EVH Eddie Van Halen Limited Edition 5150III 100S Custom Stealth Guitar Amplifier Head (100 Watts)
Glowing with the power of eight ECC83 preamp tubes and four aggressive 6L6 power tubes, this hand-customized 100-watt head screams with rock 'n' roll tone.
$2,449.99
- 12 x$204.17
- 8 x$306.25
Overall User Ratings (based on 2 ratings)
Submitted May 6, 2015 by David D in Cedar Rapids, IA
"Awesome"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Great amp!!!!!! This is the 5150III on steroids. Lots of gain and the clean channel is very good. It is on the tad noisy side. All the control knobs are very sensitive. This amp is the real modded deal right out of the box. The only thing I would recommend would be to get the matching cab. I tried this head with 4 different cabs and the EVH 4 X 12 sounded the best hands down.
Musical Background:
28 years playing guitar. Play professionally, jam at home.
Musical Style:
Country to metal
23 of 24 people (96%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Submitted November 20, 2021 by Joey L
"The "New" EVH Stealth heads"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought my first one in early 2017. As much as I loved it, I didn't realize it's full potential until a couple years later, when I put my MXR EQ in the loop (alongside my Decimator II). Unfortunately, I had to sell it...fast. After saving back up to replace it, followed by a long wait (they were on backorder), I finally got another one.. from the new batch. Just a few problems....The price went up, but the quality went down.. a lot. Different tubes and components, the tolex coming unglued on the inside, loose (and uneven) pots, and a loud hum/"buzz" on all channels, but esp. the red channel, even with an ISP Decimator II in the effects loop, and the gain below 4 (I expect some "hiss" out of any high gain amp, so I've always used a gate in the front of the amp, and in the loop). It was NOT the same amp I once had. They completely rushed making the new ones, and skipped QC. (It probably didn't help that FedEx handled it, considering all the holes, etc. all over the box). I returned it, but not without being punished by zZounds, which sucks because they were my "go-to" site for amps and pedals for years. If you HAVE to get an EVH amp, just get a 50 watt head (or buy a used 100 watt made between 2016-2017) from Reverb.
Sound
My first one (made in 2016) sounded (and looked) amazing.. (also built like a tank). The new one.. not so much. Personally, I think the "green" channel could do without the Gain knob. Just let it be a Clean channel. The "Blue" channel has "almost enough" gain, while the "Red" channel's gain seems unusable once the knob passes 6 (tops). The gain structures should be compensated (preferably the same amount) on those two channels. The "Prescence" knobs should just be on/off "Bright" switches (I couldn't hear any difference between 0-8, then from 8-10 it gets slightly brighter). Adding anything to the effects loop adds a loud and low-pitched hum, on top of the unbearable hiss that's always present (even with a noise gate, which should be built into the amp anyway, and even with the volume at 1!).
Features
Since I never got a replacement, I can only judge by the one I just returned.. The closest thing I can compare the "5150III-100S" to is the Egnater "Armageddon". It looks like the perfect "hard rock/metal" amp (on paper), but once it's turned on (esp. the Red channel), you WILL be disappointed.. (but, at least the Armageddon had a built-in, footswitchable, "Decimator G-String" noise gate).
Ease of Use
If you did a side by side comparison between one made in 2016, and one made in 2021, I'm sure most people would notice the older ones sound better, and have much less "hiss", esp. with anything in the loop.
Quality
Compared to my first one, the new one looked, felt, and even sounded, well, cheaper. I don't think this would've been an issue if Eddie was still alive.
Value
The one I got in 2017, definitely.Now? Not at all.. At least not the 100 watt heads.
Manufacturer Support
Every time I talked to someone at Fender, I got a different story, esp. when they were on backorder. At one point I was told they were discontinued ("They're called 'Limited Edition' for a reason.") before finding out they were shipping new amps out a couple months later.
The Wow Factor
They still look cool, especially with red LEDs installed (DIY), but it doesn't make up for the shortcuts taken to rush them out to the public (plus the hiss, the hum, the seemingly microphonic tubes, etc.). Who knows? Maybe I'm just one of the few (well, quite a few..) people that got a sub par head that just slipped out the door unbeknownst to Fender's QC, and if zZounds sent a replacement (50 or 100 watts) that sounded more like the original batch, or perhaps better, this review would be completely different, and I'd go right back to buying damn near everything from zZounds.
Musical Background:
Touring and Recording guitarist since 1998
Musical Style:
"Southern Thrash / Deathcore / Extreme Alternative (w/6 & 7 strings)", but I've also written, toured, and recorded with "dark-fo
5 of 6 people (83%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
Thanks for your opinion!
Please wait.