Guitar World Verdict
If you’re a metal player looking for an amp that can handle everything from bedroom practice and rehearsal to smaller gigs and even recording, this Iconic combo will tick a lot of boxes and is very much worthy of the legacy behind its name.
Pros
- +
Surprisingly loud.
- +
More gain than you'll ever need.
- +
Extra modes for each channel.
Cons
- -
Fewer features than the 40W version.
- -
Reverb could be better.
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What is it?
Launched in 2021 as an affordable alternative to the EVH 5150III amplifiers famously used by metal bands like Gojira, Anthrax and Limp Bizkit, the Iconic series was very much engineered with the high gain player in mind.
It was co-designed by legendary amp wizard James Brown, who worked closely with Eddie Van Halen on the original 5150 released in 1992, as well as later Peavey models including the Triple XXX and the Joe Satriani JSX.
This 1x10 combo amp is the smallest in the range, coming with just a single 6L6 power tube, as well as two ECC83 tubes in its multi-stage hybrid preamp section.
Given how smaller single speaker amps can often lack low-end punch, a special internal plywood baffling was chosen to increase the bass response and ensure it can chug well beyond expectation, which will be one of the main areas of focus in this review.
Specs
- Price: $679 / £579 / €588
- Type: Combo
- Origin: Indonesia
- Output: 15 watts
- Speaker: 1x10
- Channels: Two
- Controls: Gain, Overdrive Mode, Burn Mode, Three-Band EQ, Volume, Reverb, Resonance, Presence
- Connectivity: Audio in, speaker emulated out, effects loop, parallel speaker outputs
- Footswitch: Included
- Weight: 38.2 lbs / 17.3kg
- Dimensions: 500mm x 470mm x 260mm (WxHxD)
- Contact: EVH Gear
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
Now let’s be clear, though this 15W combo is technically advertised as a practice amp, it can churn out some serious sonic damage and is capable of keeping up with metal drummers at rehearsal.
For medium to larger gigs, you will need to mic the amp up, but in smaller spaces, it will be certainly be loud enough to hold its own with the rest of the band.
Robust in build and minimalist in aesthetics thanks to a black and silver color scheme, it’s the kind of amp that looks like its been built to last, though naturally a single 6L6 power tube will need more frequent replacing than two.
Usability
Usability rating: ★★★★☆
On closer inspection, this is a very feature-rich amp. There are two channels and each has an additional mode – you can choose a straight clean or an overdriven one, and similarly the second channel has a ‘Burn’ mode with extra heat and low-end.
Though there’s a shared three-band EQ, every channel has its own gain and volume control, and you can also fine-tune your sound using the resonance and presence chicken-head dials, located right next to the reverb control.
On the back, there’s an effects loop, an aux input, an emulated speaker output and a quarter-power switch that’s perfect for bringing things down to bedroom levels. So while it doesn’t look like particularly forward-thinking, there’s a lot going on inside here.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
For this test, I used a 2006 Gibson Les Paul 1958 V.O.S. reissue, going into a Crazy Tube Circuits Gus G Speed Demon overdrive and MXR EVH Phase 90, with more Van Halen flavors coming from the Boss SDE-3 dual digital delay in the effects loop.
Given the metal lineage behind this design, many of us wouldn’t expect a particularly great clean tone, but this Iconic combo performs better than most in this area. Click on the overdrive button and the Green channel turns into a classic rock workhorse, perfect for everyone’s favorite AC/DC and Led Zeppelin riffs.
Shifting onto the Red channel, there’s seemingly no end to the amount of gain on tap – especially with the ‘Burn’ mode activated, which takes things way beyond Eddie Van Halen’s tones and into the modern metal universe, covering all bases from Machine Head and Slipknot to Cattle Decapitation and Spiritbox.
Given the speaker size, this amp sounds best with the bass near full and treble kept low, but its quite astonishing how loud and multi-dimensional it sounds, even if you are only running it at one quarter of its 15W power.
Verdict
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There are, however, just a couple of areas where the amp falls short. The reverb isn’t particularly inspiring and you may very well prefer to run your own pedal in the effects loop. No biggie.
And there are some features from its 40W bigger brother that the manufacturers chose to remove – notably the noise gate and the switchable boost.
In the grand scheme of things, however, these are very minor points and it’s worth remembering that at this price point you’re already getting a lot for your money, from the low-power mode and extra channel voicings to the aux-in and speaker emulated out.
Guitar World verdict: If you’re a metal player looking for an amp that can handle everything from bedroom practice and rehearsal to smaller gigs and even recording, this Iconic combo will tick a lot of boxes and is very much worthy of the legacy behind its name.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | A super-solid piece of kit. | ★★★★★ |
Usability | With two-channels, each with an extra mode, plus Resonance and Presence, EVH Gear gives you plenty of control over your tone. | ★★★★☆ |
Sounds | A compact gain-monster that will satisfy most even if the reverb isn't that inspiring. | ★★★★☆ |
Overall | Some players might miss the noise gate of the larger models, some the switchable boost, but at this price, with these tones in a more compact and at more practical volume levels, it's a compelling metal combo. | ★★★★☆ |
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Guitarist
Ola Englund
Sweetwater
- More of the best tube amps under $1,000
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