• EVH 5150 3D review

  

  As reviewed by Rob H on 8/25/2011

  Wow, I was quite impressed right off the bat with the sparking clean sounds from channel 1 with my G&L strat. I was able to get the chimiest sounds from those single coil pickups. I think that channel 2 has plenty of gain to serve as a lead channel. channel 2 is very dark and sounds like a bogner alchemist on the lead channel. Channel 3 sounds very much like the early Van Halen records "Brown Sound" I listened to as a child. Channel 3 is smooth and dark, but not harsh like the Bogner Alchemist, but much brighter and harmonically rich. This EVH 5150 is equally as good as a Mesa Boogie mark 5 and the Orange Rockerverb 50 which are a little bit more expensive. This amp is a keeper for me. This amp has the true brown sound I've been hearing about. The Bogner alchemist is a toy compared to this EVH 5150. If and when they come out with the EVH micro, I'll buy that too.

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• Right out of the box

  

  As reviewed by Anthony Robichaud on 11/15/2007

  I've had 30th anniversary 3 channel amps for years and when the new EVH came out I read the Guitar world article and thought, This has been done before, it's called the 30th anniversary Marshall head. Last month I had an opportunity to test drive this EVH half stack ( at low volume ) and it blew my mind and made me sad because it meant that I would have to sell all my gear; and I did. I just sold 3 Marshall heads and 4 Marshall cabinets. Your wasting your time with any other amp. If you play any kind of rock to Metal stop wasting your time and get this Head and Cabinet. The specs are the same as what I used to have, but they are not the same at all. This is what Marshall should have done; I know that Eddie took everything he ever used and heard to put this together, but this is a new product. The gain doesn't get oversaturated and the Tone just gets better and better. The clean channel can be a gain channel as well. It's not overpriced, cause you'll never need anything else. The biggest decision I had to make was the Color; I chose an Ivory full stack. I won't get it for 3 weeks and I can't wait. It'll be Christmas no matter what day it gets here. Thanks Eddie and EVH, Fender and Whomever else. Dr. Tone

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• A sexy, smokin' three headed beast

  

  As reviewed by KStrings on 7/13/2007

  I happened to be in the Orlando, Florida GC when the sales guys pulled the store's first EVH 5150III out of the box. It was a week day, so the store wasn't overly crowded with eager onlookers. This was my good fortune and allowed me to be the first awestruck customer to give this particular 5150 III a whirl. First, I was struck with the cosmetic touches that have been applied. The fit, finish, and overall sexiness of the amp is a real draw. I tried the white one, and will go for that color when the cash finally piles up. I especially like the ease of the three channel layout with all three presence controls on the right side. The fact that the input jack is labeled "insert" is perfect! It could also be labeled, "duh?" Secondly, I was truly impressed with each of the three channels different tonal characteristics. The first channel was actually jangly! It compared with top level Vox, Fender, and other boutique amp clean channels that I've demoed. Early 5150s had no usable clean channel. This model, Eddie's given a real gem in that department. You can use your volume control to really shape the edge of your dynamics with this channel. This feature makes it worthy of a boutique label to me. The second channel is my favorite. I was 13 when I heard Eruption for the first time. But it was VHII and Women and Children First that really got me loving Eddie's tone. Channel two IS that tone. I'll buy the amp just for that sound, that chocolate brown beautiful sound! Channel three is more like the out of control gain I've used to from earlier 5150 amps. When it's time to "sing for days," this is the channel. I'm normally an EL34 guy. But to my ear, the 6L6s in this amp sound better than any amp in GC at this time. I liked the user interface of the back panel. But, even though the footswitch is as seemless as advertised, I wish it had a way to be switched via a midi controller. Maybe it does and I'm not aware of it??? Using a JMP-1 at the moment for my tones, I'd like to switch this head with the same controller. Finally, I think the price could be argued as justifiable. It is Eddie's amp after all. But, I still think anything that isn't fully point to point wired using the absolute best of components is not worth $2000. Still, it's the tone that counts. And this amp just freakin' has TONE. So, thanks Ed, Bruce, and the R&D folks at Fender... now I gotta get in trouble with the wife again!!!!

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