Peavey 5150 II

Two channel amp, nothing too fancy about it. It has four 6L6 power tubes and (6) 12AX7 preamp tubes. My particular amp has Tube Amp Doctor (TAD) 6L6's and Tung Sol preamp tubes. I run a TC Electronic G-Major II in the effects loop with an MXR 10-band EQ before returning to the power amp. I have upgraded the output transformer to a Mercury P5150-0 with the Mercury P5150-C choke replacing the standard choke resistor. The amp is intended for Thrash and clean, that's it! Drop D tuning, standard 440, and sometimes one step down. Not crazy, flappy B tunings, etc.

Amp is used with a bunch of guitars... Main ax is Tom Anderson Drop Top made for heaviness with passive, hot pickups made by Anderson. I also use a Gibson Explorer with active EMG 80, 85 pickups.

The amp is a bone-crush bad ass! If you want a heavy sounding amp, this is it. Understand that I make a decent living and have owned a lot of amps. I have a preference for Soldano, Diezel, and Elmwood, but for the money, this amp works very well! Distortion is among the best I have heard and unique. My amp is biased hot and has the bias mod on it, with very good tubes (not Chinese or JJ's). Clean is good enough, and the rhythm channel with the preamp dialed up, sounds vintage. That's not this amps best quality, but it does it decent. Some noise, but not too annoying.

This amp was build for Eddie, but with the right tweaks, turns into a fire-breathing monster. I play Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Kreator with this amp.

If you are a boutique snob, listen up... The name "Peavey" doesn't make people believe you are serious, but one power chord and a fast Slayer riff will change their mind. There are a lot of great bands still using 5150, and 5150II amps!

It has been perfect even with the bias adjusted to 60mA+! I know more than the average guy about amps, but not a qualified repairman. I've looked at the boards in the amp and have changed caps and replace connectors. This amp is not made like a Soldano or a Mesa. Tube sockets are plastic verses ceramic. Quality is decent with the components. What really counts however, is that it works and is reliable. It does that very well. Feel safe with this amp and make sure you know if it's been modded. If done right (like FJA does well), it will last forever.

Peavey answers the phone every day of the week! Don't talk to them about modding however, they will pass you around. Get your part or ask a specific question and you'll get good information. They get a 9 becasue they didn't like me talking about cheap plastic tube sockets!

Very good amp and all I (or you) will ever need for Thrash and Metal. I played it with a 7 string and it sounded good. Really good with drop D tunings! The amp is very loud, but can get great sounds with the pre dialed to 6 and the post at 1! That's the nice thing about the amp is that it sounds good down low. Turn it up and it makes your pant legs flap around like a fan is blowing on them. Harmonics sing on this amp with the magnetics upgraded!

If this amp was stolen, I would buy it again, but man... the time I put into this amp modding it and making it shiny would make me sad.

i bought this a couple years ago at guitar center. tisk tisk i know but they were the only shop around that had a solid metal head for sale.

I hated 5150's for ever. i was stuck on having something "different" . this is the longest ive owned and used 1 amp.
i bought alot of amps over the years, mostly trendy names i saw on message boards untill i realized they were only over hyped by people trying to sell their own, they are trying to get rid of it. i kept searching out these hard to find and expensive heads but all this time i ignored anything peavey. my bad.

one day i cracked down and talked my girlfriend into letting me use her credit card to buy an amp so i drove to all the guitar stores in a 2 hour radius and i tried out everything. i was looking for a triple rectifier or randall cyclone and hoping some dumbass was selling his voodoo, vht, bogner for way too cheap. after hitting up all the stores my last stop was guitar center. behind a row of cheap new marshall stacks was this head on a new peavey cab. i tried it out in the back room with a used mesa slant cab knowing it was the only good cab in the place. it was listed at 1499.00 for the combo but i told them i only had $900 for the head and used mesa cab and that i was going to just buy something off ebay, and they let it go for cheap.

i cant tell you how it sounds. everyone hears things different and every amp/guitar feels different to every player. i like this amp. its the only amp i have owned that doesnt need anything to help my sound. it does feedback alot but i blame that on my pickups or the fact that my decimator is broken/. its heavy, it cuts through but at the same can blend in with most other amps and a second guitarist. it is very controllable.

ive never had any problems with it. ive changed the tubes 1nce in the last 3 years. i never bring a backup. this is the one piece of gear i have that never fails me.

i had the warentee when i bought it new, im not sure if it ran out or not. i saved all the receipts and paper works but i haven't read them because i never need to. i use it at least twice a week and it gets banged around in cars for shows at least 3 times a month, regularly.

i give it an 8. i have played better sounding amps. they cost 2-3 thousand dollars. thats alot of money. im not rich. i have bills to pay. if i could afford it i would spend my money on a bogner ecstasy or vht or diezel but thats just baloney. i can buy an awesome car for 3 grand. or a kilo of good heroine. i declare the 5150 2 head better than heroine.

You already know the features it has. Let me tell you the features it doesn't have.

This amp does not feature reverb - though it could use one. It also does not feature a built in adjustable noise gate, but it's a good candidate for one (I still don't know why these aren't seen more often).

The amp has a hard-wired power cable - and would benefit from an IEC type plug cable so you can just take it off instead of winding it around the thing - not to mention replacing it because it wore out from being hooked to the amp all the time.

The amp has a bias control but it is quite limited. You have to mod the thing to get much variety there. In addition, the short bias range you do have is quite cold.

Some of the construction in the unit was improved with later models, i.e. the rivets that hold the power stage onto the chassis were replaced with screws. Doesn't mean anything if you don't plan on repairing it, but your tech might appreciate it.

The screen grid resistors on the power tubes are more fragile than most amps. Does your 5150 sound quieter than your friend's? You might be running on less than four tubes and not even know it (they'll appear to all be working). Be especially careful of this if you use Sovtek tubes.

The footswitch on this monster uses a 7-pin DIN cable. This is awful! They are hard to repair, expensive to replace (and hard to find).

The 5150 series has a particular sound that it's known for. It also has a particular gain structure that it's known for. It's not like other amps for the most part, but it has similarities here and there. What I'm saying is that you're not going to hear a wide multitude of different sounds from this amp - if you like hearing/playing it the first time, you probably will always like it.

Some things you may not like: the clean channel sucks. Unless this is the first review you've read of this amp, you've heard this before. Though it is greatly improved over the original 5150 head or combo, it still lacks warmth and distorts way too easy. The one thing I like about it is that you have lots of room for experimenting with adding different levels of distortion into your clean. The amp is good at fuzzing up your clean with shimmering sizzle without sounding like a real distortion.

A fantastic feature of this amp and all in its series is the way it creates a cranked tone at low volumes. Some of the best recordings I've heard of it were at volume settings of 1. Weird for a tube amp, eh?

Many believe that JJ power tubes are the best with this amp. I honestly am not sure why everyone thinks so. Before believing them, get them to back up their assertions. Or better yet, try them yourself. I've used Sovteks, Tung-Sols, JJs, and Groove Tubes in this amp, and JJs were by far the most average sounding of the four types. I recommend the Tung-Sols - huge low end and rock-like break up.

The resonance and presence knobs are nice, use them like hot sauce: carefully. Beware of the strain each puts on the amps tone - yeah you might like the big booms of the resonance on a high level, but what is it doing for your attack? Etc.

Like anyone will tell you, this amp has gain to spare. And then some. As such, it's noisey as hell. However: as you roll the Pre control back from 10, you'll notice that right around 6 or 5, your attack becomes much more pronounced, and the tone depth becomes deeper. At higher levels, the gain on the amp tends to saturate and mask other features of your sound. I play at 5, and I'm in a death metal band. I could get away with playing at 4, and I don't dare go above 6. The character of my sound is destroyed if I do.

The crunch is interesting and very warm - nice for hard rock tones. These amps are great for that. But it is unlike the lead channel's tone - more so than the other models in this series. It has its own character.

It's a tube amp, there are inherent issues with this. Always have a back up. Mine failed at a show once - I plugged into a Peavey Vypyr and set it to emulate a 6505. It sounded absolutely horrible. Emulation still has a long, long way to go.

Fortunately, when a tube amp starts acting up it's usually the tubes. Even if it seems wrong, just try it. Expect to have this happen.

Otherwise, it's built very well, save for two issues: one - the grill on the back is not supported in the center, so it bows with pressure, and two - the small circuit board that holds the preamp tubes is not properly supported in the center, and may crack if you're not very careful.

I have never dealt with peavey.

Overall, I'm really glad that this amp is out there. It and its brothers are my favorite by far for any and all distorted tones. High end amps of the same class can only be found for lots more money - for the value it's fantastic. And it's got its own tone - unique.

They should totally make a 1x12 combo version - under 40 pounds!

It's a pretty basic amps. The Rhythm channel has a crunch button to add some gain, which adds versatility to the amp. The Lead channel is pretty versatile in it's self. It has more gain than you could ever ask for so you can roll back on the gain to get a good Rock gain. It's got a resonance and a presence knob for each channel. Which only perfects already amazing tone. This amp has TON'S of power, I just played my first show with it and I only turned it up to 2. I had an equalizer which adds to the volume so if i didn't have it I would've probably had it at about 3 1/2 maybe 4. So it's LOUD. The effects loop is very handy when you don't wanna press a ton of pedals just to get one sound. Just press the effects button on the 6505+ footswitch and all your pedals in the loop turn on. It's nice.
Very simple, very easy, straight to the point.

I have a Squair Tele with EMG 81/85's in it. And the EMG's compliment the amp extremely well. I have only 2 pedals in my loop, they are a BOSS NS-2 and a BOSS equalizer. The equalizer adds so much to the amp which only makes it better. So know you know what gear i have you can probably guess that I play metal. I play Tech Metal, Death Metal, Hardcore, and I play Jazz as well. Now the amp is AMAZING for metal. Almost perfect, it's low and punchy, the mids are super smooth, and the highs are, sometimes to high. It gets crazy. The amps is WAY loud. As i said I played in a venue mad for 700 people so it is a decent sized place. And I only had it on 2. It's extremely loud and powerful. The clean channel is not the greatest, but it's not made for Jazz, but i can get it to work if i keep the gain around 1 1/2. It's not bad at all. Just not the greatest. I never have the distortion past 8 ever. In my opinion it has to much distortion so don't use a pedal with it unless you just want added tone.

The amp is built like a tank. It ways almost 50 pounds.
This amp should live forever.

The web site is nice.
You can download the manual and everything. It's not really the most helpful but the amp is so easy to use why would you need it?

I've been playing for 5 and a half years and all i've ever played on are Marshalls at the music store and Line 6 solid state amps. And I HATE EL34 tubes so there for I hate Marshalls, and Line 6 has good practice amps but to have a my 6505+ is like having a trophy wife that you actually like talk too. Every time Imagine this amp I smile. If the amp vanished off the face of the earth I would just play on solid state amps because this tube is the best one i've ever heard for the style of music i play. The only this I'm not stoked on about the amp is that the clean channel is not smooth enough. If it had smoother clean tone it would seriously be perfect. If you play Rock, Metal, Country, Hardcore, or almost anything except Jazz it's perfect.

Not a ton of features, but enough for exactly what i need. The best feature is the seprate 5 band eq for the channels. The only thing i wished for is spring reverb for the clean channel, with reverb knobs in place of the res and presence on the clean channel, but it doesn't bother me one bit. I like the the simplicity of the amp, its so easy to get great tone. Knobs are very sensitive, esspecially the volume, but they do their job.

The hi-gain on this amp is as good as it gets, the only way to get better hi-gain is further shape it with graphic eq. Its suits me perfectly becuase the clean is clean enough for me to do third wave ska. The crunch lets me play those creamy blues and classic tones. But the lead channel is where its all at. Its perfect for drop tuning death metal, or EVH lead tone(obviously being designed by the great eddie himself) or anything hi-gain. Its much better than any mesa, thats for sure.

I can trash this thing and it will never die. but i love it and take care of it very well.

every bit of amplification i ever needed for only 500 bucks

You guys all know how many 'features' the 5150 or 5150 II has... not very many, but that's the point. Perfect gain/distortion tone through virtually any guitar and enough power to rattle dishes in your neighbours house! End of story.

Hands down the best gain sound in the whole industry. Mesa amps are good, but I find their distortion fuzzy and distracting. Marshalls are fine, but their weaklings alongside this amp. The 5150 has just the right amount of everything and it really does go up to 11!

I have had my 5150 II for 8 years now and at one point I had some soldering shake loose on the inside... I took it to my local 'amp tech' and it hasn't broke down since. Obviously, I've put several sets of tubes in it, but that's expected with any tube amp... especially ones that tour. My rhythm guitarist had his Dual Rectofier for 3 years and it melted down 3 times... it spent more time in the shop then on stage.

I dealt with Peavey once to get a new foot pedal... it was painless.

I've been playing guitar for 13 years, the 5150 II was my first tube amp and will be my last for rock purposes. I've recorded 3 albums with it, done over 500 gigs and probably triple that in rehearsals and it still brings a smile to my face to hear this amp rip! It is the best rock/metal amp on the planet and granted now they're not as easy to find as they were 10 years ago, but if you do find a 5150/5150II or 6505 and you play in a rock/metal band... buy it.

i'm not sure what year this is but you can emial peavey and they can find out quickly. i had a 5150 brand new straight outta the box and it was a lemon so i sold it for about half of what i paid for it. played thru lotsa amps for a year after that and was really disapointed with my sound. i found this 5150 ll in a pawnshop in mint condition for 350$ with trade. so far so good the sound is the best for metal or punk.

really i've been playing for 25 years in all sorts of bands and you can play ANYTHING THRU THIS AMP -reggea, blues jazz, rock, country-whatever.i use NO PEDALS AT ALL, just plug and play, twist some nobs and your in.120 watts (fuck ya). every guitar sounds good thru this amp and any cab that can handle 120 watts will sound excellent with this head.use 5881 tubes and any good 12ax7 tubes, change em maybe once a year or so and play in a good band ="BADASS"

take care of this thing and it should last at least 20 years or so. if you tour get a road case. if you play around town get a decent cover, and if bought this to play at home (your a FAG).

excellent, why u ask? well i'll tell you a little story. remember the hurricane catrina that fucked everything up? well peavey got fucked up to(in mississippi) and i placed an order for some parts rght after the hurricane hit em, and that shit was at my door in about a week and a 1/2. i was'nt expecting to see that stuff for months. i was gonna put my amp in the closet for awhile thinking it would be a long time before i saw anything from them. phone lines were down,people were injured, and shit was flooded.you tell me how 25$ in parts made it to my door in that amount of time.

if you TRIDE to steal this amp. 1- i'd kick your ass. 2-i'd steal all your shit, and kick your ass, then everytime i see you on the street(IT'S ON).no seriously, some addvice from a pro. if you tour in a van then get a mean ass pitbull or some kind of dog and take her everywhere with you and leave her in the van. and no one will touch your shit. just ask SUBLIME. (R.I.P. brad)

The EVH Business deal with Peavey! Hear today gone tomorrow. The 5150 II came out with an extra switching feature on the foot switch. Loop on or off. Unlike the first 5150.
Features smeatures...lets keep it simple. I wish it was a tad more quiet. Nugent used HUSH by Rocktron with his 5150's. So do I. I love the tone I get with my 10 band MXR EQ running through the Loop! I use this amp in my practice room and on any stage setting. Plenty of power!!
I use 4 5881's and changing tubes is fun actually. Learning how these days is becoming a thing od the past. Peavey told me that they wanted a amp to be user friendly so all that is necessary is to just simply pull your old tubes out and replace em with new ones! No Bias voltage to adjust like on many of the Laney and Marshall amps I have had. Just as long as it is a matter of ONLY needing fresh tubes that is. People also do not realize that Solid state can also burn out. Semi Conductors can also burn out and do the same thing a tube can. Except sound as good. I gave it a 9 instead of a 10 because I think it should have a noise reduction built in of some type. This is a comon problem so why not address it. Krank seemed to! The Krankenstein is quiet!

The sound is awesome! It can produce too much gain. It can be clear if wanted. I play Dean Razorback guitars with a Dime waw and a Digitech Wham pedal along with a MXR 10 band EQ and a Line 6 Uber distortion pedal on the floor. Up above I also have a Rocktron Expression for some reverb Delay and Flange when needed. The HUSH in the Expression quiets things down. Running all of this through the Loop is awesome! Way better than straight in!

ANY Amp can do just about anything at any time it is hot and running. This goes for Solid state too! I have had no problems with this amp. I also have had no problems with any of the amps I have owned through the years for whatever thats worth. Well.. My Laney Toni Iommi Signature head had a blue and red flame inside one of the output stage tubes right out of the box due to a loose wire on one of it's sockets. Check soldier connections with a bright light and make sure that they have not heated up and changed color. Check your tube socket pins and make sure that they are not burnt up and arch or anything. Keep it running clean and cool if possible....Any amp can tweek man! This thing made for a guy like Eddie Van Halen?!,,,very dependable to say the least!

Never needed a repair. I called Peavey and talked to a guy who built em and I told him I wanted to know the Bias voltage because I was thinking of installing a variable in it to adjust the bias for a tube job. He talked me out of it and said we made it user friendly so you didn't have to do that and you want to do what?!...&*$^&%$&
I have 5881's in it now and maybe this is where I get some of the noise I have mentioned from it. Maybe some 6L6's would quiet it up a tad considering the gear I am running through it too.

I have been playing for 28 years. Yeah...I am old. If it got ripped off?!! I couldn't buy another one since they don't make it anymore. Or at least that would change things as far as access to buy one! Eddie stopped endorsing it so it is a thing and model of the past!! A keeper for sure! Way better than my Marshall. I also run it on a Krank Cabinet. Awesome speakers!!
Just wish the amp had some built in noise reduction.
I can only remember the price was somewhere around close to $900.00 something new.

* clean, crunch, lead
* FX loop
* line out
* power amp EQ
* bass, mid, and treble - pre and post gain levels.
* selectable ohms rating 4, 8, 16
* footswitchable clean crunch and lead.
* all tube 6L6GC/12ax7

(i gave it an 8 instead of a 10 because the clean and crunch share the same pre, post and EQ settings.)

i have an ibanez RG320dx with EMG pickups, 81/85. i run this directly into the 5150II, then the 5150II into a mesa boogie 4X12 rectifer cab w/ celestion vintage 30's. i run a BOSS RV-5 for reverb and BOSS GE-7 for lead boost.(very good for creating extreme tones)

CLEAN
i personally find the clean channel to be quite awesome. i play many stlyes of music, jazz and country being included, this amp can handle it with ease. the clean is not as awesome as a fender, roland JC-120, or even a mesa boogie, but it does get really clean, it can sparkle even at high volumes. i dont like any dirt on my clean tones and i dont get that with this amp. it actually has its own sound. no matter what, its gonna be better than a solid state amp because its all tube, and tube tone is the best tone.

CRUNCH
for the crunch, i use it for dirty blues tones and for chord progressions that need a little dirt on them just before then switch into overdrive. it also be used for good oldschool metal tones if you run a tube screamer into the amp, i dont use one becuae i dont like to "tap dnace" when i play.

LEAD
now, for the lead channel, the bread and butter of the amp, it lives up to all the hype. ive played alongside mesa's, KRANK's, even high end botique amps, this thing is KICKS!!! yeah, they only cost like $900 bucks, that doesnt mean its not as good as any mesa or KRANK, it just might not have the features they do. either way, it has its own sound and no otehr amp can achieve the same sound this thing gets. this thing get get a BRUTAL scoop sound that makes you wanna kill, or what i like to do is keep the mids between 5-6 and have a smooth, snarly tone that cuts through the mix.

i have palyed a few gigs with it, ill never gig without a back up, but this thing will always perform, and im not afrad to take this out on the road. this thing is built like a tank, its meant to be handled rough. A+++

never delt with peavey. i got it though EBAY. but they were aweosme!

this amp can get an old jazz sound, or country brightness, or 80's midrange heavy snarlyness, or even a blistering shaved sound thats perfect for metal. the thing is, this amp has its own sound, just because the clean doesnt sound like a fender, the crunch doesnt sound like an old marshall plexi, and the lead channel doesnt sound like a mesa or krank, your right... it doesnt. you cant say it sounds better, but you cant say it sounds worse. you might not sound like other amps, but when you play country, blues, jazz, rock, or even metal, you do sound professional, and can achieve those tones. people are just picky.

I bought this amp roughly 2 years ago, I got it for 900 seeing as how it was the floor model. All-tube, 120 watts,2 and a half channels, effects loop, preamp out, Original tubes, never been modded, blah blah blah. A really simple amp, but what it does it does well. Loud as all hell!

After my crappy radioshack amp died on me, I decided it was time to get a REAL amplifier. I'm one of 2 guitarists in a metal band, not like that nu-metal stuff but more along the lines of In Flames or At the Gates, with a good amount of thrash influence (old-school metallica, slayer, etc.) thrown in for good measure. Seeking the most badass high-gain sound in all the land, I tried out a dazzling array of Marshalls and Mesas. I had my heart set on a dual rectifier until I gave the ol' 5150 II a try. And quite frankly, it rocked my balls off. Brutal, searing distortion that manages to retain definition and never gets "farty" sounding. I then had to choose between the two. It was a tough choice until I looked at the price tag. :) I'm currently using a Jackson DKMG with the matching 5150 slant-front cabinet, and I like a mid-rangey, defined slayer-esque tone as opposed to that poopy "mids at zero, gain at 10" sound that I hear many local bands using, and that's exactly what I get out of this thing. (But don't worry, if you're in a korn tribute band you can still get nu-metal rumble out of it.) I set the gain at about 6 and a half, and I get all the distortion I'll ever need, for riffing as well as leads, without the use of a boost or overdrive pedal! Speed-picking, grindy riffs sound awesome, every note stands out, which is near impossible to do with some amps. Same goes for leads, your mad chops will be well-defined and huge sounding. However, this also means that it doesn't hide your mistakes, so it forces you to get your shit together if you have a habit of playing sloppy. I love the sound of this thing sooo much. It's the sick metal tone I've always wanted, and it didn't cost me 3 grand! The crunch channel is kinda neat, but I never really use it. The clean channel is the amp's one real weakness. It's gnarly and grungy sounding, and it never seems totally "clean". If you want a nice pretty fender-type sound, you should probably look elsewhere. But I only use it sparingly, and the high-gain sound is so bitchin' that I feel it's worth the trade-off. It's also the loudest damn amp you'll ever play. I could overpower my entire band if I had to.

I have a Boss GT-6 (a really cool thing to play around with at home)that I use as a back-up, but the 5150 II has yet to fail me. I'm still using the original tubes, It's been through some horrific climate changes (I live in Buffalo, our weather is insane), it's been dropped and banged into stuff many, many times, a minivan drove over it's power cord, and it still rocks like a mofo. I'll probably die before this thing does.

I've never had to contact peavey, this amp has yet to give me a problem.

I've been playing for 6 years or so, and this is my only tube amp. If it were stolen, I'd track the asshole down and kick him in the face, and if it were lost, I would certainly purchase this same amp (or the 6505, which is the same thing but with a different name 'cuz Eddie Van Halen's endorsement is up.) I'd put it's high-gain fury up against anybody's, including marshall, mesa, bogner, etc. You can get a bitchin' amp from those companies, with a better clean channel to boot, but you'll pay an extra 800-2000 dollars for it. If you're looking for smoldering metal madness, this amp is a bargain and then some. Some reverb would be nice, but hey, I can use my GT-6 for that. Oh, and the resonance knob KICKS ASS! It adds heaviness without adding gain or volume. I don't know how they do it, it's magical.

This is the one of the last 5150II ever sold in Norway before it changed name to 6505+.

All feauteres has been well covered, so Ill skip it.

It sounds like holy hell! (I mean that in a positive way)
I wanted a raw, high gain, edgy, thrash metal sound and got more than I ever hoped for!
It's a bit noisy when cranked up at the PRE-gain, but show me an amp that isnt?
I play an Ibanez RG2550E Prestige with EMG81 pickup and delivered through a Hughes & Kettner 4*12" it kicks ass. As simple as that. I would recommend it to anyone into metal.
If you can't afford the Mesa Boogie Rectifier, this one it is! (I even think it sounds better than the Rectifier, but that may just be me).
Ok, you can turn the high, mid and low knobs as much as you want and nothing happens. Theres a little effect on the presense knob, but otherwise it's not a very versatile amp. But who cares? You got millions of pedals, racks and modules to give you all kind of effects. And these digital effects that most mid-price amps are equipped with, sounds like crap anyway.
For metal, all you really need in addition to the 5150II and the mics on your axe, is a chorus/delay pedal for lead-work and clean (Yeah, the 5150II has a really crappy cleansound), and perhaps a wah.

And it is loud. Very loud.

Built like a german tank. I would use it without back-up, but only if I had spare tubes and fuses ;) The amp itself will probably last forever.

I cannot blame Peavey for the fact that the tubes in the pre-amp blew at the second rehearsal (they were, of course, replaced free of charge by the dealer).

Flawless.

I wish it came with a roadie. I mess up my back by carrying to and from rehearsals all the time :)
Yeah, and a head-bag would be nice.

I compared it to a Mesa Boogie Rectifier, a Randall RX100, a Peavey XL and XXX (which is a bit more versatile, but still...) and a couple of Marshalls. I have NO regrets what so ever for my choise.
I recommend it to anyone, but be aware! You will need earplugs from 1,5 and up to 10.
And you might want the tubes to pre-heat a good 5-10 minutes before blasting.

I'll never loose it.
If someone steals it? -well, you can run, but you cannot hide.

It's safe to assume you know the amp relatively aware if you're searching user reviews on Harmony Central. You're obviously looking for an amp that either can deal the "brown sound" or crushing distortion. In this vein, the 5150 II delivers. It's a straight forward, two channel beast with the usual amenities: seperate EQs, footswitchable channel changing, footswitchable effects loop, line-in, line-out etc.

I gave this amp an 8 for versatility not because I dislike or am suffocated by the abilities of the 5150 II, but because it isn't a do-it-all amp. For me, that's fine. I bought it because I knew what it was, what it could do and what it was known to deliver.

In short, I chose the right tool for the job.

I play a seven-stringed guitar, tuned to A in a Vegan Straight Edge band. I've been told we sound a lot like Disembodied (if you're interested in understanding the sound for the sake of context). We're incredibly heavy, with a few clean intros and a lot of start-stop material. Because we don't play sloppy open-bar chords, I needed a distortion tone tighter than what the reigning-gain king, the Mesa Boogie Rectifier.

For this, the 5150 II serves me perfectly. I'll probably play in hard core/metal core bands for the rest of my life and this head will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. I've heard this called the "poor man's Mesa," but I think it sounds better--and I've played through the cream of the crop (Dual Rectier Rackmount through a 4x12 oversized cabinent).

As mentioned previously, this thing can get incredibly noisy, especially if you're playing material with pauses or stops in high-gain. The other guitar player in my band bought a Boss NS-2 (noise suppressor) and had limited success. So, I instead bought an ISP Decimator pedal and it's worked wonderfully for me. For anyone who aims to play with heavy distortion and would like their amp whisper-quiet, I suggest it.

The only real point of contention is the clean, and I get the sense that the rythm channel wasn't meant for cleans, as the name of the channel would suggest. That said, you can dial a passable clean sound. Again, I'm not trying to pull of Radiohead or Jazz, but it'll work for minor clean guitar work.

I've never had a problem, and don't expect to have any.

I've never had to deal with them, refer to above.

If you play hard core, or heavier music, forget the Mesa. Get a 5150 II.

ONE OF THE LAST 5150 II'S BUILT FOR EUROPE, IF YOU WANT TO ROCK THIS BABY'S FOR YOU. IF YOU WANT TO PLAY SOME PUSSEY ASS $%^& GET SOMETHING ELSE! TO BE HONEST THE AMP IS NOT THAT FLEXABLE, HOWEVER THATS WHAT I LIKE: 1 INPUT, 2 CHANNELS AND THE MOST ALMIGHTY OVERDRIVEN SOUND EVER! PERIOD!
I PLAY IN A VAN HALEN TRIBUTE BAND AND WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO GO OUT AND GIG SO I GOT THIS SUKKA CAUSE I WANTED THAT BUTTER TONE FROM RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW. IN ONE HEAD, I GOT IT...

I PLAY A WOLFGANG SPECIAL LOADED WITH SD'S, JEFF BECK IN THE BRIDGE AND A PEARLEY GATES IN THE NECK. I ALSO HAVE AN IBANEZ RG LOADED WITH A VAI EVO IN THE BRIDGE. I GO INTO A WAH, OUT OF THE WAH INTO THE 5150, OUT OF THE BACK OF THE LOOP INTO A PHASE 90, INTO A HOLY GRAIL REVERB THEN INTO A CHOURUS AND FINALY A BOSS NS2 (YOU WILL NEED THIS IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE THE HIGH GAIN SETTING ON THIS AMP)BESIDES VAN HALEN I LIKE A LOT OF CLASSIC ROCK (AC/DC DEEP PURPLE, SABBATH, OZZY, ZZ TOP ETC) AND THIS AMP IN PERFECT FOR EVERYTHING I NEED.
THIS MUTHA IS NOISY BUT HEY! THE GAIN IS VOLCANIC! THATS WHY I RUN THE NS 2 WHICH CLEANS UP MOST OF THE $%^&. YOU CAN'T HEAR DICK DURING PLAYING, BUT WHEN YOU STOP IN SONGS IT HISSES. IF YOUR INTO PANTERA/ MEGADEATH OR ANY OF THOSE CATS YOU COULD BE PISSED OF AT THE HISS BETWEEN RIFF BREAKS WHERE YOU WANT THAT SILENCE. GET A NOISE GATE!
CLEAN CHANNEL IS AVERAGE, BUT I ONLY USE IT FOR THE LITTLE CLEAN SECTION IN POUNDCAKE AFTER THE SOLO AND A COUPLE OF OTHER TIMES. IF YOU WANT A NICE CLEAN SOUND GET A FENDER TWIN OR SOME $%^&.
DISTORTION LIKE I SAID BEFORE IS UNCALLED FOR. ITS HARD TO IMAGINE EVER NEEDING ANY MORE, SOMETIMES I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO PICK. HAMMER ONS AND TAPS ARE A CAKE WALK!

GOT IT RECENTLEY, CAN'T IMAGINE IT EVER BUSTING! THE THINKS A TANK!

SEE ABOVE!

I WAS GONNA BUY A BOOGIE, CAUSE I PLAYED ONE BEFORE AND I LOVE THAT CLEAN BUT DISTORTED HEAVEY CLUNK YOU GET FROM THESE TYPE OF AMPS BUT I GUESS THIS ONE IS JUST SO MUCH BETTER VALUE. IT'S HALF THE PRICE OF A ROADKING OR RECTIFIER AND BUILT JUST A TOUGH, OK THE MESA IS HANDWIRED BUT HEY? HOW FAR CAN YOU PUSH IT? I ALSO CONSIDERED SOLDANO WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN WONDERFULL FOR LIGHTER MUSIC BUT JUST DOESN'T HAVE THE HEAVEYNESS OF THE 5150.
IF IT WERE LOST I WOULD BUY ANOTHER ASAP, IT TOOK ME 15 YRS OF PLAYING GUITAR, SEARCHING FOR THIS SOUND!
I GUESS IT WOULD BE NICE IF IT HAD A REVERB, I UNDERSTAND THE COMBO DOES BUT I JUST RAM A REVERB UNIT INTO MY PEDAL CHAIN AND IT SOUNDS GOOD.
TO SUM UP,YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE VAN HALEN TO PLAY THIS BABY, BUT YOU GOTTA LIKE IT HEAVEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The amp is really versatile, it really is built like a tank. It's a pretty good price for a really good all tube head. It is meant for high-gain use only (playing metal, hardcore, etc) and not really meant for clean.

I've been using a epiphone SG playing hardcore and metal. It's perfect for high-gain. It is noisy, esp if you don't have good pick ups, so its recommended you use a Noise Supressor with it, then boom.

The distortion is REALLY brutal, perfect for ANY kind of heavey music.

I can really depend on this amp, it hasn't failed me yet.

n/a

Overall, this amp is PERFECT for people play metal,hardcore, or punk. It isn't really great for clean tones, so if you are looking for a amazing high-gain amp, this thing is amazing.

the 5150 2x12 is a streight ford amp. nothing too special. it has 2 power amp tubes and 4 or 5 pre amps. it has an effects loop and a high and low input which is niceand a speaker ext. it has a pre for both chanels. the only thing that i thought that this amps could use was two seperate eq chanels. both chanels share the highs, mids, and lows. there's a pres and res settings too which helps alot to shape out your sound. and dont forget about the reverb that i dont use. the reverbs good but i just dont use reverb with my sound. one thing that i found nice was that you can unhook the 2x12 speakers and hook it up to another cab.

this amps is loud.i have a 5150 2x12 and i plug it up to my hughes and kettner warp7 cab and i get a crushing sound. i use a schecter 006,c-1, and a esp h-120 all loaded with emg hz's and i get a killer tone with it.i play streight up metal and this amp has what it takes to have the amount of clarity and gain you need. the res n pres knobes do the overall trick. when your kranking the gain and volume up all the way this amps could use a noise suppresor.the clean channel is awsome too. its as clear as a whistle.id like to add some rack gear like a band eq and a maxamizer to thicken up my sound some more.but thats just because i like extremely thick sounds. just as a suggestion if the 50150 starts to sound like its breaking out and weak i would get some mesa tubes. i have come to believe their more punchier and have more gain behind them. they also seem to hold the sound together more at higher setings.

this amp is a behemoth. umm. ive luged it everywhere and i know that this amp can take a beating. it's solid.

i've been playing guitar for about three years now and i've gone through acouple amps and rackmout gear and nothing compairs to it.i use to have a randall classic 100,i still have the huges and kettner warp7 half stack,ect.there have been acouple things that i get bumed out about with this amp and i think that its trying to get a thick/high sound. i have trouble getting the two together but that just might be because i dont have it tweeked out yet.but overall i think that this is a killer amp.its cut through. n/e one that wants the whole despided icon,god forbid,unearth feel you should pick up this amp.

Made in 2003. Bought it new in Nov/2004. I play with a major pop star from my country, Serbia And Montenegro, and in a band doing classic/hard/heavy rock covers. The amp pretty much covers it all. It has two main channels "rhythm" and "lead". Bright and crunch switches on rhythm channel. Resonance and presence for each channel. Series effects loop, preamp out (never used this), 4-8-16 ohm switch, bias test points, 6 12ax7 (came with 3 EH and 3 Sovtek LPS' tubes), 4 6L6 (Sovtek WXT+), 120W R.M.S., 3 button footswitch (main channel select, crunch on/off, loop on/off). Never turned channel's master volumes behind 12 o'clock! Very very LOUD!

I'm using this head with Wolfgang standard tremolo and stock EB/MM Silhouette (h/s/h). However, played it with various guitars - Gibson SG, LP, Fender strats, Ibanez, Hamer, Kramer... We are doing Gov't Mule, Zeppelin, Black Crowes, early VH, Grand Funk, etc covers and it suits everything, even though I like to dial in a bit more gain than Mark Farner has, but it doesn't hurt the smokin' guitar solo in "Footstompin' Music".:)
There is a certain amount of noise in lead channel (pre gain on 6) whic

Made in 2003. Bought it new in Nov/2004. I play with a major pop star from my country, Serbia And Montenegro, and in a band doing classic/hard/heavy rock covers. The amp pretty much covers it all. It has two main channels "rhythm" and "lead". Bright and crunch switches on rhythm channel. Resonance and presence for each channel. Series effects loop, preamp out (never used this), 4-8-16 ohm switch, bias test points, 6 12ax7 (came with 3 EH and 3 Sovtek LPS' tubes), 4 6L6 (Sovtek WXT+), 120W R.M.S., 3 button footswitch (main channel select, crunch on/off, loop on/off). Never turned channel's master volumes behind 12 o'clock! Very very LOUD!

I'm using this head with Wolfgang standard tremolo and stock EB/MM Silhouette (h/s/h). However, played it with various guitars - Gibson SG, LP, Fender strats, Ibanez, Hamer, Kramer... We are doing Gov't Mule, Zeppelin, Black Crowes, early VH, Grand Funk, etc covers and it suits everything, even though I like to dial in a bit more gain than Mark Farner has, but it doesn't hurt the smokin' guitar solo in "Footstompin' Music".:)
There is a certain amount of noise in lead channel (pre gain on 6) which is absolutely bearable, because you don't hear it in bedroom playing levels and in the clubs, with the crowd going crazy, you'll probably forget that your amp has any noise at all!
I use it with old Marshall 4x12 slant cab loaded with g-12h30 Celestions. Overally, the sound is punchy, fat, dense and warm with just enough clarity and presence to get through the crowd, because I hardly go thru the P.A. and I'm drivin it pretty hard (master volumes on 4.5 - 5)! This is loud! But in the same time you can stand 6 feet in front of it and don't feel uncomfortable 'bout the high volume! It's simply awesome!
Don't use the clean mode, and I agree with 99% of people who say that it sounds thin and lifeless. It gets distorted easilly at low pre gain settings, but it gets useful in some situations. I'm hardly ever using it...
Crunch ON! Well, you can nail pretty much any medium to hi-gain rock sound with it. It is kind of raw distortion, with a bit more hi mid punch compared to lead, and a bit less top end compared to lead. Very tight!
Lead! Like jumping into hyper-space in star wars! Brutal! Tons of gain! Sustains for days! Great low end! HUGE!!! It's just sounds great, plug in EVH Wolfgang you'll get new era Van Halen, get the L.P. and bring up the mids - Gary #$%^!& Moore with all of his 10 amplifier set-up! Lower the gain, neck pick-up on, there you have it - Mr. Warren Haynes himself! It just blows me away, every time I turn it on. Don't want to mention the sickest, baddest, !@#$%^' metal sounds you can get out of this thing, cause it's not my territory... But I've heard it in action!
However the tone is very subjective issue, and I'm just makin the statement that this is great amp that covers lots of stuff without tweakin' it too much.

After I got it and used it every other day, first preamp tube started to crack and hiss... Just replaced the tube, and continued abusing it on the road:) Built like tank. Very respectable amp, don't need or carry back-up.

Contacted Peavey via e-mail for schematic of the amp, when I encountered bad tube problem. Got reply within an hour or so with .pdf schematic, pc board layout and complete parts list. It turned out that it was just a bad tube.

I've been playing for 19 years. Had mainly Marshalls, and always dreamed about hi-gain heads, and I got my hands on this one! There are not much amp dealers in this part of the world (mainly Fender and Marshall) and it is very hard for a guitar player to even try some of the amps which are on "every other corner" in United States or so... I had the luck to play thru VHT Pitbull, Mesa Dual Rectifier (didn't like that), Triple XXX, JSX, Crate BV150 (lots of tubes:), Hughes&Kettner Tri-Amp (that one was very dissapointing) Engl Richie Blackmore (sounds awesome) and in the price range of 1000 euros> there's simply no better amp for me out there. Period. Would be very sad if stolen or lost, because I would have to wait for at least 3 months before my dealer gets the damn thing! Still I'm very interested in trying other amps, still gettin chills when somebody says: Soldano or Bogner, though I never had a chance to play thru it.
This is a great amp for the money you'll pay, and it's definetely worth checking out!

I bought the amp head and cab new two years ago. I play mostly death metal/melodic death metal/thrash/power metal etc and this amp is suited perfectly for playing those styles. It's got plenty of gain but if you eq it right now matter how much distortion you throw on you wont lose harmonic clarity. Within those generes it is a very versatile amp, splitting lead tones with high end to boot and more than enough mid range crunch for riffing. However, when i play jazz, this is not my amp of choice, the clean channel is basically shit, it sounds dry and has no feeling. I generally use this amp in small to medium size venues (those of you in the midwest thing The Rave in milwaukee) and it has plenty of power and presence for those places as well as smaller places such as my bands practice studio or the occasional legion hall of vfw.

Right now im using two Music Man John Petrucci Signiture models and the tone I get out of this amp with those guitars is just fucking amazing.It suits my style perfectly, in that i need to have the ability for a brutal riffing tone and also access to cleaner high end distortion for playing leads/solos in the same amp. The amp can be a little noisy on about any setting with the gain past 4 or 5 but i have a sonic maximizer ,graphic eq, and a feedback ferret, so i have zero problems, its quiet as a mouse. Within the realm of high gain sounds you can get basically any sound you want out of this amp, but if you're going to be using the clean channel a lot or you want a more low gain crunchy distortion, i would not say this is the amp for you. and basically, like i've said repeatedly, the distortion on this thing is brutal as fuck.

I tour a lot, which means my equipment can sometimes take a beating, and even so i have no qualms about using this amp without a backup. the only time i have ever had a problem with it was one time (before i had it in a head case) it got tossed around in hte trailer and all the power tubes broke, but that would happen to any amp.

never had to deal with them, but from what i hear Peavey is excellent in this area.

I have been playing guitar for 5 years, and for 3 of those years i have been playing at least 6 hours a day. I also own a bbe sonic maximizer, a graphic eq, a korg rack tuner, a furman power coniditioner, and a peavey feedback ferret. Like i said, this amps clean channel is shit, so i also own a fender '65 twin reverb. If this amp where stolen or lost i would replace it without a second thought. Before i bought it i compard with with many other amps (marshall jcm 2000, mesa boogie dual rectifier and road king, peavey xxx, marshall m4) and this amp basically trumps all of them if you're playing metal.

i have had this amp for about half a year and i have to say it is one of the best amps iv'e ever played. This amp is very versatile i can get a variety of sounds from it...from 80's crunch to the heaviest metal. This amp has three channels..channel switching, and effects loop but no headphone jakc. I do wish this amp had reverb but as one person had mentioned up top that it would make it even more heavy, which does make sense. I use alll the features on this amp its awesome.
(GEORGE (SHITTIEST PRES EVER) BUSH PLEASE EMAIL IF READ

I currently am playing a schecter c-1 with a emg 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck. I am in a band who played technical metalcore(just like the guy on the first comment. This amp can get noisy at high levels and if you have the gain all the way up you will get feedback. The 5150 can make pretty much any type of sound you want like i said before up top but the clean isn't all that great you might want to look into a small fender and get a a/b switch if you perform.

This amp is highly reliable..ITS extremely heavy but built like a tank. I always play gigs with this amp without a backup and hasn't failed me yet.

Never dealt with peavey

I have been playing for about 4 years, i used to own a marshall avt275...it had great tone but it just couldn't deliver the volume and tone that the 5150 has. If it was stolen i would probably try to find a 5150 but if i couldn't i would just buy a 6505. I pretty much like everything about this amp exept for the no reverb thing(I understand why they don't add it for heaviness)

Bought this used a few months ago. Went to the Peavey site and found out it was made in 2000. Bought the matching cab that was made in 1999.

If you want to know how versatile this is, listen to the guitar tone on these 3 albums:
Soulfly - Soulfly (1st album)
Superjoint Ritual - Use Once and Destroy (1st album)
The Haunted - any album
*That right there will tell you how versatile this head can be and then some. To me, that's true versatility....and this is before mentioning that EVH used this for recording "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"

A lot of people will tell you the cleans are bad. You can get them to sound pretty decent, but there are other amps out there that have better cleans.

I've used this amp in practices and on small stages. It has way too much power that I need to buy a THD hotplate with it. Until then, I turn up to 3 and I'm in a very LOUD metal band.

Another thing that makes this a very versatile amp is the # of pre-amp tubes. Since this head is mainly for distortion, the 12AX7's make a difference...NOT a big difference, but it is audible. Don't rely on tubes alone for tone. You need to look over your whole rig and deal with the major components (and keep it simple at the same time).

My current setup:

Guitars -> Wireless -> Wah -> Amp -> FX loop (Holy Grail and soon a Boss EQ-20 Advanced) -> 5150 slant cab/Homemade 2x12 with Celestion V30's.

It suits my metal style really well.

Some people may complain about noise or a "hiss." To me, it's either their setup, their tubes, or that any high-gain amp HAS background noise. If you're in a room with a HUGE P.A. setup and you turn the volume up with nothing coming out, you're going to hear a hiss. That's power to me.

As said in the previous section, the clean channel can be set good. It does distort a little at higher volumes, but you just gotta turn down the pregain a little.

The distortion is so brutal. Here's a quote I love: "6L6GCs are for the more modern metals with detunings, and lots of chug-chugging. These would be good if you want to cave in your chest."

Since I bought it used from a person, not a store, I asked about the history of the amp. No one's pushed it as much as I have. Point being, this thing IS built like a tank, but I opened it up to clean it. Some screws were loose, so I just tightened them down after dusting off the area.

I've had it for 6 months now. It's defintiely past its warranty. Inside looks like there were no previous repairs or mods. I think this thing will last for awhile. I'm definitely going to buy a new 6505+ (same thing) and keep it in the box until this one fails (if it ever does!)

I cannot give an opinion on this section. I've not dealt directly with Peavey, although I'm on their message boards everyday now. One Peavey employee is on there often and he's totally friendly and often gives non-biased opinions.

I started off with really bad equipment when I was younger (haven't most of us?). I sold my Marshall DSL 50 for this since I had to use a rack setup to get the distortion I wanted. The Marshall was great, but it does not have the built-in distortion or half the volume this thing does!!

Some may refer to this as a "Poor man's Mesa." I don't believe that's so since you cannot get them to sound exactly alike. They are differently voiced. If you talk to a Mesa owner, they'll bash Peavey and vice-versa. I am very happy with this and will always be behind Peavey and I think Mesa's are great. My choice of Mesa is the Tri-Axis with a 90/90 or the MK4 over the Rectifiers.

I hate rating everything so high, but I love my 5150 better than anything I've owned, which was not every amp, but a lot, including rack stuff

My 5150 II was apparently the last ones brought to my country before this new 6505 series, so I was lucky enough to grab this baby home with me.I play mostly heavy metal but I also like to play lots of different kinda music -> rock, ballads, a little bit of blues. And this amp does it for me. There are basicly 3 channels -> clean, crunch and lead. All I need. All tube and it?s a killer.

I use Schecter C1 Classic and I think it really brings out the best of this amp. Very versatile sounds with this baby! For the lead channel I should propably get Boss noise suppressor but it goes fine with out it too. I was stunned by the variety of sounds I got from the amp ?cause according to what majority of people where saying about it the amp has only one killer tone. It wasn?t like that at all. I found it to be very versatile ?cause it can produce that killer distortion and it also does the less distorted bluesy sound (crunch). The clean channel seems to get a bit distorted at high volumes though.

In a word the distortion u get from this amp IS brutal.

I?ve owned about three weeks now and I haven?t got any problems with it yeat.

Great! I contacted them ?cause I was building a cabinet for the amp and they gave me some directions what measures I should use. In a word awesome.

I?ve been playing about 15 years now and for the first time I decided to get gear that I would really enjoy playing and have awesome tone. I bought the schecter, 5150 II and build a cabinet for the amp. Now I?m just smiling all the time during our bands rehearsal - it?s just so nice to sound good and play with proper equipments. 5150 II is a great value for the money. I compared it to several different amps like Marshall and Line6. None came even near what 5150 II sounded to me.

Basic 5150 II Amp. No Tremolo or Reverb, but it does have an EQ for each Channel.

This is a good sounding tube amp. I use two Fender American Series Stratocasters with it and it has awesome distortion. However, the Clean channel is terrible. It does not do the clean stuff good, even with a Strat. The Clean Channel even distorts. Awesome distortion, terrible clean.

This amp will take a beating. I like how the tubes and filter caps are all safely tucked behind a steel plate.

I have never spoken with them.

I wish this had a better clean channel, but for distortion, almost nothing beats it.

120W All-tube head
6 x 12AX7 pre valves
4 x 6L6 final valves

My head was made in 2004, one of the lasts to be produced before the split between EVH and Peavey. I was lucky to get the last 5150 ever imported to Italy!

2 channels: rythm (with bright and crunch switches) and lead.
Eevery channel has indipendent bass/mid/treble controls, pre (gain) and post (volume) controls, resonance and presence controls.

Features also:
- effects loop (switchable from foot control)
- preamp out (useful if you use an external effect unit)
- 4/8/16 ohm switch

The foot control enable you to insert effects loop, select clean/crunch on rythm channel, select rythm/lead channel

It has a just a bit more than basical features, but they're enough for my needs.

With this head you can play a lot of different genres. It's been used by a lot of bands, such as Earthtone9, Soulfly, Diecast, Sick Of It All, Burst, Machine Head.. Since it has tons of gain it's good for any heavy kind of music: formerly I was in a hardcore/crossover band, now I play in a posthc/doom/psych and it still sounds perfect.

I have a Epiphone SG with Seymour Duncan JB-4 on bridge position. I use it both passed through effects and straight into the amp and it sounds good in both ways. If you don't use any noise reduction on high gain levels it becomes noisy.
Normally my setup is:

guitar > korg dt-10 tuner > boss ns-2 noise suppressor with dod compressor in the loop > peavey 5150 II

The rythm channel is a bit weak and if you need to use it both clean and crunch the the volume difference is huge. To avoid this problem I use a compressor between the guitar and the head to boost the signal when I play it clean. I like it with pre at ten with bright on, so you can get a warm and coloured sound, as old tube amps.

The lead channel is perfect and very verstile. If you need deftones-like open sound, if you need tight sound for thrash/death metal, If you just need rock distortion, you'll get any of them. With six preamp tubes it has tons of gain, but it never goes out of control (as happens with Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier).
Also, using the resonance control, you can really make your cabinet singing adding more charachter to your tone. I needed a bit of practice to understand how it works and how to use it, but now I think it's one of the most important features of this head.

I never had a problem with it. I own a little Rage 158 since 1996 and I can say Peaveys are built as tanks. I gig regularly without backup (also because I can't afford another 5150)

Never dealt with them. It's good since my amp is only 7 months old.

It's the most important part of my rig. If it were stolen I'd buy another (a 5150 II used or a 6505+ new, since 6505 is the new name of old 5150 serie).
It has the sounds I've always dreamt of, warm clean channel and versatile lead. In fact I bought it because many of my favourite bands use this amp.

Also, keep in mind it costs around 1000 euros, which is absolutely affordable compared with other top-liner heads (as Mesa, Randall, Crate). It's in the same price level of Laneys or Marshalls, but I think it sounds much better.

I have no idea what year this amp was made in but I'd say it was recently because this was the last shipment of the 5150's before Eddies contract ended with Peavey and they started making these amps as the 6505+. But yeah this was one of the last two 5150II amps still for sale in the country so I was stoked to get my hands on one. Anyways yeah not too many settings to fuck with your head, just enough to get a really nice metal sound outta it, I'm really impressed with the pressence dial, without it the amp would be really muddy and dull, but it really brings your sound out when turned up. Basically this is pure and simple a brutal metal amp, if your looking for anything less don't look here cause this amp was built for one reason only. Its got all the usual features most amps have nowadays, effects loop, standby switch, etc. The 5150II is an all tube amp, 10 Tubes in total. 6 12AX7 preamp tubes and 4 6L6GC power amp tubes. Its a good idea to maybe turn your amp on and leave it on standby for 2 minutes allowing the tubes to warm up, this way the tubes last longer and its good for your amp. 120 watts power, fuck I've only had this amp on 3 and that was loud enough for me in my place, I would only consider having it on 5 at most gigging venues, its just really loud.

I still can't get over the sound of this amp, its blasts my fuckin' face off everytime I play. I play my 5150II through a Mesa/Boogie Standard Rectifier Cab. I use a variety of ESP's but my favourite is my white Explorer-400 with EMG 81/60 pickups. The combination of these two are just fuckin' mind blowing, the sheer sustain and harmonics are intense, and the gain is just right in your face, it just sounds absolutely huge. I use hardly any effects at all, I just mainly wanted an amp for the gain factor. I rarely use the cleans, but they are okay if you bother to dial in a nice setting. The one thing about the 5150II is that its really hard to get a distinct signature sound, it seems no matter what tone you dial in you always seem to sound like Chimaira, or Machine Head, but I suppose that has to do with tunings as well. But in the near future I'm hoping to add a Boss GT-6 to my rig being now I seem to be writing a lot more melodic riffs and looking for kooky sounds and whatnot to add a new dimension to my music. But also the sound is really warm, its a pleasant sounding amp and each string as you strum it can be heard within the sound, its amazing! This amp is definately for the kind of metal heads looking for a huge sound along the likes of Arch Enemy, In Flames, Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, Devildriver, Ektomorf, Children Of Bodom, Machine Head, Chimaira, Fear Factory and others. If your a big fan of those bands sounds then yeah this amp is for you for sure. Its a little noisy sometimes, I just run a MXR Smart Gate infront of my signal and it seems to work out real well. Soon enough I'm going to add a BBE Sonic Maximizer in the effects loop and really bring out that sound and clean up any loose ends. Like many other amps it can get noisy without some type of noise gate, especially when the gain is set to 10, having active pickups doesn't really help it either but you get that, overall though it fuckin slays! I'd be lost without it.

I bought the 5150II brand new and straight out of the box, I was so excited to plug in and shred away but I was absolutely devastated when I had nothing but background noise, it took me and my mate a good while to sorta figure out whether it be the speaker cable, the cabinet and so many other little things. The problem turned out to be a valve, which was the last thing I thought would be wrong with it seeming so it was brand new, but within a week the problem was fixed and its been an absolute machine ever since.

Never really dealt with Peavey themselves but the support I recieved from Just Wares was great, still under warranty they fixed me up real fast and yeah like I said before its been working great ever since.

Haven't really owned anything else, I swear by my 5150II and my ESP's to get that real heavy sound. I had tried a variety of amps before I bought the Peavey those being the Marshall Mode Four, AVT150, DSL100, TSL100 and a variety of other Marshalls recognised for their high gain abilities, never got the chance to play any Randalls, although the Marshalls are great amps in their own right, they just didn't produce that tube driven gain I was looking for, and some were solid state. But since I had bought my 5150II the company Krank had introduced the late Dimebag Darrells Krankenstein. I would love to play that amp, but yeah my 5150II will definately be my main source of amplification for quite some years. If it was stolen I would be devastated, but I think I'd pick up the 6505+ and hope that it was just as good.

My 5150 II is a 2001 model, versatile??? My band plays anything from Ozzy to James Brown to The Who to Black Crows and everything in between. Playing in bars around here, its plenty loud, everyone tells me to turn it down!! I run a Rocktron Intellifex Online through the effects loop for a little delay, but mostly for its hush. I run it through a 5150 slant cab, and use a Boss GE-7 EQ for a mid boost on solo's and sometimes my Ibanez TS9, for alittle touch of "hair"(gain) on solos also. This amp can be alittle noisy, but you shouldn't have your lead preamp level above 4-5. Really, you dont need anymore gain than that....come on guys!

I have a 70's strat and a Wolfgang Red flametop special.Its a very versatile amp, you've read above what kind of music I play in my band. I never have any problems achieving sounds. The clean channel is good (but not the greatest) but I still love it, I have my preamp level on rythmn channel at 5-6 at most. Enough gain is never a factor, The lead preamp level is set at 4-5, and thats MORE than enough, above that its too.... fuzzy and sounds like SHIT playing loud. At bedroom volumes I mess with the settings usually turning them up alittle especially in the gain section. I also put new JJ 6L6's and JJ 12AX7's in it too, to give it a warmer sound. I also pulled the 12k bias resistor in the bias section, and put in a 6.8k resistor.Thus making the amp run alot warmer. This amp sounds really good. My sound is Very Ballsy, In Yer Face, BUT WARM. This is kind of unusual But... I also did something else to tone down the Fuzzy characteristics of this amp. I lined the inside of my 5150 cabinet with POLY FILL( ITS LIKE INSULATION, AND THE SAME MATERIAL YOU STUFF >>STUFFED TOYS WITH, but in a sheet form) I know it sounds STUPID!! But believe me.... IT MAKES A HUGE IMPROVEMENT. It makes the speaker think that its in a bigger cabinet or box, THUS..... giving it alittle more warmer, BIGGER, less fuzzy sound.

Never had any problems. and what I have and will... put my amp through, THAT SAYS ALOT, I play out in my band pretty much every weekend.

NEVER NEEDED IT!!! BUT... I do go into the Peavey forums every day, to research, help out, and try to improve my sound CONSTANTLY! AND everyone on there is AWESOME, AND VERY HELPFULL!!

I give it a 10. BUT I put ALOT of work and research into it making my sound, THE WAY IT IS. GOOD TONE SOMETIMES TAKES ALITTLE WORK... But atleast the 5150 II is A VERY GOOD START! GREAT PRICE AND GREAT TONE~!!!!!

Bought this amp with two 5150 cabs two years ago. If you want total gain this is the amp. I have not played the original block letter heads but this has all the power that you need. It runs better with one 4x12 cab at 16 ohms rather than two at 8 ohms. It is kind of average with two cabs. I replaced with JJ tubes in both power sections and preamp, made it even better. It is built strictly for high gain and a specific tone. If you want versatile this amp is not for that.

I use anything with humbuckers. I have over 17 guitars, my Les Paul Standard does really nice with it, and guitars that I have DiMarzio Super Humbuckers on them. Nice chunk with bottom end, and most of all just plain loud. If you want your leads to soar A/B this with an amp that will give you cleans and reverb. You will not find an amp with this kind of gain and have the other options with another amp.
The clean is very average on this amp. It doesn't suck, but it is not the amp's bread and butter.

I have had no problems.

Peavey has the best site, forums, and response from manufacturer out there. But I have never had to have warranty service through them.

Again, for lead and having awesome gain this amp is for you. If that is your style and nothing but, you will love this amp. If you gig with covers and need versatility, I would use this amp for leads and have another amp for your cleans and on some rhythms. It is really worth it to have as an option for its gain and volume though.
You cannot not love it for that!!

2004...probably one of the last made under the 5150 EVH name. It's a 5150 II..with 5150 II specs.

Hands down...
Thisis the best mnpst versitile amp ever made. It's a must for Metal and Hard Rock. Let me put it in pespective...this amp sits in a stack of other amps..a Mesa Boogie triple recto, Marshall 1987X, Marshall DSL100, PV 5150 (old style) Marshall '84 JCM 800 2204, Marshall 2203ZW Zakk Wylde, Marshall 2555 black '88 Jubilee and Marshall JMP-1/9100. I play the 5150 II 90% of the time because it cooks the most. Crazy gain, all kinds of distortion anything I want right down to a pretty decent clean. If there was a fire in my house I'ld wake up the dog and grab this amp and haul ass for the sidewalk! WTF this amp sell for a grand...they could charge $1800 for the thing and still get it all day long.

I got it new out of the box and turned it on and poof it died. Took it to PV tech and he popped new tubes in and never a problem since (2 months). Wouldn't be the first that jiggled something loose in a tube during shipping..won't be the last I'm sure. The amp is rock solid. Not as nice Mesa finish and feature...but much nicer than the chinky feel of a Marshall (sorry I like Marshall amps but they are a little nitsy and cheap for the cash they want)

PV handled the warranty tubes and phone tech support was prompt and friendly.

I got this amp NEW for $750 closeout.....steal all day long!
If you have $1000 to spend on an amp...buy this amp (6505 Plus)
If you have $2000 to spend on an amp...buy this amp & put $1K in the bank. PV 5150 II is HUGE! What was Eddie thinkin'?

You've heard all about the spec. of this amp before, but I wish it had a damn reverb. so it gets an 8. The footswitchable effects loop is great feature.

I have two 5150II heads, running into a peavey angled cab and a marshall straight cab, both loaded with a mix of vintage30s and g12t-75. Im using a 70s les paul with EMGs.
The clean channel sounds decent, but clears up nicely if you put an eec82 in the v1 slot rather than the standard eec83. Unfortunatley, this makes the clean channel quieter than it would usually be. Various people offer mods to clean up the 5150II clean, so I can recommend you do this if cleans really matter to you.

The distortion channel is great, but can sound to buzzy/grainy, so I suggest putting a boss ge-7 in the loop. On the amp, boost the bass and the resonance, set the mids just over halfway, and set the treble and presence to taste. On the ge-7, take out the 6.4k band completely, ans boost the 3.2K band slightly. Leave the rest of the EQ flat. Even at low volumes, this makes the 5150II sound immense. It takes out the cheap buzzy overtones, but retains the high-end agression.

I find that this amp is not noisy at all if you know how to use a gain control. Don't turn it up past half-way, and you'll have all the gain you need minus the noise.

It isn't as 'plug and play' as a lot of amps, ei. you can dial in a bad tone easily. With a little bit of tweaking and know-how you can make this amp sound incredible.

Not had either of them break down yet.

Never had the need to call them up.

Ive been playing quite a while, and have owned Fenders, Hiwatts, Laneys etc. Each amp has been good, but not quite what I was after. The 5150IIs are great amps, and with a bit of tweaking, can sound immense. Also peavey tend to make quality products at much lower prices.

If they got stolen or lost(!?) etc, I'd definatly get a couple more.

2002
Head is somewhat versatile. I play classic Metal (Maiden,Priest, Slayer etc.. NO numetal)

and blah blah you all know enough about this head

I have 2 guitars a Standard Les Paul with stock pickups and a fender (USA) fat strat with S.D. pickups.

Its ok for some Metal (nu and grind) but it kinda sucks for real metal (whatever that is).
This thing is noisy as fuck it never shuts up.

The clean fucking sucks so bad... nevermind to many things wrong with it.
The distortion is the only selling point . With a Sonic Maximizer the dirty chan. cleans up nice. I bought this head because it was the most bang for the buck.

things built like a tank.

i have been playing for 10 years in a few bands that have toured all over the US.
if you have the extra money just buy a Marshall JMP-1 Tube MIDI Guitar preamp.

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.