Which 5150 variant and WHY

cfh11

Member
Apr 25, 2012
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Boston, MA
I have a large amp collection (bit of a whore) and one glaring omission is some sort of 5150. I really like the EVH and am leaning towards the 50w version, mainly due to price. But before I commit, I thought I would see if there are any strong opinions on here as the "the" version to get since there are so many between peavey and fender. Will be almost exclusively used for recording, if I ever use it live it will probably be a kemper profile and not the actual head.

So if you had to choose only one for your studio, which one and why?
 
one thing im worried about is whether you can get the same kind of brutal raw tones out of the newer ones...they seem almost too refined. have you tried the 100w stealth model?
 
one thing im worried about is whether you can get the same kind of brutal raw tones out of the newer ones...they seem almost too refined. have you tried the 100w stealth model?

Yes, it's way too scooped and you can't push it as easily as the 50w. The 50w is suuuuper brutal, more modern than the original for sure but in the mix it destroys the others
 
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The 5150 II and 5150 III versions are too polished IMO; I prefer the raw grind of the original Peavey 5150/6505. It's the classic for a reason.
 
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I like my amps tight and refined, so I'll have to go with the 5153. 50w is a monster, and I think the new low-watt one should be pretty cool too, especially for recording. It's basically the only amp that I think stands up to my favorite, the Savage.
 
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Seems like the evh 50w is the winner so far.... no more votes for the older ones or newer peavey models? i thought there would be stronger opinions about those on this forum.
 
The invective seems like it's Peavey's take on the EVH version, with some very specific refinements for metal/playing live. I am eyeing the 50watt EVH myself.