5150 versions & the bright cap?

[kev]

Very late to the party on this one, but I had no idea that older 5150's had a C19 bright cap and the new ones don't!

Any ideas when they changed this & why? Was trying to figure out if the 5150 signature that I have has it without cracking it open

Also, for the guys already in the know, which do you prefer?

 

[Red Phoenix]

I never heard about that. But i always find my 5150 too dark..therefore i'm curious to know if this is true.

 

[kev]

The gurus are on holiday.. or asleep lol

 

[Red Phoenix]

When i located the C19 cap correctly on my signature 5150 pcb it does have the C19 cap. I'm not sure but it seems C19 only affects the lead channel and it gives the lead channel more highs on lower gain settings..
So uninteresting if you only use the green channel :/

 

[kev]

When i located the C19 cap correctly on my signature 5150 pcb it does have the C19 cap. I'm not sure but it seems C19 only affects the lead channel and it gives the lead channel more highs on lower gain settings..
So uninteresting if you only use the green channel :/

Yep think you're correct there dude. When pre gain is lower on the red channel, it lets more high frequency content through.

Nice photo!

 

[Red Phoenix]

Than i wouldn't take it out for myself. I couldn't need it any duller. I always struggle to get more highs.
I tried to find out how old my 5150 is. But hard to tell. On the downsite of the pcb there is something written. I guess mine is from around 92/93..

Off topic but when its already about brightness...to get a bright sound out of my 5150 as on sneap/colin records i need to raise the highs at 6-9 kHz in the daw about 12dB or more is this usual for them?

 

[Mago]

^Sure it's not your cab?

OT, had no idea about this...but honestly don't know what to make out of it....I think the brightness of my 6505+ can be controled pretty well with the knobs sooooo....

 

[bryan_kilco]

I have the "signature" 5150 and it has the bright button, but I thought it only affected the Green channel....

And I seem to have the opposite feelings as Red Phoenix - my 5150 is too bright and harsh. I tried it recently at practice and went right back to my Mesa.

 

[loktide]

the bright cap is located at the gain pot and acts as a high-pass at lower gain settings. In most cases it's only noticeable with the gain set lower than half-way. Of course this depends on the cap and pot value... In the 5150 is just like with the SLO (500k || 1n).

BTW, this is exactly what the Warren Haynes mod is about with the SLO. Namely cutting the bright cap so that the amp has more low-mids at low gain settings. With the Gain set at 5 or higher, you won't hear a difference with or without this mod.

here's the C19 'bright cap' in the 5150 schem:

 

[Red Phoenix]

mago, no it is with every cab and every IR. Either it's the amp or the professionals post-EQ the guitars drastically...

bryan, let us trade our 5150s =D Too bad that you're located in the US..



I looked at some other schematics of 5150 variants and all of them has this bright cap at the lead pre gain pot.
-5150 combo dated with 20 Jun 95
-5150II dated with FEB-16-2001
-6505+ combo dated with 10-9-2009

If it isn't only a mod than they changed it not that long ago.

 

[greyskull]

shit I don't add 12db to anything! Move the mic.