Gigging with a 5150

[Ermz]

I'm just wondering whether there's any convenient way of switching to a clean sound on one of these without using an effects pedalboard of somesort. As far as I'm aware these only have a Rhythm and Lead channel, both for their own respective uses.

I could imagine set-ups that let you use its clean sound with an overdrive unit (such as a TS) to give you relative versatility. But what if you want to use the amp's drive?

I'm wondering because the 5150 is more or less my favourite head, but I question how versatile it would be if I were to gig with one and have to fullfill my guitaring duties playing clean parts every now and then.

 

[James Murphy]

you wouldn't really want to use a ts with a clean sound to try to make a heavy sound... it's pretty ugly... it's not what they are good at.. at all.

 

[Ermz]

Yeah, I was actually gonna mention that there was probably a reason folks used the amp's drive in conjunction with it. But anyway yeah, scratching all external processors, boost units, overdrive/ds units etc. and only using the amp by itself, is there any way to switch from heavy to clean provided you're using both the Rhythm and Lead channels with high gain? I guess the answer is pretty obvious, but I'd like to hear it from others anyway before my hopes are shattered, heh.

 

[silverwulf]

The 5150's clean sounds aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be. They're nothing spectacular by any means, don't get me wrong. But they can get you through a gig unless you ant Fender/Roland clean. When I used my 5150 (EVH head), I found that my clean sound using my overdrive settings wasn't too bad, and putting some JJ's in the preamp really helped clean it up some.

 

[Ermz]

But I mean is there some way to switch between clean and distorted sounds quickly in a gig?

 

[kaomao]

I'm just wondering whether there's any convenient way of switching to a clean sound on one of these without using an effects

So if you want a crystal clean channel on the 5150, I'm sorry but this machine can't give you this chance, it has a really compressed rhythm channel.
I hope this can help you!!
My setup is this:
pregain rhythm: between 0 and 1
bright: switch on
crunch: off
pregain lead: 6

low: 7 (dipends on your cab, with a Marshall 1960 lead loaded with G12t-75 speakers with few low end, I have to set it on 10, with Vintage 30 on 7 is good)
mid: 0 (cause you know this beast has a lot of mids)
high: 5

post rhythm gain : 6
post lead gain : 4

Resonance: 7
Presence: 7

In the Effects loop a Danelectro fish&chips (is a graphic eq pedal) set with a boost on the mid frequencies to do solos, with 5150 foot switch you can switch it on/off, it costs here in italy 44 Eur/44 $ so it's not expensive.
So I got basically 3 sounds: clean, a rhythm tone and the boost for soloing.
I still get a slightly distorted sound if I hit a little bit hard the strings, you can avoid this by turn down your guitar's volume knob down a bit.

Maurizio

 

[evildonkeymaster]

But I mean is there some way to switch between clean and distorted sounds quickly in a gig?

Only if you use the "red" lead channel as you dist sound and the "green" channel for your cleans. If you intend on using your "green" channel as dist for rhythm (I do cause it sounds bad ass) and your "red" as the dist for lead then you are SOL. Unless...

There is one other option. You can Mod a 5150 to make the "crunch" button on the "green" channel footswitchable. Only problem is as you well know to get enough gain out of the "green" channel to sound heavy you have to crank the Rhythm Pre to like 8 or 9 and toss the "crunch" button on. So even if you foot switch the crunch off the amp still is not clean (Rhy Pre needs to be at like 3-4 max to keep it relativly clean. Best bet is to use a secong amp and an a/b switch. Buy a fender twin or a chepo 1x12" solidstate with good clean. Mic both live then a/b switch for cleans.

 

[Ermz]

Thanks guys that's what I was after, cheers.