Fuzz (a la FZ-2) into a clean 5150

clockwork green · April 11, 2011, 04:07:25 PM

I've been thinking about getting an affordable high gain head and I've always liked the 5150 especially when modified. I don't want to lose my Wizard tones though and I know the 5150 is sorely lacking for clean headroom but does it have the oomph to handle the fuzz or does it get reedy thin or gutless? It's been awhile since I had my 5150 and I wasn't into fuzz as much back then.

clockwork green · April 11, 2011, 05:06:24 PM

If you own a 5150 but not a FZ-2 or similar pedal but if you have some other fuzzes I'd love to hear about how it worked out. Thanks.

VOLVO))) · April 11, 2011, 05:15:36 PM

Ill record a few videos when i get home. 5150s sound like utter shit to me. I use mine as a doorstop and a step stool around the house. Ill plug it in later. Ive got a bunch of pedals, too.

clockwork green · April 11, 2011, 05:45:27 PM

I've always liked the lead channel of the 5150. What sucks is that I have a my FZ-2 (which is actually a Wattson Super Fuzz) sounds amazing with my Beta Lead but I've tried a ton of high gain pedals for a more traditional metal sound and I just don't like it. I've tried some of the fancy ones too like the Tone Czar Openhaus, Okko Dominator, Railhead TUA and they sound cool with my Iceman loaded with EMG's but not with any of my passive pickup guitars. I just want to have both the fuzz and the metal.

Hemisaurus · April 11, 2011, 06:27:25 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on April 11, 2011, 05:15:36 PM
Ill record a few videos when i get home. 5150s sound like utter shit to me. I use mine as a doorstop and a step stool around the house. Ill plug it in later. Ive got a bunch of pedals, too.

So it's got 2 trannies, 4 power tubes, and a nice chassis, buy some turretboard and make it better (or have Mr MacNeece do it, he might enjoy it more than working on your Betas), hmm all those nasty PCB mounted tube sockets won't do you any good

Blueberry Lazer · April 11, 2011, 07:14:57 PM

It sounds cool. Not as good as my meat head sounds through the 5150 but that's neither here nor there. I love the way my 5150's distortion sounds when paired with my sunn beta lead ( especially with a boss hm2 in front of the beta). For all the shit they talk they get (ahem sunn!) 5150's are capable of some decent tones.

VOLVO))) · April 11, 2011, 07:43:16 PM

Yeah, if you're into sounding like a 15 year old with a Line 6 Spider II...

inductorguitars · April 11, 2011, 08:09:52 PM

I'm a low wattage kinda guy. If you play live the amp gets mic'd anyway. Hell Neil Young plays through a 1959 tweed Fender Deluxe. With the low watters, you can CRANK the volume and get the real nice output tube distortion without yer ears bleeding.

Hemisaurus · April 11, 2011, 08:41:55 PM

Dude, you should have come down and seen us play with Ol' Scratch, those amps are cranked, they're not mic'd, those guys nearly blew the front window out the bar. That was where it was at.

inductorguitars · April 11, 2011, 08:49:42 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on April 11, 2011, 08:41:55 PM
Dude, you should have come down and seen us play with Ol' Scratch, those amps are cranked, they're not mic'd, those guys nearly blew the front window out the bar. That was where it was at.

One of these days, I'll just have to know in advance being a single dad now...

Jesus I can't stop listening to Gnod...thanks I think.

dogfood · April 11, 2011, 09:05:27 PM

What would one of the modern amps with seven 12AX7's sound like if you swapped some of the X's for Y's or U's? Less fizzy or is the fiz in circuitry?

clockwork green · April 11, 2011, 09:32:56 PM

Quote from: inductorguitars on April 11, 2011, 08:09:52 PM
I'm a low wattage kinda guy. If you play live the amp gets mic'd anyway. Hell Neil Young plays through a 1959 tweed Fender Deluxe. With the low watters, you can CRANK the volume and get the real nice output tube distortion without yer ears bleeding.

I like a good small amp like my '57 Harvard cranked my I also like my 120-watt Electric on 10 as well. The 5150 would be for another project with different needs.

Jake · April 12, 2011, 10:31:45 AM

How much are those 5150s running out your way? I see them all day from $450-650 out here.

peyotepeddler · April 12, 2011, 01:29:06 PM

not sure about the fuzz through them, but i believe Thou uses them, not sure if they are boosted, but damn do they have a sick tone, not thin whatsoever

clockwork green · April 12, 2011, 02:34:30 PM

Thou definitely uses them and I remember seeing pedals but I can't recall if there were any fuzzes.
$450-650 sounds about right...it's also a out the same price to retube the damn things.

inductorguitars · April 12, 2011, 08:03:32 PM

Quote from: dogfood on April 11, 2011, 09:05:27 PM
What would one of the modern amps with seven 12AX7's sound like if you swapped some of the X's for Y's or U's? Less fizzy or is the fiz in circuitry?

Less gain, that's it. The X, Y, U's have the same transductance slopes, I think Herbie will know 100%.

Hemisaurus · April 12, 2011, 10:20:58 PM

Quote from: inductorguitars on April 11, 2011, 08:49:42 PM
Quote from: Hemisaurus on April 11, 2011, 08:41:55 PM
Dude, you should have come down and seen us play with Ol' Scratch, those amps are cranked, they're not mic'd, those guys nearly blew the front window out the bar. That was where it was at.

One of these days, I'll just have to know in advance being a single dad now...

Jesus I can't stop listening to Gnod...thanks I think.

Ol Scratch is no more. Does anyone know what happened to Will, Steve and Kerch? I know James ended up in Sourvein.

Hemisaurus · April 12, 2011, 10:22:26 PM

Quote from: inductorguitars on April 12, 2011, 08:03:32 PM
Quote from: dogfood on April 11, 2011, 09:05:27 PM
What would one of the modern amps with seven 12AX7's sound like if you swapped some of the X's for Y's or U's? Less fizzy or is the fiz in circuitry?

Less gain, that's it. The X, Y, U's have the same transductance slopes, I think Herbie will know 100%.

The AX is the gainiest, all the rest are lower, being lazy, here's the salient part from Wikipedia

Av is the voltage gain.

Some American designs similar to the 12AX7:
12AD7 (October 10, 1955 - 225mA heater - low hum)
12AT7 (May 20, 1947, dual 6AB4, Av = 60)
12AU7 (October 18, 1946 dual 6C4, Av = 17-20)
12AV7 (February 14, 1950 - dual 6BC4, Av = 37-41)
12AX7 (September 15, 1947 - like miniature 6SL7, Av = 100)
12AY7 (December 7, 1948 - Av = 44, for audio preamp use)
12AZ7 (March 2, 1951 - 225mA heater, Av = 60)
12DF7 (Av = 100, low microphonics)
12DT7 (Av = 100)
12U7 (Av = 20, for use in automotive radios on 12-volt plate supply)

clockwork green · April 12, 2011, 11:28:52 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on April 11, 2011, 05:15:36 PM
Ill record a few videos when i get home. 5150s sound like utter shit to me. I use mine as a doorstop and a step stool around the house. Ill plug it in later. Ive got a bunch of pedals, too.

If you could record a clip that would be awesome.

VOLVO))) · April 12, 2011, 11:47:35 PM

Sorry, been slacking. I set up and cleaned five guitars, and four basses, today. Hands hurt.

Jake · April 13, 2011, 09:33:40 PM

I've always enjoyed a 5150 done right. I've got one friend with the first edition head from the mid '90s and it sounds great. He's got two now, actually. I know another fella with the combo one. It got some nice tones too.