The 5150 Iconic Series combo delivers two channels of tube-infused, EVH-style tone with a streamlined design that satisfies the needs of gigging and recording guitarists alike. This tube amp combo covers the full gamut of Edward Van Halen’s contemporary hard rock tones, with an extra voicing on each channel for added versatility. There’s plenty of sound shaping onboard, with per-channel Gain and Volume, a shared 3-band EQ, and global Resonance and Presence controls. What’s more, this amp’s custom-designed EVH Celestion speaker and tailor-built cabinet produce pristine cleans and articulate high-gain tones with ample low-end response. The 5150 Iconic Series combo also includes a top-shelf noise gate, footswitchable Boost function, and high-quality reverb to ensure a dynamic performance and U.S.-prime, grade-A-stamped sound. Other features include a power reduction circuit, speaker-emulated output, dual parallel speaker outputs, selectable impedance, and an excellent-sounding effects loop. If you’re craving EVH’s latter-day sound, the 5150 Iconic Series combo delivers the searing tone and growling gain that King Edward made famous.

The 5150 Iconic Series combo is voiced with two JJ ECC83S preamp tubes and fueled by two JJ EL34 power tubes, arming you with two channels of muscular hard rock firepower. Each of this tube amp combo’s channels includes two voices: a Green channel for crystalline cleans or overdriven crunch; and a Red channel for fiery leads with a blistering-hot Burn setting. Each channel includes independent Gain and Volume controls for easy level matching, along with a shared 3-band EQ for effortless sonic sculpting. Global Resonance and Presence knobs round out the 5150 Iconic Series combo’s tone-shaping controls.

Despite its streamlined design, the EVH 5150 Iconic Series combo is a gig-ready rock machine. Channel two includes a built-in noise gate, which effectively — and transparently — attenuates hiss and hum. We were impressed by this gate’s responsiveness. You can churn out rapid staccato riffs all day long with zero noise between notes, and you can play long, sustaining passages without chopped-off notes. Channel two boasts a footswitchable Boost function that adds another 10dB to your signal to keep your solos front and center. The 5150 Iconic Series combo features a smooth-sounding reverb, which injects your playing with depth and dimension. You get a power reduction circuit for stadium-sized tones at bedroom-appropriate volumes, a speaker-emulated output for easy DI-ing, and dual parallel speaker outputs for no-fuss expansion. You also get a high-quality effects loop for integrating your pedalboard and outboard processors — an essential if you want to incorporate Eddie’s distinctive pitch-shifting effect into your tonal palette.