I tried a 5150iii today

xscaramanga

Hi everyone, 

Newbie here (although some MusicRadar refugees might remember me). 

Today I went into PMT Bristol and tried out a 5150iii (50 watt version). I really liked it. Even when running a ton of gain on channel 2, there was a crisp cleanness to single notes on the bottom strings, which I thought was impressive. It sounded killer, exactly like I hoped it would.

Only two disappointments, really: 1) I hoped that diming the clean channel would result in a sound a bit like a cranked up non-MV amp. It didn't. Clean channel under high gain was just brittle, imo.

2) It seemed to sound worse really cranked up. I don't know if that's because I wasn't in a very nice sounding room, or if rebiasing would help, but instead of getting fatter and dirtier when I turned it up, it just seemed to sound harsher.

Still, I'm definitely tempted. Staff in PMT were friendly and helpful too. I hadn't been in that shop since it was Sound Control, when all the staff treated me like I'd been hitting on their mothers. 

Hertz32

TThat harshness you heard is probably power amp distortion coming in as you crank the Master volume, it's why most modern metal amps are 100/120w, so you can run them loud without getting vast amounts of flubby, harsh power amp distortion.

Nerine

Just go with that 2204, man

xscaramanga

Hertz32 said:

TThat harshness you heard is probably power amp distortion coming in as you crank the Master volume, it's why most modern metal amps are 100/120w, so you can run them loud without getting vast amounts of flubby, harsh power amp distortion.

But power amp distortion is what the classic Van Halen sound is all about. Those early albums are a totally cranked non-master volume Marshall, so there's tons of power amp crunch involved. Power amp distortion is less tight than preamp distortion, but it's usually really musical. If that was power amp distortion I was hearing, it didn't sound like the other power amps I've heard at full tilt, and it wasn't good. 

grungebob

Speakers not worn in adding the harshness?

xscaramanga

Good shout, grungebob. Could well be. 

FelineGuitars

Also EVH had a couple of EQ pedals in his early rig that are not often mentioned, which tightened up the signal to dial out any unwanted elements

rockmonster

Knob on the back called resonance was that cranked up?

Reverend

FelineGuitars;500399" said:

Also EVH had a couple of EQ pedals in his early rig that are not often mentioned, which tightened up the signal to dial out any unwanted elements

There was a thread in the old mr talking about a wireless unit that supposedly also featured on some ACDC albums too.

exocet

That was the old Vega Wireless system. No doubt it imparted it's sonic footprint on Angus Young guitar tone. information provided by Solo Dalas ( can't remember his real name) the bloke who appears to have dedicated his life to nailing the AC/DC tone.