EVH 5150 LBX Review

Eddie Van Halen! The name is synonymous with great rock tone. Other than maybe David Gilmour and Jimi Hendrix, Eddies tone has been talked about and studied probably more than any other guitarist in history. It's a huge massive guitar sound that is larger than life and the EVH 5150 amps are currently some of the most popular amps in the world. Eighties shredders love these amps of course, but a lot of modern high gain users love them and I've been noticing them on a lot of country players stages as well.

A little history on the 5150 amps for those that don't know. We all have heard the story about Eddie's famous Marshall and using the variac. In the mid 80's Eddie started using a Soldano SLO100 live and in the studio. He really like the sound of both the Soldano and the Marshall. No one really knows what happened behind the scenes but Eddie struck a deal with Peavey to build his new signature amp the 5150. It was so close to the Soldano design that Mike Soldano started to sue Peavey and Eddie but Peavey is a huge corporation with loads of cash and lawyers and Mikes lawyers told him to drop it or be buried in debt. Eddie and Peavey then revised the amp for the 5150 ii. When Peavey's quality control left something to be desired Eddie left and struck a deal with Fender and the EVH brand was born. The EVH 5150 III has already gone through quite a few tweaks since it's introduction. There is a 100 watt USA built three channel version, the stealth version (which adds the resonance knob) the new el34 version, an extremely successful 50 watt "mini" head and combo (which adds power scaling) and now two LBX versions.

15 watt "lunchbox" amps have become huge thing in our industry promising great tube tone at lower volumes for at home playing and gigs that are volume sensitive. The LBX packs a ton of features into a small package for someone who may want flexibility in an amp but not need 100 watts of power and three independent channels. The LBX features include an effects loop, switchable 4/8/16 ohms to match the cabinet, presence and resonance knobs (bright and bottom end), along with a 1/4 power switch. All at a fraction of the price.

A friend of mine has the 50w EVH 5150 and its a shockingly versatile amp. So when I saw a great deal on a new LBX popup I couldn't resit. This too has also proven to be a surprisingly versatile piece of gear. While there are two channels, you don't have separate volume control over them and so there can be a volume mismatch. Really while being very versatile you are looking at setting up a single sound to play through but it's a damn nice sound. The Blue channel will be more than enough gain for most people but Red channel is like liquid molten lava gain and can be addictive. It is a favorite of modern shredders everywhere. 

So lets answer some common questions

Is it loud enough to gig with? YES! Gig volume is the subject of some debate. But wattage is pretty simple. 10% is half the volume, so to get half of the volume of 100 watts you have jump down to 10 watts, for 50 watts you have to go down to 5 watts. There is also the question of speaker cabinets a 4x12 is louder than a 1x12 since your moving more air. At 15 watts into a 4x12 It won't be as loud as a 100 watt but it can get plenty loud enough on a 4x12 making it great for fly dates and small club gigs.

What about clean headroom? Headroom for those who don't know is how long the amp stays clean before it breaks up. I don't think you buy this amp for clean sounds, that being said if you want to play clean at low volumes this amp has a nice clean sound to use with pedals. But WHEN it breaks up is very dependent on the pickups. My Duncan APS2's break up before my EMG-SA's and a JB is obviously going to breakup before a vintage sounding PAF. If you need a dedicated clean tone check out the new LBXII which has a separate clean and dirty channels.

How well does it clean up with the guitar's volume knob? Well enough, again it depends on the pickup but at 12 o'clock on the blue channel (which in this amp is still a lot of gain) it cleans up just fine when you roll down the volume 

How does it sound at bedroom levels? Perfect, my place is not huge and is close to my neighbors. My wife can take a nap while I'm playing through a 2x12. It does sound better when turned up but you can practice quietly.

Great rock n roll tone now comes in Fun Size #5150 #5150iii #5150time #shredguitar

A post shared by @adhd_guitarist on Mar 3, 2017 at 12:11pm PST

How close does this get to the "brown sound"? A lot of Eddie's sound is in his hands, his pick attack and swing in his note placement. If you've got the chops you can use a lot of different equipment. Some people think of the "brown sound" as the first Van Halen album while others point to 1984. But to answer that question look at Pete Thorn's Eruption series on youtube. Damn that's close. Also if you throw in some delay and chorus in the loop it can easily cop the the tone from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

Does it Djent? Seriously? Are you asking me that? haha Well Misha Mansoor seems to think so. I do have one 6 string strung down to low B and the Red channel on the  LBX handles modern down tuned riffage with ease.

If you need a clean pedal platform to gig with this really isn't your amp. If your main sound is 80's or beyond high gain and you'd like something for lower volume and the occasional pick up jam you can't go wrong with the EVH LBX. And for the price of these a lot of people will pick one up just to have laying around. 

Gary Moore Gear Guide

ADHD's Gear Guides at any Budget. I'm a firm believer that the tone comes from the hands. If your trying to achieve a certain guitar hero's tone you have to not just have the chops but you've got to get down their style of attack with your picking hand as well. That said every step you take toward finding the right gear is often very inspiring and WILL get you closer to “that” sound. I'm going to break these down into Guitars, Pickups, Pedals and Amps.

Gary Moore Gear Guide.

Gary Moore with his Signature Les Paul

Gary Moore defines the sound of classic blues based rock n roll. It's the tried and true formula of a Les Paul through a Marshall that has been used by so many players through out the ages. In the Thin Lizzy days it was a Les Paul into a Plexi and then a JCM800. One of the most talked about sounds that Gary is famous for was on the album Still Got the Blues. Gary has said over and over again that the sound on that album was about stripping it down to the basics with a 59 Les Paul, a Guv'nor pedal, and a Marshall JTM 45 reissue. He also used a Soldano and in later years Marshall JCM 2000 DSL's (not to be confused with the TSL). Gary loved to try new gear but always sounded like Gary. He would use any number of pedals to act as a booster and other than the Guv'nor he often used a Tube Screamer or similar pedal to push the amp from crunchy to distortion.

Guitars – While Gary used quite a few different guitars including Fender Strats, Ibanez, and Hamer's, but he is most associated with the 59 Les Paul, he owned two which he named Greeny and Stripe. With the prices of original 59 Les Paul burst well into the 6 digit price range Gibson has begun offering the 59 reissue also known as an R9 Les Paul. These are still quite expensive but do have some subtle differences to the originals. If you have the cash and want the real deal check the labor intensive work over at Historic Makeovers the attention to detail is nothing short of outstanding. I've seen the process up close and the pain staking detail is extremely impressive. But if your looking to buy a guitar without taking out a second mortgage on your house there are some killer options out there.

The Gibson Les Paul Traditional – While the casual observer may not notice the differences between the Traditional and the Standard most players who have spent any time playing will notice them as soon as the pick them up. The new standards feel very different than the older Les Paul's and while they are a more versatile guitar the Traditional is what most people think of when they think of that classic Les Paul sound. The stock 57 Classic pickups are a favorite of tone hounds everywhere.

The Gibson Gary Moore Tribute Les Paul- After his 59's got to expensive to take on tour these were the guitars that Gary was seen using. A 50's profile neck, flipped neck pickup, and mismatched knobs are all tributes to Gary's beloved 59's. Differences include vintage style keys and a lack of binding. Word is that Gary was using the PG Blues pickups from Bare Knuckle before his untimely death in 2011.NOTE Gibson has stopped production of this guitar.

The Epiphone Les Paul Tribute Plus- Want something in the mid range price that even the cork sniffers won't laugh at? The Tribute Plus is the Asian made Traditional complete with USA made 57 Classic pickups, a maple cap (not just a veneer), Switchcraft electronics and Grover tuners. Check the message boards and reviews on this killer guitar.

ESP/ LTD EC-256 – while there are a lot of knock offs in the budget world companies like PRS, Ibanez, and ESP like to put their own spin on things. The LTD EC-256 doesn't look exactly like a Les Paul but is well built and is cheap enough to spend some extra on aftermarket pickups. In the sub $500 range it holds it's own against others and has a slightly lighter weight and thinner neck. Couple this with some upgraded pickups and you'll have a nice sounding axe that won't break the bank.

Pickups- Gary Moore used a lot of different pickups over the years, but in Greeny and Stripe they were stock 59 humbuckers. Greeny in particular had a flipped magnet in the neck that gave an interesting out of phase sound that Peter Green used more than Gary.

Boutique- Boutique pickups are all the rage these days and there are several companies who offer drop in replacements for the Gary Moore/Peter Green tone. Bare Knuckle Pickups PG Blues set and Lust for Tone Pickups Black Roses set both take slightly different approaches but offer fantastic results.

Seymour Duncan Vintage Blues Set- While the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop offers a Greeie pickup, if your on a smaller budget the Vintage Blues Set is excellent. The SD 59's are often compared to the 57 Classic's that come in the Les Paul Traditional but are said to be a little less gritty. If your looking to get classic sounds out of a budget Les Paul this is a great place to start. Flip the magnet in the neck pickup and play your Peter Green licks. 

The Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates- The legend is that the Pearly Gates Pickup was made to recreate the sound of Billy Gibbons 59 Les Paul. If your looking for an affordable replacement pickup with a little bit more nastiness checkout the Pearly Gates.

GFS Pickups- GFS Pickups have gained a lot of fans in the last few years. While they are developed in the USA they are made in Asia. And while not the quality of boutique companies they make very affordable, very good sounding replacement pickups that sounds much better than the standard budget guitar pickup. Their Vintage 59 pickup should fit the bill for classic Gary Moore tones.

Pedals- Gary Moore made the Marshall Gov'ner pedal famous. Interestingly there are not a lot Gov'ner clones out there and I have yet to try any of them. Gary however also used a Tube Screamers quite a bit.

Trex Moller- Gary used one of these the last couple of years before his death and spoke very highly of it. It is a TS type pedal with a few added features and has a very smooth tone. It also includes a nice clean boost feature that can be activated separately. If you want to try one without spending any money it's available to try in the IK Multimedia Amplitube Custom Shop. Pair it up with the JH Gold (JTM45 model) and try your Gary Moore licks, you won't be disappointed.

Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer- This pedal is so tweakable and sounds good in so many situations that it seems like almost everyone has one. It's famous mid range hump cuts through a live mix and it was a favorite pedal of Gary Moore and Stevie Ray Vaughan's.

Mooer Green Mile Overdrive- if your looking for a classic sound and need it in a tiny space you can't beat Mooer pedals. Their micro pedals have been a huge hit and sound very good to boot. The Green Mile is their take on the TS9 circuit and does such a good job Guitar Interactive Magazine featured it in their Gary Moore tone on a budget.

Joyo JF-1 Vintage Overdrive- Joyo has cloned a lot of pedals and while they don't have the record that Mooer does in the quality department the Vintage Overdrive is an very affordable TS9 pedal for the beginner.

Amps- Gary Moore's Still Got the Blues Album is a favorite of tone hounds everywhere and featured a Marshall JTM 45 reissue. In the Thin Lizzy days Gary used Plexis and JCM800's. In the 90's he mostly used Soldano's, mainly on the clean channel. But by the end of the 90's Gary had come back to Marshall's regularly using their JCM2000 DSL.

Marshall JTM45- The Marshall JTM45 reissue is available in a hand wired version and a PCB(Printed Circuit Board) version. It's not quite the same sound as a Plexi, having a looser bottom end but it was a favorite of Hendrix and Eric Clapton as well as Moore's

Marshall DSL- The Marshall reissue of the DSL is a very good mid priced amp. Available in a combo or half stack it sounds good at bedroom levels or on stage and while there were some early complaints about quality control it seems Marshall has taken care of most of these issues. There are also original used JCM2000's that pop up on ebay regularly. Just make sure you get the DSL not the TSL as they sound surprisingly different.

Jet City JCA2212C – The Soldano designed Jet City amps have become a favorite of low budget tone seekers. Guitar Interactive used this amp on their Gary Moore tone on a budget series and it's a very capable of nice clean tones as well as high gain distortion. Jet City has a range of combos and heads available from a bedroom friendly 20 watts on up to 100 watts.  

Obviously there are a lot of alternatives out there but these are a great place to start your tone search.