@@jamesbrown7468 Oh ok. I found a video on biasing the 5150 III 50W 6L6. I'll just leave it here for information purposes. Please feel free to check it out to see if the example is correct. Cheers and thanks! ua-cam.com/video/s6XbV0yj1vk/v-deo.html
I’ve had my Iconic for 3 days and this amp is amazing! I’m not trying to dial it in to sound like Eddie. The amp is very versatile and there no need to dial in a lot of gain to get a great lead sound on channel 2. I use a beautiful clean sound on channel 1. The boost works fabulous! I run a line out of the preamp out to a Boss ME70 into a JCM900 into Orange cabs. That way all my effects have a volume pedal so I can blend in modulation/delay effects into the Marshall while keeping the Iconic rock solid with a little bit of reverb. I love the reverb on the Iconic! Anyway, create your own sound with this amp, don’t try to make it sound predictable. The Iconic amp gives you everything you need to blaze into future guitar sounds…
As a Peavey 5150 owner, I think this thing sounds great. I tend like brighter amps so this sits a little better to me. For the price this is a really killer amplifier. Great demo, Kyle.
While I mean no offense to other UA-camrs, some of which have relationships with certain companies that will affect their ability to scrutinize gear, YOUR unbiased, nuanced, and unfiltered reviews are unparalleled.
What I'm grateful for demonstations in my channel that's coming will showcase how important the inherent clean tone is and how heavy your amp sounds dictates the outcome. About one more month. It will be EXCITING.
When the iconic was announced, my first thought was 'nope, not interested in a cheaper version of what won't live up to what we already got with the previous EVH/Peavey 5150/6505 amps..' After hearing this, I'll happily admit that my reservations were unfounded and I'll happily try out a 5150 iconic in the future if the opportunity arises. Thanks Kyle and great demo!
My local shop got one maybe the day after the initial evh video dropped. We took it out of the box and plugged it into one of the 5150-3 2x12 cabs and I thought it sounded pretty good. I like the gate and though like most on board reverb, the reverb isn't that great, it's still a nice addition. If I didn't have a pile of amps already I would consider grabbing one. Hell, I still might.
The 1x12 is such a good deal. My local shop has one for $700. The attenuator for 10w power and the actually decent noise gate is a perfect fit for bedroom metal.
Kyle your you tube review absolutely kills all the other demos on this amp! You are the best! Thank you for FULLY exploring all the possibilities this amp has to offer and to clarify a lot of misconception!
This amp atm is 'The Inflation-beating Metal amp.' Extremely hard to beat for the money. The 5150iii is three times the price and to me doesn't sound three times better. I own both.
This video was amazing and actually convinced me to get one. I just recently came with this kind of budget to afford an amplifier like this and this blew me away. I was actually very surprised how much versatility you were able to pull out of the green channel alone. Thank you for really putting this amp through its paces and making entertaining content
I just got to try one of these at a local Guitar Center, and these sound 100x better in person. Mic'ing the cab does not show how good this amp actually is. It has way more low end thump and resonance than a 5150iii and more gain on tap than a 6505. The fizz is still there but it's not as bad in the room vs when you mic it. Not the best 5150 to record with, but a fucking killer amp for jams and gigs. That clean channel is so nice and glassy with a bit of meat, the overdrive/"crunch" has a ton of gain and super tight. The red is okay, really needs a boost but it holds up with other 5150's when you boost it. You really need to try one in person to really hear how good it sounds.
I think for the price, this amp is a steal. I would have loved to have had this amp available to me when I was younger and broke! In 2021 we surely are spoiled for choice when it comes to awesome sounding gear
Great demo! Best one I've heard so far! Based on your demos only, I think I still prefer the 6505 II, tone wise. It sounded fuller to my ears but it's not taking away the sounds of this one, especially with its price tag! I want to know though how much the 6505 II will be. The only real criticism I have with the Iconic is that it would've been cool that the overdrive, burn and reverb were footswitchable.
Hey Kyle FWIW, James himself said the on-board boost/burn is supposed to do the opposite of tighten the amp lol. Its supposed to actually make it fatter and more saturated., closer to an original 5150/6505. That way you can try to get that 5152/5153 tightness with it off and 5150 fatness with it on. ...Also can't wait for people to say it still sounds like a solid state amp lol
The best review yet! To paraphrase...It highlights the "resonance, and the presenance!" ;-) I've said it before...James Brown wouldn't put his name on something crappy. The hybridizing of solid state, and tube tech is really coming into it's own now, and as far as the factory tone that some may find issue with, as time goes on, they'll be tried and true tube swaps that can add more mids, more or less smoothness in the gain etc. The one thing I've heard over and over is the amp as shipped sounds "scooped". The amp ships with an all JJ set of tubes which have long been thought of as a darker or "scooped" sounding tube, especially their 12ax7's. This amp uses solid state in key areas, and most notable, in place of V1 where much of the vintage tube "magic" happens, but the 2 valves it does use are critical to it's harmonics, and toneshaping. Many in metal love this tone, but those that don't may want to experiment with other brands. Much like with the blockletter, (which also got called fizzy, or like a distortion pedal in some circles) which I tried a number of different preamp tube in before settling on a combo of Mullards and vintage Sylvanias, I'm sure there's something out there for them. I may pull the trigger on this amp. My only concern really, is longevity, and quality of build. I'm sure it's all good, but I'll wait until there's some bench vids out there going through the guts before I do. Again....great video.
Eddie and amp designer James Brown worked on this together. I really don't think that Eddie would put his name on something that was garbage. Every 5150 product that has come out has been top notch and lived up to and beyond the name. The 5150 Iconic does the same as well.
I havent had the chace to crank one yet but have seen some guys get great tonea out of them on youtube. I have a bunch of amps including a mexican made blues jr 3 thats been pretty damn bulletproof. However i understand going in its not gonna be a 1959 tweed twin
@Gordon I know I'm like 7 months late to this but if it means anything, I have a 2006 first year EVH 5150 III 100w head that still works great and hasn't had any problems at all. Almost 17 years old and made in Mexico
@Gordon the combo amps have the power level knob but its not that big of a deal to not have it with the heads. 95% of the tone from the 5150 comes from its preamp so you can play them extremely quietly and still have them sound great
Random question: I’m sure it’s loud in your room while you’re playing, but when you’re putting your vids together does the recorded guitar ever sound different than what you remember hearing with your ears? Or is it pretty spot on compared to what you hear in your room?
Great demo! Just when I was planning to downsize to a lunchbox head they come out with this beast! Owned a 90s original 5150 for years and tbh this sounds tighter. The gate is an awesome addition too.
I'm no wine sniffer, sounds great especially for the price. My silly ass paid 500 for a Marshall Mg100 back in 2010. And in 2005 my friend had a line 6 spider haha, you can do worse than the iconic
Congrats on the 8k subscribers my dude. You are doing a killer job and making great demos. Happy Holidays to you and many righteous tones in your future 🤘🏻🎅
Well done Kyle, just finished watching. Easy decision for the dough I think. Hopefully this will inspire other companies make good heads for the average Joe.
I like how as soon as you say “great classic rock sound” you always go to No More Mr Nice Guy. You should learn Gone Shooting by AC/DC just to throw people off as it’s extremely similar
the noise gate is not a gated noise gate as in it does not mute your sound it’s the same style noise gate that was in the peavey jsx and what it does is lower actual background noise and hiss. for those that love gated noise gates that actually mute your sound at a certain threshold this is not that kind of noise gate.
So I tried this and it's a bit stiff in comparison to other 5150 amps, would love to hear a comparison. Sounds cool thos but my thoughts is that there's gonna be a load of them in the used market fairly soon.
This amp sounds ridiculously good. I don't see why it gets such hate. You've got me wanting to try one out and see how much I vibe with it, though, I have a feeling I'd dig it. Thanks for the video, Kyle!
It gets so much hate because the amp manufacturers and certain people think price is a main factor. Also because made in China is laughable. Where do we get most of all our resistors, caps, and other electrical parts from… China. I’m a Mesa die Hard fan but I played this Iconic and was blown away. I am buying it tomorrow from GC. Can’t wait.
Great demo. You were able to get amazing tones right away. By the time you got to the active PUp you could have tinkered some more to get more out of it, but i think most people get the drift. This amp is fantastic. The range of gain from that basic Green channel crunch to the active pup + red channel crushing tones and Burn switch is insane. 👌🤘
Anything James Brown touches is gold. You should demo some of the old Amptweaker pedals he designed before he sold the company and went to EVH. The early pedals were hand signed and numbered. (Amptweaker is still around under different ownership but not sure if the pedals are the same as the originals) Some of the best pedals ever made if you ask me. Dig all your videos!
I think it sounds sick. Like most people I was on the fence on what to expect from the iconic series, but it seems to deliver quite well. Like you said very tight. It still has that signature 6505/5150 gritty gain tone to it that just makes it sound so nasty. I'm digging it. Something still feels uncomfortable in a purely egotistical way knowing that it's not a full tube section but I can live with it. I might pick one of these up instead of a triple xxx soon.
I just bought this amp on reverb used for $700 +shipping$75. I'm stoked as all hell. I'm upgrading from a fender blues deluxe 40 watt. Dude, it sounds sick af. I'm gonna be happy for sure.
When you are checking the noise gates on anything you test your pickups should be away from the transformers on whatever your testing it drastically effects the results and i noticed your always within a couple feet of your heads .Great demo and great channel keep up the good work :)
Surprisingly, I like the green channel better than the red channel. I’ve found that on every demo I’ve heard so far. And so far out of all the demos I’ve heard (including the official EVH demo) I think your demo sounds better and gives a more honest tone from the amp. I’m still going to hold my opinion until I get to play one myself.
Great demo, definitely the best sounding one that I've heard yet. Would love to see it against a Invective 120 in the shootout since they both have a built in gate and over drive.
Awesome video. Quick question what 412 cab would you recommend with the iconic. Maybe try a few cabs with the iconic. It might make another great video!
I've really wanted to say that while i haven't bought this amp i'm really enjoying the tones i've heard from it. Idk if it's from the solid state components helping out the preamp section, but it sounds like the audible equivalent of a knife cutting through flesh and it sounds BRUTAL
Will scoop in the used market, but would not pay used VTM prices for a brand new Peavey Valvestate. BTW in the drop C demo you went straight Swedish DM. So I could see these picking up steam in the Swedish DM scene. I am looking forward to putting this in a mix with my Supreme 160 panned hard L & R.
all tube power sections and tube preamp with transister cascaded gain-staging (which by the way most editions of the JCM900 also had) makes this 5150 about 99 times more tube/valve circuit than the "valvestate", which can be described as being more in the arena of Marshall's early attempts at emulating tube tone in an otherwise purely solid state circuit. id wager most modern digital amp modelers sound better at emulating tube dynamics than the valvestate. I like the Valvestate, it has its own uses for certain tones, and is not a bad amp by any stretch, but to compare the 5150 Iconic, to a peavey-ised version of the Valvestate just honestly doesn't even really make sense or hold any real validity as a basis whether or not you should spend your money on it. Not that you can actually find Peavey VTM's these days. If you manage to see a listing for one, it won't likely be in any condition other than beat the fuck up, and probably still won't be listed for anything close to the Iconic's sticker price.
I love that they included boost, reverb and noise gate, this is my next amped. Owed the 6505 plus and have been in the market for quite some time. I was gonna get the 5150 lll or the invective. This one has what I need at a cheaper price.
So these were the last amps Ed was working on with Fender. Wow. I had the block logo 5150 and that amp did everything and Very Well as most of you already know.
Just wanted to say that I really like what you're doing here, Kyle. I'm honestly surprised you don't have more subs already. Speaking of subs, for being under 10K, you seem super comfortable in front of the camera, which isn't a common thing for people with channels with subs below that number. Keep killing it, brother!
I just ordered this model on sweetwater 799 open box seemed like a great steal and got the matching cab for 530 i am so excited to get this amp in my hands!!! My first tube amp. I have a tonex and this is my main amp that i like using.🔥🔥🔥
i think it sounds great! i feel like it has a bit more of that squishy sort of sound the eddie got with his tone compared to the original 5150/6505 amps.
When you do the A/B test between 6505II and 5150 Iconic, PLEASE have the burn on as a starting point. James Brown says that’s where the Iconic will sound most like the Block Letter
Block letter is the same exact amp as a script or USA made 6505. Peavey and Brown himself have commented that the USA made Sylvania 6L6 tubes (which ran out of stock around the change to script logo) is what made 'em sound better. You can still find a good testing NOS set, if you're willing to spend the cash that is.
Aggression city! I definitely get the appeal, but I think I prefer the 5150 style amps with more low mids. Probably the 6505II would be more up my alley. Great demo, looking forward to the shootout! EDIT: The burn switch is actually very nice for what I was missing.
FYI - Burn switch and Boost are separate functions. Boost works only from the footswitch and the boost knob affects footswitchable boost function, not the burn mode.
@@belligerentamateur You should try to get James for an interview on your channel. Would be cool to hear about that development of the Iconic from the man himself! 🤘😝
Great review. I just bought one. I don't think the boost switch does anything but raise the volume, only when you step on the boost pedal included. It works great for a lead part but it does not effect the tone afaik.
According to James Brown, it boosts both the input gain and volume. There may not be an inherent if you change built into the boost eq change in the boost itself, but of course adding volume and input gain to any preamp will change the way it sounds and reacts, and more input gain will introduce more compression.
@@belligerentamateur Here is the text from the user manual. BOOST VOLUME: Footswitchable master volume boost. Set channel volumes first (I), then use this post-effects loop control to set solo volume. Footswitch boosts input gain even when this control is turned fully counterclockwise. Note that BOOST VOLUME is only activated using the included footswitch. YUP It does raise gain, even on ZERO. If you turn it up it also raises volume. It is ONLY activated if the footswitch is connected and engaged. Cool.
I think it sounds great the way you dialed it in. I think a lot of initial reactions were from not dialing in a good sound? IDK. But I’d buy it for that price.
my favourite amp nerd channel on YT, thanks a lot. I'm on a market for a new amp and it's between Peavey 6505 / 6505+ , ENGL SAVAGE, or.... well, apparently this monster, which sounds like the EVH for so much less than EVH 5150iii (which I just sold :D )
Kyle, I wanna kiss you on your bony cheek. After getting a voicemail from the Sweetwater rep that it would very likely not be until February or March before they would start getting actual retail inventory and not just filling preorders, I managed to snag an Iconic from off of Reverb two days ago. I noticed an influx of listings being added, I saw one listed by a local Ken Stanton Music store in a town about 30 miles from here, asked 'em if it was actually inventory or if they were trying to take preorders on promised shipments, and when they told me it was the one and only one they received, I ordered it right then and there and picked it up that evening. I have yet to watch the entire review, but regardless of the opinions you end up having, you made me happy enough just taking a big fat shit on the armchair warlords protecting some weird fucking tone-warrior code that protects the idiotic and backwards mantras of so many know-it-alls in music and gear culture. I fucking think this amp is worth every penny of the 953$ I am paying off and then some. This thing has the sound that made me fall in love with my old 6505+ and that is just the basic gist, and it it finally healed and closed the self inflicted and gaping wound left by my stupidity the day i sold my 6505+. The Iconic, has redeemed me. It is a monster amp that riffs, chugs, and is brutal enough to rip the throats from the naysayers as they talk their shit.
I own it. It adds a ton of gain to whatever you have set on ch2 and also kinda makes it flubbier or squishier which sounds good for chuggy low tuned stuff but not good for single note stuff. I use the boost for that.
It's a nasty heavy sounding amp in person. You can get Exodus and Testament tones all day with this thing because it has a slight Mesa edge to it but is tight and sizzly and has gain on tap to the moon and back. I own it as well as it's big brother 100w Stealth and love them both for different reasons.
I was a big fan of the blue channel of the 50w version of the 5150iii, I'm sure im gonna love the green channel. I remember liking the green channel on my old block letter with max gain.
I was a red channel guy for a long time until one day i hit the blue channel with the right boost and i found tone nirvana bro lol. I'm very much a green/blue channel guy now.
Great demo. There is a guy local to me that has a UA-cam channel close to Albany NY that has absolutely been shitting on this amp without even demo’ing it yet. The comments are equally negative as well. I find it amazingly stupid to compare a price of a brand new amp to the used market.
Proud owner of one of these beasts, I’ve nicknamed mine “The Demon” LOL. Run an MXR Super Badass Dynamic OD with the gain off, tone and output cranked and a noise gate in front and a ten band EQ in the FX loop, and you’ve got a high gain monster that sounds GREAT in a live mix if you dial it in properly! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Great demo man. I tried to like the Iconic head but it sounded harsh to me. I guess it could've been the greenback speakers I was using but didn't get that harshness with the 5150III or the LBX-II.
Great demo Kyle. I wasn’t feeling it until you went to the red channel. Was missing some weight to the tone. But once you went to the red it was there. I cancelled my preorder a few months back. I don’t think it’s for me, but it’s definitely not bad.
@kyle bull Thanks for a nice thorough demo.
Does the 5150 iconic have probes and pots that are easily accessible for biasing? Or does it self bias?
@@BrunoGomes666 the bias adjustment is not user accessible on these, and is just like the 5150 III 50w 6L6 head
@@jamesbrown7468 I'm sorry but I'm not familiar with those. Could you please elaborate?
@@BrunoGomes666 it has an internal bias adjustment trimpot, which is not user accessible.
@@jamesbrown7468 Oh ok. I found a video on biasing the 5150 III 50W 6L6. I'll just leave it here for information purposes. Please feel free to check it out to see if the example is correct. Cheers and thanks!
ua-cam.com/video/s6XbV0yj1vk/v-deo.html
I’ve had my Iconic for 3 days and this amp is amazing! I’m not trying to dial it in to sound like Eddie. The amp is very versatile and there no need to dial in a lot of gain to get a great lead sound on channel 2. I use a beautiful clean sound on channel 1. The boost works fabulous! I run a line out of the preamp out to a Boss ME70 into a JCM900 into Orange cabs. That way all my effects have a volume pedal so I can blend in modulation/delay effects into the Marshall while keeping the Iconic rock solid with a little bit of reverb. I love the reverb on the Iconic!
Anyway, create your own sound with this amp, don’t try to make it sound predictable.
The Iconic amp gives you everything you need to blaze into future guitar sounds…
As a Peavey 5150 owner, I think this thing sounds great. I tend like brighter amps so this sits a little better to me. For the price this is a really killer amplifier. Great demo, Kyle.
Agreed
Feels like it has a Marshall-ish touch to the 5150 sound, not bad!
Thank you!
While I mean no offense to other UA-camrs, some of which have relationships with certain companies that will affect their ability to scrutinize gear, YOUR unbiased, nuanced, and unfiltered reviews are unparalleled.
hOla, hOla, HOlala
Well said!
And he even wears Ola's signature under wear!!!
What I'm grateful for demonstations in my channel that's coming will showcase how important the inherent clean tone is and how heavy your amp sounds dictates the outcome.
About one more month.
It will be EXCITING.
So play right in front of the amp with a noise gate?
How about getup and move around the room?
When the iconic was announced, my first thought was 'nope, not interested in a cheaper version of what won't live up to what we already got with the previous EVH/Peavey 5150/6505 amps..' After hearing this, I'll happily admit that my reservations were unfounded and I'll happily try out a 5150 iconic in the future if the opportunity arises. Thanks Kyle and great demo!
Same here. I was curious about this but ultimately thought it probably wouldn't hold up. I was wrong. That new 6505 Mark 2 sounds legit as well.
My local shop got one maybe the day after the initial evh video dropped. We took it out of the box and plugged it into one of the 5150-3 2x12 cabs and I thought it sounded pretty good. I like the gate and though like most on board reverb, the reverb isn't that great, it's still a nice addition. If I didn't have a pile of amps already I would consider grabbing one. Hell, I still might.
Thank you! I think many people's reservations were well founded but we can pout them to bed now that the amp is in the wild!
@@countzero5150
The 1x12 is such a good deal. My local shop has one for $700. The attenuator for 10w power and the actually decent noise gate is a perfect fit for bedroom metal.
Finally picked one of these up. I'm pretty blown away by this amp. At this price point it's crazy how good it is.
What's your take on the clean channel?
I want to hear this blended with an OG 5150. The brightness from this would probably compliment the OG very nicely.
Kyle your you tube review absolutely kills all the other demos on this amp! You are the best! Thank you for FULLY exploring all the possibilities this amp has to offer and to clarify a lot of misconception!
Thanks Jason! I'm glad you feel the review is helpful!
This is a really great value for a tight full size metal amp. Hard to beat at the price point.
This amp atm is 'The Inflation-beating Metal amp.' Extremely hard to beat for the money. The 5150iii is three times the price and to me doesn't sound three times better. I own both.
I ended up buying the amp, I will be running it through a mesa 4x12, with some Fortin pedals or a TS9
I tried one of these out with pedals, ODs and just the amp. I was blown away. It does the things I like right out of the box.
This video was amazing and actually convinced me to get one. I just recently came with this kind of budget to afford an amplifier like this and this blew me away. I was actually very surprised how much versatility you were able to pull out of the green channel alone. Thank you for really putting this amp through its paces and making entertaining content
I just got to try one of these at a local Guitar Center, and these sound 100x better in person. Mic'ing the cab does not show how good this amp actually is.
It has way more low end thump and resonance than a 5150iii and more gain on tap than a 6505. The fizz is still there but it's not as bad in the room vs when you mic it.
Not the best 5150 to record with, but a fucking killer amp for jams and gigs. That clean channel is so nice and glassy with a bit of meat, the overdrive/"crunch" has a ton of gain and super tight.
The red is okay, really needs a boost but it holds up with other 5150's when you boost it.
You really need to try one in person to really hear how good it sounds.
Sounds pretty damn good. 🤘🏻.... Definitely green channel with a boost for me. That's how I run my 5150 BL old school Machine Head style.
I think for the price, this amp is a steal. I would have loved to have had this amp available to me when I was younger and broke! In 2021 we surely are spoiled for choice when it comes to awesome sounding gear
One of the best sounding demos of this amp. That tone with the ts engaged is 😍🤌
I'm not sure what fluff did in his demo to make it sound so harsh but I actually really like the amp in this context
Great demo! Best one I've heard so far! Based on your demos only, I think I still prefer the 6505 II, tone wise. It sounded fuller to my ears but it's not taking away the sounds of this one, especially with its price tag! I want to know though how much the 6505 II will be. The only real criticism I have with the Iconic is that it would've been cool that the overdrive, burn and reverb were footswitchable.
Hey Kyle FWIW, James himself said the on-board boost/burn is supposed to do the opposite of tighten the amp lol. Its supposed to actually make it fatter and more saturated., closer to an original 5150/6505. That way you can try to get that 5152/5153 tightness with it off and 5150 fatness with it on.
...Also can't wait for people to say it still sounds like a solid state amp lol
I would love to see someone use the burn and then hit it with a tubescreamer
The best review yet! To paraphrase...It highlights the "resonance, and the presenance!" ;-)
I've said it before...James Brown wouldn't put his name on something crappy.
The hybridizing of solid state, and tube tech is really coming into it's own now, and as far as the factory tone that some may find issue with, as time goes on, they'll be tried and true tube swaps that can add more mids, more or less smoothness in the gain etc.
The one thing I've heard over and over is the amp as shipped sounds "scooped".
The amp ships with an all JJ set of tubes which have long been thought of as a darker or "scooped" sounding tube, especially their 12ax7's.
This amp uses solid state in key areas, and most notable, in place of V1 where much of the vintage tube "magic" happens, but the 2 valves it does use are critical to it's harmonics, and toneshaping.
Many in metal love this tone, but those that don't may want to experiment with other brands.
Much like with the blockletter, (which also got called fizzy, or like a distortion pedal in some circles) which I tried a number of different preamp tube in before settling on a combo of Mullards and vintage Sylvanias, I'm sure there's something out there for them.
I may pull the trigger on this amp.
My only concern really, is longevity, and quality of build.
I'm sure it's all good, but I'll wait until there's some bench vids out there going through the guts before I do.
Again....great video.
Eddie and amp designer James Brown worked on this together. I really don't think that Eddie would put his name on something that was garbage. Every 5150 product that has come out has been top notch and lived up to and beyond the name. The 5150 Iconic does the same as well.
Every piece of evh gear ive bought has been incredible. I agree. If Eddie signed off on it....its prolly legit!!!!
I havent had the chace to crank one yet but have seen some guys get great tonea out of them on youtube. I have a bunch of amps including a mexican made blues jr 3 thats been pretty damn bulletproof. However i understand going in its not gonna be a 1959 tweed twin
@Gordon I know I'm like 7 months late to this but if it means anything, I have a 2006 first year EVH 5150 III 100w head that still works great and hasn't had any problems at all. Almost 17 years old and made in Mexico
@Gordon the combo amps have the power level knob but its not that big of a deal to not have it with the heads. 95% of the tone from the 5150 comes from its preamp so you can play them extremely quietly and still have them sound great
@@jhmusic1my evh 100w original in ivory has been broke for a year. Haven’t bothered getting it fixed lol
Didn’t know Matt Damon’s brother is into 5150 tones. Killer demo
Bonus points for the Cooper riff :)
That was a lovely call out of shit talkers at the beginning, spot on man.
Random question: I’m sure it’s loud in your room while you’re playing, but when you’re putting your vids together does the recorded guitar ever sound different than what you remember hearing with your ears? Or is it pretty spot on compared to what you hear in your room?
Most of the time, it's the same, but sometimes it can sound pretty famn different. The Revv is the first thing that comes to mind.
Great demo! Just when I was planning to downsize to a lunchbox head they come out with this beast! Owned a 90s original 5150 for years and tbh this sounds tighter. The gate is an awesome addition too.
Sounds killer. Can’t wait to try it out myself. Fluff did a great demo, but this one is my favorite.
I'm no wine sniffer, sounds great especially for the price.
My silly ass paid 500 for a Marshall Mg100 back in 2010.
And in 2005 my friend had a line 6 spider haha, you can do worse than the iconic
Congrats on the 8k subscribers my dude. You are doing a killer job and making great demos. Happy Holidays to you and many righteous tones in your future 🤘🏻🎅
Thank you sir, much appreciated! Happy holidays to you as well!
Probably my favorite new channel
The demo we’ve been waiting for!
I have the 5150 Iconic too and I like to dial in the Lows at 1 o clock so that it has a tight and punchy sound. Great and versatile amp imo!
Sounds a lot better than the 6505II demo from yesterday to me
One of the best and most complete reviews! CHANGED MY VIEW . IT'S ON MY LIST.
Well done Kyle, just finished watching. Easy decision for the dough I think. Hopefully this will inspire other companies make good heads for the average Joe.
Thank you my friend
@@belligerentamateur anytime bud. Thank you for the great vids and honest feedback an opinions. You got a good ear and heart.
I like how as soon as you say “great classic rock sound” you always go to No More Mr Nice Guy. You should learn Gone Shooting by AC/DC just to throw people off as it’s extremely similar
Tried one at my favorite music store a couple days ago and loved it.
the noise gate is not a gated noise gate as in it does not mute your sound it’s the same style noise gate that was in the peavey jsx and what it does is lower actual background noise and hiss. for those that love gated noise gates that actually mute your sound at a certain threshold this is not that kind of noise gate.
I like bright crunchy amps with a lot of growl and snarl so I bought this the second they were available. I love it. Gain for days.
So I tried this and it's a bit stiff in comparison to other 5150 amps, would love to hear a comparison. Sounds cool thos but my thoughts is that there's gonna be a load of them in the used market fairly soon.
That sounds wonderful!!!
I’ve got the combo and love the versatility
This amp sounds ridiculously good. I don't see why it gets such hate. You've got me wanting to try one out and see how much I vibe with it, though, I have a feeling I'd dig it. Thanks for the video, Kyle!
It gets so much hate because the amp manufacturers and certain people think price is a main factor. Also because made in China is laughable. Where do we get most of all our resistors, caps, and other electrical parts from… China. I’m a Mesa die Hard fan but I played this Iconic and was blown away. I am buying it tomorrow from GC. Can’t wait.
Great demo. You were able to get amazing tones right away.
By the time you got to the active PUp you could have tinkered some more to get more out of it, but i think most people get the drift.
This amp is fantastic. The range of gain from that basic Green channel crunch to the active pup + red channel crushing tones and Burn switch is insane. 👌🤘
Anything James Brown touches is gold. You should demo some of the old Amptweaker pedals he designed before he sold the company and went to EVH. The early pedals were hand signed and numbered. (Amptweaker is still around under different ownership but not sure if the pedals are the same as the originals) Some of the best pedals ever made if you ask me. Dig all your videos!
Agreed on JB, and thanks man!
I think it sounds sick. Like most people I was on the fence on what to expect from the iconic series, but it seems to deliver quite well. Like you said very tight. It still has that signature 6505/5150 gritty gain tone to it that just makes it sound so nasty. I'm digging it. Something still feels uncomfortable in a purely egotistical way knowing that it's not a full tube section but I can live with it. I might pick one of these up instead of a triple xxx soon.
Most modern amps aren’t fully tube functioning anyway
The 6505 MK2 demo was more impressive to me. But probably a more expensive amp. I’ll get that one:)
I just bought this amp on reverb used for $700 +shipping$75. I'm stoked as all hell. I'm upgrading from a fender blues deluxe 40 watt.
Dude, it sounds sick af. I'm gonna be happy for sure.
congrats!
@@belligerentamateur I got it yesterday. Omg is it badass!
F**k yeah! Sounds pretty f**kin' good to me!! Green is awesome! Can definitely hear the difference over the original 5150. I like it!
When you are checking the noise gates on anything you test your pickups should be away from the transformers on whatever your testing it drastically effects the results and i noticed your always within a couple feet of your heads .Great demo and great channel keep up the good work :)
Modern times valvestate. Great offer. I'm going to buy one.
Surprisingly, I like the green channel better than the red channel. I’ve found that on every demo I’ve heard so far. And so far out of all the demos I’ve heard (including the official EVH demo) I think your demo sounds better and gives a more honest tone from the amp. I’m still going to hold my opinion until I get to play one myself.
Kyle being hilarious in this one nice video. Your tones are always spot on. Reminds me of a more hot rodded Marshall more than an evh
Thanks man! Greeen channel def has some marshally vibes to it
Great demo, definitely the best sounding one that I've heard yet. Would love to see it against a Invective 120 in the shootout since they both have a built in gate and over drive.
Sounds great! solid state fx loop and phase inverter is better than tube powered aswell. Nice and stable with no extra color. This amp is a winner.
Awesome video. Quick question what 412 cab would you recommend with the iconic. Maybe try a few cabs with the iconic. It might make another great video!
I've really wanted to say that while i haven't bought this amp i'm really enjoying the tones i've heard from it. Idk if it's from the solid state components helping out the preamp section, but it sounds like the audible equivalent of a knife cutting through flesh and it sounds BRUTAL
Will scoop in the used market, but would not pay used VTM prices for a brand new Peavey Valvestate. BTW in the drop C demo you went straight Swedish DM. So I could see these picking up steam in the Swedish DM scene. I am looking forward to putting this in a mix with my Supreme 160 panned hard L & R.
all tube power sections and tube preamp with transister cascaded gain-staging (which by the way most editions of the JCM900 also had) makes this 5150 about 99 times more tube/valve circuit than the "valvestate", which can be described as being more in the arena of Marshall's early attempts at emulating tube tone in an otherwise purely solid state circuit. id wager most modern digital amp modelers sound better at emulating tube dynamics than the valvestate. I like the Valvestate, it has its own uses for certain tones, and is not a bad amp by any stretch, but to compare the 5150 Iconic, to a peavey-ised version of the Valvestate just honestly doesn't even really make sense or hold any real validity as a basis whether or not you should spend your money on it. Not that you can actually find Peavey VTM's these days. If you manage to see a listing for one, it won't likely be in any condition other than beat the fuck up, and probably still won't be listed for anything close to the Iconic's sticker price.
I love that they included boost, reverb and noise gate, this is my next amped. Owed the 6505 plus and have been in the market for quite some time. I was gonna get the 5150 lll or the invective. This one has what I need at a cheaper price.
By the way, the Boost dial doesn't affect the Ch2 Burn, it affects the Boost switch on the footswitch...
So these were the last amps Ed was working on with Fender. Wow. I had the block logo 5150 and that amp did everything and Very Well as most of you already know.
best demo of this amp so far! thanks!
Great content once again Kyle! Keep knocking it out of the park my dude!
Thanks Jason!
Dude that thing sounds good it is usable
Just wanted to say that I really like what you're doing here, Kyle. I'm honestly surprised you don't have more subs already. Speaking of subs, for being under 10K, you seem super comfortable in front of the camera, which isn't a common thing for people with channels with subs below that number. Keep killing it, brother!
Thanks man! Appreciate the kind words and feedback. It's been a fun ride, looking forward to what the future brings
I just ordered this model on sweetwater 799 open box seemed like a great steal and got the matching cab for 530 i am so excited to get this amp in my hands!!! My first tube amp. I have a tonex and this is my main amp that i like using.🔥🔥🔥
i think it sounds great! i feel like it has a bit more of that squishy sort of sound the eddie got with his tone compared to the original 5150/6505 amps.
When you do the A/B test between 6505II and 5150 Iconic, PLEASE have the burn on as a starting point. James Brown says that’s where the Iconic will sound most like the Block Letter
Block letter is the same exact amp as a script or USA made 6505. Peavey and Brown himself have commented that the USA made Sylvania 6L6 tubes (which ran out of stock around the change to script logo) is what made 'em sound better. You can still find a good testing NOS set, if you're willing to spend the cash that is.
Aggression city! I definitely get the appeal, but I think I prefer the 5150 style amps with more low mids. Probably the 6505II would be more up my alley. Great demo, looking forward to the shootout! EDIT: The burn switch is actually very nice for what I was missing.
FYI - Burn switch and Boost are separate functions. Boost works only from the footswitch and the boost knob affects footswitchable boost function, not the burn mode.
Yep I fucked that up in the video. James let me know, haha. Gonna try it out again in the next video
@@belligerentamateur You should try to get James for an interview on your channel. Would be cool to hear about that development of the Iconic from the man himself! 🤘😝
@@lucwilson1 I'll ask the man
It sounds fantastic. At that price, you can't beat it. I am sold. Hopefully EVH learned a lesson on how not to f##k up a launch.
Well this confirms the cab with the problem in the original demo. Sounds great
Great job Kyle. This video has convinced me to order one myself and give it a try.
Great review brother. Definitely wasn’t as impressed with the active pickups as you mentioned but with the passives it’s fire
Great review. I just bought one. I don't think the boost switch does anything but raise the volume, only when you step on the boost pedal included. It works great for a lead part but it does not effect the tone afaik.
According to James Brown, it boosts both the input gain and volume. There may not be an inherent if you change built into the boost eq change in the boost itself, but of course adding volume and input gain to any preamp will change the way it sounds and reacts, and more input gain will introduce more compression.
@@belligerentamateur Here is the text from the user manual.
BOOST VOLUME: Footswitchable master volume boost.
Set channel volumes first (I), then use this post-effects
loop control to set solo volume. Footswitch boosts input
gain even when this control is turned fully counterclockwise. Note that BOOST VOLUME is only activated using the
included footswitch.
YUP
It does raise gain, even on ZERO. If you turn it up it also raises volume. It is ONLY activated if the footswitch is connected and engaged. Cool.
love that you play some hardcore riffs while demoing gear. wonder how many people will know there's a BURIED ALIVE and ALL OUT WAR riff in there?
This is the best 5150 Iconic demo I have seen so far and made me almost change my mind.
Thank you
Thanks best demo I seen so far,and Ola" s was good too.
I think it sounds great the way you dialed it in. I think a lot of initial reactions were from not dialing in a good sound? IDK. But I’d buy it for that price.
my favourite amp nerd channel on YT, thanks a lot. I'm on a market for a new amp and it's between Peavey 6505 / 6505+ , ENGL SAVAGE, or.... well, apparently this monster, which sounds like the EVH for so much less than EVH 5150iii (which I just sold :D )
Kyle love your channel and reviews. Always the best!!
Kyle, I wanna kiss you on your bony cheek. After getting a voicemail from the Sweetwater rep that it would very likely not be until February or March before they would start getting actual retail inventory and not just filling preorders, I managed to snag an Iconic from off of Reverb two days ago. I noticed an influx of listings being added, I saw one listed by a local Ken Stanton Music store in a town about 30 miles from here, asked 'em if it was actually inventory or if they were trying to take preorders on promised shipments, and when they told me it was the one and only one they received, I ordered it right then and there and picked it up that evening. I have yet to watch the entire review, but regardless of the opinions you end up having, you made me happy enough just taking a big fat shit on the armchair warlords protecting some weird fucking tone-warrior code that protects the idiotic and backwards mantras of so many know-it-alls in music and gear culture.
I fucking think this amp is worth every penny of the 953$ I am paying off and then some. This thing has the sound that made me fall in love with my old 6505+ and that is just the basic gist, and it it finally healed and closed the self inflicted and gaping wound left by my stupidity the day i sold my 6505+. The Iconic, has redeemed me. It is a monster amp that riffs, chugs, and is brutal enough to rip the throats from the naysayers as they talk their shit.
Glad you're digging the amp! It really is an absolute killer bang for the buck
As expected, the amp sounds perfectly fine and nothing like EVH’s demo 🤣🤣
Great video. What dio you use that allows you to have your pedals stand up on your amp?
I would love to see the Iconic vs. a 6262, battle of the budgets.
At last, someone who makes this amp sound killer. Seems easy to dial in, I wonder why UA-camrs struggled to get a good tone.
This Amp sounds so damn good! I really want to know what exactly the burn mode does to make this thing sound so great. It's smooth and hot
I own it. It adds a ton of gain to whatever you have set on ch2 and also kinda makes it flubbier or squishier which sounds good for chuggy low tuned stuff but not good for single note stuff. I use the boost for that.
First riffs in... Sounded like Testament..! Great riffing and tone
That's a compliment, thank you
It's a nasty heavy sounding amp in person. You can get Exodus and Testament tones all day with this thing because it has a slight Mesa edge to it but is tight and sizzly and has gain on tap to the moon and back. I own it as well as it's big brother 100w Stealth and love them both for different reasons.
@@mikerules111 does it have 6L6 power tubes? Can't wait to try it, I'm interested in the combo, but no sign of any of them in the UK yet
@@chavTorturer 4 6L6, 2 in the combo.
Banging video mate! I’ve just got mine and it’s reeeeeeeeaaaaaaallllllly loud!!! 😅 Thanks brother. 🩵🤍
I liked it more than expected. Thank you!
I was a big fan of the blue channel of the 50w version of the 5150iii, I'm sure im gonna love the green channel. I remember liking the green channel on my old block letter with max gain.
I was a red channel guy for a long time until one day i hit the blue channel with the right boost and i found tone nirvana bro lol. I'm very much a green/blue channel guy now.
Sounds good man. So all the over drive is tube with just 2 12ax7
Great demo. There is a guy local to me that has a UA-cam channel close to Albany NY that has absolutely been shitting on this amp without even demo’ing it yet. The comments are equally negative as well. I find it amazingly stupid to compare a price of a brand new amp to the used market.
Proud owner of one of these beasts, I’ve nicknamed mine “The Demon” LOL. Run an MXR Super Badass Dynamic OD with the gain off, tone and output cranked and a noise gate in front and a ten band EQ in the FX loop, and you’ve got a high gain monster that sounds GREAT in a live mix if you dial it in properly! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Great demo... none of that nonsense we have witnessed in the last few days!
Great demo man. I tried to like the Iconic head but it sounded harsh to me. I guess it could've been the greenback speakers I was using but didn't get that harshness with the 5150III or the LBX-II.
Actually showing us the true tone of the amp. Thanks
Great demo Kyle. I wasn’t feeling it until you went to the red channel. Was missing some weight to the tone. But once you went to the red it was there. I cancelled my preorder a few months back. I don’t think it’s for me, but it’s definitely not bad.
"resonance and presonance" LOL i always knew this would turn out great with master brown at the helm but man it really does sound spectacular!