Should I buy a 5150III?
- Thread starter drew_drummer
- Start date
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
I got to try one out recently, and was really blown away. By far one of the best amps on the market right now. For high gain, I noticed that it is considerably less noisy than the Peavey 5150/6505 series, with nearly identical voicing and gain structure. The clean channel is extremely clean, as we would expect from Fender. It doesn't get any better than having a less noisy 5150 high gain tone with a Fender clean in one amp, IMO.
This is basically what I'm hoping for !! Don't know if anyone has checked out our stuff, but we do a kind of atmospheric prog-metal type of thing. Lots of drone, but with the occasional complexity thrown in. Lots of clean sections with delay and reverb just oozing through....
So what I'm hoping for is a clean that is loud and even, and thick in the low-end. A crunch that is kind of like an extension of the clean, just a bit more bite to it. And finally a brootal distortion that is thick and juicy.
Describing tone turns all guitarists into Liberache.
Well guys... I had to pull out of the deal. Something I didn't know about these EVH5153's is that apparently they develop this fault where you get a loud popping noise when switching channels:
The guy didn't mention this off the bat, and I was just being an impatient gearwhore searching out interesting sound clips of the amp. Came across this video, and it's actually the exact amp I would have been buying! So I got my deposit back. I really couldn't live with this type of thing, even if it only does affect the amp at bedroom levels. The guy was all cool about it though, so no hard feelings.
At this point... I feel I want a new amp, even if it's just for an alternative tone to my Laney VH. So I'm going to do some more research. Might investigate VHT. I also have a friend who builds tube amps, could get him to build me one. But he's kind of old school in his approach, and the amps I like all seem to use diodes and resistors in the signal path - which he doesn't!!
So.. I dunno. Next chapter I guess...
The guy didn't mention this off the bat, and I was just being an impatient gearwhore searching out interesting sound clips of the amp. Came across this video, and it's actually the exact amp I would have been buying! So I got my deposit back. I really couldn't live with this type of thing, even if it only does affect the amp at bedroom levels. The guy was all cool about it though, so no hard feelings.
At this point... I feel I want a new amp, even if it's just for an alternative tone to my Laney VH. So I'm going to do some more research. Might investigate VHT. I also have a friend who builds tube amps, could get him to build me one. But he's kind of old school in his approach, and the amps I like all seem to use diodes and resistors in the signal path - which he doesn't!!
So.. I dunno. Next chapter I guess...
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JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
I feel like that's completely normal for most highgain amps? If it's not a pop, it's a volume cut entirely.
Must've lucked out with my Laney then, coz it doesn't do it at all. Orange Rockerverb doesn't do it either. I think it's because some amps use optical switching (more expensive) and some amps use relay switching. The pop you hear is the relay flicking round, and bouncing off of the contact.
I just can't abide it. YMMV.
I just can't abide it. YMMV.
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
motomoto
Member
- Mar 20, 2009
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Drew
Think this guy removed the video of his amp from youtube.
When i first got in touch, i asked him if there were any problems of any sort with it, sound/functional/cosmetic etc.
He said no.
Good job spotting his amp on YT.
He emailed me today saying his amp is up for sale again and now he is taking offers bellow 750£
Heads up guys
Think this guy removed the video of his amp from youtube.
When i first got in touch, i asked him if there were any problems of any sort with it, sound/functional/cosmetic etc.
He said no.
Good job spotting his amp on YT.
He emailed me today saying his amp is up for sale again and now he is taking offers bellow 750£
Heads up guys
Jaymz
Stymphalian Productions
I actually found it through the Sneap forum mate. There was a thread on here about the 5153 back in 2009, and he posted that video in it. Right about the time he bought the amp I guess.
brianhood
No Care Ever
Well what can I say... it doesn't need to be this way, and it's bullshit!
As I told the guy... I'm a bit anal about this kind of thing. None of the Orange amps do it. They use optical switch I believe, which is immune to this kind of thing.
As I understand it, imagine a gate to a field. You kick it open... it swings right around, and hits the wall next to it. It bounces off, the wall takes some force out of the swing, and the gate comes to gently rest against the wall.
That's effectively what happens with these relay switches. And amp companies use them because they're cheap. They build in workarounds to get around the popping and clicking. This is the reason why a JVM has a bit of silence between channel changes.
And as I said; I'm just really anal about this thing. The guy said that because it isn't in the preamp circuit, that it doesn't make a loud pop when the amp is turned up loudly. Well... I'd still feel a bit miffed even if that were the case, and fundamentally... I'd end up selling the amp because I got pissed off with the popping.
The guy's a nice enough sort, but for all I know this is the exact reason he's selling it!!
As for the Recto doing it... I don't recall it doing it with my Rectoverb, but back then I was more concerned with br00talz than I was with tone, which is why I fell for the Rectoverb in the first place!
I wasn't
And principally, I think it's appalling that EVH let this get through. Especially for the price.
I'm consistently amazed at how many "high-end" amps my Laney VH100R pisses over time and time again. In my opinion of course.
Jaymz
Stymphalian Productions
According to what I've read, it's a very expensive procedure. You'd have to rip out the entire switching system. Just a note - it isn't in the footpedal, but in the amp itself.
I don't want to keep bleating on about this, but things like this just piss me off to no end. I feel about this kind of thing what the KKK feels about anyone who isn't white and American.
Oh and if anyone is curious, I'm probably going to get a custom built 3 channel amp from my friend who is an amp tech here in London. He usually makes pure valve amps from what I know. Point to point hand wired. Pretty sure he doesn't use any diodes or anything like that. So I'm going to play him some samples from the Sneap forum and from a few CD's and we'll see what we can come up with.
He's quoted me in the region of 700/800 gbp.
He's quoted me in the region of 700/800 gbp.
motomoto
Member
- Mar 20, 2009
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Holy fuckin shit
Thats a hell of a price.
Make sure you update us from time to time
It'll probably work out to be slightly more once he figures out that I want 3 channels. Not sure if I want to go 100watt or 50watt. I think 100watt personally.
More on the relay issue:
