Peavey 5150

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.

Early 90's original block letter model 5150 with Sylvania tubes. Everyone knows the features of a 5150, if not, read other reviews posted here. The 5150 has all the features I need in an amp, the only complaint I have is that the effect loop acts up sometimes, which is a common problem with the 5150 series amps.

I'm playing my 5150 along with a Bogner Uberkab (2 V30's and 2 G12T75's in an X pattern) and a Caparison Horus with EMG85/S pickups. I also run a Maxon OD808 in front of the rhythm channel as a boost, an ISP Decimator, and a TC Electronic G Major in the loop for effects. The 5150 suits my style of music perfectly. I play melodic death metal in the vein of In Flames, Soilwork, At The Gates, Carcass, The Absence, etc. For Swedish metal, there is no better amp than the Peavey 5150. I doubt that's what EVH had in mind when he helped design the amp, but it's become the signature Swede metal amp. It just has that crushing brutal mid grind that sounds perfect down in lower tunings like C and B. I run both of the channels on my 5150 as high gain channels, with the OD808 in front for both channels. There is no true clean channel, but when I want to play clean, I plug into the normal gain input and use the rhythm channel. Paired with my G Major and single coil EMG S, I can get surprisingly good clean tones from the 5150, although I don't play clean that often, and it's not what I bought the amp for.

5150's are some of the most reliable amps ever made.

I've never dealt with Peavey Customer Service at this point.

Overall, I can say the 5150 fits my style perfectly, and I just love this amp. I've been playing 5150's for a few years now, and have been through lots of other stuff, but keep coming back to the 5150. Once I found the perfect cab for it (Bogner), I've yet to be dissapointed in my tone. Rhythm tones are crushing, lead tones just sing, and clean tones are more than useable when needed.

Most of the features involve tone shaping. There's good 3-band eq, control over preamp/poweramp gain, and poweramp tone shaping too. There's no reverb, which is a little irritating, but it's also one less thing to break down since reverb tanks constantly go out. An Electro Harmonix Holy Grail reverb is a good choice with this amp.

I bought this amp with the intention of using it as a backup, but now I use it as a primary. I used to A-B a clean amp (Fender Pro Reverb) with a crunch amp (either a Marshall or the underrated and oft-forgotten Sovtek Mig 50 Tube Midget). I play mostly indie-pop and power pop with a Telecaster, so most people would assume this is the last amp on Earth that I should buy. However, this amp is perfect for even my type of music. It's just a matter of rolling off the preamp gain, plugging into the normal gain input, and using the right speakers--in my case a 412 with Celestion G12H30's. These speakers are perfect for this amp because they bring the low end back. Those of you complaining of the harshness need to play with your tone a little more and use some common sense. This is a very high-gain amp, so roll back on the preamp gain and you'll get less grit but will still have plenty of gain. Also, don't plug this into a cab loaded with Vintage 30s, Greenbacks, or Jensens and then complain about how piercing and thin your tone is. You've got to match any head with the right cab, and I think I've done that here. I also get a pretty strong clean tone from this amp. No, it's not Fender clean, but it holds its own fine for a live situation, and I can easily see myself gigging without a separate clean amp from now on and just use a footswitch. This is coming from a clean-tone snob too. This amp isn't perfect, but what amp is? I agree that it requires more tweaking than most amps, but that also gives it wider tonal range and makes this by no means a one-trick pony if matched with the right cab.

Mine is an early block letter model, so it's over ten years old. It's pretty road worn, but everything still works perfect. Having no reverb/tremolo can be a plus since these two things often add noise and require the most servicing. So, I'd say this thing is pretty reliable.

never tried to call peavey

That's right, I paid $270 for this puppy, and it was the best $270 I've ever spent. This guy isn't much to look at it, but it sounds great. Most people associate Peavey with bad equipment because they sell so much low-end gear. However, their US-made higher-end stuff like the 5150 prove that they build great gear at reasonable prices. I wouldn't say I'm proud to own a 5150 like a Marshall owner is proud of owning a Plexi, but I'm also not embarrased. This is pro gear!

For me it's ideal. Great sound, great power.

From Crunch to Death Metal it sound very good. no HIGH GAIN shit Marshall's will ever sound better :)

Well - it's a TUBE AMP so sometimes.... there are electronical problems - but I try to manage them.

I'm not from the US so I don't know much about the Peavey's customer support - but back home in Poland it sucked. :)

Great HEAD, great AMP, ideal for different kinds of music. You wanna hear it? www.butelka.metal.pl - there you go :)

mid 90's signature head. 2 channels. 120 watts. Low, mid and high eq. Also has resonance and presence controls for added tone shaping -a nice feature. Series effects loop. Preamp out. Footswitch for channel switching and effects in and out.Very straight forward. No reverb but I plug a GSP Digitech 2101 in fx loop and it takes care of everything.

For guitars I use a `71 SG with Pat. Pend. pickups, a 79 Les Paul RD Artist, and a `89 American Stratocaster. I first heard this amp when I was checking out an ad for a used Marshall slant cab.When I got there, the guy had a 5150 plugged into it. He turned it on and the sound just blew me away, very crunchy and defined. I bought the cab and found a 5150 two weeks later on e-bay for short money. This amp is a sleeper!!!. The tones you can get from it rivals much higher priced amps for much less money. This amp has replaced my `82 Marshall JCM 800 for gigging. It's a bit noisy - just use a noise gate. This amp will sound even better if you have the bias mod done, much warmer sound. I also changed the first preamp tube to a 12au7 and the second to a 12ay7. I get a descent clean sound this way and it helps to reign in the sick amount of gain this amp makes.

I bought this amp used on e-bay almost 5 years ago and have been gigging with it pretty steady ever since. I always bring a backup just in case, but have never needed it.

Early 90's original block-letter bought brand new off the showroom floor. The amp's features have been covered time and time again. Many reveiwers comment on the lack of reverb. I had a reverb habbit myself, but this amp cured me. Many also comment on the shared eq, which does limit the versitility of this model, if you actually use the rhythm channel, which the 5150 II corrected. Also well documented is that cleaner tones tend to suffer using this amp. The fact is that there is no clean channel - only rhythm, rhythm/crunch, and lead. Didn't they know what they were buying? A cool feature is the resonance control, which is basically a presence knob for low end punch.

I mainly use this amp with a modded Strat using Duncan Little 59's, as well as a Les Paul. I will say that it is possible to get some decent clean sounds from this amp if you experiment with the rhythm channel using the low input. However, this amp was built for distortion and the 5150 does it extremely well. Throw away all those stomp boxes cause you don't need them. Even when I was in grungy/heavy bands during the 90's I never played this amp with the gain more than 6.5, which is more than enough distortion. Anything more than that and you are just hiding your playing. I always recieved lots of compliments on my tone using this amp! Unless I'm recording, I never use the rhythm channel. I simply roll back the volumn knob on the guitar if I want to clean it up a bit. My only complaint is that like most hi gain tube amps, all that distortion comes at a price in the form of tube hiss. Over the years I've tried lots of combinations of tubes attempting to eliminate the noise. I've heard that it's possible, but I had no luck. I've always used a Rocktron Hush unit through the effects loop, which easily killed the hiss without changing the tone. Off and on I also ran a BBE Sonic Maximizer through the effects loop as well, but I actually liked the tone better without it. The less, the better in my book! So, because of the hiss the amp scores a 9. Also, cabinets make a huge tonal difference. I've played the amp through Marshall cabs, Mesa, Fender, and yes the 5150 cab as well and for my money the best of the best is Carvin. But this isn't a review of cabs... One more thing - no, this amp will NOT make you sound like EVH. That is ridiculous. What it will make you sound like is YOU playing through a 5150, which can be a very good thing, depending on YOU. If you want to sound like EVH, go buy an old modded Plexi, and good luck.

Are you kidding? This thing is a tank. I never gigged with a back-up with this amp cause it would have been wasted space and effort lugging another amp around. Just plug your guitar cord in, let the tubes warm up, hit the standby switch, and enjoy some of the coolest sounding distortion around. Of course, that's just my opinion.

No opinion cause I've never contacted Peavey, although I hear they are the best in the business.

Been playing for a while now. My first tube amp was a Carvin X-100B, which I sold after I bought the 5150. (I wish I didn't do that now!) Those were cool amps as well. But I wanted a distortion machine back then and it's hard to beat a 5150 in that regard. Marshall's JCM 900 SL-X gives it a run for it's money, that's for sure! If my 5150 were lost or stolen I would definitely try and replace it while the prices were low. Now that Peavey quit making them they probably won't be getting any cheaper in the future. It's been a great amp.

Not sure about the year it was made but its a Pat Pending Model.Does not have a lot of features.No reverb,Two channels but both share the same eq knobs.Hi Gain/Low Gain imputs but they actually are Hi Gain and Mega Hi Gain,since this beast does not know the meaning of Low.Very simple in general but perfect for me who plays 99% 8o's Metal.Does have far away more power than what I need,120 watts of all tube.

I use a 1984 a Gibson Les Paul Custom and a 1982 BC Rich Eagle and this amp takes out the best of them.I play mostly 80's Metal and this amp is perfect for hi gain,distorted music.It is noisy like most of the hi gain amps.Can be used for blues or even clean tones with the right set up,but it was not made to play it with a Strat or a Tele.Does not have a clean channel,but if you set the pre gain knob very low,you can get a nice clean tone.A friend of mine use it to play Reggae Music and it does not sound bad at all.The distortion is AMAZING!!!!!! I use it with a Lee Jackson Perfect Connection Pre-Amp and a Boss Super Overdrive and this thing is just amazing.Yuo can go from nice warm punchy distortion to mega hi gain distorted sounds.

This amp is made for war.It is almost imposible to destroy it.Heavy as a tank

Never have a problem with it.Got it used so no warranty on it.

I've been playing for 19 years.I own a Gibson Les Paul Custom and a BC Rich Eagle and they match perfectly for my taste.If it were stolen I would buy a 5150 2 so it is a little more versatile and powerfull.I love its power and distortion but it is still a very basic,expensive amp.if you are the one who like to play with tons of digital effects this is not the amp for you.It was made to play hi gain distorted music.

I am not sure what year this amp was made but it is a signature series. To be honset this is not a very versatilte at all. All that this amp is made for is gain(which it has more than enough of). There is no reverb or any built any effects, but if you have a 5150 you didnt get it cause you need them. I play in a posi old school inspired hardcore band, and this amp suits my needs perfectly. I have not played any shows on this amp yet since i have only had it for about a week and a half. Bottom line is this is a good amp but if you want a way more versital amp go for the peavey XXX.

I have a jackson dinky, reverse headstock with EMG pickups. I get a really really good distrotion. Pinch harmonics come with no effort at all with this set up. This amp is a high gain amp, so ofcourse it is pretty noisy, but it tollerable. It very loud(120 W), i dont even turn up the post gain past 7.5 - 8 for practice and it is fine. This amp doesnt have clean channel, it has lead and rythem. (some people on here post reviews and say this amp has a horrible clean channel, but the thing is it doesnt have one.)

i havn't played a show with this amp yet and havent had it long enough to tell , plus i dont have a back up but if i did i would play with out one. this amp seems reliable so far.

i bought it used so there is no warranty.

i have been playing for about 4 years. this is the only amp that i own right now. if it were lost or stolen, first i would cry, then i would probally get another 5150 or a XXX. Before i got this amp i compared it to the peavey XXX, and i really liked them both, but i probally would of have got a XXX but i liked the 5150 also and i found one for pretty cheap. a few things that are on my x-mas wish wist is a power conditioner and a noise gate.

made early 90s. all this stuff is well covered.

its a sledgehammer. forget cleans or jazz with mk1 5150 , it was built to rock. distortion on both channels is brutal,its just what I need, the 120 watts and that level of drive is exactly what a rock player needs.high gain = noise, thats why I use an ISP noise decimator.

i understand peavey reliabilty is excellent.

never had to use em.

im playing 25 yrs, i use a 2001 R9. The level of drive on both channels allows me big sounding rhythm channel and monster solo boost, its just awesome. for when im the only gtr player i use my cornford hellcat but when its 2 gtrs, you really need something like a 5150 mk1.

It's a 5150. 2 channels plus Crunch. I think it was built in the early 90s but am not sure.

I use this amp with a '99 Tradition Les Paul knockoff with an EMG 89 at the neck and an 85 at the bridge to play hardcore. When I first got the amp, it was noisy and the the distortion was super gritty. Since then, I've replaced all the tubes with mesa 12ax7s and 6L6s and the noise (hum) was gone. Also the new tubes gave me a lot more lowend response and it cleaned up the distortion quite a bit. However, the clean channel still sounded like shit. So, i put in 10k pot in the bias circuit and warmed those icy tubes up. THIS MOD MADE THIS A NEW AMP! Now the clean sounds as good if not better than any marshall, the distortion channel sounds huge and I get people complimenting my sound all the time now. Seriously, if you own a 5150, do a bias mod that allows for manual adjustment, get a gain reduction mod and use good 6L6s.

It's a 5150. Hasn't broken on me yet and I've taken it on 2 US tours, 3 westcoast tours and countless local shows. These amps get noisier or quieter but they don't ever stop working. As far as quality of construction and general burlyness, the 5150 is the greatest amp ever made.

There are entire web based communities of people obsessed with Peavey gear. My point is that if you have a problem or questions, you're taken care of.

I've never dealt with peavey. I bought the amp used and it was already 15 years old and on it's 5th or so owner.

If you are looking into buying a 5150, you probably play metal or something similar and already know what you're getting into. But as I said earlier in this review, there are some very popular modifications you can do to this amp to make it better. So much better, I've actually convinced people to lose their rectos and buy a 5150 to be modded.

It's the most durable amp I've ever heard of.
They're very common and very cheap.
There's a Peavey family of nerds to consult if you need.

I have a 1995 5150 212 combo. I've had this amp for a little over 6 monthes and it's awesome. I have never gigged this amp but if I did it'd be no problem. The 212 combo sounds really good on the rythm and lead channel. I play a variety of music from metal to classicc rock, but this amp can handel it all. I disagree with some of the people who write reviews saying tat the clean channel is crappy. I can get an INCREDIBLY clean sound out of this amp and a really grungy distortion too. I primarily play an Ibanez SZ320 through this amp but have also used a few others including a gibson les paul and a dean. I've used vox,crate, and even marshall amps but this was by far my favorite. The equalizer doesn't affect your sound very much and it's the same for both channels which I don't like, but overall the features are pretty good.

There's not much to say about the sound. It's good for all styles of music. I wouldn't change a thing.

I'm giving this a nine because I had too get the RCA jack for the reverb spring re-soldered. That's the only problem I've ever had. That's pretty good considering this amp is almost 11 years old.

I bought this amp used so there was no warranty, but when I called peavey about my rverb problem they were very polite and helpful and even gave me an estimate on the repair cost. This really shows why peavey has a great reputation for customer support.

Over all, this amp is great for the price. You could get a better amp, but you'd pay upwards of 2,000.00. For this price, the amp is a no brainer. If it were stolen, I'd definatly buy a new one.

I have a '98 Sig model head. Great classic sound to it, no mods done. Changed the tubes, easy to do. Very simple to dial your favorite sound in. Not too many knobs or channels to get confused with on stage. Really, it could have been a 1 channel amp and be just as effective, since I don't change it much, but the clean can be dialed in, and sounds great when it is.

I have a wolfgang standard, early 90's strat, Ibanez roadstar (with SD distortion in the neck, Epi LP classic, Ibanez RG2...
Works great with all the different sounds. I keep an EQ pedal in the chain to help boost some of the sounds I like, but other than that, get's a great distortion when driven, classic tube sound.

Solid, nothing better. I've seen guys drop 'em and knock 'em off stage, and plug 'em right back in and keep going. Built to take a beating.

Peavey is the greatest. Buy a peavey, join their online forum (like a family), and you'll have all the support you need.

I've been playing for over a decade. I also have the 5150 212, and 2 4x12 cabs. The stack is something I've always wanted, and I am really glad I have it. If it were lost, I'd get another one, no doubt about it. I don't like to bash other companies or their gear, but this has the greatest rock tube distortion sound, great prices, solid and dependable.

Mine is a block logo made the first year of production. The amp is versatile enough for most all kinds of music. The tools on here saying it's only good for metal must not have played much with the EQ or gain structure. The ability to dial-in and understand tone and gain is underated, should be taught as well as how to play the instrument. For 5 years, this old beast was my number 1 amp in a gigging pop/dance variety cover band. We played everything from the Bee Gees and Donna Summer disco/funk to Aerosmith and Kravitz. Ironically, "metal" is the only style I've never played on this amp. (side note: I filled in for a buddy in his metal band for a few months, and I ended up using my JCM 2000 TSL100 and 1960A cab instead of the 5150. Believe it or not, it sounds much more "metal" than the 5150. Twice the bottom end.) Once again, use your ear, don't let the advertisements tell you what it can/can't do.

Features I wished it had:
1. a footswitchable effects loop with a mix adjustment.
2. reverb
3. as mentioned by others, seperate EQ's per channel.

I play stock Les Paul Standard > ernie ball volume > Vox wah > Zinky True Grit OD > Boss 7 Band EQ > Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive > EH Black Finger Compressor > EH Memory Man Deluxe > 5150 head and 5150 4x12 cab.

It suits my taste well. Doesn't sound like a Fender or a Marshall. I'd say it's a vanilla tube amp, nothing too impressive or unique in it's sound, but nothing bad either.

I play mostly on the clean channel, then use pedals for the rest. Believe me, experiment. You can get a shimmering sparkling clean out of this thing.

It's proven itself beyond any shadow of a doubt. Peaveys reliability reputation once again has morphed itself into another peice of gear. Other than routine maintenence (tubes every 2 years or so, and just this week 2 caps) It's been a dream. Has defied all the stigmas of tube amp reliability for practical gigging.

I used it without a backup for +/- 500 gigs. When the tubes start dying, you can tell (luckily!) cuz it either starts buzzing a little or getting quieter. Always giving me plenty of notice that it's time to get a re-tube.

Never needed it....Congrats again Peavey....I consider building a reliable peice of gear part of Customer Support, and they do that well. So I'm giving 'em a high number.

I've played over 20 years. As far as amps, I own a Marshall JCM2000 TSL100 with a 1960A 4x12 and a 1060TV 4x12 cab, a Marshall JTM60 2x12 combo, and my new favorite a Peavey Classic 20!
If it were lost or stolen I would probably try something different. Not because of any problems, just cuz I've played this thing for a long time and change is fun.
Love the reliability and nice clean tube tone. No hates.
It compares favorably to other mass production amps. Maybe a little vanilla on the tone, but not to where it's a problem. More reliable than any tube amp I've ever owned.
Get one or try one, and then tweak those knobs. That's what they're there for.
For the price, it's a great working mans gigging amp that can admirably handle most any size gig.

5150: It isn't just for metal anymore. :-)

This amp basically is loud and has lots of gain. Thats really about it, people who say this amp is versatile are pretty loony, sure its got a wide range of gain, but only some of itis useable, and the EQ (shared between channels) is pretty confined, I can't noticed adjustments at all, unless you max or min it completely.

I use 2 guitars, both ibanez rg's, on with emg 81's, and the other with stock dimarzio's.
When people review this amp, they seem to only care about how much gain it has or how well they can "pinch harmonic". If you judge an amp by that, you could have just bought some cheap ss amp.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot dail out the harsh, cold, buzzy, and grainy gain the 5150 produces. I bought this expecting a huge chunky think sound, but no.
The cleans/crunch as you may know by now are complete crap, Im not going to say "oh, there not that bad" because they are, especially on a tube amp.
Leads sounds something like this: "bzzzzzzzzzz" , little note definition, and in general it sounds messy and congested.
Even for the heaviest of metal this amp fails, it retains no articulation or tightness, just a buzzy mess.

It seems well built, except for the fact that something on the inside is buzzing during certain frequencies, which sounds like a tube rattle which leads to busted power tubes. bad news.

I give the 5150 a 5, because after 2 years under my possesion, it has not once given me half decent tones. I play all sorts of music, and use the 5150 for metal (of course) and it has been a very uninspiring expirience, no wonder evh dumped peavey.

I wish I knew the year it was made. Very versatile head. It has a clean channel (called Rhythm) and a dirty channel (called Lead). The Rhythm channel can get itself dirty enough like an overdriven Fender for that bluesy tone. Kept clean, it's MUCH nicer than the clean on my split-channel Marshall JCM 800. The Lead channel has alot of gain. There are two inputs (high gain and normal gain) which make a very distinct difference in your sound. I love this thing. All tube head - 120 watts.

I play Guild solid bodies with humbuckers and a coil splitting switch. I play with the coils split, like Jimmy Page. My style is heavy but full sounding - I love to pinch harmonics and hold onto some sustain. This thing sustains forever! There are many, many tones to explore. Way more than any of my Marshalls. Moving the knobs really does change things quite a bit. By the way, I LOVE my Marshalls. I love this, too, for more high gain reasons, as well as the better clean channel. The distortion can get very heavy, but I wouldn't call it brutal. It always sounds rich and creamy, even when super high gained.

I've owned it for five months, and no problems. It does not rattle when moved like my old Marshalls do. It's very solid feeling. I feel confident when transporting it.

Never needed it.

I've been playing since 1986. The day after I saw EVH himself in Providence, RI. Yes, the very next day. I also a Marshall JCM 800 head, and a Trace Elliot Speed Twin head. If lost or stolen, I would hunt down the thief, or get another 5150. I've never heard a 5151 II, so I can't comment on the changes. I like the big 5150 logo.

- EQ
- Presence, Resonance, 2 Pre-gain and 2 Post-gain (i.e. volume), bright and crunch switch
- serial effects loop (footswitchable)
- 120 Watts
- 5 12ax7 preamp tubes, 4 6l6 power tubes

Everything you need. The 5150 II has two EQs, which is better, of course.

I used this amp in a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Cab and a Marshall 1960 AV. I play a Gibson SG and an LTD Baritone. The amp handles even the lowest tuning with no problem. There's a lot of gain and you get a lot of really fat and hard metal rhythm sounds out of this amp. Death Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Hard Rock, probably even classic rock - you name it, the 5150 handles it.
Lead sound good as well, a little bit rounder than on a Marshall, but still enough character. The amp has loads of gain, more than you'll ever need probably.

The clean channel isn't too great, a bit lifeless and easily distorted, but the crunch button gives you a killer crunch. The amp has a lot of noise but you get used to it quickly and can either use a noise gate or just be careful.

The best thing about this amp is how it cuts through the band mix - far better than my JCM900 Marshall. I was so amazed, I didn't believe the difference. Soundwise, the 5150 is not so much different from the Marshall, but it's response it less British, with a flatter general EQ. This thing is a no-brainer for a good Rock/Metal sound and easily in the league with much more expensive amps. I wouldn't think its good for really classic rock, blues (it just doesn't have a blues feeling) and certainly nothing were you want a really nice clean sound.

The amp is brutally loud. It seems even louder than my bandmates other Marshall (a 100 Watt model). I used to turn my 50 Watt-Marshall to 7, now I put the 5150 barely past 2.
I give it a 9 because of the crappy clean sounds. Otherwise it's just great.

Only had it a couple of months without gigging a lot but it seems ok.

This the old blockletter model. Don't buy the crap that the old Blockletter sound better than ones with the signature - they sound exactly the same.

This is good amp for a player who wants a professional amp but doesn't want to spend thousands on a Mesa/Boogie, Diezel, ENGL, or whatever.

I give it a 10 because for this price it's just unbelievable.

you know by now what it has and what it doesn't have.

This amp is the best. I am currently using it with a Washburn wr150 (tuned to drop C), peavey Wolfgang (tuned to drop d and standard) and a Vaccaro V2 generator X (standard/drop D). My band play very heavy stuff but personally I go for more blues and rock stuff e.g. guns n roses, Metallica and Ozzy stuff like that (maybe not rock, maybe metal). This amp works for both very well. You don?t have to play a stadium or open air gigs with it just buy a THD hot plate I did and it ace. The thing about this amp is if you want a mild overdrive just roll down your guitars volume a bit and its there sweet valve OD. It is a bit noisy on higher settings but that is what a noise gate it for. You can?t be telling me that you want high gain and no noise without a noise gate, if you are your fucking stupid.

you cant expect a valve amp to sound amazing for ever without care and looking after. i would never gig without a backup because afterall it is valve. my backup is another 5150 head. because of the use these amps get we always carry spare valves and fuses (because you just never know). both my heads get revalved evert 3 weeks during a tour (or whenever they need it, my guitar teck deals with that). it has never broken down as of yet (i have been using it for 2 years). it has to be a 9 because of the valves but apart form that its a 10.

i went to the peavey headquarters and met with them befor buying this amp. but i have never delt with the coustomer support.

buy this amp. i have played for 15 years now. the past two i have sounded my best because of this peavey.

I Don't understand the hype on this amp. I have allwsays used marshalls and this is exactly what this amp trys to sound like, but falls short just a tad. Yes it has amazing grunt and yes it has a great over the top sound but thats all it does. At least a jcm800 will give you reasonable clean tones. Don't be fooled with companys marketing. Ed Van Halen said it himself that his sound comes from his hands as if not more than his gear, it don't matter what he plays through it will allways sound like him. I was lucky enough to be able to test drive this amp for a few months while it;s owner was overseas, and as fate may have it guess what this guy plays in a VAN HALEN CONCEPT SHOW. aWESOME PLAYER I SWEAR, if you close your eyes it is eddie, but he is going back to his Marshalls cause they sound BETTER. Now i don't know about the rest of the WORKING MUSOS OUT there, but when was the last time you ever got to play a 120 watt amp even at a bees dicks of that power in a club/pub gig without the rest of the guys in the band and the sound guY and the manager and most of the crowd telling you to turn the FUCK DOWN. Honestly if you don't play stadium shows or alot of big outdoor venues this amp will be as usefull to you as a one legged man in a butt kicking contest, but hey thats just my opinion. Do yourself and your ears a favour and stick to what is practical for your needs, if you need more volumE outa your amp get the rest of the guys in the band to TURN DOWN, and look for an amp that will give you a variety of sounds at different volumes. I now use a traynor YCV - 40WR and i can tell you my friends if god played guitar this would be his amp, The rest of the band will love you, the sound guy will want your children, and the manager of the club will give you another gig.

Just Remember, practise, practise, practise!!! and play with the other guys in the band and not yourself.

120 watts all tube. this amp is very versatile. most people say it's a one trick pony, but i have to disagree. the clean channel sucks, but it's useable. the distortion this thing produces will convert the most hardcore solid state user to tube. it's amazing. it has two channels, rhythm and lead. the rhythm channel is what i use for cleans and lead takes care of all the high gain mayhem. there is a crunch switch for the rhythm channel that engages more gain if you want to use two distortion channels. it also has a bright switch that does just what it says. without it i find the clean tone too dull. both the channels are footswitchable. it also has an effects loop that is also footswitchable. everybody else has listed the controls so i won't get into it. i find them to be very sensitive. they can be manipulated to produce great sounds or terrible sounds, half a position can make the difference. 120 watts is enough to kill small animals and scare kids, it's the loudest amp i've ever heard. it can drown out my friends 200 watt randall. at low volunmes it's sound is very limited, around 4/5 it starts to come alive.

i have a lot of guitars, my main ones are a 1979 gibson sg with a seymour duncan distortion bridge pickup, my second is an ibanez sz520qm with stock pickups. i'll be swapping the bridge pickup in the ibanez soon because it can't compeat with the duncan distortion, which is one of the sickest pickups ever made by the way... i play metal, and rock mostly. it's great for these styles. the clean channel (the rhythm on clean settings) isn't noisy at all with good tubes(more on this later), the lead channel is pretty noisy though. not uncontrollably noisy but it is noisy. feedback is not much of a problem unless you're standing right next to it with your hands off the strings. the clean isn't incredible but it's fine for a high gain amp. the distortion completley redeems any bad qualities this amp has. destructive, brutal, punishing whatever over used word you want to use... it can't be described unless you hear it. unfortunatley, with the stock tubes you can't tell. they are utter crap. mine came with low gain, overly bright electro-harmonixs and microphonic, noisy sovteks. peavey went for the cheapest alternative in this case. i waited a long time to review this amp because i didn't want to review with the impression that the stock tubes gave me. when i changed them for 1 tung-sol reissue and 4 high gain jj's it was a holy shit experience. the stock power tubes, ruby 6l6's, are good though, i still use those.

peaveys are known for their indestructability. i had an old butcher before this, stock tubes from 1986, used it with a intrument cable instead of speaker cable(didn't know any better). i would gig without a backup. it's never given me any trouble, now that i'm smarter it should last me for a long time.

peavey is a great company to deal with. their forum is so helpful. never needed repairs or had to deal with them directly, i can always find what i'm loking for on their forum. the warranty is 5 years i think, if you register it. i rate the forum a 10, to peavey i have to give a "no opinion" because i can only know what i've heard about them, some good things some bad things.

i've been playing for around 10 years, i own lots of gear, i know nobody cares what it is. if it was stolen i'd have to get another. i love everything about it, even its bad quality's are like defining traits. i compared it to mesa/boogie triple rectifiers, marshall dsl, marshall tsl, and 5150 II. i got this thing at a great price, right when peavey came out with the 6505 and stores were trying to get rid of the 5150's. bottom line is try it out at high volume, change the pre-amp tubes, and treat it good.

Not sure when it was made, very new though. I play high-end metal, this is the amp for that. This amp doesn't have a true EQ for any clean sound, the best way to get a clean sound is to keep the Lead Pre Gain below 1, so that the sound is clean and not muddy. It's a pain in the butt when that knob moves out of place. It has enormous power.

I use an Epiphone Korina Explorer. Perfect for old '80s metal. Very crunchy. I have tried a Metal Zone with it just to see how it sounds, if you like crunch then that is the combo right there. I was blown away at the sound of this amp when I first plugged it in. I found it kind of funny because I realized that almost no matter what sound you use with this amp there is still that hint of Eddie Van Halen in the sound. The sound stays crisp even at high volumes, very little feedback if you don't stand right next the thing.

Very new still, no problems yet, I don't think I will have any.

I have been playing guitar for around eight years and this is the second amp head I have owned. Before the 5150 I had a Mesa single rectifyer. That didn't have enough power so I traded it in for the 5150. I only had to pay them $200 along with the amp. It was worth every penny. This amp can produce just about any sound, so if you can find for cheap, go and get it.

Made in 2002 I beleive. This is just one of the amps that I own. I play metal, hard rock and jazz. For hard rock and metal I use this amp. It is as dirty as my ADA MP-1. I run that pre-amp into the effect return of the 5150 sometimes and it just kills. The 5150 also makes a great tube power amp when you use the effect return because the presence and resonance controls are in the power amp section allowing you to add enormous thump and sizzle to any pre-amp you are using. I also run my Digitech GNX-4 into it the same way with spectacular results. Unreal bottom end and high end sizzle combined. Best tone Iv'e had for all out balls and thump. Palm mutes shake the walls and furniture in my house. PLENTY of power. I use a matching 5150 bottom cab as well. SWEET! The 5150 used on it's own is great. I can get razor sharp massive gain out of it or if you play with the eq a smoother sweeter Boogie type of gain. I think it's all about playing with the eq. You can get alot of cool and different metal tones with it. Sounds great with the master above 3. It's a tube amp! It sounds good at bedroom volumes as well which is one of the reasons I bought it. I use a Boss graphic eq into the front end sometimes and this just pushes the amp into UNGODLY gain. I use an ISP decimator noise suppressor after the eq.

I use a MUSICMAN EVH guitar and an old KRAMER FOCUS with a DUNCAN DISTORTION pickup. My particular 5150 is surprisingly quiet. I use JJ preamp and power amp tubes. That is the reason. This is one of the top 5 amps for metal and hard rock and it can be made to sound just as good or better than amps twice the price or more. A little EQ is all it takes. There is no true clean channel. The amp is not made to get a good clean sound. I use a Fender M-80 solid state for my clean sounds. The 5150 is made to get great dirty tones and in my opinion it is perfect for that purpose. Like I said before the distortion is brutal! And with the EQ. WHEW! Just way beyond over the top, but not muddy and unusable at all. Keep your pre-amp gain no higher than 7 though because after that it gets to be a bit too much and you really dont get that much more gain out of it anyway. Your better off using the outboard eq into the front end to boost. More tonal control and a tighter low end.

Never had a problem with it. Not once.

Emails from peavey with questions were answered the same day or the very next day. very cool.

Been playing for 27 years. Head guitar tech at MUSICMAN/ERNIE BALL for 10 years. All hard rock, metal, and clean jazz. I own 5150 head and 5150 bottom cab. 5150 2-12 combo, Digitech GNX-4, ADA mp-1 pre-amp. Fender M-80 90 watt combo, various delay and reverb pedals, BBE sonic maximizer. Musicman EVH and Kramer guitars. Love the amp. Combo and head. I would compare it with a SOLDANO and a hot rodded MARSHALL. IT's like a cross between the two in sound. And thats what Eddie designed it to be. A cross between his old MARSHALL PLEXI super lead and his SOLDANO SLO 100 which unknown to alot of people he used on an awful lot of recordings later in his career. I do wish the head had come with reverb like the combo, but thats what my BOSS RV-2 is for. Overall AWESOME AMP! Thanks ED. Can't wait to see and hear your next signature amp. One final comment for everybody. Everbody is always saying that the older block letter versions sound "better" than the newer ones. This is a crock of shit only used to get more money for the used ones that are still around . I had two back in 1992-93 and I don't hear any difference at all. Been around these things for many years so I should know. It ALL depends on the tubes you use. Some are good some are bad. Peavey may have had better quality tubes in a few of them so that is the reason. It's the same today. Tube quality makes a HUGE difference in your sound. Sometimes you just get freak tubes that sound like magic. So do your speakers and cab. Those two things are the key(as well as a decent guitar and pickups) If you don't think your 5150 sounds up to snuff email me and I can give you a few tips on how to make it sound better.