What should a Peavey 5150 user expect?

[ksefan]

If they bought a Nitro (sovtek kt88 to be exact)
Once I get the cash I want to try a splawn badly... probably wont even have to sell my 5150 because I'd get so little for it anyways so it's a win win. but what should I expect coming from using a 1992 built 5150 with all stock tubes ahahah

[brian]

dude first off retube it with jj's across the board in the preamp and a pair of 6l6s and kt88s in the power amp and you will not be sorry.you have to cut the tube retainers on the outside two sockets to accomodate the 88s but it sounds HUGE..HUGE..HUGE!! cleans up the fizzyness and adds a bit of girth to the low end.

even just a jj 6l6 upgrade to the power section makes a HUGE difference get rid of the old tubes and put in some new ones to see what you think before you drop big cash on a new amp.

to answer the question that was asked the nitro has less gain and is less fizzy sounding than the 5150 (the 6l6/kt88 tube setup i told you about will fix that fizzy problem a bit though ) i think the 5150 is a bit brighter and more saturated then the nitro as well.but i guess i also would have to say there is a more open sounding and a "cleaner" distortion tone on the nitro than the 5150.

PLEASE don't get me wrong,the nitro is a super nice amp even though i just sold one in favor of my modded 6505(5150) different strokes for different folks.
depending on what you play you got all the amp you'll ever need in the 5150..when set right and running good tubes in it they rip.i am from the "if it ain't broke don't fix it"school.

i will end by saying this,play what you like..don't be eager to try a new amp when you are happy with what you have or could have at a fraction of the cost,i learned this the hard way,after a couple of months of play time i am just as happy with my 6505 as i ever was with my nitro,if YOU think it sounds good screw what everyone else says about they sound like garbage or they are this or that no matter what you play. in the end YOU are the one plugging into the amp,if you want to go nitro..hey they are without a doubt a great amp but don't just do it to say i have to own a nitro if you like what you have already man. and i'm sure that the fact that killswitch is using them is weighing in on your decision as well by looking at your screen name.i admit i owned two splawns because of rich ward but if that was the case i'd have a krank right now,but i have a peavey, i found what I like and went with it.. killswitch could use just about any amp and get their sound just like rich can plug into just about amp and sound like rich ward.

[ksefan]

Ya man you're right... I was thinking about the whole if it aint broken don't fix it thing also.... and on the plus side for my wallet...
KsE album with 5150: end of heartache.
KsE album with nitro: self titled 2009
which album sounds better? end of heartache... so that's always reassuring to me.
I've always had the wishlist of a sovtek 12ax7 lps for the phase inverter of the 5150 and the rest of the preamp with shuguang 12ax7's... and I'm going to just try TAD 6l6's in the poweramp section because Jerry from FJA mods has been praising those things for ever and told me I'd like em... so I actually ordered all of those earlier today.. funny timing that you mention tubes I guess!

[flgearnut]

Jul 15, 2010 18:47:56 GMT -5 ksefan said:

Ya man you're right... I was thinking about the whole if it aint broken don't fix it thing also.... and on the plus side for my wallet...
KsE album with 5150: end of heartache.
KsE album with nitro: self titled 2009
which album sounds better? end of heartache... so that's always reassuring to me.
I've always had the wishlist of a sovtek 12ax7 lps for the P I of the 5150 and the rest of the preamp with shuguang 12ax7's... and I'm going to just try TAD 6l6's in the poweramp section because Jerry from FJA mods has been praising those things for ever and told me I'd like em.

hmm...didnt they use framus dragons/cobras on end of heartache? And btw, the majority of what youre hearing on the latest release by KSE is a diezel vh4, they only used the splawn on all the overdubs...and KSE is currently using splawn nitros for all their touring. And for what its worth, i have zero issues getting almost identical tones to the end of heartache album from my nitro by tweaking the EQ a bit, using a mesa cab, and running a maxon od808 boost in the front end...its probably the best high gain sound ive ever gotten myself..i love it

[bubbastain]

Jul 15, 2010 18:47:56 GMT -5 ksefan said:

KsE album with 5150: end of heartache.
KsE album with nitro: self titled 2009
which album sounds better? end of heartache... so that's always reassuring to me.

+1 what Brian said. What KSE gets on their albums to me is almost irrelevant. When you factor in Killer studio, multiple tracks/layering, post eq/effects ect, ect.... They can get a killer sound with just about any quality amp. If they said they got their sound primarily with a 5150, I'd believe it. If they said it was a Framus, I'd believe it. ect, ect. I'm pretty sure they could play a show with a couple Peavey VTM and their Maxon ods and it would sound killer. PA, eq and sound guy will play a big role also regardless of amp. I owned a 6505+ for 4 years and loved it. I will admit I liked my Nitro a little better. Enough to sell the Peavey and keep the Nitro. I am however selling my Nitro because my Competition fits me a little better. Can't justify keeping both at this time. Any of the amps would keep me happy though. Try to find one to play. If it does blow you away then go for it. It very well might. or not.

[ksefan]

Well I'm probably just going to keep the 5150 until I can try a KT88 Nitro in person (if that will ever happen) getting this full re-tube (after 18 years of using the same tubes) should make a nice difference, then hopefully i'll be able to get an overdrive soon. And ya End of heartache was 2 tracks 5150, 2 tracks dragon for every song except for rose of sharyn because it was a last minute addition to the record... and by the time they went to record that the framus dragon sh!t the bed so they just replaced the dragon with the cobra for that track but Adam D did a lot of post EQing to make it sound a lot like the dragon because the dragon strongly complimented the 5150 apparently where the cobra didn't so much

*edit*: Any body in the Windsor Ontario area own a splawn nitro kt88 or super comp kt88 ?

[ksefan]

(the amp's had the same tubes for 18 years... not me using the amp for 18 years with the same tubes... I've only had the amp for a year or two now and I'm only 17 years old my self!)

[joelaroint]

I have owned a 5150 combo(with JJ's through out) and a NOS head. The best way I can describe the difference is the 5150's are like listening to an AM station coming in fairly decently. My KT88 Supercomp is like an FM station next door. I'm curious to here a 5150 with a 6L6/KT88 combo of tubes. My Supercomp has made me a believer in the KT88's foe show. Can't go wrong with a Splawn IMO.

[ksefan]

It matters what amp you're putting these tubes in most. I'm a believer of EL34's because I've seen a framus cobra live. I'm a believer of 6l6's because....5150's, triple recs... but if you put el34's in a 5150 it sounds like crap... so i don't know how tubes other then 6l6's would sound in a 5150. just my 2 cents

[ecsong187]

Just got my Mesa Roadster yesterday and with the TS9 boosting it, I have no problem nailing the KSE tones.
I plan to retube it with a mixed set of KT66/KT88s from Eurotubes, but right now I'm really liking it.

I'm going to A/B this with Bubbastain's Nitro soon and decide which one I like better. Might have to sell the roadster if I want the Nitro more. haha

[ksefan]

Roadster is my favorite mesa amp for sure. I've only played single, dual, triple, roadster, mark IIC+, mark IV, and an f-100 or something but the roadster rules.mark IIC+ 2nd.

[ecsong187]

yea KSE were pushin the Roadster really hard, so I think the roadster should make me happy. The amp GAS never seems to end! haha

[flgearnut]

i tried a roadster when i was amp shopping and it really did not impress me very much...the crunch just didnt seem very tight at all...fizzy and flubby

[ksefan]

Well with any of the rectifier series an overdrive boost is an absolute must. But fizzy? were you playing at a low volume or something? are you not familiar with rectifier eq's?
or was ya playin through a line 6 spider cab!

[ecsong187]

figearnut the Roadster just like most high gain heads needs to be turned up at least to 9:30-10:00 on the output to get a real feel for the amp.

Also yes the recto is normally a looser sounding amp. It's not known for being tight, so like Ksefan said a boost is a must to tighten it up. Or look at a Mark IV/V this is what Lamb of God uses and their tone is very tight.

I used a TS9 and it tightens it up a lot.

Also Mesas do take some time to dial in if you aren't familiar with how the EQs work. When I got my first Mesa I hated it, because I couldn't dial it in. But now after a few years of experience I love the Mesa's EQ sections. Their are tons of tones in the roadster.

But everyone hears things different. Some people like the roadster and some don't. I'm excited but nervous to try a Nitro because I'm really diggin the roadster right now. haha.