Evh 5150 Iconic 40W 1x12 Combo IV

The 5150 is always the first high-gain amp that comes to my mind.
This combo is a really nice way to get the experience without paying 2000 bucks. This amp does not only look good but it also sound really nice.
It comes as no surprise that this amp is best when playing with high gain rhythm tones. I'm not to convinced when it comes to lead tones at least without pedals. It might just be personal taste but I don't really like the built in reverb, it sounds really springy and I'd prefer a somewhat cleaner sound, but that is nothing that can't be fixed with a 50 bucks pedal.
On the topic of pedals it might be a good idea to also get a noise gate. The amp does have a noise gate that works but it isn't the best.
Other then maybe a compressor there aren't any other pedals I really need, since I'm not a very big fan of pedals anyways.
Putting a distortion- or overdrive-pedal in front of it to me feels like watering the ocean. This amp has more then enough gain for me especially with the build in boost option.
The speaker isn't bad but the low end could use a little work, thankfully it is really easy to replace it with for example a Celestion v30 or creamback. You only need a screwdriver. no soldering required.
After doing the swap i can tell you two more things you need. Patience and willingness to ruin the backpannel. It took me 30 minutes to get that thing of and it is ruined. The paint on it stuck to the rest like crazy. Since the backplate is made of very thin and weak materials it took quite the beating and when removing it a good few of the washers came loose.
The build quality is very good and I could only find such small problems that I can't justify not giving 5 stars. For the price you get a really nice looking amp that feels quality.
Feature wise it isn't to crazy but you get 2 channels one with an overdrive and one with a burn option, built in boost as well as reverb for both channels and a noise gate for channel 2. You can also adjust presence and resonance.
This should be enough for any bedroom player and also probably good enough for small gigs (maybe not outdoors).
(not sure though, don't leave my house.)
It also fits really nicely into my setup cause it looks so clean.

I got this despite it being a hybrid tube amplifier.
And it was a good decision !
So the green channem, it has a great clean tone. And it's crystal clean and can be dialed up to a crunch using the gain. And then you can overdrive it with a switch and then go from crunch to a hard rock/80's metal tone. And you got a boost option at your feet on the pedal aswell if you wanna throw in a guitar solo at any point or even just too get a little boosted. And the red channel. That thing is just a beast. You can use a burn function and boost aswell, this is a monster of an amp !!
Only had one problem with it. Or shall we say preference. I just did not like the speaker, I put my vintage30 in it and it is just perfect with that speaker.
All in all highly recommend this amp.
The quarter power button comes in handy at home 👌

The EVH 5150 Iconic 40W 1x12 Combo is an absolute monster in a compact package, it delivers crushing high gain tones that scream with authority and clarity whether you're riffing hard or shredding solos it responds like a beast with punchy mids tight low end and sizzling highs the gain is everything you'd expect from the 5150 name.

The built-in boost and noise gate are lifesavers they keep your tone tight focused and brutally heavy without needing extra pedals.

If you're into metal hard rock or anything aggressive this amp is a tone machine that absolutely delivers you won’t believe the power and tone coming out of this thing until you crank it up and feel it roar.

Après une semaine d’utilisation, je suis conquis par ce combo. Très polyvalent avec un son allant du clair au très saturé. Il est beau et ses 40w feront largement le job aux côtés d’une batterie et sur scène…
Seuls points à améliorer: les boutons « Power » et « Stand-by » situés à l’arrière…pas simple d’accès lorsque le combo est contre un mur.
La reverb dépanne mais n’est pas extraordinaire.
La footswitch est arrivée endommagée à cause du transport. Thomann semble prendre les choses en main.