Peavey 5150 II

2002 model great amp super versatilefor clasic rock to heavey metal.It has two channels but with the foot swichable cruch button it has three IMHO efex loop on the foot switch great stuff and this 5150 II has a bias trim built in You need this in all your tube amps

I use humbuckers(PRS) and single coils(strat) The amp handles both with ease. A word about the clean sound, This amp can do a good clean sound if you dial it in right. To have an amp do a good clean and a super rythm dirt and a super over the top brutal distortion and then don't forget sustain for days in the lead channel, well what hell more do you want. On top of that these amps are cheap and still built well. stop complaining about the clean, its good enough. I use the clean channel for my plexi type gain (split my p/u's and roll back the guitar volume and you got a good clean sound) then I engage the crunch button for a JCM 800 sound and you get a volume bump which I like a lot. You can puch up your rythm parts for dynamics or even use it for leads(good stuff)Then there's the lead channel which is great. I find I go low on the treble (say about three) and then dial in my highs with the resonce power amp adjustment. this is when the amp really started to sing for me (the power amp adjustments are key) I also am running just two power tubes and I switched to kt-88's I'm a Marshall guy and my plexi has more tone but this amp for playing gigs can't be beat. I don't no why people bash 5150's it's a real work horse that does a lot of things very well.

had three never a problemn

playing about 30 years I own a plexi and a fenderI've had Bogner soldano and mesas's don't belieave the hype on the high priced amps. you'll pay 100% more and get about 5% better tone maybe. Save you money and buy a peavey or a Marshall old scholl Plexi The marshall Hand wired series are freakin fantasti but they're big bucks.

I am the recent proud owner of a 2004 120-watt all-tube, all-balls Peavey 5150 II. As far as features, i couldn't give her a 10, just because it doesn't have reverb, but then again, i don't use reverb. With the introduction of the mk.II 5150, Peavey added a third option for you cry baby's who NEEDED a 'clean' channel. The rhythm channel is now a true clean channel, with a BRIGHT and CRUNCH push button to enhance the clean channel.
As far as power and gain, DAMN!!!!! 120 WATTS OF ALL-TUBE POWER!! It's a fuckin beast. I play in a rehersal studio, at my singer's house, and this amp, at 3, can be heard up the street. I love tube amps, and this is the best tube amp on the planet, as far as sound-quality to price. No other amp comes close.

I have two Gibson Les Pauls, both with active EMGs, and a Peavey Wolfgang special. I use 5 pedals, 2 through the effects loop-a Boss Chorus Ensemble and Digital Delay DD-3,- and Crybaby Hendrix wah, Dunlop Rotovibe and a Boss Super Overdrive SD-1 run straight in to the amp. This amp is everything i could ever ask for with my set-up. The RHYTHM channel, with the BRIGHT and CRUNCH buttons in, gives you that classic JCM-800 like tone. With the Super Overdrive kicked in, u get that Zakk Wylde/BLS style tone, a lot of crunch with an insane amount of sustain. For my clean tones, i usually just turn the SD-1 off and engage the CE-5 and roll off the volume of my guitar, down between 2-4, giving me then best late 80s to mid 90s style ballad tone. I always keep the PRE-GAIN controls on my amp at 10, i like to keep the 12AX7 tubes hot. However, sometimes i like the 'chimmey' clean tone. I turn off the crunch channel, leaving the clean pre-amp tone, with the CE-5 still on. It is incredible the nice clean gain tone u get. It is clean, but with the preamp tubes burning hott, u get a nice chime to the tone.
NOW, we get in to the whole reason people buy this amp. THE LEAD CHANNEL. Before i bought this amp, i was torn between the 5150 II and the Peavey XXX. The lead channel on this amp has more balls than the XXX could dream of. It has more gain the a Hughes & Kettner and a MESA/Boogie Triple Rec. It is simply sick as hell. It has gain at every volume, .5 all the way up to 10. Even though as a warning, be careful turning this amp up past 6 or 7 as most amps, or people's ears for that matterm can handle the amp of gain this amp has to offer.

I would put my life up for this amp. It has been nothing but good to me.

I've been playing guitar for 8 years, i play everything from southern rock(Skynyrd, Allman Brothers) to hard rock(Aerosmith, GNR) to metal(Metallica, Slayer, BLS, Ozzy) and i can get just about every tone in between. I have always been a dedicated Peavey player as far as amplification, so maybe i am a little biased. But when the greats in every genre of music, Joe Satriani, Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Eddie Van Halen play Peavey, you got to know something. I mean, the equipment speaks for itself. So don't take my word or anyone elses word for it. go play one for your self, and bleed the metal baby. BLEED IT HARD. You will not find a better deal than a Peavey 5150 II.

you know them, 2 and bit channels, loops etc. all the usual good amp stuff. the footswitch is the only minor niggle i have, the effects loop is on the wrong side!! when u want to switch channel and put effects in you need to move from one side to the other. the boost/crunch feature in the clean channel is a pretty good additon from the series 1, i dont use it much in my live playing(heavy stuff like pantera/killswitch styles) but its good for ac/dc old school rocking in the bedroom. the independant eq on each channel is cool to.
i use it for giging a lot and ive never needed to go past 4 on the volume.

i use a gibson explorer loaded with emg's and a couple of boss pedals (chorus/delay etc). my main style of playing is heavy, and this amp is simply the best. it kills mesas, marshalls, crates and randalls, it simply has the best distortion tone in the world.
the clean tone is a bit lacking but my pedals more than make up for that.
basically if you want an amp to play any music that needs high quality distortion, this is the one. ive even seen robbie williams backing band use them!!
im currently running a marshall cab with it. it still sounds awesome but im looking to upgrade.

i have no backup amps. its built like a tank, yeah its valve but its still a rock solid amp.

i never spoke to peavy so i dunno. i got it from electro music in doncaster and they were super helpful, i reckomend them.

best amp in the world. works well with my other gear, its just the best.

you know.

I play mainly death metal/tech metal(Ion Dissonance, PsyOpus, Necrophagist..etc) and god damn..this amp tears everything to shreds. A set of EMG's and a 5150 with the matching cab and a maximizer and you're set for life. You need nothing more.

I haven't ever had a problem with this amp, it's a fucking BEAST.

Great people, best forum ever and they make their shit to last. I wish all companies were as amazing as Peavey.

This review isn't all fluff..I have one huge problem with the 5150, and Peavey in general. They lack consistancy in their products. I have owned two 5150's, and for the longest time I felt incredibly unsatisfied with the 5150's. My first that I had, I tried all I could to make it sound good. I changed the tubes many times, I had mods done to it, I seriously tried to re-make this amp to make it awesome. But I failed miserably and ended up selling it for about what I bought it for to a friend of mine. I have many friends that play this amp and basically the same rig that I had. After playing through theirs, I realized that it wasn't even the same friggin' amp. Mine sounded buzzy and thin, and theirs sounded aaaaamazing. The only way I can describe it is, it sounded pissed off. The tone was awesome. I liked it so much I went out that same day and bought another 5150. I don't know what it is, but every 5150, 5150II, 5150 combo, all that stuff..sounds totally different. I don't get it. But what I have found out is just make sure it sounds good before you take it home. If you get it on the internet it's a gamble. Half sound good, half sound like complete garbage. Take two 5150's, put them right next to each other with the same exact gear, same settings, everything and they sound like different amps. It's shit. I am just happy I found one that sounds good, a quality 5150 overtakes any mesa, vht, or bogner or any of that high priced bullshit.

Am I going to add something new here that hasn't been said?

.. no

I'm a 40 year old Basement Rockstar Wannabe... But I live in the country with no neighbors that can hear me shaking the foundation. I play mostly older VanHalen, Randy era Ozzy, AC/DC, GnR ect. I change guitars more often than some of you brush your teeth (Wolfgangs, Jems, Gibson Flying V, PRS CU24, CU22, and Singlecut Trem).. But this amp has been my only amp since 2001. My Buddies play Uberschall, Mesa, and Line 6, and yet I have no interest in changing amps. Someone else pointed out changing the tubes and he nailed it. Want a little more control? .. Just change the tubes. It's cheap and easy, and really made a difference in the sound.

BSH!!

N/A .. Never had to call em for the amp. They were great with my Wolfgang.

I hate reading reviews that are all fluff. You don't know if the person's just justifying dumping a load O cash on something they didn't really need. I can honestly say that for the music I play this amp works as well or better than anything else I've seen, heard, played for my type of music. Someone else mentions this is not the amp for you if you live in a residential area and don't play out. .. I agree. It sounds best turned up (pre 6 post 3-4) But then again if you're in this situation you'll never be happy with a halfstack.

umm rhythm(NOT CLEAN!)channel with bright and crunch features, lead channel resonance and presence controls for each. pretty basic but gets the job done

first of no cleans, you can get somewhat decent cleans maybe. This amp is all about the lead channel quite brutal and full but sometimes i have trouble making it as punchy and ballsy as my single rectifier, the power is unbelieveable though. this amp also feeds back very very easily and is kind of noisy. all and all though the distortion is amazing. just as someone said below though not as ballsy as say a marshall or a rectifier. overall a 7. the clean sound is about a 5 and the distoriton is a 10 so it makes up for the lack of versitility on the rhythm channel.

peavey makes great stuff! very very solid and reliable

havent dealt with them but heard wonderful things

good amp, its not mine im just borrowing it, but it has deffinatley grown on me. It brings the rock hard!

2004 model of the peavey 5150 II. This amp is CRAZYYYYYYYYYY!!! FOr Metal i never seen better..it kick mesa ass!2 channel(rythm and lead)you can switch to clean or distorted on these 2 channel.THe head is really easy to set up it takes like 2 or 3 minute to find your sound.It's a 120watt tube amp(6 12AX6 preamp and 4 6L6 power tube).I Whish it has a reverb include but thats not so bad I just have to buy a reverb pedal.The Footswitch Is include.

I PLay It With an ESP EC custom with 2 EMG-81 and OMFG!!!!!!!!!I was scarred It's loud!!!!!!!THe most brutal sound I ever heard.I Play mostly metal and death metal and this amp his what I Need.I tried It jyust in frond of it like 1 metter so Feedback was there So It's sure it was noisy but I don'T think this amp is noisy like mesa.

Never Use It live but It's sure I Would!

BUy IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Clean, Rythm, Lead, 120 watts and that's pretty much it, really not much

I play a Gibson LP Stuido, PRS Tremonti, and an Epiphone LP Extreme Limited Edition, it's my lead guitarist who owns this amp, but I played through it in stores, and many times at rehearsal, first off yes the clean channel sucks, but u should understand how much it sucks when u buy it, and if u also play in clean channel u shouldnt buy it. Besides that, it's great, better sustain then any amp that has every existed, my lead guitarist held a note and we timed it, once we got to about 2-3 minutes we got tired of waiting for it to stop, the distortion is great, but it has less balls than a marshall, crate, and boogie recto, but it's still crushing rock and roll and metal on distortion, just lacks a ball, so it has one nut if you will.
but damn the sustain can just sell u right away regardless of the clean and one nut.

yea i can definately be depended on, it's been workin fine.

never dealt with peavey nor did my lead guitarist

I been playin about 2-3 years, my lead guitarist about 3, i been practicin 6 hours a day so that can add some years, i dunno how long my lead guitarists practices a day, but he sure does kick ass, and is a good solo man.i own a line 6 HD147, it's thin sounding loud, I'm selling it then buying either a Crate BV150H,Peavey Triple XXX,or a Marshall TSL, as for the 5150 11 the sound is great for under $1000 bucks, but i do believe the Crate BV, and the Triple xxx are more worth the money, but if u got the big bucks, get a Mesa Triple or Dual rec, Bogner Uberchall,or Diezle Herbert, cuz the really rock hard, the 5150 11 has enough headroom for pretty much any venue, but i believe it lacks balls, u dont feel it comin at u, it just doesnt make your nuts sake

This amp is amazing. Thats all I gotta say. I am in a metal/hardcore band that I play drums for. I also play guitar, but I let my guitarist use the 5150 II. Its got the most bruital sounding distortion I have ever heard. It blows all the others away. I have bought many amps, and now I am finally happy.

I didn't get this amp for clean tones! I got it for the bruital high gain lead distortion! Simple plan can have there clean chanle, cause I don't use it. I like running this head with a BBE 482i Sonic Maximizer. It makes a world of difference if you are in metal and hardcore. The chuggs are amazing when you throw on a maximizer, I suggest that everyone use one with it. If you thought this amp was bruital alone, then wait till you throw on the maximizer. It will bring out a sound you never heard before.

This thing is built as solid as a tank, it has never broken yet.

I never dealt with them, hopefully I will never have to.

I give it a 10 because I get everything out of it I need. If you want a clean chanel, get a Fender! Your worthless panzy ass isn't worthy of playing through an amp this bruital, go joing Simple plan and cry about the 5150 II not having a clean enough clean chanel somewhere else!

This amp has all the features i need. a death metal channel and a clean channel. this amp can do any style of music you want it too do as long as its metal, metalcore, or hardcore. probley some other styles too. there is plenty of power with 120 watts of pure tube power.

i use it witha epiphone les paul custom and a cable. my musical style is hardcore and metalcore(as i lay dying, norma jean, fordirelifesake)
and i know for a fact there is no other amp that covers my style better. the lead channel is isane, more gain than ive ever heard b4. ive always dreamed of a rectifier since i started playing guitar and never imagined id end up playing a peavey. but after playing the 5150 II i knew i had to have it. palm mutes are massive. the clean channels is real cool for my taste i love the way it breaks up with the pre on 4, if you want cleans that dont breakup set pre to 1 or something. It kinda pisses me off seein so many poeple complaining about the lack of reverb and the clean channel. first off is if your playing metal like what the amp is designed for y do you want reverb that just clutters the sound. and the clean channel is sweet, what the crap do you poeple buy the most brutal amp there is to get a fender clean. hell no i dont want a fender sparkle, if you want fender get a fender instead of getting a peavey then bitchin about it cuz its not a fender. i dont want to switch from a brutal breakdown to a elton john sparkle clean. i wanna switch from a brutal breakdown to a dark on the verge of distorting clean breakdown. there is no way to understand this amp until you play it. i wouldnt trade this amp for any other amp regardless of price. it has the heaviest distortion i ever heard and has charecter and tone. some of the poeple who complain about bass, i can get alot of bass by turning up bass and resonance, but i leave bass around 6 and resonance on 4. bass players supply the low end. guitars arent supposed too. o and im using the 5150 cab, any other cab i used it seemed like gain was rolled back.

i just got it couple weeks ago, so well see but its heavey as a tank and definatly looks solid

havent dealt with customer servise

this amp destroys everything else imo. marshalls are probley the best for classic rock mesas are probalky berst for nu metal and punk. fenders best for cleans. and the peavey 5150 II destroys all other amps for hardcore.