5150 Amp Mods

[Don Corleone]

I don't know if anyone has tried this on a 5150 (Eyes might have though), but 3 of the 4 6L6 tube sockets on that thing will take EL34's (Ed's old tube).

Imagine a high peformance car, but with 3 wheels instead of 4. It'll do some amazing things, but won't last too long before needing new parts. This is esentially what you have here. Running on 3 tubes does make the amp sound very good, but you going need to have a supply of parts to keep it running.

[GAR]

I think I'd try the Yellowjacket EL84 tube adaptors before using only 3 tubes in a push-pull circuit.

The third tube won't do anything for you. The circuit runs in pairs I believe so either you pull the inside two, or the outside two power tubes, not just one.

You can do this with any Marshall 100 also. AND on any 50 watter if you just pull one output tube.

[The Scatologist]

lol I remember where that rumor started. It was on a Tak Matsumoto fan site, on the gear page. Tak used 5150's for one of his albums, so that mod was talked about a bit there.


Also, check out the bias mod. (no not the bias after getting new tubes type)

[The Scatologist]

Oh, the rumour was, that Eddie does or did the sme thing with his 5150s. I don't know if it' true though. Who cares, his VH1 tone was the best anyway.

[Don Corleone]

Originally posted by The Scatologist
lol I remember where that rumor started. It was on a Tak Matsumoto fan site

That's where I first read it a while back. The theory is that using the 3 EL34's will make the amp work harder (but you will need a supply of parts to keep the amp working). Another mod I've come across for a 5150 is to put a pair of E34L’s in the center sockets, with the plate current set to a draw of 44mA and a pair of JJ KT88’s drawing 65mA in the outer sockets. At these settings the amp should make 113 watts before any clipping starts.

[Don Corleone]

Originally posted by The Scatologist
Oh, the rumour was, that Eddie does or did the sme thing with his 5150s. I don't know if it' true though. Who cares, his VH1 tone was the best anyway.

Found it:

The 5150 Conspiracy:
Before we start kids, I must warn you - "Alien Abduction" "Conspiracy". Think about it. Then think about it again. See, occasionally people try to rip me a new asshole because they're sure this is absolute bullshit. Do you think I have seen inside EVH's amp? Of course I haven't. How many differing stories about EVH's amps have you heard? Plenty. You are getting information from the INTERNET!!!! Is the internet reliable? NO!!!! How often does EVH change his amps? As often as I change my underwear. So why would you bother to tell me this is bullshit. Do I email you with my doubts about the Easter Bunny? Well I can if you want.

The Peavey EVH 5150 ships with a quartet of 6L6 tubes. Nothing too unusual about that. But it was a bit unusual for EVH because he usually used Marshalls before that, amplifiers which use a quartet of EL34s. Though to be fair, he'd been using Soldanos with a quartet of 6L6s, and in some ways the 5150 is very Soldano like.

Anyway, the hype about the EVH 5150 was that it was designed by EVH and that it was supposed to be exactly the same amp he'd be using on stage and in the studio. But there's something very strange about the 5150. Three of the four power tube sockets have pins 1 & 8 connected. This doesn't affect 6L6s, pin 1 is not connected to anything inside the tube, and the suppressor grid is internally connected to the cathode (pin 8). EL34s however have the suppressor grid connected to pin 1, so to connect it to the cathode, pins 1 & 8 must be connected. Aha, I hear you say, three of these four tube sockets can accept EL34s, Eddie's old tube!



But only three of the sockets?! What's going on?! Well, the secret is this - Eddie plays his 5150s with only 3 EL34s inserted. It's hard to explain exactly how bizarre this is to people without any electronics background, but imagine you bought a high performance car, then you took all the original wheels off, and replaced them with different sized wheels from another car (maybe making some adjustment to the suspension or guards), but only THREE wheels. How high performance would the car be then? You could do some interesting things, but that car wouldn't last too long with one corner dragging on the ground. It's the same for a tube amplifier, it places big stresses on the output transformer and the remaining tubes. EVH can afford to replace tubes every night, and output transformers every month or so. Normal people can't. Normal people who buy EVH's amplifier aren't using the same amplifier that EVH uses. Probably for the best, but it means that as well as the fact you can't play like Eddie, your amplifier is never going to sound like Eddie's either.

Or is it the case, as a Groove Tubes employee said, that he does this 3 tube trick in the studio into a Groove Tubes Speaker Simulator.

(BTW, it's only Eddie's master amp that is like this, the other amps are set up normally, and are just there to cleanly reproduce the distorted sounds coming out of the tortured master amp.)

[The Scatologist]

Originally posted by Don Corleone
That's where I first read it a while back. The theory is that using the 3 EL34's will make the amp work harder (but you will need a supply of parts to keep the amp working). Another mod I've come across for a 5150 is to put a pair of E34L’s in the center sockets, with the plate current set to a draw of 44mA and a pair of JJ KT88’s drawing 65mA in the outer sockets. At these settings the amp should make 113 watts before any clipping starts.

Ah, you ever hear this guy? He's amazing.

Check out the song Calling by B'z.

He uses a 5150 on that song

[Don Corleone]

I've never heard play, no (but I might have to check him out now).

[GAR]

By what rating method?

The KT88's require a higher b+ supply voltage bias, or they wind up putting out far less gain than rated for.

For example the EL34's require only -2 to -5v but the KT88s take from double to triple that range, at -4 on down to -15v

[The Scatologist]

BTW, The album Brotherhood, by the B'z has GOT to be one of the best fucking albums in the last 15 years or so. Billy Sheehan also guest bassed on a lot of tracks. (He goes on tours often with them)

If you can't get used to the Japanese singing, Then check out TMG. It's a super group with Tak Matsumoto, Jack Blades, Eric Martin, and Brian Tichy and Cindy Blackman sharing the drumming.

The song writing in his main group, the B'z is much better though. (not that TMG1 wasn't a kick ass album)

[Don Corleone]

Originally posted by GAR
By what rating method?

The KT88's require a higher b+ supply voltage bias, or they wind up putting out far less gain than rated for.

For example the EL34's require only -2 to -5v but the KT88s take from double to triple that range, at -4 on down to -15v

For this to work you will need to install a split dual bias circuit allowing the amp to run all 6L6’s or a pair of KT88’s in the outside sockets and 6L6’s in the inside sockets or any combination of EL34’s, 6L6’s and KT88’s

[Nitro Express]

A stock 5150 combo can get a very good early VH sound

A guy at plexipalace.com shared some MP3's of a dead stock Peavey 5150 Combo with him playing some classic VH songs. He had a good brown sound happening.

He said you can't get the sound with teh 5150 heads but the combo is a little different. He says you have to lower the pre gain and crank the post gain. You have to get the power amp working. Unlike an old Marshall, you also have to play with the knobs on a 5150 more and have it in the right channel.

The people at the Plexipalace have nice amps like old Marshalls, Haiwatts, and Fenders. They know amps an some of them are big fans of the 5150 combo.

[The Scatologist]

Russ was getting a pretty good brownsound from his 5150 stack though, when I saw the Punks.

[Nitro Express]

I think if you are after the old classic VH sound, you aren't going to find it buying a Wolfgang and 5150 amp. Wolfies just sound different and I think the pickups are hotter than anything Eddie was using in the classic days. I find my Wolfie sounds the best with high gain amps. The 5150 is a balls to the wall high gain amp. They can sound great but they sound too shrill for classic VH.

I think a swamp ash Strat body with a maple neck and a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom pickup with get you closer to Ed's early sound than a Wolgang will.

[The Scatologist]

Actually, remarkably, the best way I found to capture the VH 1 sound, was a Les Paul type guitar with Burstbucker Pro pickups.


I found this out unintentionally though. Amazingly the sound is DEAD on with at least Running with the Devil, and it comes very very close to the other songs as well. I haven't seen anything else capture the VH1 sound so well.

In fact, didn't Ed use to have a LP with PAFs? I think he may have used it on RWTD, then used his destroyer for most of the other tracks.