Can the 5:50 do Metal?

[Hendog]

I play in a modern hard rock band. Many of these songs are creeping into the metal territory as far as gain goes.

I really want a Mesa but I cant wait for the Mark V.

Can the 5:50 do modern hard rock?

 

[Newysurfer]

I play in a modern hard rock band. Many of these songs are creeping into the metal territory as far as gain goes.

I really want a Mesa but I cant wait for the Mark V.

Can the 5:50 do modern hard rock?

Hard rock certainly - like Foo fighters, audioslave, Pearl Jam etc.
Metal - No - not what I call metal - not enuf gain for Metallica or nu-metal bands like Slipnot.
You'll need a pedal for that. As the 5:50 has one of the best clean channels ever made it's very pedal friendly.
Every pedal i've plugged into it sounds great. :mrgreen:

 

[vbf]

The 5:50 takes pedals very well. I'm not a metal guy but I do have a metal zone pedal. It sounds pretty metally to me. I'll also say that the 50 watts it puts out is pretty loud. BTW, I tried a Mark IV (heavy as all get out) and didn't come away impressed with the heavy gain sounds. I think the burn channel on the 5:50 sounded better. It's all in the ear of the beholder.

 

[iFreedom]

I've never played a 5:50 but I can tell you that if you want a metal tone, don't use pedals. Get the gain and punch direct from a tube amp.

I think overdrive pedals are great, but not for straight up metal.

Just my thoughts...

 

[boswell]

Stick a Boosta Grande boost pedal in the front of the amp on the Crunch Channel and tweek the EQ and you'll get a metal tone but really you need to hear it to see if it's your idea of metal.

 

[Hendog]

Well I guess if you guys are saying that it will do Audioslave with no pedals, I would be happy with the gain.

 

[Newysurfer]

Well I guess if you guys are saying that it will do Audioslave with no pedals, I would be happy with the gain.

Make sure you test it out fully with your own guitars first.
Humbuckers sound heavier for high gain tones.
Max out the gain on both the 5w and 50w modes, crank the contour pot to mid scoop it and always keep the bass under 10 oclock :mrgreen:

 

[iohanr]

I don't know about the 5:50, but with my newly acquired 5:25 on the clean channel with the contour turned up and a Vox Satchurator on max gain, the sound is freakin' phenomenal for metal. I also have EMG active pickups so that probably helps. You can easily do Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera type tones on it. I don't have a fixed bridge guitar so I usually keep it in standard tuning, but I imagine a detuned or 7-string would get you down to SlipKnot, Korn, and Mastodon territory...

It was suggested that a closed-back 1x12 Thiele cabinet would make the bass even tighter, but as it is, it's pretty **** good.

 

[EtherealWidow]

Depends on what type of metal you play. I play Atmospheric Black Metal and this thing is honestly my dream amp as far as tone goes. EVERYTHING sounds good when dialed in right (which doesn't take much effort at all.) Sweeps, speed picking, soloing, pinch harmonics, chords. Seriously everything. And the reverb is greaaaat. If I can't get the Mark V to do what I want, I'm just going to ditch all the awesome features and go with the awesome tone. :/ Sucks, but I'll do what I need to.

 

[EXPRESSLOVER]

it can do metal in a different way.


its powerful and super thick heavy metal...but not super saturated scooped chugga metal type tones.


it doesnt chug very well like a marshall for example. its very similar to the proco rat pedals dist.


Thick and creamy and full of mid punch.

Distortion reminds me of fuzz pedal.

 

[kekam35]

Sounding metal has more to do with how you play than what you play. Mark Morton could plug into anything and he's still gonna sound like Lamb of God. Same with Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie, tone is in your hands. IMO throwing a distortion pedal in front for your main sound defeats the whole purpose of having a tube amp.

 

[EtherealWidow]

Exactly! Metal is a style of playing, not a particular amp setting.