buying a 5150 need quick help!!

[rispsira]

Hi all!,

It took me the little time (too little) on this forum to GAS for that amp and buying it tom (but all your asses will still be sleeping by then cause of the time differences)

Its an old 5150 (the original one) gonna go try it out but since i never have before:

1- can anyone recommend me some settings to try on the amp to get a good idea of how it should sound?

Also the guy selling it is selling the matching cabinet for $500 which i thought was a good price. I asked what speakers were in there but he said that they were celestions "fine tuned" for the eddie van halen sound.. Not really what im looking for but for the price thought i would ask:

2- what do you think of that cab and having a recto 4X12 im just wondering if ill need it

3- anything else i should be looking for/paying attention to?

Thanks guys

 

[bryan_kilco]

pretty basic amp.

my settings are something like:

Gain: noon
Bass: 9:00
Mid: 2-3:00
Treble: 2-3:00

Pres and Resonance about noon.

I have a 5150 cab and the speakers in it are Sheffields. The cab wants to see 16 ohms, and I'm pretty sure a Mesa Recto cab is 8, 4, and 4 ohms....

 

[crosstalk]

From what I've read most prefer the 5150 with the Mesa cab and don't really care for the 5150 with the matching cab. Personally, I'd imagine you wouldn't be gaining a whole lot picking up the cab if you already have a nice Mesa.

 

[mburton21]

Really it's hard to make this amp sound bad. Even with retarded settings like noon on everything it sounds pretty damn good.

If it sounds like something's wrong it will most likely be the tubes or dirty knob pots/whatever.

I prefer a Marshall/Engl 4x12 with V30s, sounds like pure secks, but the Mesa cab should be just fine.

Personally I would definitely not buy the 5150 cab since I really don't like the way it sounds.


PS, my 5150 is old balls and it still slays, don't worry if it looks old!

 

[BLUElightCory]

I agree, avoid the cab.

 

[rispsira]

great advice, you guys answered all my questions!

So i guess i wont buy the cab (i have 3 4X12's already so im happy you guys dont like it much haha)

i also notice theres no need to go for the scooped mids, (same as the recto)

Cool! now im counting the hours..



PS: it just occured to me since im not familiar with that amp except from the sounds i heard: are there any "modes"

In that case which one do you like?

 

[AudioPhile777]

push all the buttons. turn all the knobs. let it stay powered on for at least 20-25 minutes (start playing through it and then just turn the guitar volume down and let it run, see if anything goes wrong with it... 20-25 minutes later, play through it again, makes sure its still working).

Thats really all you need to worry about... if you know tube amps, you'll know what to check out. if not, but it still makes sound, buy it anyway.

 

[Terminus]

Pretty sure it's 5150 w/ Marshall 1960b cabs. But yeah this head rules so hard....it's just too easy to rock with. You will not regret it.

 

[mburton21]

It's pretty impossible to get rid of the mids from this amp, even on 0 it's got more than most amps on 6 haha. In a good way though, not honky Marshall mids.

 

[rispsira]

thanks for all the help!