Amps, amps, amps.

[Alex]

Most of the higher-priced amps sound different, not better IMO. The 5150-II is just so hard to beat if you like the general character of the amp - and it does sound killer recorded.

You can tighten it up more by putting an MXR 10-Band EQ in the effects loop. Quite a few people do that to have more power of the sound of the 5150s.
Also I usually run the resonance knob very low - that tightens up the amp as well.

[Roobubba]

Thanks for this, yeah I'd forgotten about getting an EQ for the loop, but it's something I'd thought about a while ago. I will revisit this for sure! MXR 10-band seems to get quite a bit of love, seems like a logical starting point :)

It's about time I sorted the bias out on the amp anyway...

[ericsabbath]

framus $%&#ing cobra

[Pale Rider]

I've searched quite about amps lately and I liked the Fryette (yeah the name is stupid, I prefer the old VHT) Deliverance. If you're ok with one channel. With the right settings you can go from clean to distortion with only the guitar volume. Cool, if you ask me. Then of course there is the Ultralead. Too expensive but with all those extras like 5-band extra EQ etc. Very tight and clear amps.

I also liked Splawn's Nitro. Great tone.

[HTH AMPS]

maybe try running some 6550s in the 5150 first.

conventional wisdom would dictate that running them in an amp designed with 6L6s would be a bad idea (heater current requirements), but there seems to be loads of people doing it - the Eurotubes guy seems to swear by this 'mod'.

you shouldn't need to have a 5150 near max volume either, they are mental-loud amps, must be the way it's EQ'd or the cab.

[Dmoney]

maybe try running some 6550s in the 5150 first.

conventional wisdom would dictate that running them in an amp designed with 6L6s would be a bad idea (heater current requirements), but there seems to be loads of people doing it - the Eurotubes guy seems to swear by this 'mod'.

you shouldn't need to have a 5150 near max volume either, they are mental-loud amps, must be the way it's EQ'd or the cab.

a Quad of 6550's?

[HTH AMPS]

maybe try running some 6550s in the 5150 first.

conventional wisdom would dictate that running them in an amp designed with 6L6s would be a bad idea (heater current requirements), but there seems to be loads of people doing it - the Eurotubes guy seems to swear by this 'mod'.

you shouldn't need to have a 5150 near max volume either, they are mental-loud amps, must be the way it's EQ'd or the cab.

a Quad of 6550's?

yep, four of them.

personally, I'd run it with two of them then you're still within 'known' specs on the PT.

problem with that is that the OP states that he's running it nearly flat out, so with just two 6550s it might be a backwards step.

[Roobubba]

I'm not running the power stage nearly flat out, typically that stays around 3/10 - 4/10. Except on the clean channel (the only way I've found to get usable cleans is to keep preamp as low as possible and dime the post for volume balance).

[Grim]

ENGL Invader 100... Sounds MASSIVE and hugely aggressive.

ENGL Savage 120 if you want a slightly drier and more scooped sound

Mesa Dual Rectifier - Can't go wrong here. Roll back the gain knob a bit to kill the saturation and it will have more balls than you can imagine.