EVH 5150III 50w (stealth vs normal vs el34)

[Shredder777]

When the 50W version was released (15?) years ago, the complaint was that the volume between clean and gain1 couldn't be balanced. I don't remember if it had midi, but I wrote it off as a not serious choice.

Today I'm looking at amp heads and see they added concentric pots for channels 1/2, so it is now a legit 3 channel amp, but it also has midi switching which is what I need. (I don't think the large heads have midi which is why I wrote them off last I looked.) For 1300-1500 a killer deal. I didn't know they had fixed the gain staging issues with concentric pots and added midi.


I've been watching youtube videos but still have questions. Most of my questions relate to the blue channel differences.

1) Can the clean channel be brought into pleasing clipping with the clean gain knob?

2) Is the blue channel on the stealth a gained out metal rhythm channel? (extra gain stage) or can the gain be lowered to a nice mid gain? IMO, if the clean channel responds well to a boost and can get into a nice clipping, then having a dedicated metal rhythm channel is probably better.

3) In the non stealth version, can the blue channel be boosted to a blistering lead with a boost pedal? It seems like the standard version might have more versatility if channel 2 can be pedal boosted into something. If channel 2 can be used for lead with a boost, then channel 3 could be dedicated metal rhythm.

4) Any differences in the red channel between the two versions?

Trying to decide between stealth and normal variants. Would either get one of those or a JVM410H for a little more.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I only have experience with the 6L6 but it’s an awesome amp, I love it

Pretty sure green channel can clip but I haven’t really experimented with that


I’m a weirdo, but the way I run mine is green channel for cleans, red for chugs rhythm (but also lead sometimes ) and blue channel as an alternate lead sound

Blue channel is real nice, pretty versatile honestly. Not quite enough gain or structure on its own for the chuggy stuff I desire but it’s more open and “musical” Maybe than red


But I love red

 

[Shredder777]

I only have experience with the 6L6 but it’s an awesome amp, I love it

Pretty sure green channel can clip but I haven’t really experimented with that


I’m a weirdo, but the way I run mine is green channel for cleans, red for chugs rhythm (but also lead sometimes ) and blue channel as an alternate lead sound

Blue channel is real nice, pretty versatile honestly. Not quite enough gain or structure on its own for the chuggy stuff I desire but it’s more open and “musical” Maybe than red


But I love red

Do you have the stealth or the regular version? I'm thinking that the second channel of the regular version would be better for boost pedals.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Do you have the stealth or the regular version? I'm thinking that the second channel of the regular version would be better for boost pedals.

Just the regular… I’m not really into boosting amps much, but I can confirm that it does play nice with my SD-1 and various models in the stomp

I think @JiveTurkey and a few others are rocking stealth’s

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Green channel clips well when pushed. The amp takes boost really well too.

The Stealth Blue channel has more gain than the regular. Green and Red are pretty much the same on both

The regular is my favorite but I could use the Stealth too.

 

[Shredder777]

On the regular blue channel, does it respond to rolling off volume? Or too many gain stages to clean up well?

 

[GreatGreen]

The EVH 50w Stealth and 50w 6L6 are effectively the same amp. I have a 50w 6L6 and had two 50w Stealth heads in my studio at the same time. I took some time to really try and figure out how they were different. Turns out they are basically identical amps except that the Stealth 50w has bias points. Other than that, the amps sound the same. Same gain levels on all channels, same gain tapers, same EQ tapers, same everything.

Literally the only difference I heard was like 3% more compression in the 50w Stealth Blue channel and only when the gain was set at like 0.5 out of 10. After that, identical.

For all intents and purposes the 50w Stealth is the same amp as the 50w 6L6 but with a facelift and external bias points.


1. that's subjective. I think the clean when broken up distorts in a way that's too harsh and bright but some people like it. To my ear, you'd have to really pull the Treble and Presence down to get something usable, which you may not like when you switch to the Blue channel as they share EQ.

2. the blue channel can be a gained out metal machine with a boost. It can also be a more relaxed, 101b style blue-ish channel with no boost. It's going to be slightly naturally aggressive though. Lowering Treble and Presence can help with that.

3. 50w 6L6 and 50w Stealth blue channels are identical except when the gain is set to about 0.5 out of 10 when they are very, very slightly different.

4. 50w 6L6 and 50w Stealth Red channels are totally identical to my ears.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I have a 50W Stealth. I like the Green channel set to 5 for clean. 10 gives a slightly crunchy, early rock n roll kind of sound.

Blue channel set to 5 is all the gain I would ever really need for metal, lower it to 2 for a sweet mid gain for blues and fusion.

Red channel is more gained out and compressed than the blue

So far I have not felt the need for a boost

 

[sleewell]

get a cheap used normal one and send it to kruse to get modded. you can get concentric knobs on the shared eq of the green and blue channels so you can eq them differently. plus the supersonic knob is cool. theres a lot of other stuff he can do too.

 

[Shredder777]

I have a 50W Stealth. I like the Green channel set to 5 for clean. 10 gives a slightly crunchy, early rock n roll kind of sound.

Its hard to find demos of the green channel with gain boosted.

I found this one and its not my preference. It sounds a bit thin and fuzzy.

Am I to take it that the channels are what they are, without much changing them?

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Its hard to find demos of the green channel with gain boosted.

I found this one and its not my preference. It sounds a bit thin and fuzzy.

Am I to take it that the channels are what they are, without much changing them?

Oof, yeah that's rather grating. After looking at his settings I understand why. Sorry Kai, you're still my boy.

Here are my settings, I'll try to toss up a quick demo..

Edit:


First is neck single coil, then bridge humbucker. Greenback 2x12 cab.

 

[Shredder777]

I need an amp with killer lead channel. I know this amp can do it. Just trying to see if it can do everything else.

 

[DrewJD82]

2) Is the blue channel on the stealth a gained out metal rhythm channel? (extra gain stage) or can the gain be lowered to a nice mid gain? IMO, if the clean channel responds well to a boost and can get into a nice clipping, then having a dedicated metal rhythm channel is probably better.

This is exactly how I run my non-Stealth 6L6 version. I don’t have the dual concentric pots, it’s the OG version and to keep the clean actually clean, I just boost the Blue channel w/ an SD-1 (from the FM9) and use the Red channel as the rhythm channel.

 

[Shredder777]

One last question on the EVH switching. Can you have a midi controller AND a footswitch connected at same time?

It like the amp to switch channels based on the patch I have selected, but also be able to switch the amp channels independently from my FX processor.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

One last question on the EVH switching. Can you have a midi controller AND a footswitch connected at same time?

It like the amp to switch channels based on the patch I have selected, but also be able to switch the amp channels independently from my FX processor.

Yes

 

[Shredder777]

Yes

The deed is done.