Post by j666 on Feb 1, 2006 15:53:24 GMT -5
Stock 5150 vs. FJA 5150
Review by Jason Smith
First off, this is not a review to cover all the different sounds you can get from these amps.It is simply a side by side comparison of both amps on the same exact settings and the differences between them.
Also, to cover any bias questions...my amp is the non-modified amp.
Preferences:
I hate reading reviews when the reviewer doesn't explain his preferences...for instance, if a reviewer hates Black Metal and does a review on Mayhem, then of course the review is going to be bad. If preferences are not made known at the start of the review, then all the reader sees is a bad review.
I am a Rhythm Guitarist in Difficult Henry...think Pantera meets Lamb of God. Some of my favorite tones include Unearth, Killswitch Engage, Nevermore, All That Remains, Chimaira, God Forbid, Decapitated and Lamb of God.
Some of my favorite bands include Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Lamb of God, Shadow's Fall, Nevermore, Nile, Suffocation, Soilwork, Testament, Early Metallica and Iron Maiden...and a bunch of Hair Metal bands too.
Equipment used:
Heads: Stock 5150 (block letter) with Tung-Sol 6L6GC
FJA Modded 5150 (block letter) with JJ/Tesla 6L6GC
Mods: Bias & Clarity Mod
MM Output Transformer
MM Choke
Cab: Basson Oversized Cab with 75w Eminence Legends
Guitar: '84 Kramer Stiker in Drop D tuning
EMG-81 pick-up
Effects: Boss Ns-2 Noise Suppressor
The main difference between the 2 heads is the clarity and tightness. I played thru the Stock 5150 first with some mid-tempo chord stuff. It sounded awesome. Very gainy (but not too much) & very raw...really in-your-face grit! I don't know if it was my settings or not but I didn't find any "fizzy" or "buzzy" sounds like I've read about, just raw distortion. I didn't find any saggy lows or super-harsh highs either. Basically, the perfect amp for me. I then played some chords up on the higher strings...same as before except the mids got a little spastic, probably due to my settings. Next up, I hit some speed picking on the low string. It's a pretty tight amp to start with. I know some others will dispute that but hey...it's all opinions and ears and I thought it sounded great. Again, the mids got a little bit spazzed when I hit the speed picking on the upper strings and the highs got a touch harsh but nothing that major. Everything was nice and raw (how I like it). This amp is mine and I pretty much got it dialed in to suit my needs and taste. I haven't noticed much of a "coldness" to this head, altho I guess it depends what you're comparing it to.
I went thru the same riffs with the FJA 5150 and...WOW. The difference wasn't exactly HUGE (it's still the same amp after all) but it was noticeable. The overall warmth of the FJA 5150 increased quite a bit and the clarity was nothing short of amazing. I suddenly noticed flaws in my playing that I hadn't noticed before...haha! Alot of the spastic mids on the higher strings was gone and the highs were not as harsh on the speed picking parts. It had more of a smooth/compressed kind of feel to it but keeping that raw, mid-grind that the 5150 is known for. The EQ was alot more workable or "tweakable", if you will, giving it a much wider range of tones. Using the clean "channel", I decided to strum thru some standard chords and I gotta tell ya...even tho the FJA 5150 kicked the crap out of the Stock 5150...neither are that great, BUT, it is usable and would probably clean-up nice with a couple of "pretty" pedals. I don't use a whole lot of clean when I play with my band so this, to me, wasn't even an issue. These amps are known for gain, not cleans (even tho they aren't too bad on the FJA).
I mostly used the Rhtythm Channel for this comparison due to the wicked-hiss on the Lead Channel. The Lead Channel on the FJA 5150 was a bit tamer than the Stock 5150 but both were squealin' pretty hard and my Boss NS-2 was struggling to chill it out. If you're going to use the Lead Channel...get a compressor!...I hear the ISP Decimator works good as well. The Resonance and Presence controls really add alot to both amps but they have that extra range on the FJA 5150 and give the amp a whole new depth.
All in all, I think the explanation of the mods on the FJA site is right on. They definitely clean it up alot and the overall warmth of the amp is outstanding. Jerry does excellent work. I was so impressed with the modded amp that I now have to get another 5150 so I can send
it to Jerry...I still wanna keep my Stock also...best of both worlds
for me.
Review by Jason Smith
First off, this is not a review to cover all the different sounds you can get from these amps.It is simply a side by side comparison of both amps on the same exact settings and the differences between them.
Also, to cover any bias questions...my amp is the non-modified amp.
Preferences:
I hate reading reviews when the reviewer doesn't explain his preferences...for instance, if a reviewer hates Black Metal and does a review on Mayhem, then of course the review is going to be bad. If preferences are not made known at the start of the review, then all the reader sees is a bad review.
I am a Rhythm Guitarist in Difficult Henry...think Pantera meets Lamb of God. Some of my favorite tones include Unearth, Killswitch Engage, Nevermore, All That Remains, Chimaira, God Forbid, Decapitated and Lamb of God.
Some of my favorite bands include Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Lamb of God, Shadow's Fall, Nevermore, Nile, Suffocation, Soilwork, Testament, Early Metallica and Iron Maiden...and a bunch of Hair Metal bands too.
Equipment used:
Heads: Stock 5150 (block letter) with Tung-Sol 6L6GC
FJA Modded 5150 (block letter) with JJ/Tesla 6L6GC
Mods: Bias & Clarity Mod
MM Output Transformer
MM Choke
Cab: Basson Oversized Cab with 75w Eminence Legends
Guitar: '84 Kramer Stiker in Drop D tuning
EMG-81 pick-up
Effects: Boss Ns-2 Noise Suppressor
The main difference between the 2 heads is the clarity and tightness. I played thru the Stock 5150 first with some mid-tempo chord stuff. It sounded awesome. Very gainy (but not too much) & very raw...really in-your-face grit! I don't know if it was my settings or not but I didn't find any "fizzy" or "buzzy" sounds like I've read about, just raw distortion. I didn't find any saggy lows or super-harsh highs either. Basically, the perfect amp for me. I then played some chords up on the higher strings...same as before except the mids got a little spastic, probably due to my settings. Next up, I hit some speed picking on the low string. It's a pretty tight amp to start with. I know some others will dispute that but hey...it's all opinions and ears and I thought it sounded great. Again, the mids got a little bit spazzed when I hit the speed picking on the upper strings and the highs got a touch harsh but nothing that major. Everything was nice and raw (how I like it). This amp is mine and I pretty much got it dialed in to suit my needs and taste. I haven't noticed much of a "coldness" to this head, altho I guess it depends what you're comparing it to.
I went thru the same riffs with the FJA 5150 and...WOW. The difference wasn't exactly HUGE (it's still the same amp after all) but it was noticeable. The overall warmth of the FJA 5150 increased quite a bit and the clarity was nothing short of amazing. I suddenly noticed flaws in my playing that I hadn't noticed before...haha! Alot of the spastic mids on the higher strings was gone and the highs were not as harsh on the speed picking parts. It had more of a smooth/compressed kind of feel to it but keeping that raw, mid-grind that the 5150 is known for. The EQ was alot more workable or "tweakable", if you will, giving it a much wider range of tones. Using the clean "channel", I decided to strum thru some standard chords and I gotta tell ya...even tho the FJA 5150 kicked the crap out of the Stock 5150...neither are that great, BUT, it is usable and would probably clean-up nice with a couple of "pretty" pedals. I don't use a whole lot of clean when I play with my band so this, to me, wasn't even an issue. These amps are known for gain, not cleans (even tho they aren't too bad on the FJA).
I mostly used the Rhtythm Channel for this comparison due to the wicked-hiss on the Lead Channel. The Lead Channel on the FJA 5150 was a bit tamer than the Stock 5150 but both were squealin' pretty hard and my Boss NS-2 was struggling to chill it out. If you're going to use the Lead Channel...get a compressor!...I hear the ISP Decimator works good as well. The Resonance and Presence controls really add alot to both amps but they have that extra range on the FJA 5150 and give the amp a whole new depth.
All in all, I think the explanation of the mods on the FJA site is right on. They definitely clean it up alot and the overall warmth of the amp is outstanding. Jerry does excellent work. I was so impressed with the modded amp that I now have to get another 5150 so I can send
it to Jerry...I still wanna keep my Stock also...best of both worlds
for me.