PRS MT15 vs v1 EVH 5150 III 50 Watt

[oakentower]

I am giving up on the Helix and going back to a good old fashioned tube head. Which of these amps is best for garage to gigging volume for chugging death metal tones? I can't afford a v2 EVH and can live with the volume jumps on the v1 as I'll only be using one channel. Also, I have heard the MT15 doesn't sound good at low volumes. Which amp would you go with?

 

[thebeesknees22]

I love my mt15. But I have an attenuator that I have an old rivera rock crusher attenuator that I use with it so it sounds fine at low volume. ....i should probably do that.

i can't speak to how it compares to the evh. I'm sure it's great too though.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

It's not that the MT15 doesn't sound good at low volumes, it's that it's hard to dial in at low volumes because the master volume taper is fucked.

Basically do you want a more modern take on a Recto (MT15) with a noisy FX loop, or a more modern take on the 5150 (EVH).

 

[Strobe]

I kind of feel like the MT15 is kind of half way between a recto and a 5150. It definitely has a low mids thing. It is also a very loud 15 watt amp.

 

[oakentower]

I kind of feel like the MT15 is kind of half way between a recto and a 5150. It definitely has a low mids thing. It is also a very loud 15 watt amp.

I get that from what I hear as well. Also the fact that it's super tight and aggressive unboosted is super appealing.

 

[MatrixClaw]

I wouldn't call the MT15 "super tight" when unboosted. Tighter than a Recto? Sure. As tight as a 5150? Definitely not.

I've been a huge Recto fan for years but have yet to really find one that was perfect for me (well, except a blackface Rev F Racktifier I had... but I stupidly sold that and the price nowdays is quite prohibitive). I've owned the Rev F, G, 3 Channel Dual/Triple, Single Recto, Rectoverb, Tremoverb, Roadster and Road King I & II. All had strengths in their own right, but none of them were quite right. Thinking I'd like the Uberschall because I've always heard it referred to as a "refined Recto", I bought one of those and HATED it (well - I liked it boosted, but without the boost, I thought it was completely useless). I liked the Twin Jet considerably more, but the lack of a real clean channel killed it for me.

I've also been a huge 5150 fan since I bought my first tube amp (a 5150 combo) in 2007. I've owned amps 8x its cost and have always maintained that nothing truly outclasses the original 5150.

I now own an MT15. It is definitely more on the Recto side than the 5150 side. It's exactly what I wanted all those Rectos and Uberschalls to sound like - like the best of all of them and none of the bad. The ONLY thing I can complain about on the MT15 is... it's not really versatile, like - at all. It's basically raging metal tones and clean. You get nothing else. That's cool though, they're cheap.

However, against a 5150, they have an "American" sound, but the 5150 is much more aggressive and much tighter. That's not to say the MT15 isn't aggressive and is super loose. I'd say it gets close to boosted Recto tones with tightness (maybe a tad looser), but is much more aggressive than an unboosted Recto, because it has a bit more high mids. The clean channel is also really great - I think the only clean channel that rivals it in the Recto line is the Roadster/Road King.



Between the MT15 and the EVH, I think it definitely depends on what you want. The EVH will cut like a razor in the mix and has really great note clarity, but it doesn't sound as big and 3D as the MT15 does. IMO, the MT15's clean is better than the EVH, but it also depends on if you want bright and glassy cleans or warm and larger-than-life. If I didn't have another amp, I'd probably go for the EVH for me because it will cover more ground, but if I didn't care about that, it'd be a harder choice. Both sounds compliment each other very well and I couldn't choose... so I bought both. I ended up selling my last 5150 and now is the first time in like 10 years that I haven't owned one in some shape or form, but aside from the Invective, I don't know that I'll buy another anytime soon.

 

[Shask]

I thought the 5153 50w sounded much bigger when I tried both, which is why I bought one.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

It's not that the MT15 doesn't sound good at low volumes, it's that it's hard to dial in at low volumes because the master volume taper is fucked.

Basically do you want a more modern take on a Recto (MT15) with a noisy FX loop, or a more modern take on the 5150 (EVH).

Goddamit why was I thinking they fixed those issues. I was nearly gassing for one, thinking they were fixed. Guess I'll save my money until something else tempting comes along.

 

[soldierkahn]

"and the price nowdays is quite prohibitive"

how expensive is that tho? Kinda curious because i myself have yet to find the right recto as well

 

[soldierkahn]

Goddamit why was I thinking they fixed those issues. I was nearly gassing for one, thinking they were fixed. Guess I'll save my money until something else tempting comes along.

Dude im right there with you.... been waiting to pull the trigger on an MT15 until i could try one out first because the reviews are so mixed. granted, my tone is pretty much just varying the levels of gain, but would be nice to stretch my legs into some clean tones every now and again. I also dont use effects enough to really warrant going with another modeler amp with 25 different effects but only use the reverb lol.

guess ill wait a little longer too lol

 

[Vince]

If you're playing them at bedroom volumes, the EVH 50 watt heads have MIDI, 3 channels, and a better FX loop.

If you're playing them loud, the EVH has full size transformers. Both amps get loud, but any variant of the EVH smokes it at high volumes. I've owned an MT15 and an EVH 50w EL34. Hands down the EVH beat the MT15, but I really liked both amps.

 

[MatrixClaw]

"and the price nowdays is quite prohibitive"

how expensive is that tho? Kinda curious because i myself have yet to find the right recto as well

Seen them approaching $4k lately Keep in mind, the dirty sounds on those amps are awesome. The cleans are... not great. Better than the OG 5150 though, I guess.

 

[guitar_player4_2_0]

I’ve had a v1 5153, a 50w stealth, and an MT15. For home use I’d go MT15 all day long. You can swap the FX loop tube to a 12au7 and that takes care of the noise and a JHS Little Black Box in the loop fixes the volume jump.

 

[oakentower]

I think I'm gonna go with the PRS MT15 and get a JHS Black Box to throw in the loop for lower volume riffing. Love the sounds I'm hearing from this amp, it's like a super pissed off Bogner tone and I prefer it to the EVH's sound which is great itself but less saturated and more polite sounding.

 

[sirbuh]

evh master volume is amazing for bedroom jamming...just great amps

 

[sevenfoxes]

Goddamit why was I thinking they fixed those issues. I was nearly gassing for one, thinking they were fixed. Guess I'll save my money until something else tempting comes along.

The fx loop noise is easily remedied with a 12au7.

 

[sevenfoxes]

I think I'm gonna go with the PRS MT15 and get a JHS Black Box to throw in the loop for lower volume riffing. Love the sounds I'm hearing from this amp, it's like a super pissed off Bogner tone and I prefer it to the EVH's sound which is great itself but less saturated and more polite sounding.

The EVH definitely isn’t more polite. I’d actually say they’re about the same when it comes to aggression, except for the red channel on the EVH, which is definitely more pissed off sounding.

The MT15 also sounds more compressed due to its lower wattage. That’s actually why i sold it. It got annoying.

What i love about the MT15 though is it’s recto-ish tone. Very fat lower mids, but much tighter than a recto, but without the fizz.

Tough choice, overall. I’d try to play both and see which one you like more. But if you want chug city, then the MT15 is the way to go, imo.

 

[Apex1rg7x]

Why don't you consider the new PRS Archon as well? It sits between the MT and EVH, price wise and is arguably a better overall version of the MT15. Better cleans than the EVH and the High gain is basically preference. Archon is much more user friendly than the MT as well, with a solid loop and volume taper.

Not sure what your budget really is I guess, but thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[sevenfoxes]

Why don't you consider the new PRS Archon as well? It sits between the MT and EVH, price wise and is arguably a better overall version of the MT15. Better cleans than the EVH and the High gain is basically preference. Archon is much more user friendly than the MT as well, with a solid loop and volume taper.

Not sure what your budget really is I guess, but thought I'd throw that out there.

This! The new Archon 50 is like the best of both worlds.

 

[oakentower]

Why don't you consider the new PRS Archon as well? It sits between the MT and EVH, price wise and is arguably a better overall version of the MT15. Better cleans than the EVH and the High gain is basically preference. Archon is much more user friendly than the MT as well, with a solid loop and volume taper.

Not sure what your budget really is I guess, but thought I'd throw that out there.

Gooood call! The new 50 Archon looks and more importantly sounds like the one. Love the tone I'm hearing on the new Archon 50 wayyyy better than the MT15 or EVH III's. Wow blown away and love the stripped down features and look. I wonder how it sounds at lower volumes?