Amp opinions

[ericsabbath]

holy divered jackson + boss sd-1 or od-1 + jcm 800 and you're Jake E. Lee on Badlands first album :guitar4:


0:50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHYKa0xD0G8

[itamar101]

Posted my long, long review in the pickups section as promised!!

[Madsakre]

Marshall DSL/TSL's works very well with distortions etc from pedals

[BigBazz]

If you didn't like the Valveking then you would not likely like the 6505, very similar sounding amps, infact its quite possible to have them side by side and sounding near enough identical, and that is speaking from experience of playing in a band where I played a Peavey 5150 and the other guitarist played a Peavey Valveking.

That said, I love the 5150. 40w Blackstar should be more than enough unless you're playing propper balls deep metal, that requires some real headroom. a 40w head through a good cab is going to be more than loud enough for any gig, as if you're needing much more then you should be mic'd up anyway.

I've ran the 5150 at 120w, then ran it down at 60w and it was still fine (playing in a metal band) and now I'm running a 35watt Cornford Hellcat.

[richardjmorgan]

I've ran the 5150 at 120w, then ran it down at 60w and it was still fine (playing in a metal band) and now I'm running a 35watt Cornford Hellcat.

I love my 5150, but it only really starts sounding awesome at volumes where sound guys/the rest of my band start getting mad at me. How does one go about taking it down to 60w? And will that actually help?

[Dmoney]

I've ran the 5150 at 120w, then ran it down at 60w and it was still fine (playing in a metal band) and now I'm running a 35watt Cornford Hellcat.

I love my 5150, but it only really starts sounding awesome at volumes where sound guys/the rest of my band start getting mad at me. How does one go about taking it down to 60w? And will that actually help?

Its the 'pulling the outside pair (or the inside pair) of output valves' trick. You pull a pair out and then you half the impedance you would usually use. 16ohm cab, use 8ohm out the head... 8ohm cab or 2x 16ohms use the 4ohm out.

I think that's right but I usually always have a google to check.

EDIT:
It's always worth mentioning with this stuff, that 60watt is only a 3dB decrease over 120watt. It's not a hugely audible difference. 12watts would be half as loud as 120watt.

[richardjmorgan]

EDIT:
It's always worth mentioning with this stuff, that 60watt is only a 3dB decrease over 120watt. It's not a hugely audible difference. 12watts would be half as loud as 120watt.

Yeah, I'm aware of this (although still not entirely clear on how or why), which is what makes me question whether it's actually worth shoving my hands in the back of my amp and mucking about with it, and potentially blowing myself, or it, up. Really, I could do with a smaller amp, I guess. That, or starting playing enormous venues. 

[Dmoney]

or you start telling soundmen to SHUT THE HELL UP!

i wonder if the cold bias on the 5150 effects how it would sound at low volume compared to one with a more normal bias. hmmm. I'm thinking aloud. It probably does effect it, but how i'm not sure.

It probably sounds ok at a reasonable volume, though you prefer it louder and you feel better and play better when you feel like you sound good and you're rocking out. I've never gigged an amp below 100watts, and I've never really had an issue though I have been told to turn down but only twice ever. But in turning down I didn't think my sound was compromised really. I don't think anyone watching the band I was playing in saw my master volume setting and decided I sounded bad.

[richardjmorgan]

or you start telling soundmen to SHUT THE HELL UP!

i wonder if the cold bias on the 5150 effects how it would sound at low volume compared to one with a more normal bias. hmmm. I'm thinking aloud. It probably does effect it, but how i'm not sure.

It probably sounds ok at a reasonable volume, though you prefer it louder and you feel better and play better when you feel like you sound good and you're rocking out. I've never gigged an amp below 100watts, and I've never really had an issue though I have been told to turn down but only twice ever. But in turning down I didn't think my sound was compromised really. I don't think anyone watching the band I was playing in saw my master volume setting and decided I sounded bad.

Expect you're probably right about pretty much all of this. I think part of the problem is I often struggle to hear myself over our other guitarist's Laney GH100L, which seems to be the loudest thing ever even with the vol set to the absolute minimum. Maybe I should try a different tack and surreptitiously pull a couple of tubes out of his amp.

[Acolmiztli]

or you start telling soundmen to SHUT THE HELL UP!

i wonder if the cold bias on the 5150 effects how it would sound at low volume compared to one with a more normal bias. hmmm. I'm thinking aloud. It probably does effect it, but how i'm not sure.

It probably sounds ok at a reasonable volume, though you prefer it louder and you feel better and play better when you feel like you sound good and you're rocking out. I've never gigged an amp below 100watts, and I've never really had an issue though I have been told to turn down but only twice ever. But in turning down I didn't think my sound was compromised really. I don't think anyone watching the band I was playing in saw my master volume setting and decided I sounded bad.

Expect you're probably right about pretty much all of this. I think part of the problem is I often struggle to hear myself over our other guitarist's Laney GH100L, which seems to be the loudest thing ever even with the vol set to the absolute minimum. Maybe I should try a different tack and surreptitiously pull a couple of tubes out of his amp.

Sounds like you're not dialing your amp in right to me dude. What are your settings usually??

[TheyCallMeVolume]

or you start telling soundmen to SHUT THE HELL UP!

i wonder if the cold bias on the 5150 effects how it would sound at low volume compared to one with a more normal bias. hmmm. I'm thinking aloud. It probably does effect it, but how i'm not sure.

It probably sounds ok at a reasonable volume, though you prefer it louder and you feel better and play better when you feel like you sound good and you're rocking out. I've never gigged an amp below 100watts, and I've never really had an issue though I have been told to turn down but only twice ever. But in turning down I didn't think my sound was compromised really. I don't think anyone watching the band I was playing in saw my master volume setting and decided I sounded bad.

Expect you're probably right about pretty much all of this. I think part of the problem is I often struggle to hear myself over our other guitarist's Laney GH100L, which seems to be the loudest thing ever even with the vol set to the absolute minimum. Maybe I should try a different tack and surreptitiously pull a couple of tubes out of his amp.

Sounds like you're not dialing your amp in right to me dude. What are your settings usually??

Yeah I'd like to know too

[richardjmorgan]

or you start telling soundmen to SHUT THE HELL UP!

i wonder if the cold bias on the 5150 effects how it would sound at low volume compared to one with a more normal bias. hmmm. I'm thinking aloud. It probably does effect it, but how i'm not sure.

It probably sounds ok at a reasonable volume, though you prefer it louder and you feel better and play better when you feel like you sound good and you're rocking out. I've never gigged an amp below 100watts, and I've never really had an issue though I have been told to turn down but only twice ever. But in turning down I didn't think my sound was compromised really. I don't think anyone watching the band I was playing in saw my master volume setting and decided I sounded bad.

Expect you're probably right about pretty much all of this. I think part of the problem is I often struggle to hear myself over our other guitarist's Laney GH100L, which seems to be the loudest thing ever even with the vol set to the absolute minimum. Maybe I should try a different tack and surreptitiously pull a couple of tubes out of his amp.

Sounds like you're not dialing your amp in right to me dude. What are your settings usually??

Yeah I'd like to know too

Oh dear, I've rather hijacked this  thread, haven't I? Apologies to Slartibartfarst.

Anyway, it's a Peavey 5150, lead channel, (Boss SD-1 in front with vol nearly maxed, drive right down and tone at about 10-11 o'clock) pre-gain just over 2, low 4 1/2, mid 7-8, high 6, res 4-5, presence 7. Through an Orange 412.

Had a practice today where our other guitarist wasn't around, and the overall balance of everything sounded really good (I actually brough the low up and the mids/high down a bit from the above tonight in the end), which again makes me think the problem is with the Laney just drowning stuff out. But I'm quite happy to hear other suggestions.