# MXR EVH5150 Overdrive



## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

Just picked one of these up in a trade this weekend past. Haven't had much time with it yet but the little time I spent it sounded pretty damn good. Tone thick enough to chew on. Has a built in noise gate that is optional not something I have really used much before. Although I found it odd that it takes longer to kick in with single coils. A lot of gain on tap and a 3 band eq. I have a couple BSIAB pedals that I will have to compare it to. Brownie and a purported super crunch knock off(Caline CP-27). 

Anybody else have one?Keep it or move it? Use it in a clean amp or broken up?


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

I have one and like it. Couldn't get a brown sound out of it but got some great modern hi gain stuff. Was my favourite pedal until I got a BE-OD. BE-OD is a little "sweeter" to my ears. 5150 is still a great pedal though. I kept both.


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## Spinedriver (Mar 19, 2016)

I have one as well and like it a lot. I've thought about trying out a BE-OD but from the demos I've heard, it's a bit too 'mid-rangey' for my taste.


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

That BE-OD looks interesting. Going to have to watch some vids. What does the 'tight' knob do? Is it like sag?
While watching some That Pedal Show vids I saw them demo a Keeley 1962x pedal. I thought it sounded very good. Marshall style but not as hi gain as the 5150.


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## Spinedriver (Mar 19, 2016)

Here's a link to one of the better 'in-depth' videos I've seen.






As for the gain, I think they explain it in the video that the BE-OD has an internal trim pot that can have it go from mild od all the way to quite high gain.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

Tbh I thought that video demo sounded like a bag of wasps - and I am a high gain freak. Very buzzy and 'pointy' with no body. I bet the pedal sounded better 'in the room'


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

If you like it, keep it.


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## BMW-KTM (Apr 7, 2015)

fretzel said:


> Has a built in noise gate that is optional not something I have really used much before. Although I found it odd that it takes longer to kick in with single coils.


Noisegates operate according to a threshold signal level.
Buckers usually have a stronger signal level than singles.


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## Spinedriver (Mar 19, 2016)

sorbz62 said:


> Tbh I thought that video demo sounded like a bag of wasps - and I am a high gain freak. Very buzzy and 'pointy' with no body. I bet the pedal sounded better 'in the room'


After sifting through about a dozen diff't demos I kind of came to the same conclusion. The one I posted was one of the few that really went through what each of the knobs does. It also kind of cooled my (slight) obsession with getting distortion pedals. After a while they really do sound kind of similar, it's just a matter of how each one is eq'ed and options that are included. 

Being that I already have a couple processors as well as some vst plugins, dropping $300 + on a pedal would be a bit redundant.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

I bought the Bogner Red pedal based on this review. It has great body and tone with a boost. 






The pedal is on my board and is fantastic. I also have a Fulltone OCD for lighter distortion and boost to amps' crunch channels. 

Cheers, 
Jim


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

Or check out this one:


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## doriangrey (Mar 29, 2011)

Spinedriver said:


> As for the gain, I think they explain it in the video that the BE-OD has an internal trim pot that can have it go from mild od all the way to quite high gain.


I am not a fan of internal trim pots - I like to be able to adjust the pedal with knobs on the front that are easily accessible.

@sorbz62 - I have a bogner red pedal on my board and it has become my fave distortion pedal ( an I have tried many over 30 years of playing). It seems to have the most natural 'crunch' - you can get nice high gain sounds with it but it seems to retain definition better than any high gain crunch 

I am very intrigued by the EVH 5150 pedal - the price is what's holding me back right now...it's $280 at L & M before taxes...ouch! =(


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## Spinedriver (Mar 19, 2016)

doriangrey said:


> I am not a fan of internal trim pots - I like to be able to adjust the pedal with knobs on the front that are easily accessible.
> 
> @sorbz62 - I have a bogner red pedal on my board and it has become my fave distortion pedal ( an I have tried many over 30 years of playing). It seems to have the most natural 'crunch' - you can get nice high gain sounds with it but it seems to retain definition better than any high gain crunch
> 
> I am very intrigued by the EVH 5150 pedal - the price is what's holding me back right now...it's $280 at L & M before taxes...ouch! =(


I have the Bogner Red as well but being a 'metal' guy, I kind of prefer the 5150 slightly more than the Red, despite it being more versatile. That being said though, the Red does sound phenomenal when I use it for a drive pedal with my bass rig.

The thing about the price of the 5150, while there's always a chance of snagging a used one off Reverb or E-Bay, when you look at the other distortion pedals L&M have, the 5150 is probably one of the better sounding ones and has a noise gate. The only other one I could possibly recommend that's less than $300 and has a built in noise gate would be the Truetone Jekyll & Hyde but it has a bit more 'fizz' to it than the 5150 does.


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

Agree about the trim pots. P.I.T.A!!! 
Also, in regards to the pricing, when I did the trade I looked into the 5150. It sells for $199 usd same as the Velvet fuzz that I traded for it. The Velvet sells for $240 cdn. As you said the 5150 is $280. And for comparison the Catalinbread SFT is $179usd/$240cdn. I don't know, maybe Brian is just being nice to us.


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## doriangrey (Mar 29, 2011)

Spinedriver said:


> I have the Bogner Red as well but being a 'metal' guy, I kind of prefer the 5150 slightly more than the Red, despite it being more versatile. That being said though, the Red does sound phenomenal when I use it for a drive pedal with my bass rig.
> 
> The thing about the price of the 5150, while there's always a chance of snagging a used one off Reverb or E-Bay, when you look at the other distortion pedals L&M have, the 5150 is probably one of the better sounding ones and has a noise gate. The only other one I could possibly recommend that's less than $300 and has a built in noise gate would be the Truetone Jekyll & Hyde but it has a bit more 'fizz' to it than the 5150 does.


Yeah the Bogner Red can get close to metal but I agree that it's not really a metal petal. I have the Visual Sound version of the Jekyl and Hyde (got it for $80 on CL) and I do like that pedal - especially the OD section. I saw the new Truetone version in L & M but again the price scared me off. The Jekyl & Hyde pedal is a good pedal for the classic rock cover band I play with but I also prefer higher gain / metal type tones so I think I'm going to go to Long & McQuade this weekend and make the plunge and buy the 5150 OD pedal. The demos I've seen on youtube have sold me on the 5150. I have a mxr badass pedal I could trade in to bring the price down a little bit. The 5150 OD will be my Christmas present to me =)


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