need help with my 5150 combo

tease · 06-08-2004, 04:44 PM

Hi guys,

I recently got myself a 5150 Combo and I LOVE it! It sounds soooo good!!! [img]images/smilies/woot.gif[/img]
But I have some little problems with it.

First one: how the hell do I get a clean sound of it? I'm serious. I plug it in the rhythm channel, but when I play with my Wolfie special it's distorted as hell. To get a halfway clean sound out of it while strumming, I have to swell down the volume on my guitar. I mean, that can't be the solution, can it?

Second one: The amp didn't come with a footswitch, so I bought a 2-way- footswitch of a different company, but it doesn't work. Is there any trick to it, so I can make it work? I feel real stupid, but I thought you peaople around here can maybe help me out with those little problems.

Thanks guys,

Cheers

Troyboy · 06-08-2004, 08:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
tease said:
Hi guys,

I recently got myself a 5150 Combo and I LOVE it! It sounds soooo good!!! [img]images/smilies/woot.gif[/img]
But I have some little problems with it.

First one: how the hell do I get a clean sound of it? I'm serious. I plug it in the rhythm channel, but when I play with my Wolfie special it's distorted as hell. To get a halfway clean sound out of it while strumming, I have to swell down the volume on my guitar. I mean, that can't be the solution, can it?

Second one: The amp didn't come with a footswitch, so I bought a 2-way- footswitch of a different company, but it doesn't work. Is there any trick to it, so I can make it work? I feel real stupid, but I thought you peaople around here can maybe help me out with those little problems.

Thanks guys,

Cheers

[/ QUOTE ]

First off, let me congratulate you on getting a killer amp. I have had both the 5150 head and now the combo. They are both incredible amps. However, keep in mind they were designed for one thing....to play HEAVY ROCK!! That is why the channels are labeled Rhythm and Lead and not CLEAN and Lead. To get anywhere near a clean sound you need to be on the rhythm channel with the gain down very low (no higher than 3) and crunch off. With a Wolfie (I play a special also) you will also need to reduce the volume on the guitar. The pickups on a Wolfgang are pretty hot and so they will overdrive it quicker. I use other guitars also and some of them can get a useable clean sound without reducing volume on the guitar.

All of this being said, this amp does not do clean well at all. Now if you just need a little clean here and there, it will suffice. But if you need really crystal clear clean then this is not your amp.

As far as the footswitch goes, I would suggest finding an actual Peavey footswitch. Not sure how they are designed but they seem to only work with the Peaveys. You can probably find one at a used store or pawn shop

Let me know if you have any other questions. I have researched this amp quite extensively and have a whole collection of settings I can turn you onto. Actually there is athread on this board under this topic I think that has a link to a veryuseful website where I got allot of them.

Good Luck!

**EVH ZMAN** · 06-09-2004, 10:06 AM

It seems Peavey decided to add a clean channel to their second version...The 5150 II has a clean channel if I remember correctly.... That was the main difference a salesman pointed out to me when I was checking them out.. At least that's what I recall...

Troyboy · 06-09-2004, 11:48 AM

Well it doesn't really have a clean channel. It makes the crunch switch footswitchable and so therefore, you kind of get a 3 channel amp. You can set up the ryhthm to be somewhat clean and then engage the cruch to get dirt and then switch channels to the lead for high gain.

Troyboy · 06-09-2004, 11:56 AM

Here is the link I mentioned: http://mr5150.vhvault.com/5150_Settings.html

wahwah · 06-10-2004, 10:50 AM

Its a great amp but clean? Forget it. Mines a 120w head mark 1 and you can't get a clean tone for anything...noisy fucker as well but it's great for that Ed tone.[img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

06-10-2004, 11:16 AM

Hmm. Am i the only one here, that doesnt like to play through an amp at all? I plug my Rackmount into my stereo. It produces stereo sound. lol. If i were to play a show, i'd bring my rackmount, and ask if i could plug into their P.A. system.

El_jalepeno · 06-10-2004, 01:18 PM

Most clubs don't let you plug into their PA system. [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

Get a Marshall anyway. You just can't go wrong.

06-10-2004, 01:28 PM

Yeah. Which is B.S. lol. Ill sound best that way though.

**Mr Crumb** · 06-10-2004, 07:52 PM

It will be freaky plugging in and then hearing yourself through the monitor mix only. I used to keep my amp in a portable closet and then I would have them run me in my monitor mix. It was so weird to get used to. It's especially weird for the band.

06-10-2004, 08:55 PM

Best recording qual i ever got for guitar used no amp at all. guess thats jsut me.

WeaponX24 · 06-11-2004, 07:05 AM

i have a peavey 5150II head and i love it...the clean channel does get a little distorted when i use my wolfie, but theres ways to fidget with it to get it to sound right. im going to try to use some of these settings and see what i come up with today....

HairBandFan · 06-11-2004, 06:50 PM

Plug the guitar into the effects loop instead of the input.

demonband2000 · 06-16-2004, 04:26 PM

I have a carvin footswitch that seems to work ok with 5150 amp. As far as cleans go I think mine is good enough for what i do.

06-16-2004, 11:51 PM

I got a 5150 combo a couple years ago off ebay and it did not have a footswitch either. I contacted Peavey and they sent me one. Don't remember how much it cost me but it wasn't expensive at all.
I heard that if you get JJ tubes then you can get a better clean sound. I have to get some of those and see for myself.