5153 50w EL34 - Better/Worse than 6L6/Stealth?

[BahamaDada]

Hivemind, again I seek your knowledge. In the last weeks I asked about the JVM2x5C. You said the channels were uncool and the speaker is rather mid. Then I asked about a 6505+ Combo. Sadly I don't want to saw it off to a head and almost 30kg is a hell of a combo...

Right now I am lookijg at a 5153 50w EL34 head, that a shop near me sells for under 1000 €urobuck$ used.

I had a 50 6L6 back in 2013 - 2014, that I stupidly sold bc of... I can't remember. Wasn't bc of the sound. I ADORED the blue channel of that 6L6. The Red I used mainly for solos. I played Metalcore with it through a 2x12 V30 cab.

So tell me about the EL34. I watched some YT vids, but they a) are playing SOLELY Chugga-Chugga or b) sound like shit bc of bad microphone-placement (I guess?)

Is it worth a buy? Is the blue channel still cool? Jon has a cool vid where he talks about it, but I want YOUR expertise and experience.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Worse. Didn't like it and return pretty much immediately.

 

[joezlo]

I've heard you need to mod the the 2nd channel by changing/cutting a cap & its great.

 

[BahamaDada]

I've heard you need to mod the the 2nd channel by changing/cutting a cap & its great.

As with the JVM205 combo mods for me are a big no-no.

I have nothing against them, I just don't want to do them or pay money to have them done. If it's not good in stock it's not good.

 

[BahamaDada]

Worse. Didn't like it and return pretty much immediately.

6L6 or Stealth?

Heard thd Stealth is more "metal"-voiced?

 

[sleewell]

its kinda weird to wanna put those tubes in that amp tbh. they were like hey i bet we can sell some amps to curious marshall dudes if we do this lol

 

[BahamaDada]

its kinda weird to wanna put those tubes in that amp tbh. they were like hey i bet we can sell some amps to curious marshall dudes if we do this lol

Cue: Me

 

[GTR37]

Hmm IMO
Green Channel better
Blue worse
Red equal. But a bit more British hi gain vs the 6l6 and more prone to flub in lows if pushing the gain

 

[BahamaDada]

Hmm IMO
Green Channel better
Blue worse
Red equal. But a bit more British hi gain vs the 6l6 and more prone to flub in lows if pushing the gain

Sad. As I said in the first post the blue channel was my fav back when I had the 6L6. Tight, articulate crunch. An amp, that needs a SD1 24/7 is my thing (unless it has JCM800 written on it and was invented in the early 80s).

 

[The-Kid]

Worse. Didn't like it and return pretty much immediately.

Yeah IMO the EVH Iconic is where its at vs the lll.

Just have more hair, air and the right stuff. Probably thanks to James Brown or not sure but the Iconics seem to be better and in that case if one is considering a lll may as well get a Peavey Invective or 6505 or 6505 ll.

 

[The-Kid]

EvH llls arent bad but they just really arent like a real 5150 or 6505.....



IMo one is better off with a Princeton Reverb or Deluxe Reverb Reissue with a RAT or high gain AIAB and an EQ and OD for as heavy and better sounds and you get tube driven reverb too and a way better clean channel too.


A Boss Katana Artist Gen lll is not a bad option either all things considered.


EvH Iconic is also a top choice IMO.

 

[RaceU4her]

I've heard you need to mod the the 2nd channel by changing/cutting a cap & its great.

yeah you clip the c137, the dude that designed it said that’s how they gave it to ed, which everyone agreed sounded much better, but ed wanted the more low mids for some reason. I did it to mine and the amp is great

 

[Iron1]

Our very own JS has a good comp video:



After listening to this and trying both, Im very content with my 6l6 version. \m/

 

[joezlo]

Honestly, my fav amongst them all is the the LBXii for the blue channel, as heard in this cheesy video:

 

[GreatGreen]

As with the JVM205 combo mods for me are a big no-no.

I have nothing against them, I just don't want to do them or pay money to have them done. If it's not good in stock it's not good.

An amp isn't "one thing." It's not "either good or not." It's not a monolithic magical black box of unknowable, impenetrable mystery. it's just a series of components wired together and mounted into a case.

The mod itself is literally taking a pair of string clippers you probably already have and making exactly one small cut on one part of one component that is easily accessible.

If you could take an amp you didn't like much and literally make one alteration that, once you've got access to the board, takes about one second to perform and turn the amp into something great, would you do it? You'd basically be a fool not to.

6L6 or Stealth?

Heard thd Stealth is more "metal"-voiced?

Nah, they're basically the same amp. Seriously. Well ok one has a black front panel and exposed bias points. Other than that, they're the same amp. I've compared multiples against each other in a studio. Any difference between any two is basically a difference in components due to imperfect manufacturing tolerances.

 

[Byrdman]

An amp isn't "one thing." It's not "either good or not." It's not a magical black box of unknowable, impenetrable mystery. it's just a series of components wired together and mounted into a case.

The mod itself is literally taking a pair of string clippers you probably already have and making exactly one small cut on one part of one component that is easily accessible.

If you could take an amp you didn't like much and literally make one alteration that, once you've got access to the board, takes literally one second to perform and turn the amp into something great, would you do it? You'd basically be a fool not to.

I agree, that is what I did to my DSL100H, clipped the C19 cap and it is so much better for what I play. I completely removed mine in case I wanted to put in a switch later to change the values of the brightcap, but kept the legs so I have something to solder to.

 

[deadpool_25]

If it's used and a good deal, just get the EL-34 and do the C137 mod. It's insanely easy. Hell, it might've already been done on the amp if it's used.

Otherwise the 6L6 and Stealth 50s are both great. I actually prefer the 6L6 because that blue channel is legendary for a reason; it's my favorite channel across the 50w line (and the 6L6 100w; haven't tried the other 100s).

 

[deadpool_25]

And no disrespect to Great Green but the Stealth has more gain on the blue channel. Not a ton, but enough so for me to call it significant.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

its kinda weird to wanna put those tubes in that amp tbh. they were like hey i bet we can sell some amps to curious marshall dudes if we do this lol

the poweramp valves have essentially no bearing on why the amps sound different, they’re voiced differently in the preamps. I dig the EL34 but the Stealth circuit is the best take of the EVH 5150 line.

 

[sleewell]

the poweramp valves have essentially no bearing on why the amps sound different, they’re voiced differently in the preamps. I dig the EL34 but the Stealth circuit is the best take of the EVH 5150 line.

that maybe something you know but its def the angle they were trying to get to in order to sell amps to marshall folks