It looks like it was well built, very solid and bulky.
I wouldn't gig without a backup ever with any amp. I always carry a small POD for a emergency situation.

This is out of warranty so I would just take to a local tech. Peavey does have a good website and all the manuals are available for download, even for discontinued products.

I've been playing guitar for 26 years, I am 33 years old now. I played metal for a long time but now I lean more towards classic rock, funk, blues and hard rock. I'm just getting old, I guess.

I am very happy with this amp. I still have my Marshall stack at home but I will probably sell it at some point because this amp sounds just as good and it's a lot easier to carry around (as long as it's on casters, it is a very heavy amp). I got it used for a killer price, normally they sell for a little more than the 450 I paid for it. At this price, it's an absolute steal. This is really a pro grade amp that will deliver tones that are good enough for any rock band or situation. Many top pros use 5150s and for a good reason. They're really top-notch amps. The stock speakers don't do the amp justice and an upgrade is mandatory if you want to get the best out of the amp. New tubes will also improve the tone and reduce the noise level on the gain channel.

I always wanted to find a combo that gave me the same power and tightness I used to get from my stacks and that's the first amp that really delivers it. Also it's one of the few amps I could plug straight into it without any effects and play a whole gig with it. The clean channel sounds really good and the drive channel is really amazing. I have my gain set to 5 and that's all the gain I need for shred solos and chunky rhythm.

One complaint I have is about the effects loop: the channel master volumes will affect the signal level going into the loop, making it a pain to use rack processors to it, because you have to constantly keep adjusting the in/out level on the rack every time you turn the amp volume up or down. My Marshall has the channel volumes past the loop so the rack levels stay the same regardless of the amp volume. That's much better.

Other than that I have no complaints about the amp, I like its size, tone and versatility. This is a real good choice for anyone planning to downsize from a 1/2 stack.

Made in 2000
Hits my style just fine.(southern rock,i.e. Lynyrd Skynyrd,Molly Hatchet,etc.)Also will get a good classic rock sound (ac/dc)or over the top gain.
Very simple,2 channels,1 E.Q. high,low gain input.1 trick pony,and thats the way I like it.
I use all the features,dont leave any out.
I use it at home.Dont gig.
Has enough power (60 tube watts)to blow your head off,etc.

Hi gain,Low gain,Classic rock,Metal,etc.
Not much variety.Again thats o.k. with me.
Does not really have a clean channel.
Distortion will rip your face off if you want !!
Epi.Les Paul Standard,(burstbuckers,and all new electr.etc.)Epi.Shearton 2,(Seymour Duncan,and all new electr. etc.)Great Guitars,"Crap" electronics !!!!!!!!
Stated above,style etc.
Changed speakers out for Celestion Vintage 30s, and JJ low gain tube option.(Helps settle the gain and hiss down,just a bit)Thanks Bob P. at Eurotubes !!

Very dependable. No problems at all. Would use it with out a back-up.
Never broken down. This thing is a Mack Truck !!!
I do live 1 hr.south of Meridian Ms. So if any problems come up Peavey is some-what in the back yard. These guys are "great".

Stated above,Very,Very good !!!
Will e-mail you,or call back very quickly !!!

Been playing off & on for 31 years.Peavey Mace 212BW combo,Peavey Delta Blues 210.The Mace is 30 years old.1977 model.
I would buy again.
Change the tubes,and speakers if you want. Have Fun !!!

I believe this is a 2003 model (according to the back at least). I play metal mainly and the 5150 is made perfectly for that style. I dabble in a bit of clean spacey stuff and some old school hard rock as well and this combo keeps up nicely for both of those types as well.

It is a 2 channel combo with a rythm and lead channel with shared eq. The rythm side has a bright and crunch switch as well as a overall resonance and presence control as well as built in reverb (which is the worst sounding reverb I have ever heard.) It has an effects loop as well as external speaker out and footswitch jack. My combo has Fender tubes in it for what thats worth as does my 5150 head. I thought it was kind of strange that both 5150s I have bought used had the same power tubes in them. Interesting.

This amp has plenty of power and will keep up with every half stack I have put it up against.

I am using a Washburn V with emgs in it as well as a Schecter 006 beater guitar with the emg passive. Both guitars sound really good thru this amp. I can get a good variety of tones (esp compared to the 5150 head which I also own). A good clean sound can be had; just bring up the rythm channel master volume and keep the pregain down around 2 or so with crunch off. If you do engage the crunch you can also get some good mild hard rock tones (if you back off the bass and resonance knobs). It can pretty boomy otherwise. The lead channel is sizzle heaven (in a good way). Very chunky for a combo and tight as well. It doesnt quite have the gut punch of the head with a 4x12; buts it REALLY close. I have toyed with the idea of selling it; but I like it too much to part with.

The only con I can find is that the treble is very very icepicky witht stock speakers. Ihave it and the presence on like 2 tops and that is it. I keep the bright switch off and it works good. With a speaker swap I would give it 9.

I havent gigged with it yet but I have practiced multiple times and it is pretty solid like every other Peavey I have had. It is sturdy and heavy as hell!!!

I havent needed customer support yet...

Overall I would rate this amp a 9. I have had A Dual Rec.; various older Peaveys (VTMs etc) and Orange AD 140 (Loud as Hell also!!!) and lots of rack stuff. The only amp I regret selling over the years was my Hafler Triple Giant Preamp (the one by Bogner). I have been thinking of selling this amp to buy something a little different than the head I own; but it sounds so damn good I cant bring myself to do it. I know I would regret the sale just like the Triple Giant; so I am keeping it. The only thing I wish it had were better speakers which down the road I might replace anyways. If you're looking for a good metal tone out of a combo; this is it period.

I don't know what year this amp was made in.

It is a very versatile amp, I have played jazz, blues, death metal, and it has so much gain that I never turn the dial above 5. if you open the back of the cab, you can get decent cleans and get rid of that "thumpy" sound.

it has 2 channels, I wish it had a real clean channel, but if you turn the rythm gain to 3 and unclick the crunch switch there is a very sweet clean tone. the reverb is very sweet. I never use the effects loop but it is there. and it has an extension jack just in case you have an audience outside of a 5 mile radius that isn't quite deaf yet.

it was a very good deal on a tube amp (I got mine used). it has everything but a clean channel.

If you can't find a good tone on this amp, sell your guitars now...you dont deserve them, maybe try the drums.

The clean channel is the rythm channel, so it can distort, but the master volume never goes above 1 or 2 (and the tubes still sound good!!!)

I play metal on a strat with the gain between 5 and 6. if you need more distortion than this amp has... what the heck are you doing to your poor guitar?

I mostly play classic rock (5150...VAN HALEN), with some blues and metal when I feel like it.

It can be noisy, but I just put in some new tubes and it is very quiet now, so maybe it was just the old stock tubes.

It sounds superb now, but it was only ok before the tube change, so I give it a 9.

It weighs nearly 100 pounds!!!! This thing is built like a block of concrete.

It is a tube amp and you should change them ever year or so, but when I got it the old tubes had been in it for almost four years and the amps still sounded decent.

I have never had to deal with peavey directly... I have heard that they can be rude though.

I have been playing about 5 years I use a lp and a strat.

stolen or lost... HA, HAHAHA, HAHAHAHAHAH, HO HO HAHAHA. ROFL.
I can only imagine someone trying to run down the streen with a 90 pound amp the size of a large television. And I hope I never get drunk enough to lose such a large piece of equipment. Even so, I probably would not buy another one, It is great and all.. but I would really like a nice bogner or a celtic.

For power tubes, I would recommend Eurotubes.com, the guy will pick through his stack and send you tubes to set the bias on the amp properly. and he sends the tubes the day you order with an e-mail from the owner himself.

I wouldn't recommend Electro Harmonix preamp tubes unless you like the icepick-in-the-ear feeling.

The layout of the controls is like every other regular combo: Gain and master volume for both channels, low, mid and high controls, presence, and the resonance control which is less likely to be found on other amps. Both channels share the same eq, but the clean channel has a "bright" switch. If you prefer a dark sounding distortion, you can use this switch for your clean channel. Reverb and an effects loop is also included.

Three features on this combo that I don't like:
1. The effects loop cannot be operated with the footswitch, which is only possible with the 5150 head.
2. The amp weighs about 90 lbs / 45 kilo. You are supposed to lift this weight with a single plastic handle. Get yourself some extra handles and wheels and a roadie.
3. The footswitch that comes with this amp is horrible, the cable breaks too easily and is too short for big stages, it's made of plastic and the plug doesn't look too solid either. I'd replace this with a Boss footswitch and a 6 meter stereo cable.

I use this amp with an Ibanez Universe of an Ibanez RG7421 with Di Marzio Evolution 7 pickups. I mostly play metal and rock.

About five years ago, I had the 5150 head, and I really liked it. When I quit my previous band, it had to go because it was too big for my living room. Now I play in a band again, and I was looking for the same thing in a smaller package. Enter the 5150 combo...

This amp can make any sound you like, but it is built for high gain rock and metal tones. First of all, plug your guitar in the low gain input. The pre-amp produces more gain than you would ever want from a guitar amp.

For a good clean tone, turn gain up to about two or three and the volume as you desire. The clean channel can also be used for good overdrive tones especially with the "crunch" switch.

The lead channel provides high-gain distortion tones with lots of sizzle and rumble. I'm happy that the sizzling sound can be reduced by turning gain no further than 6, High at 3 and presence at 4-6. Use lots of mids and add lows as you see fit. This channel does produce some noise, but the signal to noise ratio is still quite good. The key to dialing in low end rumble is using the resonance control.

Don't worry about volume. This amp is L-O-U-D !!! The speakers that come with this combo match the amp better than anything I've heard before. I like to play this amp with resonance control set at 8, and when it is cranked at concert volume, it rumbles, growls and screams. If you want, you can have bandmates and sound engineers begging for mercy. You might even blow away people who play full stacks.

Compared with the 5150 head, this combo sounds much better. The 5150 head had a fixed bias set for very low current, and the combo runs at a higher current than the head, causing the power amp to perform way better. The head I owned had groove tubes in both the pre- and power amp, and the combo still has the original nameless chinese tubes. Go figure.

With the head I owned I played gigs with it every week. I expect the same from this combo. It is built like a tank.

However, the footswitch that comes with the amp needs to be replaced to make it an 100% dependable amp, but I still give it a 10.

I sent Peavey a mail once wit a simple question, and I got my answer within a day. But I don't know how they handle serious problems.

The lead channel provides excellent high gain tones, and it's the only amp I know that is both affordable and capable of handling deathmetal style riffing without using a distortion pedal. This makes the 5150 a unique amp.

There are a few flaws as mentioned in the "features" section, but I'll rate it top notch anyway. The reason I do this, is that there's nothing like it for this price, and this amp oozes attitude!

just purchased used a few weeks ago. Serial number indicates a manufacture date of 2002.All tube of course. The amplifier is versatile enough for my style which is classic hard rock and metal, blues, some clean jazzier type stuff, and some older country. I have a completly different rig for the clean tones. I use the 5150 only for dirty tones. Basically has two dirty channels. One a little brighter than the other. You can get a clean sound out of it but it is a nice "dirty" clean that has its own character and is very nice for straight up blues. Cool reverb, not too overbearing. The effects loop works well although I don't use alot of effects other than the built in reverb. I plan on gigging this amplifier heavily. I am in two different bands at the moment and needed a new powerhouse rock amp to go with my other dirty amps. Judging from what I have gotten out of it the past two weeks this amp should do fine. The amplifier has plenty of power. I run it through a marshall 4-12 cab and it gets loud enough for any situation. Compresses and smoothes out very nicely at higher volumes. This amp has great features for what it was designed to do, dirty tones.

I use a Gibson Les Paul Standard with Dimarzio super distortions, A stock fender american stratocaster, an old kramer Baretta, A peavey Wolfgang, and a musicman Axis stock. The amp suits hard rock and metal very well. It was a little hissy on the high gain lead channel with the gain set above six but this was mitigated by using higher quality preamp tubes. Nice and quiet now. The amp is one of the best amps for distorted tones that I have heard. My other amplifiers are a Mesa Rectifier-from the first year of production, Boogie mark III/w graphic eq, A Soldano SLO that I have had since 1993, and a Marshall Mk II 50 watt combo that I have owned since 1978, a Fender twin, and a Music Man HD-130 2-12 for clean stuff. The distortion that the amp produces could be called "brutal" ( I love these modern Nu Metal terms, they crack me up). I used my Marshall primarily from 1978 up until I purchased my Soldano in 1993. The 5150 sounds alot like the Soldano which is one of the reasons that I purchased it. They have almost the same tone but a little different at the same time. But they both are nice and smooth at higher volumes, nice and creamy. Good job Eddie. He and Peavey practically nailed the Soldano tone. ED still uses Soldano's by the way.

I have had this amplifier for just under 3 weeks now. I have played with the master volume above 3 most of that time with no problems. I am very impressed with the build quality. Very well made and solid. I believe that the amp should hold up very well for many years.

Have not used

I have been playing profesionally for 25 years, gigging, recording, jingles, etc.... If the amp were stolen, I might replace it due to the 5150 moniker; hopefully I won't deal with that situation. I have alot of other things that I could still use. I like the fact that it sounds very much like a Soldano but at a much lower cost. I have not found anything that I don't like about it yet. a nice solid amplifier and certainly one of the best sounding tube amplfiers out there in my experience. Very cool. Has a great vibe to it that just makes you want to play more and more and more..... One thing I have found from experimenting with the amp is that if you disconnect the internal speakers and run a 4-12 off of the amp it sounds awesome. The internals speakers are great for portability but the 4-12 really makes the amplifier thump and brings out the power of the amp. This is not to say the 2-12's don't sound great, they do. It's just that a 4-12 is a little more fun!

Dunno the year of manufacture. It has 60 watts, so it's enough for reharsal or live situations.

It has channel switching, effect loop, spring reverb, resonance control. Rhythm channel can be used as a clean channel or a crunch channel just by pressing one button.

There's also a bright switch to add more top end to clean tones too. This also leads me to understand that its design derives from a Soldano SLO infact when you set the distortion control way up, it add little extra low end just as the SLO.

One Hi gain input and one Low Gain input for clean tones. You can't ask for more in this price range.

It also can be used with a 4x12 external cabinet but there's no impedance control (16 Ohm min)

I use it with a lot of guitars but the Peavey Wolfgang and the Les Paul Custom are the ones I use the more with this baby. It works better (only?) for Heavy Metal and Hard Rock genres, maybe for a little blues music.

Little noisy: sometimes it starts to feedback even at low volumes. Anyway I said before that this amp to me sounds similar to a Soldano SLO (I own one) but the differences are that with the SLO you don't nearly have all that distortion but it's way more dynamic and you can really use the clean channel for clean tones.
I cannot use the Peavey 212 with the lead preamp pushed more than 5 because there's too much distortion and it become too much thick and harsh losing definition. Anyway it has a really good sound even at low volumes at home. Not really the first VH kind of tone, but you can work it out...

As I said before this babe doesn't have a good clean channel, but you can definitely get better clean tone by changing preamp tubes (I use JJ 12AX7 tubes to get rid of the harsh distortion from chinese tubes).

My amp has a little problem: sometimes more or less after an hour playing, it does a circle hum and the volume gets down to zero. I switch it off, and on again, and it works great for another hour or so...

Anyway I found it lying alone in dust in a guitar store and I paid few bucks for it, and I own 5 amps, so I'm happy with it.

Never dealt with.

I play guitar for 17 years, now. I'd buy it again but maybe, if stolen, I'd prefer the head because this amp is really, really, really heavy. I love it's lead tone beacuse it is just good right when you switch it on. I wish it had a impedance control and two handles and maybe 4 small wheels...

2 Channels (Rhytmn & Lead), with High and Low Inputs. Really doesn't have a "true" clean channel, but thats not what you're buying this amp for anyway. You only have one set of EQ knobs for both channels, which can be a problem depending on what kind of sound you want, but on the other hand, with the extra Resonance and Presence controls (ultra low and ultra high freq. controls) it more than makes up for it. It's listed at 60 watts, but is probably loud enough to blow the side of a building off. More than enough power for anyone not playing stadiums.

I use a Peavey Wolfgangs, and it seems like this guitar compliments the amp completely (which would make perfect sense, seeing as they were both used by the same artist) My band plays a variety of hard rock cover songs, and this amp can nail almost any of the sounds I need. Once again the clean channel isn't much to get excited about. It's there, and it works good enough. But the distortion kills. I use this on the Low Gain input with the Gain set on 3-4, and its still brutal. More distortion than anyone could ever possibly need. Many complain that it lacks bass, and at lower volumes, it does. But cranked up, it sounds awesome. It's only really noisy if its turned up past 4, but thats what noise gates are for. It does make a hissing noise while not being played, but supposedly new tubes fix this problem (I have yet to try).

It's a tube amp, so there's always the risk of tubes dying, but then again, with only 2 power tubes, theres not a lot to replace, which makes my wallet happy. It's built like an ox (weighing in at near 100 lbs.) No problems with it yet, and I don't anticipate any anytime soon.

Never dealt with Peavey, for the 5150 or my Wolfgangs, which says something for their reliability if nothing else.

I've been playing 5 years, and this is the best amp I've played yet. I know its not a boutique amp which seems like all the rage these days, but as a modern guitar player in a modern world, thats not what I want. If you're looking for a warm, overdriven sound, and pristine cleans, look elsewhere, but if you want a balls to the wall rock sound, the 5150 is your daddy.

This one was made in 2004. It's not versatile. This is a heavy metal amp. If you want clean sounds then you need to change the tubes and that kills the whole point of this amp. 2 channels. Rhythm and lead. The rhythm channel is pretty good. Lead channel lacks definition to me. The resonance dial combined with the closed back cab does generate a f**kin' heavy sound. This is not for someone who needs to play a multitude of styles. It's a metal amp. Don't run distotions or too many other effects thru it.It isn't designed for that. Trust me the amp distortion is amamzing. I see too many people spunking loads of money for a class valve amp and then they run a Boss GT6 thru it! * shrugs * Why?
I used it for reharsals and live venues in London.

I always use Sg's or Lp's. Suited what I was playing. i.e. metal.
Being a really high gain amp this thing is noisy! It's always a trade off. Invest in a quality noise gate like the ISP decimator especially if using stompboxes. If you're using a GT6 or some other bit of digital crap with this amp then shame on you.
Clean!? forget it. It's not what it's designed for!!!
The distortion is extremely brutal and just squashes any other combo I've tried. Whether that's good I don't know. Maybe too much power and no finesse?
I have sold it on as I'm now playing in a band with a "lighter" sound.

Seemed well built. All switches and dials are on top of the combo and not on the front panel. Simple footswitch works well but is plastic. Not sure how long this would last.
No problems with it while I owned it.

Never answered my e-mails. Thanks Peavey!

Great amp but a one trick horse. I now use a Marshall TSL 602 which I think is superior and suits the band I play in. But that is just my taste. Both great amps. The Marshall just has more tone and versatility.
The amp's bloody heavy but that's part of the sound and character. I used to think I Was going to snap my spine lugging this thing about!
Could do with castors and side handles! If you haven't got space or the transport for a stack then this is a good choice. It sounds like a 4x12!

Bought this amp in 2002 and has been able to play to my perfection. The features are great because of the resonance and presence mode. Plus this is Eddie Van Halen's model so you know it will kick ass cuz he is the best.

THIS AMP IS &^%$#!& LOUD, which is good for metal shredders. I am a guitar luthier (build guitars) I also have experience in building amps, I am still on a quest to find the perfect amp and this may not be it. but it is for the time being, what a lot of guitarist don't realize is that the hissing can be stopted with noise gates specifically the boss ns-2 and it will sound perfect, I know I know, why spend extra money on a pedal to hush hissing when I can buy some other amp such as a marshall or mesa boogie, because those two amps sound like $%^& compared tp the 5150 so stop your whining and if the amp hissing bothers you, buy a noise gate.

This has never let me down sound wise, although it does weigh areound 90 pounds which is heavier than most amps, also does not have handles on the side of the amp likes most but one on the top which is $%^&ty, personally it looks really goofy picking it up like a lunch box and can possibly damage your back if moving it up and down the stairs buy your self like I have, but I have never worked out a day in my life so what the &^%$! maybe I should.....

Sounds fantasic which is the most important part, but lugging this amp around on tour, on and off of a van, up and down stairs, and in and out of venues every night with no help will give you quite a workout. Plus the wheels will slide the amp around in the van killing every band mate so put it on it's side even though it only has one shitty handle on the top!!!

ITs a 2004 its got basic you know what it had when you got it so cant $%@^& about that

sounds great pretty much ,,the average guitar selection lil harsh buta few good guys mod them cheap

THIS is where it gets good preamp section whant south ,,music store had it for a month then they thought they let peavey fix it,,well peavey had it for like ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 5 months came back working with no reverb but it worked huh pretty good hell no,,looked like sumbody beat the $%^& out of the face plate all &^%$#@ up on top of it still didnt work right ,,mind you this still looked like a brand new amp mark free,, never ever will i get anything peavey again if thats what there about :O(

look up many times

sucks i got a $%^&!@ one and they made it $%^&!@# cause it does sound nice

Not sure on the year, but it is more than five years old.

Amp is perfect for everything I play. Normally this consists of brutal metal, but I also love playing simple clean music which I believe this amp to handle just fine! 2 channels that are switchable. No headphone jack. No real features I could ask for.

I use this amp in my apartment (much to my neighbors dismay...) and to play with my band. This amp w/o an extra cabinet holds it's ground against drums and the other musicians without even turning the volume as loud as it will go. I actually found that the 5150 combo got louder volumes than my close friend's marshall jcm 900 head.

I play through a Epiphone Les Paul with humbuckers. This amp suits all my needs and more. The various tones you can get out of the Rhythmn channel cover anything I could ever dream of playing, and the Lead channel is full on metal pretty much. This amp is noisy as hell, even with a noise suppressor, but that is why they gave us a clean channel so you can foot switch after the song is over. You simply have to live with noise, any hi gain amp is going to hiss. I keep my gain around 7 and it creates a great deal of noise.

The clean channel gets as loud as my buddy's jcm 900 before distorting. He has the full half stack with a marshall 1960 cabinet, so I am not fretting about the clean volume at all. If you are playing a decent venue, everything will be mic'ed anyway, so you shouldn't worry about this.

The distortion is a God send in my opinion. There is something about the mesa and marshall tones that I just really don't like when playing metal. I have heard so many recordings of bands that I love and read how they played 5150's. If it is good enough for unearth, it is good enough for me (though I believe they got endorsed by someone else recently...)

The sounds out of this amp are incredible, and I know of a number of people that favor the combos to the heads. There are problems with the biasing on the heads that gives crossover distortion as well as poor clean tone. This can be modded, but it is going to cost you a pretty penny. More can be read here: http://www.eurotubes.com/euro-k.htm

This thing is a tank. I have never dropped it, but you can read the other reviews where people have dropped em' down entire flights of stairs and the entire amp is fine. The last band I was in, knocked a dual rectifier off a cabinet, and a tube blew. Can't say I have been in these situations enough to say that the 5150 is built better, but I am willing to put my money on this amp outlasting tons of others.

Never had a problem!

I have had this amp for a year now, and only had one tube fail. If this amp was stolen or lost, I would look for another 5150 combo.

I love the overall tone, volume, and over the top distortion. This amp does EVERYTHING I could possibly dream of, and I don't plan on ever parting with it.

Only thing I could possibly dislike is the freaking hiss, but there is not a SINGLE thing you can do about this on ANY high gain amp.
I compared this amp to my friend's marshall jcm 900 half stack, 5150 half stack, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Half stack, and found that this amp had all the sounds I wanted for the price, and was still practical enough for me to jam with a drummer. Later on I plan on adding a cabinet to this amp for added volume, but mainly for stage presence. This amp does it all!

My amp was shipped out September 1993, I play mainly '80s style metal, and instrumental stuff(think Steve Vai). Lately, I've also been playing rock opera/broadway type stuff. Great sound through the amp, however if you play like $%^&, the amp will show it. Doesn't hide your tone. It is a tube/combo amb with two 12" speakers, hence the name 212 Combo. (Played a $3,000 Marshall half stack and this amp blows it away.)

Right now I have an ESP LTD KH-202(Kirk Hammett Sig.) and an ESP LTD EXP-200("Lawsuit Edition" Explorer) and both guitars sound great in it, the KH-202 has dual EMG HZ-4 passive pickups in it and the Explorer has dual duncan designed humbuckers, both sound great but I'm getting an EMG 81/60 or 85(neck) set up for the Explorer and I'm selling the KH-202 to get a ESP LTD Deluxe M-1000. The amp has great tone, pinch/natural harmonics are incredible sounding. Can get a good strat sound if you turn up the gain on the rythm channel and use it with destortion, but then again, who wants a strat sound? This amp wasn't made for Eric Clapton. The only problem with the amp is the noise the fuzzy "hiss" is constant on the rhythm channel and even louder on lead(less noticeable whilst playing on the lead, though). I think the tone is just friggin' killer, best amp I've played.

This amp is the definition of badass, weighs 84.5 pounds by itself, that by itself makes it strong as hell, built like a tank.

I did call Peavey at one time, whoever owned the amp before did not take care of the tubes, I got it used. It sounds great right now and will probably sound even better when I get new tubes/speakers in it, the post gain pot on the rhythm channel is dirty, (which obviously won't be the same on every 5150) so it makes a crackling noise when you turn it, but that's just with mine because the previous owner didn't take care of it. The company was very friendly/helpful and they helped me a lot, stayed on the phone with me for 20 minutes and helped me diagnose the problem, didn't get irate with me or anything. I definetely wouldn't mind dealing with them again, not sure on the warranty, got mine used, but I do know my local shop has a 1 year warranty on anything you buy from them.(Which has run out had it for 13 months now and still working great on old tubes/speakers/electronics.)

All you people need to stop !@#$%ing about not being able to find tones like Eddie Van Halen's or Zakk Wylde's or anything, any amp is made for you to find your own tone/sound, they just provide the sound and good electronics, playing guitar isn't about COPYING famous guitarists, play because you WANT to play, not for the money.

my amp is a 2000 and I like all the features. I put casters and handle (85 lbs) . The only bad point:The amp doesnt have crunch on/off on the footswich (footswitch cable lenght =20``--good-)

gibson lespaul classic 1960 (reissu),Boss GT6 ,Cry Baby Wha Pedal
5150 sound very good ... a truee tube sound, but dont abuse of pre amp gain, its a gain monster he can give a very very saturated sound ..BE CAREFUL!!

Heavy but very strong amp

5 years warranty are good but I didnt need it

a very versatile map to rock hard. try it and if its your amp you will know very fast. Its my amp.Is not very expensive and better tube give him a better sound

Built in 2002. Decent clean channel through low gain input, so that covers the clean. It is not a fender type clean but still very good. The amp is versatile enough for me. I play hard rock, metal and blues. Clean channel has the crunch switch which is very cool. Adds alot of gain and you can get alot of different tones on this channel alone with that switch. Good feature. Reverb is included. I only use it when playing clean. I gig every week with this amp. Plenty of power. Extremely loud and cuts through a full band well..

This is the best amp ever! Pure tube, sweet, warm, and nasty. I use a Peavey Wolfgang, Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul Standard and gibson es-335. I can get any rock and roll sound you can think of.I have played for 22 years and have not heard a finer sounding piece of gear. I have the matching 5150 cabinet and a Marshall 1960B cabinet That I can use with it. Both cabs sound great through it though I like the sound of the 5150 cab slightly better. It does Vintage 30 better than the real thing. The thing I like the most about it is its ability to sound great at low volumes and then just explodes and sounds 10 times better when loud (master at 4-5)The volume just slams you in the chest like a sledge hammer. I never take the gain on the lead channel above 4, I just crank the volume and that does the rest. There is a misconception that the more gain you use the better. This is not true. You must drive the output tubes as well to get a truly great sound. I played for years using too much distortion and it just thins out your sound. Cleaner = fatter tone and better technique. You just can't hide behind alot of distortion although this amp has more gain than You could ever use if you want it. This amp is also unforgiving to sloppy technique. If you can't play this amp will show it.

Never had a problem. Nuff said.

never had to deal with them .

Like I said , the best amp ever. Why pay more for tone?

I am not sure what year the amp was made in. I bought the combo used on Ebay. It has new power and pre amp tubes with less than 5 hours on them.
It has 3 channels, effects loop and a foot switch option.
We all know the specs
The amp is loud

I can't get close to any VH type sound. Think has nasaly mids. The EQ, presence and bright swtich (on rythym channel) are useless. They hardly do anything. I thought the amp was broken but the local repair shop gave it a clean bill of health.
The clean channel isn't very clean
The distortion is brutal and sounds like shit. Lead channel is not needed rythm channel has enough gain that anything past 7 is unusable.

I was able to dial in a Zakk Wylde type sound but that was it.
I've heard several audio clips of this combo producing a really good tone. I am completely disappointed and I no longer believe the sound clips I head came out of a 5150 combo.

I haven't had it long enough.

Called Peavey to get a replacement panel, (yeah I wanted to make it at least look pretty since it sounded so bad). After navigating through the PBS the phone in the parts center just rang and rang for 6 minutes nad 14 seconds.

I have been playing for 12 years. I am just getting back into it now after a 12 year hiatus.

1996 block letter 2X12 combo 60 of the LOUDEST watts I've ever heard.
everyone knows what these amps are all about feature wise so I'll just move on. I give it a 6 because I wish It had separate eq's for the 2 channels and I wish the crunch was included in the foot pedal.
got it used on Ebay from the original owner and he took really good care of it. looks brand new!
I wish it had a line out and a headphone jack but no biggie.

I play a Jackson SL2H-Mah soloist and GMW Charvel strat clone and a San Dimas Jackson bolt on strat. All 3 have Seymour Duncans in them.
I play mostly old school 80's type of rock/metal- Van halen, Ratt, Dokken, Ozzy, Yngwie,Megadeth etc, but I also play alot of fusion and some Jazz. This amp is not for fusion or jazz, it is a kick ass rock/metal amp period and as far as that goes I have to give this amp a 9. when I got it it still had the original chineese tubes in it. I did a total retube with JJ's and it made a very noticable difference. the lead channel on this thing is really noisy, but the JJ's did eliminate a lot of the hiss ( an ISP Decimator in the loop kills the rest), and the overall tone greatly improved. It also cleaned up the rhythm channel nicely, now it actually sounds good clean.
As far as what this amp is supposed to do,it does it really well. I have a real good Megadeth "Rust in Peace" tone dialed in right now on the rhythm channel with the crunch in. It just sounds f'n amazing, even at low volume this thing sounds great but it really shines when you turn up the post gain past 4, then WHOAHHHHHHHH, freaking loud as hell but man what a great sound you can get out of this thing.
When I plug in my GMW (solid maple quilt body and maple neck) and adjust the EQ a little bit and add on the slap back delay think Ratt" Lay it Down", it's almost like Warren is in the room with you!
The lead channel is great for .......... ah leads, the tone is voiced just a little differently on the lead channel from the rhythm channel and it gives you a little range in tone. I wish the crunch was included in the foot pedal but no biggie. I don't really get a real "Early Van Halen" sound out of this amp but I can get close enough. With a marshal cab with a mix of V30s and g12h-75s I know I could get real close. VhAholic (check it out http://www.jasonjosephphotography.com/soundclips.html)
nails that VH tone with his 5150 combo and I think the difference is in the speakers.
Regardless I love this amp!
I have a B-52 AT-212 combo that I use for Jazz and fusion and more mesa sounding metal tones,but for old school metal, browner tone
this amp just Kicks Ass! I'd give it a 10 but you really only get one tone out of this thing albeit it is a killer tone, so you lose 1 for lack of versatility.

haven't had it long enough to tell but it certainly is built like a truck. I don't expect to have any problems with this thing at all.

I have not ever dealt with Peavey but I've never heard anything bad. The Peavey forum is certainly helpful enough.

I've been playing on and off since 1975, I wish I had this amp back in the early 80's when I was doing a lot of gigging and playing all that cool 80's metal in clubs.
If this thing dies on me I would probably get a JSX combo, only because it's more versatile, and it sounds a little better at lower volumes than this does, but I think 5150s are a kick ass amp.
If I was playing in a metal band that was gigging out a lot, this would probably be my amp of choice. I can't ever imagine having a hard time cutting through the mix using one of these amps. This is easily the loudest 60 watt combo I've ever heard. the guy I got this from on ebay was the original owner and installed wheels and included the manual and a cover, and took really good care of it. so I did really well on this one. SCORE!

I bought the amp used on Ebay - I was told it is from 2000 or so. Features are pretty basic - Rhythm and lead channels both with gain controlls but no seperate Eq. It it also has effects loop and reverb. Beyond that what else do you need - it's a tube amp! If you want an amp to be able to model a hundred different amps buy solid state. One very large plus for this amp is that, at least mine, has a great sound at low volume and obviously it is a world shaker at high volume. I give it an 8 because it would be nice to have separate EQ controls for the channels

I have had this amp for about 18 months and have been foolishly trying to scale down and get rid the 5150 since I bought it. It is a lot of amp! Here is what I have discovered - I can't get rid of it because is blows away everything I have tried to replace it with. Since I bought this amp I have played an '84 Kramer Focus 3000 (with a really beefy Dimarzio humbucker) and have been happy with the sound. I can get wicked thumping metal through the lead channel but also really nice bluesy sound in the rhythm channel - SRV like stuff with the bridge pick-up. Recently I switched to an Epi Les Paul (yes this is also and endorsement for the Epi Les Paul) and my feelings for this amp are set in stone now. This is a great amp that can do almost anything - I run from Metal to Blues to Punk to Cow Punk and Psychobilly - this amp can do it all. You just have to tweek the gain and reasonance. I have had no noise problems. I think my tube selection has a lot do to with the versatility - Groove Tube power tubes and JJ preamp tubes - a ying and yang tube philosopy that seems to be working. If you are looking for shimmering clean sound or twang this is not the amp for you.

I have had no problems - I live on a nice quiet street and do not drive the amp much but do play loud enough to really feel that I am playing. Tubes last me quite a long time - if you are out gigging a lot they will not last as long. The amp is very heavy and very well built! In transit the spring reverb is very rattly - does not affect the sound - it's just odd. I have had other spring reverb amps that did not make as much noise when moved.

I have dealt with them only in the 80's after I bought a Stereo Chorus 400. I had a problem and they replaced the amp. My only gripe with Peavey is that their warranty is non-transeferable. The warranty on mine ran out long before I bought it.

Epi Les Paul has become my main guitar - I cannot believe how long I played a strat copy. I will hold on to the Kramer for sentimental reasons. I have a pretty long row of Boss effects that work well through the effects loop.

Here is what I have tried to replace the 5150 with - a Mesa Boogie 50 Caliber Plus, Marshall JCM 600 and a Peavey Triple X. Of the three the Marshall was hardest to part with (traded it for the Les Paul). The Triple X was fun but a one trick pony and the Mesa...I do not understand the status Mesa enjoys.

One thing that would be a nice addition - Clean channel with no gain control and stronger reverb. If it were stolen I would certainly replace it!

Please read the other reviews for the feature list. I've modded mine for an external bias control pot (I mounted it near the power tubes). I also added a "master" volume pot, which I mounted underneath also. This allows me to turn the PRE and POST pots to my liking without meltdown. I wish it had an EQ on each channel, but I added an additional tone stack with sweepable mids for that also.

For the $1100 retail price, it's lacking features.

Excellent sounds. The harmonics that come from the lead channel are rich, high, and outright incredible. The distortion is heavier than any other amp I've played. It's also noisier than any amp I've played. A noise gate in the effects loop tames this. The rhythm channel can be clean, but it's not "chimey" like Fenders and Marshalls can be.

I rebuilt this amp from 50% up. It was destroyed when I got it. All pots broken, bias resistor burned, PCBs not even in the chassis, reverb not working, etc. Fortunately, I can fix these things myself. It's reliable now.

Mine has been out of warranty since before I owned it. Peavey's parts department is a freaking joke. Those people don't know what part goes where. They don't even have diagrams to look at. You'd better know the 11-digit part number when you call... which is hard to do when you need a "4 long screws that bolt the chassis to the cab", of which there are 10 different sizes. 6 out of the 8 orders I called in resulted in either the wrong parts or nothing at all. They never even bothered to call and tell me that they were out of a part... just took my credit card info and left me waiting. Amazing. If my company ran its business like this, we'd be finished. Yep, basically worthless.

I've been a fan of Peavey's amps for quite a while. But if they can't get their act together in the parts department, I'll videotape myself pushing my Peaveys in the swimming pool and share it with you all. Yeah, melodramatic, but today was another wrong parts shipment. The parts department is killing their rating here in my review.

I've got an XXL head and 5150 4x12 cab also. It's a great SS amp for the money.

just got my second 5150 combo. Made in late 2004 I believe. Identical in all ways to my first. I got another one so that I can run stereo. I also run an ADA MP-1 tube pre-amp, and a Digitech GNX4 digital modeler into the effects returns on both amps for a stereo sound. The 5150's make a great power amp too! Absolutly huge sound! Has all the features.

This is why I am writing a review again. Using the same Musicman EVH and Peavey Wolfgang guitars as before, This combo sounds way better than my other one. WAAAYYYYY better. I have never heard so much shredding gain from any amp I have ever heard, PERIOD! My friend has a FRAMUS COBRA head and it does not compare to the 5150. Tight, articulate, even ordered harmonic crunch. Almost violin like distortion. Just unbeleivable. I opened it up to check the tubes and guess what? The tubes are what is making all of the difference. My other 5150 has JJ tubes and the new one uses Sovtek wxt+ power tubes and Electro Harmonix 12ax7eh pre-amp tubes. I swapped them and the first combo sounded like the newer one. The JJ's sound good too, but the Sovtek-Electro Harmonix combination takes it for sheer gain and note definition. Overall better tone. No buzziness or harsh overtones. No noticable increase in background hiss. We will see how long they keep sounding that good. Good tubes mean everything boys and babes!

As before built like a tank. I fully expect this one to last for years

Good People. I had a pickup fail on a brand new Wolfgang and Steve Smith from peavey had another one out to me in two days. Very cool!

Been playing, sound teching and consulting for 25 years. This is one of the top 5 best Rock and Metal amps on the planet. I have heard others that only sounded slightly better for 3 times the price and there is a cut-off point where all that extra money does not get you that much more of an amp. I have compared it to Soldano, Marshalls of all types, Bogner, Framus, Engle, Boogie, Deizel, and Line 6 Vetta, It, and it's little brothers the the Triple XXX and the JS-X can hold their own with any of the high priced stuff for Overdriven distorted tones, especially with the right tubes. Spend that extra $1,500 dollars you will save on another guitar or a night of sin in Vegas. Peavey Rokkkkkkkkkks!

Peavey 5150 212 combo, 60 watts, 5 12AX7 Preamp and 2 6L6 Power Tubes. 2 Channels (lead/rhythm) shared EQ. Bright and Crunch controls on rhythm, resonance and presence on lead. FX loop. I do wish it had seperate EQ controls. Unfortunately peavey never made a 5150 II combo, only the head version. The combos are fixed bias and from my experience a little better on clean tone. Don't get me wrong, this is still no Fender Bassman or 65 Twin Reverb..Its not made for clean. Loud Loud Loud!!

The amp sounds ok at low volumes as long as you crank the presence control. The louder you turn the amp (post gain = volume) the less presence you need. With postgain on 1 i keep resonance at 8. With post gain at 3 I bump presence back to 4. (keeping resonance up for low end). I use Fender Atomic Humbuckers and Stock MIM single coils. The humbuckers sound great but the single coils are not so hot. I purchased this amp because Ross Childress used this amp when touring for Collective Soul and he has a very long sustain, hot lead tone. I later found out his lead tone came from his Fender 65 Twin Reverb with an Ibanez Tube King and/or an Ibanez PUE5 Tubescreamer and he just ran the 5150 dry along side of it to thicken up his sound.

The amp is fairly quiet on the rhythm channel..on lead with the pre-gain past 5 and it'll hum like the dickens. Doesn't really matter if your going to be riffing anyways. The clean channel is do-able. Raise the post gain to around 4 and drop the pre-gain on the rhythm channel to 1.5 bright switch in, crunch switch out and it has a very decent clean tone. The distortion on the amp is not very versatile..It has that Peaveyesque flavor to it that you can't shake (not necessarily a bad thing) off..... I did put JJ tubes in and it helped the sound a little.. Not sure if an untrained ear would be able to notice the difference but it did help the sound a bit. The louder the amp is, the less gain you need and the better it sounds. For this reason I'm trying to sell mine (if your interested email me). Because I have kids and I don't get a chance to explore the amps full potential..I would rather have something I can get nice hi-gain tones at low volumes (Tonelab SE, POD..something along those lines)

This weighs 85 lbs, very solid. Manufactured very well. Easy to replace tubes. Tubes are well protected..

Better than Fender but its not Robert Keeley/Dr. Z service...

I've been playing for 7 years. This is a good amp but I would get something else if stolen. The tone is great but its just not my tone..I'm still searching for my own unique sound..I'm going for a saturated (almost synth like) distortion that allows some chord work without completely fuzzing out. I'm leaning toward a Vox Tonelab SE in conjunction with some gear and an old Fender amp I have.

Overall If you like metal/rock and will be playing gigs and shows. Go for this. Csoul, 3 doors down..lots of bands use them (lets not forget EVH used them at some point..but not anymore) If your a bedroom player there is more practical gear that you can buy for $500 to $1000.

Everyone knows the features.
My only problem is the lack of 2 seperate EQ's for each channel.
But thats what the 5150II is for. Another thing...people complain about there not being a clean. If you want a clean amp, why are you even looking at this? You should know that the 5150 is a Hi-Gain amp. I play mainly a mix of grindcore, hardcore, metalcore, and doom metal...and this thing gets the job done.

Firstly, I plugged my Dimebucker-equiped LTD M-100 into it. Brutal. the Rhythm channel has a nice cutting crunch, and when you click the crunch switch off and roll the gain back a little, it gets a really nice, fat, ballsy blues sound. Now for the Lead channel. This thing gets waaaay more gain than I'll ever need!
Next was my 1964 single coil Jaguar. It had a lot of hum and feedback, but still retained some clarity and had a nice fat sound when i used just a little overdrive on the Rhythm channel.

This thing is built like a frickin' tank! It's all of 85 pounds, and it shows! The thing as almost as big as my Marshall cabinet. Other than a few cosmetic issues (that were there when i got it), this thing rocks!

Havn't had any problems yet.

I give it a 9, just because I wish that there was an extra EQ for both channels. But like stated above, that's what the 5150II is for.

All-tube, 2 channels: Rhythm & Lead. Rhythm has Bright and Crunch switch