Pricing and availability
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Price
Average Price: $1,695
High-end/Boutique
$300
$801+
Price Tier
Budget
Standard
High-end
Price History
Based on price data from 3 merchants for "Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
Unleash the power of your guitar with the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head, a sonic powerhouse that's designed to deliver an array of tonal options. Originally branded as the EVH 5150, this high-performance amp head offers two inputs, enabling versatility for various playing styles and setups. It also boasts a "bright" and a "crunch" channel, offering distinct sonic landscapes perfect for those seeking to create a rich and immersive sound palette. Whether you're chasing clean, transparent tones or craving for a more gritty, aggressive sound, this iconic amplifier head is your reliable partner on stage and in the studio.
Key Features:
- Dual inputs for versatile playability
- "Bright" and "crunch" channels for diverse tonal options
- A 120-watt power rating for robust sound projection
- Originally produced between 1995 and 2004, offering a vintage appeal
- Suited for both stage and studio use
- Highly responsive to different guitar pickups and playing techniques
Product specs
| Brand | Peavey |
| Model | 5150 "Block Logo" 120-Watt Guitar Head |
| Finish | Black |
| Year | 1990s |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Guitar Heads |
| Color Family | Black |
| Electronics | Tube |
| Impedance | 16 ohms, 4 ohms, 8 ohms |
| Number of Channels | 2 Channels |
| Number of Inputs | 2 Inputs |
| Output Power (Watts) | 120 |
| Power Tube Type | 6L6 |
| Powered | Unpowered |
| Reverb | None |
FAQs
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What kind of music is the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head best suited for?
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The Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head is renowned for its high-gain capabilities, making it ideal for rock, metal, and hard rock genres. Its powerful tone is favored by guitarists seeking aggressive and dynamic sound.
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Does the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head handle pedals well?
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Yes, the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head is known to take pedals well, particularly overdrive and distortion pedals, enhancing its versatility and tonal range for various playing styles.
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What is the core tonal characteristic of the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head?
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The Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head is characterized by its high-gain, aggressive tone with tight lows and cutting highs, perfect for achieving powerful and articulate distorted sounds.
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How many channels does the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head have?
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The Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head features two channels, allowing players to switch between clean and lead tones for versatile performance options.
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What type of power tubes does the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head use?
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The Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head uses 6L6 power tubes, which contribute to its robust, high-gain sound and overall tonal character.
Videos
Riffs, Beards & Gear
THE TRINITY! 5150 Amp Shootout! (2021)
Reviews
PROS
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Iconic for 90s melodic metal sound
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Original Block Letter model highly praised
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Rare Sylvania tubes enhance performance
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Replicates desired metalcore and heavy metal tones precisely
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Good distortion quality
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Some find the clean channel satisfactory
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Seen as a collector's item
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Inspired by Eddie Van Halen's preferences
CONS
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Perceived as a "one trick pony" by some
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Expensive on the used market
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Requires additional cab for full setup
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Not as versatile for genres beyond metal
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head.
Comparisons
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The 5150 is frequently used with a Mesa OS cab and SM57 microphone for metal recordings, indicating a common professional setup.
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The 2x12 combos with Vintage 30s are noted to perform better than 1x12 versions by some owners, potentially due to build origin differences (USA vs. China).
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The 60W 2x12 combo is criticized for sounding "flabby" at volume, lacking the tightness and depth of the 120W head.
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The Peavey 5150 is often compared to the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier for heavy sound, with some users preferring 5150 for its distinct tone.
Source
User experience
Use cases and applications
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The 60W combo is often modded to enhance its usability, converting it into a more effective 3-channel amp.
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Owners note that the 5150 is ideal for metal and heavy genres but not suited for clean tones; alternative amps or channels are recommended for cleaner sounds.
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This amp excels in producing tones suitable for both classic Van Halen and modern metal bands like Killswitch Engage and Arch Enemy.
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Build quality
Mods and upgrades
Features and functionality
Setup and maintenance
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A power attenuator is highly recommended for bedroom playing to manage the amp's high volume levels effectively.
Source
5.0 out of 5
Based on 6 Reviews and 44 Ratings
93
The best tube amp I have ever heard
The best tube amp I have ever heard,great metal amp, great clean channel,just great,I have only played for like 3 years but just great amp, the tone i want i just get, the 6505 is the exact same thing, if you can't find this,get a 6506,also have the cabinet with some speakers better than vintage 30s I forgot what the speakers in my 5150 cab are called but just great.
41029
yeah, the 1st version is really close to a SLO100 circuit with ingerior PCB material, more readily available comonents, off the shelf transformers and a slight voicing tweak to up gain and smooth the high end to be less razor-like... yet somehow those changes add up to make it very little like the SLO
202
Yes.
If you've heard of this amp, you know what it does. There isn't an amp in the world that does it better.
41029
except the soldano SLO100 that its knocked off of with a few voicing mdos to suit EVH
Artist usage
Add artist
In the live performance of Crowbar at Resurrection Fest 2014, Kirk Windstein can be seen using the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head.
"'And before you came to Stevenson's amps, what did you run through?''Before that I was using a (Peavey) 5150 head, I think it was a '91. And I really liked those tones, too, like they were really clean. I'm a big fan of the bright guitar amps. I was using a 5150 through a Vox cabinet at the time and it was super bright but at the same time with the 5150 every time you turned the gain up it would just get a little too saturated for me. I couldn't find that clean and heavy balance whereas with the Stevenson I found that balance pretty easy,'" says Ian D'Sa, in this interview.
He says what he used on the Unto The Locusts record in one of the questions and it was a 5150 amp head. You can also see this set up on the making of dvd.
In this interview, Adam talks about using his "old 5150" to record the majority of Times of Grace's "The Hymn of a Broken Man."
"I used my old 5150 a lot though – it's one of the first series ones. They sound the best. It gurgles and sounds a little more focused than most 5150s. It's my go-to head and I believe they modelled after the old Soldanos so it's kind of the same sound – lots and lots of gain, very hot rodded gain."
GW: What gear and settings do you guys use to get your tone? Steer: Just for simplicity, I only use one amp live--a Peavy 5150 with a Marshall Guv'nor pedal in front of it to beef up the overdrive just that little bit extra. In the studio, though, it's a different matter; I use several different amps--a selection of Marshalls and the 5150.
In this video, Tom Searle uses a 5150. He used the 5150/6505/6505+ almost interchangeably live. Rest easy Tom.
In a studio tour video by GodlykeInc, Erik Rutan is shown using the Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head at Mana Recording Studios.
At home I have a handful of heads - a 6505, 6505+ and a block letter 5150 - and they do sound different enough. I switch between them a lot but it will always be one of those amps. I make Kemper profiles of everything I do and use that live for both bands. That combination of heads, cabs and speakers always brings a clear mid-range no matter what you dial on the amp.
Album Usage
The Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head has been featured on the following albums:
Burn My Eyes (Live-in-the-Studio 2019)
Machine Head (2021)
Alphaville (Bonus Tracks Edition)
Imperial Triumphant (2020)
Medusa
Paradise Lost (2017)
Svart
Feared & Feared (2017)
Walk the Plank
Zebrahead (2015)
The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart
Sepultura (2013)
Common Courtesy
A Day to Remember (2013)
Sempiternal (Expanded Edition)
Bring Me The Horizon (2013)
Impulse
Erra (2011)
The Hymn of a Broken Man
Times of Grace (2011)
Unto The Locust
Machine Head (2011)
Bringer of Plagues (Bonus Track Version)
Divine Heresy (2010)
For Darkest Eyes (Live in Krakow)
My Dying Bride (2010)
The Apostasy
Behemoth (2007)
Bleed the Fifth
Divine Heresy (2007)
Serious
Richard Hawley (2007)
From The Ashes
Pennywise (2003)
St. Anger
Metallica (2003)
Statement
Nonpoint (2000)
Antipop
Primus (1999)
Still Life (Remastered)
Opeth (1999)
My Arms, Your Hearse
Opeth (1998)
Words From The Exit Wound
Napalm Death (1998)
Something Wild
Children of Bodom (1997)
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind (1997)
Alice In Chains
Alice in Chains (1995)
Balance
Van Halen (1995)
Counterparts (2004 Remaster)
Rush (1993)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Peavey 5150 120-Watt Head, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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