Both sound fantastic. What is awesome about these EVH amps is that yes they can do metal tones all day long- but the clean tone (after all, the amps are manufactured by Fender) is also fantastic. Extremely versatile- can hang with Mesa, Friedman, Marshall, Bogner- and at a reasonable price tag.
Perfect comparison. Most just want to show how metal an amp can get, but you also want to know how classic the amp can sound when playing blues, or classic 70's and 80's rock. These companies would sell way more amps if they'd show how to get AC/DC to ZZ tops tones out of their amps instead of the abrasive metal tones all the time, JMHO,.....
Most thoughfully presented and best comparrison video I have seen ever, well done, that snappy bite with the 34s is amazing, even on iPad speakers. Thinking I will wait for the EL34 amp to be available.
@@peterschaefer1665 ok but the Stealth was made with more gain. You simply have to turn down the gain. 2 o'clock on a Marshall is pretty toasty as well. Rockinchippy just had to dial back the gain and turn up the master to balance the volumes. Both amps sound good green and blue but the red channel on the stealth destroys the EL34 What blew me away was the sound of the Green channel on the stealth with everything dimed. Roll back the volume to clean it up. Just found a used Stealth at a great price. Thanks for the video comarison
My two cents- 12AY7 in V1, V2, and V4 of the Stealth. Can still do molten gain all day long, but the whole amp is far more usable and the cleans clean up if you want them to. Love the channel 'Chippy!
@@jroc6166 I had a chat with the designer of the amp a few years ago, Howard Kaplan, specifically asking about how to simmer down the gain. He told me to *not* use 12AT7's. He recommended 12AY7's or 12AU7's. I didn't ask why regarding the 12AT7. My basic understanding is that the 12AT7 is better suited to stages that serve reverb and vibrato, like in a Deluxe Reverb, not so much for gain stages. For some reason "the internet" has latched on to the idea that the 12AT7 is the go-to gain reduction tube (I thought so too for a long time) but there are other options. A 5751 might be a good choice as well. Either way, have fun!
Thank for the video Alex. The Clean is great on the EL34 for sure. The Blue and Red channels are actually closer than I thought. I would have to go EL34 if I had to choose. However, that pushed green channel on the Stealth is amazing for what it is. 👍🏼
Great comparison, thanks for doing this. I’ve only owned the 50w versions of these (6L6 & EL34), but you’re making me want to try the 100w versions. They both sound great, but I Prefer the stealth.
I may be in the market for one of these two amps. So glad I stumbled onto your video, Alex. Everyone else is djent’ -ing the crap out of these amps and I can’t get the feel. You nailed what I needed to hear!
Best comparison by far between the two. Was thinking of going after the EL34, but you changed my mind with the full Plexi example and slightly more edge of the 6L6.
Played Stealth and EL34 50w in guitar center today. I actually liked the EL34 a bit better. Sounded deeper/fuller with more tone. Stealth sounded snappier and a bit more clear, but I felt it was missing some of the mid to low end. Both sounded great but I think the EL34 is maybe a more well rounded amp with more tones. The blue channel on El34 was a little less clear but it didnt sound bad by any means. It would sound perfect if you were playing some Deftones or something like that. Anyway I think I might be ready pull the trigger on an EL34. Been listening to a lot of videos doing a bunch of research. Thanks for the great comparison vid!
I feel like the EL34 has more of a soundscape in the high gain setting. I was hearing a little bit tighter sound with the 6l6. Regardless they both sound absolutely amazing.
Thank you for playing some EVH on EVH ;) so many other demo vids are just doing extreme and other genres that I'm just into (or maybe listening, but not playing). And I like the delay/reverb effects because I use them 95% of the time, haha. Good stuff. Thanks!
Today I have received my new stealth 100. I like this better than standard version. I use this with matching cabinet from Evh. First: clean channel with Strat or split pickup is very good! Maybe not too much headroom in comparison with second and third channel, but very surprised about this! Second channel is better for me ( less vintage). Third channel is very good. In general I like the depth on the rear... for me a very good amp like the original but with some different sounds. Maybe too much compression but in line with the type of amp. I hope this will help some of you. Dave
Great video, thanks for the comparison. To my ears, the EL34s are a tad bit punchier with a little more girth. The 6L6s are silkier and smoother. I love them both equally, but I like the look of the 6L6 Stealth better. Not a fan of the gold they used in the EL34 model. Both are killer amps for the money.
Great video man. Always wished you vids were longer because they are so good. I'm real close to buying the 6l6 stealth. I'm super excited that james brown is now the head designer at evh.
As for the Green channel the schematic shows on the 100S 6L6 is more like a hot rodded black face Bassman with the normal Fender tone stack EQ. Blue is most definitely formulated from the Bogner XTC there's no doubt about that but the Treble taper is Linear and not Audio tapers like the XTC. Red channel is SLO all the way but with a tad less bass in the preamp and with an extra gain stage compressing it more. Again this is all according the the Fender EVH schematic 100S 6L6 version. EL34 schematic isn't available to the public yet. They are fantastic amps and I've owned and still own a hell of a lot in the last 22 years.
Definitely el34 has more of that British feel, both are amazing but I'm glad you uploaded this video, 99% of the vids of this amps (specially the Stealth) just play way over the top on riffs with too much gain, and this amps you don't need it, I had the first evh 5150 3 and I played metal with gain on almost 3. Great video and comparison man!.
Thanks for posting this video. I’ve always wanted to hear these amps side by side. Just purchased the EL34 model and should be here today. Very excited about getting it. Love when you cranked the green channel. These are really do all amps! Again thanks 👍
Have owned both…kept the stealth. I just find it to be slightly clearer and brighter sounding. The el34 was a bit darker and maybe a touch fuller sounding, but I thought they sounded damn near the same and the el34 sells for more used. The 6l6 I can get clean by lowering the gain to less than one and compensating with volume knob.
Great comparison demo brother! Thanks for sharing. This just reminds me how great they both sound and to my surprise how close they sound to each other. At the end of the day you can't go wrong with either. Happy New year and hope all is well!
EVH never liked a channel that was clean with volume up. He always wanted crunch or heavy gain with it up, but clean with it down. You'd think volume down equals quiet. Nope, equals clean. When you match one of his guitars with his pickups and pots, it all works perfect. Guitars with P-90s naturally work the same and sound awesome too. Fairly certain he almost never used green channel...why he didn't care about the volume jump flaw.
I hear that. I was set on the 6l6 at first but the more I listened to videos the el34 just sounded better for my style of music. You really can’t go wrong with either though. Great stuff!
I own the 100 watt stealth, I must say if you pull the Gain knob back it can clean up rather well. In this video it appears to be at almost 1 o'clock, pull it back a bunch and you might find a more satisfying result. Blue and Red channel I prefer the stealth as well.
Great comparison man! Although I've had other reasons why I bought mine, I bought the Stealth 6l6 100w and my friend just bought the EL34 100w! We agreed that our tones and playing style would blend better with the different heads!
Thanks for the video. Great comparison. I went with the EL34 version. For me a 3 channel amp should have a proper clean channel and I like the bite of the blue and red channels. All my other amps use EL34s and its what I am use to.
I think they are both Stealth, but one is 6L6 and one EL34. I love and prefer your “in room” clips over recordings but your your recordings are great also well. In room always captures “the amps sound” better to me. EL34 EVH has a bit more mods. Both sound great! I didn’t like the 50w EL34 in the blue channel at all when I played it, but you make this 100w sound amazing. Shit, is this mic’d??? Maybe it’s not in room. Regardless, this is one of my fave vids you’ve done! You’re a great player. Thanks for sharing with us!!
I think in room clips are great but not very helpful when you are trying to really hear something under a microscope. I was using the Boss Waza TAE for this comparison. Thanks for watching 🤘🏻
I just cant stop thinking both of these are just great, perfect, perhaps, the best. I am not trying to be a fanboy here. But the sound is just too good in both. It is different but neither of these is better or worse. It should be something depending on your mood, or what you want to play. The 6l6 is more cold and clean and bright, el34 is has a punchier low and mid and is like a bitchslap to you when you are having a hangover. It is just impossible to make a wrong choice here. It is almost like choosing a color, neither of the colours we see is best or worst, it is all about using them, combining them, playing with them. This is what is called being creative. Music is an art, and any sort of art can be done with any sort of instrument. And when it comes to instruments, these two are just ridiculously good.
I have been searching out the MK III 6L6 vs the MK III EL34 couldn't find one so......... I had the 6L6 already and just picked up the EL34, Love them both. The EL34 so far is winning in the pristine clean, (a little more sparkly).
The EL-34 version is far more versatile and has more dynamic range in tones. Not to mention it's the only version of the 5150 with a decent clean channel. The 6L6's are more one-trick-pony's and just have the good gain channels but the EL-34 doesn't sacrifice any of that either. With simple EQ changes and pedals, you can make the EL-34 sound like any amp you want it to be, it's just so much more responsive to EQ. Whenever I had the 6L6 5150's, I always felt stuck in a box with tones but now that I have the EL-34, everything has opened up and possibilities in tones are just endless. Whatever kind of tone you need, the EL-34 version has it. I have no problems saying it's the best version of the 5150. Just the only thing with Fender/EVH is the quality control is awful and only getting worse from what I hear these days so the moment you get a 5150 shipped to your door, replace all the tubes with higher quality ones and give it a once-over for any poor solder joints and anything else that looks wrong with the electronics. If you can't do that yourself then take it to a reputable tech to do it for you. It'll save you agony later on, trust me.
The one and only thing I wish evh did with their amps is add a master volume. The sound amazing but my god are they loud. Yes they have the lbx and 50 watt but you don’t get the same tone as the big 100 watts
Randall probably removed a tube just to mess with you. Totally kidding ! I think it lacks the head room for pristine clean that most people prefer. Not sure why they made the channels different.
It can definitely be done. I set the gain to legit like less than 1 lol just enough to get it going and then compensate with volume. Can easily get a gig volume pristine clean with how much volume and headroom this amp has. You just have to set the gain comically low. Which is fine.
Awesome video!!! I had the 50 watt 6L6 and it always sounded kinda "hollow/slightly scooped" but brighter in the top end. This video nicely illustrates the fullness of the mids of the EL34. Thank you for showing the capabilities of this amp cleaning up on the red channel, great playing too!
100% correct … I have thw 6L6 50W and I just played an EL34 and the EL33 kills the 6L6 … much better cleans that are punchy and thump … blue channel has much more lower end punch … red channels are both similar
The 50 watts are quite a bit different. The 100 watt 6l6 and el34 are a lot closer. The 100 watt stealth has alot more low end than the 50 watt, and the el34 100’s blue channel is not nearly as flubby as the 50 watt version.
I liked the cleans on the EL34. How would you compare them to say a Mark V, a Lonestar or a good Fender clean? Also, did they fix the volume discrepancies between channel 1 and channel 2 that the older amps had. I heard that's a thing with the 50-watt versions that the 100-watter didn't have. I'm trying to decide between this, a Mark V:25/35 and a Friedman JJ Jr.
Great video, thanks for doing this! I’ve just got the new EL34 1x12 Combo, and the clean isn’t as clean as your 100w head. Great amp though, really pleased with it :-)
@@PK22-b7v I ended up swapping out the tube in V1 for a 12au7, and it now sounds incredible with the gain turned to 3 o’clock - nice and fat, just on the edge of breakup with single coils. I’d recommend this to anyone else who had the same problem!
I've owned 5 el34 amps, sold them all. I currently own 3 tube amps, that I would NEVER sell. They are all 6l6..... Not on purpose. I guess I just prefer the 6l6 sound. Always thought el34 was to flubby, and something a grandpa would play. They just aren't tight enough
The EL-34 sounds flubby at low volumes, you gotta crank 'em to really get the full sound out of it and hear how fast that flubbiness tightens up and goes away when cranked louder and sounds even better than the 6L6's. That goes for any amp really, the louder you crank them the better they sound. Or just get an EQ pedal and take the flubbiness out when playing at low volumes which is what I do with my EL-34 and use an attenuator so I can crank it high without annoying my whole neighborhood.
Just a piece of advice: please make sure you are loud enough next time. In this video you are heard as like whispering compared to how the guitar is loud. :)
There has to be a mod for the Stealth. The 50 watt version fixes the clean channel. I just ordered a stealth 100... Having trouble finding info to fix that clean.. But the plexi Easter egg is pretty cool beans.. However, I'm not sure how much I'll use it. I actually didn't get this amp for evh type music, but more modern stuff.. My block has trwted me well for a lifetime, but needed something more flexible.. Looks like I opened a can of worms though! Need those mods! Oh yeah.. The 50 watt also changes something about the blue channel, but the stwrkest contrast is the green of course.
Hey man, I'm also trying to choose. What made you go for the 6L6? Did you get a chance to play the EL34 version? Are you happy with your decision to get the 6L6?
I tried a 50w EL34 @ GC once, it rocked but to my ears and feel it didn’t have that umph I needed to hear. With a 6L6 I got what I wanted. I’m not a “clean” guitar type. I want dirt, fizz, growl all the time. The stealth for me offered that. Rebias the “cold” setting from the factory. Put a Tungsol 12ax7 in V1, GT ECC83-S in V2 and a JJ 12ax7 in V4 everything else preamp is stock. Run Celestion V30 & Creamback 75 into 212 combo and it rips.
I think they both sound amazing....I have the 6L6 50 watt version of these amps....Just got the Waza TAE a few weeks ago to go with it...best sound I have ever had...I may have to check out the el-34 next....Hard to beat these amps...Great video..Thanks!!
Roll back the gain on green channel and put volume high. More cleaner sound (especially on the stealth). I do the same on my EVH 5150 III 50 6l6 =) good vid!
Hi, great video and exactly what I was looking for! Think Im gunna get both, but maybe get the stealth first. I had the el34 50 watt and hated the blue channel, but then I got the 50 watt 6l6 and that is an amp I will never get rid of. can you please tell me what you used to AB these amps? this is how to do an amp comparison properly :)
@@rockinchippy thank you so much....Ive been searching for an AB pedal for ages, but couldnt find one that carried over the effects loop! also was looking for a comparison on these 2 amps....today I found both things I was looking for thanks to your video....thanks again! :) you have got my sub mate
I own it and you definitely can. Just have to turn the gain to like 1 or less and compensate with volume. I strummed hard with a Les Paul custom neck humbucker and no breakup. And LOUD. Just requires extreme settings on the gain knob.
I would like to tweak the stealth to get rid of the upper bass tubby compressed sound. It's either the treble or presence it needs. Would like to hear either with a 4x12 with EVM speakers.
It sounds like you use a chorus pedal on the green channel or clean channel from both amps, is hard to judge the clean channel if a pedal is added, just saying bro, however I like your review of these two beasts of amps bro.
hmm i think the bottom end on the 6l6 is cleaner imo both are sick. and has that marshall plexi dna but damn i want a stealth head so bad i have the original 5150 and love it but it has a crazy amount of bottom end and i dont like adding external eq and overdrive. but damn that 6l6 sounds badass with that reverb and delay however i think the el-34 has a smoother clean tone. but love both. but i like the 6l6 better. i think its the best amp out there for rock and metal.
I know this was a couple years ago, but how would you compare the evh 5150 III 's to something like the Suhr PT100? I've owned a PT100 and wish I had kept it, but I've been looking at EVH recently. Thanks
There’s two versions of the PT100 but Suhr amps and EVH amps are so different that it’s a little difficult to compare. I’ll leave you this little nugget: I owned both versions of the PT100, sold them both. I have both versions of the 5150iiiS and will never sell them.
Have you ever tried blending these two amps together? Not necessarily a wet/dry setup (although that would be sick) but just both amps going into 2 separate cabs and see how they complement each other? I know it probably wouldn’t work on the green channel lol but I’d love to hear what it sounds like with both amps together on the blue and red channels!
Both sound fantastic. What is awesome about these EVH amps is that yes they can do metal tones all day long- but the clean tone (after all, the amps are manufactured by Fender) is also fantastic. Extremely versatile- can hang with Mesa, Friedman, Marshall, Bogner- and at a reasonable price tag.
Perfect comparison.
Most just want to show how metal an amp can get, but you also want to know how classic the amp can sound when playing blues, or classic 70's and 80's rock. These companies would sell way more amps if they'd show how to get AC/DC to ZZ tops tones out of their amps instead of the abrasive metal tones all the time,
JMHO,.....
Yep. Spot on. I wanna here something more actual EVH 90s tone, or something jazzed up. Not just straight chugging.
I want the chugs haha
Most thoughfully presented and best comparrison video I have seen ever, well done, that snappy bite with the 34s is amazing, even on iPad speakers. Thinking I will wait for the EL34 amp to be available.
Man says the 6L6 doesn’t have a clean channel but he got the gain at 2:00😂
The point is that they are set the same way and one is squeaky clean.
@@peterschaefer1665 ok but the Stealth was made with more gain. You simply have to turn down the gain. 2 o'clock on a Marshall is pretty toasty as well. Rockinchippy just had to dial back the gain and turn up the master to balance the volumes. Both amps sound good green and blue but the red channel on the stealth destroys the EL34
What blew me away was the sound of the Green channel on the stealth with everything dimed. Roll back the volume to clean it up. Just found a used Stealth at a great price. Thanks for the video comarison
Red channel on the stealth blows away the EL 34 amplifier…
@@mikescotch8894 They're both "Stealths", though.
Who buys any 5150 for cleans? LOL. I could care less. But, mine does a great clean and I own amps that do clean as their specialty.
My two cents- 12AY7 in V1, V2, and V4 of the Stealth. Can still do molten gain all day long, but the whole amp is far more usable and the cleans clean up if you want them to. Love the channel 'Chippy!
Getting my Stealth back today. May try a 12at7 to tame the clean channel a bit.
@@jroc6166 I had a chat with the designer of the amp a few years ago, Howard Kaplan, specifically asking about how to simmer down the gain. He told me to *not* use 12AT7's. He recommended 12AY7's or 12AU7's. I didn't ask why regarding the 12AT7. My basic understanding is that the 12AT7 is better suited to stages that serve reverb and vibrato, like in a Deluxe Reverb, not so much for gain stages. For some reason "the internet" has latched on to the idea that the 12AT7 is the go-to gain reduction tube (I thought so too for a long time) but there are other options. A 5751 might be a good choice as well. Either way, have fun!
Thank for the video Alex. The Clean is great on the EL34 for sure. The Blue and Red channels are actually closer than I thought. I would have to go EL34 if I had to choose. However, that pushed green channel on the Stealth is amazing for what it is. 👍🏼
I do prefer the EL34 but for Balance tones it’s hard to beat the 6L6.
Yes bud! Thanks for posting. If I had to choose, I'd go EL34 but both sound great.
Thanks for watching Zach
Great comparison, thanks for doing this. I’ve only owned the 50w versions of these (6L6 & EL34), but you’re making me want to try the 100w versions. They both sound great, but I Prefer the stealth.
which one did you prefer? I currently have the Stealth 50 watt but I feel myself feeling fomo
I may be in the market for one of these two amps.
So glad I stumbled onto your video, Alex. Everyone else is djent’ -ing the crap out of these amps and I can’t get the feel.
You nailed what I needed to hear!
Thanks brother
Best comparison by far between the two. Was thinking of going after the EL34, but you changed my mind with the full Plexi example and slightly more edge of the 6L6.
Dammit...came here to decide which I liked best. Left wanting both. DAMN YOU CHIPPY!!! 😤
I bought El 34. sounds to me abit punchier
Played Stealth and EL34 50w in guitar center today. I actually liked the EL34 a bit better. Sounded deeper/fuller with more tone. Stealth sounded snappier and a bit more clear, but I felt it was missing some of the mid to low end. Both sounded great but I think the EL34 is maybe a more well rounded amp with more tones. The blue channel on El34 was a little less clear but it didnt sound bad by any means. It would sound perfect if you were playing some Deftones or something like that. Anyway I think I might be ready pull the trigger on an EL34. Been listening to a lot of videos doing a bunch of research. Thanks for the great comparison vid!
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i’m buying a 5150 for Deftones style metal so that comment just solidified it for me haha
I feel like the EL34 has more of a soundscape in the high gain setting. I was hearing a little bit tighter sound with the 6l6. Regardless they both sound absolutely amazing.
Couldn’t agree more. I think the el34 is great for down-tuned stuff. It just seems to come alive more. But you’re right they both kickass!
Thank you for playing some EVH on EVH ;) so many other demo vids are just doing extreme and other genres that I'm just into (or maybe listening, but not playing). And I like the delay/reverb effects because I use them 95% of the time, haha. Good stuff. Thanks!
Same here 👍🏻
Great comparison, though personally I would have preferred without the delay / reverb to really hear what's going on. Cheers!
I second that. Differences would have been much clearer...
Really? Delay and reverb don't change the tone.
Meh, I like hearing it in a real world kinda setting that it would be being used in🤘🎸
Disagree…most people are gonna play clean with some verb. Would rather hear it this way.
Disagree but the effects were good to play Van Halen riffs. However, to get a good perception…. purely clean would be good.
If they can take the green on the el34 and add that to the stealth to make the stealth a 4 channel amp...oh yeah !!!
Both are sweet though.
Today I have received my new stealth 100. I like this better than standard version. I use this with matching cabinet from Evh. First: clean channel with Strat or split pickup is very good! Maybe not too much headroom in comparison with second and third channel, but very surprised about this! Second channel is better for me ( less vintage). Third channel is very good. In general I like the depth on the rear... for me a very good amp like the original but with some different sounds. Maybe too much compression but in line with the type of amp. I hope this will help some of you. Dave
Great video, thanks for the comparison. To my ears, the EL34s are a tad bit punchier with a little more girth. The 6L6s are silkier and smoother. I love them both equally, but I like the look of the 6L6 Stealth better. Not a fan of the gold they used in the EL34 model. Both are killer amps for the money.
agree in fact for bang buck the EVH amps are great value.
Would love to see the 6L6 VS EL34 50 watt versions
I own the El34 212 combo.
I love it. Its mean and clear.
The stealth is 6L6.
Stealth sounds better, I saw a review of these two.
Great video man. Always wished you vids were longer because they are so good. I'm real close to buying the 6l6 stealth. I'm super excited that james brown is now the head designer at evh.
I was lucky enough run into him this week at NaMM and I got to ask him all these geeky questions... he’s really nice !
Prefer the look and sound of the EL34 amp head. The stealth is cool being all black, but white/black and gold are my favorite color combos
As for the Green channel the schematic shows on the 100S 6L6 is more like a hot rodded black face Bassman with the normal Fender tone stack EQ. Blue is most definitely formulated from the Bogner XTC there's no doubt about that but the Treble taper is Linear and not Audio tapers like the XTC. Red channel is SLO all the way but with a tad less bass in the preamp and with an extra gain stage compressing it more. Again this is all according the the Fender EVH schematic 100S 6L6 version. EL34 schematic isn't available to the public yet. They are fantastic amps and I've owned and still own a hell of a lot in the last 22 years.
Definitely el34 has more of that British feel, both are amazing but I'm glad you uploaded this video, 99% of the vids of this amps (specially the Stealth) just play way over the top on riffs with too much gain, and this amps you don't need it, I had the first evh 5150 3 and I played metal with gain on almost 3. Great video and comparison man!.
Thank you !
Thanks for posting this video. I’ve always wanted to hear these amps side by side. Just purchased the EL34 model and should be here today. Very excited about getting it. Love when you cranked the green channel. These are really do all amps! Again thanks 👍
Have owned both…kept the stealth. I just find it to be slightly clearer and brighter sounding. The el34 was a bit darker and maybe a touch fuller sounding, but I thought they sounded damn near the same and the el34 sells for more used. The 6l6 I can get clean by lowering the gain to less than one and compensating with volume knob.
Great comparison demo brother! Thanks for sharing. This just reminds me how great they both sound and to my surprise how close they sound to each other. At the end of the day you can't go wrong with either. Happy New year and hope all is well!
EVH never liked a channel that was clean with volume up. He always wanted crunch or heavy gain with it up, but clean with it down. You'd think volume down equals quiet. Nope, equals clean. When you match one of his guitars with his pickups and pots, it all works perfect. Guitars with P-90s naturally work the same and sound awesome too.
Fairly certain he almost never used green channel...why he didn't care about the volume jump flaw.
Man after this review I'm really torn between the two. The 6L6 is like you say creamier while the 34 is more crisp.
I hear that. I was set on the 6l6 at first but the more I listened to videos the el34 just sounded better for my style of music. You really can’t go wrong with either though. Great stuff!
@@ambrooks5 I ended getting both mostly cause I'm a gear whore but I love the tones both these amps offer.
I own the 100 watt stealth, I must say if you pull the Gain knob back it can clean up rather well. In this video it appears to be at almost 1 o'clock, pull it back a bunch and you might find a more satisfying result. Blue and Red channel I prefer the stealth as well.
Great comparison man! Although I've had other reasons why I bought mine, I bought the Stealth 6l6 100w and my friend just bought the EL34 100w! We agreed that our tones and playing style would blend better with the different heads!
It’s hard to choose because they are both awesome
Thanks for the video. Great comparison. I went with the EL34 version. For me a 3 channel amp should have a proper clean channel and I like the bite of the blue and red channels. All my other amps use EL34s and its what I am use to.
I think they are both Stealth, but one is 6L6 and one EL34. I love and prefer your “in room” clips over recordings but your your recordings are great also well. In room always captures “the amps sound” better to me. EL34 EVH has a bit more mods. Both sound great! I didn’t like the 50w EL34 in the blue channel at all when I played it, but you make this 100w sound amazing. Shit, is this mic’d??? Maybe it’s not in room. Regardless, this is one of my fave vids you’ve done! You’re a great player. Thanks for sharing with us!!
I think in room clips are great but not very helpful when you are trying to really hear something under a microscope. I was using the Boss Waza TAE for this comparison. Thanks for watching 🤘🏻
I just cant stop thinking both of these are just great, perfect, perhaps, the best. I am not trying to be a fanboy here. But the sound is just too good in both. It is different but neither of these is better or worse. It should be something depending on your mood, or what you want to play. The 6l6 is more cold and clean and bright, el34 is has a punchier low and mid and is like a bitchslap to you when you are having a hangover. It is just impossible to make a wrong choice here. It is almost like choosing a color, neither of the colours we see is best or worst, it is all about using them, combining them, playing with them. This is what is called being creative. Music is an art, and any sort of art can be done with any sort of instrument. And when it comes to instruments, these two are just ridiculously good.
Agreed. Two awesome flavors.
This is fantastic; everything a comparison video should be. Count me a new subscriber. Thanks to you, I’ve decided to go with the 5150 IIIS EL34.
I like the clarity of the EL34 gain but I would rather have the Stealth green channel that is broken up more because I never use a clean channel ever.
That broken up green on the stealth is pure magic.
I like that channel too. Sounds like a good ac/dc channel
I have been searching out the MK III 6L6 vs the MK III EL34 couldn't find one so......... I had the 6L6 already and just picked up the EL34, Love them both. The EL34 so far is winning in the pristine clean, (a little more sparkly).
The EL-34 version is far more versatile and has more dynamic range in tones. Not to mention it's the only version of the 5150 with a decent clean channel. The 6L6's are more one-trick-pony's and just have the good gain channels but the EL-34 doesn't sacrifice any of that either. With simple EQ changes and pedals, you can make the EL-34 sound like any amp you want it to be, it's just so much more responsive to EQ. Whenever I had the 6L6 5150's, I always felt stuck in a box with tones but now that I have the EL-34, everything has opened up and possibilities in tones are just endless. Whatever kind of tone you need, the EL-34 version has it. I have no problems saying it's the best version of the 5150.
Just the only thing with Fender/EVH is the quality control is awful and only getting worse from what I hear these days so the moment you get a 5150 shipped to your door, replace all the tubes with higher quality ones and give it a once-over for any poor solder joints and anything else that looks wrong with the electronics. If you can't do that yourself then take it to a reputable tech to do it for you. It'll save you agony later on, trust me.
The one and only thing I wish evh did with their amps is add a master volume. The sound amazing but my god are they loud. Yes they have the lbx and 50 watt but you don’t get the same tone as the big 100 watts
Yes it’s a good idea to use a fryette power station or boss Waza to get the most out loud amps.
I demoed both amps today at Chondro guitars. You can absolutely get a pure clean sound out of the Stealth. Not chimney clean like the EL34 but clean.
Randall probably removed a tube just to mess with you. Totally kidding ! I think it lacks the head room for pristine clean that most people prefer. Not sure why they made the channels different.
It can definitely be done. I set the gain to legit like less than 1 lol just enough to get it going and then compensate with volume. Can easily get a gig volume pristine clean with how much volume and headroom this amp has. You just have to set the gain comically low. Which is fine.
My gosh they both sound amazing.
You can also remove the capacitor in the el34 to give it more mids to sound like stealth.
I think that’s only the 50watt
wow that green channel on the Stealth!! you know Im thinking the Stealth has that 'bottom end' that im liking alot
The EL34 actually has much more punch and bottom end in a room setting
Awesome video!!! I had the 50 watt 6L6 and it always sounded kinda "hollow/slightly scooped" but brighter in the top end. This video nicely illustrates the fullness of the mids of the EL34. Thank you for showing the capabilities of this amp cleaning up on the red channel, great playing too!
100% correct … I have thw 6L6 50W and I just played an EL34 and the EL33 kills the 6L6 … much better cleans that are punchy and thump … blue channel has much more lower end punch … red channels are both similar
The 50 watts are quite a bit different. The 100 watt 6l6 and el34 are a lot closer. The 100 watt stealth has alot more low end than the 50 watt, and the el34 100’s blue channel is not nearly as flubby as the 50 watt version.
34 sounds better to me. So I'll guess I'll have to buy that one. Thanks for the review. I was having a hard time choosing.
Would love to hear it without the delays and such
Would just like to say thank you for not playing drop tuned riffs and actually playing some Van Halen through an EVH lol sounds killer dude!
Awesome demo just found this video shame on me!If I had the money I’d take both they sound killer!!Rock on 🤟🏻
I liked the cleans on the EL34. How would you compare them to say a Mark V, a Lonestar or a good Fender clean? Also, did they fix the volume discrepancies between channel 1 and channel 2 that the older amps had. I heard that's a thing with the 50-watt versions that the 100-watter didn't have. I'm trying to decide between this, a Mark V:25/35 and a Friedman JJ Jr.
Great video, thanks for doing this!
I’ve just got the new EL34 1x12 Combo, and the clean isn’t as clean as your 100w head. Great amp though, really pleased with it :-)
Put it through a 2x12 cab with higher wattage speakers (eg 2 x V30’s) and the clean will be punchy, fat and very clean with gain at 12 o’clock
@@PK22-b7v I ended up swapping out the tube in V1 for a 12au7, and it now sounds incredible with the gain turned to 3 o’clock - nice and fat, just on the edge of breakup with single coils. I’d recommend this to anyone else who had the same problem!
I've owned 5 el34 amps, sold them all. I currently own 3 tube amps, that I would NEVER sell. They are all 6l6..... Not on purpose. I guess I just prefer the 6l6 sound. Always thought el34 was to flubby, and something a grandpa would play. They just aren't tight enough
Do you drop tune? What tuning?
6l6 is usually the jam for drop tuning.
@@XChristianNoirX no. I stay in E standard
The EL-34 sounds flubby at low volumes, you gotta crank 'em to really get the full sound out of it and hear how fast that flubbiness tightens up and goes away when cranked louder and sounds even better than the 6L6's. That goes for any amp really, the louder you crank them the better they sound.
Or just get an EQ pedal and take the flubbiness out when playing at low volumes which is what I do with my EL-34 and use an attenuator so I can crank it high without annoying my whole neighborhood.
Can't go wrong with either one but damn that el34 has bite!!!
The EL34 clearly sounds tighter. I’ve been trying to decide which 1 of these to grab. I was set on the stealth but I don’t know now haha
I have the EL34 and am selling my og 6L6 now because I just love the el34 so much never thought I’d ever sell it
Just a piece of advice: please make sure you are loud enough next time. In this video you are heard as like whispering compared to how the guitar is loud. :)
This was a great comparison….thank you !
There has to be a mod for the Stealth. The 50 watt version fixes the clean channel. I just ordered a stealth 100... Having trouble finding info to fix that clean.. But the plexi Easter egg is pretty cool beans.. However, I'm not sure how much I'll use it. I actually didn't get this amp for evh type music, but more modern stuff.. My block has trwted me well for a lifetime, but needed something more flexible.. Looks like I opened a can of worms though! Need those mods!
Oh yeah.. The 50 watt also changes something about the blue channel, but the stwrkest contrast is the green of course.
6l6 sharper sounding. el34 warmer sounding. both will do great for those 80ts metal tones.
A musicians Sophie’s choice but I ended up going with the Stealth 6L6GC
Hey man, I'm also trying to choose. What made you go for the 6L6? Did you get a chance to play the EL34 version? Are you happy with your decision to get the 6L6?
I tried a 50w EL34 @ GC once, it rocked but to my ears and feel it didn’t have that umph I needed to hear. With a 6L6 I got what I wanted. I’m not a “clean” guitar type. I want dirt, fizz, growl all the time. The stealth for me offered that. Rebias the “cold” setting from the factory. Put a Tungsol 12ax7 in V1, GT ECC83-S in V2 and a JJ 12ax7 in V4 everything else preamp is stock. Run Celestion V30 & Creamback 75 into 212 combo and it rips.
I think they both sound amazing....I have the 6L6 50 watt version of these amps....Just got the Waza TAE a few weeks ago to go with it...best sound I have ever had...I may have to check out the el-34 next....Hard to beat these amps...Great video..Thanks!!
you rock brother! thanks for this. Im lookin at the new 50 watt version. sounds like it would be creamier than the EL I already have.
I'm Lovin The EL34 !!
The answer is simple... you need them both.
What FX are you Using dude. Sounds Great.
SDE3000 delay that is built into the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander thx
Roll back the gain on green channel and put volume high. More cleaner sound (especially on the stealth). I do the same on my EVH 5150 III 50 6l6 =) good vid!
Apples and oranges........they both sound great
I have the el34 very nice but leaning toward the stealth for sure
Hi, great video and exactly what I was looking for! Think Im gunna get both, but maybe get the stealth first. I had the el34 50 watt and hated the blue channel, but then I got the 50 watt 6l6 and that is an amp I will never get rid of. can you please tell me what you used to AB these amps?
this is how to do an amp comparison properly :)
I used a Mesa HeadTrack switcher
@@rockinchippy thank you so much....Ive been searching for an AB pedal for ages, but couldnt find one that carried over the effects loop! also was looking for a comparison on these 2 amps....today I found both things I was looking for thanks to your video....thanks again! :) you have got my sub mate
They both sound great! Though would turning the gain down more on the clean channel of the stealth make it more "fendery"?
Not really
I own it and you definitely can. Just have to turn the gain to like 1 or less and compensate with volume. I strummed hard with a Les Paul custom neck humbucker and no breakup. And LOUD. Just requires extreme settings on the gain knob.
dood has a friedman amp lurking in the background, and maybe a marshall plexi under that. serious amp depth chart here!
The EL34 sounds so sick!!!!
RTFM! Apples DON'T compare to oranges. Nice review!
I would like to tweak the stealth to get rid of the upper bass tubby compressed sound. It's either the treble or presence it needs. Would like to hear either with a 4x12 with EVM speakers.
It sounds like you use a chorus pedal on the green channel or clean channel from both amps, is hard to judge the clean channel if a pedal is added, just saying bro, however I like your review of these two beasts of amps bro.
👏🏻 Awesome man! You are right, these things are legit.
Both sound killer! What cab are you running through (or load/ir)?
Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander ... using the Friedman 412 model
rockinchippy man, the TAE sounds fantastic. thanks!
hmm i think the bottom end on the 6l6 is cleaner imo both are sick. and has that marshall plexi dna but damn i want a stealth head so bad i have the original 5150 and love it but it has a crazy amount of bottom end and i dont like adding external eq and overdrive. but damn that 6l6 sounds badass with that reverb and delay however i think the el-34 has a smoother clean tone. but love both. but i like the 6l6 better. i think its the best amp out there for rock and metal.
I think what’s cool about these is that you can own both and really treat them as different amps. They really have their own personalities.
@@rockinchippy exactly! all depends on your guitar wood/pikcups amp settings and what your playing too.
I know this was a couple years ago, but how would you compare the evh 5150 III 's to something like the Suhr PT100? I've owned a PT100 and wish I had kept it, but I've been looking at EVH recently. Thanks
There’s two versions of the PT100 but Suhr amps and EVH amps are so different that it’s a little difficult to compare. I’ll leave you this little nugget: I owned both versions of the PT100, sold them both. I have both versions of the 5150iiiS and will never sell them.
@@rockinchippy That says a lot. if you had to pick 1, el34 or stealth?
@@nedocaster EL34
What reverb was you using
It’s the digital delay built into the boss Waza tube amp expander.
Why isn’t your el34 flubby? Everyone says the stealth has a tighter blue channel.
It’s not flubby. You have to play these with some volume. I always play with with master around 4 but use attenuation to control output volume.
Great video. Passive cab or Waze TAE or Reactive Load?
Waza TAE
The EL34’s seem brighter. Great amp.
Been playing it a lot during this quarantine time
What cab are these going through?
Using the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander which has a Friedman cabinet preset.
Have you ever tried blending these two amps together? Not necessarily a wet/dry setup (although that would be sick) but just both amps going into 2 separate cabs and see how they complement each other? I know it probably wouldn’t work on the green channel lol but I’d love to hear what it sounds like with both amps together on the blue and red channels!
I haven’t yet …
Love both amps!
Would have been awesome to also have the standard 6L6 head to compare as well … that would have been a trifecta
I actually have the OG white 5150iii and it’s crazy how low gain the Blue channel is.
I like the el 34 version, abit more cutting in a good way ,but the 6l6 sounds good too ,guess we need them both :-)
Great video, was wondering what you had the resonance control knob at, thanks!
About 1 o’clock
@@rockinchippy Thanks!
great video 💪 thank you
Hey mate just subscribed love your work. Can u tell me if the el34 lacks any punch on the red channel compared to the 6l6?
They both have the same resonance circuit so you’ll have plenty of punch on either amp. Both are absolute beasts.
i like the el34 bite....both are killer...but you gotta have the bite to cut thru.....slap a BBE in the signal for a lil push
What delay and/or reverb did you use for this video? I like it!
I’m using the BOSS SDE-3000 that is inside the BOSS WAZA TAE. But it’s also in the DD-500 pedal.
Stealth sounds thicker
Should try with different pedals
Like chorus flanger etc
would of been a good comparison but you had the delay on and it coloured the sound cant tell anything
Next week I will have my Stealth 100.... I want to ear differences with standard 5153 6l6, xtc 101b and Cae Pt100. 😍
great vid. i just ordered the 50s 6l6 the new one, can't wait :)
I wish you had the 50 watt el 34 to compare it to the 100 watt el34
Well you could always turn your gain on the green channel down since its at about 1:30
Makes no difference … the 6L6 cleans are nowhere near as clean, fat, punchy and chimey as the EL34
I'm waiting for the EVH 6CA7 to get the original tones....Just kidding great video Alex!
Just takes a little rebiasing
Awesome comparison. What cab are you using?
I’m using the modeled Friedman 412 that comes with the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander
You should show people how to play the guitar riffs be really good at it keep up the good work
Great comparison. I'm liking the el 34 a bit better. What guitar and cab are you using?
Using a Suhr with Arcane Phil X Super 8. Amp is going into a Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander running a Friedman 412 simulation.