# MT15 vs EVH 50w



## sevenfoxes (Aug 22, 2018)

What are your findings?


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 22, 2018)

one is 15w with 6l6 tubes, one is 50w with el34s 
totally different voicings, the mt15 sounds more in line with a mesa recto or maybe a bogner uber. the evh is a slightly more refined 5150 sound.


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## NinjaRaf (Aug 23, 2018)

The EVH comes in 6l6, too...

For me, the EVH sounds like they took a 5150 and a Marshall and married them together...much more polite than the Peaveys, less low end punch, less high end sizzle. Some people call it refined, I dont lol.

The PRS, while everyone seems to say its like a recto or uber...I don't really agree. It has the low end punch of an original 5150, but tighter, kinda like a Mark IV. Kinda has its own thing thrown in there, too. The low end is tight and punchy and big, the high end has zero fizz at all, and it has more clarity than anything else I have owned.


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 23, 2018)

NinjaRaf said:


> The EVH comes in 6l6, too...
> 
> For me, the EVH sounds like they took a 5150 and a Marshall and married them together...much more polite than the Peaveys, less low end punch, less high end sizzle. Some people call it refined, I dont lol.
> 
> The PRS, while everyone seems to say its like a recto or uber...I don't really agree. It has the low end punch of an original 5150, but tighter, kinda like a Mark IV. Kinda has its own thing thrown in there, too. The low end is tight and punchy and big, the high end has zero fizz at all, and it has more clarity than anything else I have owned.


shhh we don't speak of the 6l6 version


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## DudeManBrother (Aug 24, 2018)

I need to go play the MT15 soon. I’m, more than anything, curious how close it’s voiced like the Archon. The sound clips make it seem like they cover very similar ground.


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## Werecow (Aug 24, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> shhh we don't speak of the 6l6 version



In EVH 50w circles it's generally the EL34 version that doesn't get spoken of, what with its flubby blue channel.


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 24, 2018)

Werecow said:


> In EVH 50w circles it's generally the EL34 version that doesn't get spoken of, what with its flubby blue channel.


yeah my bad, for whatever reason I was thinking the el34 version was the more popular version.


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## sirbuh (Aug 24, 2018)

Werecow said:


> In EVH 50w circles it's generally the EL34 version that doesn't get spoken of, what with its flubby blue channel.



Interesting, I don't find that to be the case at all vs other 5150s and variations thereof.


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## KailM (Aug 24, 2018)

sirbuh said:


> Interesting, I don't find that to be the case at all vs other 5150s and variations thereof.



I don't find that to be the case either. By all accounts it's a great amp just like the 6L6 version. I've seen a few reviews that bash the blue channel for being flubby and bassy, but they are not boosting it. I think that it's nothing an OD pedal with a typical bass cut couldn't handle.


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## Seabeast2000 (Aug 24, 2018)

sirbuh said:


> Interesting, I don't find that to be the case at all vs other 5150s and variations thereof.


I don't really know what to do with the blue channel on mine yet. Its either green or dimed red. Tin ears most likely a contributing factor.


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## sirbuh (Aug 24, 2018)

The906 said:


> I don't really know what to do with the blue channel on mine yet. Its either green or dimed red. Tin ears most likely a contributing factor.



Just speaks to the variability of tone preference...I can't get off the Blue channel and stay away from the red for the most part.


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## Seabeast2000 (Aug 25, 2018)

sirbuh said:


> Just speaks to the variability of tone preference...I can't get off the Blue channel and stay away from the red for the most part.


Using a boost? What flavor?


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 25, 2018)

The906 said:


> Using a boost? What flavor?


mint chocolate duh


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## Seabeast2000 (Aug 25, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> mint chocolate duh


of course...


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## sirbuh (Aug 25, 2018)

The906 said:


> Using a boost? What flavor?



Settled into Dunlop Echoplex Preamp or a "boring" TS when I use one.


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## KailM (Aug 25, 2018)

I played an MT 15 yesterday; was quite impressed. I didn't like it better than my EVH 6l6 50-watt head though. I will say it beats the pants off of _EVERY LUNCHBOX head I've ever tried_ though...

As for what it sounds like--kinda hard to really give a description. Not worlds different than a 5150, but maybe thicker across all the frequencies whereas my 5150 is thick in select places (lows and then upper mids). I got the impression that it wouldn't cut through the mix quite as easily as a 5150 (any variant). Who knows though? It's hard to go into a store, pick up a guitar that's not yours, plug it into an amp that's not yours on top of a cab that's different from what you own and do any sort of objective comparison. It sounded great -- just not better than my 5150 III. The clean may have been better though; however, I'd worry about getting LOUD cleans...


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## sevenfoxes (Aug 26, 2018)

KailM said:


> I played an MT 15 yesterday; was quite impressed. I didn't like it better than my EVH 6l6 50-watt head though. I will say it beats the pants off of _EVERY LUNCHBOX head I've ever tried_ though...
> 
> As for what it sounds like--kinda hard to really give a description. Not worlds different than a 5150, but maybe thicker across all the frequencies whereas my 5150 is thick in select places (lows and then upper mids). I got the impression that it wouldn't cut through the mix quite as easily as a 5150 (any variant). Who knows though? It's hard to go into a store, pick up a guitar that's not yours, plug it into an amp that's not yours on top of a cab that's different from what you own and do any sort of objective comparison. It sounded great -- just not better than my 5150 III. The clean may have been better though; however, I'd worry about getting LOUD cleans...


Does it feel/sound like a full sized amp?


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## KailM (Aug 26, 2018)

sevenfoxes said:


> Does it feel/sound like a full sized amp?



Yes, absolutely. I didn't crank it in the store, but that doesn't matter. Big amps sound big even at low volumes, and this sounded like a big amp. It sounds like it has 6L6s, and it does. Regarding feel, there is a chewy/sagginess (not extreme, mind you) to the response that I pretty much need to be happy with an amp.


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## NinjaRaf (Aug 27, 2018)

No need to worry about it cutting against a 5150. Does it fine. Also, loud clean is no problem, either. It stays clean for as loud as I need it to at band practice.


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## Alex79 (Aug 28, 2018)

KailM said:


> I played an MT 15 yesterday; was quite impressed. I didn't like it better than my EVH 6l6 50-watt head though. I will say it beats the pants off of _EVERY LUNCHBOX head I've ever tried_ though...
> 
> As for what it sounds like--kinda hard to really give a description. Not worlds different than a 5150, but maybe thicker across all the frequencies whereas my 5150 is thick in select places (lows and then upper mids). I got the impression that it wouldn't cut through the mix quite as easily as a 5150 (any variant). Who knows though? It's hard to go into a store, pick up a guitar that's not yours, plug it into an amp that's not yours on top of a cab that's different from what you own and do any sort of objective comparison. It sounded great -- just not better than my 5150 III. The clean may have been better though; however, I'd worry about getting LOUD cleans...



How do you think it compares against an ENGL Ironball?


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## KailM (Aug 28, 2018)

Alex79 said:


> How do you think it compares against an ENGL Ironball?



I haven't tried an Ironball, sorry.


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## Bentaycanada (Aug 28, 2018)

I think a better ‘vs’ would be PRS MT15 vs EVH LBX.


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## Deadpool_25 (Aug 28, 2018)

Bentaycanada said:


> I think a better ‘vs’ would be PRS MT15 vs EVH LBX.



Seems like a more _logical_ comparison, but from what I’m reading here, it might not be a _better_ comparison. 

Interesting.


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## KailM (Aug 28, 2018)

Deadpool_25 said:


> Seems like a more _logical_ comparison, but from what I’m reading here, it might not be a _better_ comparison.
> 
> Interesting.



You can tell within 5 seconds the MT15 is not running el84s.


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## chopeth (Aug 29, 2018)

The Ironball is much much better than the lbx. The latter is unusable at bedroom volume levels paradoxically


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## KailM (Aug 29, 2018)

chopeth said:


> The Ironball is much much better than the lbx. The latter is unusable at bedroom volume levels paradoxically



I agree -- that's what I found with the LBX as well when I played one in a store. At respectable "store" levels, it sounded like a Boss Metalzone. _Nothing_ like the 50 watt 5150 III that sounds great at any volume. I know they can sound good when turned up, but IMO that defeats the purpose of a lunchbox amp.


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## bnzboy (Aug 29, 2018)

KailM said:


> At respectable "store" levels, it sounded like a Boss Metalzone.



This is what I heard in person as well. Victory Kraken kicked ass right beside it.


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## sevenfoxes (Aug 29, 2018)

Bentaycanada said:


> I think a better ‘vs’ would be PRS MT15 vs EVH LBX.


From what i keep reading, I'm almost hesitant to even consider the MT15 a lbx amp.


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## Alex79 (Aug 29, 2018)

sevenfoxes said:


> From what i keep reading, I'm almost hesitant to even consider the MT15 a lbx amp.



From what I'm reading I wonder why they made the MT15 just 15 Watts and not 50 Watts straight away, with a proper master volume and low power modes.


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## Bentaycanada (Aug 29, 2018)

Alex79 said:


> From what I'm reading I wonder why they made the MT15 just 15 Watts and not 50 Watts straight away, with a proper master volume and low power modes.



This is what I don’t get. Although it would undoubtedly be much more $$$ if it was 50w.


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## mnemonic (Aug 29, 2018)

I think I read that Mark Tremonti wanted it to be a low cost, low wattage amp so his fans could more easily buy one. 

Also PRS might have decided against full 50 watts with a 15 watt mode since then it would be competing against their Archon amps. As it stands, if you want a 50 watt or 100 watt PRS metal amp, you have to spend more for the Archon.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Aug 29, 2018)

Alex79 said:


> From what I'm reading I wonder why they made the MT15 just 15 Watts and not 50 Watts straight away, with a proper master volume and low power modes.



In that one video they made it sound like they (PRS) originally wanted a 6V6/EL84-loaded amp, but Mark didn't like the sound of smaller tubes. He still wanted smaller and low-wattage, so they went with the variac'd dual-6L6 setup. 

If it's anything like the Soldano Hot Rod 25, they had to get transformers specifically made to run the amp at a lower plate voltage. And the lead designer said that one of the mods needed to make the amp 50 watts is a tranny change.

I imagine if this amp does well enough, they'll do a big boy version. Probably something to bridge the MT15 and the full-sized Archon.


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## Shoeless_jose (Aug 29, 2018)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> In that one video they made it sound like they (PRS) originally wanted a 6V6/EL84-loaded amp, but Mark didn't like the sound of smaller tubes. He still wanted smaller and low-wattage, so they went with the variac'd dual-6L6 setup.
> 
> If it's anything like the Soldano Hot Rod 25, they had to get transformers specifically made to run the amp at a lower plate voltage. And the lead designer said that one of the mods needed to make the amp 50 watts is a tranny change.
> 
> I imagine if this amp does well enough, they'll do a big boy version. Probably something to *Alter-*bridge the MT15 and the full-sized Archon.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Aug 29, 2018)

Dineley said:


> .


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