5150 III advice

[punchlinechar]

Hey guys, I need some help making an important choice: my first tube amp! I'm settled on the 5150 III family, as they're the best I've played through, so now it's a matter of choosing which model. It's between the 15w and the 50w, the 100w is too loud (and too expensive lol). I can save up for either, it's just a matter of which you guys think will be better for me. I'm in a band, I play both rhythm and lead, and I need something that could keep up with that as well as turn down for home use. I'm going to college after next year, so I'd like to be able to bring it with me. It's a matter of chosing between wattages basically, as both sound great, and certainly hold their own in terms of volume. Is there a huge tone difference? If I were to go 15w, I'd probably go LBX II to have extra versatility as this will be the only amp I buy for a while.

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[TRex]

Re: 5150 III advice

Well neither will work well in a collage dorm. I'm about to deal with that as well next year. Still is needed for gigs of course, but expect to buy a cheap practice amp with headphones for practice.

What's the type of music y'all play? Where? If you mostly play clean at large halls, 50w. If your playing dirty at pubs and other small venues, 15w.

I would go try and play some tube heads of these volumes. It's up to you to decide what's too loud for you.

My 20w jet city is wayyyy too loud for collage and most small venues. I can deal with it in the basement though, and it's wonderful for when I play larger school stuff like orchestra concerts.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: 5150 III advice

I'd go with the 50 watt if it was me. 6L6s, big transformers, emulated line out, midi capable , a real clean channel if needed.....It has a master volume and the amp can sound good at whisper volume. It is just a lot more amp for making a major long term investment.

For dorm room practice and portability get a Roland micro cube or a Yamaha modeler or something like that in addition.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: 5150 III advice

I'd go with the 50 watt if it was me. 6L6s, big transformers, emulated line out, midi capable , a real clean channel if needed.....It has a master volume and the amp can sound good at whisper volume. It is just a lot more amp for making a major long term investment.

For dorm room practice and portability get a Roland micro cube or a Yamaha modeler or something like that in addition.

The new LBX II has a real clean channel, too. It's the green and blue channels, no red. That and a 1x12 with a G12M-type speaker (I dunno why they put the G12H in the EVH 1x12) would kick lots of butt.

You can get an Avatar 1x12 with a Greenback in it. https://avatarspeakers.com/shop/guitar-cabinets/traditional/g112-traditional/

 

[Jigsisme]

Re: 5150 III advice

IME, I ran an Orange Dark Terror (my first tube) for a couple years. I am an at home player but recently started jamming with others. The dark terror is very useful/versatile but as soon as I started playing with a drummer, I immediately wanted something "more"!

I tried everything and kept coming up wanting "more" until my friend came over with his new beautiful bundle of joy...Enter my current love affair...EVH 5150 III 50w! This thing can go from sweet to brutal with a click of the switch. I was like you and was considering the lbx, awesome little amp and you can't go wrong with it. I will say this, if you need powerful volume, it doesn't compare to the 50w. I never knew what I was missing all these years as a bedroom player and now that I have the 50w I will never go back! My Orange just sits there collecting dust!! The 50w does well at any volume, and I mean ANY volume. Plus you can use headphones with the 50w, just as long as it's plugged into a cab.

Either will serve you well and have their purpose but my vote goes to 50w...Better to have and not need than to need and not have! I really want an lbx, but I don't need it...If it was the other way around, I would HAVE to get a 50w! There is nothing it can't do.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[moshpit817]

Re: 5150 III advice

I had the original LBX and it was a great amp,but now I have the 50 watt head permanently and I would say try the 50 watt head,it does sound pretty good at the lower volume settings,and then of course when needed it has more than enough volume..I use my 50 watt head for bedroom volumes and it sounds great,but so did the LBX,and the LBX got pretty loud as well but the 50 watter blows it away for sheer volume!

 

[GilmourD]

Re: 5150 III advice

Another option for a 1x12: https://reverb.com/item/3490731-pan...aker-cabinet-w-palo-mora-ivory-65w-8-ohms-prb

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: 5150 III advice

Thanks everyone for answering so far! We play metal (mostly) and the clean sound is important to have for me, as I love to just play weird chords sometimes. Originally I was dead set on the 50, but then I saw Rob Chapman gigging with his lunchbox head so I was intigued.

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[punchlinechar]

Re: 5150 III advice

IME, I ran an Orange Dark Terror (my first tube) for a couple years. I am an at home player but recently started jamming with others. The dark terror is very useful/versatile but as soon as I started playing with a drummer, I immediately wanted something "more"!

I tried everything and kept coming up wanting "more" until my friend came over with his new beautiful bundle of joy...Enter my current love affair...EVH 5150 III 50w! This thing can go from sweet to brutal with a click of the switch. I was like you and was considering the lbx, awesome little amp and you can't go wrong with it. I will say this, if you need powerful volume, it doesn't compare to the 50w. I never knew what I was missing all these years as a bedroom player and now that I have the 50w I will never go back! My Orange just sits there collecting dust!! The 50w does well at any volume, and I mean ANY volume. Plus you can use headphones with the 50w, just as long as it's plugged into a cab.

Either will serve you well and have their purpose but my vote goes to 50w...Better to have and not need than to need and not have! I really want an lbx, but I don't need it...If it was the other way around, I would HAVE to get a 50w! There is nothing it can't do.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Does it take fully cranking the 50 to get the tone, or since it's preamp gain does it not require that?

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[Little Pigbacon]

Re: 5150 III advice

Plus you can use headphones with the 50w, just as long as it's plugged into a cab.

Really? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

 

[Jigsisme]

Re: 5150 III advice

Does it take fully cranking the 50 to get the tone, or since it's preamp gain does it not require that?

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No!
When you turn the volume up/down it is tone soaked. I have yet needed to turn the volume past 1 o'clock. At this level it is deafening perfect!! It is everything I've ever wanted in an amp...Just didn't know it. I usually run my preferred EQ then have the volume at 10 o'clock.

I, like you like to play clean and it does it great...For me. I will say that I see why many say it's not a true 3 channel amp but I disagree. Channels 1/2 share gain, EQ, and volume so keep this in mind. For me it doesn't bother me as I like my clean to breakup. Even with the gain up for channels 1/2 I get cleans by my pick attack and volume on guitar. This is the way I've been doing anyways since I got used to the Orange's single channel. They way channel 1 is set right now, I can play Floyd, AC/DC, SRV, list goes on...Just change volume/tone on guitar and the color of my picking hand. I could go on for days about this amp...It's on right now! I am going to buy another and send to Kruse Kontrol for mods then I will have THE perfect amp, to my ears.

Why have 2 amps? I like running stereo...We did it with 2 stock 5150 III 50w and it was a wall of AWESOMENESS!!! And we didn't have the volumes past 9 o'clock...Just pure guitar goodness. We even ran both and added the dark terror...My Lord I'm in heaven!!
I am no expert by any means, but ask any questions...heck if you want just give me a call, I'm not doing anything today.

 

[Jigsisme]

Re: 5150 III advice

Really? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

Not really. From my understanding, the head needs to be "under a load", so the head needs to be cabbed up.
Hopefully I said this right, I tend to talk potato-head.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: 5150 III advice

Not really. From my understanding, the head needs to be "under a load", so the head needs to be cabbed up.
Hopefully I said this right, I tend to talk potato-head.

So, does it play through the cab when you're using headphones?

 

[Jigsisme]

Re: 5150 III advice

So, does it play through the cab when you're using headphones?

No.
And I've even tried something off the wall today...We got this little jam box thing we bought for my special needs son, cool stereo designed for Bluetooth with a little 10" speaker. Anyways, I read that a lot of guys recorded with off the wall stuff back in the 70's ala Joe Walsh. So I plugged it up using the headphone jack and it sound crazy cool...Just kept the volume down/reasonable not to choke the speaker out.

I've spent years and I mean YEARS tone chasing, I just didn't realize it till the other day! Is there better amps out there, sure! But for me, this amp does everything I need and want and I don't have to search anymore. I can now finally focus on what is more important, playing guitar! I started at like 14 yrs old and now I am 42...And I feel like a kid every time I plug into this thing! To me I think we get wrapped around the axle on this equipment and that equipment...To this day I still can't find a Gibson guitar that agrees with me but I sure do like playing my pawnshop finds!! I can buy anything I want, ANYTHING, but if it doesn't feel "me" then I pass. Blast me if you must, but I have a little esp/LTD h-51 that is a pure beast! Made in China modified by me, setup by my tech but it must have chi cuz anyone that plays it can't believe how it feels...feels, that's what I'm learning... Whether it's your fingers or your ears, let them tell you what you need, not the masses.
Rant over.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: 5150 III advice

Alright, I think I'm gonna have to save up for the 50w, especially after listening to some comparison videos. I know I said Panama was gonna be my cabinet, but does anyone have other recommendations? I'm also looking at the Marshall MX212 and the matching EVH cab. The panama has the attenuator, but I'm leary of it as I've heard mixed reviews. The Marshall looks the most attractive because it's 8 ohms and 160w. The EVH sounds great in my experience, but it's 16 ohm and 60w, which would choke the amp a bit right?

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[jmh151]

5150 III advice

I have both the 50 watt and LBX...

The LBX is still a very loud 15 watts, so it's not anymore bedroom / dorm room friendly than the 50 watter.

The both the 50 watter and LBX get good tones at very low bedroom volumes since they mainly use preamp gain.

The 50 watter has the clean channel so it's more versatile.

The LBX tends to clean up better and get better lower gain tones when you back off your guitars volume- maybe it has slightly less gain, but still has plenty.

Between the 2, I'd pick the LBX only if you needed a very portable amp you could throw over your shoulder, while carrying a guitar case in the other hand. The 50 watter is very heavy, you're not going to be carrying a guitar in the other hand.

Both have a very clean power amp, so you can plug the effects send of preamp and get good results.

But if I wanted a Swiss Army knife of versatility, I'd go with the 50 watter. It does bedroom through club volumes.

Also, I would get 2 of the EVH 1x12's to stack with it

 

[Jigsisme]

Re: 5150 III advice

But if I wanted a Swiss Army knife of versatility, I'd go with the 50 watter. It does bedroom through club volumes.

Exactly this!

For cabs, I have the ones in my signature and they all have different voicings and all sound great!

Also forgot to mention, try them out first. Nothing is going to give you the sound you're looking for unless you actually try first hand.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: 5150 III advice

50 watts.

Because you KNOW you're going to want to crank on Unchained!!! Or whatever you play when you channel tha powa. You can play ANYWHERE with a 50w amp.

 

[Jigsisme]

Re: 5150 III advice

That's hilarious, I've been practicing unchained this weekend and it is perfect! Absolutely insane!!!

 

[Jeff5]

Re: 5150 III advice

50 watt no question. 15 watts will have a hard time keeping up, even with an efficient speaker/cabinet. The 50 watt has a headphone out too I believe. Great amp!