Peavey 6505+ or Engl Powerball?

[7 Dying Trees]

6505/5150 is a great amp, i love mine, although there's one or two things you need/can do:

- Retube it. This is a must. Go to eurotubes and get one of their 5150 retube kits, enough people here recommend the tung sol as well, so that'll be worth doing.

- You can go two ways, either one for a bias modded or non-bias modded. If you get a new 6505 it'll not have the bias mod, this is an aftermakrket thing.

- Bias mod it. This isn't too hard for a tech with a diagram to do, it basically stops the amp being biased cold, but then again, you may like that anyway!

- If you really need a seperate eq for the cleans, buy an eq pedal and put it in the loop. It'll allow you to have a different EQ on the clean channel. Or just get a g-major or something for all your effects and put it in the loop, and use the relay jack on the g-major to switch the amp.

As for the powerball, i can't comment.

 

[1metalman1]

I think i'm defo gonna get the 6505 over the + model. I will be using the lead channel most of the time anyway. We may have songs in the future that require the clean channel but for now i don'really need it. I will have to have more info on where to get bias kits and all that mod stuff thats just been said. I'm a tube amp and mod newbie.

 

[7 Dying Trees]

Actually, I really quite like the rythm channel cranked up as well, so if you're not even using cleans, well...

 

[7 Dying Trees]

I think i'm defo gonna get the 6505 over the + model. I will be using the lead channel most of the time anyway. We may have songs in the future that require the clean channel but for now i don'really need it. I will have to have more info on where to get bias kits and all that mod stuff thats just been said. I'm a tube amp and mod newbie.

Bias kits? THe bias mod is a solder job inside the amp. You can buy the retube + bias probe from eurotubes, but if you are toitally new, then I'd get a tech to take care of all that stuff, as, well, screwing about next to 4-500V plate platages isn't exactly good for your health if it goes wrong...

 

[Brord]

I think i'm defo gonna get the 6505 over the + model. I will be using the lead channel most of the time anyway. We may have songs in the future that require the clean channel but for now i don'really need it. I will have to have more info on where to get bias kits and all that mod stuff thats just been said. I'm a tube amp and mod newbie.

Yeah def go with the 6505, the clean on it will be just fine! U could use the extra cash to invest in a nice cab (I have good experience with a recto cab, but Vader should be great also) and perhaps a boost of some sort (or emg's/blackouts, actives go GREAT with this amp).

 

[budda]

I myself live by seperate EQ's, so i'd need the 5150II/6505+.

and dont let anyone tell you it can only do metal. a retube and a bias helps ANY amp. boosting it with a JoBo pedal will put a grin on your face, fact of life. i know both those have been mentioned, but i felt like reminding everyone

enjoy the new amp.

 

[Stitch]

THe II/+ models contain an extra preamp tube that cleans up the whole signal path, allowing for a genuine clean channel, in case anyone is wondering.

 

[christpuncher66]

ive never heard or seen an engl in person, but id say that the 5150/6505 is clearer at high volumes than the 5150ii/6506+

 

[Vstro]

apples and oranges

both amps have different features and have a different sound character. Powerball has (good and usable) cleans, the 5150 doesn't.

i would say the powerball is more modern and compressed, whereas the 5150 is pure metal rawness. Both can be heavy as fuck. If you can't decide, then get the 5150 because it's cheaper. If you want something in between, i would give the fireball a try. It's less compressed and more raw sounding than the powerball and still has great cleans.

edit: seeing you're from wales, the price difference may not be that high.

 

[AbaddonHammer]

I'd say go with the 6505 with a quality noise gate (if you dont already have one), specifically an ISP Decimator, they work wonderfully.

You really cant go wrong with them based on your description of what you want. As long as you have a quality pickup that is clear and not muddy, the 6505 will nail your sound requirments pretty damn well.

 

[Rick]

I'd say this is a year and a half old thread.

 

[K-Roll]

I'd say this is a year and a half old thread.

nice.. I own a 6505+ with Tung Sol in V1 and JJ as the rest with a matched JJ quad in th poweramp section. It is a bit better, than with those stock Rubys it came with.
But what I wanted to point out is, that I really do not think 5150 equals 6505 and 5150II equals 6505+ even if many say so (and Peavey as well). My technician who made a 'surgery' on the amp said, that nowdays, peavey uses cheaper parts and different transformators, than it used to. And you can really feel it under your hand, that there is some lifeless sound going out of those new machines it jsut does not play OK I' say.. I am still thinking of selling my 6505+ and getting an old 5150 mk1, which I hope will make a difference IMHO.

 

[Leuchty]

Check the date of the thread people!!!

 

[Samer]

Going to throw my opinion out there now:

I have owned a 5150, and a 6505+ as well as an ENGL POWERBALL v2

IMO the ENGL is better for tight metal and cleans, the 5150 is better for RAW aggressive stuff but i had a hard time getting it tight.

Both amps are good, and i would recommend picking them both up if you can, but over all if i had to pick one i would go with the POWERBALL, it has the exact tone i am looking for (Bulb / Meshuggah / Zero Hour) tightness and minimal noise.

 

[Mattnh79]

5150 iii, 3 independant channels, clean, rythym, and lead, and all have independant eq's

 

[Insightibanez]

I got an ENgl Powerball with Z5 pedal for sale if interested. Hit me up insightibanez@gmail.com if your interested

 

[primerib]

to the OP: I've had both the Powerball v2 and the 6505+. I still have the 6505+.

(dammit, just noticed this thread was recently "revived")

 

[Johnology]

I've been considering between these two as well, the 6505+/Powerball, so far the only thing i have decided is that i don't need the plus since the cleans on the 6505 is pants anyway, but i really need a versatile amp with good cleans so i think i'm leaning towards the powerball.

 

[budda]

tip: go make a thread, instead of bumping this ancient one

 

[leonardo7]

Dammit. I just read the entire thread and just realized this is a very old thread. Sucks. I wanted to ask that since the 5150/6505 is clearly more raw sounding than the ii/+ where does the iii fit in? More like the ii/+ or 5150/6505?