EVH 5150 Iconic Series 80W Head Black 230V Eur

Historical Context and Positioning in the Range

The EVH 5150 Iconic series was designed to recapture the "hot-rodded" DNA that made the 5150 famous, with a more accessible and straightforward approach than some high-end variants. This 80W head stands as a powerful and pragmatic alternative to the EVH 5150III models, retaining the spirit of the EVH tube sound: sharp attack, dense grain, and easy sustain. The model was announced for availability starting October 2021 and remains today a solid foundation for those seeking a modern stage head that is simple to use and extremely effective.

Who This Amp Is For

This head is aimed at the intermediate to professional guitarist who wants a "plug-and-play" amp capable of covering rehearsals, live performances, and recording without multiplying gear. Its head format makes it ideal with a 2x12 or 4x12 cab for concerts, while remaining usable at home thanks to the power reduction mode and emulated DI. Style-wise, it excels in genres where solid and structured drive is expected: rock, hard rock, modern metal, precise palm-muted riffs, and singing solos, while offering a clean channel capable of accommodating pedals and modulations.

Features and Innovations

The EVH 5150 Iconic Series 80W Head offers two channels with an additional voicing switch on each to expand the palette without complicating handling. The green channel shifts from a spacious clean to a more pronounced crunch via an Overdrive switch, handy for alternating between clean verses and more aggressive choruses. The red channel targets modern EVH saturation, and its Burn switch adds a layer of bite and density for leads and incisive rhythms. Each channel has its own Gain and Volume controls to precisely set levels between a clean/edge-of-breakup sound and high gain.

To ensure precision in real conditions, channel 2 includes a fast-attack noise gate: ideal for clean staccato riffs without hiss, while avoiding breaking the dynamics more than necessary. The Boost function adds a +10 dB footswitchable volume increase to bring a solo forward without changing settings. The shared EQ (Low, Mid, High) is complemented by global Presence and Resonance controls to shape the extreme highs and low-end foundation depending on the cabinet and room. Finally, a global reverb allows adding just the right amount of ambiance, from a small room feel to a larger space sensation, without relying on a pedal.

The Sound

With its all-tube technology and solid power supply, this head delivers a decidedly EVH character: fast attack, firm low end, present mids, and saturation that remains clear when downtuning or speeding up playing. The clean channel is designed to stay "wide" and musical, with usable headroom, and it handles pedal chains (light compression, chorus, delays) very well thanks to the effects loop and balanced voicing. In gain, you get tight crunch followed by dense saturation, with a feeling of natural compression typical of tubes when pushing the preamp, while maintaining definition for harmonics and pick attacks. The result: an amp that sounds immediately "album/live-ready," capable of sharp riffs and leads that sustain notes effortlessly.

Technical specifications

Effects	Reverb	Category	Amplifier
Category	Guitar amp head	Number of channels	2
Technology	Tubes	EQ	3-band, presence and resonance
Effects loop	Yes	Color	Black
Amp tubes	6L6	Finishing	Black tolex
Pre-amp tubes	2 x 12AX7, 2 x ECC83	Power output	80 W
Attenuator	Yes

Type	all-tube guitar amp head	Boost	+10 dB footswitchable
Rectifier	Solid State	Noise gate	channel 2
Power	80 W	Input	1 - 6.35mm Jack
Unique feature	power level switch (quarter power mode)	Speaker outputs	2 - 6.35mm Jack in parallel
Power tubes	4 x JJ 6L6	DI	emulated XLR output with power amp mute
Preamp tubes	2 x JJ ECC83S (12AX7)	Impedance	4, 8, or 16 ohms
Channels	2 - Clean/Overdrive and Lead/Burn	Cabinet	MDF
Controls	Channel 1: Gain with Overdrive switch; Channel 2 Gain with Burn switch; Channel 2 Noise Gate; shared EQ Low/Mid/High; Volume channel 1 / Volume channel 2; Master Boost; global reverb; Resonance; Presence	Knobs	black chicken head style pointer
Reverb	yes (global control)	Handles/Straps	molded plastic strap with black powder-coated end caps