Peavey 5150

Well this amp is an early 90's signature model, with high and low gain inputs. It has separate pre-amp gain controls for both the rhythm and lead channels, however the EQ is shared between the two channels. The rhythm channel has a crunch button that give you more gain, and a bright toggle that gives you I believe 6db of gain to the 2khz freq. There are also Resonance and presence controls for the output section. The Resonance knob can add gain to your lower frequency's in the output stage of the amp, and the presence, like most amps boosts gain in the higher frequencies. There are also seperate master volume controls for both channels.

The amp also features an effects loop that is footswitchable, a ground switch which can help cancel hum and what not, and dual speaker outputs which are selectable from 4, 8, and 16ohms. Another neat feature is the preamp out, which allows you to go directly to a mixer board, or what have you.

While there are amps with much more features, there are definately amps with significantly less features. I rate this amp an 8 because while there aren't too many features, the ones the amp does have are rather unique.

I wish this amp had seperate EQ for each channel, and honestly a pentode/triode mode that would cut the output power in half without having to pull tubes and stress the transformer. I use this amp live and in rehersals/jams, as well as for home practice. The master volumes allow for decent sounds at reasonable levels. The 120watts of this amp is more than capable to play in a number of venues with decent speakers.

I play this amp through a Marshall AVT 4x12 cab with 4 celestion vintage 30's, and through a no name 2x12 cab with eminence texas heat speakers. For guitars I'm using an ESP LTD EC-1000 with emg 81/60 combination, as well as a warmoth custom strat with dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and a paf pro in the neck. I also play a highly modified yamaha pacifica 112 with a dimarzio x2n in the bridge and two seymour duncan hot rails in the middle and nect position.

My style of music is along the lines of 90's metal, stoner rock, grunge, alternative, to some more modern alternative. To be honest I use this amp as my distorted heavy channel, with a catalinbread silverkiss mk I as a booster on the rhythm channel, and for cleans I use a Sovtek Mig-50 head. I wanted an amp that didn't need distortion pedals or fuzz for an all out heavy sound, and this amp delivers. Mostly I play the LTD through this amp, as it works really well with the EMG pickups. For effects, it works moderately well. With other distortion pedals, you really have to play with your eq's, but they marry together pretty well if you have time to spend.

The clean channel on this amp isn't as bad as people say it is, rather the fact that you share an eq with your lead and rhythm channels actually makes the clean sound rather muddy, while the distorted lead channel sounds really heavy and awesome. If you dial in a good clean tone, the lead channel sounds rather thin and harsh. Unfortunatly I can't afford a do it all amp so I get by with using the peavey for my heavy stuff and the sovtek for my clean stuff.

Like many others have stated the Resonance feature is what helps this amp stand out from others in it's catagory. Becareful playing with others and overkilling the resonance, while playing alone or recording seperate tracks it sounds killer, you will be hard to hear while playing with others. I tend to back off the resonance while playing live and jamming, and crank it when I record or practice alone.

The distortion is beyond brutal. Compared to other high gain amps, this one is definately in the top 5 when it comes to pushing the limits. Honestly you can get a better sounding distortion, but this one gets the point across just fine, and without breaking the bank.

This amp, sound wise, if I had to actually put a number value on it, is definately an 8. I've played much nicer sounding amps, but they usually cost twice as much. If you can't afford a marshall, bogner, mesa, engl, do yourself a favor, look in the mom and pop guitar shops, browse craigslist, get yourself one of these. If you are a metal guitarist on a budget you would definately be happy.

This amp is from the early 90's, almost 20 years old now, and it still fires up like it was just taken out of the packaging. This head has been dropped (it weighs a ton! More than any marshall I've ever owned!), it's dinged up, had beer spilt on it, sat in some dude's garage for a few years, and still kicks the crap out of any other amp that's seen a quarter of the abuse this one has. The pots aren't scratchy after all these years like most amps get. This thing is built in the good ole' US of A, and it shows. People been saying Bugera is the way to go if you want this sound on a budget. Christ I paid about the same amount for the 5150 as a bugera costs new, and those things break down like it's no tomorrow. If you aren't sure which to get, seriously, if you have to question this, don't. Just pick up the Peavey. Sound, quality, reliability, hands down the Peavey wins. This little fella gets a USDA Grade A 10. Believe the hype, I'm not the only person who praises these things. As for tube life, theses puppies are biased set to run colder than your usual marshall or mesa, which means longer, much longer tube life. Some cats mod this and run them hotter for a better sound. Take it or leave it.

Peavey customer service. You don't run a company for all these years making affordable (ie cheap) amps and guitars for the beginner and intermediate player alike, while also making quality high end pro gear with horrible customer Service. This is my third peavey amp, and while the other two were little practice amps, I loved them to death. Whenever I had any problem (IE footswitch problems on an Envoy110), their customer service was outstanding, they helped me fix the problem over the phone. I give them a 10, because they will talk to you about your amp or guitar, and they will try their hardest to make whatever it is you want to happen....happen.

Like most people on here in the know, I've been playing for awhile. 16 years off and on now, through deployments in the military, to injuries on the job, I've always been pushing on trying to better myself and my sounds. I hate listing other gear I have here because it's like trying to prove how snobby I am about guitars. I've got a ton of pedals, catalinbreat, red witch, MI Audio, marshall, old old made in the usa dod, mxr, morley, marshall, dunlop, EHX, ect ect, and the collection is never done. Amps, well old Yamaha combo, old carvin combo, marshall jcm2000 dsl50, avt50h, artist 30watter, mesaF-50, sovtek Mig-50h, fender champion 600, and a couple old peavey combos. Yeah I know I have too much gear.

Now time to compare and all that. For one thing, this amp has the most gain out of any of the ones I've listed, with the carvin and jcm2000 coming the closest. The clean channel is far lacking compared to the other amps, which is sad, but it's definately usable if you know what you are doing. Like most people have said, this is a one trick pony amp. If this were stolen I'd probably cry and hunt the guy down who took it and probably do very bad things to him/her. These things don't fall off trees no more so trying to get another one would be a pain. Though I'd probably get a 6505 while waiting for another 5150 to surface. Those are still pretty reasonable in price as well.

I love the extremely heavy distortion this amp pulls up, and I love how this amp keeps on night after night. I hate the shared EQ, but I'll live.

Overall rating? Well I'm going to give this amp an overall 9. It does what it does, REALLY well. It's extremely reliable and it sounds amazing when dialed in right.

Fairly limited features. 2 channels that share the 3 band EQ. Effects loop (all footswitchable). Selectable crunch/bright options on the rhythm channel (there is no "clean" channel per se).

The rhythm channel has a better/tighter low end than the lead channel. it records extremely well (see Andy Sneap). And the lead channel is great. This amp is the grandfather to all metal amps. Kudos to EVH and Peavey on creating one of the greatest all time amps!

bullet proof

Very helpful. When a bad pre-amp tube shorted and took out a JFET they were easy to get on the phone, identify the parts I needed and shipped them right out. Great support

Not the most versatile amp, but the one of the best out there for rock and metal. BAM!!!

it's OK.. i guess. The tone stack is shared for the lead and clean channel which pisses me off. Because of this the cleans go through the EXACT same number of gain stages as the lead only to have the excess bled off to the ground. Bad design if you want tone/headroom. the crunch is pushbutton instead of 3rd channel which also pisses me off but it can be modded to work with a foot switch. the bias is fixed/internal and needs to be modded which also pisses me off. there's no choke, and the rectifier is solidstate which is deleterious to the tone characteristics desirable of a tube amp.

this amp sounds good w/ the right tubes/cabinet/pickups. Not much versatility but it's got a wicked amount of gain and is LOUD- you NEED to have a good cabinet and you NEED to know how to use all the tone options on your guitar to get usable tone out of this monster. loss of points is because the clean channel tone and headroom pretty much suck. loss of points because the crunch channel sounds like the gain is dimed on basically any other guitar amp. gain of points for the lead channel. ungodly face melting gain and tone. loss of points for lack of punch and definition that any 6L6 amp should have. the highs can be shrill at times too. If you're used to solid state you will begin with a smile.. but over time your ears will become fatigued from the lack of even-order harmonics produced by the output transformer. mercury magnetics offers a proficient solution.

i'll give it a 9 because you can't adjust the bias and it will have negative effects on tube life and the original knobs on the lower serial numbered amps fall off LOL!!!

no idea.

the bottom line is this amp is rrrreally fun to play high gain metal on. It wasn't designed as a boutique $7,000,000 tone machine.. it was designed to be played loud and live. with the right setup and some modding you can definitely make it stand out. it's finicky though.. just like EVH always tweaks his tone stack and pedals so will you. ie.. presence will need to be turned way down @ low volumes but up @ high volumes. good news about this amp is it's been out for 17 years and there are plenty of mods available that will make this amp scream like a banshee!! Peavey can be hit and miss but they always deliver a good bang for your buck!!

this is one of the "block letter" versions so it's an earlier model but i'm not sure what year. 2 channels, clean and lead. the clean also has a crunch button which if used properly could be your rhythm channel and your lead could be used as a lead boost because while both channels share the same eq, they have separate volumes. 120 watts. switchable 4,8,16 ohms to match any cab. overall it's a really basic and classic amplifier setup but i like the no frills approach. turn it on, turn it up, and play something. no silly "rectifier modes" or over complicated contour and eq adjustments to keep you guessing if you have the "right sound".

this amp has definitely left it's impact on the entire industry because it is now available as a "5150" setting in the digital banks of many modeling amps. although it seems to have been adopted and mildly labeled as a metal only amp, it actually covers the whole spectrum of guitar based music very well. it just so happens to have the capability to achieve massive amounts of distortion that stays tight and precise. I play rock/punk and use gibson guitars with stock humbuckers. my head sits atop a marshall 1960a 4x12 and to my ears it is all rock-n-roll. i love it!

one point that i must cover is the fact that peavey shipped these amps "cold" meaning they have a fixed bias setting and the tubes would never really run to their full potential. they did this in an effort to give the longest tube life possible without the risk of burning up tubes causing amp failure. there is a modification you can make that gives you the capability to adjust your bias and get your tubes cooking thus increasing the tonal quality and and overall volume and saturation level. i performed the mod but only after consulting peavey's tech support to verify proper voltage to the tubes and that it was safe for the amp. it worked great!

this amp has been in several gigging bands with me as my main head for over six years without a backup. partly because i don't have a backup but mainly because it has been so reliable. i don't have a case for it so i'm careful not to bang it around or abuse it in any physical way. it's never shown signs of "iffyness" or given me a reason to doubt it's performance. tube life has been great and with the fixed bias, you can safely use the proper matched set as replacements. i'm giving it a 9 though just because it is a tube head and while the 5150 has been extremely reliable, none of them are fail safe.

i dealt directly with Gene in tech support at the factory by telephone. he helped my with my bias mod and gave me all the correct info i needed to perform it. what i liked is that he didn't try to talk me out of it and went on to say that he gets many calls regarding the mod. i'm giving them a 9 though because hold times were long....real long.

overall this amp has been a tremendous tool for me. and though peavey has been an established company for years, i think that this amp really put them on the map. i've heard this amp used in many applications, including my own and it has sounded and performed awesome every time. what's cool is that you can still find these used from $500-$700 and compared to new amps and the big boutique craze, it's such a deal. this amp will always be in my collection and i would find another if i needed to.

I got the 5150 block letter head. It has the shared EQ setup with the lead channel. OVerall contains three channels, Clean, crunch and lead. The clean channel sounds great. Has the bright button to go along with the clean and crunch channel. These two channels also share the pre and post gain. The lead channel has its own pre and post gain. All channels share the EQ's which include bass treble mid resonance (Bass boost) and Presence for (treble boost).

Sound wise, i've owned the signature version and am now reviewing the block letter version. The overall tone is the same but, the post gain on the block version is easier to control. Unlike the signature version, this amp can be played at practice volumes. It sounds tighter as well while mainting a fat booming tone.
This is quite simply the best amp for the buck you will find. I play metal and rock and for that sound this amp fits. I can get hard rock & 80's thrash metal (marshall like) on the crunch channel and over the top extreme metal on the lead channel. The sound coming out of my guitar through this amp sounds right. I dont need any boost pedals to get the sound I want. All i use is a noise gate to tighten up the sound. The sound is saturated yet concentrated to inspire your playing. I've owned mesa's and marshall's and always had to compromise on tone. With the mesa the gain was brutal but it was just to tight sounding. the marshall sounded loose but there wasnt enough midrange gain. The 5150 took out those weaknesses and kept the strenght's to achieve its own unique tone.

I have been playing for close to 10 years and I still suck but I know good tone and am an avid collector so I know what sounds good and what sounds like ****. If it were stolen I would look for the block letter version again. Only thing I wished it had is a reverb to broaden the sound but a pedal can solve that. As I mentioned I compared it to a **** load of amps I had which included Mesa Rectifiers, Marshall DSL2000, Hughes and Kettner Matrix (not a fair Comparison since its solid state). This amp gives the general tone you need to pull off all metal sounds. You cant go wrong otherwise only other thing that compares are the VHT's and BOgners that run over 2000 dollars

Mine was built in the early nineties. Very simple layout, two channels, one EQ, a footswitchable effects loop. The clean has "crunch" and "bright" switches, which are pretty self-explanatory. The single EQ stage is sort of bogus, but I deal. I play oddball punk/stoner rock with it, in a band with three guitarists (including myself) and it's very effective for that purpose.

Rating a 7 for the single EQ.

Ok, I use either a PRS SE Santana or SE Singlecut through the amp, and with either guitar, (one with covered humbuckers, one open) it sounds great for what it is. Perhaps it's the tubes in mine, (they're EH's, but I don't know what kind,) but the distortion on both channels is what I would call a 'fuzz.' A lot of people call these 'metal' amps, but mine, at least, couldn't be further from it. With the gain past half-way, the two channels sound like Big Muff Pi's with varying sustain settings. Not the most versatile distortion, but great for me.

Also, contrary to what a lot of others are saying, I can get a beautiful clean tone out of the 5150. I own a 70's Bassman combo, known for its clean tone, and I can nearly duplicate the tone with the 5150's gain setting at 2 to 2.5 and the post-gain above 5. It's a big, full-bodied clean, with nice lows and chimey highs. This also sounds phenomenal with a good reverb pedal in the effects loop. Very vintage sounding.

Being one of three guitar players in my band (man, that's a lot,) this amp fills a void that previously existed with us. The other two guys play a Fender Twin and a Musicman 2x12, respectively, and our bassist plays a monster Ampeg through a 6x10 and a 1x15. This amp fits right in-between the two, with respectable bass response (I play it through the matching 5150 cab.) A great rhythm guitar amp, it's really beefed-up our sound considerably.

Rating an 8 because while it works great for me, it may not for you.

This amp lived in my brother's basement, next to his computer desk where he chain-smoked into it while he played online RPG's for about 6 years. It sat there, unplayed, soaking up Camel-stink and dampness in the basement.

My brother eventually realizes it's still there, and says, "Hey, Jake, you're broke. You want this amp?" I say, "Are you sure?" He says "Yup." I take it home.

The first thing I notice is the stink. Seriously, my 5150 smells like a thousand buttholes. I had no idea cigarette stink could be so bad. Whatever. I turn it on, and nothing happens. This is not a shock. I wiggle some of the pots, and it crackles to life. After spending about $100 to get a tune-up, and this thing's been working like it just rolled outta the factory for a year and a half.

Still smells unholy, though.

No experience. It's pretty old, man.

I've been playing for about 14 years, 11 of which have been in noisy, avant-garde punk bands. Like I said before, I play PRS's, (I love them, and they piss off the 'coolie' Fender scene, man, 'cause that Creed douche plays 'em.)

I use a EH Knockout pedal, which is an awesome EQ filter, just in case I need a PRS to sound like a Strat. I put a Digitech RP-250 (another 'no-no' of coolness, ha!) through the loop, mostly just for reverb and delay, occasionally tremolo or wackiness.

This combination of gear serves me well. I can't complain about the 5150. I also own a '76 Silverface Bassman combo, and a Crate Powerblock (handy backup, but haven't needed it yet.) The 5150's a big, fuzzy beast, and I'd be crushed if it were stolen. I'm still broke as a joke, and can't afford to actually pay for one, (having a kid will do that to ya.)

I do wish it had two separate EQ sections, and maybe a sweet built-in spring reverb, but hey, the thing is great for what it is--a straightforward rock amp. I'm in love.

(It still smells like a corpse, though.)

simple design. read the 300 something posts before.

brutal distortion sound, good for metal riffing. damn loud. useless for any other purpose. no versatility.

highly reliable. if you got the brains and skills to do it yourself do the bias mod and switch to 6l6 power tubes. if not, then get it done. it's a must for this amp.

never needed them.

excellent metal/hardcore-amp with a brutal distortion sound (get the bias mod!!!). damn loud. absolute useless for any other purpose.

Features are nothing special. It's a 2 channel amp but the clean is absolutely useless....lifeless. It's a waste of channel cause it gets dirty and gritty. Can't stay clean at high volumes.

This amp is a big dissapointment! Sure it has distortion galore but it's fizzy and muddied. The only thing it seems good for is metal mostly and some rock. It can't do jazz or blues. This amp just didn't deliver the goods. I will stick with my Laney.

It's built like a tank and seems quite durable. Peavey has been known to build reliable amps throughout hte years.

It's bad now. Can't even get a respond back from my emails.

This amps is probably good for metal players for the most part. Anything else is crap. There's nothing about this amp that appeals to me when I traded my Marshall for it. I would either go back to my Marshall or Laney.

The 5150 is an all Valve 2 channel amp. I bought it in 1994; it has now been reissued as the Peavey 6505 since EVH withdrew his endorsement. He's now working with Fender. Features-wise this amp is pretty limited with no reverb and an EQ section shared between the two channels. The clean channel ain't very clean at all, but I don't think anyone would buy this amp on the basis of its clean sound anyway. What you get is a raging lead channel and an absolutely excellent effects loop. While not exactly a one-trick pony, it's clear that Peavey tailored this amp for metal. Although it's an EVH signature model, the sound goes way beyond classic rock territory; this is about as heavy as it gets. Loads of modern metal bands use the 5150 or its 6505 equivalent e.g. Trivium, BFMV, Blackstone Cherry, In Flames etc etc.

I play Ibanez S series 7 string guitars. Some have stock pickups, others have Seymour Duncan Invaders (about as high output as passive pups get. I've been playing for 24 years, much of this time semi-pro, so I think I know what I'm talking about! My current band plays a style of music somewhere between classic Pantera and modern stuff like Killswitch. I play a lot of brutal rhythm and extended solo guitar. My 5150 is paired with the standard 5150 slanted 4 x 12 cab.

Reading forums, I see that many people add an overdrive pedal (usually Tubescreamer variants or Boss SD-1) to give the amp a little more clarity and 'chug.' This is fine, but I have a major tip for anyone owning this amp. The amount of distortion on tap is crazy, but can easily wreck your sound if you overdo the gain; anything over 6 and you will lose tonal clarity, . To get a full on chunky metal sound you simply need to increase the volume level of the guitar as it enters the preamp section. I use a Boss GT-8 via the 'four cable' connection method; this gives me all the chorus, delay, wah, pitch shift etc options I could ever need. To get the extra gain 'push' that is required, I make sure that the GT-8 enters the amp at a very 'hot' volume level. The volume knob on the back of the GT-8 is maxed out and the patch level is about 130/200. Do this and you get an absolutely mad metal sound, even with fairly lame stock pickups, perfect for chunky riffs and for sustaining leads. The noise suppressor on the GT-8 also tames any nasty, unwanted hiss perfectly (the gain on tap makes this quite a noisy amp). If you've played Mesa stuff you will know that it is fabulous sounding, but very 'tweaky'; get your settings wrong and eveything will sound crap. One of the great things about the 5150 is the fact that it is not a tweaky amp at all; the basic sound does not alter greatly, even with some quite extreme settings (although the presence control will f##k your ears if you dime it at high volume!).

My settings are: pre-gain 6ish, Bass - just under 5, Mid- 3, Treble 4.5, Resonance - just under 4, Presence - just under 4

To my ears, the rhythm channel is a bit ropey; a genuine clean sound is not that easy to achieve. My Marshall Mode Four has a perfect icy cold clean channel which craps on the Peavey, but truly sucks when one compares the distorted tones available.

The distortion channel of the 5150 is outstanding. You can get great crunchy AC/DC style tones, but increase the preamp gain and the true forte of this amplifier becomes obvious. This amp does mega high-gain modern tones fantastically well. The clarity of sound is really striking. Your guitar will slice through even the busiest, loudest mix like a laser gun.


I'm guessing that anyone using using active pickups will get a mean metal tone direct into the amp. All modern metal players need to check this amp out. Not only is it tailor made for the heaviest of styles, but its price tag is less than half that of the equivalent Meas gear. A truly special design. I'm very glad that Peavey continues to produce it albeit under a different name.

I change valves every 2 years just as a precaution. I've never had this amp die on me. I carry a Marshall Mode Four as gig backup, but have never had to fall back on it. I use JJ tubes and they work great once warmed up for about a quarter of an hour. Some people have moaned that they can't set the tune bias. For the average Joe, like myself, who just wants to get out and gig, this is a good thing; you can revalve this thing in about 10 minutes with no messing about with bias meters etc.

Never dealt with them

Fantastic if you want basic evil metal tones. It will also do classic AC/DC style rock really well if you lay off the gain. I love this amp and would cry if someone stole it. I would track down the thief and batter them to death with an Ibanez guitar.

Ok my 5150 peavey was made in 1991 I believe it was one of the first one. A two channel amp with few features like sharing the same eq for the 2 channels. This amp is extremely loud if you have a cab make sure you run 75 watt speakers or you will blow them. Has a swicht that will allow you to run 4 8 and 16 ohms.Also a presence knob and contour knob.There is no reverb or delay other than its very well designed. Poor effects or no dsp other than that this will be up there in the bogner range.

I use three guitar a prs custom 24, a blackhawk custom and carvin 135dc I say this amp really nails it even though the clean it may not seem loud enough, it will work ok for gigs the amp is really outstanding overdriven you can get crunchy sound out of it like sounds from the 80's and you can push this thing to the limit the gain is just insane if you are a lead player this is the amp for you.
This amp will outplay any mesa out there soldano marshall etc.. make sure you get a decent speaker cab I run mine through a marshall 900 1960 's edition and it really rocks. With a good delay pedal and some nice chorus and a good wah nothing, nothing will beat this amp for the price remember I am talking about the head made in the early 90's wich sounds way better than the evh or the peavey 5150 II .

well it's 2008 and I only changed tubes so I guess it makes it good bang for the money. This amp was made 17 yrs ago.

N/A never dealt with them.

I 've been playing 10 years and I owned lots of gear I consider a really well contructed amp.If lost I will probably look for another even though I don't need this much power my house is huge and still makes the cops come to my house my neighboors can really feel the windows shake.

Bought this head 2nd hand so dont know what year its from

its the stock 5150head sig version (EVH signature on front of the amp , Ive heard rumors of this one sounding better than the EVH blockletter 5150 but you'all know what they say about rumors..)

120watts
4 6L6power tubes
5 12AX7 pre amp tubes
2channels rhythm(green) and lead(red)
2 inputs ( normal & hi gain)
came with the el cheapo plastic 2 button footswitch
everything works so no complaints, not that sturdy but Id say if you take care of your stuff you dont need a 'triple titanium' footswitch

I kind of took this amp for what it is.I do agree that fixed bias may seem lame when wanting to experiment with other tubes which require biasing.You can always get it modded for that matter.

If you want to practice at home with this thing I recommend you soundproof your walls.I usually run it at just 1 on the volume when Im practicing @ home which already gets kind of loud :D

My main guitar is a Washburn X-81 with EMG's 85bridge 81neck.I play mostly melodic death metal and it is just a perfect match.This amp is very dark sounding and has loads of gain.The lead channel is just a dream come true.If distortion is your thing you will absolutely love this amps lead channel.the EQ is very responsive and by adding some lows this amp can also sound very chunky for those chugga chugga type of riffs.dial in more mids to the eq for some classic carcass or Arch Enemy.So in terms of metal this thing is quite versatile Id say.It is noisy but get yourself noise gate in the loop and problem solved!

The rhythm channel I use mostly for cleans and this is where most complaints for this amp come in but hey come on for this price what the hell are you babbling about!? I think the cleans sound kind of lifeless !!! yeah Im being honest and not biased cause I own the damn thing.but theres ways to make it come alive like use the neck pickup for a warmer sound.with EMG's its necessary to roll back the volume back a lil on the guitar(find your sweetspots).By using these simple techniques Ive found Im still happy with the clean sound of this amp.If your buying this amp for the cleans your def looking on the wrong department.This amp lives for Hi gain performances.

the crunch on this channel can get pretty nice when boosted with an OD pedal.for pure crunch I would rather get a Marshall JCM though, but it aint all that bad.

I have no idea of the age of this thing, but I do know that these things can go for years when taken good care of.the amp is one solid block and looks very sturdy.

havent dealt with them.

Im playing for 8 years now.I used to own a Marshall SS 50 watt combo (dont remember the model name), Line6 spider II.Sold all of it to get me a real tube amp.This is my first tube amp ever and I will probably keep this until it stops working!

If stolen Id definitely get me another one.maybe Id have to go for one of those ugly 6505's cuz these 5150's will be getting rare in time, but yeah its the inside of these things that count.I would probably not get something else cause I have done allot of research on other amps which offer more versatility but cost twice ,triple or even more.I just play melodic death metal and this amp serves me well I dont need all that jazzy clean and marshall crunch stuff so for me this amp is just a perfect fit.

I played allot on my friends JCM900 before I bought this and I like em both but for melodicdeath I definitely prefer the 5150 for its darker higher gain sound.I do wish it sometimes has separate EQ's for the rhythm and lead channels.The 5150II does offer that but is a little different sounding.Fuck it Ill take the 5150 for what it is any day without complaining. thanks

This is a two channel 5150 EVH block letter head, I am using this for a trash meets samba metal band. (Myspace.com/elphantheadrocks) if you want to check it out. The effects loop on this amp is amazing I run a MXR-135 and a boss ge-7 through the fx loop. I really wish this model came with a external bias control, it came pretty cold. I replaced the stock tubes with eurotubes intregrated quad set and it has been amazing. I use this amp live and in studio, I love it, plenty of power. I am giving this an 8 for 2 reasons, first the bias was only kicking out 12mA until I put the eurotubes in & second cause they did not put a bias switch on.

The amp is very versital, the clean channel is a bit dull but the eurotubes warmed it up a bit. Distortion hisses like a snake but thats where the mxr-135 came in, if run through the fx loop it takes care of that. Distortion is great, clean, big, full sound. I am using mainly an ESP Standard Viper with EMG 81's so it also has a very fat sound. Im gonna have to give this portion a 7 cause without the fx and a high end guitar this head will just sound like a bunch of noise.

I fully depend on this amp, I am 100% dependent on it. We have been playing a lot of shows and it has been very dependable. I dropped it once pretty hard as well and no problems at all.

Never delt with Peavey, Unfortunetly I have heard bad things but never experienced it for myself so.....

I have been playing for 13 years, I have gone through a lot of gear. I have had Marshalls, Mesas, ADA, Rocktron, and a VHT to my surprise the Peavey has been my favorite, It is amazing with a few alterations. I am planning on modding it at some point or getting another one just as a back up, but I really want to stick with the EVH block letter which are getting harder to find. If it were stolen I would be pissed and would defently replace it. I saw that FJA does the mod to put the bias meters on the back panel, so after that and I get and iec jack mod done I think my amp will be the best one have have ever had.

two channel, clean and distorted channels, the clean does have a crunch u can put on it. Sometimes I prefer that over the distortion. goes to 16 ohms. On and Standby. normal speaker inputs just 2.

Okk so everyone always says that this amp is only good for the distortion. well i had my bias modded and it actually changed my clean drastically. I use to play in a band with another guy who had a 6505 and we compared the clean his sounded a lot flatter and when he turned it to high volumes it would distort. Mine sounds full and smooth all the way. I play in a hardcore/metalish band and this amp has always pulled out the sounds i was always looking for

never had any problem with it.. just change the tubes and this thing hauls

never used it

great head, im looking to start running two heads live and im gonna keep the tradition of using peavey and im looking at the butcher. This amp was in my price range and I've been using it for 2 years and just absolutely love it.. I couldnt say enough about finding a head under a grand that blows most other heads out of the water!

2003 Peavey 5150 head 120 watts all tube Essentially 3 channels but you can only switch between 2 with the foot switch (Rhythm has a crunch setting). High and low gain inputs you can get a half decent clean tone with the low input. Would have liked a 5150 II but this does the job well enough for me.

This amp is built for metal and hardcore music pick up any hardcore records before bands landed big endorsements (Mesa/Boogie) Chances are the guitarists used one of these heads cos they're cheap, reliable and sound brutal. I used to play in hardcore bands and this amp was awesome I now play in a pop rock band and to be honest this amp is still pretty good for that not ideal but it works.

It's Peavey it'll go on forever just feed it new tubes once in a while and it'll last til the end of time!

Mine was second hand so Peavey wont want to know if anything goes wrong. All peavey stuff I've had in the past they've been more than helpful generally just needing new manuals and stuff.

I've been playing for 13 years my setup goes Heavily modded Fender '72 Telecaster Custom > Boss Tu-2 Tuner > Marshall Supervibe Chorus > Boss Ns-2 Noise Suppressor > Boss DD-20 Digital Delay > Peavey 5150 Head > Peavey Triple XXX Slanted 4x12. I got this just after peavey discontinued them off a friend of mine who wanted a less "metal" amp I'd been after one of these for years so traded him my PRS CE 24 (Which hadn't been out of it's case for 6 months) for it. Before I got this head I was using a Peavey XXL head which also a great amp but just didn't sound as powerful as the 5150.

update on my old 5150 head that I was thinking of dumping due to bad muddy tone. all features have been described

The amp has been resurrected from the brink of being sold. Really did not want to sell the old beast so I went all out and actually found that the amp can sound the way it was designed to. It's gone from muddy and brittle with jcm 800 like gain to hot elastic soldano like gain with a super tight bottom end. Sounds so close to a SLO 100 now it's unbeleivable and as good or better than the 5150 combo. THE CURE: Electro-Harmonix rated for high gain 12ax7's all the way across from V1 to V5 and two Sovtek 6L6 WXT+ power tubes. It is run at sixty watts only. And the other half of the solution: Marshall 1960B cab with 75 watt Celestions. This amp loves celestions. The 5150 cabs sound really bad compared to the marshall. The distortion tone is now a solid equal to the Mesa studio and the 5150 combo and also the Soldano. I couldn't be happier with it. It also sounds as good as a JSX head as well. I am going to purchase one of those as soon as I can too.

never failed

cool people

This is a first rate high gain head. I encourage anybody who owns one that is not happy with the tone, thinking that it is harsh, muddy, lacks gain, brittle, or whatever to play with tubes and speaker cabs before selling. You will be surprised. It is essentially a lower cost SLO 100, just a little different.

it does have a 1/4 and xlr jack, so that is nice. 16 ohms. bout the extent of features on a cab. this cab is def for metal, and that is what i'm using it for and its a dream.

the sound is unbelievable. i read some reviews on hear about people getting their cab and it, "farting." I didn't know what that meant, until i got mine and it started farting. it either sounded like a rattling or ripped speaker... so we opened it up and sure enough the speaker wasn't tight enough, we tightened it up and put it back together. i started playin it... and it wasn't as bad but there was still a really bad buzzing sound. i got this thing used on co-signment at a local muisc shop and i wasn't able to take it back so i was nervous. but we figured out it was the back panel rattling because the cab is so LOUD! so we took it apart again got some carpet padding put it on the sides so that it was tighter and wouldn't rattle. ever since then it has worked like a dream. this thing is soooo loud. i use to use a crappy Marshall MD cab, and this thing is more than double as loud, it is insane.

take the back pannel off and just look at the speakers... the magnets are HUGE! like i said i got this used so i don't know how well it was set up when new, because the previous owner did some mods, like changing the casters and leaving the holes from the old one. i'm going to cover them up and try and get it as air tight as possible, i can't even put my amp over like 4 to play now, and i'm in a hardcore band.

this thing looks like a tank, and is built like a tank, which is good since i'm gona be taking it on the road every weekend and months at a time in the sumer

haven't really tried. but i got endorsed by peavey and they were so nice and helpfull. i'm giving them an 8 cause i haven't worked with them that much.

i love this thing. my other guitarist has a Marshall mode 4, it is really nice cab of the nicest that marshall makes, and would choose my 5150 over it any day. i play on a gibson sg and a peavey valve king head(can't beat for the price, but saving up to get either 5150 head or 6505. my outfit sounds awesome right now w/just the vavle king and i cna't wait to get a 6505.) like i said i play in a hardcore band, like metalish type of stuff. if you are wanting a crunchy, gritty, powerfull cab than this is the cab for you. i'll say this once more... i love this cab....

two channel amp. Crunch and lead. Semi clean if you want, Loop, chan. switching. Plenty of juice.Wish it had verb. All tube.

Gets dirty and dirtier. Not much variety but good enough if you spend the time and like the tones. Not much of a clean sound. Distortion is just ok, not great. Using PV Wolfgang and MM EVH guitars both with Dimarzio pups.Suits my style which is blues hard rock and metal of all types. Not noisy. OK, here is the deal. I have had the amp for three years now. It's been great while I have had it and has been alot of fun, BUT sadly ever since getting my 5150 combo and My Mesa Boogie Studio preamp it has been left in the dust as far as sound quality goes. The Combo simply destroys it for tone and gain. And the Mesa Boogie? Well there is just no comparison. The Boogie shreds the poor 5150 HEAD. It is thin and lifeless compared to those amps. I have swapped tubes , used new tubes , and had the amp gone through with no problems found. I am spoiled by the Boogie sound now which can get ALOT heavier than the 5150 head ever could. The same goes for the 5150 COMBO. Much larger sound and much fatter sound. It is a different amp altogether according to Roger Crimm at PV. Those amps are fat and juicy and the head sounds flat by comparison. Am contemplating on selling it and getting a Mesa Triaxis or Mark III instead. I am going to give it one more go at getting it to sound up to the level of my other amps and then we will see. I might keep it around to use as a power amp with the triaxis or something. we will see.

Very reliable, only blown fuses

The best.

Been playing for 28 years. A veteran of the 80's metal scene. Like I said , one more go round for the old beast. I have basically been converted over to older(not Rectifier!) Mesa Boogie type tone which is far superior for ANY kind of tone, mellow or heavey. MY Studio Preamp sounds like a Mark IIc+! I wanted to keep it for collectability reasons but I still have the combo so...... They will always be around I think if I ever want another one, But i'll probably start collecting old Mesa Boogies instead, better resale value and better sound to go with it.

I'm here to write as much as a definative review as I can on a very sought after piece of equipment. You most likely arlready know the features of this unit and are trying to get insight from other people who own and play it. I own a 1994 Block Letter EVH edition. I bought it for it's acclaimed monsterous sound and collectability, not to mention it's affordability as well. It's shared EQ with both the Rhythm and Lead channel is definately a weakness but otherwise the amp is fairly versatile for all styles of Rock music...especially Heavy Metal!

On to the good stuff. A good portion of 5150 owners are using this amp for Hard Rock or Hardcore/Metal such as myself. As I mentioned above, the amp can be pretty versatile so it definately isn't limited to brash sounding music. However, this amp was certainly made to kick some serious ass and hand it back to ya. Do yourself a favor and take the time to tweek the knobs and sift through different combinations to find your "desired" sound. You will definately find something to please your ears. The amount of gain this amp can cook up is intense. Depending on the settings, it can almost be too much and leave you with a unpleasing muddy sound. With a little invested time, you can acquire anything between a classy, blusey sound to an all out Death Metal assault. Excellent sustain and rich in harmonics. As far as clean tones go, I personally wasn't impressed BUT you can find some nice sounds depending on the guitar you use. I tried an array of different types of guitars and obviously found that some sound more full bodied than others. If you play Heavy Metal music such as I do, you most likey are using a dual humbucker guitar (bare minimum humbucker in the bridge position) and the character of the tone seems blah. By all means it's not horrible but definately not a spine tingler. This is the case as well even when you use the neck position pickup. When you switch over to using a single coil guitar the amp starts to give you more tonal options and gives you a fair improvement on capabilities. My judgement is based on plenty of knob tweeking in both Hi and Normal Gain inputs with mahogany bodied guitars (one with a flamed maple top) and set necks. I tested the cleans with Seymour Duncan hot rails, Fender Texas Specials, PAF humbuckers, Seymour Duncan Full Shred Humbuckers, and EMG 81/85's active hums. Overall the amp can accomplish a great amount of tonal varieties but I suggest to look elsewhere if you plan on playing a lot of songs that are written with swithching between clean/distortion due to the shared EQ of the two available channels. It is highly unlikely you will be completely satisfied with the tones you get from both channels on the same EQ settings. I suppose the 5150 II was the answer to this complaint of many diversified musicians in the industry. In regards to the difference in sound of the earlier "block letter" EVH models vs. the "signature" models, I am happily on the "myth" bandwagon. When I was interested in buying one of these puppies, I did some research on the difference between the two with a little help of a friend of mine that owns a little guitar shop. He disassembled the two "different" models (both years unknown) and did find some of the electronic components to be of higher quality in the block letter head in addition to a slightly beefier power supply unit. I'm certainly no electrition of any sort so I wouldn't know whether or not if that makes any difference in tone. Sure it sounds logical but is it really true? I haven't been fortunate enough to test the heads out side by side so I have no answer to this popular myth in the 5150 world. The amp does provide it's share of hiss especially when using the Hi Gain input. BOTTOM LINE: This amp was made to blaze the world. MASSIVE sound! Huge, tight bottom end (great in more than one way if you know what I mean ;-P). Metal Heads, you won't be dissapointed. The impressive list of artists who uses these should be enough proof otherwise.

I bought my model from Ebay and the unit was supposedly hardly used. From the looks of it I believe it. Remarkable condition. Since I don't know how often it was used and I have put only a couple of hours on it so far I'm not going to put a rating in this category. So far so good. I do hear of these things being work horses and fully look foward to living up to those statements.

A1, A+, First Class, First Rate, however you want to put it...they are true professionals. I emailed them for some tech info and they responded in less than 24 hours! Very friendly email might I add. A couple of years back I had a foot controller issue that needed resolving and they were very supportive of my issue. Outstanding organization overall.

If you ever had any desire in owning this amp from hearing all the ranting and raving, do yourself a favor and GO GET ONE! For the price(which steadily increases as each year goes by) and quality of this unit, you can't beat it. I consider myself to be a tone whore. I love all kinds of different products that produce great tone. Afficionados are always gonna boast and brag about what they think is great. Truth is whether its a Marshall JCM 800, Soldano SLO-100, Engl Powerball, Framus Cobra, Diezel Herbert, Bogner Uberschall, VHT G-100-UL Pittbull, Mesa Rectifier or Mark IV, etc etc etc, they all embody their own unique, individual and versatile tones. Somebody is always gonna tell you why brand X is superior to the others. This review is based solely on the 5150 and I am just proud to post a solid recomendation to anyone who wanted to get an opinion on it.

I bin playing off/on since age 7-41.
Ace simple amp.
Saw one in the paper and raced 20 miles to buy it.
Dont see many around.
I used to play in Deep Purple covers band with it.
Just the job.
Also did a few nice tunes.
The amp is like having a dog... it's just behind you and you bond with it... you hear every sound... it's mean... and subtle too.
No point in buying a Chiwawa to kick ass.

No reverb. Acts like a noise gate.... when u stop playin so does the amp.
Enables clearer soloing etc.
Managed to wack out Sweet Child of Mine through my Les Paul Junior... what a nice sound, full bodied with sustain..i actually got off on that... felt like Slash.
Put the head on a Marshall 4x12 to fill the sound ofcourse.
Basically a UNIQUE WARM valve monster.
In a gig situation it is a perfect SIZE. You never need to turn it down and restrict the valves, they are always pumping. This blows the nuts off 2x12 amps ofcourse.
Now using a Strat Deluxe to experiment with.
I believe in no-fx at all, except Wah. the crowd love a real player (who struggles a bit with no-fx).
This amp has a lot of gain and I find it easier to play than full overdrive on my Marshall 50DFX practice amp... your fingers just race along........
You can get ace feedback aka Hendrix styleeee.

Can be bundled into back of me van to gigs OK.
I had a practice, round my house and ran a BASS guitar throo it!!
Seemed to work at the time but laterzzz...i think i shagged a valve.... had to replace one of the 12AX7s.
Bin gigging over a few yrs, I somehow shagged the send/return effects loop so go inline now through guitar input channels.

n/a.

Good rock amp.

I have a signature series. Features are quite lacking, but like others said, can be a good thing. As there is less that can go wrong. But 2 seperate EQ's for the channels would have been nice.

Come on, how can you not say this amps sound quality is amazing? I spent a very long time searching for the tones only this amp has been able to create. I've played for 14 years, and I've never heard anything touch this. Sound quality is to die for on any style of music you play. I play everything from Jazz - Metal, and I get killer tone in any situation. Not only that, but it doesn't matter what volume you play at either. Still sounds disgustingly good. Gives me the chills most of the time when practicing. Speaking of volume. I don't know who put the 120 Watt label on this puppy, because it sounds more like 1020. I usually practice in my metal band on about 2.5 Post gain, and cut through everything like a steak knife through warm butter. I can't say enough about the sound this amp produces. Anyone who says it sounds noisy, obviously hasn't figured out the proper settings for the sound they're looking for.

I've had mine for 2 years, never had one problem. Replaced the tubes once in that whole time period, but it ended up being for the best. They sounded even better then the originals. I definitely don't fret if this amp will work or not when I hit the stand by switch to on.

Don't know about this one. Never had to deal with Peavey, because the amp has never had anything wrong with it.

I've been playing over 14 years, and right now I own 2 Ibanez's. One RG3120 and another RGT42 for backup. A 76 American Strat, and a custom Hamer. Gone through many others, Jackson's, Gibson's and such. I just sold my TSL 100, because after I got this I never touched it. Been through tons of amps looking for tone like this. If it were stolen, I would either track it down, or buy a new one. I love the TONE!!! I hate the 1 EQ. Although I must say, whatever they did to 5150 II which was made just for this feature. It just is not the same. At all... Overall, I'd say, especially for the money, buy one if you can. Signature or block letter. I can tell you from experience they sound EXACTLY the same.

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

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

so far so good

yeah...

good stuff, very impressed

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

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

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

The warranty is only 2 years.

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

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

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

very tough

good

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

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

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

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

Vey good. Roger was very informative.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I've never dealt w/ them.

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

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.