FJA Mod my 5150 or get an Engl Fireball 100?

[MatthewLeisher]

I'm kinda torn between the two. I could sell the 5150 and save up a bit to get a FB100, or I could spend that money on the 5150 and get it modded by Jerry at FJA. I'd be getting the Metal Mod, the mid EQ sweep mod, and the adjustable noise suppressor mod.
If I go the modded 5150 route, it'll cost about $970 including shipping. If I go the FB100 route, I'll need to save up about $600 after I sell my 5150 to get it. Which way do you guys think I should go?

[CYBERSYN]

If you need to spend that kind of money, may aswell just go for a different amp.

Why do you want to mod it? What do you like about the FB that the 5150 doesn't have?

IMO, they are two very different amps.

[capoeiraesp]

Hey Mat, what made you want to stop chasing a jsx?
You seem to be having a really hard time finding something you enjoy the sound of, based on your recent threads. Perhaps you should sell your 5150, sit on it for a bit, build some more cash up and go out and try a lot of amps. It's easy to get in the habit of just jumping from amp to amp and not really taking the time to see if they work for you.
Always keep in mind, those super awesome album tones with all their production behind them aren't exactly the thing that comes across in a bedroom or jamming setting.


And just to stir the pot and go completely against what I've just said...

5150 iii 50 watt.

[loktide]

wow, didn't know the FJA mods are ridiculously expensive. for that kind of money i'd rather get a new amp, personally.

the 5150 sounds great as it is. mods won't radically change that. if you're looking for a different tone, then rather look into a new amp.

i've never heard a convincing mod from FJA or elsewhere for a 5150, personally. the best tones i've heard where all from bone stock 5150s (perhaps different tubes)

[MatthewLeisher]

Originally Posted by capoeiraesp

Hey Mat, what made you want to stop chasing a jsx?
You seem to be having a really hard time finding something you enjoy the sound of, based on your recent threads. Perhaps you should sell your 5150, sit on it for a bit, build some more cash up and go out and try a lot of amps. It's easy to get in the habit of just jumping from amp to amp and not really taking the time to see if they work for you.
Always keep in mind, those super awesome album tones with all their production behind them aren't exactly the thing that comes across in a bedroom or jamming setting.


And just to stir the pot and go completely against what I've just said...

5150 iii 50 watt.

Thanks for the advice. The fizziness of the 5150 just kills me. Also when it's on higher volumes it's a bit harsh. I'd still trade the 5150 for a JSX because I feel it'll be a step up, but ultimately I'd like to get some sort of Engl amp. The Savage is my dream amp, but it's WAY out of my price range.

[MatthewLeisher]

Also, I've got two noise gates and the fizz is still too much to deal with.

[budda]

Did you re-EQ for those volumes? Have you tried much cheaper changes, such as strings or picks? Even pickups?

What's your current rig?

[capoeiraesp]

There's noise and then there's fizz (harsh high frequencies). For many people the 5150 is a love/hate thing because of its 'fizz'. Noise gates won't kill fizz.

[budda]

A full band can take a fair bit of it away. I had a 6534+ for a gig, no fizz to be found. Listen to any song where there's just one guitar in the intro - you'll hear a lot of high end that disappears when the full band comes in.

[TRENCHLORD]

I'd say don't mod (not for that price) and just go back to trying some different amps.
On my Krank amp (might not be the same at all as the fja 5150 mod) I get no value at all out of the mid sweep knob.
It always sounds better to me (with any guitar of mine) with the mid sweep at exactly 12:oo anyways.

[Sam MJ]

If fizz is your only problem why not get a rack EQ and just cut that frequency? simple

[evilsaint]

I'd get the FB 100.

[Sepultorture]

Originally Posted by Sam MJ

If fizz is your only problem why not get a rack EQ and just cut that frequency? simple

this is actually a pretty good idea, a parametric EQ you can tune to that frequency and pull it down.

you could mod a 5150, i've heard good things about FJA mods on 5150's, if it's just the fizz that kills you he can perform a mod just simply for that, the mid sweep sounds like it could be another fun tone shaping tool, but the 5150 already works at what it does, heavy agressive metal, if the fizz is all you want gone, then mod the fizz out of it.

that FB100 is def a different beast, a little thicker in the low end, but still very tight when playing, doesn't flub. the amp is quite dark, very low mid oriented, more so than a 5150. plus side is that it already comes witha gate, don't expect fast gating when playing, i'd use it for cleaning things up a bit, and still use a gate up front for fast gating. another plus of the FB 100 was that you could dime the gain to max and it's still useable, everything still sounds musical and plays extremely well, still wouldn't use that much gain though, the noon position is more than enough.

the ball is in your court on this one everytime mate. best option will always take your fav axe and try as many amps on as many cabs and see what gets your johnson hard for tone

i personally love both amps, and would own both if i had the cash and space for them, but your hunt is a personal one that only your ears can tell you

[DrakkarTyrannis]

You mod an amp you already love..you're just tweaking it to your personal specs. If you're not happy with the amp, modding makes no sense at all. I'd strongly recommend just hanging on to the amp you have while you try out some others and figure out what it is you're looking for. Once you've figured it out, sell your amp and get what you really want

[grunge782]

FB100 is a pretty different amp. I MUCH prefer the FB100's tones to the 5150, but those are my personal tastes.

[Erazoender]

Alternatively, if you can snag a used Powerball v2 and retube it, you can get some really awesome tones. A lot of people smash the Powerball 1 because of the fizz, scoopy sound and claims of "failing to cut through live". But while the fizz is true, it was easily remedied by retubing the amp. The failing to cut through live is bogus though.

[Pedrojoca]

Originally Posted by Erazoender

Alternatively, if you can snag a used Powerball v2 and retube it, you can get some really awesome tones. A lot of people smash the Powerball 1 because of the fizz, scoopy sound and claims of "failing to cut through live". But while the fizz is true, it was easily remedied by retubing the amp. The failing to cut through live is bogus though.

oh the things we were able to achieve on that PB/FB thread
I'd say go for the Fireball, some pretty basic retubing makes a truly huge difference, my powerball is a different amp now, i'm truly loving it

[MatthewLeisher]

Originally Posted by budda

Did you re-EQ for those volumes? Have you tried much cheaper changes, such as strings or picks? Even pickups?

What's your current rig?

Yeah, I'm constantly tweaking the EQ around trying to minimize the fizz and get a good tone.

My current rig is a DC800 with BKP Aftermaths, Maxon OD808, MXR Smartgate, MXR Super Comp, 5150 Sig w/ Smartgate in the loop, Basson B412k cab with Eminence Legends.

I guess I'm just not a fan of the 5150 tone. Which is weird because I've heard clips of it sounding amazing. I really love the FB100 tone though. I think that's what I'm going to go for.

[DrakkarTyrannis]

Originally Posted by MatthewLeisher

Yeah, I'm constantly tweaking the EQ around trying to minimize the fizz and get a good tone.

My current rig is a DC800 with BKP Aftermaths, Maxon OD808, MXR Smartgate, MXR Super Comp, 5150 Sig w/ Smartgate in the loop, Basson B412k cab with Eminence Legends.

I guess I'm just not a fan of the 5150 tone. Which is weird because I've heard clips of it sounding amazing. I really love the FB100 tone though. I think that's what I'm going to go for.

Yeah I feel you. I'm not nuts about the 5150 sound..too fizzy for me. It's one of those amps you either like or you don't..I'm one who doesn't

[Andromalia]

There's a "metal mod" for a 5150 ? Seriously ?

[athawulf]

dude matt, you're in hawthorne. lets go to the engl showroom in north hollywood.

[7stringDemon]

All I'm going to say is that the FB100 is one hell of an amp!

[Sam MJ]

Originally Posted by MatthewLeisher

Yeah, I'm constantly tweaking the EQ around trying to minimize the fizz and get a good tone.

My current rig is a DC800 with BKP Aftermaths, Maxon OD808, MXR Smartgate, MXR Super Comp, 5150 Sig w/ Smartgate in the loop, Basson B412k cab with Eminence Legends.

I guess I'm just not a fan of the 5150 tone. Which is weird because I've heard clips of it sounding amazing. I really love the FB100 tone though. I think that's what I'm going to go for.

Produced clips sound good for two reasons.

Firstly, they are in a mix so the high end and fizz is drowned out by the cymbals, listen to the intro of Backbone by Gojira, it's a 5150, one guitar, sounds kind of fizzy and not great, double track it and put it in the mix and it sounds brutal.

Secondly, there is a parametric EQ. when most producers produce guitars they remove all the frequencys that aren't being used I.e all the super high end, this also removes the frequency of the fizz.

So like I said before, rack EQ.

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Might get flamed for this...

Maybe try out a Randall T2? Its hybrid, but has a 400w mosfet powee section, and ive heard people describe it as a tigher 5150 without the harshness.

[budda]

Originally Posted by MatthewLeisher

Yeah, I'm constantly tweaking the EQ around trying to minimize the fizz and get a good tone.

My current rig is a DC800 with BKP Aftermaths, Maxon OD808, MXR Smartgate, MXR Super Comp, 5150 Sig w/ Smartgate in the loop, Basson B412k cab with Eminence Legends.

I guess I'm just not a fan of the 5150 tone. Which is weird because I've heard clips of it sounding amazing. I really love the FB100 tone though. I think that's what I'm going to go for.

What are your settings?

For fun, try this:
Crunch, gain at 5
OD808 at 2/5/6 (drive/tone/level)
no gate, no comp,
Cab.

Then, leaving the gate and comp at home, try some different cabs. It's free (except for the gas to go to the store), and it lets you hear your core rig with other speakers.