Great comparison! I've owned both, more than once, and while the 100w has a bit more of that ''punch to the chest'' feel when you play it in a real cab, honestly for its size and features, the 50w is where it's at personally (the mk2 version with the concentric knobs of course). I like the fact that it's a bit brighter out of the box and also that the blue channel has more gain. My question is this: Do you prefer the Kraken MKII or the EVH 50w and why? I''ve been super tempted by the Kraken for (again lol) its size and features but the EVH 50w can still be found at great prices used so I wonder if the price difference is worth it.
This response ended up being way longer than I though but I kinda had to type out the stream of thoughts because they really are two strong direct competitors. Yeah the kraken is crazy for it's size and even thought the 50w EVH is a lot smaller than the 100, it's still not really small. Just tolerably small enough for grabbing to take to shows (I'm taking it to our show tonight) but it's still huge and heavy compared to the Victory amps. Between the two it's kind of a toss up. The Kraken (to me) has a more usable range of gain for non-metal playing on both the crunch and lead channels and the lead channel is a bit less compressed in the mids than the red channel of the 50w 5153. If Kyle Bull's comparison between the regular 50 vs the stealth 50 lends any insight on that specifically it's that the stealth 50 kinda tightens that midrange up some but I did notice the midrange thing he talked about on this 50 and I'm not really digging it. The 100 red channel doesn't seem to have that same vibe. It's a bit more open and I like it more than the 50w red. The 50w EVH though does have the separate EQ for the channels which can't really be ignored as it gives you a lot more control over how the blue/red channels sound and I felt like the shared EQ on the Kraken was the main thing I DIDNT like about it and why I didn't really use the lead channel on it when gigging with it. I really wanted to like the lead channel and I did if I could EQ the amp but the EQ settings I liked for the lead channel didn't do it for me when going back to the crunch channel. My compromise on stage was using lots of gain from a boost pedal into the crunch channel and that worked really well. To be totally honest, I think I still like the 35w MKV the most of all the small amps I've played both at the house and in stores. It's just such a well rounded package and has by FAR the best crunch sound I've ever heard on a multi-channel amp. It was way better than the crunch on my 90w MKV I used to own.. just everything with the 35 sounds better than my old 90w. Despite it being an EL84 power section, the baby MKV still hit really nicely with a cab (just as loud and hard as my 50w Jubilee) and the different modes and tone shaping options it has vs either the EVH or Kraken is much better. For me personally on stage with the songs we play, the MKV was by far the best fit. The crunch channel and the golden boy carried me through the vast majority of the show. The MKV did have more low end overall than the Kraken which translated nicely on stage. That said, when pushed to it's limits with gain, it probably can't quite hang with the EVH if that super tight percussive metal is what you're after. It does an admirable job but the EVH was just built for that and does it better but falls behind the MKV in every other regard. Cleans, crunch, mid gain, moderate rock, etc... I feel like the MKV is just much better and I've really been kicking around the idea of buying one but can't quite justify it because I'm constantly getting other amps to take on stage. They need stage time for my reviews and if I got one, it would sit at home. That and there's lots more amps I have to try out that I may like more than the little MKV. I've got the 50w stealth, PRS MT15 and Archon MKII 50 on my list as well as the little 20w Steve Morse ENGL, Badcat Lynx, Soldano Astro 30, etc. I'd hate to throw $1500~2G's at an amp that I like only to get another demo unit right after and end up liking it more than the Mesa.
Wow thanks man!! I really appreciate your response!! The shared eq on the Kraken is my main concern tbh. The “problem” with me is that I play and compose many different styles of music (from ambient/post-rock stuff to punkrock/metal) that I need my amps to be as flexible as possible so in that case, I think I should be better off with the EVH again ;) In that regard, I still own a Peavey 3120 and a JSX and to me, the Peavey Ultra line is still the best bang for your buck in terms of versatility (especially the JSX…the 3120/XXX is more punk/metal oriented but the JSX can really go from soft rock all the way to metal). 3 separate channels with their own eq, are pretty tight out of the box if you want to and even the clean channel is great (more-so on the JSX again). They also cut really in a band mix. Actually I would’ve loved if Peavey would’ve released a 50w and compact version of those amps but it wasn’t the norm/popular at that time.
I used to be the biggest “100 watt amp snob”…It had to be 100 watts or nothing,but then a few years ago I got a 50 watt Marshall,and it changed my perception…The 50’s in general terms just have a bark in the mids that the 100’s don’t…The 100’s are more scooped sounding…No question in the room the 100’s sound deeper,and have a lot more headroom,twice the power,bigger transformers,etc..but in a live or recording environment,mic’ed up or using a load box,the differences get smaller…I have a 100 watt Jubilee I bought new in 87,and I think the 20 watt re-issue sounds better…same with the EVH’s..I much prefer the 50 over the 100’s…it’s all subjective though,and personal preference varies..we all like different things….What I really want to know is how something like the IR-J compares to the full amp head version?is it basically the same if running into a tube power amp and cab?…Debating right now between the IR-J and JEL-50,or even 20…I have tube power amps out the wazoo,so the preamp rout probably makes more sense for me..
Yeah going DI is really the great equalizer these days and a LOT of bands are doing that (hence the embrace of modelers and profilers, etc) For these 5153's specifically, I think buying based on features is going to make the decision easy for people. Those who really want a full EQ for all 3 channels don't really have much of a choice and the 100 will be the one to get but I think that after using both of them, if I could have the separate volume and gain control for the clean channel so that I could get it more evenly balanced with the blue channel's output, that would be my choice. It's why I really preferred the Victory Kraken over the Jack. The Kraken MKII added that clean channel output control so that you could ensure the volume output matched the crunch channel. I also think that with how well the 5153 blue channel cleans up, most players won't really miss a bespoke clean channel (especially if they have the ability to toggle between a rolled back volume neck pickup and a full volume bridge pickup like on a les paul or my explorer, etc) I got to gig with a several of Bruce's Brit-Tone SLO's too. A couple were 50w and 2 others were 100w and I really enjoyed the 50's more than the 100's on stage and that was only with a cab, no DI. They just felt better and reacted better and had an overall sweeter sound. As for the IR-J, I think Dave keeps these IR pedals extremely close to the preamp architecture of his full amps. Obviously the power sections he puts in those amps will impact the sound overall too but the general vibe of the sound is probably pretty close assuming you're using an EL34 based power amp.
@ yeah,I completely agree,it really comes down to feature set,and use case…I have the Stealth 50 now,and it’s great. Got the concentric pots so you have control over all 3 channels,I don’t care about the EQ on the green channel..The blue channel really is the magic in these amps..Plus,the 100 watt EVH’s are huge!..Mine was wider than my Marshall 4x12..I really enjoyed your IR-J videos,that thing sounds great..Pretty sure I am picking one up,I have a Marshall EL-34 power amp,a 6L6 power amp,and a 6550 Fryette PS100,so I have that part covered…What is your opinion on the OX Box vs the OX Stomp?…Do they sound the same?…I don’t really need another load box,I have 4,so the Stomp would be better for me…just wondering the differences,if any?
@@scottpeters4401 The core sound of the box vs stomp is nearly the same (close enough that I don't think it makes any difference) but with the box, you get more flexibility with the EQ'ign, more reverbs and delays and just an overall much nicer interface on computer or iPad. Trying to use the phone app for the stomp is not user friendly and the bluetooth connection with the stomp can be hit or miss. The Box is nice to connect to because it creates it's own wifi network you connect your device to and it ALWAYS connects and never drops the connection. So from purely a sound perspective, they're very close but the overall user experience is much better on the box. For live use though, that's where the ox box really shines. You can footswitch delay and setup the compressor to do just volume increase for solos and that's what I do. It lets me take a tube amp on stage, have reverb and delay and solo boost (which is technically all I really need) and run the headphone output into my FRFR and use the headphone level control to adjust my FRFR stage volume and then send one of the line outs in back to the PA so that it has it's own level control. This way I can adjust my stage volume without messing with the PA volume. The only major downside to the ox box is that you have to open it up and make your own RCA to 1/4" female instrument cable and drill a hole in the ox box chassis to facilitate a line--in connection if you're using a modeler or one of those amp in a box preamp pedals, etc. It's built to use as a tube amp companion and the ox stomp was made for modelers/etc.
@ Thanks for the detailed info…I have the EVH Stealth 50,with 2 Synergy modules in the loop,then the amp is loaded with the Fryette..Line out goes into an AxeFXIII for FX and IR’s..Works great,sounds great..I basically want the OX for the room mic’s..those sound so good going direct..I have a Suhr reactive load,Fractal X-Load,Fryette PS100,and a Marshall SE-100,so I need another load box like a hole in the head,that’s why I was thinking about the OX Stomp…just to add a little more realism to the direct stuff..Which is the bulk of my playing..I have 3 4x12’s and have them wired for W/D/W,but honestly, it’s too much to carry,and too loud to play at home,so direct thru studio monitors is pretty much what I play thru…I was just wondering if the Stomp was the same,minus the load..the IR-J video thru the Stomp you did sounded really good..
@@scottpeters4401 Yeah for me, the Ox Stomp has been a the secret sauce to make every digital product sound next level. Made my Stomp HX sound better, works great with the Synergy SYN1, the friedman pedals, the FM3, UA lion/anti/knuckles, etc and sounds much better to me than the Captor X dynacabs and the Waza tube amp expander. I rarely use either of those. Before I got the ox box, I'd just run my hotplate line out into the ox stomp and always got just a much better sound.
Yeah playing without context for this specific vid wouldn't have made sense. It's why I made sure to add time stamps so people know exactly what I'm playing through if they just want to click through and not listen to the whole thing.
@FastRedPonyCar videos of playing gear that take forever to actually get to the gear are extremely boring to watch. If you have to give "context" then at least play a little bit in the opener and then rant for ever...
Unfortunately there are a couple places in town that don’t allow cabs on stage and even the places that do, most bands we see don’t use cabs. They just go DI to FRFR’s and their PA.
@@myuncle2Haha I don’t know how long you’ve been playing guitar but the price of admission to great digital and tube tone these days is absolutely amazing. You can get one of those baby tonex pedals and have an amazing high gain DI sound or a great tube amp for like $500 brand new and who know how cheap used. Digital gear in the mid 90’s when I started playing was ALL hot trash. The old line 6 spiders and original POD was considered breakthrough amazing digital sound in its day 😂 Tube amps may as well have been a million dollars and they were all huge full size heads. We got it good. Bar owners just want to have the ability to make sure the band can’t get too out of hand. It’s usually the high end college bars. The grimy dive bars we play DGAF and they’re ten times more fun to play at.
@@FastRedPonyCar I'm not talking about gear choice, but the fact that people use digital instead of tube amp and cab. This is lowering the bar, because nobody should compromise its tone. A grand piano can be replaced by a digital piano, but being in the "ballpark" of a real piano it's not a thing I would play or go to listen to.
Everyone needs a 100w and a 4x12 once in their life!
I have the OG 100w head and the 6l6 50w 2x12 combo. The combo has twice the gain, this was what the stealth is basically.
Great comparison! I've owned both, more than once, and while the 100w has a bit more of that ''punch to the chest'' feel when you play it in a real cab, honestly for its size and features, the 50w is where it's at personally (the mk2 version with the concentric knobs of course). I like the fact that it's a bit brighter out of the box and also that the blue channel has more gain. My question is this: Do you prefer the Kraken MKII or the EVH 50w and why? I''ve been super tempted by the Kraken for (again lol) its size and features but the EVH 50w can still be found at great prices used so I wonder if the price difference is worth it.
This response ended up being way longer than I though but I kinda had to type out the stream of thoughts because they really are two strong direct competitors.
Yeah the kraken is crazy for it's size and even thought the 50w EVH is a lot smaller than the 100, it's still not really small. Just tolerably small enough for grabbing to take to shows (I'm taking it to our show tonight) but it's still huge and heavy compared to the Victory amps.
Between the two it's kind of a toss up. The Kraken (to me) has a more usable range of gain for non-metal playing on both the crunch and lead channels and the lead channel is a bit less compressed in the mids than the red channel of the 50w 5153. If Kyle Bull's comparison between the regular 50 vs the stealth 50 lends any insight on that specifically it's that the stealth 50 kinda tightens that midrange up some but I did notice the midrange thing he talked about on this 50 and I'm not really digging it. The 100 red channel doesn't seem to have that same vibe. It's a bit more open and I like it more than the 50w red.
The 50w EVH though does have the separate EQ for the channels which can't really be ignored as it gives you a lot more control over how the blue/red channels sound and I felt like the shared EQ on the Kraken was the main thing I DIDNT like about it and why I didn't really use the lead channel on it when gigging with it. I really wanted to like the lead channel and I did if I could EQ the amp but the EQ settings I liked for the lead channel didn't do it for me when going back to the crunch channel. My compromise on stage was using lots of gain from a boost pedal into the crunch channel and that worked really well.
To be totally honest, I think I still like the 35w MKV the most of all the small amps I've played both at the house and in stores. It's just such a well rounded package and has by FAR the best crunch sound I've ever heard on a multi-channel amp. It was way better than the crunch on my 90w MKV I used to own.. just everything with the 35 sounds better than my old 90w. Despite it being an EL84 power section, the baby MKV still hit really nicely with a cab (just as loud and hard as my 50w Jubilee) and the different modes and tone shaping options it has vs either the EVH or Kraken is much better. For me personally on stage with the songs we play, the MKV was by far the best fit. The crunch channel and the golden boy carried me through the vast majority of the show. The MKV did have more low end overall than the Kraken which translated nicely on stage.
That said, when pushed to it's limits with gain, it probably can't quite hang with the EVH if that super tight percussive metal is what you're after. It does an admirable job but the EVH was just built for that and does it better but falls behind the MKV in every other regard. Cleans, crunch, mid gain, moderate rock, etc... I feel like the MKV is just much better and I've really been kicking around the idea of buying one but can't quite justify it because I'm constantly getting other amps to take on stage.
They need stage time for my reviews and if I got one, it would sit at home. That and there's lots more amps I have to try out that I may like more than the little MKV. I've got the 50w stealth, PRS MT15 and Archon MKII 50 on my list as well as the little 20w Steve Morse ENGL, Badcat Lynx, Soldano Astro 30, etc.
I'd hate to throw $1500~2G's at an amp that I like only to get another demo unit right after and end up liking it more than the Mesa.
Wow thanks man!! I really appreciate your response!! The shared eq on the Kraken is my main concern tbh. The “problem” with me is that I play and compose many different styles of music (from ambient/post-rock stuff to punkrock/metal) that I need my amps to be as flexible as possible so in that case, I think I should be better off with the EVH again ;)
In that regard, I still own a Peavey 3120 and a JSX and to me, the Peavey Ultra line is still the best bang for your buck in terms of versatility (especially the JSX…the 3120/XXX is more punk/metal oriented but the JSX can really go from soft rock all the way to metal). 3 separate channels with their own eq, are pretty tight out of the box if you want to and even the clean channel is great (more-so on the JSX again). They also cut really in a band mix. Actually I would’ve loved if Peavey would’ve released a 50w and compact version of those amps but it wasn’t the norm/popular at that time.
I used to be the biggest “100 watt amp snob”…It had to be 100 watts or nothing,but then a few years ago I got a 50 watt Marshall,and it changed my perception…The 50’s in general terms just have a bark in the mids that the 100’s don’t…The 100’s are more scooped sounding…No question in the room the 100’s sound deeper,and have a lot more headroom,twice the power,bigger transformers,etc..but in a live or recording environment,mic’ed up or using a load box,the differences get smaller…I have a 100 watt Jubilee I bought new in 87,and I think the 20 watt re-issue sounds better…same with the EVH’s..I much prefer the 50 over the 100’s…it’s all subjective though,and personal preference varies..we all like different things….What I really want to know is how something like the IR-J compares to the full amp head version?is it basically the same if running into a tube power amp and cab?…Debating right now between the IR-J and JEL-50,or even 20…I have tube power amps out the wazoo,so the preamp rout probably makes more sense for me..
Yeah going DI is really the great equalizer these days and a LOT of bands are doing that (hence the embrace of modelers and profilers, etc)
For these 5153's specifically, I think buying based on features is going to make the decision easy for people. Those who really want a full EQ for all 3 channels don't really have much of a choice and the 100 will be the one to get but I think that after using both of them, if I could have the separate volume and gain control for the clean channel so that I could get it more evenly balanced with the blue channel's output, that would be my choice. It's why I really preferred the Victory Kraken over the Jack. The Kraken MKII added that clean channel output control so that you could ensure the volume output matched the crunch channel.
I also think that with how well the 5153 blue channel cleans up, most players won't really miss a bespoke clean channel (especially if they have the ability to toggle between a rolled back volume neck pickup and a full volume bridge pickup like on a les paul or my explorer, etc)
I got to gig with a several of Bruce's Brit-Tone SLO's too. A couple were 50w and 2 others were 100w and I really enjoyed the 50's more than the 100's on stage and that was only with a cab, no DI. They just felt better and reacted better and had an overall sweeter sound.
As for the IR-J, I think Dave keeps these IR pedals extremely close to the preamp architecture of his full amps. Obviously the power sections he puts in those amps will impact the sound overall too but the general vibe of the sound is probably pretty close assuming you're using an EL34 based power amp.
@ yeah,I completely agree,it really comes down to feature set,and use case…I have the Stealth 50 now,and it’s great. Got the concentric pots so you have control over all 3 channels,I don’t care about the EQ on the green channel..The blue channel really is the magic in these amps..Plus,the 100 watt EVH’s are huge!..Mine was wider than my Marshall 4x12..I really enjoyed your IR-J videos,that thing sounds great..Pretty sure I am picking one up,I have a Marshall EL-34 power amp,a 6L6 power amp,and a 6550 Fryette PS100,so I have that part covered…What is your opinion on the OX Box vs the OX Stomp?…Do they sound the same?…I don’t really need another load box,I have 4,so the Stomp would be better for me…just wondering the differences,if any?
@@scottpeters4401 The core sound of the box vs stomp is nearly the same (close enough that I don't think it makes any difference) but with the box, you get more flexibility with the EQ'ign, more reverbs and delays and just an overall much nicer interface on computer or iPad.
Trying to use the phone app for the stomp is not user friendly and the bluetooth connection with the stomp can be hit or miss. The Box is nice to connect to because it creates it's own wifi network you connect your device to and it ALWAYS connects and never drops the connection.
So from purely a sound perspective, they're very close but the overall user experience is much better on the box. For live use though, that's where the ox box really shines. You can footswitch delay and setup the compressor to do just volume increase for solos and that's what I do. It lets me take a tube amp on stage, have reverb and delay and solo boost (which is technically all I really need) and run the headphone output into my FRFR and use the headphone level control to adjust my FRFR stage volume and then send one of the line outs in back to the PA so that it has it's own level control. This way I can adjust my stage volume without messing with the PA volume.
The only major downside to the ox box is that you have to open it up and make your own RCA to 1/4" female instrument cable and drill a hole in the ox box chassis to facilitate a line--in connection if you're using a modeler or one of those amp in a box preamp pedals, etc. It's built to use as a tube amp companion and the ox stomp was made for modelers/etc.
@ Thanks for the detailed info…I have the EVH Stealth 50,with 2 Synergy modules in the loop,then the amp is loaded with the Fryette..Line out goes into an AxeFXIII for FX and IR’s..Works great,sounds great..I basically want the OX for the room mic’s..those sound so good going direct..I have a Suhr reactive load,Fractal X-Load,Fryette PS100,and a Marshall SE-100,so I need another load box like a hole in the head,that’s why I was thinking about the OX Stomp…just to add a little more realism to the direct stuff..Which is the bulk of my playing..I have 3 4x12’s and have them wired for W/D/W,but honestly, it’s too much to carry,and too loud to play at home,so direct thru studio monitors is pretty much what I play thru…I was just wondering if the Stomp was the same,minus the load..the IR-J video thru the Stomp you did sounded really good..
@@scottpeters4401 Yeah for me, the Ox Stomp has been a the secret sauce to make every digital product sound next level. Made my Stomp HX sound better, works great with the Synergy SYN1, the friedman pedals, the FM3, UA lion/anti/knuckles, etc and sounds much better to me than the Captor X dynacabs and the Waza tube amp expander. I rarely use either of those. Before I got the ox box, I'd just run my hotplate line out into the ox stomp and always got just a much better sound.
4:45 into the video before you start playing?
Yeah playing without context for this specific vid wouldn't have made sense. It's why I made sure to add time stamps so people know exactly what I'm playing through if they just want to click through and not listen to the whole thing.
@FastRedPonyCar videos of playing gear that take forever to actually get to the gear are extremely boring to watch.
If you have to give "context" then at least play a little bit in the opener and then rant for ever...
No cab=no fun.
Unfortunately there are a couple places in town that don’t allow cabs on stage and even the places that do, most bands we see don’t use cabs. They just go DI to FRFR’s and their PA.
@@FastRedPonyCar I know, we are living the dark ages of rock music, the worst period for rock.
@@myuncle2Haha I don’t know how long you’ve been playing guitar but the price of admission to great digital and tube tone these days is absolutely amazing.
You can get one of those baby tonex pedals and have an amazing high gain DI sound or a great tube amp for like $500 brand new and who know how cheap used.
Digital gear in the mid 90’s when I started playing was ALL hot trash. The old line 6 spiders and original POD was considered breakthrough amazing digital sound in its day 😂
Tube amps may as well have been a million dollars and they were all huge full size heads.
We got it good. Bar owners just want to have the ability to make sure the band can’t get too out of hand. It’s usually the high end college bars. The grimy dive bars we play DGAF and they’re ten times more fun to play at.
@@FastRedPonyCar I'm not talking about gear choice, but the fact that people use digital instead of tube amp and cab. This is lowering the bar, because nobody should compromise its tone. A grand piano can be replaced by a digital piano, but being in the "ballpark" of a real piano it's not a thing I would play or go to listen to.