Why I Sent My EVH 5150III 50W 6L6 Back...
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 лип 2022
- Unfortunately my EVH 5150 III 50W 6L6 broke down twice (2 different amps) so I had to send it bacl. I don't trust this model to be reliable enough anymore unfortunately and it bums me out because I had some cool videos planned. I think EVH makes some great products, many people love them but perhaps it's time to look at some QC issues that have been happening. Since my initial review was so positive I felt like I needed to be honest to you guys and tell the whole story on my personal experience with this amp. Thanks!
Here's my initial review: • The BEST 5150 EVER?! E...
The Amp Tech video from Psionic Audio that talks about these amps (check the timecodes): • Amps Under $1000 | A T...
Thanks for watching! Please subscribe along with the bell and follow SDS at:
/ sonicdrivestudio
/ sonicdrivestudio_official
/ jon_symons
#evh #5150iii #50w6L6
Hey all, I felt like I needed to make this video in order to give you guys a better image of the "full experience" I had with this amp. I wish it would have been different. Have you owned an EVH 50w 6L6? How has your experience been?
I had the First version that came out with the Chan. 1-2 volume issues. I solved that by not using the clean ch. at all. I needed up selling it to a friend in our church band. Never had any of the issues you had.
@@hawg427 do you know where your is made? Mexico or Vietnam? (I don't know if that matters for the quality, just curious)
@@SonicDriveStudio Or USA LOL. No offense but USA are a little bit to happy about there products when it comes to durability and build quality... Dont get me started I have tons of stories...
I had the second version for about a year in 2021, besides the noise (which is probably my neighborhood transformer now that I think about it) I personally had no issues. I guess I was one of the lucky ones, it sucks you didn’t have a good experience. I really hope that Evh’s qc isn’t going down hill, because that would be a massive shame.
I have the 100 Watts version of the OG one and I must say that it never failed me whatsoever. It’s been 10 years and the only thing I did change was the main tubes because they were not sounding accurate anymore. I’m very sorry that you experienced this situation with your amp. Please note that this was the first version that came out in the 2000’s which I believe was made in Vietnam.
You made the right call, for that money it makes no sense to have to diagnose and repair anything. Send it back is what I do.
Yeah I agree. Everybody is free to handle this in any way they see fit, for me this was the only option.
My personal experience: I bought the first series 6L6 in November 2012 ... I still have this amp, it sounds great ... one of the best amp on the planet. Never had a problem ! 👍
I guess you have some pretty bad luck going on I've been jamming with the 6 l 6 100-watt and 50 watt gigging for two years and never had one problem, these amps are as tough as any other amp I've seen or owned
Stop just stop
got the original 6L6 in 2017 no problems but i do wish i got the version 2 for the 1/4 power switch and the independent volumes for clean and blue channel but hey great amp ! running the 50w through my evh 4x12
The second issue sounds like a preamp tube or a cold solder joint. Such a bummer, thanks for the update and honest review. Can't blame you for sending it back
I was about to order the 6L6 5150, but after watching a bunch of videos on this channel I ended up ordering an Engl fireball 25 instead. It should be arriving today, I cannot wait. Thank you for the honest reviews, and for the awesome content!
Nice choice, man. How do you like it?
I am sorry that you had these issues with the amps, but I appreciate your honesty and the details of what you experienced regardless. Everyone should be made aware of these kinds of things when buying any kind of product, specially during these times when components and especially tubes are in such short supply.
Thank you Jon, great video and very happy that you made it. In the end, if EVH takes notice to and listens to it's customers it could make for better products for us consumers! That coming from an EL34 and 6L6 EVH owner who has experienced a "static noise in all channels" in my 2021 50W 6L6 (video on my channel documenting it). Love the amp. Would love it more with no issues though, ha ha!
Glad you took a look at the Pscionic Audio video, Jon. I've been learning a lot from him aboit how to troubleshoot amps if I experience similar problems.
Glad you made this video. People should know if they risk buyibg a 'lemon' especially if someone buys one of these EVH amps used and doesn't get their warranty coverage.
First of all thanks for the honesty, you did well to make the video.
My experience with EVH 5150 50w stealth was horrible. First the BLUE channel lost all volume and the red channel was impossible to play, days later the GREEN channel did the same thing. It was under warranty and they changed valves and complete repair by Fender (Madrid). When they returned it to me 2 months later, the only channel that worked before the RED one was screwed after 4 days.
While waiting between repairs and repairs I bought a second hand Orange Jim Root and fell in love.
After a long wait Fender was kind enough to give me the option to wait for a new unit or get my money back for the Stealth . Jhon, I've been watching your videos for a long time and because of you now I have an Orange Rockerverb MKIII 100W :)
THANK YOU
Sorry to hear about your experience with the EVH mate, I'm glad you're digging the Orange though. I was playing through my Rockerverb today in fact and it sounded glorious!
I've had the same issues with my Peavey 6505+. After sending it for repair, it happened 3 times in 9 months. I will get it repaired for the 4th time and sell it, because i'm tired of it.
@@kevrem984 Is your 6505+ Chinese made?
@@KevinTheMetalhead Unfortunately, it is. The American model is really hard to find here in France.
love the orange tone and vibes
Appreciate the honesty!
Hey thank you for posting this video I was extremely interested in this amp but after seeing your video I have completely changed my mind
Thank you sincerely 🥂
Hey John thanks for the updated video to the 6l6 Evh, I was on the fence and you just pushed me over it. I was about to pull the trigger on purchasing this amp but I think I’ll just wait. ✌🏼🤘🏼
Thanks for the vid. I agree, this channel should include these negative aspects as well as the good. Hopefully videos like this will also help keep the manufacturers honest as well. Thanks again
Making this video was the right call. Especially since you previously made videos that could encourage someone to go out and buy one.
Thanks for your honesty! New sub. I have the stealth for a year+ and so far the power jewel light went out but the amp works fine. Fingers crossed.
Ah Psionoc audio is a great channel, cool to see you give it a shout out. At least something good came out of this negative situation : )
Great video, love your honesty.
Thanks! I thought really hard about it, whether I had to make it or not and how to word things. I just felt like being honest...
I'm glad I found this video. I was gonna buy one ,but not anymore . Thanks for letting people know
Owned and toured with the OG 6l6 50w for years without a single issue outside of having to replace the tubes with use. Recently bought the 50w stealth and have been playing it daily with no issues so far.
A fearless gear review! Thanks! I'll be on the lookout in the future for dead ones to fix and improve the design, if this is failure by design am sure we can figure it out ourselves and improve it (if the circuit board is not turned into charcoal). Engl are made in Germany and they guys that make them are still actively involved from what I have seen, just saying. A balance between "do we want to make great gear, or do we want to make massive profits". Love your channel Jon!
Thank you for the honesty. It’s hard to tell if you just had bad luck considering your el34 has given you no issues over the years. I almost wished you’d have gotten a third one just to make sure. You know, for science :)
Ive had (2) 5150 6L6 for the last 4 years giging problem free and I absolutley LOVE them!!!. Sorry that you had a bad run of luck!
I've had 2 6L6's and 2x EL 34's never had any issues. Love my EL34, best amp I've ever owned.
I own the stealth that everyone raves about and like my EL34 better !
I have had the 6L6 for years, and it is by far the best sounding amp I have ever owned and have had zero issues. One great amp. 👍 quality control issues are what you can run into with any gear. It's just like anything else you purchase, doesn't matter what make and model it is. One must understand that humans are building these things. Gibson, Fender, all the big names can and do have issues sometimes. Good luck!
EL34 owner - Solid. No problems.
Thanks for the heads up!
Great info., your saving a lot of headaches to all of us!
I read a lot of reviews on the EVH 6L6s before I bought one and I'm glad I did because there was quite a few negative reviews on them and some positive but the negative outweighs the positive for me and that's why I want with the EVH EL34 and I'm very happy that I did 🤘
Sorry to hear it! I am so happy with the EVH! it worked like a charm for more than a year. It must be a bad batch!!
I have an original 2012 6l6 50w and it has worked flawlessly since day one. I had it modded by Jen’s kruse also and he said it looked great when he had it. I still have the original tubes in It as well still.
I have one, for about a year now. Played often at different volumes and different situations. I’ve had no issues. One of the best amps I’ve owned. For comparison, I had a Soldano Hot Rod 50+ that blew an output transformer under normal conditions and proper use.
Yeahhhh I've got the white 5150, no issues after a year in lots of applications. No problems here. Hoping I won't see any....
I bought my el34 head back when it came out. Purchased it from zzounds music. I played 8 to 12 hrs a day in Nashville Tn. I loved the clean, particularly very Fender. Had it a few weeks and it blew up, burned a component. I sent it back. Zzounds sent me a new one. I played it again for about two gigs(8 hrs) by now I recognized the smell. It blew again. Sent it back and they sent me yet another new head. This time I had a back up head with me. When it failed again. I had the number of the fender quality control guy in California. I called him directly but this time I had the actual failure reason my amp technician gave me. The power section has a heating issue and components were rated too low and we’re failing at the power section.
Fender’s unofficial response was “just take it to a fender repair tech, they know what to do” to which I asked “will they just replace the components with the same value” to which he said “yes”
I then told him that’s not fixing the problem.
I told my guy to go ahead with voiding the warranty and
Modify the amp to a reliable state. He also suggested 6550 tubes because they are all military grade and more stable. So now my amp running great and sounds better. The clean is alive with that fender vintage sound. Has had the same tubes since and has logged 10 years of gigging 30/40 hrs per week without issue. So fender knows, they just don’t care to fix the issues. I wanted a reliable amp. Now I have one. If Eddie knew this was going on with his brand he would lose it I’m sure. It’s a fender issue. That’s why I stuck with the amp, it deserved to be a great amp.
Thanks for the video 🙏👏👏
Oh man, that sucks!
I've been selling gear and saving because I was considering buying that exact amp. White, 50 watt 6L6 head. I guess my search goes on.....
Thank you for this and your other videos. Really helps us all out. Keep up the good work!
These amps are great. Every amp has some issues if you look for them. The 5150 has stood the test of time
Same problem here with my Iconic Series 5150 Combo! Sent two back!!! Fender says they had a bad batch of resistors. The sound was mindbendingly awesome!! So I'm waiting for the latest batch, although I'm of course worried about the third one breaking during a gig!! I always carry a Kemper Stage with me in case one of my Marshalls blows up, but you gotta do what u gotta do to get the sound. I can't live without an EVH amp in my toolbox. Cheers Sonic Drive Studio! Thx for posting this!
2 years on and mine still rocks 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I was going to buy this so thank you!!
If you get one, just make sure you can return it if it breaks
Thank you for awesome video.
Other stories I've come across recently, plus your experience, has knocked these amps completely off my radar. I think I may go for the REVV Generator 120 Mk III. I already had a slightly negative view of EVH amps due to the noise issues. I had a 6505MH that was so noisy I had to run a noise suppressor in the fx loop. When I eventually sold it to a friend I included the noise suppressor in the deal.
I had one of the first 50w versions, it survived a car accident unsecured in the back of my SUV. I did get their first lunchbox version and had a preamp tube die on me almost immediately. I've got a 5150IIIS 50w now. It sounds great and I've had no problems...but this isn't the first I've heard about EVH stuff having QC problems. Shame really, the amps sound truly amazing.
I’ve had my 2x12 combo since 2017 and it just recently broke. Long story short, 1 resistor popped that caused a chain reaction taking out the next 4 in line. Basically boiled down to $12 of parts and $250 in labor. Still sounds great.
I am fairly confident you will hear from Fender any day now. I use to have the 5150 III lbx and it also had some weird noise when engaging the blue channel. It sounded AMAZING but the noise was there, I sold it to a guy in my building and of course he new about the noise. Since then I am back to Marshall, Orange and Mesa and I am fairly happy
You do have a great positive vibe man! Don't feel guilty if you have to express something that bothered you. Personally, ive only had one experience with a modern evh (white iconic combo). Noisy as hell, tried to play high gain and couldn't get it to clean up. Seriously sounded like a metal zone pedal set to outrageous haha! I took it back. I bought a Marshal DSL40CR. Fantastic amp, great alternate choice. I agree reliability is a big issue. I may look at the evh again, but i was really let down.
Kickass Shirt!! 🤘🏽
I had the EL34 combo 2 x 12, and sent it back to Sweetwater due to the extremely excessive noise. Great sounding app, but the noise was just far too difficult to deal with and ultimately was a dealbreaker. Actually ended up buying a Marshall DSL 100 half stack and am completely content with the purchase. Now I’ve got the Orange Rockerverb on my radar, just not sure which wattage I’m going to go with. Apparently, I’m an EL34 type of guitarist, lol!
I have this amp, and have had some minor humming issues, nothing to serious, I absolutely love these amps, I would never sell or return it, it has a most brutal sound I love. (Also I love 6L6 Tube amps, they have more punch than el34)
The first 50watt 6L6 I got was doing a lot of popping and volume drops on both distorition channels after only a few hours of use. But the one I got as a replacement was used for an entire week in the studio with no issues. So I'm on the fence about their consistency, especially with the videos I've seen as well as my own experience.
We appreciate it. We look to you and other UA-camr's for honest content so we can make better informed purchasing decisions. Thank you for all you do for us.
Thanks! It's no fun to make these kinds of videos but I guess it comes with the territory sometimes. Just want to give you guys an honest picture of my personal experiences with products.
It's about time. 99.99% of you tubers tell us that every product they review is amazing. There seems to be no products with any problems ever! The cheaper and less functional the better! Of course it is because these guys are making infomercials and if they dont praise everything they stop getting free stuff and the you tube algorithim makes there channel disappear.
Good call. if the product breaks down in a few weeks, it's a DUD. Send it back.
Had mine for 3 years and no probs here. Having 7 preamp tubes leaves alot to go wrong in that area. Buckethead, Allegaeon, Eric Peterson (Testament), and many pro's have found them very road worthy. Just a bad time for tube quality IMHO. Bummer dude, that is an amazing amp. I played on two used and one new before getting mine and they all sounded exactly the same. 3 channels, MIDI, and pure brutality will never be able to part w/ mine.
Good to hear that you haven't had any issues!
Sorry to hear that. My stealth is a beast and super reputable
Glad that you made this video.
These amps are very inconsistent.
Besides reliability issues, which can happen with any tube amp, I’ve found that these EVH 5150 iii’s are inconsistent in sound quality from one to another.
I’ve tested 2020 50w 6L6 against my friends identical 2020 50w 6L6 and they both sound different.
Both have the factory tubes and both had exact same settings through the exact same cab (my Mesa OS 4x12).
Mine sounds more shrill and harsh.
I guess that’s what you get when you use Chinese parts with shitty tolerances.
Hopefully QC can address these issues from the get-go. Sucks that a bunch of customers can't enjoy such an iconic line of amps 😞 I'd be devastated if it was my first tube rig and it went kaputz!
I like that intro philosophy.
ive had the 5150III 50w for a few years now and i never had problems with it. that being said i was never really worried about it since im an amp designer myself and can fix or build any amp i want. learning to be your own amp tech or builder will save you literal thousands. you can make big flagship amps for just the cost of the parts. (fun fact buying all the parts to make a marshall plexi should cost you under a grand. under 500 if you build your own cabinets. take that 5,000 price tag) i love the 5150 tho its such a good tone. in fact, i designed the preamp of my signature amp loosely off of the red channel of the 5150III
I was deciding between EVH 5150III , JVM and Fireball. Thank to this video, now it is just between Fireball and JVM.
Fireball ftw
Hello John. Thank you for this video and I’m sorry for your luck with the EVH. I have to 100w 5150iiis EL34. So far it is the fire breather it should be. Is this a known issue across the board with the EVH amps or more so the 50w versions? Very curious also thank you for the link to the info video on reliability etc. cheers man.
I wonder the same thing
Sorry to hear bro
That sucks to hear man.
I've had my 5150 iii 50w for 2 years now. Bought it off some old dude on Craigslist. It's a 2015 model.. It scared me once, i wasn't getting much gain out it, but I got it retube, and problem was solved!! I love this amp!
It did just survive a fall at a gig last week. Hopefully that doesn't give me issues in the near future 🤞
Mine just got delivered yesterday. We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully just a bad batch. Sounds awesome
Had a 50w 6L6 with the shared controls for four years without issue. Replaced it with a dual concentric one which immediately broke. Got the money back for that then got a 50w Stealth which I've had since they came out. I've popped a couple of fuses in that and am nervous with it, but, it is still going other than that.
Damn, sorry to hear about your experience. I've owned several 5150 III 50w heads and combos about 4 heads and about 5 combos (all 6L6).... Never had issues with any of them. I did have one combo that I moved after a gig that was real hot on a cobblestone walkway. Really messed up a power tube. Lesson learned.. I guess when you sell as many amps as they have (Fender/EVH division) you are bound to get a few out that are subpar. I see others here have had the same problem with other amps, but 2 in row? Wow..
I've had mine for 3 years and, knock on wood, have only had to replace one preamp tube. It's the best amp I have ever owned by far.
I’ve had mine (same amp) for about 4 years now. No issues. Haven’t run it into the ground yet though but I have gigged with it.
I have a 50 watt stealth head into matching stealth 212 cabinet and the amp has held up to at least 100+ hours of killer tone and I expect it to work well for the foreseeable future.
Im so sorry this happened, i hope they send u a new one FREE OF CHARGE. I have mine about 4 years and no issues (knock wood) but i have the gen 1 50 watt without the concentric pots.
Thank you very much for this precision, I thought maybe I would take one... but no.
and have you already tested the evh iconic?
I haven't tested the Iconic. I'm not going to purchase one and I doubt EVH would send me one
I have one of the early versions of it, and bought it used off of a close friend. It was one that didn’t have the dual-taper pots to independently control the volume and gain of Channels 1 & 2 like the new ones. I eventually got it modded to have those put in.
That being said, I’ve had the amp for roughly a year or so and haven’t had any problems with mine. Even tracked all the rhythm guitars on my band’s EP with it and it was solid. Used it for many rehearsals and gigs so far and it’s held up.
I don’t know if it’s simply because I have an earlier version of the amp versus the newer versions. I will say the other guitarist in my band uses the EL34 version and he hasn’t had any issues with his either, and that’s technically a newer production model.
It’s a shame that these new 6L6 versions have QC issues, because the EVH amps are some of the best sounding amps for the price. I absolutely love mine and I’m lucky that mine is one of the good ones.
I haven't had issues with my EL34 version (yet), fingers crossed!
this really is a bummer because i'd been saving up to get one of these myself... what are the best alternatives out there? i'm considering maybe mini jubilee or ceriatone perhaps, to go more 'marshally'
I have a EVH 5150iii 6L6 and a EVH 5150iii EL34 and I’ve never had an issue. Other than one blown fuse, and these are the best amps I’ve ever played.
Wonder if it’s a power issue ? What country are you in ? I have been using the 50 watts on and off the stage for over 10 years ! They’re built like tanks. Just crazy u went through two of them.
Thanks for sharing
I purchased one of the first white 50 watt 6l6's when they came on the market in Canada. After a week, the gain on the channels would just ramp up on its own. I ended up returning the amp as the stock was limited and the wait to get a replacement was too long. I had thought at the time it was a curse of being an early buyer, too bad to hear that they have not resolved the quality issues as they are fantastic-sounding amps.
I don't blame you at all for sending it back; I would've done the same. Sorry that that happened to you
I actually just watched Psionic Audio's video and I'm actually considering swapping my EL34 5150 for something more reliable. I've not had issues as of yet but I want to avoid them altogether
Have you done an A/B between the Peavey Invective and 5150 Iconic yet? If not that would be absolutely legendary!
That's so sad man.. this amp sounds freaking AWESOME.
Thanks a lot!!!
Such a shame that you had a few bad ones.
I've changed the tubes out in mine (its about 4 years old I think) and it's rock solid. Maybe they're putting questionable tubes in due to the shortage?
It sounds great, and I feel that I can trust it.
It's not as good on build quality as my Marshall JVM410H, but it's also half the price, so..
that was my thought, maybe they used some used tubes in there to cut cost, i spilled water into mine and it still works lol
I own a 50w 6l6, I believe it was made in 2012 so it doesn't have the concentric pots. I bought it used for a good price. I haven't had any reliability issues that weren't tube related, but I am aware that around the time my amp was made alot of units were being shipped back to factory. I believe they got the bugs worked out and the amps made after the first run are more reliable. I've had no issues with my amp wich leads me to believe mine may be made around the same time they worked the bugs out. I will say I've noticed alot of people disappointed to find unmarked tubes in their amp instead of JJs. I believe fender is sending these amps out with unmarked tubes that are similar to the JJs. This has to be more cost effective, and is not fair to the customer. I changed my unmarked tubes to tung-sols immediately after getting the amp, because the unmarked tubes were buzzing and fluctuating in volume. One thing I've noticed is that the 3rd pin on every preamp tube in my amp could potentially have a cold solder joint. It leads me to believe there was a consistent defect in their soldering machine around that time. I will have someone reflow these points for me soon. Aside from that I love the amp and hate to hear that anyone has trouble with them. When eddie died I found myself wondering how the brand would be affected without the captain steering the ship. Perhaps the crew has managed to cut corners.
I got an ex display EVH 6L6 combo, got it home and it worked great for 30 mins then packed in, sent it back to the shop, then it was sent back to EVH Fender UK, then it went to EVH Europe and they couldnt find the problem either, so replaced it with a brand new one, it seemed ok, but have now traded it in for a new 6L6 head, and so far so good..fingers crossed!!
Ive had the opposite problem. I've had a peavey triple X, Engl Invader, and several Marshalls over the years. All of them have given me grief at some point - especially the triple X. My 50w 6l6 has been the most stable amp Ive owned up to this point.
Same dude. A lot of people here complaining here from what I see don't give the benefit of the doubt to the company and not think about how the warehouses take care of them. Working at fedex for 6 months I would see so many guitars and amps get destroyed from being crushed by other heavy items or people dropping them or stabbing the boxes with jam tools. Can't blame the QC team if the warehouse team is destroying uour products
@@TYLERtheMAGGOT1 yeah, lots of potential variables. Even so, Ill take what was said in the video to heart.
@@awjbutt9418 Agreed, but I'm free to go off of my observation especially since I see these products myself inside a fedex, amazon, and ups warehouses that I've worked at for the past 5 years. Seen so many guitars and amps fell off of conveyors or get crushed by another item weighing a lot. One time I saw an associate threw a Strandberg guitar from the top of a trailer. My blood was boiling at that point lol
That's weird mine seems to like me. I had the same issue with a custom guitar, submitted a ticket to the company they cancelled.
Just watched this.... and had been itching to save for my first guitar amp. I saw similar reviews about the Fender Bassbreaker combo going out just like this, which bummed me out cuz i really liked that sound. Then I was thinking of a Blackstar and saw a lot of mixed reviews. Was originally wanting something with Fender cleans that takes pedals well. Then I saw the 5150 iconic combos which sounded great and then upon research, found out about these amps 5150 iii. I'm sort of new to electric guitar, but just play at home out of my GK Fusion 800 combo 2x12. 😂 So yes, I need a guitar amp, finally. Thanks for your honesty. Not sure what I will do at this point.... back to the drawing board. 🙂
Totally agree, sounds like the 2nd amp issue was totally separate and i think you got a bit unlucky 2 times around, but i think its very understandable to also send the 2nd amp back as well. I had a similar issue with a marshall JVM and the shop replaced the offending pre amp valve and it was good for years after, but it took a long time to get over the paranoia waiting for it to let me down. Thanks for sharing you experience. Will you be going for amp number 3?
Thanks! Not going to get a third, no... Doesn't feel right. But I'm not happy about it because I had a bunch of really cool videos planned.
Now im definatley buying the fryette
In comparison, I've had my Peavey 5150 for 30 years without any issues. Not a single one. I used it live, in recordings, lent it out to several touring and recording guitarists, and never a problem. I still play it semi-regularly. Best amp I have ever owned. It definitely need a tune-up, though. lol
I’ve had the same amp since around 2013. It was great to me up until recently. I’ve been experiencing significant power loss on all 3 channels, at different times. Not sure if it’s worth taking in to be looked at vs looking at something new 🤷🏼♂️
So you aren't getting another? I love the 6L6 version of this amp a ton, but there's so many good amps out there also.
This really sucks because I'm in the same boat as you. I've been dreaming of owning this amp and I was genuinely looking at buying one this week. I feel like I should wait because shipping (there's a good chance I'd be shipping it back when/if it broke) is a costly endeavor here. Thanks for the heads up. I really appreciate this video.
Buy a used amp that can easily be repaired by a local tech. These modern printed circuit board amps will ALL fail and ALL end up in a landfill. Find a shop with a tech on staff and buy there. Whatever you do just wait for now. Dont make a thousand dollar mistake.
Oh damn! The 100w 6L6 was next on my list...
What digital option do you think comes closest to the actual amp as far as sound and feel?
I have the stealth 100W version and all of a sudden the blue channel didn‘t work anymore. It just lost volume und reacted to the treble knob. Had it out for repair like 3 times and after a few days it broke again. Even changed the treble knob. Now I have a new one and it just works fine. But I can totally understand that EVH can be frustrating
Nice T-Shirt! Sad for the EVH amp!
the channel you mentioned, psionic audio, has opened my eyes and filled them with the bitter tears of my shattered dreams... but I'm glad i watched before putting more money down the drain
It's a great channel and sometimes scary to watch haha!
My experience with these amps has been okay when it comes to build quality and reliability, but it’s difficult to rule out anecdotes that aren’t quite as positive. I found a similar attitude towards the Triple Rectifier. My own experience was great, and the general reputation seemed solid, but I personally knew of many people who were fed up with the amps malfunctioning. Best to just stick with what works and not overthink it until and unless it’s a piece of equipment that’s known universally to have problems.
In your case, you have good reason to avoid, and looking at it another way, you have more than enough amps and EQ equipment to get a very similar sound, especially with the 6505 and the Invective. In other words, without the EVH 5150 III 6L6, you’re not really missing out on much given the amplifiers you already have.
I guess my only question is how were you running the amp? If it was through a cab in your room and it just stopped working that's bizarre and terrible, but if you were running through other equipment it could have blown due to load impedance differences.
Have you tried the SLO 100 or SLO 30? Thanks for all the great amp comparisons!
I have not
@@SonicDriveStudio Then you're reaaaaally missing some Soldano goodness. With all the amps you have, I'd say you have most "need" of a real deal SLO, instead of this EVH amp (you got other 5150/5150 types that are already close enough).
Get the real OG amp that started it all and you'll see the greatness of it!
Finally I'm not the only one having issues with this amp. I have the 50 watt el34 version that has failed twice. Plus the red channel is so noisy it's basically unplayable
I have a question. The evh 5150 with the black box is the same amp as this, right? Or is it some other mark? Is there a difference between the two? I was wondering if there is, are they as well prone to failures and breaking down?
With the second one it really sounds like a broken pre-amp tube. Had the same problem with one amp I got from Thomann, just emailed them and they sent me a new 12AX7 tube for free, after that it worked like a charm.
Bro I follow you on fb with amps gears, I think your in a few other groups I'm in as well, you are always so nice every comment so I feel really bad for you... ugh dream amps that crap out breaks the heart I sorry brother
Thank you! It's ok, I have plenty of cool amps. I'm a little bummed out because I loved how the amp sounded and I had some cool videos planned that I was looking forward to making. Oh well...
I personally haven't had any issues w/ my EVH however this story reminds me of my Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini. First one I got died after about a week, sent back to Sweetwater and got a new one. That one lasted about 6 months and also stopped powering on. Took it to a local shop and they were able to get it working again but basically said the amp was junk. Sold it to Guitar Center the next week.
Well that's quite unfortunate. This was probably my favorite amp you've demoed and I had been thinking about buying one for a while now but I guess it's a good thing I saw this video because I'm definitely not about to spend that kinda money on something if the quality control is even close to this bad.
Hey, I'm thinking of getting one...did you get one, and if so, how has it been? reliable?
This is extremely similar to my Orange Dark Terror. I had one that completely stopped working as you are explaining. Had it fixed. But only to have it shit the bed again. So they sent me a new/completely different version. It worked for a while, but then did the exact same thing. No sound.
So after that, I found a UK made Dual Dark 100, for $1100 off the original price, brand new, in Canadian dollars.
So I jumped. I have never have had any problem with it. But damn it is a beast, so loud!
I am not sure what was wrong with my Dark Terrors.... maybe they were part of the same run? Never checked the serial numbers. Who knows.
They were great amps though, until they stopped working unfortunately. I checked the preamp tubes though BTW, just to reference what the OP is talking about. Not sure what the problem was, I am not an amp tech.
Many people love the Dark Terror though, and have had NO problems. Which is awesome, as they are great little bastards. Nasty little buggers.