Peavey 5150 II

I'm sure you all know the features by now, 2/virtually 3 channels, 120watts of brutal all tube power, effects loop etc.... Not exactly a TSL in the fetures department but it does what you need, built to be easy to get a great tone not confuse you with hundreds of knobs.

WOW. I love it. When i found this amp I was out hunting for a half stack, and was leaning towards a TSL. Then I found this baby which blew everything else out of the water. I use a Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat and a heavily modified squier with Kent Armstrong 'Motherbucker' and 'Hot Rails' pickups and the sound just rocks. I play it through a Marshall 1960A cab. This amp is made for metal, although it will do pretty much anything you want it to with some EQ adjustment. The clean channel isn't world beating, but with the single coils in my Fender it's fine, although humbuckers through it will distort it. But then again you can't expect everything from an amp. This amp is great for getting that Metallica tone, they use it too, watch the 'Some Kind Of Monster' film and play spot the 5150MkII. With the resonance and bass up high this amp makes it feel like you are being punched in the stomach, amazing tone. All the gain you could want and none of it looses clarity.

This thing is built like a brick sh*thouse, and weighs a tonne. It's gonna outlive me.

The site is good, the manual leaves a little to be desired but don't they all

I have been playing this amp for a good four months now and love it more every day. I go to small venue gigs regularly, and have seen pretty much every rock/metal amp in action and this one beats them all in my opinion. It's got all the gain you could ever need, unbeatable clarity and insane volume levels. Even the store worker I bought it from was selling his Mesa Boogie dual rectifier to get his hands on one. If it was lost (hmm, a bit big to loose) or stolen (bit heavy to steal) I would be seriously gutted and get a 6505+, as Eddie Van Halen stopped endorsing them. With my guitars, GT6 and this amp I belive I have a world class, professional sound. My advice, get one.

2004 model made in USA. I Play mostly metal and this is THE metal head...2 channel, the first one is a clean channel : pre, mid, high, bass, post, ressonance and presence. This Channel has a Crunch/Bright Feature..pretty interesting to play classis rock stuff. The Second channel is the monster one!!!...same knob has the first one but ...a large amount of gain...This Channel is a fucking monster..Effect loop is include but I don't use it.It's a 120watt tube power it's enough...believe me. 6 6l6 tubes and 4 AX7....great

My guitar chain:

Jackson DK2-S(with EMG pickup on the bridge)---->Dunlop Cry baby---->DOD Milk Box Compressor---->MXR Smart Gate--->5150 II Head---->5150 4x12 Slant Cab.

This Amp is the perfect amp to play metal but like any other Higain amps you'll need a Noise Gate or you'll kill Yourself. The Clean channel is OK.. I've heard people complaining about it but I don't understand just keep the pre at 2 or 3. The most brutal distortion ever...it's basicly for Death Metal..don't ask why In Flames, Arch Enemy, Children Of Bodom, Chimaira, Anonymus, Opeth, and heaven metallica(they use it in the studio) play with it.

It sure that I'll use it Live...

No Problem with that

The best amp I ever tried for me...I play through Mesa, Marshall,Randall, Line 6, hugues And Kettner, Crate, etc...and no one was close to get that kind of tone.The price is ridiculy low so jump on it!!!

120 watts , 4 8 16 ohms, 4 6l6s, 2 channels with "crunch" and "bright" selections. eq for each channel. foot switch.

i used a gibson les paul classic. this amp is pretty high gain and saturation, you cant really articulate chords well, everything sounds meh.
basically a crappier jcm 900.
if youre looking for a really high end sound, just buy a jcm 800 and get a boost pedal.

i go for a more vintage, "warm", master volume marshall jmp/sound city type sound, so this amp really doesnt do it for me.
dont buy this head, it only sounds good if youre a total burn out from 1985 named eddie

its not very loud, contrary to belief.
ive played louder 30 watt orange heads.
i guess its dependable though, its pretty toughly made.
ill give eddie van wanker that at least.

dont bother.
just get a jcm 800 and put a ratt or big muff on it.

this amp fits me in every way possible, i play, hardcore, metal, jazz/blues, rock, grind it has perfect settings for what i need...i was looking for a good tube head, and i had seen this head and the other 5150 model at just about every show i went to for several years and loved how they sounded, and these were bands such as, between the buried and me, folly, reflux, ion dissonance, the warriors...etc...its lead channel can be brutal or more easy going depending on how you EQ it, alot of people push this head really hard, but i find that maybe gain up to 5 is high enough, plus having it there wont give me as much feedback during full playing...the clean/rhythm channel can be a little rough if not EQed just right, i spent atleast a week perfecting my clean channel, so it sounds pefect for my needs, ive never used the distortion on the rhythm channel, so i cant comment about it

my guitars:
ESP/LTD Viper-400VSB EMG-81 bridge and neck
Jackson JJII scott ian sig. seymour duncan scott ian pickups
Ibanez RG7321, factory pickups
Ibanez SZ, factory pickups

i also have a rack containing the following:
Korg DTR-2000
BBE 362 sonic maximizer
Rocktron HUSH super C

it sounds great with just about every guitar i have, the only problems ive encountered have really only been with the guitars because of the woods being different and different pickups and all that jazz, all i have to do is adjust the maximizer and it sounds just fine

for what i play its perfect, it has the brutal lows and the punchy highs that fit my bands perfectly, i also play through a marshall vs412 140W cabinet, which handles it just as good as a 1960, or any cabinet it has been next to

the clean could be better but like i said before i spent a week on EQ so it sounds dead on for me

heres my story: this is probably the bad part of my review

but i ordered this head through a music store locally from peavey because the store didnt have any in stock, so when they got it in i went and tried it out, worked fine, got it home, wouldnt turn off standby, took it back had it fixed, it was great, sounded amazing working like a fucking CHAMPION, december 23rd, doesnt play louder than volume level 0, took it to get it fixed, got it back a few weeks later, took it back to get tubes changed, got it back for 3 days, on the 3rd day, it went out again just like the last time, no volume above 0, took it back, it is currently AT PEAVEY getting repaired, im getting it back in 2 weeks at the latest

however, i have seen tons of bands use this head and the original 5150 head for years and years on end even my friends that have them have had them forever and they have been solid, ofcoarse the tube changes and whatnot, but theyve been solid heads, so i trust in them

for me the companys ive delt with getting my head fixed have been amazing, ive had it since september 04 and its still under warranty so luckily all my repairs have been free of charge, everyone ive delt with have been very nice and helpful with me to get my amp back into my hands and for them to never see it again, and i thank each and every person who has laid hands on my head to repair it a GREAT deal, because without them id be stuck with shit tone coming from a broken marshall combo computer head and a digitech effects processor....lame...

been playing it since september 04 been in repair for a total of 2 months total, not consecutively

if stolen or lost i would totally get another one if i can find it

i love how its fucking brutal, but has a gentle clean if EQed right, i stress EQing the clean right

i hate how its been in maintenance longer than ive been able to play it

i think it smothers all the other competitors, and i chose this one because every band ive seen in the past 2 years has had atleast 1 of these or the 5150 head

i wish it had a little better clean

if you can find one or a 5150 EVH block...buy it, make sure it works right, and buy it...dont ask questions...itll be rare soon

This is a 5150 II made in 2000. footswitch 2 seperate channels with 2 different eqs. mine has jj tubes in it. i'm also playing out of a 5150 cab as well. like everybody says, the clean channel isn't ace, but it sounds a lot better with jjs. i would give mine a 7.5 but i'll make it 8.

this amp sounds tremendous. i'd been playing out of an avt150H with a marshall 1960A cab, and this thing sounds amazing. its got the wickedest distortion that is fully saturated and just so ballsy and thick. i chose this amp because i hate marshals and mesas, and i can't afford a framus or bogner. i play a lot of metalcore and hardcore and metal, but i also use the amp for classic rock and garage band stuff. i will run down the channels, as well as them compared to other amps i've played; keep in mind that these are only my opinions, based on limited experience with both my amp and the ones i will compare it too.

5150 clean channel: this sounds a lot like a marshall with gain turned down, and i mean like a jcm800 or jcm900. personally i don't have much use for it, i prefer just turning the gain down on the rhythm channel. Compared to the avt, the clean probably isn't as good, but it is more expressive. compared to the mesa i think it sounds a heck of a lot better, but i am biased in that i can't stand the cleans of a high gain amp. they sound like such crap. but the 5150 sounds just like a marshall clean.

5150 Rhythm channel: Once i heard this i was already sold. It sounds almost exactly like an older marshall. Think the vines tone, it sounds just like that. Compared to the avt, the avt blows. That was the avts major vice; there was no useable low gain sounds. the gain 1 channel was useless. no good blues or classic rock tones. Compared to a mesa it is truly a matter of opinion. i like this one better because i like the marshall tone that it gets, and the mesa to me just sounds like its high gain version except with less gain.

5150 Lead channel: After playing on an avt this channel was AMAZING. it just has so much character and tone, as well as a shit of a lot of balls. it really does simply crush the avt. its a very musical distortion in that its easy to manipulate and control just based on pick attack and playing style. i can say that this amp matches my tone almost dead on. the one thing that i don't like much about it is that particularly on lower volume levels with the pre-gain turned up, you get this strange overtone above the actual note that you are playing. you need to listen carefully to hear it, but it is there. it seems almost like a type of feedback. although i wish there were some way to get rid of it, it really isn't that much of a big deal, especially on higher volume levels. compared to mesa, again it is a matter of opinion. it is a lot darker of a sound, especially with the 5150 cabinet. i don't really like the triple rectifier sound, it seems kind of brittle and dry to me, but that is just my opinion. maybe if that amp had a pair of el34s as well as the other 6l6s it would sound better to me. but some people like it so whatever.

i'm happy to say that i've found my tone through this amp. i would like a couple of small augmentations, and for these i'm considering voodoo mods. can anyone tell me about these guys? email me at SA3Zdmvz@gmail.com

as for solidness i really can't attest for it, but it made a trip from illinois without any wear whatsoever. i'll probably post again later.

again, i don't have any experience with customer support so i can't give an opinion.

I've owned an avt150H and i've played countless mesas, bogners, and higher in the line marshals, and for the price this one takes the cake. to get a better high gain amp, you'd have to spend thousands more. there just isn't anything that can compare in this price range. if it were stolen i'd find whoever it was and then beat them to a pulp and steal all their money and use it to send my peavey to voodoo mods.

If you are hoping this one amp will help you cover a wide range of styles and or provide you with a full sound if less distortion(i.e.70'style medium gain slight crunch ac/dc..deep/jimi/zep/cream or u2 /beatles/radiohead/indie rock) is required,then do not bother with this amp.Your ears will hurt and you will go deaf in the fight trying to make this amp do what it wasnt designed to do.Big bulky and heavy in design.Tubes and transformers with insane amounts of gain in the front end and ample clean cold power for the output stage.2 channels with a loop...blah blah blah...Purchased this only to try out because of the blow out price and I briefly owned the first version of this amp(the 5150).Im using it with a 5150 bottom cab that I ve owned for some time and use it with other heads when something other than recto or marshall cabs are needed.Let me just say that I understand why one could love this amp.If someone wants to instantly contaminate the air with amplified hate and brutality...GREAT,Its designed to plug in and shred.No boost or rat pedal required.In terms of availible gain on tap, its amazing that anything can produce this much sheer highgain distortion.I really like the band Rammstein(spelling)?as well as bits of ministry and NIN so I had to see if this amp would at least provide two usable sounds.The features and tone given at this pricepoint all work on a very specific and limited level(which was intended).But you really get what you pay for.Shop around if are picky about your 12ax7 class ab weapon of abuse.

Im using gibsons/hmbkrs mostly.I think I would rather use a pod than play this amp.It sounds as good as it looks,If you are joking around with tapping for laughs its quite funny really but stop wanking with your floyd rose and try actually playing an actuall song with this amp start to finish at a reasonable volume and if you are heard within the context of other intruments,your head and everyone elses head will hurt.Im not a vanhalen freak but this head has nothing to do with anything other than greed for eddy and peavy because its so late 88 -92 bad sounding and cheap.You might as well put a chorus pedal on it and bury yourself in a sea of homophobia.

Its built like a sherman tank unfortunatly.A masterpiece of art to last several lifetimes to consistantly remind us with utter disgust and regret.I would pay good money afer bad to see these amps blown up.This amp is an abortion and a bi-product of bad hair and snakeskin boots.Thank you ed and peavy.I can depend on you.

Great support actually except my endorsement expired when clay spivy was replaced so no more deals for me however there are good peaple at peavy.They are helpfull and care about there customers.This 5150 amp pays their bills and keeps thier lights on.They are an american company.My first peavy was a 1980 classic with the built in phaser.Then a classic 50 1991.A fine amp for the money and beats some marshalls.

I have a diverse background in music from producing and engineering albums(one double platnum) on ampex/studer analog 2 inch 16 track tape machines to protools HD systems with neve,api,ssl mixing desks to session work as a guitarist for virgin interactive,seventh level,activision,video games,and as a recording artist on Warner Bros with two albums.Ive been to eddy's house and played his guitars and hung out with matt bruck(his longtime tech)Eddy has a few hundred amps in storage but he stands by this amp.Its great only within a narrow window at best.

It's been amply listed here, but here's a brief summery for the lazy. A full-tube 120W (4 6L6) amp head that basically offers the usual 2-channel stuff. Clean/crunch on one, lead on the other, seperate eq and post-gain per channel and a bright-switch on the clean channel. A nice Peavey touch is the post low and high (they call it resonance and contour) controls per channel. It comes with a sturdy stageboard that switches channels, clean/crunch, and the fx loop on/off. In short, it's got what it takes, nothing more (who needs more), nothing less.
Two downers though. The fx loop is situated post-post. That's not handy and serves no purpose I can think of. Also, standby takes the load off all the tubes, including the pre-amp. This means you'll need a loadbox if you want to use the amp in a sidechain, or pre-amp only, if you don't want to burn out the transformer.

I play jazz and hardcore metal on anything (PRS, Gibson, ESP, Schecter, Ibanez, Fender, Blade, Epiphone, Godin). Some are equipped with DiMarzios (Tone Zone, Blaze, Evo, Air Norton, Super Distortion), some with Seymour Duncans (Custom and Jazz, my favorite combination on mahogany/maple/rosewood).
The lead channel is, hands down, the best there is out there if brutality is what you're after. It's quiet, considering the amount of gain the amp gives. Mesa Rect, Marshall, Engl, H&K, Peavey (it's unbelievable how much stuff one accumulates when you hang around long enough in show business) blows them all out of the water with a whistle and a poke in the nose. I love Engl's versatility, Rect is nice, I'm not particularly fond of Marshall anyway, H&K gives great value for money... but this amp is the bomb for modern hardcore metal. You'll know why Machine Head sounds the way they do.
Crunch is okay, bluesy, nothing special.
Clean is a bit rough and needs tweaking to mellow it down (if that's what you want) but sounds okay.

You'll want this amp for its lead sound if you want lethal distortion. But here's the bad news: Peavey seems to have discontinued it as per 2005. It's not in their product catalogue anymore. Their marketing division is either senile or moronic because without 5150, Peavey is just another good brand, nothing special.

It's a tank. And it's a Peavey. But it's a tube amp so the inexperienced should take heed of the following:

Allow warming up (power up, standby off) for a minute or more before before switching on tube circuitry (it will make your power tubes last longer);
Allow the amp to cool down for a while after a gig or rehearsal before moving it out (it will make your power tubes last longer);
Make sure you ALWAYS load the power amp outlets, either with a speaker cab or a load box (you'll destroy your power amp if you don't);
Make sure the impedance setting is set right. Note that the specified impedance on the speaker should be divided by 2 when connecting two cabs coz the terminals are parallelled (you'll destroy your power amp if you don't);
And last but not least: DON'T PUT YOUR BEER ON IT (you'll waste the whole amp if you do)!!!

Never had a problem. But I do a lot of maintenance myself so I never really needed them. In other words: Peavey never gave me the kind of problems I couldn't handle myself.

I lay on a semi-pro level, been playing for about 35 years. I own 2 19" racks (TC Electronic, Marshall, Engl, Peavey, H&K) with Celestion and Bag End cabs, a 5150-212 combo and some loose stuff including Koch Pedaltone and various stomp boxes and 15 guitars, summarized above, including baritones and 7-strings.
I'd certainly buy it again if stolen, this amp is a league of its own, deserving the same status as reference amps like Recto or JCM-800. Signal routing is a bit silly to my taste, I'll probably mod it one day.

Conclusion: the best amp you can get if you're looking for brutal, modern distortion. Get it while you still can if that's what you're after because it seems to have been discontinued.

before i go like blablabla please note that im from The Netherlands and that my english can be very fuked up!

My main axe is a ESP MHB-400 Baritone loaded with EMG-81 active pick ups.Im in a band called Gilo and we play brutal down tuned in your face metal. I used This amp in the studio together with my modded Marshall G100R cd top the combination of the two amps are BRUTAL! (I never liked marshall and i still dont but the combi of the 5150 and the G110r kills you) Im the only guitarplayer in the band so I want two different heads for more presure and a thick sound. if you want to check out how the amp sounds just download one of our songs right here:

http://gilo.nl/music/GROW.MP3

I use 2 4x12 ENGL speakercabinets.. they are mid rangy and they keep it tight!! I also use a, BBE sonic maximizer, rocktron prophesy (only for the fx) and a rocktron hush super c. We tune down to A and the mids is were the tone is! lots of guitarplayer make a bigg mistake: they create a metalsound by scooping the mids and use lots of high and low.. thats not the way to cut through the mix! its ok for bedroom levels! thats just my personal opinion.

I give the sound a 8.. in combination with my other head its a 9!

p.s. if you change the tubes it can make a huge difference! I loaded the 5150 with ruby tubes selected by koch and it isnt that noisy and harsh anymore and a lill more compression..

a BBE sonic maximazer in the loop can do miracles (lots of guitarplayers use it.. also Chimaira)

got any question? just hit me up!

This Amp is almost as versatile as they come. The cleans are its only weak point, because its not totally clean. It breaks up just a tad kind of in a Bluesie Way. This Amp Has 2 Channels and the rythm chan can be turned into a clean. It come with a footswitch to work with your effects Loop and to switch back and forth in the chans. This amp has TONS of power and doesnt lose any clarity when turned up. I use it mostly at home and dont go past 1.5 on the volume because of how loud it gets and i feel for my neighbors.

I Use this with A Gibson Flying V and a Schecter C-1+. Both guitars with EMG 81 at the Bridge. This amp suits my style perfectly. Not only can you play Classic rock like some Van Halen , Scorpions , Rush , Deep Purple, ect . But you Can also go to the other end and play Brutal Metal Like Children of Bodom , Arch Enemy , ect. This amp shines in its ability to have so much distortion and bottom end and not mess the clarity of your playing. The cleans arnt the greatest, but if you buy this amp and are looking to play alot of cleans then go buy a fender. This amp was made to be a high gain amp for people who want high gain, and usually dont really use the clean chan much anyway. The distortion can go from Absolutly Brutal like Arch Enemy to a nice Controlled Distortion you would hear in Rush.(With the Rythm Chan)

From what i have read and friends have told me peaveys are built like tanks and from what i have seen so far its al true.

Never dealt with them but have heard good things from their custumer service. Just fill out your extended warranty card and email them with any questions and they get back to you very fast.

Ive Been playing for about 3 Years and a solid state Line 6 Flextone II Plus. Having a tube amp now gives u that little variation that the solid state could nail.(Not to say that the Flextone isnt good becuase i think its a very kick ass amp)If it was lost i would run to my room and cry for a couple of hours before going out and hunting whoever stole it. I would definetly replace it if anything were to happen to it. I loved its brutal distortion and didnt hate anything about it. If i had to compare it to other amps like Rectifiers or the JCM series amps i would say this amp blows them away because it suits my style more. This is more of a metal amp while the JCM is more of a AC/DC sounding amp and the boogie is somewhere in between.

This is a completely stock, new amp.

I knocked a couple points off because of the lack of range available in the bias adjustment. I understand that Peavey may have done this to keep idiots from dammaging their amps by going overboard with it, but it sucks for me!

It apears that since Eddie's partnership with Peavey has ended, this amp will carry as the 6505+. Which is a great thing, because this amp is truly unique!

See previous reviews for more details.

I like the original 5150, but I like this one more!

The first time got this amp dialed in and played it, I got so exited that I had to mosh around a bit, and then damn, I smashed one of the fingers on my left hand so hard against my coffee mug that the knuckle busted open and swelled up bad! I've got it on ice, it's getting better.

I'm using a custom, self-built guitar; mahogany body with maple top, maple neck with rosewood finger board, dual L500s, and a fixed bridge.

I tried it with my other guitar, which is equipped with EMGs, but guitar differences aside, the L500s clearly performed much better. Sweeter, more open, and better harmonics!

My amp came stock with these tubes;
The pre-amp:
V1-V4 12AX7EH
V5-V6 Sovtek 12AX7LPS

Power-amp:
Ruby 6L6GCMSTR (Very sweet sounding!)


I'm going to experiment with some C-9s in a few of the pre-amp positions to see if I get some improvement.


You either love the midrange grind that this amp produces or you don't. I am truly addicted to it! It barks and growls just the way I like.


There are a few things that I would like to see improved on this amp;
One: The fizziness in the crunch mode with the Pre set above 2.5
Two: The hiss in the Lead channel with the Pre set above 5.25.
Three: I'd like palm mutes to be tighter.

I may consider a few minor mods to address these issues, but nothing that would cause a loss of this amps signature bark and growl!

I don't know yet on this one, I just got it, so unlike some idiot reviewers who would give it a "0", and throw the overall ratings off. I will do the intelligent thing, and give it a "No Opinion" here.

I may post an update in the future.

I don't know yet on this one, I just got it, so unlike some idiot reviewers who would give it a "0", and throw the overall ratings off. I will do the intelligent thing, and give it a "No Opinion" here.

I may post an update in the future.

Tone is a subjective matter to a certain degree, and for me, this amp has outstanding tone, and all of the features that I need. If you like it, buy one!

every thing you want out of a metal/rock amp....cept no reverb which makes blues/blues rock tuff....but still possible

holy shit!!! i play mainly hardcore/metal(himsa, at the gates, bla bla bla..) and it kicks the shit out of anything ive played on...for awhile i was playing through a variety of marshalls and mesas and never really found the tone that i was looking for...but now..that has changed ....i love it...best part....i can only play with volume at about 2...everything thing ealse is excess....but o so fun...my only complaint is that on clean....it kinda lacks but after about3 hours of playing i was able to dial in a pretty good clean, just set the bass realativly high and lay off the mid/highs a bit...reverb always helps too...p/s-more gain that you could ever use...or could you?? HA TAKE THAT NEIGHBORS!

never had a problem

absolutely love it....it really is the best amp for what it does...and the price didnt hurt...only complaints are clean kinda lacks but thats what fender and vox are for and no reverb...but thats not a big deal...if i had to do it over again i would pick another one up in a heart beat....best thing i could have done...

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.

I think the amp was made in 2003. This is an amp that I have played on many many times because someone I know has one and we are alway's a jamming. I play rock, hard rock, death metal, everything. This amp doesn't cover it. I isn't too flexible. For me, in a band situation, it is alittle to dark for me. You really can put the presence past 8 before it sounds like a buzzy ear-peircing mess. I has 2 fully independant channels, and then the clean shares a clean/crunch channel. It would be 3 fully independant channels but the crunch and clean share the same EQ. I give it a 7 because there isn't much versatility in this amp.

I use a Gibson Les Paul with hot pick-ups. Well it suits for mostly rock and thats it. The clean channel is dark sounding and is really bad compared to the boogies, and also the Triple XXX which is made by peavey. It is very very very noisy. When I have the post on 3, the gain can't go past 4 without it being really noisy. It has a pretty thick tone to it and I like it. Again, not too much versatility. The distortion is brutal. But can't do low-gain rock that I do alot.

I've never heard of my friend having any problems

Peavey is friendly, but no phone number on their site.

It is an alright amp with about 1 good tone, and thats it. Reminds me of a Marshall, except the Marshalls are alittle bit better imo. Very middy amp even with the mids on 2.

Well, if you bought this amp it was obviously for kick ass distortion. It does lack reverb which sucks, but use the FOOTSWITCHABLE effects loop. The clean isn't too bad, just keep your pre down to like 2-3. The best dist. i've ever heard through my marshall 1960 cabs. LOUD!!! Worth every cent. It gets a 10 because it is a high gain amp, i hate when vintage idiots bitch because( I can't get my fender clean...), if you want that, but a fender!

I play death metal, black metal, grindcore, anything with alot of gain, just not nu metal(no talent). There is defintely a difference between real distortion and synthetic (like a metal zone). When you're not a beginner anymore, you will realize this. But have fun with your toneless crate, and play your blink 183. This is for METAL!

Built for Eddie, so that should tell you!

5 year warranty....no complaints yet.

I have been playing for 5 years now, and have come to conclusion for real sounding shit, and not a crate, this is the best. I wish it had reverb, but the effects loop is for that i guess. If stolen, I would beat the living shit out of who took it, take all of their money, and curb them. Yes a little drastic, but if you've played it, you know!

This is an add.to the review i gave at the 25 of march.I've used it intensively on live gigs,and find the crunch channel awesome.Ihave an ENGL-powerball too.I use a Lehle channel-splitter(ch.A:goes to Engl,for pristine clean and medium crunch. ch B:to 5150II,for real fat-heavy crunch/ pre at 8.5=awesome Gary Moore leadtone. Leadswitch on 5150 for soaring tones: Petrucci,Gambale,....)
Although the lead channel is fantastic,the big surprise for me was the
crunch-option,fat-cutting rock-tone(less compressed then a Marshall TSL)
Again U.S.players,DO NOT let the Boutique- hype overwhelme you.I've played many of these amps at the Frankfurt music fair.
The only amp that was really special,was a Diezel VH4,but it was 30% better at a 400% higher price!!

2 channels, not hot on features overall, a reverb would be useful to some players, i would like to see a 7 band eq on the next 5150 - but thats utopian. Huge power, too loud for house practice. Do not buy this amp for use in the home only, unless you consider getting a power attenuator, or you have no consideration for neighbours... live in a country house etc...

Numerous guitars are used with this, pickups do shape the sound differently... i'm using SD JB's, EMG81's and the KA Ultra Dist.. all worth checking out. This amp has world class tone, especially the lead channel - but must be turned up quite loud to hear it all. I do enjoy high gain rock music, and there is more gain available here than i have ever heard before. Obviously, there is tube noise at high volume. It is not excessive, if you need silence get a noise gate. I dont use any effects at all with this amp. Pure tone is the way to to go in my opinion. There is no clean channel as such, it is a rhythym channel. You must temper your settings to achieve a clean sound here. Crunch button is great, its only usable in the rhthymn channel.

No comment, too soon :-/

The peavey internet forum is useful, still no opinion overall

Been playing over 20 years, but that is irrelevant really when considering an amplifier's tone to your musical requirements. Try the amp out yourself in the music store. Your opinions will vary, but I am not looking for anything else other than this right now.
Second best to VHT Pittbull Ultralead for my money, but I can't justify the large amount of extra cash for that unit right now.