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heads on fire « LOUD! LOUD LOUD LOUD! »
Published on 11/04/11 at 12:22* 120 watts (rms) into 16, 8, or 4 ohms (switchable)
* Five 12AX7 preamp tubes and four 6L6GC power amp tubes
* High and low gain inputs
* 2-channel preamp switchable on front panel or remote footswitch
* Rhythm channel: pre-/post-gain, bright and crunch switches
* Lead channel: pre-/post-gain
* Channels share 3-band EQ
* Presence and resonance controls
* Switchable post-EQ effects loop
* Preamp output
UTILIZATION
This amp is killer. It is very easy to get a good clean, dirty, or lead tone out of. It is a simple amplifier head, with no real frills except an effects loop, and has been a staple amp head in rock and metal music since the early 1990s. Edward Van Halen had this amp built and voiced specifically to his specifications, and so the EVH tones are incredibly simple to achieve, but the 5150 can get many other sounds as well.
SOUNDS
To start off, this amp is LOUD! It has so much headroom, it's ridiculous. If you can get it wide open, you will be greatly rewarded with a pure crystalline clean tone with plenty of presence, a neat crunchy brown tone with plenty of meat, and a liquid singing sustain that responds to the slightest touch. I've used my 5150 for classic rock, hard rock, metal, hardcore, fusion, djent, death metal, and it excels at all those applications. It even gets a great spanky lead tone for country chicken-pickin'! The main drawback is that the 3-band EQ is shared by both the lead and rhythm channels, so one must find a setting that works for both channels. Also, I wish this had a reverb, but I'm nitpicking on that point.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a great amplifier in the pantheon of screaming rock classics. This is a fantastic amp for any subgenre of rock from the late 60s until now. There are certainly other amps that can get more tones, or can offer more glitz and glamour, but for a meat and potatoes player, this is the head. Highly recommended.
* Five 12AX7 preamp tubes and four 6L6GC power amp tubes
* High and low gain inputs
* 2-channel preamp switchable on front panel or remote footswitch
* Rhythm channel: pre-/post-gain, bright and crunch switches
* Lead channel: pre-/post-gain
* Channels share 3-band EQ
* Presence and resonance controls
* Switchable post-EQ effects loop
* Preamp output
UTILIZATION
This amp is killer. It is very easy to get a good clean, dirty, or lead tone out of. It is a simple amplifier head, with no real frills except an effects loop, and has been a staple amp head in rock and metal music since the early 1990s. Edward Van Halen had this amp built and voiced specifically to his specifications, and so the EVH tones are incredibly simple to achieve, but the 5150 can get many other sounds as well.
SOUNDS
To start off, this amp is LOUD! It has so much headroom, it's ridiculous. If you can get it wide open, you will be greatly rewarded with a pure crystalline clean tone with plenty of presence, a neat crunchy brown tone with plenty of meat, and a liquid singing sustain that responds to the slightest touch. I've used my 5150 for classic rock, hard rock, metal, hardcore, fusion, djent, death metal, and it excels at all those applications. It even gets a great spanky lead tone for country chicken-pickin'! The main drawback is that the 3-band EQ is shared by both the lead and rhythm channels, so one must find a setting that works for both channels. Also, I wish this had a reverb, but I'm nitpicking on that point.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a great amplifier in the pantheon of screaming rock classics. This is a fantastic amp for any subgenre of rock from the late 60s until now. There are certainly other amps that can get more tones, or can offer more glitz and glamour, but for a meat and potatoes player, this is the head. Highly recommended.