I like the EVH 5150III the most! good comparison and also PLUS points for using 2 different cabs. it really gives more character to each of the cab. :D
The difference would be pretty similar comparing a 2x12 mesa cab vs the 4x12 oversized mesa. Even the smaller traditionnal mesa 4x12 sound totaly different. The cab is the first part of the chain I choose to achieve my tone.
I played a 5150 II through Mesa Boogie 4x12 cabs as my primary rig for over 20 years. I now use a PRS MT15 run through an Avatar Contemporary 2x12 loaded with Hellatone 60's. While the 5150 II and the MT15 are different beasts, many players would be surprised at how similar they can also be. The biggest difference by far is the mid-range voicing. While my old 5150 II/Boogie rig was my all time favorite I also very much enjoy the MT15. IMO, the fact that there are so many great amps to choose between makes for some hard choices. No one amp is perfect for all players. And no one amp is the best there is. Great job on the comparison guys. The differences really came through. Especially the differences between the two cabinets. Night and day there.
These are great times for musicians, having so many high quality options to choose from. I haven't heard of Avatar cabs before. I'd love to give one a try if it ever pops up nearby. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Peavey 5150II w/mesa cab is the best, surprisingly the mesa dual rec sounded, at least to my ears, better thru the harley benton cab. Like it added the upper midrange that the dual rec naturally lacks and fit really well.
I'm the very happy owner of a Dual Rectifier 3 channels, an EVH5150III 50s and an US Made Peavey 6505+, and I love each of them with their own characteristics. The raw/loud/deep sound of the Rectifier, the sharp razor like sound & incredible amount of gain of the 5150III and the 6505+ which is a mix of them. If I have to choose, perhaps the 6505+ (aka Peavey 5150II) because it's a bit of a synthesis of the 2 first beasts, more round that the 5150III and easier to dial than the Rectifier. And that's my very first big boy amp ;-) ! But owning all 3 amps is a real privilege and allows you to cover most of the different registers of metal. Maybe add a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL and an Orange Rockerverb, and the quest will be over :-) ... Anyway, it's intersting to have these amps when you do records, because blend them in a mix is a real pleasure. And if you can't afford these amps (It took me more than a decade), one will already be enough to satisfy you...
The EVH iii has that nice scratchy pick attack sound and is heard with more definition. Everyone loves low end and you can get away with more of it in a live setting to drive your sound harder. Although, recording rigs that favor low end gets muddy really fast.
You're absolutely right. The EVH and Mesa did seem to have more presence out of the gate than the others. The 2 Peaveys and the PRS had a natively darker sound, but I'm fairly sure you could get a similar effect out of them with a bit more tweaking
@@Garnoo I run into a Boss effects modeler actually that's powered by a Seymour Duncan powerstage 700. Modeling a 5150 and a Mesa rec / into a 2x12 custom cab. It splits and goes into a Dover DA-50 / Marshal 4x12.
@@Gears9 That's a fairly large rig. How are you liking the Boss stuff? I haven't tried anything from them since the GT6. I've been using a Helix for 90% of everything guitar/bass related for the past 2-3 years and it's been pretty good but I like to keep myself up to date as much as possible. Are you using the modeler for the top end and the Dover for the bottom or the other way around?
Besides the different cabinet design and construction, the mesa cab comes with custom Celestion vintage 30. Celestion makes different Vintage 30 speakers for mesa which are not the same model of vintage 30 inside a stock Harley Benton G212 Vintage Cabinet. I learned this the hard way.
Indeed! I'm curious how much of the sound difference is due to the speakers rather than the cabinet construction. I'd love to try switching the speakers between them, but sadly those cabs were borrowed for the video
@@Dimillio7 Yes, they are. I'm glad you enjoyed the demo! We tried out some different guitars too, but the video would have turned out too long so we just stuck with the Gibson
5150 with Mesa Cab = instant Trivium, 5150 III with that cab = Gojira :-) DR = nu metal, MT15 = metalcore. Didn't care for the HB cab. Cool riff and great vid. THX.
That's a nice way of putting it. You really can't go wrong with either of those, it's all a matter of what type of sound you're going for. Glad you liked it!
The Mesa is a beast! The PRS seems to have a more woofy low end and less presence than the others. Perhaps tweaking the OD settings would help, but we wanted to keep them the same for all amps
The 5150 II sounds bigger than other amps in this comparison but due to that it's also tougher to make it sit right in the mix. It not only has a big low end but it also has a very fat, dense and saturated mid-range that dominates and drowns out other instruments in the mix. The PRS MT15 suffers from the same problem albeit to a lesser extent. They are great amps for songs that are more lead centric or where you want the guitar to be the central instrument, but rhythm sections played on them are just too big and dense sounding for their own good. They drown out the bass and drum. The problem with the Rectifier is exact opposite of that, although it has a deep low end and prominent highs but it doesn't have a dense and saturated mid-range. That's why it doesn't drown out other instruments and sits right in the mix. However many of the riffs played on it get buried in the mix and the guitar looses its place as the central instrument. It's a good amp for songs that are not very guitar centric, or are rhythm driven, but it's not a good choice for songs that are guitar centric or lead driven. The EVH 5150 III sounds the most balanced among all the amps. It sits right in the mix, doesn't dominate or drown out other instruments, but at the same time it doesn't get buried in the mix. It makes leads shine without dominating over other instruments, and since it isn't over the top dense like the 5150 II it works great for rhythm driven songs too. The 6505 MH was plain harsh and was the worst and weakest sounding amp in this comparison. It has too much harsh high end and no low end.
You're pretty much spot on with your descriptions. They all work well for different purposes. If you can choose between those for a production, it's great to keep that in mind. But I gotta say that after playing with the stems a little bit I'm confident that you could get a cool mix with either one. It may take more or less eq depending on the vibe you're going for, but it's totally doable
Thanks for the video sounded great. The Rectifier can used is a straight one, correct? Have to ever compared to a slant? Thanks for making a video mid-pandemic ignore these asshats crying about masks. Some of us have families with older parents and grandparents we might not want to risk subjecting to covid just for other peoples entertainment. Thanks again.
Thank you for the kind words! Masks were our best bet at the time as testing wasn't yet readily available and, like you said, we have families to think about. I've heard good things about slanted cabs, they're supposed to sound better because of fewer standing waves inside the box. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try many of those yet in a studio setting, but would love to compare them side by side if I get the chance
Great job guys . That's one of the best demo comparisons I've ever heard . Keep up the great work and appreciate you guys.
Thanks Jason! I'm really glad to see you enjoyed our shootout. We're definitely looking forward to doing more of those in the future
I like the EVH 5150III the most! good comparison and also PLUS points for using 2 different cabs. it really gives more character to each of the cab. :D
Thanks! Really glad you enjoyed the video!
Amazing difference in cabs
Yeah! I was expecting a difference, but this was a lot bigger than I thought
The difference would be pretty similar comparing a 2x12 mesa cab vs the 4x12 oversized mesa. Even the smaller traditionnal mesa 4x12 sound totaly different. The cab is the first part of the chain I choose to achieve my tone.
Great job guys! I have a mini rectifier with a 1x12 recto cab, and it sound huge! I liked the mesa and EVH over the others. Thank you very much!
Thanks! Would love to try one of those Mini Rectos myself
I played a 5150 II through Mesa Boogie 4x12 cabs as my primary rig for over 20 years. I now use a PRS MT15 run through an Avatar Contemporary 2x12 loaded with Hellatone 60's. While the 5150 II and the MT15 are different beasts, many players would be surprised at how similar they can also be. The biggest difference by far is the mid-range voicing. While my old 5150 II/Boogie rig was my all time favorite I also very much enjoy the MT15.
IMO, the fact that there are so many great amps to choose between makes for some hard choices. No one amp is perfect for all players. And no one amp is the best there is.
Great job on the comparison guys. The differences really came through. Especially the differences between the two cabinets. Night and day there.
These are great times for musicians, having so many high quality options to choose from. I haven't heard of Avatar cabs before. I'd love to give one a try if it ever pops up nearby. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Peavey 5150II w/mesa cab is the best, surprisingly the mesa dual rec sounded, at least to my ears, better thru the harley benton cab. Like it added the upper midrange that the dual rec naturally lacks and fit really well.
Glad to see the harley benton getting some love. It's a great cab and you can't really beat it for the price
Congrats! Very cool video. Thanks for this!
It was our pleasure!
Mt15 sounds like a beast wow
I'm the very happy owner of a Dual Rectifier 3 channels, an EVH5150III 50s and an US Made Peavey 6505+, and I love each of them with their own characteristics. The raw/loud/deep sound of the Rectifier, the sharp razor like sound & incredible amount of gain of the 5150III and the 6505+ which is a mix of them. If I have to choose, perhaps the 6505+ (aka Peavey 5150II) because it's a bit of a synthesis of the 2 first beasts, more round that the 5150III and easier to dial than the Rectifier. And that's my very first big boy amp ;-) ! But owning all 3 amps is a real privilege and allows you to cover most of the different registers of metal. Maybe add a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL and an Orange Rockerverb, and the quest will be over :-) ... Anyway, it's intersting to have these amps when you do records, because blend them in a mix is a real pleasure. And if you can't afford these amps (It took me more than a decade), one will already be enough to satisfy you...
The EVH iii has that nice scratchy pick attack sound and is heard with more definition. Everyone loves low end and you can get away with more of it in a live setting to drive your sound harder. Although, recording rigs that favor low end gets muddy really fast.
You're absolutely right. The EVH and Mesa did seem to have more presence out of the gate than the others. The 2 Peaveys and the PRS had a natively darker sound, but I'm fairly sure you could get a similar effect out of them with a bit more tweaking
@@Garnoo I split my signal through two amp rigs. One pushes the low end and the other has that ice pick sound that cuts through. Sounds massive.
@@Gears9 That's an interesting way of doing it. What do you have in those rigs?
@@Garnoo I run into a Boss effects modeler actually that's powered by a Seymour Duncan powerstage 700. Modeling a 5150 and a Mesa rec / into a 2x12 custom cab. It splits and goes into a Dover DA-50 / Marshal 4x12.
@@Gears9 That's a fairly large rig. How are you liking the Boss stuff? I haven't tried anything from them since the GT6. I've been using a Helix for 90% of everything guitar/bass related for the past 2-3 years and it's been pretty good but I like to keep myself up to date as much as possible. Are you using the modeler for the top end and the Dover for the bottom or the other way around?
The recto has that In Flames vibe which I really love. I'm also an owner of a Peavey 5150II which I also love. Great comparison
Different tools for different tones, but they're both great amps in their own right 👌 Glad you enjoyed the video!
Awesome video
Besides the different cabinet design and construction, the mesa cab comes with custom Celestion vintage 30. Celestion makes different Vintage 30 speakers for mesa which are not the same model of vintage 30 inside a stock Harley Benton G212 Vintage Cabinet. I learned this the hard way.
Indeed! I'm curious how much of the sound difference is due to the speakers rather than the cabinet construction. I'd love to try switching the speakers between them, but sadly those cabs were borrowed for the video
Did they chug?! 😱
I own a dual rectifier multi watt, but I do like the PRS tone a lot. Tight yet beefy. I’m sure the full size version would sound even better.
I wonder if they'll ever make a full size version. This one seems to be selling pretty well
Peavey 5150 2 in the mix 🤩
It's a classic 👌
subbed. recto in mesa cab sounded best for tune
Happy to have you here! That combo packs a mean punch 👌
The Peavey with Mesa cab is the sound I grew up on, simply the best!
What tubes are in it?
I'm not sure. All of the amps were borrowed for the video and we rolled with whatever was in them
@@GarnooThanks for the reply, awesome playing and sound!
BTW are those Gibson stock pickups?
@@Dimillio7 Yes, they are. I'm glad you enjoyed the demo! We tried out some different guitars too, but the video would have turned out too long so we just stuck with the Gibson
@@Garnoo Turn out to be an awesome combination, and that riff is so catchy and fun to play, I had to learn it!
@Dmitry Butko Peter was considering making a full song out of that, I'll let him know that you like it 😁
Recto with TS9 owns them all
5150 with Mesa Cab = instant Trivium, 5150 III with that cab = Gojira :-) DR = nu metal, MT15 = metalcore. Didn't care for the HB cab. Cool riff and great vid. THX.
That's a nice way of putting it. You really can't go wrong with either of those, it's all a matter of what type of sound you're going for. Glad you liked it!
In my opinion the PRS MT15 sound was great...
small, cheap and big cojones
I wouldn't shy away from making an album with it
You can never go wrong with a MESA oversized cab. I agree the cab of metal
It's great! Wouldn't hurt if it was a bit more affordable though 😆
@@Garnoo You can find them used for pretty good deals. just have to be patient and keep an eye out
Prs sounds amazing :)
It's surprisingly good for its price
@@Garnoo I have it now and I love it :)
Congrats! Now make some sick music with that bad boy!
I’ve got the EVH and I think the Mesa sounded the best here. Didn’t like the PRS at all
The Mesa is a beast! The PRS seems to have a more woofy low end and less presence than the others. Perhaps tweaking the OD settings would help, but we wanted to keep them the same for all amps
The 5150 II sounds bigger than other amps in this comparison but due to that it's also tougher to make it sit right in the mix. It not only has a big low end but it also has a very fat, dense and saturated mid-range that dominates and drowns out other instruments in the mix. The PRS MT15 suffers from the same problem albeit to a lesser extent. They are great amps for songs that are more lead centric or where you want the guitar to be the central instrument, but rhythm sections played on them are just too big and dense sounding for their own good. They drown out the bass and drum.
The problem with the Rectifier is exact opposite of that, although it has a deep low end and prominent highs but it doesn't have a dense and saturated mid-range. That's why it doesn't drown out other instruments and sits right in the mix. However many of the riffs played on it get buried in the mix and the guitar looses its place as the central instrument. It's a good amp for songs that are not very guitar centric, or are rhythm driven, but it's not a good choice for songs that are guitar centric or lead driven.
The EVH 5150 III sounds the most balanced among all the amps. It sits right in the mix, doesn't dominate or drown out other instruments, but at the same time it doesn't get buried in the mix. It makes leads shine without dominating over other instruments, and since it isn't over the top dense like the 5150 II it works great for rhythm driven songs too.
The 6505 MH was plain harsh and was the worst and weakest sounding amp in this comparison. It has too much harsh high end and no low end.
You're pretty much spot on with your descriptions. They all work well for different purposes. If you can choose between those for a production, it's great to keep that in mind. But I gotta say that after playing with the stems a little bit I'm confident that you could get a cool mix with either one. It may take more or less eq depending on the vibe you're going for, but it's totally doable
Pickups on that sg???
Stock gibson pups (490 iirc)
First, like the sound of the Mesa cab wayyyy more. Amps: 1) 5150 II 2) 6505 3) Rectifier. Least fave by far: PRS
Those UK V30s smash!
Bine bajetiiii 🔥 GG
Mersi mersi! 😎
Thanks for the video sounded great. The Rectifier can used is a straight one, correct? Have to ever compared to a slant? Thanks for making a video mid-pandemic ignore these asshats crying about masks. Some of us have families with older parents and grandparents we might not want to risk subjecting to covid just for other peoples entertainment. Thanks again.
Thank you for the kind words! Masks were our best bet at the time as testing wasn't yet readily available and, like you said, we have families to think about. I've heard good things about slanted cabs, they're supposed to sound better because of fewer standing waves inside the box. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try many of those yet in a studio setting, but would love to compare them side by side if I get the chance
EVH and PRS the best
Good choice!
The best was prs for this price
Good guitarist
Peter is awesome
boogie all day
Let's see what happens now that gibson bought them 🙊
definate the peavey 5150 is the king
EVH 5150 III
Great choice!
5150II won here IMO
masks? nope
masks have rendered this review invalid.
😂😂😂
Thumb down for the masks.
Better safe than sorry bro 😂