Peavey 5150

good enough...2 chanels. eq, etc....resonance...best feature...

i thought it was shit when i bought it....but cause the seller woudn't take it back...i was left with this beast to fuck about....well...i fuckin love it now....it's a really good amp, plus it's crisp and cuts really well on the band mix....

so far so good

yeah...

good stuff, very impressed

5150 head. Two switching channels (lead & rhythm) with effects loop. It is a 120W of all tube power so that is more than enought. I realy like the resonance knob for full bodied sound as well as PRE and POST knob for those of you or should I said us who like to ad a little bit of perfection to the sound.

This is an A/B class amp. It can produce a butifull clean sound as well as storming heavy sounds.I use a Jackson PS4 Performer which I customied for my needs. I've replaced pickups with Dimarzio John Petrucci pickups with Push-Pull: D-Sonic (bridge) and Air Norton (neck), all special order in red/black combination. In the middle I kept a Jackson single which sounds quite nice. I also replaced the bridge with Floyd rose Fast load in crome.So now the 5150 amp can shine in all his glory!The amp is not noisy at all but if you go to far with tha crunch it can become a bit noisy.REALY LIKE THE RESONANCE KNOB FOR FULLBODIED AND RICH SOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have replaced on pair of tubes in 5 years and hade some problem with pre amp section. But nothing serious.

The warranty is only 2 years.

I have been playing for 8 years and this is my first all tube amp.I use it with Line6 PODxt pro and Peavey 4x12 slant cab and it is all I need. If it would be stolen I'd probably buy something smaller, like a A class combo (all tube) or all tube power amp for rack but with the same tone capabilities. And I say it again: I REALY LOVE THE RESONANCE KNOB FOR FULLBODIE SOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!

made in early 90's
Block letter EVH head
2 channels
clean, crunch, lead
All tube
plenty of power

Have had it for evaluation compared to my signature 5150 head for three months. I have changed out the tubes, swapped tubes, used different cabs and guitars, played in different rooms etc...... After three months of testing on my own and with and without a band I can tell you that the only difference between the two is cosmetic. There is no tonal difference whatsoever other than what tubes you use, cabs, effects and most importantly the player himself.Tubes made a huge difference in tone, but the basic sound of the amps is the same. The EVH block letter scam is total B.S. its the same amp. TUBES make a huge difference in the tones that you get

very tough

good

Good amps for any kind of rock. In the right hands(somebody who can actually play) it can be a monster. If you have poor skills it will show it. A real guitarists amp, and rightly so. Look who designed it. The man himself.

The usual. two channels, shared eq, effects loop. I play rock. good for that. Wish it had reverb but that is no big deal. I use the amp to gig, teach, and jam with friends and to practice at home. All tube amplifier. The only way to get "real" guitar tone in my opinion

The Amp is well suited for any kind of rock and roll. Can get bluesy to very heavy distortion. A word on the tone of this amp. I also have a 5150 combo which sounds a little different than the head. A little more gain, a little brighter,tighter bottom, and a little better on the clean side. I noticed this right away upon purchasing the head and bottom 5150 cab. I changed the tubes out so that the head uses the same tubes as the combo and runs at sixty watts as well. I connected the head to the combo's speakers for test purposes and guess what? no difference in the tone. The combo still sounded better overall. So I call Peavey and get Roger Crimm on the line and he tells me that they are basically two different amps to start with. He said that they tweaked the preamp alittle more on the combo than the head and made it hotter because thats the way Eddie wanted it . He said that they tried and tried to make the head sound the same but they couldn't. I had a feeling that this was the case since I have heard many rumors to that effect. So there you go, straight from the horses mouth. I have found that you can make the head have the same sound gain wise and tonally as the combo by using a graphic eq in front of the amp. Depending on your eq settings you can get them to sound almost identicle that way. very interesting. So I run my head that way and it's fucking great. Smooth and creamy. Veeeerrrry Soldano like. I use a george Lynch tripler and run them together and it's the best distorted guitar sound I have ever heard. In the distortion department they can compete with any thing out there. I run them dry as a bone and they just sound awesome. All I need is a JSX and I'll be set for life. I have Roland jc-120's for clean. Heh!

Has not given me any trouble except a blown power tube. That's it.

Vey good. Roger was very informative.

I have been playing for 27 years. I own a Les paul standard, A peavey wolfgang, a gibson SG, and a hamer sunburst from 78". I purchased the Hamer the same year as I purchased the First Van Halen album, Thats when I started playing..I also own a Soldano hot rod 100 + head. I use most of the stuff to gig and teach with.

- 2 channels rythm/lead
- effects loop
- 120 WATTS ALL TUBE POWER!!!!
- high gain input and low gain input
- it only has one set of equalizers for both channels which is kind of dissapointing

I use a Jackson with a DiMarzio Evolution neck pick up and the DX2 bridge pickup and a Fender Strat which I replaced the bridge pickup with a DiMarzio Fast Track 2.

It's amazing for death metal.(Origin, Behemoth, Nile, etc.) I can aso get a nice rich clean out of it for some jazz.

People often complain about this amp because it's 'too noisy and has too much gain' but I would strongly disagree. If you know how to work the settings it isn't either of those.

I bought it used so I'm not sure how the previous owner treated it but it has broken down on me once. Other than that it has been very reliable. It has fallen off the cab a few times without doing anything to it so it's very sturdy.

I had my repair done locally so I wouldn't know.

If it were lost or stolen I'd probably look for another one but since they don't make them anymore I think I'd end up getting a 6505 which I hear is supposed to be basically the same thing.

Just because I'm a freak about my tone and am constantly trying to get a better sound out my equipment I'm hoping to soon get a sonic maximizer and a nice equalizer to hook through it.

If you ever come across one of these I would defanitley recommend getting it.

my amp is about 3 years old. In that time i liked metalcore a lot and played in some bands in that genre. Nowadays I still play loud music (emoviolence) but also play some indie and postrock.
The amp has the features for metalcore got two channels. one with bright and crunch button and a killer lead channel. I have used the amp on stage many times

for a long time i used an esp/ltd with emg pickups, after that i bought a gibson junior and now I have a fender telecaster. So I used all those guitars on it. The sound is good when you like mosh or deathmetal. this amps has balls and blows your head off. how ever i miss some tone definition. if you like some beautifull harmonics or chords this amp is not your thing. Only powerchords and one string playing does the trick. You can also use the normal input for some more tone.
the clean sounds ok. I don'understand why all people are complaining about that. use the crunch and a little gain and you can get really nice warm sounds.

it's strong but it lost some power...got some new tubes..but still don't have the gain/power back that it gave when i bought it

?

I use the amp for about 3/4 years.. It's a descent amp but is not the best there is. miss some tone in it. the sound is messy in higher notes, but its the right amp for hc and nu metal and swedish deathmetal. It's not your amp if you like your music more open..this is notthe amp to play opeth, it is to play hatebreed

Block letter 5150. plenty of power, I pull 2 outer tubes and half the impedance. The effects loop is quiet and having it footswitchable is a big+. This amp sounds better than any modern marshall, it is the best sounding modern Marshall I've had. The flimsy circuit board for the 5 12AX7 tubes is un-excuseable as is the pcb that the 4 6L6 tubes are mounted on. My amp sounds great, allowing me to somewhat deal with the cheap construction.

My 5150 sounded better than I expected when it was stock. With proper bias, GE 6L6 WGB tubes and ecc83 pre amp tubes my amp sounded very good but had alot of noise. I found missing pcb screw that connects ground to board, added screw and amp became quieter. I added shielding to enclosure and my 5150 noise is acceptable now. Peavey did make a better sounding modern amp than Marshall, the crunch sounds of main channel are very good and I - DO - get nice clean sounds with vol on LP at 7, turn to 10 for crunch. I mainly use main channel and it blends similar with how my HIWATT amps are set, turn down LP vol to 7 for clean sounds. The dynamics of the amp are great allowing me to get my tonal variarations from LP vol rather than running over and hitting footswitch to change channels. The effects loop works and sounds very good, better than the Marshall's I sold. The gain channel has all I need set on 3, I usually use main channel and add boost because the gain ch. does sound like the fizzy pre amp high gain sound. So there ya go, I do get a good clean sound with a LP and I usually run amp with only 2 power tubes! 90% of the opinion here is that the 5150 will not do clean, a good thing I decided to not believe the amateur reviews so hastily posted here,lol! A 9 after amp was biased, $300 of n.o.s. tubes and head enclosure was shielded. A 7 in sad stock form.

Peavey does not know how to execute a road worthy amp design. The 5 pre amp tubes pcb is thin AND has no support god forbid if you swap tubes! The pots are micro sized junk you find in a $200 crate amp! The chassis corners are not joined causing it to flex ridiculously when you remove it, ameteur hour here. There is no clearance to re insert chassis in head, the stupid screen scrapes on top of chassis. I cut top of screen, moved front valence up to gain clearance. NO SHIELDING IN HEAD ENCLOSURE! Even Marshall does this, no need to be cheaper than them Brits! lol! I added shielding and amp became considerably quieter. I get the feeling that my 5150 was designed from way too much compromise and no concern for the poor sap that bought it new expecting something above mediocre craftsmanship. The amp is as stated built to low standards and is a disgrace to bear EVH name. USA made, yea right! lol!

They built my 5150 so cheap I doubt they could afford a toll free line, lol!

Err, at least my amp sounds better than any modern Marshall. I was looking for 1 modern amp to nail the M crunch sound and have effects loop. When I get some time I plan to upgrade the caps to improve the sound of my amp further. I'd like to have one of the ptp turret board propotype amps that Eddie got. My amp does sound great but looks like a pile of crap lined up to my 2 HIWATT amps.

well i just got this amp a few days ago. i bought it off of ebay because these amps aren't made anymore. now Peavey has the 6505's which im sure sound about the same. the guy i bought it from says the original block letter 5150s are way better than the artist series and 5150 II because it used better components and what not. it has 2 channels. a rhythm/clean and a lead channel. the rhythm channel has a bright and crunch buttom with is really usefull in getting whatever tone you want. the lead channel is smooth but brutal. all depends how much gain to dial in. has shared 3 band eq and a resonance and presence on the power amp section. great for getting that perfect metal tone. DID I MENTION ITS A 120 WATTS OF ALL TUBE TONE?!?!?! well it is and it will crush your skull.

i bought this amp for one reason only. METAL METAL METAL!!!! i saw bands like Zao whose guitarist both use these amps and i said to myself " well i love their tone and the pure brutality" so i went on ebay that night and bought one straight up. my guitars are a Gibson Les Paul Supreme, customized japanses strat with a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck model humbucker in the brige position and a "little 59" humbucker in the neck. i also have a epiphone sheraton. all guitars sound great on their own and also sound great through this amp. ATTENTION: THE CLEAN CHANNEL REALLY DOES SOUND GREAT!!! most people say the clean channel is terrible. maybe its their guitar that is terrible. sure its not a fender tone but only fender can give you that. the cool thing is that the cruch button kinda turns it into a dirty rhythm channel which is really usefull. but when you turn down the volume knob on the guitar it cleans up really nice. just keep tweeking, its easy to get the sound you are looking for with this amp. ACHTUNG BABY!!! people have said this amp is kinda noisy and IT IS!!! the circuitry in the amp just has alot of self noise. i was almost depressed when i got it because it made this terrible hissing noise when the volume was up past 1. i almost cried until i took it to guitar center and played it through a marshall 4x12 instead of my 60 watt 2x12. the 4x12 was a better match and it made the 5150 less noisy even though there was still some hissing but just not as noticeable. with the volume on 2 the output level is so loud that you can't really hear any extra noise until you stop playing and really listen closely. SOLUTION!!!! im getting a rocktron Hush pedal that will reduce/cut out the noise all together. i just read 30 reviews and everyone ( those who really know how to use it) says it works perfectly for high gain amps.

this amp weighs a good bit but not back breaking. i would trust playing it after dropping it off a tall building. this thing is a tank and built to last. Eddie Van Halen wouldn't put his name on something if it wasn't rock steady.

haven't tried them yet. im sure they are nice people.

i bought a mesa/boogie dual rec back in january and it just didn't do it for me. the decay on the distortion was crappy and not smooth at all. but with the 5150 i get smooth, rich distortion which is what this amp was made for. i have finally found the great metal amp i have been looking for. i plan on using it in my rock band and A/B between this and a fender bassman for a straight up clean verses brutal distortion set up. i can't wait to play out live and rock peoples faces off. from rock to metal and many styles in between, this amp can deliver the sweet tone you are looking for.

MADE IN 1998. I PLAY ROCK MOSTLY BUT THIS THING CAN REALLY DO IT ALL.
IT IS A 2 CHANNEL AMP LABELLED RYTHM AND LEAD AND WHEN USED WITH THE VOL KNOB ON YOUR GUITAR THIS AMP DOES IT ALL AND IN BETWEEN.
120 WATTS OF POWER WITH 6L6 TUBES HEAVY BOTTOM .
FEATURE WISE NOT MUCH BUT WHAT ITS GOT IS ALL YOU NEED.

EMG 89 AND 85 PICKUPS ON A PRS CE24 GUITAR. I REALLY DONT AGREE WITH EVERYBODY SAYING THIS THING IS NOISY. I PLAY WITH THE PRE ON 3.5 AND THE POST ON 4. THIS IS A LOUD CRUNCHY RYTHM SOUND LEAD CHANNEL IS SET THE SAME WAY. BUT THE LEAD CHANNEL HAS TWICE THE GAIN AS THE RYTHM CHANNEL SO THUS MORE DRIVE .
PLACE THIS BABY IN THE RYTHM CHANNEL AND TURN DOWN THE VOL ON YOUR GUITAR AND CLEAN HEAVEN.
UNDERSTAND THIS PUPPY WANTS TO BE PLAYED LOUD, SO TRY ADJUSTING YOUR GUITAR VOL.
THE BEST DISTORTION EVER.
NOTHING LIKE HAVING YOUR PANT LEG MOVE ON A POWER CHORD!!!! OR HOW ABOUT PUTTING OUT A MATCH THROUGH THE PUMP OF A 4X12 CAB AWESOME!!!!

AMP HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN, BUT DO GET A BIAS MOD DONE. THIS IS A DEFINATE THE AMP TENDS TO RUN COOL AT FACTORY BIAS. SO GET THE MOD USE EH12AX7A PREAMP AND 6L6WXT+ POWER TUBES.

I BEEN PLAYING FOR 28 YEARS.
I WOULD DEFINATELY BUY ANOTHER 5150.
I LOVE THE SIMPLICITY AND THE SOUNDS.

Made in 1992 I think?(because it's the block letter version)

Check out peavey's site for specs and details. Though I like to play different styles and I do like nice, clear cleans, I bought this amp to play pure raw metal. I was really inspired to buy this amp because of In Flames :), but I do also love to play BLS, Pantera, Megadeth, etc. It's 2 channels but it shares the eq, so that's about the only downside.

I have this running through a Marshall 1960a cab. I'm using an EMG loaded KV and a Les Paul w/ the Duncan '59/JB comb. I have to say that w/ the Duncans, it is one of the best distortions I have ever heard. It's really heavy and chunky as hell, especially on palm mutes, yet it doesn't have a scooped tone. It's got a nice smooth midrange tone. Like I said, I love to play In Flames, and with the Les Paul, I nailed that tone on the Lead channel, with a BOSS GE-7 eq in the effects loop. The dist. can go from raw thrash, to today's Death Metal. The cleans aren't really that great, but I'm sure no one's buying this amp for the cleans....it's actually no THAT bad if you roll back the pregain all the way on the rhythm channel w/ the bright and crunch switches on 'off'. Also, when you do that, using the volume knob on ur guitar is also really cruicial in getting a decent clean. A chorus or something like that can otherwise clean up the tone. I'll tell you that you won't even need to boost this amp w/ like an overdrive/tubescreamer. It's brutal enough on it's own, you'll find that on the lead channel, you won't really need to put the pre-amp gain past like 6, because more than that is just too much, it's starts getting noisy then. What I would recommend is a eq in the loop, because that really helps tighten the tone. 10 in this category because for modern metal tones, the dist. on this just really shines.

I haven't had it long enough to determine this. But I mean, this amp is probably like ~15 years old and it's still working fine.

I've never dealt w/ them.

This is my first tube amp, and I was thiking between this or a Laney GH100L. Glad I picked this because I've been getting tired of looking for amps which are weak in the dist department. I didn't want a really complicated amp, or one that would require me to use like an overdrive or really crank it to get some decent tones. I really like how I can just plug in and get straight-up nice raw, dirty tones.