Diezel Herbert Head

I recived this amp back around the end of june. It was the first shipment of the new version of the amp. If you read the articals below it says what kind of features it has.

OMG , this is by far the best amp ever MADE. I own a VHT UL and run it in stereo and this thing is even more power than the UL. You can make this thing sound like a jcm800 all the way to a death metal amp , this thing is amazeing.Channel 1( very very nice clean , i was so surpised how clean it was , it was like my friends twin reverb . Channel 2( This is awsome you can make it sound like AC/DC to Slayer , my friend plays a 5150 and a Marshall Mode Four in stereo and just my Diezels second channel eats them alive. Channel 3( Now this is my favorite channel. This has to be the best distortion i have ever heard and the most powerfull. I have owned Randall's , Peavey's , Mesa's and even along with my UL , the Herbert beats them all.

Built like a Tank

Peter is the best , i met him a long time ago before the herbert was out and he was just awsome , and said if there was anything wrong i could call him , if i decide to buy one of his amps.

This is the best amp ever made. But if you suck at the guitar , dont buy it , it will show all your mess ups and will make you look like you suck. I have been playing for 10 years and i practice hours everyday and i still needed to work on things when i played my herbert for the first time.

I RECEIVED THE AMP LAST MONTH, HAS THE METAL GRILLED COVER.FOR ME IT'S PERFECT: THREE CHANNELS,TWO VOLUMES, MUTE FOR TUNING OR CHANGE GUITARS,AND POWER TONES.I AM GOING TO BUY ANOTHER ONE FOR SPARE.THE ONLY THING WRONG IS THAT DOESNT COME WITH A FOOTSWITCH.NO PROBLEM I BUYED A PROSTAGE 07 READY TO WORK PERFECTLY WITH HERBERT, JUST PLUG AND PLAY.

I AM A PRO TOURING, AND I NEED A VERY WELL SOUNDING AMP. I PLAYED WITH PRS CUSTOMS AND TREMONTI, GIBSON SUPREME AND CUSTOM, SEVERAL ESP WITH EMGS,..., AND SOUND GREAT.THE CLEAN MODE IS EXTREMELY CLEAN,LIKE OLD TWINS OR HYWATTS.CRUNCH MODE BEAT ANY JCM 800 ON THE MARKET.AND LEAD MODE LITERALLY EATS MY TRIPLE RECTOS, NO REMORSE.

ITS MY MAIN AMP. I THINK I AM GOING TO INSTALL A PS2 INTO THE TRIPLE RECT. JUST FOR USE IT IN SOMETHING.

PETER IS A COOL GUY, MAKES THE BEST AMPS,IT S THE PERFECT MAN.

I HAD BEEN PLAYING AROUND SINCE 16 YEARS, I OWNS A LOT OF GEAR: MESAS,SOLDANOS, MARSHALLS, A LOT OF GUITARS AND THOUSAND OF PEDALS AND EFFECTS. IF LOSTED THE AMP....

The amp is jam packed with features I haven't even began using. I have come to the point when I just assume that a "High Gain" head is going to be a one trick pony. NOT TRUE! This thing is all over the place with a wide variety of classic rock and high gain tones.

I have pretty much been a Marshall player for many years. Give me a good old Super Lead any day of the week. I researched the Herbert head since it was announced. I have played rectos and Ubers but ultimately didn't like the fizz of those amps. The Diezel just kills! The sound is big and huge but crystal clear. Power chords have never sounded like this before!

Too new for me to comment

So far I have contacted Sal about a few things and he has been very helpfull!

I have been playing for around 18 years. This thing is amazing. If it was stolen not only would I replace it but I would personally hunt the theif down ..............
This is a great compliment to my vintage Marshalls but I know what is gonna get the must use! Do yourself a favor and try one of these beasts!

This is Herbert number 20, serial #001/020 and as i understand oe of the first to be made with the updated metal grill. I play a range of styles but primarily death metal and thrash along the lines of Cryptopsy, Death, Cannibal Corpse, The Haunted and Napalm Death. I like modern jazz and fusion and the occational blues jam, so i wanted an amp that can cope with all that. There are plenty of high gain amps out there but none like this

In terms of features this amp has everything i could ever want and more

180W power section with 6x EL34s, can be higher with 6550s, KT88s or similar
3 independant channels with thier own EQ, volume and gain (exept clean which has no gain control)
A voicing switch (+/-) on channel 2
3 effects loops (serial, parallel and a switchable serial)
Tuner out, which isnt in the signal path so any old tuner can beused and it wont degrade tone!
Compensated Recording out
Footswitch input for future pedal
Second Master Volume solo boost, midi switchable
Mid-Cut feature with intensity and level
Mute fuction
1x 16 ohm, 2x 8 ohm, and 2x 4 ohm speaker outs
MIDI controllable (channel switching, loops, mid cut and 2nd master)
Master Presence, Deep and Volume knobs

I play this amp with a USA BC Rich Neck Thru Deluxe Warlock (DiMarzios) and a cheapo Import BC Rich Mockingbird with EMGs. The cab is a marshall 1960AV (v30s) and I used to own a 50W Mesa Rectoverb combo which went through the marshall, the diezel kicks the shit out of it in all concieveable ways.

My first reactions on playing this thing were, 'holy shit! I sound like that?'. This thing is so tight and so articulate that im really gonna have to clean up my playing. Its not totally unforgiving however as by simply rolling the top end and mids off you can get a more mushy feel to the whole thing.

The clean channel sounds huge! Really deep and erm, i guess 3-D is the only way i can put it. Open chords will ring forever here and it can do shimmering to chickin pickin country, a friend of mine tried his custom shop tele through it and prefers it to his Fender twin. As you may guess, i havnt yet spent a lot of time with this channel as i have been lured by Ch2 and 3. I must add that the mid ut section adds a really hollow nature to the tone and sounds just beautiful, in an entirely METAL way. It is a little strange to play without reverb as i am used to having a large amount of spring verb on, though this is so deep that it doesnt need a lot of tarting up, anything else is just gravy

Channel 2 is freakin' awsome! Id heard the great things but in my experience i have found the second channel on may three channel amps to be a watered down version of the lead channel and nothing really special but this is simply not the case here. I could play this thing for days. It can do that sightly breaking up blues thing with ease and has a really distinctive roar, its quite round on the minus setting with a nice amount of low end and a smooth middle. With the switch in the plus position is sounds like my other guitarists JCM800 2204 but with more punch and definition. It has a pronounced upper midrange and with the depth control it had a great thump to it. With the gain maxed on the plus setting it is simply brutal. Lots of gain and easily enough for my Death Metal rhythm, i really like the open and raw nature of this channel and for some rhythm sounds, more than channel 3. With the mid cut section engaged it just pummels, and as there is a level control, you can compensate for the loss of mids, so its still punchy and defined, but super heavy.

Channel 3 is where its at for modern metal. It sounds absolutely awsome, and thats an understatement. Its so thick and punishing, which is just what id been looking for. It has a lot of cut and low mids to it and can get quite compressed if you want to dial it in like that, so its very tight but it is smooth and can still cut. It can go from smooth high gain lead tones to cutting metal rhythm and never looses definition. For leads it really liquidy and smooth, but you can set it so that notes stay defined. It is also possible to set it, with the mid cut and using the depth control, to be able to get the notes to blend together. Its really wierd as they dont mush together like on my Recto, but they actually blend and its very hard to describe. the mid cut section here is punishing, just for shits and giggles i cranked to bass and depth and put mid cut to full scoop and a smile almost uncontrollably crept across my face. Its just fun to play like that, it feels like getting punched in the nuts if you turn it up too much though.

The mid cut section deserves a review of it own, its amazing. With my recto i had to boost the mids to around 3 oclock just to be heard, but the mid cut section on the herbert gives that wall of sound and still cuts. It seems even tighter with this on and the level control allows you to be heard. If you knock the intensity back and boost the level you get a mid boost, which, combined with the second master volume gives a really cutting lead sound.

I like the fact that all the controlls are linear and you get a gradual increase or decrease in whatever parameter you are changing. My recto had very strange controlls in that, the gain controll especially, they would do a lot then a little then a lot in a very disorderly fashion. I was anxious this week that i would miss my recto but in a comparison i will barely notice its gone.

It does everything that my recto did a lot b

Well ive only had it for 2 weeks, and it hasnt broken once! I cant really say much about this section other than it looks very solidly built and peter stands by his customers.

Peter diezel is without doubt the nicest guy in the industry. When he saw that i was looking at diezel amps he asked if i would like to fly out to germany, from the UK, and he would pick me up. Then he would take me to the local guitar store where i could try the diezel gear with my guitar and cab, then we could go to lunch and talk about gear, then we could go back to the diezel workshop and try one out at soul destroying volumes, he even offered to try and get ahold of marshall cab like mine. He said that if i liked it then great and if not then he could mod it to suit my needs, and if i still didnt like it, that it was a nice day. Unfortunatly because of my huge workload i couldnt go, but to even offer something like this proves he is a class above.

He offers a lifetime guarentee and stands by his work. If I ever have a problem, all i need to do is send it to him and it will be fixed/changed for me.

no amp i have ever tried has even come close to even competing with each individual channel, let alone the amp as a whole, and that included marshall, mesa, vht, egnater, h&k and the rest.

This is my review of my 2003 Diezel Herbert head serial #001/005.

I learned about the Herbert in November of 2001 from Ed at Tone Merchants. I was in the market to buy a very high-gain, best of the best amplifier. At the time, I knew of Diezel amps through bands like Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, and Guns N' Roses but never had the opportunity to play one. So I stopped in one Saturday to Ed's shop and tried out every single high-gain amp in the store. The Herbert was only a proto-type and didn't even have a cover. It was just a metal chassis sitting there in a room full of very expensive gear.
Even at this time the herbert had a serious impression on me. I tested it against the Diezel VH4, VHT Pitbull, Bogner Ubershall, a Bad Cat Hot Cat head, and a Roccoforte.
To say the least, the 3rd channel on the prototype just completely blew me away compared to the other amps I tested. It was really obvious that I was going to shell out and buy one just based on my initial reaction. The 1st channel was what seperated the Herbert proto from the VH4 for me. I thought the cleans were just absolutely remarkable. The 2nd channel was cool, but it wasn't really anything special back then.

Other considerations at that time was that I needed a MIDI switchable amp, at least 2 channels, multiple effects loops, and power..lots of power.

Fast forward to NAMM 2003 in Anaheim....

I think one of the coolest moments for me was watching Peter Diezel A/B some cat from the VH4 and the Herbert screaming some wicked blues...and right across the booth there were these Asian ladies selling these 15 watts piece of crap amps looking very displeased while this monster amplifier and a 4x12 is pointed straight that them at very very loud volumes.

Ed invited me to stop by his store after the show to try the new and improved Herbert.

Once I got there and plugged into the amp, I was just floored. The second channel had turned into a time machine, the 3rd channel growled even harder than the prototype, and the first channel just soared. I put down a deposit immediately.

Now, Ed kept me very well posted the entire time on the status of the shipment and also the collaboration he and Peter had to tweek the amp even further. In all truth, the Herbert I picked up (on Valentine's Day of all things) was an amp that I never fully experienced due to these modifications.

After having this amp a few weeks this is what I have found:

3 Channel Diezel Herbert 180 watts with standard tubes
3 effects loops (serial, parallel, switchable)
Tuner out
Recording out
Footswitch input for future pedal
2nd Volume
Mid-Cut feature
Mute fuction
1 16 ohm, 2 8 ohm, and 2 4 ohm speaker outs
MIDI controllable (In, Thru)
6 power tubes (I have the standard Ruby EL34STRs)
5 preamp tubes (I have the standard Sovtek 12AX7s)
EQ for each channel
Master Presence, Deep and Volume knobs


Overall, the attack is massive. The clarity of all 3 channels is remarkable and the seperation between notes is phenomenaly clear.

This amp can be fully controlled via MIDI such as switching channels, engaging the switchable loop on one channel only, muting the amp, turning the mid-cut on/off, turning on/off the 2nd Volume, and a ridiculuos amount of combinations inbetween.

Channel 1:

This channel has the heights and spacousness that I only dreamed of having. Its probably the most inspiring channel for me since I tend to play a lot of metal/industrial/progressive metal music and had never owned an amp that had a decent clean channel before(I used a Mesa Dual Recitifer 2 Channel 100 watt for years).
Its extremely hard to find the right adjectives to describe how beautiful this channel is..so I'll put it into context of my band.
Last night, we were jamming some acoustic latin and jazz. My other guitarist was doing some minor progressions and I was improvising with my PRS custom 24 through the Herbert and my Mesa Traditional 4x12. I was playing very quietly obviously. I think my guitar was in single coil mode. The

I think I went over this.

This thing weights a TON. I guess that is the only drawback. Peter only uses the highest quality parts and so if this amp wieghs a tone because of that much attention to detail...so be it.
I brought the amp back to Ed to have the tubes secured tighter since I was told the tubes are mounted on the chassis and not the circuit board.
I went the extra mile and had this modification just to be sure nothing happens.
I would definantly gig without a back-up. I trust the design and trust my investment. I don't think it would be fair to rate this catagory until its road tested.

Full life-time warrenty to the orginal owner. How much better can it get? When I had the bracing done to my amp it only took a day for the repair. Uwe and Ed are great guys that make every effort to insure their customers are happy. I never felt pressured, unsure, or uncomfortable with the purchase of this amp. Every question I had and every piece of information that Ed and Uwe had was given without any hesitation. Easily the best customer service I've experienced when it comes to purchasing high-end gear.

I've been playing for 13 years and had a variety of amps. For the last 5 or 6 I've been using a Dual Recto with a 4x12. My main axe is a PRS Custom 24.
If my amp was stolen I would use the insurance money to buy a new one.

Chack out my band www.fadedmudra.com to hear the Herbert in action.

Just got this Herbert last week. Serial #001/001. The amp was completed in January of 2003. It was at the NAMM show and then had some final tweaks.

The Herbert is so versatile. Three channels. Independent eq (treble, mid and bass) for all three. Volume and gain for channels 2&3, no gain for channel 1 just volume and eq controls. Midi switchable as well as a 7 function footswitch that will be here soon. With any midi controller I can switch between the channels and switch in the effects loop or mid cut/boost switch depending on where the loop and mid switcheshave been assigned. It has 3 effects loops- series, parallel and switchable loop. It also has 5 speaker outs anda compensated out as well as a tuner out. The amp also has master presence, deep and volume controls. Not just one master volume but two. The Volume two can be preset with any midi patch so it allows a great boost if desired . The mid cut section also has a level control and can act as yet another boost if desired.

You can run all kinds of tubes. You can bias each of tree pairs individually. It is so easy and so accurate and only requires a volt meter.
My amp is powered by 4 EL34s and a Pair of NOS Phillips 7581s (military grade 6L6s). It is putting out about 180 watts, plenty for any situation.

I use a few different guitars with it and all sound great and all sound like themselves. I use an Anderson Hollow Drop Top, G&L Tele, Grosh Strat and a Fender deluxe fat strat. All sound great. The amp is so versatile that I can play all the styles I like and never get bored. It can get incredible clean tones full of sparkle and chime and go completely into the over the top metal tones and evedrything in betwwen. I liked to dial it in for a really open and big clean channel with a very cool EJ type lead tone or set up channel two as a slightly scooped crunch monster with a big fat more mid voiced lead tone on channel 3. It seems to be able to pull off some flavors of my favorite amps of all time and can also really do its own thing. Very tight yet friendly to play. Never had an amp with such great note articulation and pick attack. You can hear all the notes and they remain extremely well defined even in the highest gain settings.The Clean tones can hang without distortion or with the volume way up on the 1st channel can start to break up. Channel Two has a voicing switch that adds gain among some eq things but it too can get an awesome clean tone and can have a little grit if desired. Channel Two is so awesome as it can get as gainy as three with voicing switch engaged to + mode as well as can do lots of great mid gain tones and more. It is a great channel and with the assignable mid cut/boost section. if it was a one channel amp , with the second channel only, I would still love it. Third channel is devastating if desired. can be eq'd for so many different things. Voiced great for leads with singing sustain that lasts forever. The distortion can be as brutal as most anything out there.

Peter Diezel is an amazing builder/designer and this amp is a killer at so many things. The VH4, which I have owned is a great amp too. I had both the stereo and mono versions. I love channel three on that amp. I Love all the channels on this one. Great amp. Peter builds great stuff and it holds up without failure. I have no doubt the Herbert will perform without a hitch.

Great company. Peter Diezel and Uwe Salwender are as good as it gets in customer service and will back up this amp to the hilt.

Been playing 29 years. Also currently own some other great amps- Divided by 13, Mako and Two Rock. I have owned almost everything out there at one time or another. This Herbert is unbelieveable. Sounds great even in the bedroom, sounds unbelieveable when cranked up a bit. I love it!

This review is my PERSONAL account of the Herbert head that I now have in possession as a Diezel dealer, Tone Merchants. I have decided to keep one unit for myself as this amp would be the one that I'd take home if I could only take home one. This choice is based on my personal style and tastes. I'm into multi-channel high-gain amps because I like versatility along with the best over-the-top distortion for my personal playing needs and enjoyment. I've had the prototype for over 3 months and the one I have now is the refinement of the prototype that has evolved into this final production unit.

Getting into the review, this amp was manufactured in December of 2002. After it arrived at my shop, Peter Diezel also happened to be here for NAMM and spent hours at my shop and at Salwender's to fine-tuning the amp based on my feedback and other players. It was truly an honor to work with Peter so closely on tweaking this monster amp into perfection.

In terms of versatility, it's hard for me to imagine an all-tube amp with more features and tonal flexibility. From a modern yet lush clean sound with virtually infinite headroom to warm vintage type of cleans to bluesy overdrive to AC/DC type of crunch to early-VH distortion to fat saturated leads to the most over-the-top high-gain sounds with huge bass that is never obese or obtrusive, the Herbert delivers any kind of electric guitar sound imaginable while keeping its totally unique sonic character. I like to play super clean acoustic jazz type of music to classic rock to 80's shred to the heaviest metal possible for kicks, and the Herbert delivers in each category with authority and complex detail.

The Herbert has three channels, all with independent EQ controls. Channel one doesn't have a gain control but it isn't necessary since it's supposed to produce the cleanest sound possible with maximum headroom. A truly unique feature of this amp is the assignable (switchable via MIDI, footswitch or manually on the front panel) Mid-Cut section. In the clean channel, it can give an acoustic quality to the electric guitar. In the high-gain channel, it converts a fat singing distortion sound into a huge scooped-mid metal sound that is brutally menacing yet coherent and punchy. The Herbert also features an assignable second master volume. Instead of a boost function that merely adds more gain on so many amps of this type, the second master allows the player to dial in a louder or softer volume level for a particular channel's sound with or without the Mid-Cut engaged.

The Herbert features 3 effects loops: one serial, one parallel with a wet mix control, and a serial switchable loop that you can assign to any channel (and combination of Mid-Cut and 2nd master volume settings) as a stored preset. There are also compensated line out and a tuner out jacks on the back. There are 5 speaker out jacks to run various cabinet configurations as well.

The power section of the Herbert features six output tubes. It now comes stock with six EH EL-34's, but this particular unit I have has a quartet of EH EL-34's and a duet of EH 6L6's. I decided to keep the 6L6's in there because it added more low-mid girth and punch as well as some Fender-ish quality to the clean and low-to-medium gain channels. There is a fuse and a bias control for each duet set of power tubes. This allows for various power tubes to be combined to get the exact power tube response and tonal character. This is, of course, assuming that you will be cranking up the amp somewhat to get the power section involved in the tone shaping process. Since I will keep this amp at the shop's soundroom most of the time, it will get cranked a lot. I expect to keep trying various tube combinations as time goes by.

The amp obviously has more power than most people will ever need, but it still sounds great at low volume levels, even at whisper-quiet bedroom levels. The six power tubes and the super efficient power transformer are necessary to push out the in

I have various guitars: a Brian Moore MC/1, a PRS Custom 24, a PRS Custom 22, a Parker Fly Artist, and two Fender Strats. The Herbert responds beautifully to each guitar and lets the unique characteristics of each guitar shine through. I like to play various styles of music with tonal variety, so each guitar has a myriad of tonal options. This mates very well with the wide-range of sounds available on the Herbert.

Channel 1 is deep yet bubbly and bouncy that is still tight on the bottom and detailed and sparkling on top. For what I like to do, it is the perfect clean channel -- loads of headroom, bouncy yet tight, warm yet shimmering, sweet yet throaty... It is the "best" (for my style and tastes) clean channel that I've heard from a high-gain head. Others may surely prefer the clean channel of the VH4, the VHT UL, the Rivera KHR, the H&K TriAmp Mk. 2 or various other heads, but for me, the Herbert's clean channel has the perfect combination of an amp like the JC-120, a Hiwatt, a Fender Twin, and a Vox AC-30. I love this channel's big round bottom that's tight, the full and warm midrange, and the sparkling and detailed highs. There is a huge depth to the sound yet it retains definition with superb balance across the frequency spectrum. This is a superb clean channel by any yardstick.

The initial prototype had a very limited sonic range in the second channel. But Peter corrected this with a gain/voicing switch that adds a rainbow's worth of tonal colors and gain range to this one channel alone. Starting out with a warm and more vintage-ish clean sound with the switch set on "minus" and the gain set at around 9 o'clock, it smoothly goes into a very natural sounding breakup with the gain approaching noon. This is somewhere in between the first and second channels of the VH4. By taking the gain to around 3 o'clock, the Herbert now spits out some very authentic raw blues-rock sounds. From here, backing off on the treble and boosting the mids gives you some great Dumble-eque fat singing lead sounds a la Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, and Santana. The attack is fast and the envelope is initially tight, but then sags slightly as you hold the notes. The lows are big and punchy but never overbearing. This is the sound I wanted to nail to get that Two-Rock sort of a sound: fat yet tight and fast, fast in its attack yet sweet and spongy during the sustain.

From here, you flick the gain/voicing switch to "plus" and observe the Herbert morph into the brighter Marshall-like territoty with more punch and definition while retaining warmth in the midrange. It's not quite the 3rd channel of the VH4, but it was never meant to mimic the 3rd channel of that amp. With some tweaking, I was able to simulate some early-VH-esque sounds. With the gain cranked, the 2nd channel delves into the 80's metal sounds -- think Ozzy, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, etc. The Herbert's second channel can cover decades' worth of classic sounds on its own. Always toneful with a throaty midrange, this is the channel that will surprise many Diezel fans. Peter has allowed you to dial in some great low-to-medium gain sounds with more punch and definition on the bottom. I really love the fact that the Herbert can get some very nice classic rock sounds as well after these tweaks performed by Peter.

The third channel is heavy on the gain but very sweet sounding with a lot of cutting mids. This channel is superb for all-out shred a la Shawn Lane and Buckethead and over-the-top pummeling Nu-Metal rhythms and super fast Death Metal riffs. Still featuring a super fast transient attack that slowly and surely evolves into a pleasant sponginess, this channel exhibits remarkable tonal balance and tactile response with touch sensitivity. With the gain at around 1 o'clock, the treble at 2 o'clock, the mid at 3 o'clock and the bass at around noon, you get a juicy yet tight and liquid high-gain sound that's perfect for that Satriani, Vai, Petrucci sort of a s

It's too early to tell. Will post more info as time goes by...

The whole Diezel experience will last long after you've spent the money on this amp. Salwender and Peter Diezel provide the very best in Customer Support in this industry. The warranty lasts a lifetime to the original owner. It's simply not possible to get better service than what Peter has to offer.

The Herbert sets a new standard in high-gain amplification. My expectations were high, but the amp has lived up to its hype. For me, this is the head that I've been waiting for many years. It's got the great features, but ultimately, it's about the tone and the Herbert delivers it in spades. I'm really happy about this amp. It's the one that I've been searching and waiting for. Long live Peter Diezel! Thanks for releasing such a superb amplifier that will be the new standard in high-gain channel-switching amplification.

Price is retail, add Tax if applicable. Currently backordered.

3 Channels, 180 Watts, stock with six Ruby EL-34STR tubes. Each channel carries independent bass, mid, treble, and master. Channel 1 no gain, while 2 and 3 have independent Gains.

6 total power tubes, however, can use any combination of duet/quartet or duet/duet/duet in this amp. See www.tonemerchants.com for more detailed description of this and more.

Footswitchable Mid-Cut section that can be assigned to any/all of the three preamp channels (intensity w/ separate level - compensates for intensity, not a separate master), three FX loops (1 fsw-able), switchable second master volume, and incredible tone. MIDI controllable.

I'd basically call this amp a Road King (Mesa) that actually sounds awesome as awesome as it's schematics.

I demo'd the amp while actually going set on purchasing a VH-4 or VH-4S. After trying this, I am screwed into deciding now. I used a PRS Standard 24, basically sounds like any well-built mahogany guitar with a Duncan JB equivalent. Tones of Diezel amps are very well open, with tons of headroom, a term abused often, however, lived up to here.

The amp clean is not as warm as the VH-4, but it is still very nice, and very bold considering the power behind it. Even though there's no gain control in channel 1, pushing the volume makes it that ballsy old fender/blackface classic tone.

Channel 2 carries a wide variety of overdrive tones through many generations of music. Especially with the mid-cut footswitchable section, you can really change the dynamics of your tone quickly, via MIDI controller (all channel applicable).

Channel 3 is even more push, the amp is relatively cold sounding, however the consistency in the distortion, the headroom, hearing the tubes ripple with tone, I do try to keep this review brief, but you just have to hear to believe.

Not a perfect 10 because channel 3 on the VH-4 is the crown jewel of the Diezel line, but anyone who skips this amp is a fool.

German made, could be used as a wrecking ball in construction while playing, I seriously doubt anything would ever happen to this. Separate fuses for each power tube means if a tube were to blow out, that duet will cancel out and allow you to finish the show without fault (obvious minor tonal and volume affliction).

Peter Diezel hits the states several times a year. Ed at Tone Merchants (www.tonemerchants.com) and Uwe at Salwender (www.salwender.com) make an incredibly resourceful combination (considering they are local to me - Orange County, CA). You could sit and play a Diezel head while Peter himself solders and re-solders capacitors, this and that, to structure and totally customize the tone if you wish. Ship it to Germany for tweaking or whatever, they'll do it, ship it back without a hitch. Talked to these guys at NAMM '03. Small company (3 people) but best yet.

Anyone seeking a boutique amp, versatile, powerful, ease of midi functions all around, plenty of classic sounds yet still modern and pushed, incredibly reliable and unmatched customer support, consider the Diezel line and this head.

I'm not sucking some Diezel junk, but have played many amps, older fenders, marshalls, blackface/plexi, mesa recs, mark 2's, vht, rivera, matchless, vht, too many to list. You'd be foolish not to check this out. Good luck in your amp search.