New amp purchase opinions please!

[glytch5]

Hey there folks. I have not said anything on here in many years!

I own 2 amps worth mentioning... and Orange dark terror.. and a Peavey 6505 112.
I have a half stack and a 1 12 ccab, so I have that part under control for my taste.

Anyway... I am stuck between a few amps: I don't really want to spend more than 1200 bucks!

My options look like: Peavey 6505 100 watt head (899-999$)
: Marshall DSL 100 (899$)
: EVH 5150 iii 50 (999$)

I certainly do mostly heavy down tuned stuff... but I would like to be able to make some fairly decent clean tones... and have a good clean channel for my fuzz and other pedals... problem is with my 6505 plus combo.. the clean channel is completely worthless for pedals or on its own... just sounds awful with everything... have changed all tubes many times!
Of course the Dt sounds great clean... but I can't stomp a box and change go it... kinda irritating.
Wattage is not really a thing... the only constraints I have is:

I want either 6l6 or EL34... no EL 84s for me. I want a usable colourable clean channel. I see videos of the DSL sounding really cool... I played one once like 12 years ago and remember being on the edge about it.... now that I am old man... I might like it? however it may also be garbage... i'm leaning towareds the 5150 ii at the moment. Is the bigger peavey any better at clean tones? Thanks everyon!

 

[Deadpool_25]

Option: get a used Invective.

Option: get an AMT F1 or similar clean preamp and run the 6505’s preamp in the AMT’s channel loop. Additionally, consider converting the 6505 combo into a head.

Option: get the 5150iii, possibly the EL34 version

All of these are solid options. I’d suggest going the AMT F1 route first as that’s less than $150 and will get you a very good clean. With the 6505 preamp in the F1’s channel loop, the foot switch on the F1 will switch between:
- F1 preamp into 6505 power section
- 6505 as if you’re plugged straight into the front

It’s a fantastic option. Too bad more people don’t know about this. I think it would be pretty popular.

Oops: another option...get a good clean amp that takes pedals well and use an ABY box

 

[USMarine75]

Peavey with a clean tone? Buy a 5153. It is a tamed 5150 with a Fender clean. Either el34 of 6L6 depending on your preference of tones.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

The 6505 head wouldn't really be an upgrade from the 1x12 combo as far as cleans, so I would eliminate that as an option.

I have the 50w 5153 head and it's pretty flexible. The clean channel is a lot better than the 6505 and it gets almost as brutal on the red channel. If you have the option, I would go with the new version with the concentric knobs so you can dial in a good clean on the green channel and the blue channel as a different flavor of heavy from the red channel. Or if you only need a nice clean and a brutal high gain sound, the original version is pretty cheap used and you can just ignore the blue channel

I'll second the suggestion to get a dedicated clean amp and an A/B box too. There are plenty of good options for pedal platform amps in your price range like vintage silverface Fenders, Vox AC30 or 15, lower gain Marshall models, etc.

 

[glytch5]

I am really not looking at a used option at this point...
Pre amps and stuff? I am a pretty basic guy, and the last time I tried to A/B amps I had serious issues... if that worked I would just run my DT up loud on clean and use that as my clean channel... I'm just not diggin that option! I guess it would be cheap though... Good to know the 6505 head is no different in the cleans... So the DSL is pretty much crap then I take it? Too bad guitar center is dead, I can't really test anything locally now.. its all we had out here.

Maybe I should just get the 5150 iii... the one thing I REALLY don't like about that amp is its a signature... I have a weird thing with signature stuff... I'm not EVH, so hopefully you can pull off that logo, and all the frankenstein tape looking stuff!

THanks for the ideas.. I will have to do some more research on the preamp thing... are these pre amps tube? I would imagine not if they are cheap.

 

[budda]

Why are you against used? It cuts the amps you're looking at in half, cost wise.

 

[Deadpool_25]

@glytch5

Fair enough, but the F1 is a just a pedal. Run two cables from the amp to the pedal, and boom: 6505 with a good clean channel. It’s super simple.

Anyway, good luck! Hope you end up with something you enjoy.

 

[mogar]

With your criteria, the 5153 really ticks a lot of the boxes. Deadpool_25's suggestion is also quite good as well. As far as the 5153 being a "signature" amp, all 5150/6505 amps are but they really became the standard as far as modern metal tones go, so I wouldn't worry about the whole "playing someone else's gear" thing. So many guys use them these days that it's really a moot point imho.

 

[Descent]

You can get mint Mesa Mini Rectifier used or out of your 3 the EVH.

 

[Werecow]

EVH 5150 III 50W 6L6 - Concentric dials version.

Quite a lot of people don't like the EL34 50W due to a "fluffy/flubby" blue channel. The Blue channel is great on the 6L6. As you like the downtuned stuff, i'd highly suggest the 6L6.

The newest concentric dials version has independent gain and volume for the green and blue channels, which you need really to setup those channels without being highly limited by the other.

 

[jco5055]

If you don't want used, go to your local GC (I'm not sure if discounts sales are company wide or not) as last time I went a new 5150III 100w was legitimately half off and was like $1300.

 

[Bearitone]

See if you can have the DT modded with concentric knobs and a jack for a footswitch to swap between the outer knob settings (which you set to high gain) and the inner knobs (that you set to clean)

 

[op1e]

Ya people forget that there's simple mods thru a tech that are way cheaper than another amp and not expensive. Great idea.

 

[glytch5]

The 5150 iii might just have to be it... unfortunately jco5055, my local GC has absolutely NOTHING in stock... I really don't have anywhere to go anymore to play things... if I did I might not have to bug you guys on here ; )
idk why but I am really attracted to the marshall at this point... I need to play one so bad to realize that I don't want one... funny how right now that option is cheaper than the little 50 watt 5150. The reason I don't want used is because I end up in the situation I always do with used amps... I feel like something is not quite right with them and it just drives me up the wall.

5150 iii 6l6??? 1000 bucks!?!!!!?!?! I guess that is what i'm going to have to do... out of the amps here... it sounds as if this is the only one that is likely to sound how I want it to.

Question about the pedal pre amp.... how do you get it to know to use the pedal instead of my amps pre amp? I am quite confused on that. So if I wanted to use my fuzz I would have to switch to clean, switch on the pre amp AND switch on the fuzz?

 

[Deadpool_25]

Question about the pedal pre amp.... how do you get it to know to use the pedal instead of my amps pre amp? I am quite confused on that. So if I wanted to use my fuzz I would have to switch to clean, switch on the pre amp AND switch on the fuzz?

Okay. This is how you hook it up:

Guitar > F1 input
Amp input > F1 channel loop send
Amp fx loop send > F1 channel loop return
F1 output > amp FX return

That’s it.

The F1 is basically a regular pedal with a single foot switch. With it connected like above, when you turn the pedal “off” the F1’s clean channel is on which bypasses the amp’s preamp and goes straight into the power amp. When you turn the pedal “on” it bypasses the F1 clean and uses the amp’s preamp, so if the amp is on the lead channel, you get that, if it’s on the crunch you get that.

It’s really super simple. Maybe I’ll make a quick video of it tomorrow.

 

[KailM]

Get a 5153 50-watt and call it a day. Especially one of the new ones with the concentric pots so you can independently dial the gain on the green/blue channels.

Mine is the older version so I’ve got to dial the two channels to favor one or the other. Thankfully I’m not all that impressed with the blue channel, so I optimize it for cleans. The red channel is where the brootz are at— and no boost is necessary.

I have a 6505 as well and its cleans are far worse than the 6505+ 112’s cleans (had one of those too). Both gain channels though...they are unrivaled.

The EVH has great cleans, and they take pedals well.

 

[glytch5]

I would enjoy a video of that deadpool 25 do it up! I am beginning to think there is actually something amiss with my clean channel on the 6505 combo... it kinda fades in and out a little and has a weird sensitivity lag... it REALLY shows when I use the fuzz on it... changed all my tubes checked all my connections... lead channel still seems okay though... I really need to cut that empty cab off the bottom.

Sold... I'm going for the 5150 6l6... question is buy from sweet water, or buy from amazing fulfilled by amazon but sold by separate seller.

 

[USMarine75]

I would enjoy a video of that deadpool 25 do it up! I am beginning to think there is actually something amiss with my clean channel on the 6505 combo... it kinda fades in and out a little and has a weird sensitivity lag... it REALLY shows when I use the fuzz on it... changed all my tubes checked all my connections... lead channel still seems okay though... I really need to cut that empty cab off the bottom.

Sold... I'm going for the 5150 6l6... question is buy from sweet water, or buy from amazing fulfilled by amazon but sold by separate seller.

Not to knock Chinese products, but 6505 112 combos were never MIA, they were all MIC. There were lots of QC issues with the old ones and there were some minor circuit differences that made them fizzier. The 212 6505/5150 were MIA and are much more similar to the heads. TL;DR comparisons between 112 6505 and heads/212 will never be fair.

The 5153 are elite level amps. Fender cleans and dirt that ranges from EVH/ACDC/rock era to modern metal tightness. Honestly, I'm not saying you'd pick it over some of the other boutique amps, but if I stuck it next to my KSR, Diezel, VHT, etc it would be at home and put up a good fight. The only major difference being the 5150 design is not meant to be dry, so if that is your preference sure there are "better" amps out there. But the tones are generally complex (full spectrum), bold (they don't get lost in a live band mix!), and it plays well with others (again, works well in a band mix).

I'd buy one from a store with a 45-day guarantee... that way you can really experiment with it and either fall in love or move on. E.g. The EL34 version is slightly drier sounding, but doesn't have that midhump that stands out in band mixes IMO.

 

[jc986]

If you’re going new, don’t pay full price. You should be able to get 15% off if you go through MF or ZZounds / Sweetwater will pretty much always match or beat any discount offered by another retailer. MF frequently has 15% off coupons. I bought my EVH 5153 50w for $849 brand new from Sweetwater a few years back. I didn’t like it nearly as much as the 6505 and 6505+ so ended up selling it.

 

[glytch5]

I was just looking at the 15% codes... sweet water is not offering it, nor is GC.com... they are offering it on the DSL though.
zzounds? Is there a coupon going with them right now? I don't see it on their site...
Not seeing anyone offer it on this head : (
please let me know if you guys see it anywhere. I guess I should wait until monday in case it comes on sale