Peavey 5150

I am a simple guitar player. Two years ago when I was looking to purchase anamp, I was mainly looking for something with a solid high gain channel. I had previously owned a Mashall solid state amp, and the Marchall JCM 900, but I wasn't satisfied with the high gain response I was getting from either of them. I play in a progressive hardcore band, so all I need in an amp is a lot of output, and a great distortion sound. The 5150 fills these for me. I give its features a 7 because it does not have a reverb unit or separate EQs between channels-somehting that I'm sure would deter many amp shoppers.Many nice features, however, such as three channel selection, impedence selection, resonance and presence controls, and casing that is built to last.

I use an Epiphone SG with humbucker pickups. The distortion channel is incredible. Extremely brutal sound, but still manages to sing every note in a chord (high and low) beautifully. Very full , crisp, modern sound. The clean channel I'm sure could be used for all syles of music, but it would require a little more effort. Recommended for players looking for a diverse range of high gain sounds.

I purchased this amp with problems-occasionally cut out during practice. Once when I opened it up to repair it, I dropped the exposed electronic unit onto a concrete floor. The fall was hard enough to cut a patch cord in half and make a huge dent in the front panel upon impact. Despite this, it worked like nothing happened to it! Electronic components are glued down to the circuit board to protect it from falling, etc-keeps everything stable inside to ensure a long life, even with the most abusive owners. Haven't had to change a tube once. The amp has since worked perfectly. Very reliable.

Was able to download manual from website. Also, after I dropped my amp in the basement, I had to order replacement dials (for cosmetic purposes). Items were reasonably priced and arrived quickly. Very friendly service!

I love this amp and do not desire anything from it that it does not deliver.

typical amp layout
pre gain for clean/crunch post gain for clean/crunch ( in other words gain and master volume )
pre gain for lead and post gain for lean ( same again )
treble, middle, bass, presence and something diffrent with resonance which controls the amount of bottom end like the presence controls the amount of top end !
if you want more detail read some other reviews

i play mainly gibson guitars with standard pickups nothing fancy no high output pikcups or anything like that...

i play mainly punk with a touch of ska so i do need a leanish sound of sorts and believe it or not this amp can do it, ok its not the best clean in the world its not a fender twin but it doesnt sound as bad as most people seem to say on here...
the distortion is brutal plain and simple ive never heard so much gain from an amp head and this is my spare head to my mesa dual rec and even the dual rec has less gain.. seriously.
i use the head through a marshall 4x12 with vintage 30s which to me are the best speaks for guitar heads they seem smoother with more bottom end and more even mids. Unlike the last reviewer said the cab can handle this head no problemo and it sounds great.. i tried the 5150 cab when i bought my mesa head as i was trying out various heads and cabs for the best combonation possible this included mesa of which i bought and is probably the best amp i have ever hear, the 5150 which did come second, laney gh100L, many marshalls, vht and soldano, the cabs i tried were the 5150, marshall v30's and normal, soldano, and the mesa 4x12 with v30's ( it was the best cab but it was either the cab or the head so i got the head and the marshall cab which sounded almost as good ) and IMHO the 5150 cab did nothing for me.. to much bottom end..
just to point out yes there is noise but what heavy distortion valve amp does'nt have noise..
like i said this is a good head and it does get used a lot and its probably the second best amp ive heard..
( oh and i font like more than 2 channels on an amp as i use my guitar and fingers more than my foot to get diffrent sounds.. )

its big, its heavy, it aint my brother but im sure if it was it would never let me down.. im in the belief that this amp is really built well, as i bought it from a friend who wanted the money to buy a dual rec after hearing mine and his band played about twice a week, practiced twice a week.. for the last two years of him buying it but before i bought it i did get him to fo a revalve ( even if paid him more for doing it )

never dealt with them

i think this is a great amp and if it was stolen i would probably kick the guy all over the place but with the shear weight of it i think he would proabably get a strain of some sort first if he tried to run with it ( built in security or what )

Simple, straightforward controls, Effects loop, switchable ohm settings to use different cabinets if you feel the need, the footswitch is a little cheeesy and could be constructed a little more road worthy, a pure dummy can tweak the amp the way they like as it doesn't take a rocket scientist to play with the tonal controls on the front end.....

Anyone lusting for Edwards tone straight out of a box look no further and don't waste you hard earned dollars on anything else if this is what you are looking for. I am currently using this amp with a Peavey Wolfgang, a Peavey Wolfgang Special, a PRS Mc Carty, and a PRS Singlecut Mark Tremonti Signature Model. The way it is run with my effects is just like Edwards setup utilizing an H&H V 800 Mosfet amp feeding two cabinets wet with effects in stereo with a center dry. If you don't know what I mean go into www.guitargeek.com click on Edward Van Halen and there you have it, my setup, effects and all is identical to his. Why you may ask? Well I play in a Van Halen Cover Band and wanted to nail his tone exact, effects and all and you know what....it is and anyone who hears it swears by it. All I can say is this amp has tone for days and doesn't quit.

I purchased this amp head and three cabinets when they first hit the market ten years ago. Never once has it ever seen the repair shop, blown up on me or given me one problem. I never once brought a backup with me anywhere at anytime as I have such faith in this amp. It has proven itself to me over the years and has been faithful like any good woman. Money well spent. You won't be sorry!!!!!!!!!

Never once did Peavey or the local dealer ever get a phone call. Amp and cabinets had a 1 yr warranty

I have been playing now for 25 years. I also own a Line 6 AX2/212. I only use this Van Halen Setup for the tribute band. The Line 6 Amp as well as the previously mentioned guitars take care of my other cover band which is a current rock/ alternative format. I would replace the 5150 setup in a heartbeat. this amp needs nothing and is all one could ask for to duplicate edwards tone. One other thing ......if you want to really nail his tone and you buy this amp, save some extra dough and do yourself a favor and pick up a wolfgang, at least the special which you can get for about $700.00.

You Know the features, and dispite what some of you morons might think these amps are extremely versatile.

Im writing this review in response to some of the dumbasses that are giving this amp bad reviews, and to offer a little advice to those that have one or are considering purchasing one.

1.) Cabinets
Both 5150 heads were designed and biased to be used in conjunction with the 5150 cabinet(s). If you look up the specs for either cabinet you will notice that the cabinet handles 300watts, each speaker being voiced at up to 75 watts rms each. Now, in a Marshall JCM-900 cabinet each speaker (usually Celestions) handle about 30watts rms each which in reality is only about 120 peak watt handling for the whole cabinet. On the other hand the speakers used in the 5150 cabinets are not your average guitar amp speakers, they are actually loudspeakers originally designed to be used in high-watt PA systems, but they have been slightly modified for use with the guitar amp. The JCM-900 cabinet along with other Marshall cabinets are designed to work with the distortion and power of the Marshall units(also notice that even the biggest Marshall heads only put out about 100 watts).

2.) Power
This is a VERY powerfull amp. IT IS LOUD. Now, even though it is listed at putting out 120 watts, when you put all the distortion of 5or6 12AX7 tubes and run them through 4 6L6 power tubes that is going to end up being the equivalent of about 600 watts. The 5150 cabinets are designed with this amount of power in mind, other cabinets made by other companies are not.

3.) "Lack of Reverb and versatility"
This amp was designed for EDDIE VAN HALEN by EDDIE VAN HALEN. Now this guy has at least $15,000 dollars worth of high-end equiptment to run the 5150's signal through so he doesn't really need an amp with reverb in it. So if you want this amp with reverb QUIT BITCHING and go buy a reverb pedal or good multi-effects unit.

4.) Volume
I say again, THIS AMP IS REALLY REALLY LOUD. So if you live with your parents or in an apartment complex this will not be the amp for you.
It was also designed to be played at high volumes so it won't sound very good with the post gain at .5 .

5.)Guitar
If you are playing a squire or some other guitar with shitty single coil pickups you will not be impressed with the sound of this amp. Get something with some good humbucking pickups in it. DO NOT give this amp a bad review because you are playing through a shitty guitar.

I play mine through a EVH Wolfgang with a BOSS GT-3 in the effects loop so it sounds absolutely awesome.

If you treat your amp like shit it will treat you like shit. This amp is built like a tank, however it is not invincible. It has delicate electronic equiptment inside of it that be damaged if not properly cared for.

Havent needed it.

This amp is the supreme GOD of all amps. LOUDEST AND BEST DISTORTION EVER. Again, dont buy, use, or give this amp a bad review if you dont know how to use it properly.

just like the rest of them. It has the EVH block logo, instead of the signature on the front though. I think it has plenty of features, I just wish that the bright and crunch settings could be footswichable on the 5150 I head. It still has all the essentials

Well first off it has a great distortion channal. At low pre gain settings you could get a great bluesy distortion, and on hi gain, well let me just say brown is a great color if you know what I mean. On the lead channal I don't put the post gain above 2. Its at a reasonable leval at that point, and thats really all I need. I run it through a Carvin 2x12 cab with Vintage 30s, and it sounds great at low volumes, and if I wanted to go higher it would go just the same. The clean is a little crappy, but if you keep the pre gain down, and add an eq pedal it sounds fine. I use a Sansamp GT2 as an overdrive pedal, and a clean pedal, depending on what setting I put it to. When I put the sansamp on a low gain setting, and turn on the lead channal, it kind of puts suger on top of the great distortion already there.

I got it used so it has a few problems. There is a rip in the power cable, that goes half way around the cable, which worries me a little. I put some electric tape on it and hoped for the best. Otherwise it looks sturdy. With a tube amp its never a %100 though, because you have to worry about tubes

Again I got it used, I don't plan on using Peavey's shitty customer service. From what I heard they aren't a good help anyway

Its my first tube amp, but compared to others I have heard, I really like it. It sounds great, and I really enjoy it.

Dont know what year it was made in but has block initials EVH on front. Rated 7 for amount of features not quality. For me there is plenty of features: 2 channels (both can be dirty as you like!) , presence and resonance ( mint), single EQ, all tube, effects loop, 4,8 and 16 ohm settings for cabs, two jacks for cabs, 120W! I never use the effects loop so i cant comment on that. its my first half stack so i may not have reliable opinion. suits me though as i play punk rock. presence can be used to get amazing ground tremors when palm muting. i dont like resonance - it gives me a head ache if its too high but on 5 it is fine and cuts through anything. there are earlier complaints about single EQ but i never get the need to have two completely different sounds on each channel. i like it.

I use cheap fender strat with seymour duncan custom humbucker at the bridge. on other pickups (very cheap) you get loads of noise and feedback on the same gain settings as almost silence with my humbucker. on maximum gain it is so noisy that you would have to stand quite a way from it to sound good. Ive only played in a pretty small room but ive actually made glasses fall of shelves at the other side of my house when on post gain of 2.5!! i love the distortion of this amp. i had the smaller peavey rage before which sucked. i used to only play new school punkrock like bigwig, greenday, NOFX, pennywise. with this head i had the extra head room to try new stuff and im now playing a lot of black sabbath, pixies, ACDC which to me is a lot harder than what i was playing before - 3 chords!
Im yet to get a clean sound out of this amp because it always seems desperate to go dirty. not a bad thing in my case. how brutal is the distortion?... brutal enough to not even resemble a guitar. will need a 2 mile cable to get far away not to feed back on max gain. MINT I can get perfect ACDC, black Sabbath sounds aswell as making my own tone which i now stick to no matter what i play. id say this amp can produce any rock sound you want. just leave it alone if you play gospel-folk-country. oh yeah and it would be wasted on limp biskit and papa roach although i cant think of what kind of music that is. theres no end to my progression since i got this amp.

Ive only had it a few months but looks sturdy enough. the 5150 cab however is alot lighter than i expected, comparing it to some old Laney 4X12 that ive used. Tubes are bound to go though. Its an older model but looks brand new. Well looked after

Havent dealt with them

ive been playing about 3 years. I have my strat, the peavey rage and this. and a rocktek distortion pedal which is now redundant. I love the power and distortion. SIMPLICITY. ive always like keeping stuff simple and this doesnt have any more knobs than my 15W practice amp yet it is far more versatile. i got it for 340 poonds seconhand aswell (in mint condition) which is well worth the money. I dont hate anything about this amp. itll be my first and last head. when buying it i also looked at the Marshall MG100RCD but the more i read reviews about it, the more i hated it. too marshally for me. Remember when reading this that I am only a 16 year old kid and i have only tried 3 half stacks in my life, marshall, laney and the 5150. This is by far my favourite, especially for that old school metal and punk that everyone seems to be forgetting about thanks to marlyn manson, linlin park ( hahaha), limp biskit. I was definitly born in the wrong time and so was this amp.

Features..not much to say here. You know the basics, one EQ for both channels, no reverb, all that. Footswitchable channels, one rythm one lead. The resonance feature is unique to this amp, and I think is a key to making it what it s.

I use a Les Paul studio...this amp is noisy. There isnt much in the way of tonal versatility, it sounds like a 5150. Very high gain, very throaty growl. I've read the other reviews, and I just dont see how people can use the max distortion on this amp, if you turn the pre-gain up past 5, it's VERY sloppy sounding. You can use the EQ to clean it up a bit, but it still sounds muddied. It's got a great rock sound, but if you use enough gain for crunch metal, it's sloppy. However, the throatiness and the growl on this amp is unmatched. Believe it or not, I use a Boss metal Zone WITH this amp and it SCREAMS!!! Low end thunk and crunch like you wouldnt believe! This amp is what does it, I've used the metal zone with lots of other amps, and never achieved this sound. The way the amp is voiced is perfect for metal...hard, growly HEAVY metal sounds. So to sum it up, I disagree with the rave reviews of the distortion on this amp...it does have INCREDIBLE gain, but the way it's used, it sounds sloppy if you use enough to get he really saturated sound.As for clean, it does well enough if you use some chorus to dress it up. Nothing spectacular, but if you're interested in this amp, you're not interested in sparkling clean souds. This amp is for HARD, rip your head off metal. The drawback is the one EQ, so whatever settings you use for dirty, you cant change for clean. You can get around this by using an EQ pedal, but it would be a pain. Get a chorus pedal. This amp will rock your world.

This thing is built like a bull, very heavy, very rugged.

Never dealt wih the copany, but I've got a 5 year warranty.

I've been playing for about 8 years, and this amp is my dream come true. My lead guitarist has one, and we always clashed sonds...two of these suckers together has an incredibly tight, smooth HEAVY sound. I own a tubeworks power amp, which I use with a KMD 4x10 cab. the sound is WEAK compared to this amp. I use a Les Paul studio exclusively.
I love the throatiness, growl, the ...sound. Those that have played long enough know THAT sound, just THAT sound. This amp does it for me. Marshalls and Boogies dont cut it. The key is to use it with a 5150 cab, they're designed for each other. evn with a pedal, I can get that real Tube-ey sound. If this amp were stolen or lost, I would buy another one immediately. Dont mess with the 5150 II, it's voiced a little differently. Overall, for metal, this amp ROCKS. There's nothing quite like it. If you can afford one, I highly reccommend it.

Let get one this straight: the Peavey 5150 is made only for rockers who can handle balls-swallowing METAL ACTION (or AXE-shun). So if you wearing some fucking backwards red baseball cap and thinking you're gonna be the next Korn Against the Bizkit or whatever the fuck you listen to, then you might as well just take that $5,000 Les Paul your uncle gave you and throw it under the tires of whatever pussy-ass sport coupe you're driving, because the 5150 doesn't have TIME for your PUSSY-ASS SHIT!

See, the people at Peavey were smart, because they put like twenty knobs on the 5150. Anyone who knows how to truly rock knows there's only one knobs that matters -- GAIN. That way, when the salesman sees you plugging in the Mexico-made Fender strat or whatever other pussy-ass guitar you pick off the rack, and he sees you start messing with every knob on the board while you insult the 5150 with your blatantly non-metal licks, he can kick your sorry ass OFF the chair and beat you like the REO Speedwagon fan you probably are, because no one who truly understood the 5150 would waste time with knobs when they could be pumping out some killer Sacrificium tunes on a Signature Randy Rhoads Jackson V at top volume.

You know what I use. SIGNATURE Randy Rhoads Jackson V, downtuned to B, with only my DOD FX-59 THRASHMASTER pedal between it and the 5150 (look up the THRASHMASTER for my other reviews). Yesterday, I took my 5150 over to my friend Dino's house, and he opened it up and disconnected every knob except the GAIN one, and then we busted that knob off so it's permanently stuck at 10, because that's the only number I need to know when it comes to pumping out my hot n' tasty licks with my new side project, LETHALICON, when we hit the stage at the Greenbriar Community Center every Thursday. After Dino and I modded my amp, every time i hit a low B, it sounds like the members of Hierarchical Punish are in my basement, beating the members of Civilization Hatred to death with amplified, unbridled metal brutality. This amp is for PURE, SLUTBANGING METAL, so don't even touch it unless you're ready to proclaim your dedication to annihilation!

I always say a good amp is like a good woman -- if it lasts through the first couple beatings, it's yours for life. This baby can take all the kicks and still pump out the hottest licks. Once, when I caught my little brother looking at my Signature Randy Rhoads Jackson V, I strapped his head to the 5150 and hung him out the window by his ankles. He kept squirmin' and hollerin' until finally I dropped him, but it was okay, because the 5150 was hooked back up in minutes, and none of the blood or snot stopped it from giving me the hot metal injection I demand. Let me put it this way: the 5150 will treat you better than any girlfriend, because it screams louder, it's easier to pick up, and it shuts up when you take your plug out.

You think I have time to talk to corporate non-rockers about this shit? No fucking way! Any time I got a problem with anything, my amigo Dino sets me up just fine. Sometimes, I'll call the customer service number, and when they pick up the phone, I'll put the receiver down by my amp and crank out "Fool for the City" by Foghat just to show my appreciation. They're never on the phone when I finish, but I'm sure they like to hear how at least SOME of us know how to use their amps for the prep-smacking ROCK they wanna hear.

I've been playing long enough to know that this amp kicks more ass and gets more chicks than my band's last bass player. Look, if you're still reading this review, then you obviously have some sort of cranial damage. If you do, that means you probably already own a 5150 and a Signature Randy Rhoads Jackson V, in which case, KEEP ROCKIN'! Because if you didn't already own one of these, by now you should be at Guitar Center, buying your 5150 head and telling them how they need to hold a Guitar Center 5150-a-thon, because it's the only amp that matters anyway.

1996 model
You know the feature.

INCREDIBLE TUBE DISTORTION!!
It takes some time to get the sound you want. I've had this amp for a while and now I could get any sound I want. Metallica, Tool, RATM, GnR, Cannibal Corpse, u name it!
I use chorus and reverb pedal to make the clean channel little more alive.
I can't believe some people put the gain on 10!! I never go past 5 or 6.
And people who said this amp sucked obviously didn't spend much time w/ the amp or didn't change the power tube.

I'm in a band and I can totally depend on this amp, it never let me down.

I emailed them with Q's, and they replied me the very next day.
They are very helpful.

I was going to get a Line 6 Flextone or a Marshall valvestate 102R brand new. But, I thought Line 6 was somehow lacking something in sound. So I got a Marshall 102R, but it broke down within a month. I wanted to excahnge it with the same new one, but that was the last one in the store. Then, I suddenly saw a used 5150 head, which I heard a lot about that they have monster gain and power. So I gave it a try and, "Boy was I glad my Marshall broke down!!!"
Without a doubt I felt like I've found the perfect amp for me.
Although it was a used one, it was in very good condition and costs less than Marshall 102R, so I even saved money.

Made in 94' Hi-gain tube amp, 2 channels (rythem, lead) switchable crunch. great for rock and hi-octane metal maybe some blues.
To bad it has no reverb but this can always be realized with an external box. Massive power! with 120 watts this baby is REALLY loud!
The effectsloop is a bit noisy but decent enough.

I use Gibson Les Paul with standard P/U and a Ibanez 550 with dimarzio evolutions. I mostly play Hendrix, Dream theater and Pantera stuff with it and it suits these style very well. This amp has surely the best MODERN hi-gain sounds i've ever heard. It actually sounds a lot like a dual rectifier(bit more sparkle) IMHO. When i got this amp it sounded like crap, gain sucked, very trebly sound, no low end. I retubed it with JJ's and WHOA!! what a difference! it turned into a monster. This amp has an insane amount of low end, highs are very articulated. I use a boss GE7 (EQ) in the effects loops to really fine-tune my sound and fatten up the distortion. The lead channel is pretty noisy tough but only at ear-killer volumes. The lead channel actually sounds grand at low(bedroom) levels too. The clean channel however is not quite that good, it's very uninspired and distorts even at low volumes.. U can use it for practical applications but i recommend using a reverb or chorus box to spice it up. This amp was surely made for leads and heavy distortion.

Built like a tank! this amp is a real workhorse. I've been all over the country with this amp. it took some serious abuse. This amp won't brake unlike some of the Marshall's i owned. I always keep a spare set of fuses and tubes with me just in case.

Mailed them once with a question about a mod i wanted to do got an answer 2 months later. Customer Support should work faster than that. Got an apology though.

I play the guitar for over 8 years now and i have used several Marshalls and laney amps. i still use a Marshall JCM900slx sometimes wich is great too(classic gain). IMHO this amp is a killer. it can be really tricky at first but you need to take the time for it and do some severe tweakage. If you want a glorious Modern Rock/Metal sound get this amp. I compared it to the new three channel marshall's a rivera head and a dual rectifier. The Marshall can't hang with it 'gain wise' The Boogie is alright too (more user friendly) but the 5150 was the best sound-wise.Did i mention it's cheap too? Definitive A+

Ok update to an earlier review...and everyone knows the features

update...im still using the CE22 with a JB into it, high gain input...i installed new Sovtek 5881WXT powertubes...whoa! what a difference! it was overdue (got the thing in 96) so i decided to get new ones...and it sounds like there were blankets over the speakers! sounds brand new now! if you havent retubed, do it now! high end is much more clear, mids are punchier, low is heavier. clean is clearer too. do yourself a favor...upgrade to quality tubes and you wont be disappointed with this amp!

never broken...even after a car wreck. ive used it without a backup...take good care of stuff, and itll take care of you!

good

as good or better than any other high gain amp out there...simple to use to boot. lots of sounds...cant beat it for the price! check it out if you want high gain, crunchy tones! good for detuning too. heavy!!! heavy!!!

1998 model, you all know the features, 120 fuckin'watts of tube power and a ridiculous amount of gain.

Setup: Ibanez RG with lo-pro edge and emg 81 in the bridge pos. Ibanez flanger/chorus pedal in effects loop, through a 280 watts marshall cabinet loaded with the fabulous vintage 30's.
I play death/grind with it, and it handles everything nicely, fast playing will not drown out in the mix, and palm muting processes tiny earthquakes everytime you do.
The distortion is awesome, very good sustain, and still tight enough (not past 6 or 7 though) clean sound.... is nonexistant, but what the hell.
It is noisy, but it is a high gain amp, it has some feedback, but that was with post gain at 8, and I have a high output pickup of course.

I do not really know what condition it is in, but it seems fine, I will be replacing the tubes with sovtek/mesa tubes when I have to.
I would gig without backup, because I don't have any.

Asked peavey which year it was made in, e-mailed me back in 15 minutes

My previous amp was a sovtek mig 100, but I had to use a effects processor for the distortion, so that sucked, I saw this one, tried it out, and it sounded sublime!
I would buy a dual rectifier someday, If I had the money.
But I think this one will stay with me for some time.

See previous review

I just wanted to say something about the tubes and a problem I had earlier...

If you're having problems with a microphonic squeal, this advice could help you...I usually turn the presence on my amp up to ten, but I used to have problems with an annoying microphonic squeal if I turned the volume up past four. NEW TUBES HELP THIS AMP *TREMENDOUSLY*!

I put Groove Tubes 6L6 and Sovtek 12ax7 in this amp and the sound quality is outrageously better...more gain, more bottom end, more mids, and best of all, less noise. I only have to turn my gain up to about 3 to be satisfied now, and the only noise that I get is the fault of my pickups...

BTW, for those EVH purists looking for the brown sound, invest in a digital delay and an equalizer. I nailed the tone from Panama with the following:

A digital delay (boss) set for some delay
A boss EQ with the 800k and 1.6k frequencies slightly cut
Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup in the bridge

Gain at 3
Low at 4
Mid at 10
High at 7
Resonance at 3
Presence at 10

using the 5150 cab. I was shocked, I don't even like EVH that much but the fact I could nail that tone made me feel pretty good.

This amp works wonders if you play anything that needs a good distorted tone. I saw the guys in Poison The Well use this amp in Louisville (the other guitarist uses a Blue Voodoo, also, adn they both use Marshall cabinets, for the guy taht posted about PTW), as well as the Hope Conspiracy and Cephalic Carnage. This amp has a great tone, but I feel like one should invest in a good equalizer, a BBE Sonic Maximizer, and possibly a noise supressor to bring out the VERY BEST TONE that this amp has to offer. NEW TUBES are also recommended, with regular maintenance.

See previous review

See previous review

Great fucking amp. I like it better than Mesa/Boogie's Triple Rectifier, although that amp is a lot lighter and has more headroom. It's all in the fingers.

THIS AMP DOES NOT SOUND LIKE KORN. IF YOU WANT A KORN/LIMPBIZKIT/SLIPKNOT/GAY ETC, GO BUY A CRATE AND A IBANEZ SMASH BOX. THIS AMP DOES *NOT* SOUND LIKE THAT.

1993 peavey 5150 head. i found it used on ebay and bought it without having heard it. i play metal/hardcore and needed a solid amp. after asking bands that i like (shai hulud, poison the well, snapcase, etc.) what they reccommended, most said this amp.

it has 2.5 channels, and that is my only complaint with this amp. sure, it has power galore and a distortion that is amazing! but the clean is only as clean as a dirty blues amp. there is a crunch button on the clean channel that is like a more mild distortion, but it is NOT footswitchable. the effects loop is cathode driven rather than tube. there is no reverb like on the combo. all channels share the same eq. a lot of these criticisms were "fixed" with the 5150-II, but that thing does not have the same gain.
I LOVE THIS AMP, but it is a one trick pony without many bells or whistles.

amazing! as i said, i play very aggressive music and this thing is so perfect for me. i honestly don't lust after a mesa or marshall. i had the cash for either of them, but they didn't hit me like the peavey.

i use a carvin dc-127 all mahogany neck thru with emg-89's. this is a great guitar for this amp. dark, crunchy, high gain output, sustain like crazy.

the amp can play lots of styles, but you really need to tweak the controls to do that. not a great amp for someone with 40 amp tones desired playing live. i have 3 settings that i use -- one on each channel. THIS AMP IS NOT THE MOST USER FRIENDLY TO COAX THE "PERFECT SOUND" FROM! i love what it does for me, but it took me about 2 hours to play with it to get it just perfect.

for my purposes, it is a 10. for someone more diverse in their styles, it would definately not be.

this is one of those "dropped out of the back of the van and still plays fine" sort of amps. its a tank.

i had one problem with it. at practice, the singer would scream and my amp would lose power. it was not a problem with my amp but the power draw on the circuit in the house. if this thing had a built in power conditioner, it would be invincable!

i am a regular on the peavey forum and they are extremely helpful.

bought it used, so warranty was n/a.

i bought this 6 months ago, toured it and recorded with it. i know my amp pretty well and am not writing about something i jammed out on in guitar center for 5 minutes.
if i ever needed a clean channel, this amp would have to go. if it were lost or stolen, i would purchase another. it is the most high gain amp i have played, and i tried everything from boogies to marshalls to line 6 to fenders. honestly, the only amp i would dump this for would be a soldano slo-100. this amp sounds a lot like the soldano in the distortion (it is rumoured that the 5150 is a cheap imitation of the soldano, but you know how rumours work), but the sl0-100 has a beautiful clean channel. when you figure i paid less than $500 for this and the soldano is well over $2000, it's no contest.

FOR THE MONEY, this is probably the best high gain rock/metal amp on the market.

I wish I could control FX loop's output level and clean channel had a separate EQ.

I retubed powertube with syvetlania and I use Mesa recto cabinet but I wish I could have tried 5150 cabinet but I couldn't find it in my area.
Although the clean channel sounds pretty lifeless. The distortion sound is just incredible! I can get many metal sounds out of it, although I couldn't get Rage against the Machine sound, it seemed pretty impossible.. has anybody tried and come close? maybe I need JCM800...
I also got some blues sound as well using neck and middle single coil p/u's with tone knob set to low. I wish EQ was more responsive which would have made this amp very versatile. I feel kind of weird concerning more on resonance and presence knobs than EQ knobs. I would give 7 for versatility and 10 for sound.

It's never broken down on me!
Once, while I was playing, suddenly I hear this annoying squeal from amp and I was like "Damn! I should't have bought a used one!" But then I figured out that my 7 band Equalizer's batteries ran out and the pedal was making the noise hahaha!!

I couldn't afford Mesa triple rectifier so I bought this and a mesa cab and I'm very happy with this amp's distortion. I wish it was more versatile with well resposive EQ's but I feel like I'm asking too much for $400.

No effects, reverb, or seperate eq for the clean channel, but...

I use BC Rich(USA Series), & ESP guitars with it! Hey listen! I have been playing guitar in bands since age 11. I am now 26. I have always used solid state for the crisp fast distorted leads I could get...but now..holy shit! I have been lookng at tube for 2 years and haven't seen any I like, rectumfiers(slim), JCM(slimmer), everywhere I turned no tube would sustain as much as I wanted, yet with the punch I need! Until I tried one of these out! Wonderful! I play in Flames, soilwork, iced eath, anacrusis, type metal. This head rocks! I ran it straight and it sounded great! Gain can't be set past 6. Then I hooked it up to my effects rig, and WOW! Brilliant! Tones I could sport wood over! I run a BBE, and a 35 band EQ through it and it clears everything up! The only reaso I am giving it a 9 is the clean channel! I like it but t is no Eric Johnson-Fender Clean! If it were, thing would be worth loads...But played through a 5150II and there is no difference in clean! Actually the lead channel voicing on the II is different. I don't like it. This original is much heavier! Don't pay the extra $250 for the II, it is not worth it!

Dealt with peavey service Center before, and it is fast! Warranty is 2 years minnimun, and 3 more if ya fill out some easy questions and mai it to peavey!

Brilliant! Metal! Metal Forever! Can work around the clean channel with chorus and seperate eq! Worth every penny!

Mine was made in 1993...I bought the floor model in '94 (saved a c-note that way) Features are well spoken for already.

In my earlier days, I played a Hamer with humbuckers into the 5150 with the gain at 7 or so, which was overkill. Now, I'm using Strats with single coils with the gain at 5. I get great tone and sustain without losing dynamics. I switched from a legato-based style to a much more picking-oriented approach, and the amp handles this nicely, except that sometimes there is TOO MUCH pick attack for me.

The EQ, to me, is useless. It has minimal effect on the tone, so you're basically stuck with your guitar's natural tone, or you better add an outboard EQ of some sort.

The clean sound is terrible; I use the rhythm channel for a mildly distorted sound that I can't get out of ANY other amp. I need to bypass the front end of the 5150 and use a separate preamp for clean tones.

I have no noise problems, since I don't crank the gain, and I always use a gate anyway.

The only time it broke down was when someone yanked the plug while I was playing and it blew the power tubes in one quick and painless death. Now, 6 years after getting it, some of the knobs have a tendency to fall off. UGH...not a big deal, but a pain in the ass.

If Peavey would make a more versatile EQ, and perhaps actually have a CLEAN sounding clean channel, it would be perfect. I don't miss the lack of reverb--I hate those spring jobs anyway, so I use a rack (oh no...gasp...a rack in the year 2000)

2 channels, the usual stuff

i play rock/metal using neck through the body guitars with emg pickups. i own marshall jcm800, jcm900 heads, and a variety of celestrion equiped cabinets. this head sounds killer. here's a tip: put a boss ge-7 eq (or better)in the efx loop and you'll swear you had a blanket over the speakers before.makes a HUGE difference. the clean channel sucks, sorry , and the efx loop level should be hotter than it is. but hey, my dirty tone rules the universe!

seems sturdy enuff

overall, this amp kills for ALLOT less than a boogie

By now anyone who has been playing guitars for over a year should know the features of a 5150, although 1 difference between this head and other heads is the resonance knob. This kind of tightens the flab out of the bottom end and somewhat allows you to "tailor the head to your cabinet" I give it a 5 because this head does one thing well, gain...GAIN....and of course G.A.I.N!!!!!!!!!!

For what I like to play this head kicksazz... no I do not play metal...although there is not a heavier head out there. I have owned the Line6 Flextone, a Rivera, Marshall, Rocktron Rack Crap, Sovtek Tube midget, RedBear, etc... you get the picture, and yes, the reason I dont own a Lexus is because I have been trying heads for 7 years....Here is the skinny, this head is good for raunch blues (roll off the volume knob) channel 1...straight rock, gain on about 7 on ch.1 or punk gain on 10 channel 1. For metal you can visit ch2. Which by manipulating the gain can get all the sounds of ch1 except clean...and when I say clean I use the word loosley. You can get a clean sound but jazz friends, look elsewhere. This amp is LOUD...at 120 watts tube I have never turned it past 5 1/2 even on outdoor gigs. Guess what, I had the 5150 cab and a Marshall cab, I find my favorite sound is with a Fender Rock Pro 4x12 because this cab has more clarity and the resonance knob has a greater affect on this cab...Yep, the $350 cab sounds better with this head...Lets not forget however that worshipers of 7 string Korn Kiddos will not be let down by this head...the resonance knob lets you have controls of those angst ridden low chords we all love. But this is just one shmucks opinion. I give it a 10 because for what it does, it does better than anything else I have owned....period.

Heads dont have action. but it does have tolex. how original.

I believe this thing is as reliable as a tube amp can be...I have never had it even look at me funny and I have bought 2, used and have never changed the tubes even after 2 years that I have had it...They still have the chinese communist specials in them.

never dealt with them

Excellent head for Rock,Punk,Metal,Progressive and very nasty blues, like the kind stevie played...NEVER EVER,EVER, USE A HOLLOW BODY WITH THIS HEAD!!!!THE RESULTS ARE DEADLY TO YOU AND YOUR AUDIENCE...DEATH BY FEEDBACK.

older model not sure of year says EVH in block letters on front
Versatile enough for me . I play classic rock , blues , modern alt u name it...
could use eq on each channel but thats what the 5150 II has so get that if u have a beef with the single eq.
U all know the features of this amp if your reading this review column
I reall like the resonance knob because I am using a 2x12 carvin cab open back with 2 carvin british series spkrs wired in series (16ohms total) and the resonance knob lets me get all the low end I need from even that cab!
plenty of power for jammin with 6 pc band (3 gtrs!) lets me cut thru no prob.

Im using it with a couple of strats (std and big apple) and also a copy with LIGHT swmp ash body and a carvin c22 reversed angle in the bridge pos.Also using a Carvin dc400t.
can use about the same eq settings for all those except the carvin which has more output and bite so I eq some high end out and use less gain
This amp has more gain/distortion that I could ever use but is controllable .
when I got it used off ebay it had an assortment of tubes in it and was kinda noisy and harsh. It came with 4 audioglassic blues tubes 6l6wgb (china) and 2 sovtek 12ax7wb , 3 sovtek 12ax7wa.
I retubed it with 5 GE JAN 5751 NOS and 4 sylvania 6l6gc (str 387)
and what a difference! The amp totally came alive and a clean sound was now possible but crunch always just a flick of the switch away!
I HIGHLY reccomend replacing the preamp tubes with 5751s if U think that the amp is harsh and has too much grind!
I wouldnt say I can get crystal clean now , but very clean is possible on both channels if u play with the knobs a bit!
If u cant get the sylvanias the svetlana 6l6gc is pretty close and in my opinion even better in the case of microphonics(certainly less expensive!)
By the way this is a fixed bias amp so to get it biased an amp tech would have to add a bias pot . Dont even bother because most ppl can't even hear the diff anyways u just have to pick a tube that the amp worx well with and if u stick to 6l6gcs I think u will be fine.
Most of the tone comes from the preamp tubes anyhow

would gig without a backup but also have a few spare fuses , preamp tubes, and a matched set of replacement power tubes if u really really really want to be safe.
Never has this amp quit on me but tubes are delicate so be prepared.

never dealt with customer support
The peavey website has a great amp forum however, and some great info can be found there

been playing 20 yrs
I also own a Peavey backstge plus,and a Fender Bluesjr.
If it were stolen or lost I would get another one once I had finished bereaving it!
I basically love this amp and I dont even play metal!
the 5150 II has separate eqs for each channel and I wish this had it also
dont write it off until you have given it a chance to shine with QUALITY tubes.

1996, everyone knows the features (shared EQ, resonance, presence, pre and post gain for both channels, bright and crunch switches for rhythm channel) high and low gain inputs...preamp out..etc. 120 watts. i like heavy stuff (godsmack, OLD metallica, Iced Earth) but a lot of other stuff too...Elton John, Yanni...plenty of features for me...plug in and play...why mess it up with extraneous gadgets?? maybe not totally versatile for some, but i can make it do what i need it to...it can sound Marshall-ish (not completely, but good enough for me) and Boogie-ish (but not generic...) think about it...you can do a lot with the guitars knobs, pickups, and your hands...its not ALL the amp. the ratings for amount of features just to let you know.

PRS CE 22, no maple top, Duncan JB in the bridge...suits my style (heavy stuff usually...lighter when i want to be!) my set up...PRS into Boss CE-5 Chorus, Morley volume/wah, high gain on amp...pregain on rhythm (im not sure, the knobs broken...but its set to where its slightly broken up, cleans up with pick attack, and has a nice fat crunch when the buttons hit) lead pre 4, bass 10, mids 1.5, high 4.5, posts at whatever i need, resonance at 4.5, presence at 8. i retubed the preamp with sovtek 12ax7lps tubes (same as Mesas!) and they were supposed to be lower gain...wrong! the ones in there were low gain! now the dist is incredible! and i dont see how anyone can turn the gain up to 10!!! thats dumb! theres too much! 4 is plenty, 3 is nice too...5 is crazy, and anything over that is too crazy! its a little noisy...nothing i cant handle...rhythm channel isnt, but its not a great channel...not much sparkle...even with the bright in (which is actually a set presence knob...it does add a slight boost, you gotta listen for it) i use the chorus on clean though...not through the efx loop (it doesnt sound good that way to my ears...not rich enough) that adds versitality, sparkle...nice clean, but could be better. lead channel great (retube people! LOL) you can sound like a Boogie...it sounds a lot like a Soldano SLO actually...to my ears anyway. its patterned after a Soldano! so why not? LOL clean is distorted at high volumes...it is allt he time almost with me (the way i have it set) its a loud, badass rock amp...but if you know how to control it and work with it, you can use it for lots of stuff...it looks like a one trick pony, but it will do rock, punk, metal, pop, or whatever...work with it! i have for four years! :) one word of warning...use the treble knob judiciously!

it survived a car wreck, and 4 years of playing...same old power tubes as when i bought it...new preamp tubes, but thats cuz i wanted to try something to work on the dist...sounds kick ass now! one knob broken off (pregain for rhythm) no biggie...i have it set how i like it! gig without a backup? have before...im not worried at all!

always seem to answer my emails quickly...send me literature quickly. never called them...but this is the South i live in! i know theyd probably be really nice, even if they didnt know a whole lot about hte product...i dont know hte warranty, i forgot :o) i know where a dealer is (my town, or about 50 miles away where i bought it) no problems here. rating is a 6 because i havent dealt with them much.

been playing about 8 or 9 years...i own a Laney 4x12 with three celestions and a peavey speaker...and an old Peavey Audition Chorus practice amp i dont use much (it blinks out sometimes LOL) i love the simplicity...plug and play! be a man!!! who needs a lot of gadgets? crank the volume and wail! thats what i love! im a punk in nature, in background...punk music is my favorite...what is it? simple! i compared it to some marshalls and other stuff, i passed them up because of the price. i dont wish it had anything other then seperate eqs possible, or just a better rhythm channel (cleaner, more sparkle) but hte chorus helps...i can live with it the way it is...i dont want too many gadgets...if it were stolen, id cry...lost, how can you lose something THAT heavy!?? but if i did, i would get another one, or a 5150 II because i hear that these heads arent made any more...find a used one probably (seems like a lot of people dont like them...oh well...more for me!) other gear? my PRS and my squier Strat with a JB Jr. heavy strings (10, 13, 17, 32, 42, 52) tuned down a whole step, and dropped the low D to C (dropped C tuning? LOL) my boss chorus and morley wah...thats it, and some cables. i dont like a lot of junk...if i just had the amp and my guitar and a pick...i could live! change the angle of the pick...do some pinch harmonics...mute the strings a little...turn down the volume knob to go clean...theres lots you can do...just try it all out!

It was a later version with a signature on
2 channel with 1 eq
crunch, bright switch
resonance, presence
FX loop
foot swith for channel change, and FX loop on and off
I give it a 7 because of just one eq and no reverb (I gotta have reverb, I had to spend another money on reverb pedal...)

The previous owner put GROOVE TUBES in and, I love the TONE, DISTORTION, and POWER this amp has!
I play Mettlica, Slipknot, Dream Theater, Vai, Satriani, and many more. When playing really heavy music, I use boss equalizer to fatten up the distotion, and never have to use distortion pedal, I am not much of an effect guy, effect pedals I use are
CryBaby 535Q(My favorite!), Tremolo, Digital delay/Reverb, and Flanger. (I'd would like to try Jekyl and Hyde Overdrive, but couldn't find it anywhere)
I am actually a fan of a Marshall, and Mesa tone, so I'm not 100% satisfied with this amp's sound but it does come very close to the sound I wanted and I'm loving it!
The only thing I don't dig is clean channel, it gets distorted at high volume. But when its pre gain is around 2-3 it doesn't really get distorted but it's not as loud as it should be. Probably, if I get a 4x12 cabinet it would be loud!
Currently, I am using 1x12 Mesa/Boogie BLACK SHADOW, A GREAT CABINET!!
I'd love to get a 4x12 Mesa Black Shadow but, that's way too much money for me. Damn Mesa products! they are awesome but too much expensive.

no doubt

I play Washburn, Samick guitar with DIMARZIO TONE ZONE p/u and ESP guitar tuned in (B,D,G,C,F,A) so I get a low 7string sound when sacrificing a high string.(I love this guitar! I get so HIGH when I play this guitar!! it sounds so HEAVEY when plugged into 5150 with Equalizer!)
This amp rocks! if you see it, just try it!
But, if you want 2 separate eq's, get 5150-II.

I think my amp was made in 98. I would give it a 10 for this category but this amp doesn't have seperate EQ's. The EQ doesn't shape the clean channel anyway. This amp is very versatile in certain aspects: it's not a blues amp, it's not a jazz amp. This amp will do ANY rock or metal sound. A lot of people use it for punk too. Pretty much everybody knows the features: high and low gain inputs, shared low, mid, high, resonance, and presence controls. The clean channel has a crunch and a bright switch. This amp is NOT a master volume amp. It's 120 watts with 4 6L6's in the power amp, and 5 12AX7's in the preamp. This amp gets really loud. I've never been drowned out by anyone else's amp, except my friends Mark IV (great amp)!

I mainly use my Les Paul Standard into a Bad Horsie, a Boss chorus, then the high gain input on the head. The effects loop has a 482 Sonic Maximizer, then a Boss DD-3 delay in it. My guitar has an EMG-81 in the bridge, an EMG-60 in the neck, and an SPC presence control(mid-boost) in the bridge tone knob position. I play mostly very heavy rock (i.e. Creed, U.P.O., Perfect Circle, Guns n'Roses, etc.) I am yet to hear a heavier sound! If anyone wants to know all my settings you can e-mail me. This amp is noisy, but it's not any noisier than a rectifier or other high gain amp. I can get a heavy, saturated sound at ANY volume! In my opinion, there are three things that SHOULD be done to get the best sound out of this amp: a retubing, a sonic maximizer(must!), and high output pickups. First the tubes. The stock tubes are shit! I put Groove Tubes (ECC83/12AX7 Golds) in the preamp, and Mesa Boogie Svetlania 6L6's in the power amp. These preamp tubes were the highest gain tube on the market at the time (2 years ago). Now there's one that's even hotter...next time I say. These power tubes are about $75 a pair at a guitar center, and about $50 over the internet. They are expensive, but these are THE best!! I kid you not! I've tried many different power amp tubes and these are simply the best. Second, a Sonic Maximizer is a must with this amp! Once I tried one with this amp, it was impossible to play it without one. That's all I'm going to say about it, it's a must. Last, high output pickups will top it off. I used a Duncan Distortion (SH-6) in the bridge for awhile and it was o.k. The bottom end was a little flabby and the sound just didn't cut. I just replaced my pickups with the James Hetfield setup (an EMG-60 in the neck, and an EMG-81 in the bridge). These are the best pickups I have ever heard. I'm not going to elaborate on the pickups because this is an amp review, check out my pickup review for more info. This amp can play very clean (not Fender Twin), but very clean. It will get distorted when you play the clean as high as it will go, but what do you expect? This amp can also play heavy, thundering power chords, and blazing leads! Don't expect to play John McLaughlin of course. This amp will handle any metal or rock sound imaginable.

I've never had a problem with it yet. I've gigged and jammed for hours straight in over 90 degree weather. I would definitely gig without a backup, although I would carry some extra tubes. It has a five year warranty too. I don't think I'll ever have to use it. The amp didn't NEED a retubing either, I just did it for a better sound. And a better sound it gave me. Retube this amp and look out!

I've never had to deal with Peavey and I don't think I'll ever need to.

I've been playing for 7 years and I love this amp to death. I would probably the 5150 II if I ever got a new amp. I own more gear than I want to write! This amp doesn't even compare to any other amp in its class. I wish it had the seperate EQ's so I could dial in an even better clean. I strongly suggest checking out this amp!

regular old amp features. two channels, low mid high, but one thing that was nice was the control for presence and resonance. the presence is like any other amp, but the resonance is there for really fattening up the sound.

I mostly use a les paul classic with stock pickups through it. I've used a bc rich nj bich with an x2n in the bridge before, but it got a little too harsh and sloppy. I bought this amp the day after I tried it because I wanted to be louder live. My old band played alot of VFW shows with no PA and I just wasn't getting through the mix. Well, let me say that I got so loud live that my drummer couldn't hear himself. It's a good loud amp, but it's out of control. If you want to hear the notes you're playing, or play technical stuff with Slayer style 832nd notes and stuff, you should check out somthing else with a tighter sound. The 5150 is made for big power cords and gutter punk type stuff. It's got plenty of distortion (everybody at Harmony now..."how brutal is it?") -if you crank the pre gain to 10 and the post gain to anywhere beyond 5 (don't do this in the condo) you will start to get that whistling noise in your ears whenever you play. Also, you might want to get a Hush system or something like that -this thing sounds like a fat drunk guy whispering a secret in your ear even when you have your strings muted and your guitar volume rolled off. Screw the clean channel, this is a review from a metal player, what are you doing here if you're not a metal player? To sum it up, this amp is a big, dumb, loud monster. Petrucci's and Gilbert's need not apply. Oh by the way, has anyone else heard the stories of some guy named "Eddie V" using a wall of 5150's just for show on stage while a certain "brown sound" Marshall slaves away hidden under the stage? Hmmmmmm...