EVH 5150 III EL34 50w IT IS REAL

[JD27]

Sold my 50w EL34 in favor of the 50w 6L6 (2.0).

The 50w EL34 red channel has really rich mids that are very smooth compared to the 50w 6L6. It's not better or worse than the 6L6, it's just got a different flavor. I think it would be great for black metal, but it might be too smooth for modern metal. Gain was about the same to me. EL34 might have a tad bit more but it's so smooth it's hard to tell.

The 50w EL34 blue channel is as bad as you have read. I thought people were probably exaggerating about how bad it was, and I tried to keep an open mind. They were not exaggerating, at least as far as my ears are concerned. It might be good for 70s rock? It's not good for anything for me. There is a reversible mod to fix the blue channel, but I didn't try it for myself. (C137 1000pf cap, a couple of inches behind the ch 1 low control, clip it) I did hear one phone video of a 50w EL34 with this mod on Facebook, and it sounded much improved.

I almost kept the 50w EL34 just for the red channel, but I couldn't justify keeping two amps that are so similar on my current budget.

The EL34 Blue channel is most definitely not metal voiced unless boosted, in which case I loved it. I never really used the Red channel on the 6l6 or EL34, just the blue channels boosted. I always found the red channels got way too grainy too quickly.

 

[wakjob]

The EL34 Blue channel is most definitely not metal voiced unless boosted, in which case I loved it. I never really used the Red channel on the 6l6 or EL34, just the blue channels boosted. I always found the red channels got way too grainy too quickly.

Same here.

That's why I'm always pestering the forums with experimenting with lower gain tubes.

Not only does it calm the signal down, in some cases it makes the amp feel more open, less compressed, and there might be a slight tonal change.

Anyone without a handful of old 12au7, 12at7, or 12ay7 preamp tubes to try are really missing out imo.

 

[rexbinary]

All good, did you happen to see any pics or anything of that cap clipping? Definitely could not find any other info on it but I'm not on FB.

I just looked and didn't see any pics of it. Here is a quote from Howard Kaplan which engineered the 5153s.

CH2 of the EL34 version of the head has more low end and has a darker tone as compared to the 6L6 head. Some love, and some do not. If you want the EL34 head to have the same CH2 character as the 6L6 take the amp to a tech and have them clip one end of the 1000 pF small ceramic disc capacitor C137, effectively removing it from CH2. It is located about 1.5” behind the CH1/2 Low Control.

Source (Howard's remark is down in the comments): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666017740393127/permalink/2260602847601277/

Here is the original Facebook sound clip of the mod:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666017740393127/permalink/2214722252189337/

Here is a YouTube clip that contains the 50w EL34 with the C137 mod:

 

[Seabeast2000]

I just looked and didn't see any pics of it. Here is a quote from Howard Kaplan which engineered the 5153s.



Source (Howard's remark is down in the comments): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666017740393127/permalink/2260602847601277/

Here is the original Facebook sound clip of the mod:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666017740393127/permalink/2214722252189337/

Here is a YouTube clip that contains the 50w EL34 with the C137 mod:

Sweet, I may tackle this myself. The pots oddly need some cleaning too, getting some pants pooping level of scratch on the vols.

thanks

 

[JD27]

I just looked and didn't see any pics of it. Here is a quote from Howard Kaplan which engineered the 5153s.



Source (Howard's remark is down in the comments): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666017740393127/permalink/2260602847601277/

Here is the original Facebook sound clip of the mod:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666017740393127/permalink/2214722252189337/

Here is a YouTube clip that contains the 50w EL34 with the C137 mod:

That mod does make the blue channel sound better on its own. The comparison video is interesting too. I didn’t own mine at the same time, so I was going off memory, but this confirms me thinking it was a more aggressive sound in the EL34. I had the same experience swapping between EL34s and 6L6s in my TC50. Guess I’m just a EL34 guy.

 

[Seabeast2000]

You guys should check out this sick Green channel demo.

 

[Captain Butterscotch]

It’s impossible to underestimate the blue channel on this guy.

 

[Werecow]

You guys should check out this sick Green channel demo.

Is it just me or are his demos and recorded tones steadily getting worse.

 

[Seabeast2000]

Is it just me or are his demos and recorded tones steadily getting worse.

I think I am missing the point of that video. Its displayed entirely on the green/clean channel but it sounds like some gainy amp/dirt box models are right in that mix, which are not mentioned.