Two classic amps, two different voices. The Peavey 5150 is bright, aggressive, tight high-gain; the Mesa Dual Rectifier is loose, scooped, low-tuned modern heavy. Here is how their settings and the records made on them compare.
| Knob | Peavey 5150 | Mesa Dual Rectifier |
|---|---|---|
| Gain | 7 | 7 |
| Bass | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Mid | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Treble | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Presence | 6 | 6 |
Averaged from 29 (Peavey 5150) and 79 (Mesa Dual Rectifier) famous recordings. Out of 10.
Go Peavey 5150 if you want bright, aggressive, tight high-gain. Go Mesa Dual Rectifier for loose, scooped, low-tuned modern heavy. But the real point: you do not need either one. GuitarToneAdapt takes any tone recorded on these amps and re-dials it for the amp and guitar you actually own — free.
🎛️ Get either amp’s tones on YOUR rig — free →Neither is "better" — they are voiced differently. Peavey 5150 is bright, aggressive, tight high-gain; Mesa Dual Rectifier is loose, scooped, low-tuned modern heavy. Pick by the tone you want, then adapt the settings to the amp you actually own.
Averaged across the famous recordings on each (knobs out of 10), the Peavey 5150 sits at gain 7, bass 5.5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, presence 6; the Mesa Dual Rectifier at gain 7, bass 5.5, mid 5.5, treble 6.5, presence 6.
Notable Peavey 5150 tones include Duality, Epidemic of Hate, Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses). Notable Mesa Dual Rectifier tones include My Own Summer (Shove It), Everlong, Aerials. GuitarToneAdapt can re-dial any of them onto the amp and guitar you already own, free.