Am I freakin crazy or what. 5150 II mod wish list inside.

[BAZGUITARMAN]

Well, I`m about three months away from having JerryP mod my 5150 II. I`m excited as hell. I go to his website at least once a day just to look at what I can have done. I`ve checked out all the tube suppliers websites. I`ve even bought a head case to ship my amp in. I`m totally obsessed with this whole mod thing.

 

The funny thing is, I`ve never really stopped to think about how much I`m spending on the mod process. I worked it out yesterday and was amazed. Keep in mind I only paid $679.00 for the head in the first place. This is what I`m going to have done....

 

1) Total 5150 II package- Lead and rhythm pre-amp mods, including bias and clarity mods and the three channel mod.

 

2) Custom Mercury Magnetics OT installed

 

3) Mercury Magnetics choke installed

 

4) Half power switch (type 1)

 

Those are the definate thing I`m having done. I`m also thinking of the adjustable noise reduction and mid shift options.

 

Over-all, I`ll have over $850.00 in the mod process including a new set of tubes(EH`s in the pre-amp, JJ`s in the power amp). That`s a lot of money considering the initial cost of the amp. That`s freakin crazy and f`n awesome at the same time.

 

The great thing is, I`ll still only have about the cost of a stock Dual Rect. in an amp that will probably smoke most anything out there.

 

Does anyone think I`m crazy?? Or would you do the same thing??

 

Eric

[cloudnine]

There is no way I would spend ~$1500 on a 5150.

[Negative K3 fan]

i think its pretty crazy, becuase you dont know the result

 

if youre really that much into modding and stuff as youre claiming to be, id start reading up on vacuum tube electronics and start modding yourself!

 

if you dont have 2 left hands and some soldering expierience at least half of the mods you can do by yourself (like bias mod, half power switch, MM choke, MM OT etc.)...

[crwnedblasphemy]

Never to knock Jerry's mods....cuz I would do it!! But you could hold off on the Tranny and choke. I personally think that that gives it too bright of sound where I like my 5150 to sound darker.

 

I only have the standard voodoo mod on my 5150, but I have put a sonic max on it and don't like that sound. But, to each his own.

 

I would definately reccomend the bias and clairity mod.

[JerryP]

If you're looking to have that much stuff done you won't pay the full shot for all those mods. I'll knock off $$$ where ever I can on a big job like that.

Jerry

[textdivine]

I dont know about mods. Maybe some minor stuff if needed but I was in a position recently where I was considering mods. I had bought a new Engl 530 and it did not have enough low end or gain and the clean channel could have been better. I thought about getting some mod work done but then when you add up all the cost is it really worth it? In my case it wasnt because I dumped my rack got a 5150, saved some cash and for now I am really digging the amp.

 

I think most of us that are on this forum have problems (lol). We are in search of the perfect tone but I don't think any of us even know what that tone is and even if we did have it, we probably wouldnt realize. Just my 2 cents.

[BAZGUITARMAN]

 

If you're looking to have that much stuff done you won't pay the full shot for all those mods. I'll knock off $$$ where ever I can on a big job like that.

 

 

 

Jerry, that`s nice as hell bro. I don`t want to give the impression that your cost is too high or anything like that. I think that your prices are pretty damn reasonable. Especially taking into consideration your hands on experience with these amps.

 

I just thought in one way it was crazy how much I`m going to spend compared to how much I paid for the amp.

 

I don`t feel any hesitation in doing it at all. I just thought that everyone would get a kick out of how much money I`m going to spend having the amp modded and new tubes all around.

 

Man, I really love the 5150 II and if I can mod it to fix the few production imperfections I`ll be truely satisfied. All the things I`m thinking of having done are the things that Peavey should have done from the factory. If only the production cost/profit margin wasn`t such a big deal.

 

Eric

[BAZGUITARMAN]

 

I think most of us that are on this forum have problems (lol). We are in search of the perfect tone but I don't think any of us even know what that tone is and even if we did have it, we probably wouldnt realize. Just my 2 cents.

 

 

 

Holy {censored}! A truer thing I`ve never read on this forum.

 

textdivine, you are a wise man.

 

Eric

[JerryP]

 

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN Jerry, that`s nice as hell bro. I don`t want to give the impression that your cost is too high or anything like that. I think that your prices are pretty damn reasonable. Especially taking into consideration your hands on experience with these amps. I just thought in one way it was crazy how much I`m going to spend compared to how much I paid for the amp. I don`t feel any hesitation in doing it at all. I just thought that everyone would get a kick out of how much money I`m going to spend having the amp modded and new tubes all around. Man, I really love the 5150 II and if I can mod it to fix the few production imperfections I`ll be truely satisfied. All the things I`m thinking of having done are the things that Peavey should have done from the factory. If only the production cost/profit margin wasn`t such a big deal. Eric

 

 

I have no problem at all giving any discount I can when I'm doing multiple mods. I'm already in there so some of the labor time is overlapping. I'm not looking to rape people.

Jerry

[ranalli]

 

Originally posted by JerryP If you're looking to have that much stuff done you won't pay the full shot for all those mods. I'll knock off $$$ where ever I can on a big job like that. Jerry

 

 

 

WOW!!!

 

 

You rock Jerry!!!

 

 

My 5150 you did sounds fantastic although I only get to crank it once in a while:(

 

 

When I finally get a house with a basement I WILL HAVE a JerryP modded 5150II......cause my 5150 from him sounds great....it just has this mojo to it for the kind of hard rock tones I like.

[textdivine]

 

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN Holy {censored}! A truer thing I`ve never read on this forum. textdivine, you are a wise man. Eric

 

 

Hey man I feel your pain w/ amps. There is always something but I will tell you what those clips JerryP put on his site are {censored}ing kick ass and if you get the work done you should have a killer head but man thats some dough.

[Mr_RuLeZ]

Hey Jerry, in what does the Lead & Rhythm Channel Mods consist of? And does it also includes the clarity mod?

[BAZGUITARMAN]

Jerry, I also want to jump in with a question. Have you located the concentric pots for my three channel mod yet?

 

 

 

Guys, the three channel mod that Jerry`s going to do for me is gonna be awesome. We came up with something a little different from what he normally does and it rocks. It will definately be an awesome extra feature for the amp.

 

Eric

[ranalli]

 

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN We came up with something a little different from what he normally does and it rocks. It will definately be an awesome extra feature for the amp. Eric

 

 

 

Do tell!!

[BAZGUITARMAN]

Jerry forgive me if I get this wrong, but I think this is how it will be.

 

Jerry explained to me that when he does the three-channel mod on a 5150 II that space for the added volume and gain controls is very limited. He normally uses the space that one of the sets of resonance and presence knobs take up. Making the other set universal for all channels. I wanted to keep both sets of presence/resonance so I asked if he could just replace the rhythm channel gain and volume pots with stacked concentric types. That way I can get the added control over the crunch volume and gain without taking up any added space. In esence having two knobs in each space.

 

I think Jerry is in the process of looking for concentric pots with the right values, to keep the volume and gain taper the same.

 

I think this will be one of the best features of the amp. I love the Marshall vibe that the crunch feature has, but it`s hard to use because of the volume jump when it`s engaged. The three channel mod will take care of this and will make the amp a true three channel beast. I`ll be able to keep the "clean" channel pre-amp gain real low in order to keep it clean. And set the crunch up independantly.

 

Eric

[ranalli]

 

Originally posted by BAZGUITARMAN Jerry forgive me if I get this wrong, but I think this is how it will be. Jerry explained to me that when he does the three-channel mod on a 5150 II that space for the added volume and gain controls is very limited. He normally uses the space that one of the sets of resonance and presence knobs take up. Making the other set universal for all channels. I wanted to keep both sets of presence/resonance so I asked if he could just replace the rhythm channel gain and volume pots with stacked concentric types. That way I can get the added control over the crunch volume and gain without taking up any added space. In esence having two knobs in each space. I think Jerry is in the process of looking for concentric pots with the right values, to keep the volume and gain taper the same. I think this will be one of the best features of the amp. I love the Marshall vibe that the crunch feature has, but it`s hard to use because of the volume jump when it`s engaged. The three channel mod will take care of this and will make the amp a true three channel beast. I`ll be able to keep the "clean" channel pre-amp gain real low in order to keep it clean. And set the crunch up independantly. Eric

 

 

 

Gotcha.....that sounds pretty darn cool.

 

 

 

If I got him to mod a 5150II I'd *have* to have him do the 3 channel, clarity, and bias mods.....although I'm not quite sure I'd have him make it sound like a 5150....I honestly have never heard the two side by side to say which I like better.

 

 

But in any event I'm sure it will be a fantastic amp once you get it back from Jerry.

[sonixx]

BAZGUITARMAN, really not trying to be a smartass, but

 

WHY?

 

What tone do you have in your head is this amp going to fill? Are you sure the $850 is going to get you there, because if not, you'll never get the $850 back out of the amp. Basically you're paying for a design that you've really never heard.

[BAZGUITARMAN]

I don`t want to totally change the tone of my amp, but I do want to fine tune it and add some usefull features. I love the way the 5150 II sounds, but it does suffer from production line short comings. Basically what I want is to add some clarity for high gain playing, warm up the rhythm channel and tighten up the OT and choke. The rest is just cool features that a lot of amps would benefit from. The half power option is a given for a 120 watt tube amp. The mid shift feature would be great for changing the mid range voicing from upper mids to lower mids. The adjustable noise reduction would be great to cut out some hiss when recording.

 

You`ve got to remember that I`m a family man and most likely will not buy another high gain "metal" amp. I just can`t afford to buy another amp that would cost $2,000 and in my opinion that`s how much I would have to spend to get a markedly better sounding amp. Even after all the mods and new tubes, I`ll still have less money in the amp that what a new Triple Rectifier would cost.

 

We`re talking about an amp that I will have for the rest of my life and hopefully pass on to one of my kids. To me it seems like a great investment for personal satisfaction. If you look at it from a business stand point then it would be a bad investment. I could never sell the amp and recoup my loses. I`m not taking that into consideration since this will be my amp from now on out.

 

Eric

[sonixx]

Food for thought...

 

The 1/2 power option is only 3db less in output... that's not a tremedous amount and the tone will change some. IMO a better option for this is a Hot Plate device. I have several amps that are switchable and I hardly ever use this option.

 

For recording, the lower noise may not be the water shed you hope for. I have a lot of experience recording Hi-Gain and it's the signal-to-noise ratio that matters and with the amp really cranked it's just not a problem. The mic preamp gains are so low, that S/N is very hi. Again a Hot Plate type device will work very well for recording.

 

For the cost of these mods, you could buy a Single Rectifier and your tonal options are significantly greater.

 

I would recommend you really move slowly on such a significant investment in this amp. The benefit/cost just doesn't seem very hi. If you've got cash to burn, go for it... otherwise maybe get the clarity mod and the bias mod. I'd sleep on the rest.

[BLSmaggot13]

go for it man...it should smoke alot of amps... i mean a stock 5150 works for me, a modded one i think i would die for

[OverDriven]

Personally I think you're crazy. Did you notice that the modded 5150's are being sold left and right, but the stock ones are often kept? At the most get the bias mod.

 

-Joe

[BAZGUITARMAN]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I`m so excited about this mod work on my amp. I know that most of you guys don`t understand why I would do this, but I really do like the `ol 5150 II. I`ve been playing through it all day and it just makes me happy every time I crank it up.

 

I think that I made a bigger deal out of the cost than I meant to. I`m not worried about how much I`m spending on the amp. I did get a good deal on it when I bought it. Even after all the mods, it still won`t be an expensive amp compared to Mesa Boogie, VHT, Framus, ENGL, etc, but it will be just as good an amp. If not better. IMHO

 

Look at it this way. I have an opportunity to take an amp that I already like and make it into my perfect amp. It will be twice as versatile and all the tone that`s trying to come out will be there for the useing. Like I said, none of the mods are meant to change the amp, but only to fine tune it. I`m not trying to make it sound like another amp or like something I`ve heard on a cd. It`s going to be the same amp, but more refined.

 

Eric

[JerryP]

 

Originally posted by sonixx Food for thought... The 1/2 power option is only 3db less in output... that's not a tremedous amount and the tone will change some. IMO a better option for this is a Hot Plate device. I have several amps that are switchable and I hardly ever use this option.

 

 

Half power is still half power, 60 watts. Yes, a 60 watt is still plenty loud. It's not going to be a bedroom amp either way. A triode/pentode half power switch also offers a little bit of a difference in tone. For me a half power switch isn't for real low volumes, it's to make the amp less obnoxious and offer another tonal option.

Jerry

[angelspade]

Originally posted by BLSmaggot13 go for it man...it should smoke alot of amps... i mean a stock 5150 works for me, a modded one i think i would die for

 

It's there if you want it. No need to die either.

[BLSmaggot13]

 

Originally posted by angelspade It's there if you want it. No need to die either.

 

 

haha...i think i want it!!! but i only have 300 cash:( pm me and lets talk seriouse about this think:D