Played a 5150 Iconic (amazing)

[Gunner64]

It has a Solid state phase inverter, that's 1 12ax7 slot accounted for.

 

[pittbull]

I know I just want to see a gut shot of the amp

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Thanks man!



I missed quite a few points on the features I liked. The Overdrive button is a great feature and eliminates (imo) a need for an OD pedal and with the amp's gain capabilities, a distortion pedal. The Burn button just adds even MORE gain/drive on the red channel but personally I don't see myself using that often for my style. The 2 channels don't sound drastically different IMO but the red channel is definitely fatter/thicker sounding with more aggressive gain and while not bad I found myself returning to the green channel as it's "just right"

It sounded great even at whisper/bedroom volumes but had no problem getting to gig levels either. I believe the preamp only has 1 valve and uses diods(?) but I heard nothing to complain about, sounded fantastic.

I think the Iconic can excel in any genre/style that benefits from some breakup or drive but definitely shines pushing some gain. This has to be one of the coolest new amps in many years.

The biggest point I wanted to make is that this amp is definitly more versatile than just it's targeted demographic.

I haven't tried yet. Heard really good things.
But...

There is NO footswitchable clean crunch on channel 1 or that extra gain mode for channel 2.

For the odd time I really use cleanish, that doesn't work very well. Seems like an omission completely for live playing. If that feature is there at least footswitch it.
Sadly a deal breaker for me.

 

[PowerTube44]

I haven't tried yet. Heard really good things.
But...

There is NO footswitchable clean crunch on channel 1 or that extra gain mode for channel 2.

For the odd time I really use cleanish, that doesn't work very well. Seems like an omission completely for live playing. If that feature is there at least footswitch it.
Sadly a deal breaker for me.

You mentioned this in another thread, and I agree. If I had one, that would be the most important thing to be foot-switchable; Green Clean to Green Overdrive.

 

[Maggot Brain]

Interesting point about not being footawitchable! I didn't even think about that but I'm old school and roll down guitar volume if I want a clean(ish) tone. I have to say that is a glaring hole in it's design tho as I know lots of people use footswitching channels.

I had a 6505+ and dragged it along to a band practice in a group I was in at the time... I did not like it for any type of rock, blues or anything other than metal IMO. I also never understood what Eddie was going for in the 5150s or the later models (Fender) but the Iconic definitely feels and sounds like it makes sense finally.

I played some heavy stuff as a second guitar near me was tuned down the D or something super low... It sound ok but not as good as a 5150 or 6505 would with that tuning IMO, I definitely feel the iconic is voiced more to traditional rock/metal/lead playing.

No footswitch... Weird they left that out tho....

 

[PowerTube44]

Interesting point about not being footawitchable! I didn't even think about that but I'm old school and roll down guitar volume if I want a clean(ish) tone. I have to say that is a glaring hole in it's design tho as I know lots of people use footswitching channels.

I had a 6505+ and dragged it along to a band practice in a group I was in at the time... I did not like it for any type of rock, blues or anything other than metal IMO. I also never understood what Eddie was going for in the 5150s or the later models (Fender) but the Iconic definitely feels and sounds like it makes sense finally.

I played some heavy stuff as a second guitar near me was tuned down the D or something super low... It sound ok but not as good as a 5150 or 6505 would with that tuning IMO, I definitely feel the iconic is voiced more to traditional rock/metal/lead playing.

No footswitch... Weird they left that out tho....

Just to clarify... the amp is foot-switchable, but only between Channel 1 and Channel 2. Most people find the best sounds on Channel 1 (Green), but with the Overdrive button pushed in. This is NOT foot-switchable and it needs to be.

I believe the footswitch can also turn the Reverb on and off.

 

[Rocktane]

Just like DSLs. Foot switchable channels, not modes.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Interesting point about not being footawitchable! I didn't even think about that but I'm old school and roll down guitar volume if I want a clean(ish) tone. I have to say that is a glaring hole in it's design tho as I know lots of people use footswitching channels.

I had a 6505+ and dragged it along to a band practice in a group I was in at the time... I did not like it for any type of rock, blues or anything other than metal IMO. I also never understood what Eddie was going for in the 5150s or the later models (Fender) but the Iconic definitely feels and sounds like it makes sense finally.

I played some heavy stuff as a second guitar near me was tuned down the D or something super low... It sound ok but not as good as a 5150 or 6505 would with that tuning IMO, I definitely feel the iconic is voiced more to traditional rock/metal/lead playing.

No footswitch... Weird they left that out tho....

I play with a more hard rock 80s hair old school metal sound so the 6505 crunch would not clean up enough for me if I rolled volume back. I really need cleanish to balls out to lead.

 

[ibmorjamn]

It has a Solid state phase inverter, that's 1 12ax7 slot accounted for.

It doesn't matter to me if it has squirrels running on a wheel. I played one for few minute's again today.
That being said I have to eat my words about DSL'S the 40CR is nice! If you need quite it works.

 

[Len]

Just to clarify... the amp is foot-switchable, but only between Channel 1 and Channel 2. Most people find the best sounds on Channel 1 (Green), but with the Overdrive button pushed in. This is NOT foot-switchable and it needs to be.

I believe the footswitch can also turn the Reverb on and off.

No, the footswitch only changes the channel and enables the solo volume boost.

As far as other features that could be controlled, it’s a matter of room and simplicity. To control more than 2 things you either need another 1/4” jack on the amp, or a special multi-pin jack like Carvin used to use. I’d assume most folks wouldn’t like a multi-pin jack like that since you can’t easily adapt it to use with other foot controllers.

 

[Len]

I know I just want to see a gut shot of the amp

There are gut shots at TGP:

EVH 5150 Iconic

Wow, did not expect THE man to reply to me :) This is very interesting, there was lots of speculation when the amp was announced and we learned it only had 2 preamp tubes. I was hoping it would be built this way, high voltage MOSFET (or similar) input stage and phase inverter, so that triodes...

www.thegearpage.net

 

[pittbull]

Len I don’t belong to TGP I was banned there for speaking the truth TGP is banned happy

 

[Len]

Len I don’t belong to TGP I was banned there for speaking the truth TGP is banned happy

Me too, but you can still view any thread and search their forum via a Google search. Just clear your browser cache.

 

[pittbull]

Thanks

 

[pittbull]

Len did another search( many) can’t find any gut shots of the 5150 Iconic

 

[jeffb]

Len did another search( many) can’t find any gut shots of the 5150 Iconic

They are at the link Len posted. Page 16 of the thread, post 313.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

No, the footswitch only changes the channel and enables the solo volume boost.

As far as other features that could be controlled, it’s a matter of room and simplicity. To control more than 2 things you either need another 1/4” jack on the amp, or a special multi-pin jack like Carvin used to use. I’d assume most folks wouldn’t like a multi-pin jack like that since you can’t easily adapt it to use with other foot controllers.

The JVM uses a single 1/4" TRS and has a 6 button footswitch. They could do it.
The footswitchable solo boost sort of covers the 3rd channel when channel 1 is clean I guess.

 

[PowerTube44]

The JVM uses a single 1/4" TRS and has a 6 button footswitch. They could do it.
The footswitchable solo boost sort of covers the 3rd channel when channel 1 is clean I guess.

Yeah, they could definitely do it if they wanted to.

While we're on this topic, if the Boost button applied to the Green channel overdrive, the amp would be just about perfect.

 

[pittbull]

I would take the Iconic over the JVM to bad the iconic is made in china

 

[Jethro Rocker]

The JVM uses a single 1/4" TRS and has a 6 button footswitch. They could do it.
The footswitchable solo boost sort of covers the 3rd channel when channel 1 is clean I guess.

Mind you for as often as I use clean, could go ch 1 to ch2 and just use solo boost for solo.
Done.
The rest of the time engage the crunch on channel 1 and use 2 for solos.

For the number of amps I have tho, just need to gig more and forget new toys for a bit!!