Advice needed: 5150 or 6505+ ???

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

And I have to strongly disagree with you. Unless you're using a crappy cab, or guitar, or what very well might be the case in this instance, active pickups that kill any warmth in your tone, they sound quite different.

The 5150 II/6505+, while having an improved clean channel, is muddier on the lead channel. It is smoother and much less aggressive, which tends to make it a better lead amp. It responds very nicely to a set of good PASSIVE pickups, which will give you a cleans tone that's surprisingly good, especially for the 5150 series. They also have a bit less gain... Like that's really an issue with these amps though

The 5150/6505 has a clean channel that is completely useable, if you know what you're doing. Don't expect the best cleans out of it though, especially using actives. The lead channel is much more aggressive and clear with more high end sizzle which makes it cut through a mix like a knife.

The best, and clearest leads come from boosting the crunch setting on either amp though. The bias mod also improves these amps so much, that I still can't believe Peavey hasn't added it as a stock piece over the years. Sure, the 6505+ has a bias pot, but the sweep on it is so tiny that even with the knob all the way up, it's still not running the tubes at a voltage anywhere close to where they should be.


P.S. As you can probably tell, i dont like EMGs. I know this forum seems to really like them, but I personally am not a fan; they are sterile and lifeless and just do nothing for me. The Blackouts are noticeably better, but still not anything I'd waste my money on. It really gave me a good chuckle the other day when I read a post here where everyone was praising EMG and saying that brands like Bareknuckle were inferior.

Hahahahah! Bareknuckles are inferior to EMGs ... Thats a good joke!

5150s slaying 6505+s ..................................... Thats a good joke to!





I run both heads with a Schecter Loomis>Mogami cables>Presonus EQ3B>Maxon>THE HEADS>Randall warhead/v30s and or Mesa OS/V30s! Nothing wrong with the chain at all!
I think that by your comments on the bias knob for the 6505+ suggests you had a reasonably fucked up 6505+.

The OP can not go wrong with both, (well done on the 5150), but to sit here and read such crap as to say that one slays (eg, night and day) all the others is just plain retarded! Wish some here wouldnt exaggerate so much with their words.

There are fuck all between them in sound, and the 6505+ has one extra channel and is 13-17 years younger than my 5150. Both have identical pre and power tubes and when hooked up into the same gear, everybody thats heard them say that there is fuck all in it. Recording wise and live wise.

I hope a newby flying past here didnt take what you said literally, and then joined HC or GS and repeated the above comments.:Smug:

 

[MatrixClaw]

Hahahahah! Bareknuckles are inferior to EMGs ... Thats a good joke!

5150s slaying 6505+s ..................................... Thats a good joke to!





I run both heads with a Schecter Loomis>Mogami cables>Presonus EQ3B>Maxon>THE HEADS>Randall warhead/v30s and or Mesa OS/V30s! Nothing wrong with the chain at all!
I think that by your comments on the bias knob for the 6505+ suggests you had a reasonably fucked up 6505+.

The OP can not go wrong with both, (well done on the 5150), but to sit here and read such crap as to say that one slays (eg, night and day) all the others is just plain retarded! Wish some here wouldnt exaggerate so much with their words.

There are fuck all between them in sound, and the 6505+ has one extra channel and is 13-17 years younger than my 5150. Both have identical pre and power tubes and when hooked up into the same gear, everybody thats heard them say that there is fuck all in it. Recording wise and live wise.

I hope a newby flying past here didnt take what you said literally, and then joined HC or GS and repeated the above comments. :Smug:

1. I was not the person who said that, multiple other people on this forum did. I own 2 guitars with BKPs in them and 2 with EMGs, the ones with EMGs never get touched because the ones with the BKPs sound FAR better.

2. To each their own, but for me, the 6505+ is more versatile, but lacks in balls. Nothing against the 6505+, I really dig that amp with a nice PRS, but if you want balls out metal tones, the 5150 or 6505 is the better choice.

3. EMGs. You're also using a 7 string, which I could see where you're coming in this comparison then, though I would imagine the 5150 would be much tighter than the 6505+ would be with one. Either way, I could see them sounding more similar because you're putting a lower string into the mix.

4. Nope. It's pretty common knowledge among those of us who actually know Peavey amps, that the bias sweep on the 6505+ is very minimal. Most people who know what they're doing run them full up, because even at that setting, it's still not high enough.

5. I could tell the difference between the two amps with a blindfold on, easily. I'm glad you have your own opinion on the amps, but saying they sound exactly the same is complete BS. Either your ears are broken or your amps are.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

1. I was not the person who said that, multiple other people on this forum did. I own 2 guitars with BKPs in them and 2 with EMGs, the ones with EMGs never get touched because the ones with the BKPs sound FAR better.

2. To each their own, but for me, the 6505+ is more versatile, but lacks in balls. Nothing against the 6505+, I really dig that amp with a nice PRS, but if you want balls out metal tones, the 5150 or 6505 is the better choice.

3. EMGs. You're also using a 7 string, which I could see where you're coming in this comparison then, though I would imagine the 5150 would be much tighter than the 6505+ would be with one. Either way, I could see them sounding more similar because you're putting a lower string into the mix.

4. Nope. It's pretty common knowledge among those of us who actually know Peavey amps, that the bias sweep on the 6505+ is very minimal. Most people who know what they're doing run them full up, because even at that setting, it's still not high enough.

5. I could tell the difference between the two amps with a blindfold on, easily. I'm glad you have your own opinion on the amps, but saying they sound exactly the same is complete BS. Either your ears are broken or your amps are.

Never said exactly the same, I said FUCK ALL DIFFERENCE! and .........
points 4 & 5 are some of the dumbest things I have read on here!

So, your eyes must be broken, (read my posts again) and no my amps arent broken, but if they both were, then they still have FUCK ALL DIFFERENCE between them!

Running the bias flat nacker!, you have got to be joking!

Seriously mate, your 6505+ must have been the one that was broken!

 

[SethTheGreat]

I could tell the difference between the two amps with a blindfold on, easily. I'm glad you have your own opinion on the amps, but saying they sound exactly the same is complete BS. Either your ears are broken or your amps are.

+1

Huuuuuuuuge difference. I mean, they sound more alike than they sound like a Mesa, Marshall, toaster oven, etc... But only in comparison to one another, there's a clear difference.

 

[Josh Burgess]

Well, I personally think Blackouts have too much bass, treble, and output. They sound harsh. I also think the 5150 sounds better than the 5150 II/6505+. It has more bass, it's more percussive, and it's just overall more aggressive sounding... and guess what? I also think the bias mod is not needed at all and takes away some of that sheer aggression that the 5150 is known for.

Some of the best 5150 tones I've ever heard have come from Sneap using a stock 5150 and EMGs... If you don't agree, why are you here? This forum cares about real results, not hearsay from places like harmony central or sevenstring.org...