EVH 5150 III 50W 6L6 vs EL34 Comparison! (Which One Sounds BETTER?)
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
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Thanks for watching my comparison of the EVH 5150III 50W 6L6 vs the 5150III 50W EL34. Which one sounds the best to you? Let me know!
My review/demo of the EVH 5150III 50W 6L6: • The BEST 5150 EVER?! E...
My review/demo of the EVH 5150III 50W EL34: • EVH 5150 III 50W EL34 ...
My video on the blue channel of the EL34 with the boost: • The "HORRIBLE" EVH 50W...
Gear used in this video:
- Gibson Les Paul Custom
- ESP LTD NW44
- ESP LTD Phoenix 1000 Deluxe
- EVH 5150 III 50W 6L6 / EL34
- Cubase 12
- Steven Slate Drums
- RedSeven Amp Central Reactive Load
- York Audio IRs
York Audio Impulse Responses: www.yorkaudio.co/
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#evh #5150iii50w #comparison
Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction (Watch First!)
02:14 Green Channel Comparison
04:24 Green Channel Comparison Isolated
06:27 Blue Channel Comparison
09:07 Blue Channel Comparison Isolated
11:17 Red Channel Comparison
13:34 Red Channel Comparison Isolated
15:05 Conclusion
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My webstore for Captures, presets etc: ko-fi.com/sonicdrivestudio
Thanks for supporting the channel!
Your mastery in the studio with song and arrangement is on a different level.
You are so focused in your vision. You inspire myself, and I would suspect many many growing songwriters and producers.
Thank you for your work so much.
Dude. Nice riffs! This is my favorite amp shootout I've watched! You approach things like I do so I actually feel like I'm getting a good idea of what each amp have to offer me. Thank you for posting this!
Thanks for a great review of both amps. I just bought the EL34 version with the matching 2 x 12 cab. I've looking at it for some time and love the sound of all 3 channels to be honest.
I'm glad you did this video, I was on the fence on which one I want to get.
I absolutely LOVE both. Because I have both 🤣 Great demo and comparison as usual! Now I need to download those York cabs haha.
Great job on this demo. Outstanding.
Great comparison video! I recently bought the EL34 version and love it. After watching this I know I made the right decision. I like the warmer and fuller sound of the EL34's over the 6L6's.
One of the best amp comparisons I have ever heard!!!!!! Good job my friend.
We all needed this comparison from a pro like you. Much appreciated .
Thank you! :)
@@SonicDriveStudio You are doing a wonderful job in every video for amp sound nerds like us. Keep up the good work. "In your ears we trust"
They both sound amazeballs!!! Great vid man, thanks 🙏🏼
Cheers!
You inspired me to make my own RUclips stuff (but I suck with it by now :D) I knew you doing HARD work on these videos but gosh. It's really hard to make this constant quality content for so long.
Nice work.
I prefer the 6L6 version. It's little tighter. But they both great amps.
Double track and run one on the left and one on the right : ) honestly you make all your demos sound great man! Enjoying the channel for years keep it up!
Jon! You are the man! What a great video! I liked the clean channel on the El34, the blue channel on the 6l6, and the red channel on the El34. I did like the blue channel on the el34 as well! Both are such great amps! If I had to choose I’d go with the 6l6 because to me it seems like the amp that can cover a lot of ground.
I like the 6L6 better but just because it’s better for the stuff I play. I had the EL34, 6L6, and Stealth all at the same time. I sold the EL34, but I still think it’s a great amp. The blue channel is waaaay different and noteworthy in the range because it stands out as so much different.
The guy who bought the EL34 came over and was playing some 80’s type stuff and it sounded reallly good. Seemed to shine in that context.
Really hard choice. I understand why you left both )))) Thanks for the excellent review!
I bought the 2-12 combo 6L6. It’s a beast!! Love it 👍🏼
I think the 6L6 version sounds best here. Tighter and clearer. Nice video.
My EL34 version has become my go to amp. I can get a good sound going in any room or situation with that thing. I love it.
thanks for the review dude, I got what I came here for 8-)
I love hearing straight up 6L6/EL34 comparisons on the same basic circuit. I am probably one of the few people who really lived the JCM900 series sound with the later 5881-powered models, and would love to see something done with that circuit like the 20w DSL; essentially a 20-watt version of a 4100 HGDR amp. Love the breakdowns, and keep up the excellent work!
El34s are a little bit harder to get now because of the plant in Russia catching on fire a lot of amp Builders switched to the 5881s and if you're looking for an amp that turns it out the mt15 from Paul Reed Smith is a monster
If you found an amp that you like the sound of that isn’t available in a low enough wattage, use an attenuator with it.
@@AnalogKid_2112 I just don’t want to pay $3000 for a reissue. And 100w is waaay more than I need for anything now.
@@jwelliott74The attenuator fixes the second problem you named, but I myself am still trying to fix the first. If you find the irl infinite money glitch let me know.
Awesome comparison brother! I've been waiting for this comparison since your post in the 5150 FB group when you first got it. I was especially interested to hear the EL34 unmodded blue channel against the 6L6 blue channel. I've done the C137 mod on my EL34, and after hearing your comparison I'm definitely glad I did it! From what I can hear, the mod brings the two blue channels much closer to one another, but keeps the extra thickness that's present on the EL34 in general.
Of course I would love to see you add the switchable mod on your EL34 so you can engage and disengage C137, mainly because your videos are so great, and I'd fully trust you to do a fair comparison before and after, and to compare the modded blue channel against the 6L6. But I can understand if you're not interested in modding yours (which I gather from your past vids and posts to be the case). Even so, hearing it back to back against the 6L6 like you did here was great. Great job man!
This was awesome thanks so much for doing this. I have the 6L6 and i think this confirms its the one for my style.
The EL34 is a little bit more of an aquired taste I guess
6L6 is a little brighter, EL34 has a little more lowmids. Honestly both are good. The one that doesnt break is the best one lol.
Lol, true!
Curious thing, that usually these are the EL34s which sound brighter.
El34s are always briter!
El34's have mid scoop. 6l6's don't. Simple as that.
6L6’s have more low mids than EL34, actually.
Love them all! EVH 5150 amps are so damn great! But liked always the Blue Channel more for the rhythm than the red one!
Great review! Cool that you had no other effects and was careful to match all the settings ... and to play the same riffs ... great compare. Now I'm scared to buy the 6L6 version but I sort of like the EL34 better anyway considering the clean channel was warmer and the mid channel was plenty cool as is.
Man this is the Best Amp Shootout I've ever seen or heard. Your music is also really a great tune to hear the difference between the two. Thanks I've Sub'd
P.S. I like the EL34 best. More Balls
Have you ever considered a series using speaker/room microphones so that we can hear how they would sound in real life versus recordings?
The bass on EL64 sounds like it is filling more the space, and I love it, but the sound on 6L6 its clearer, brighter, closer and I also love it.
Hard to decide.
Is it possible to have both at one of them? xD
Cheers from Brazil, thanks for your videos and never quit this channel please.
I dont have money to donate or be a member but I try to help watching, puting a like and commenting always.
I like the 6L6 better in a full band mix but the EL34 better in the iso tracks and that's my experience in playing amps alone or with a band too. You think you have the perfect sound by yourself then it's completely lost with a loud drummer and you need that extra bite to show through with a bass and drummer. Thanks so much for the video.
To select one of these amps, I go back to your previous video where you boost blue channel of EL34 version. Turn out, boosting the blue channel make it tighter and clearer. So, my choice definitely is EL34 version particularly 50W version. From other video, I find out 100W version of this amp has flubby bottom end.
Both sound "better". It just comes down to personal preference and what genre one's playing. When that's said, my personal preference is the 6L6 version. Thank you for this comparison.
Great comparison! Both sound great.
I'd love to see a Engl Fireball 100 vs Fireball 25 video. \m/
And that's why I still love my original 50 Watt 6L6 - it can sound fendery clean and still kick most higain amps butt in blue and red channels. But I gotta say the EL34 red channel sounds a bit more widerange which is great to fill some missing space.
I prefer the 6L6 version across the board but the EL34 has some mojo no doubt. Another great review my dude!
I only have played the 6505 series of amps. This video has made me seriously wanting to try out these 50 watt heads.
Hey man, first off, great content/videos! you make it much easier for me to find the golden tone I am looking for. I own the 6l6 50 watt evh 5150 iii like in the video, and I love the versatility. I think the absolute best version would be the 6l6 with the red channel from the el34, but like you mentioned it is likely due to the tubes at that point. I use emg 81s so that makes up for the compression missing from the 6l6. Either way I play the 6l6 regularly at shows and it cuts through the mix like nobodies business! cheers.
Hi man, seems we have the same setup. One question, do you use a booster in front of the amp? If yes, what do you use?
@@slash91991 yup I use a Maxon od 808 in front of the amp for the blue channel only. The red doesn’t need it
I'd love to hear your experience on how close you can get the two amps to sound alike. Maybe a tight, modern boost for the EL34 to cover 6L6 tones. Great video as always!
I've owned both for awhile now, I always go back to the EL34.
I used to love 6L6s but as I've gotten older, I've grown to like the EL34s a lot more. Both are undeniable in the great contrasts they provide when tracking though. They're a lovely blend! If I had to have one, it would be the EL34 version though. I think you can get more out of it in terms of musical genres 👍🏼
I just got my el34 fully serviced. I bought it and it had issues, I am blown away how amazing the amp is. Its the perfect addition to the 6l6. Having both and a 5150/6505 gives you a plethora of high gain options. They all sound unique
I’m guessing you bought the 5150 used? What exactly was wrong with it? And I totally agree with you. I have a 6505+, 5150 III stealth 100w and an Engl Savage 120 mk2. I have just about every tone available to me. The 6505+ seems to do lower gain stuff better than the 5150 III. Maybe it’s the feel of the 6505+ Idk.
@@Hadouken5150 I think it’s a feel thing with 6505 vs 5150iii the 6505 also has this saturation thing while still tight that is just deofferent than the evh. When I got the el34 re finished they replaced burned out screen resistors and they biased my power tubes that I replaced.
@@mercilessforever well thats unfortunate man. The QC on all the EVH products needs to improve for sure. I haven’t had a single issue with mine, but there’s a ton of people on YT as well as forums that have had issues with their 5150s. Lots of dead on arrivals as well. So sad.
That t-shirt!! ROFL!!! Awesome. I also just noticed that one of your tattoos also says "never forget", hahahaha! :)
I believe in the intro you mean accompany not accommodate, great review, love these amps, especially the stealth
Oops :)
@@SonicDriveStudio its pretty minor man no worries lol :D
To my taste 6l6 version sounds better but I wouldn't mind having any of these two :D .
As always, great video. I was wondering : Can you compare the 6505mh with the 5150 lbx and lbx stealth ? (The 15 watts versions). I really enjoy the format of these amps, and the peavey/evh sound, but i dont know which one of these i prefer...
Personally if I was in the market for one of these I'd probably buy the stealth because it sorted a lot of the issues people had with either of these.
The tone in your voice is sounding more American too. great vid cheers
Great job , have you have probly heard of the c134 clip mod, a switch would be interesting on the el34.
I like the 6l6 more. Anyway, I want an ENGL- because of your channel!
Great video, I prefer the Blue channel on the 6L6 version.
I'm giving this vid a thumbs up soley in support of that shirt.
i have been eyeing th el34 for quite some time. this video makes me want the 6l6. what have you done !!!!
Great Vid.. Too bad the amp didn't work out for you. Any chance of getting and reviewing the Mesa Triple Crown 50 head?
OUTSTANDING video! Funny, I ordered the 6L6 and it blew up 2nd gig this past weekend. Sending it back. EL34 is on the way. Has anyone here tried swapping out the 1st gain stage 12AX7 with a 12AT7 to tame down the gain on CH 1-2?
I run your Tonex capture of the El34 50 watt through the effects loop of my 6505 combo and it's 🔥
I have the 6L6, I run a 10-band MXR EQ in the effects loop to tame some of the harsh upper mids. Blue channel is just gorgeous that way.
great video
I think a boss/mxr graphic equaliser pedal in the effects loop in either of them is a good idea.
Both smash hardcore without one. Great amps
Nice comparison! I would propably put my money on the EL34 version for the simple reason I liked the clean better. The difference on the red channel are to small to consider one over the other. As for the blue channel, if it's to loose, one can fix that with an OD :-)
The blue channel isn’t just loose. It’s EQ’d very differently. A boost doesn’t make it thaaaat much more modern. My “issue” with it was that when I EQ’d it to sound its best (to me) the clean channel didn’t sound anywhere near its best and vice versa. Since they share an EQ that was slightly annoying. But don’t take that to mean I didn’t like it-I did. It’s a really good amp. I had all 3 and decided to only keep two so the EL34 got sold, but I wouldn’t have been sad to keep it.
Great channel btw…
To sum it up to my ears:
- green channel : el34 darker/beefier (6l6 having little more higher freq brightness) but nothing the eq can’t fix to make them identical and get el34 more sparkly
- blue channel : el34 darker/beefier… same as previous comment. Eq tone control seem to require more high to tighten up tone
- red channel : copy/paste. 6l6 seems tighter (el34 requiring a pre-amp sd type of pedal).
For blue and red, i’d say you can’t loosen a too tight amp (6l6) but could with a sd/ts pedal with the el34 (if you’re willing to add cables and pedals in the chain)
Thanks greatly, you helped me choosing wich of the two I’d likely prefer :)
Next : soldano slo-30 test :)… I have one. Pls try to explain the ‘in the room’ feeling of tested amps as it inspires us differently in our “purchsases” ;)
@SonicDriveStudio have you got some loud noise on the Red Channel on the 6L6? I am not saying while playing, but in general! Thx
I've owned the EL34 50w since February 2022. I did a little research because I wanted to be happy with what I decided to go with and damn, I guess I nailed it lol. Love the Green and Red channels, the Blue is good for Rock, Blues, anything not metal. Granted I don't gig with it, but it's played almost daily. It is also loud AF, the master volume sits at about 0.8 on the dial and it still sounds amazing. My only complaint is there is a slight, very slight drop in volume when the FX Loop is turned on. I bought an EQ pedal so I could match up the level. GC had it on-sale when I picked mine up, was $1150! Thinking of picking up a Mesa Boogie Mark V 35, but don't really need it, we'll see.
Do the c137 mod the blue channel the nuts then
Another awesome review, with killer tunes that make listening fun! I would say neither if you had TWO that broke! Are they made like garbage?
I would love to hear them compared but with each one dialed in to the settings you like best for each amp and channel.
These amps sound good pretty much with everything at noon
You should demo and compare these to the black stealth. I think you'll definitely dig the Stealth
Any plans for the Stealth to makes it way to you? Thanks for your videos!
I wonder if lowering the resonance control on the EL34 version would tighten things up a bit and make it not so low-end heavy on the gain channels...
hey! new to the world of amps and recording, i’ve kinda just played on my starter amp for the last 4 years what’s the difference between isolated and not isolated?
Hey, I don't know if you ever answer questions but I have one that nobody has really tackled. As my name shows I'm an old school guy. I can't help but notice how GREAT all your videos and tones are. Even for amps I don't care for live. I've recently started the line 6 Helix thing. I see almost all of your demos use IRs and other processing. I've never got the tones live you do on either Helix/Amps when you do the demos. How much is processed? It just seems like it more the process you use than the amps or modeling effects. Just love to know how it's done. Thanks either way.
No processing! My sounds tend to be very simple.
Ive had the 6l6 for 3yrs and got the el34 today
Out of interest. How easy is the EL34 version to use at very low bedroom levels? Does it have one of those volume controls that leaps from 'off' to 'face melt' between 0 and 1 on the dial or is it useable? (I know its not going to sound its best but I don't really want to get the lunchbox version).
Im thinking about buying both of these amps, Is the wattage enough for live performance, I'm planning to gig a lot
The blue channel on the EL34 is just so blunted in comparison to the dynamic reactions of the 6L6. Have you thought about trying the C137 mod on the 34 to tighten up the blue?
So the white 5150 III is the exact same like the ones with the Fender logo? Or is there some difference?
6L6 version has quite a bit more bite. Really interesting demo.
Be cool to see a 5150 III 50W Head V 5150 III 50W Combo video.
How about a video where you compare EVH 5150 vs Peavey 6505? That would be interesting to see.
having played both, the el34 is a lot more fun to play and "feels" better, more well rounded and more powerful. but the 6l6 version definitely sits better in a mix.
In this particular mix with these particular settings (everything noon) the EL34 sits better in the mix imo, the 6L6 is a little too pokey here.
Line 6, if you're watching, an EL34 5150 in the Helix would be awesome
Nice video and good work. I personally like the 6L6 better because to my ears it sounds better in the mix and that's what matters to me. The EL34 is a bit muddy and darker compared to the 6L6. But it's a matter of taste and I choose 6L6 for myself.
What would happen if you swapped the tubes in each and re biased them?
Does anybody have tabs for the demonstration of the clean tones of the name of the piece? I have no clue if it was his own piece but it sounded awesome. Thanks!
On the combo they fitted an onboard attenuattor, wonder why not on the heads? Would have been the icing on the cake for me.
Question. I have the El34 50W version, love it, but the resonance knob seems to through me off. I play thrash, Megadeth, Metallica, Gojira, etc. Where would you leave the resonance knob?I can’t seem to find a spot where it doesn’t sound either to “boomy” or to “thin”.
FYI, I have done the C137 mod.
Just turn it until you think it sounds good. Resonance goes hand in hand with the bass knob. You have to turn both.
What cabinet and mic have been used for this video?
Love the 6L6!!
Please send tabs for the Blue Channel Comparison! :-) Or what's the song name?
I've always been an el34 guy but after this video I'm not sure anymore. I preferred the 6l6 in every comparison, and I never thought I'd say that.
@SonicDriveStudio What were the resonance knobs set at? No one ever mentions them. Thanks.
12 o clock
@@SonicDriveStudio thanks! I've been having some issues with boominess and buzzy, harsh top end, so I'm trying to duplicate someone else's methods to see how I can apply that to my situation.
Come for comparison, Stay for playing.
Again, I have the Stealth, and I thought it was the only one with a resonance control. Guess I was wrong. I would've bought the white one. I got black and white 2x12 EVH cabs for it. I like the green and red channels. Blue is a bit prickly to me. The red channel is more "creamy."
ive only used a el34 amp once i owned a peavey JSX 100W El34 and i loved it.
I now own the 50W 5150 III combo i wanna get the 50W head with the upgraded pots or the El34 version.
Im not sure if its just me but the combo vs the 50w head dont seem as good or is that just me????
Does the power of these 50 watts amps, could be enough for room playing and rehearsals with my band?
I think so, yes
Erm... I never do this but, first!!! 😬😂 Strapping in, am a massive fan of EL34 so this’ll be really interesting
Tough choice.... think I need both ;-)
When amps are this close I feel like the smallest of tone tweaking would make them nearly impossible to distinguish between. But I could be wrong.
Well, the blue channel is very different imho
@GinoGenero 100% agree. I have the El34 version… and I push mids a bit and use an OD to pull a bit of that low end girth out for my live band mixes. I find my sound really closely resembles the 6l6 version as a result. They’re very close
And then I tweak the red channel eq a bit to match the vibe of the blue channel so that it isn’t so obviously different
I also run the global presence at closer to 12:30-1 o’clock. Opens up the amp as well :)
@@tattooguy413 I know the effort was to highlight the differences between pwr tubes, but just as you did, if you do the opposite and try to match characteristics using the tools you describe, I personally wouldn't be able to pick which is which. No matter though, it's just a great sounding amp.
I love the 6L6 best…my kind of crunch!
I like the 6L6 more for every channel. Why? I think it sits cleaner and more contundent on the mix. Though it's true the el34 has that bouncy attack you can't get with the 6L6 and maybe just tweaking the gain, volume and EQ you can maybe get closer to the 6L6. Blue and red channel parts put me to sing, my kind of stuff. Loved it!
That 6L6 version sounds monstrous on every channel. Much tighter than the EL34 version. Cuts through the mix better also.
EL34... though I did like the 6L6 clean tones a lot.
But I’ve been playing an EL34 powered amp for over 30 years... so it probably shouldn’t be a surprise which way I lean.