Diezel Herbert Head

I just bought this 2008 Diezel herbert model, I play mostly shredding speed and thrash metal and quit a bit of clean stuff too and I'll tell ya, this is the most incredible amp I have ever heard, from the moment I plug in I got hooked to the sound, you just become attached to the mo fo, you name it and it can cover, I have an Engl Fireball as well and I thought that one was amazing which it is, but Herbert is something else. all the features on it are very easy to work around and it will give you the sound you are looking for in matter of seconds.

The sound is 12 out of 10, from the cyrstal clean channel 1 to the tight and punchy rhythm of channel 2 and the INSANE GAIN of channel 3 , every one of them is world class, I tell ya I don't get sick of playing through this amp, I play 5 , 7 and 8 string Ibanez guitars, ESP , Moser custome shop guitars and every one of them sounds fantastic through this, The White Ibanez Steve Vai Jem is one trick pony and it takes a certain amp to make it sound good, this amp makes it sound like million dollars, also this amp is amazingly quit.

It's built like tank and if you baby it it will serve you well for a very long time

Haven't had to contact them yet, but I hear Peter and the gang are very supportive, informative and helpful.

I've been playing for 25 years and I have a ridiculous amount of gear and this one I love everything about it , the sound, the looks, the features, everything, when you get a chance check out my stuff at http://www.myspace.com/guitarmessiah7
Cheers
Ed

this has been covered, and if you don't know, you have to ask someone with patience, i give it a nine because i feel the midcut could be a little better by allowing you to choose the freq. or better yet just have a graphic eq!

i am using this with a 8 string guitar, one custom from oni, and another from esp, i usually just use the bridge pickup in distorted situations and find that the amp has great range even if i do choose to use other settings, say in clean semi gain or whatever, it suits my style very well, i play rock ie metal, with a caveat, meaning i try not to play mindless metal, i love the styles of guthrie govan, greg howe etc etc and can find those tones in this amp plus many others, it isn't noisy unless you have it so cranked that you would go deaf because the f-er is so f-in loud, there is incredible variety of tones and dynamics that it is almost endless, i have owned the amp for quite a while and have found it's ability to many things surprising, it's not a one trick pony, that's garbage, people who say that probably messed around with it in guitar center, it's brutal and it's clean are very nice.. nuff said!!

never broken down, i play it all the time, i would never gig without a backup even if god made my amp, so the point seems moot, but whatever, if you don't take care of your crap it will mess up bad!! i give it a 8 because i'm not touring with it so i can't say for certain whether this thing is the badest of all bad...

they aren't as good as they have been, i have tried recently to get in touch with them and they seem to have been falling off their horse, i don't know why they won't get back to me, i guess i'm not that important, it's an easier than expected amp to fix, so my unauthorized dealer did work on it, (where i did stupid damage to it! DRRR) as for warranty don't ask me i don't care or know or care to know!, but diezel is switching us distributors and i hope they step up their game!!

it's a very good amp, if it were stolen i'd buy it again, hopefully for cheaper but eh! i have owned several other amps, soldano, framus, mesa, ummm what else, vht, i don't know, all amps have ups and downs, this one suits ME, that's what matters obviously, i like it, i like my tone out of it, don't buy anything cause of hype, or whatever else, play it, like yourself with it, etc etc, i have been playing 13 years (i'm relatively young) and think that there isn't a perfect amp, but this is damn close, i don't use many if any effects i like the sound of amps, of tubes, of good speakers, not circuits, just an opinion, but whatever, it's my sound i guess, so whatever i'm not here to sell anybody on this amp, i would like to have less people interested in it honestly i liked it when i was the minority owning it, but ce'st la vie, so good luck in finding your sound, thanks!

Made in late '07 or early '08; I purchased it in April, '08. The Herbert is extremely versatile, particlularly for my styles, which lean more toward hard rock and metal, but also covers most other styles quite well. 3 channel MIDI switchable all tube head, with a "+/-" voicing switch for ch 2, and a mid-cut switch that affects all channels. 3 loops (1 switchable serial, 1 serial, and 1 parallel), tuner out (w/mute), and compensated out. I would like to see the "+/-" mode for channel 2 be MIDI switchable, but that's really the only thing I find lacking. Later versions have external bias test and adjustment for the 6 power tubes (180 watts in stock EL34 format). Can accept pretty much any type power tube without modification, and tubes can be mixed and matched pairwise (2 EL34', 2 KT88', 2 6550's, for example). The aformentioned external bias points make experimenting with diff tube types/combinations a breeze. Also has tube failure LED's on the rear panel, so if a tube goes out mid-performance, the fuse for that pair can be removed,and the amp can keep playing on its remaining tubes. Does not include a footswitch. I give it an 8 due to the non-MIDI switchable "+/-" switch on channel w, and the lack of an included footswitch.

I play primarily Les Pauls and PRSs, with medium output pickups or EMG's. I primarily play metal (more into thrash and older British stuff like Priest and Maiden than I am into NuMetal), but have been getting into bluesier stuff a lot lately. I also use cleans a good bit. The Herbert excels at everything I've tried to use it for. The clean ch is excellent, and not just for a high gain amp-it is excellent, period. Very bell like, chimey and deep, with nearly infinite headroom. Ch 2 "-" can go from a dirty clean up to a really nice, bluesy distortion. Ch 2 "+" picks up where "-" leaves off, and goes all the way to a bone-crushing metal rhythm. By proper use of the presence knob and Mid-Cut, "+" can cover pretty much anything from old 70's rock up to modern scooped metal. Ch 2 is the tightest of the 2 distortion channels. Ch 3 is a gain monster, and capable of nice, fluid leads as well as a tight rhythm. The Mid-Cut adds a whole other dimension and depth to the amp. The low end remains tight and focused on all 3 channels. Overall, the Herbert is not quite as organic sounding as my Bogner Ecstasy, for example, but I didn't buy it looking for that. I bought it because it plays my primary styles (hard rock and metal) better than anything else I've tried. It also has less noise and hiss than any high gain amp I've heard, at any gain level. The Herbert, and all Diezels, have their own unique voice, which like any amp, some folks won't like. It is, though, capable of a very wide variety of sounds, though 20 minutes playing one in a music store isn't enough to understand what it can do, regardless of how many years you've been playing guitar. The knobs are there for a reason ;-)
I give it a 9 in this category, because it plays my styles better than anything else I've tried, and convincingly covers most other styles.

I had 1 power tube blow, which is no fault of Diezel's. The fuse for the pair that that tube was part of also burned out, thereby protecting the rest of the amp from damage, so the design of the amp did it's job. Most (not all) problems with tube amps ARE tube related, be they Diezel's, Marshalls, or whatever. From what I've seen and read, Diezel's are at least as reliable, if not more so, than other manufacturers. The "insides" are well built and laid out, and all of the switches, knobs, and jacks are solidly built and assembled. Any electronic device or machine can break down, but the use of high quality components in the Diezel at least reduces the likelyhood. I wouldn't gig with any amp without a backup, however.
I give the Herbert a 9 in this category, because in the one incident (power tube failure) I had, the amp properly protected itself. Nothing is perfect, though, so no amp should get a 10 in this category in my opinion.

Peter Diezel promptly answers questions and concerns on the Diezel forum (the link is on their website), and often gives advice with regards to his products. He has answered several questions I have asked. I haven't had a service related issue. The warranty is lifetime to the original owner, and 1 year transferable.
My personal experience with Diezel customer support has been excellent via the forum-Peter has never not answered a question I've asked hime, and has often answered questions that weren't directed to him, so I rate this category a 10

I've been playing guitar for around 20 years. In addition to the Herbert, I own, or have owned, a Bogner XTC, Uberschall, and Duende, a Marshall JVM410h, a Vox AC30, a Mesa Dual Recto, and a Peavey Valveking. I've also owned various solid state amps over the years. If it were stolen, I'd absolutely get another one. I particularly love the clarity, definition, and voice of the high gain sounds, but also its versatility. Before I purchased it, I compared it with most other high gain amps out there, including Bogner, Marshall, Mesa, ENGL, VHT, Peavey, etc. If I had to get rid of all but one amp, the Herbert would probably be the one I kept, with the possible exception of the XTC. Therefore, my personal overall rating for the Herbert is a 9. The Diezel tone won't be everyone's cup of tea, but some of the extremely low ratings here (1s and 2s) based on a few minutes playing one in a store are ridiculous, as they are for ANY quality manufacturer, and are indicitive of someone with an axe to grind. As are claims of Diezel employees writing reviews to boost the ratings (there are only 5 employees, including Peter Diezel-just how many reviews are they gonna write??). It is an expensive amp, though, especially in the U.S., so I would advise anyone to 'try before you buy'.

I cant believe for a moment that people dont realize just how versitile this amp really is. It works midi really well, and has 3 separate effects loops. Not only that, but all 3 channels have the option of mid cut and or Vol 1 or Vol 2. With that said you have TWELVE total tonal options. Not to mention you also have the +/- switch in channel 2 for even MORE tonal variety. People lets not forget that. Its not just any 3 channel amp. I do however wish that you could store the -/+ feature to midi, but it can be modded. I really dont mind flipping the switch when i need to use that feature though. I use this amp in a live situation all the time and so far the 180 watts of tube power is just enough for any and every live situation.

This amp is the most versitile amp and best sounding amp i have ever heard, and has a feel like no other! What ticks me off to no end is all these people on here saying this amp is only for metal. Nothing could be further from the truth. I own fender amps and channel 1's cleans are amazing and very "blossoming". I play SEVERAL different kinds of music so i know good tone when i hear it.
Channel 2 has several options of course with the mid cut on or off (just like every other channel) but this is the only one that has the -/+ switch. In + mode you have nothing but raw gain with just the right amount of compression. Even with the gain cranked you can hear all the notes in a chord or in a sweep etc. Channel 2 in - mode with the gain cranked has such a killer plexi'ish tone...but better and different. Cant describe it, but every time i use ch.2 in - mode, awesome stuff happens... Bluesy modern tones like no other!! What a sick amp! Every single note comes through with such sustain and warm clarity, even the faster stuff like the legato and sweeps. Im secretly drawn to ch. 2 in minus mode every time. Its like every show i cant wait to flip that switch..! Blues guys, check this amp out for real. I can get SRV, Bonnamassa, Shepperd, tones out of this with NO PROBLEM. Plexyish sounds all day. Flip into - mode and set the gain to taste. It wont dissapoint! Channel 3 i use for most of my solos. I dont crank the gain on this too much because it has plenty of compression. I like compression in solos, it balances everything very well but not too much. This is not an amp for sloppy players, but at the same time its not an unforgiving amp either. It is very balanced. It gives you just enough grace to let you express yourself sonically, while keeping your technique in check while you play. Also, this amp is not noisy at all. Try it and see.

So far ive had it for about 8 months and no issues. When i bought the amp it was used and did have some issues but i made them fix it before i bought it. This was a big initial concern of mine. I must be honest in this review, and ive seen in music stores many herberts that had issues. I dont like this at all. I know we can all blame the users. But why only the herberts? Ive also heard of issues here and just in general from this amp. This has always been my biggest concern since i am in a touring band. I have been coast to coast with this amp and (knock on wood) so far no issues. Im personally happy, but it seems as though there are some concerns with reliability. Tubes dont seem to last long and led's burn out all the time etc..We cant blame faulty tubes forever.

So far i havent needed to contact Peter about any major issues. From what ive seen though on the diezel forum Peter is really helpful. I dont know squat about the insides of the amps only how to tweak and play. This is why so many people go to the forum for help. The guys on there are VERY good about that stuff. The fact that you can talk to the amp builders themself is a plus in my book. For this i give them a 10.

I am 30 years young, and have been playing guitar for 20 of them. I play with the band Ashes Remain. www.myspace.com/ashesremain. I have played in front of tens of thousands of people before, in just about every kind of venue toured the country coast to coast several times. Ive also played with and recorded with several other bands. I have played just about every high end amp before buying the herbert. Soldano, Marshal, Mesa, Bogner, and so on. Even tried it next to the Vh4 and Engl amps. To ME personally, the herbert was spongier and just "felt" so much better while having the sound i was looking for.
I am in a touring rock band and play just about every style of music on my own and in the studio. My personal favorite guitar influences are Eric Johnson, Joe Bonnamassa, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Andy Timmons, SRV, John Mayer, Pat Martino, and everyone who excells at their tone and instrument.
Every time i play this amp im reminded of why buying the Herbert was NOT a bad decision or an excessive purchase!
So far though.. i dont have any new recordings with the Diezel on it. But they are comming soon.
Here are the links of some of our songs in general if youre interested.
www.myspace.com/ashesremain
I also have some Instrumental stuff here:
www.myspace.com/trinityfaction

the head is pretty awesome and since i own multiple other amps such as 6 mesa boogies, 2 bogners, 3 marshalls, 2 matchless, diezel einstein and VH-4, peavey 5150, 2 peavey satch signatures that were played by him on tour. i think i know what a good tone is. the retards that post slating this amp need a wake up call. slating the herbert and saying they tried it in a music store and it was terrible. seems to me that they slate it because they could never afford to own one or any good expensive amp.
get a grip schoolboys and save for a quality amp instead of your bedroom quality marshall mg series (cheap as ****)

amazing sound

had an issue with the stock tubes when it first arrived. changed them and no more problems

peter diezel and the team were very responsive with any queries and take the time to answer peoples questions of the diezel forum

as i mentioned i own lots of high value amps. i dont really favour any over the other but if this was stolen i would instantly have it replaced.
one thing i would wish for is the - + switch to be midi controllable.
pity this place is brought down by the idiots that slate a product for no other real reason other than they dont know what a quality amp is. why would you come on here slating a product that you dont even own!! and could never afford other than jealousy that you cant afford it and have to go home and play through your marshall mg series that cost $50 knowing that you will never own any of the best amps in the world.

Very average set of features considering it's 3-4 times the price of other very popular 3 channel amps. You should get more for this kind of money.
Oh yeah, notice half of the reviews here are from Germans, then if you do youyr homework these idiots work for Diezel, or are major fanboys boosting this lame product..... Pathetic really.

It certainly has a unique sound, pretty much just for the heavy guys though. There is a reason why the standard rock guys, blues guys, country players don't like it, and laugh it off pretty quickly. Sure, you can 'do' those styles on the amp, like you can 'play' Metallica on a Strat, but lets be real, this is a one trick pony-I have been playing 23 years. Killer metal sound, lame in everything else.

Well here's the deal, Dioezel's suck!! I tried this out at ---- music store, and it failed within 20 mins. Just shut off, The manager came back, and it was very telling, he said this was the 5th time someone had told him about this, and that he couldn't wait to get rid of it!! Wow, probably because I was a friend, he was being honest, but he couldn't wait to ditch this line. Everyon chimes in with a chorus of 'tubes fail' but c'mon, this is lame. Oh, and one of the led lights flickered on and off. Maybe thats acceptable to some, but for $4500, nope, not going to waste my time here

Didn't deal with them, my manager friend said they were arrogant, German's apparently for what thats worth?

I laugh at the people who are plugging this pile of crap, I mean, who wants to admit they spent $4500 on an unreliable one trick pony amp...lol, not me!

Don't take my word for it, just look on 'ebay' and see how many mint, new, one week old Diezels are up for sale-ALL THE TIME. Then compare that with say a Custom Audio Electronics amp or something, that hardly ever come up, there is a reason folks!!

this amp has all you need - ever!
forget mesa or other high priced amp.
here you get a serious amp for a serious money.

i play metal and use several hamer chaparrals, made in usa, with
haeussel pickups, the best i ever used.
the amp suits just perfect to any kinds of rock, but is predestinated
for metal.
it is the most powerful sound i ever heard - my cab is an ENGL 412 XXL.
you could use it as a wrecking ball
even the clean is for the gods!
very low noise in all channels, no switching noise.
i'm very proud on my custom modified amp - made by peter diezel himself.
thx peter, you made an excellent job!
fastest attack - forget rectifiers.

don't know why some other guys write that nonsense, maybe they get paid.
i know a lot of musicians that use diezel products and no single one
ever had a problem.
an exhausted tube is not a damage folks, it happens when you use a tube amp - i'm serious.
in germany the first buyer gets lifetime warranty.
can't tell how the distributers tread it in other countries.

great communication to peter diezel and to acys guitar lounge.
you guys answered all my questions - thx.

if it got stolen i had to go to jail for murder,
or get me another one as fast i can ;o)
diezel herbert is the best amp money can buy.
i played mesa, engl, marshall, vox and many more, nothing compares.
it is not cheap, but doesn't sound cheap though.
here you get what you paid for.

Ckeck the onter reviews

I've owned the Herbert for about a year. That's still long considering the sound quality of this amp. I just couldn't believe that an amp this expensive couldn't satify my needs. First thing I have to say is that it doesn't cut through the mix. When playing alone it's sounds pretty much fine, but in a band situation you're only left with a thin sounding amp. I've read another review of this amp mentioning that it was voiced completely the wrong way and that is exactly how I feel about this amp. Ok let's talk through the channels. Channel 1: a lot of headroom, warm but dry sounding, but stays clean. Channel 2: Probably the best channel, but it's more of a 80's heavy metal channel. Channel 3: Too compressed and lacks character. The worst thing is probably the midcut switch. This amp doesn't even produce sufficient mids and then you would want to cut the mids?? They should have added a Mid Booster on this thing. Also I think the amp is to Hi-Fi sounding, it has no real character like most other amps do.

The amp looks very cool and is built like a tank. Also very heavy...Although it looks like it can't be broken I've always had some little issues that needed to be fixed. I always had the feeling that it was still in a sort of prototype phase. A friend of mine owned even an older one and had tot send it back for repair. By the loos of it you would say this amp is really reliable, bur looks are deceiving...

Now this is actually a very positive point. Peter Diezel often replies to mails himself and is very helpful and kind. I thiink every Diezel owner is very happy with the service they give

I/ve been playing for about 8 years now. The only thing that is really important with an anmp is the sound. For me this was the only thing this amp lacks! Good sounds and character! I would never buy it again. There a lot of cheaper amps out there that a are way better sounding than this. It's supposed to be the ultimate high gain/metal amp, maybe it is for some people, but I really can't understand why. I got really bored with the sound after just a few weeks. If you're testing this thing or you're planning to buy it, please be sure that it's the tone you're after. You might also want to test it together with the rest of your band.

I own Herbert #674, which I think is late 06' early 07'. I play progressive metal/rock with influence pulled from many genres of music so I NEED a tonally flexable head, which I found in the Herbert. I wouldn't give it a 10 because there is always something that could sweeten the deal but hell... the Herbert is damn close. I mean it has three effects loops, midi switchable, and three bad *** channels that could get 95% of any sound you were looking for out of. The -/+ Switch isn't really that big of a deal being non-switchable because a simple light overdrive will give you pretty much the same thing and any decent rack set up with this head will take care of whatever you want, which I think was more of what was in mind when this head was built.

Tubes:(6)EL34, 6L6, KT88, ect...

Two master volumes (that are good enough to go from bedroom to arena)

I'm only giving it a 10 because it suits me perfect,for everyone else it'd be a 9 because it'd be real hard to not be able to get a solid sound for your music style out of this, which is saying alot, because while it may not do everything perfect it certainly does alot and can at least copy most. The damn thing is quiet too, It's a little noisey at home but that's only because it has a HUGE magnetic field and I'm practically playing on it, but when I get on stage, quiet as a mouse. To add, what I find most impressive about this head is the low end, not how much it has but just the tonality and clarity and sheer impact. That's were I hear the biggest difference between this and other hi gain heads, not so much the voicing but the low ends quality.

Never had a problem with the head itself, the power tubes blew sooner than they should have but they we're those unrealiable turds they call Ruby EL34b's... they do sound good though. I put some SED el34's in it and have been great since. The head has taken a three foot fall once(in a road/rack case) and played just as good as ever and has since. The same goof balls that dropped it are still the ones handling it too so I'm sure it's seen more than that one drop.

I told them about the tubes and they retubed it free because the ruby tubes were still under warranty, I still replaced it with SED's to be safe, low and behold Diezel has since switched to those as well.

Lifetime warranty to original buyer.

I've been playing for 16 years and have been through lot's of equiptment and haven't found anything that suits me better and would buy it again in a heartbeat. Other than that buy a Diezel or Bogner cab to take advantage of it's full sonic capabilties.

I bought the amp new in late 2006. You read about all the features beforehand if you're checking out these reviews. The only "complaint" I have is that the Herbert has "only" three footswitchable channels, with channel 2 having to distinct voicings via the +/- switch on the amp. You can make that footswitchable, but I'd rather just have another channel.

I play mainly Metal and Rock, and the Herbert suits me just fine. Channel one has very sparkling cleans - I won't call it Fender-like, cos it's different, but it's a very natural sounding clean channel. With the 180 watts of peak power, there's no breakup at all, no matter what volume you play at and what pickups you use.
Channel two is a two-headed beast with the +/- switch...one giving you great crunch, and the other a ridiculously tight rythm distortion. Face-melting comes to mind. Channel three offers a very creamy lead sound. You can use it for rythm too, but who would want to with channel 2 the way it is?

Like I said, I have had the amp for 1,5 years now: No problems. Ever. Built like a tank.

One word: Unreal. How many amp companies do you know where you can actually call and email the owners, and they will answer your request?
Officially the warranty is two years, because of the law, but Diezel gives you lifetime warranty on all parts, but tubes.

Been playing for about 4 years now, having previously owned a Mesa DualRec T-verb, an Engl Powerball, a Mesa F-30, a Peavey 6505, amongst others. I will never sell the Diezel...unless they come up with a 4-channel version of the Herbert. I compared it for a few weeks before spending that kind of cash with VHTs, Mesas, Engls, etc.

Lots of features, you have read all of them here before.

Awesome sound, great for defined metal tone,but the clean is very good as well.

Here is where Diezel fall down, again..and again...and again...
Just read all the disasters on rig-talk, over and over there is one issue or another peter D. can say it is a tube issue only so many times. Fact is they break down...a LOT. Salwender, the importer? arrogant pigs-yea they will repair it when they are ready (Like 2 months turnaround) Pay $154.00 to ship there and back...ugggh. Interesting to note spoke with a local dealer here in St Louis, MO and they canned their dealer agreement when their cabinet arrived wired wrong, then the VH4 head was noisy, repaired, then an output transformer blew... Yep, big thumbs down in this department. Great tone-when it works.....

Typical arrogance from Salwender.... you have to hound them for support. Don't return phone calls either.

This amp deserves a 10, but because of the severe reliability issues and the arrogant distributor they get a 5. pity, great amp.

Very good features.
3 channels, midcut, switchable loop, volume 2, all midiswitchable
Missing midiswitchable +- switch of channel 2.

I use Ibanez -Custom REG (di marzio picks) to play Rock and Metal with funky and mainstream Influences.
Never heard a more powerful amp.
Channel 1: Clean tone is great for the more aggressive clean things (funk, fast strumming). For the more subtle sounds, there are better amps on earth.
Channel 2: Best channel I've ever heard. Very transparent, dynamic, powerful and fast crunch sound.
Channel 3: For lead Sounds too, there are better amps. Not very rich harmonics, no screaming sound, somewhat cold and compressed distortion. Ch 3 sounds better with the gain knob at low settings.
Mid cut function: Very cool to play hard metal.
Power section: Best Poweramp I've ever heard. Very much low end and frightening power.
Very good amp for moderate output Guitars. For hi output Guitars you will only need half of the gain range.

It's quite new - so I have no experience here.
Very well built. Damn heavy. :)

I've had some problems with my cabinet (Marshall). The Marshall Cabinet was too lazy for the amp resulting in a muddy tone. I can go to the distributor any time and discuss my problems. THX alot.
I'm wating now for an original Diezel Box...

I play now for 15 or 17 years. I owned mesa boogie. Before purchasing it I compared the Herbert with other Amps (Mesa Roadster, Randall RM100, Engl Special Edition, Engl Powerball, Engl Invader, Diezel VH4, Diezel Einstein, Peavey XXX and The Valve). The Herbert is the most powerful amp. Even at low volumes there is an incredible blast and wall of sound.
I love the power and the dynamics of that amp - no other amp can stand a comparison.
Concerning Lead Sounds, the Engls had richer harmonics and were easier to play because the lack of dynamics.
I play 90% power chords so the Herbert was the choice for me.
I give it a 10 because of the best sounding channel 2 and the best sounding poweramp I've ever heard.
Direct comparison to the mentioned amps made clear that the Herbert is the sound direct from my heart. The search for the Ampsound is over now.

I'm a rack effects guy controlled by midi. I don't like stomp boxes due to constant problems that can arrise during a gig. Plus the constant tap dance one has to perform to get from sound to sound. The midi functions were an important feature that led me to buy this amp. The only reason I don't score this category a 10 is that I have fallen in love with the -/+ on channel 2 and find myself constantly running over to my amp and manually flipping it. I wish there were a way to switch it via midi.

I'm pretty much a marshall guy. There is no comparison. I think the other reviews pretty much cover it all. I will say this.. as mentioned by a review I read earlier, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to run through the proper cab with this amp. I chose the front loaded cab with Diezels custom speakers. A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!! When I run it through a typical Marshall 4/12 the sound is reminisant of a Marshall. Far more mushy and not as "fast" or responsive, especially low tones. Most speaker cabs can't keep up with these amps. This is a difficult phenomenon to digest until experienced. I didn't totally understand it when it was first explained but trust me, if you plan to run this through a regular cab, you're totally missing the Diezel sound. One thing to keep in mind about Diezel is, they are very "fast", not mushy. You can't get away with slopping your way through solos relying on a slow fuzzy tone to cover up. Now if I'm havin a bad nite everyone gets to hear my mistakes! :)

Two years in and no problems

This is where Diezel is second to none. I had a defective preamp tube (no fault of Diezel) that crapped out the 2nd day I had my amp. Which coincidently was a gig nite. I suspected it was a preamp problem but I didn't want to touch anything till I talked to someone. I emailed Diezel and later that same day Peter Stapfer contacted me direclty and helped me solve the problem. I can't say enough about thier support, especially this day and age.

Great amp. I've played for over 25 years. I've played through to much gear to remember but mostly Marshall amps. It's expensive but for me it was worth it.

Features should be known or are available at the producer's hp.

The sound is incredible, I have never played a more powerfull and versatile amp (midi-available versatility with the Diezel is not as good as with the Engl, for obvious reasons. However with your volume poti at the guitar this is way better and versatile than any midi switchable functions at the Engl). I owned an Engl 670 SE EL 34 before, which was also an amazing amp. So this is going to be a bit of a comparison, picking out several points important for me. However, the Diezel stands out against the Engl in my view for various reasons:

- Engl overdid midi switchable functions. This leads to an enormeous versatility of the amp at a step on your floorboard. However playing live/ in a band, you find out that the differences in volume are making you crazy. 1 vlome for each of the 4 channels, 2 master volumes, and a broad range of bright/ lo punch etc switches which slighly but recognisably change volume of your tone. With the Diezel, you have 2 master volumes and 1 volume for each channel.

- The Diezel has no hum, meaning no hum at any gain stage.

- Engl has a noise gate - I had it activated most of the time. I do not play hi gain all the time, but with a certain gain setting you need the noise gate so that when opening your volume at your guitar, you do not have problems with noise. The Diezel simply doesn't neet this. Even with gain cranked up at 5 o'clock this is not a problem at all.

- Power: Engl has power, without a doubt. But the Diezel blew my mind. Not that you would need hi gain to get pressure through your cabinet. It just cuts (esp. in channel 3 and the clean channel) and has so much oomph you need to be careful. And I mean not oomph by adding mid cuts and depth (this however works also with the Diezel), but just as a basic sound. I played both the Engl and the Diezel through a Marshall 1960B and the difference was striking

- Engl has fairly good clean channel. Try the Diezel, it will let the Engl faint. Never had such powerfull and good sounding clean channel. Once more, it kicks and you need to be carefull not to overdo. No problems with distortion whatsoever, just brilliant cutting sound. Add the mid cut will sound not so funky and agressive as normal.

- The pots at the Diezel will react to your twists.

End of my comparison: Engl is very good, but Diezel beats it in any case. Brilliance, powerfulness of sound. It will even make your Mex Strat sound good.

Cannot judge however they seem to be so convinced of their amps that they give lifelong warranty (first owners)

Should not be a problem at all. Check their website and forum, you'll see that they immediately respond to your problems if any should occur

Brilliant. Strong buy. If you look for good sound, really good sound, then it does the trick. I bought the Engl as I play in a rock cover band and I thought I would need the first-sight versatility the Engl offers. It sure has very good versatility no doubt. However you tend to go back to the 5-6 sounds you prefer, and in this case the Diezel offers more tonal quality in my view.

I play the Diezel through a Marshall 1960B, have added a Quadraverb (sufficient I guess) at the parallel loop. Nobels MF1 Midi switcher you don't get this thing broken. Play several Warmoth, esp. Strats with humbuckers. My perfect setup!

2004 model, no mods...non needed, sounds unbeliavable out of the box!!

Blue LED's are notorious for burning out...other than that, it's pretty solid

Haven't dealt with we as of yet, but his rep is very very high for customer support.

I thought I had found the best hi gain amp in my Mesa Road King II, then again with the Bogner Ecstasy...this amp surpasses all of them...big call, but bigger amp.

basically it's 3-channel amplifier.

ch1 for clean, ch2 has -/+ toggle switch
so there's ch2 '-' and ch2'+', ch3 for lead sound.

each channel has channel toggle switch so you can change all the
channels with your finger tip, so don't be afraid if you don't
have money for columbus. :)

1 serial loop, 1 parallel loop, 1 (on/off)switchable loop.

check out diezel's website for more info.

okay, i give it 9 not 10.
i got 3 reasons for this.

1. there's no Perfect amp in the world. so, i never give 10 to anything.
2. i spend sh@t load of money for this baby just like anybody. IMHO, i would be great if it's a stereo amplifier. or make its power section to be switchable so player can choose it's output as stereo or mono. as you know, herbert is 180w monster. man, 180w. that's ridiculous power. mesa x3 recto is 150w and it's already gone far to have it in your room. even a 100w marshall jcm800s are loud enough(yeah, they're really ENOUGH).
many times, i imagine my herbert having switchable powersection so sometimes i'd use it 180w in mono, and sometimes in stereo 90w per channel. isn't it just wonderful?

3. no foot switch included with 4k amplifier. i think it should be included. there's many people who don't need MIDI footswitch. i use eventide efxs and korg sdd3k, ada std-1, lexicon pcms and more only for my guitar, and use tons of other studio gears because i run a professional studio. BUT still don't need to hook my tube amplifier with MIDI cables.

i'm trying to say MIDI footswitch is bad or useless, by the way it's fantastic. what i'm trying to say is, ""HOW ABOUT INCLUDING A STUPID 3 CHANNEL FOOTSWITCH(which we use with fenders, peavey 5150s and many others) FOR FREE."" yeah, including it with amplifier's package. not a $4~500 diezel foot columbus.
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alright. and now this is some great things about herbert.
i experienced almost all kinds of diezel amplfiers. i had vh4, vh4s, herbert mk1, mk2(current), mk2.5 and an einstein. to me the best amplifier from diezel company is VH4S. i don't mean that the vh4s has the best tone.i must say "overall score", including its features and stuff, vh4s is the best - overall. specially if you use it with kt88 tubes.

and Herbert,
CH1 is clean channel which is better than VH4 or VH4s. einstein's clean is very close to herbert. tonal character is different from typical Fender clean. Diezels have their own clean sound and it's very good. herbert's clean is, by the way, the best. amazing headroom and super sparkling and tight and warm bottom.
CH2 - : you can get a FINE hard rock sound with treble booster or overdrive. personally, i use pete cornish tb83and tb83 extra in serial, whatever you guess you'll hear better than that.
CH2 + : the best channel of herbert. brown sound, super marshall, recto killer, you name it.

CH3 : now, this is another story. i hear little difference between ch2+ and ch3, but basically it's just same sound. tons of distortion. (oh, i forgot to mention that i sold every distortion/overdrive/fuzz stuff on ebay since i purchased my first diezel-that was vh4, and still i don't need one with my herbert)
as i told you already i run my studio, and of course i record many rock and roll records tone ranges from led zeps to slipknot. i've used my herbert(mk1,2,3) for more than 2 years for more than 100 songs, but i NEVER needed ch3 with its gain knob passed 12. more than that amount of distortion is not recordable or recognizable. and i believe that any herbert user can get that ch3's serious distortion sound from ch2+. as a result, i don't need and use ch3 of my herby that much.

VH4(and VH4S) has 4channel,i think it's ch4 is different from its ch3 and pretty useful. but channel 3 of herbert, i dissapointed a little bit. it'll be better if herby's ch 2- and ch2+ are seperated into a indivisual channel,like ch2- for ch2, ch2+ for ch3.

The Most wonderful function of herbert is V2 knob. it's volume 2, when it's activated you controll youe master volume with it, and original master volume(vol 1)is deactivated automatically. volume 2 is lot more quieter than volume 1 just like when you use some dummy load or power attenuator, but the tone is 100% untouched.

So you can use your 180w herbert on ch3's gain knob pass over 12 o'clock at your room when your mama is sleep.

Diezel is TANKer than a TANK.

fast reply via hotmail. thanks to stephan.

i don't think a person whose favorite amp is roland micro cube , would buy a diezel.

if someone has a diezel, he or she probably experienced some rectos and marks, may be some bogners and hughes and kettner, or may be some VHTs or framus. just like me.

mentioned above, this amplifer is almost unbeatable.
like VH4.

look on their website.

this is my favorite amp ive ever played,i actually played one by accident at a music store trying out a g system and never got the tone out of my head a year later i bought a brand new one,its so clean,loud or quiet,the tone never changes,love the mid cut section always dump my mids and this is a biggie for me.

no problems yet,but everything breaks now or later.

they are great people,got email the next day from germany!

overall..this is the key to my tone,my secret weapon,if everything else shit the bed,and i had an ax and my herbie,the show would go on,without a problem.if it was stolen,well too bad cuz you would get caught i have lo jack installed in my head,and in minutes you would be arrested and set to prison 4 life!buy one you wont regret it!

Brought mine brand new, has all the features you need and doesn't fool around adding ones you don't. Didn't come with a footswitch but my guitar guy at guitar center recommended the rocktron and set it up and programmed it for me, and it works well. If one is looking at the Herbert to purchase you already know the specs.

Now here where this amp shines brighter than I've ever heard and played. After playing on the circuit with other amps, such as, the Mesa rectifiers, Bogner, Bad Cat, and recently the HK Tri-amp, I was floored when I played thru the Diezel Herbert at a local music store. At first channel 3 reminded me of the live sound that one of my favorite players (Steve Stevens) gets, warm, punchy, hard but musical,and cutt throat. Then channel 2 was as impressive and versatile as I've ever heard goes from blues to nailing that clean and distorted sound that Carlos Santana gets when playing the melodic instrumentals, to Getting the Van Halen brown sound, astonishing. Channel 1 is as clean and powerful as it gets if you played thru other clean channels in the past this one kills them all by a long shot on the headroom alone. these three channels has all the sounds one could ever imagine. Players this IS NOT just a metal amp it is the most versatile amp you will hear.

So far so good on this subject. After reading the previous review I was a little hesitant but he was happy with the service, had the amp about a month practices and live shows with no problem.

Never had to deal with anybody.

I've been playing for 27 years pro and now just clubs. PRS CUSTOM 24 OWNED SINCE 1988, PRS HOLLOWBODY 2 ARTIST(PIEZO), PRS SANTANA BRAZILIAN LIMITED, PRS MODERN EAGLE, PRS guitars sound heavenly thru this amp. If it were stolen I would put a hit out on that person, and buy it again.In short, forget about the other amps Marshall, Bogner, HK, Mesa etc. The herbert sounds incredible it is the only amp I've ever played that made me smile with pleasure and just geeked to play. I play all styles from Zakk Wylde to george Benson to Carlos Santana to Neal Schon, to R&B grooves, all 80's metal to country to Modern Rock to classic Ted Nugent, Steve Stevens, Latin etc. This amp can do it all WELL. Bottom line if you can afford the jack buy the HERBERT. ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING, BUY THE DIEZEL 412R OR F CABINET BECAUSE IT DOES MAKE A SONIC DIFFERENCE, I HAD THE MESA RECTIFIER CAB IT DOESEN'T TOUCH THE DIEZEL cabs. HERBERT HEAD AND DIEZEL CABINET PERFECT DON'T WASTE MONEY BUYING ANOTHER CABINET TO GET BY.

2006. This amp is loaded with versatility. This baby gets every sound known to man. Of course it has 3 channels, effects loop you all know the deal. I play out weekly and it is loaded with power but it also performs at lower levels compared to other amps that don't. Mine is EL34 powered.

I play everything from 60's rock to todays modern rock. Stones -Staind... I have owned just about every high end amp on the planet in the last 2 years. You know the drill the eternal quest for the ultimate tone. I own/owned a Bogner Xtcy, Marshall Jubilee, HK Triamp, Gibson Supergoldtone, Mesa Road King, Fender ToneMaster, Marshall TSL, NONE compare to this monster! I totally love this baby, channel 2 is the best sounding channel I have ever heard you never want to to leave it to be honest. But really, all 3 channels with all the different variations sound awesome. You just need to spend some time with her in the beginning and work on YOUR sounds. Clean channel is big and fills the room big bottom end. I use this with a Bogner 4x12 Cab. My rig is pretty simple: The Herb, wah, chorus, delay and digitech whammy pedal. I use all high end stuff: Suhr Strat, Tom Anderson, Fender Custom shop set-neck strat and Tremonti Tribal. I also own the hard to find footswitch for this, no midi I am old school...

Now here is where my issue begins. Got it on a thursday used it on a Friday channel 1 blew (not cool live believe me). Called the place I bought it from the next day they suggested changing the tubes(didnt sound right) but did it anyway. $58 bucks out of my pocket. Two weeks later same thing live again. Seemed when it heated it just died and wouldnt work (on top of that it killed my footswitch). You can imagine my frustration. I will continue my story on customer service section. The jury is still out on this category. I will update later down the road again.

Dealt with Uwe out in California. Diezel's US distributor (I am in New Jersey). I have to tell you Uwe is the nicest guy in the musical planet, real pleasure to do business with, very genuine guy. I had to ship it to CA $178 because I sent it 3 day I didnt want it sitting with the Gorilla handlers too long before it got to Uwe. He was great on the phone ultimately they had to replace the amp with a brand new one because the problem was so new and never happened that decision was to replace it with another brand new one. My only issue it was almost a 4 week turnaround before I got it back. I owned the amp for 6 weeks 4 of which were in the shop. But again dealing with Uwe made this easier to swallow. I get it back along with the footswitch and the footswitch doesnt work (Can you imagine the blood pressure at this point)$4100 for the head and additional $230 for shipping and tubes I was partially steamed to say the least called Uwe seemed it wasnt programed to the herbert. I asked Uwe about and alternative and he suggested a prostage pedal that he had in stock. Got a decent price but I needed a pedal asap because I was gigging. I received it the next day (I paid for overnight). One of Uwe's guys got on the phone with me the next day and walked me thru the setup of the pedal. (Its awesome really). I am shipping my herbert footswitch to Uwe this week to refix so I thought it would be better to have 2 pedals then one anyway (you never know live). I am sure I was the one of very few who had this issue but all in all Uwe made my time with this more pleasurable. I am still disappointed that I shelled out an additional $230 for shipping and tubes and the store I got it from offered me $50 bucks of a Diezel Cab. I wasnt to happy about that considering another store offered me the same on there cab. I buy really top end stuff and not sure if I will be making a return visit to the store but I will for sure with Diezel. Thanks Uwe.

Been playing for quite some time, own all top end stuff I listed above. If stolen I think I would have to be jailed for the pain I would cause that individual would be very bad for him. I would buy it again because I love the sound nothing better really no BS. The look is killer as well live but really its the tone that matters. Be warned you better be able to play with this amp because everything is heard. You better have you chops down with this baby. I watch at every gig the loaded buttheads who like to peer at my stuff, I make sure they dont touch anything because if this was damaged I would freak. Barring any of the issues with the first head I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one because I love the amp. Hopefully, I just got a bad apple and now this one will give me years of happiness.(Just like a good marriage) :) Also comes with lifetime warranty, can't get better then that. Don't be fooled by all the pretend amps out there pay the big bucks and get this awesome machine you will love it.

Features have been discussed in previous review, so I'm skipping that. :) Mine is a Mk1 Herbert (serial# 001/012), and I had it modded to the current specs last week (thanks Peter!). It has tons of features and it basically suits all my needs. I owned a Mesa Triple Recto Solo head before getting my Herbert and it can do all the Mesa did and much more! MIDI switchability is a good thing. For the price, I'd think they would throw one in, just to get you started...

I use my Herbert with a Brunetti XL cab, loaded with V30's. When I tested it, I ran it through a Bogner V30. I have to say that it really does make a difference. It just sounded more open and fuller to me... So the Bogner is on my wish-list... although it's going to cost me a pretty penny... :) Oh yeah. My guitar is a Fender Strat USA with SD hardware (Pearley Gates+ and '59). Excellent for my needs... It can do everything you want! Beautiful cleans, dirty crunch and mindblowing brutal leads! I have played and owned 3 amps before getting this one(Marshall JCM 2000, ENGL Powerball and Mesa Triple Recto), and I really have to say that it's worth every Euro Diezel is asking for it...

It weighs a ton (27 kg's) and looks like it can stand a whole lot of pain.. :) I'd keep it in a flightcase whenever moving it around. Furthermore it's a tube amp, which means let it cool after playing and don't drop it... :) I haven't had it long enough to know how it holds up with regular gigging, but our other guitarist owns a VH4 and has gigged with it on a weekly basis for about 2 years now.. Never had any trouble with it! :)

Here's the thing that I really love best about Diezel! I bought mine used from some guy that really didn't take god care of this amp. It didn't sound alright.. Tubes that were in it weren't stock (JJ's instead of Ruby's).. Whole lot of stuff. I mailed Peter Diezel about this and got a reply the nex day. He offered to repair and mod the amp to the current specs. Shipping on me, work on him. So now, I have a fully repaired Herbert (with new tubes!!!!) at shipping costs only... I had it back in just a week! If that isn't great customer support, I don't know what is...

I have been playing guitar for about 9 years now. I played Marshall, ENGL and Mesa. All these are great amps, but left me wanting for something I couldn't really describe. I tried Bogner (Shiva and XTC) and liked it! I plugged in to a Diezel Herbert and was absolutely blown away... Very transparant, even when cranking channel 3 with brutal gain. It really makes your guitar come to life. Also (but that's me), I think it really let's your guitar define your tone... Only thing I wish this amp came with, is a footswitch. If it were stolen, I'd save up a lot of cash and get a new one. It's a three channel amp and I really don't think you can compare it to anything else...

I have a 2004 Herbert, revision 2.5. See the Diezel site for features. You cannot set the amp up like any other. There are useable sounds no matter where the knob is set. 3 or 6, doesnt matter. Just different sounds. I use this amp for rock/pop and hard rock, but I do not use a lot of gain. With the amount of options and sounds this amp is actually fun for this single channel vintage guy to play. It makes me want to change channels!

Right now I am using a stock pup'd Fender American Tele and a Strat. The Cleans swell with chime and spank- a dynamic that shocked me. I thought this was bound for ebay, as I had traded a MarkIIC+ for it without ever playing it. I thought it'd be a $4000 recto, but it is not. The cleans have overtones and are fat! Most channel switchers do not have the whack or the overtones. You can literally go from smooth fender to spanky funk, country or whatever. The 2nd channel is my fav. It's dark, tight, spanky and dynamic. Cleans up like a good marshall. Has a Bogner like bark to it, but lets my hands do their thing. Very glassy when I want it to be. It can do old JMP but fatter, or it can do brown. Channel three has a wide array of lead tones, and although I wish channel 2's -/+ switch was midi switchable... the third channel is starting to work for my leads. Takes some time to get! I can go from crisp to dark Lynch like leads. I used to feel that you could not beat a Marshall and a pedal. I now believe in channel switchers as well.

This thing wont break. I know a good amp, and this is it. 70 pound heads dont break. Has a very thick board and clean leads. Spare fuse, great solder, removeable cord, etc.. hardcore parts.

Peter responded to me in an hour to a clip I sent him. He didnt have to do that.

I've played for 13 years and collect vintage Marshalls, Boogie C+'s and whatever else peaks my interest. If this were stolen, I would definitely buy it again. I am a single channel guy and cannot believe how this amp reacts. Each channel is complex, you can hear every note in the chord and it just rings out into sweet feedback like a great single channel amp. It chimes, it rocks, it sustains. It's never muddy and always tasty. Is $4100 too much? No. It's the dynamics and clarity that make a great amp great. This amp does not just do metal. This is an instrument.

2004 Model Diezel Herbert, this thing is nothing short of AMAZING. no BS here. When I bought the amp I was skeptical of its abilities, after all, when you pay such a high price on an amp, most people won't admit that it wasn't worth it.... but this thing is worth every red cent I paid. As you know, it?s an all tube, three channel, 180-watt head. All the goodies are included, plus more (loop, mute, MIDI friendly...) I've had this thing for about a week, and I play Metal (think of stuff like Arch Enemy, Unearth, Testament, Shadows Fall) it took me not even 10 minutes to dial sounds that I?ve fallen in love with! Honestly, it can cover the most BRUTAL heavy tone (thanks to Mid Cut and Deep controls) to Van Halen, AC/DC, and even George Jones. I have only used this inside my house, and have turned it up to jam volumes for brief periods. This thing is amazing! even at the lowest of volumes, it doesn't lose tone. If you?re worried because you live in an apartment, fret no more, cause the Herbert sounds just as good at a low volume as it does on a higher.

OK, so I own a Jackson SLATQH, a Jackson RR1 and a Gibson Zakk Wylde Camo Les Paul. All guitars have the EMG 81/85 combo, and all of this is connected with either Zaolla or Evidence cables (the best there is, in my opinion, picked up from Tone Merchants). I also have a rack consisting of a Furman power conditioner, Korg tuner, Rocktron Intellifex, which is connected via Planet Waves cables (the worst you can get, they are good while they last, me and my guitarist have had numerous cables break on us, all Planet Wave). My cabinet is a Bogner Uberkab ST hybrid, which is built like a tank, and houses two types of speakers, the Celestion V30 and the Celestion G12T75. This cab, so far is a perfect match for Herbert, was designed for high gain amps, and heavy settings. Plugging in each guitar, you can hear the differences between them like night and day, EVEN with active pickups! The slat, a mahogany body with quilted maple top, is warm yet punchy, the RR1 with an alder body is very bright, and the Les Paul, one heavy ass piece of mahogany with a carved maple top, is very warm sounding, punchy and heavy. All the tones of each guitar/type of wood really stand out with the Herbert. when plugged in, the Herbert is very quiet, even at loud volumes (and I am not running a noise gate/compressor) except with the Slat, which will cause a bit of feedback at dangerous volume levels :-)
Channel one was a very pleasant surprise. Just by tweaking the treble/mid/bass knobs, you can get an unlimited amount of tones. Now kick in the Mid Cut feature, and the combination of sounds are endless. I don?t use this much with my band, but because of it, I have been learning songs just to play on channel one (such as Clapton) props to Peter Diezel for channel one alone!

Channel two and three are nothing short of amazing! channel two is my classic rock/metal channel, although you can dial in a very heavy sound if you wish. it has a -/+ switch, with the - activated you can get muddy blues tones, van halen tone, queen, and on and on... now with the + activated, it takes those tones and makes them a little more modern (more bass response, a lot heavier). Very fun channel to play with.
Channel three......the beast. This channel is also very versatile. It is definatly NOT a "one trick pony". you can dial in a sound such as van halens "brown sound" (which comes so close its unreal), and then activate the mid cut and Deep controls, and BAM! you now have the most brutal sounds produced by a tube amp. Think of Hatebreed, Slipknot (who now use the Herbert), any insanely heavy band...and the heads sound never gets flubby...whatever you throw at it, it'll take, chew up and spit it back in your face, and still ask for seconds! very tight sounding, very responsive....and very unforgiving. If you lack skill in the playing department, this amp will point out all your flaws with ruthlessness.

Customs kept this thing for two weeks, and it was delivered via UPS. I have friends who work for them, and if it can stand up to them, it'll stand up to anything. The quality and craftsmanship cannot be described in words....but I?ll give it a shot. Peter obviously takes his time with each amp built (hand built, if you didn't know). From the tolex covering (with no seems, very clean) and the metal grill, right down to the screws used, all the parts are of the highest quality. Controls are simple, no graphic EQ's built in, or any unnecessary knobs. Even the light indicators are unique! it has 8 high intensity blue LED lights, which all activate when the unit is powered on. Although its not the lightest head in the world, what do you expect for a 180 6 tube amp? It is also built like a Sherman. As far as gigging without a backup, there?s no need for it! with a simple biasing, if a tube does go (which from what I?ve read, will not affect your sound, that particular tube is "shut down" by Herbert and power is routed to the remaining amps, and a light will activate to indicate which tube is out) you can put in any pair of tubes into the Herbert (have EL34's with KT88's or 6L6's all together!) this is done with a simple biasing. Is the Herbert reliable? you bet your ass! And Peter is a stand up guy, I?ve been researching this head for many, many months, and on numerous forums he'll post and help out anyone who is having an issue with any Diezel product (and most problems are due to the user, not the product). This guy cares about his products and it shows. I think it could stand a nuclear holocaust....but that?s just me.

OK, well I have not had any issues (and hope I never do) but, I have contacted Diezel in regards to pairing my Midi Mate controller with the Herbert and Peter himself emailed me right back with a contact number for help (a US distributor, Peter is German after all, and answering questions may be difficult). Very friendly guy, a person who really cares about his products and, more importantly, cares about his customers. Try to contact Mesa and you'll have a hell of a time trying to resolve issues (I live in Canada so its also an international issue). I've owned a Mesa Single rectifier and a triple rectifier. I contacted Mesa in regards to the triple rec's foot controller (FX light did not light up) and it took numerous attempts just to get someone, who, advised that I send it back in! I took it apart before I sold it and found that the lights are housed in small plastic clips, and that particular light had been jarred out of its socket, so I just clipped it back in. It was that simple and it didn't cost me shipping and handling to send to Mesa. Like I stated, Peter Diezel cares about the product he puts out, and for the price you pay, that?s what you should expect. Unfortunately with other companies its "hit or miss" in regards to customer support.

No need to add anything in here, its a 10/10. Suits ALL my styles of music, and then some. I've been playing for 11 years and have owned/played anything from Fender amps, Crates, VHT's, Soldanos, Mesas, Peavys.... and so far, this is the best amp yet. I'll own this for life, or until it gives out (which will most likely exceed my lifespan). The only thing I didn't like about the product, was that there was no footswitch....or even an amp cover! I got one made by Custom Amp Covers for 25.00 US...other then that, it?s a great piece of gear!

Channels: 3, with second master and mid-cut up to 6 voicings
Loops: 1 parallel, 1 insert loops, 1 switchable insert loop
midi in & thru / phantom - power
Equalization: gain, treble, mid, bass, volume per channel
add. gain switch on Channel 2
switchable mid. cut with adjustable volume
Pre-Amp: 3 individually voiced, all tube pre- amps. Clean, crunch, lead
Power-Amp: 6-tube power amp section. Accepts 6L6, EL34, 5881, 6550, KT66, etc. Pairwise mixings possible, pairwise bias control
Dimensions: 74x29x28 cm
Weight: 27 kg

it's the best sounding head that i ever tried in Italy!!

This amp it's buit like a tank.
No problems, no broken, it's all perfect.

It's a pleasure speak with Peter Diezel!!!
It's a guitar player and friendly person who can answer quickly to all your questions.

i own a ton of gear and nothing sounds good like this Herbert.
If i lost or stolen it i will buy another one the next day!

I'm not going to go over all of the features because I'm sure that's been covered by now. I got this thing because I like playing around with power and preamp tubes and this thing will let you do that in really crazy ways. Everything else on here is just nuts (in a GREAT way).

This is the MK 2.5 version. Ruby EL34B-STR's in the power section and Ruby relabeled Chinese 9th Generation 12ax7a's.

I mainly use a PRS Singlecut loaded up with an Anderson H3+ in the bridge and an Anderson H1- in the neck. I use a Gibson Les Paul with the H3+ in the bridge and Dimarzio PAF Pro in the neck. I also have one of those Ibanez Mike Mushok Baritones with an EMG 81 in the bridge and an EMG 60 in the neck. So, that's what I run into this sucker and 99% of the time it's Guitar -> Cable -> Amp.

The Clean Channel - I have a first year Silverface Fender Twin Reverb that has been Blackfaced by Clark Amplification. I've also owned a few other Twins. The Clean Channel on this amp is very Fender Twinish. It has the airy vibe that a Twin has when you're plugged into the high gain input of that amp. I also like pulling the V1 preamp tube in my Twins to get a little bit more preamp gain and it makes it a little more airy sounding. The Herbert can cop that vibe as well. The cleans are a little warmer than the Twins and they're a lot more wide-bodied and bigger sounding. The Twin is a little more compressed. The Herbert's clean also has that snap to it that a Twin has. This is the best clean channel on any multi-channel high gain amp that I've ever plugged into when you compare it to the Fender Twin. The VH4's clean tone is more of a Hiwatt vibe if you ask me. I prefer this amp's clean tone by far. Peter, you did a wonderful job here my friend.

The 2nd Channel - This channel is very nice. It has that Diezel vibe happening, but it's a lot fuller sounding like the Clean channel is. You can pull off anything from Blues to a good Hard Rock/Metal rhythm tone with this channel when you flip back and forth between the Plus and Minus switch. The Plus switch just adds gain and the minus switch takes some away. It's nice.

The 3rd Channel - This channel is a beast. You can do so much with it. It has an extremely liquid vibe. When I say liquid I mean the notes sustain forever and everything feels very soft and spongy. The feel is like a Bogner Ecstacy 101B or an Uberschall, but the amp sounds a lot bigger and is more powerful and brighter. You can back down off of the gain, adjust the EQ to be a little less aggressive and get a really cool boutique lead tone that a lot of these Dumble type clones shoot for. You could do the same thing with the VH4's 4th channel, but the Herbert is just a lot fuller and less compressed. Some folks like compression and I have to admit I like it too in a lot of instances.

This thing is solid. It has a lot of fault fuses placed in critical positions within the amp to prevent any further damage if something goes wrong. The VH4 is the same way as well. Peter did a great job incorporating this in his designs and it makes life a lot easier. If you have a duet of power tubes go, the fuse blows and prevents further damage.

Uwe Salwender is the U.S. distributor for Diezel Amplification. I've spoken to him on the phone twice and he is a very caring individual. I have nothing but great things to say about Uwe. Peter is a very wonderful person as well who takes time to interact with the public via the internet. If you have a problem, they will help you in any way they can. You're just as important as their Professional Clients. That means a lot. Keep up the great work guys.

The one main thing I love about this amp, overall, is it's ability to sound so big, so clear and still be able to deliver a sweet spongy, saggy vibe. It's the perfect blend of everything that I can think of. Ed Yoon at Tone Merchants described the amp very well once to me via an e-mail and he pretty much nailed it.

I've owned a lot of different amps and they're all great in their own way, but when you find the amp that best fits you, your playing style, ears, etc., you need to keep that amp. The Herbert may not be for everyone, but it's a very fine amplifier that I'm very proud to be able to play through. I think it's the best multi-channel amp on the market and it's definitely worth the price you have to pay for it.

The Herbert is the Master of Domination!!!

I own my Herbert for a small year now so I think I can write a decent review, based on my experiences with this amp. The amp has the serial number 001/112 and I purchased it in Februari 2004 at Jukebox in Boekel (Holland). The music I play varies from experimental pop to very heavy metal. I like artists like: muse, oceansize, Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits, Radiohead etc. In my band I play Pantera, Machine Head, Sepultura etc. I wanted an amp that could cover it all. Because it uses MIDI it opened a new world for me. I play the amp with an all origional '92 Gibson LP std. I guess you know the features of this amp but I'll write some down.
- 3 channels (clean - overdrive(vintage viocing)/distortion(modern voicing)- heavy tones.
- Mid Cut and 2nd volume.
- 3 loops (parallel-serial and switchable which is serial as well)I connect the swtichable loop to the parallel one so I can turn the parallel loop on and off.
- 180 watt tube power. The three bias-pots allow to use three matched duets of whatever comes up to you (EL34, 6L6, KT66, KT88, 6550) You can even mix them if you want to! The tubes the amp comes with are a subject to change as Peter selects the best ones aviable all the time.
- MIDI capable (midi in/midi out/midi thru)
- 5 speaker outputs (2x4 ohm, 2x8 ohm and one 16 ohm)
- Compensated out/tuner out/ mute switch

As you can see, this amp has heaps of options. The reason why I gave it a 9 instead of a 10 is that I'd like the 'vintage/modern' to be midi switchable. If the amp was stereo I'd give it a 11.

As I said, I use it with a Gibson LP std. I play some experimental pop/rock and heavy metal. The Herbert can cover all my styles and sounds. The amp isn't noisy at all. Well, it has some hum on the thirt channel but that isn't strange as this is the most insane-gain channel. 'Deep' and 'presence' can change you sound dramaticly, so go and turn those knobs to get your sound out of it. I think this amp is more 'one' amp compared to the VH4. The VH4's channels sound differend in style to each other and the Herbert doens't, either you like it or not. The amps sound rather dry. It doesn't have the 'soul' like most vintage amps, but I guess that's not what you're looking for when you're reading this review. Don't get me wrong, the Herbert can produce some awsome vintage tones!

Channel 1 (clean) : Channel 1 produces a very rich and warm clean. There is definately some soul in this one! Very dynamic for both finger picking and funky stuff. It has nice low end but still sounds very open.

Channel 2: You could sell a whole amp for just channel 2! I'm just in love with this one. It's SOOOO! dynamic. On 'vintage' setting you can get sound from a cranked up Fender to a Hot rodded Marshall (to stay in therms everyone understands). It has a round, warm, punchy sound. If you play gentile (without touching your volume knob) it's close to the clean channel and if you start playing louder ot turns into AC/DC. Inmagine using the volume knob as well. And I have my gain on about 9 o'clock. When you turn it up it goes to Guns'n Roses. On 'modern' setting (with the same gain settings) you can get even further. Great for some (hard)rock tunes and heavy riffs.
Channel 3: This is a tricky one. You have to know how to use it correctly because it has a huge amount of gain! If you turn the gain all the way up...........yeah, it might get muddy (never tried it actually). I have the gain at aproximately 11 o'clock which is MORE that enough! I can produce the most heavy tones I could ever inmagine. I use this one mostly for heavy leads because of it's insane rich and dynamic tones. Channel 3 really has some BAD ASS, smoking leads! With the Mid Cut turned on you can get those pumping metal riffs on the fly.

The Diezel Herbert is a great amp. It produces a Diezel tone (duh..) which you have to like. You have to know how it works and what it does. There are so many nice sounds you keep on tweaking. I finaly found my favorite settings(for most of the stuff) after a year tweaking.
I does sound really good at low volumes too, for you bedroom rockers :D. If you're looking for a modern multi-channel head which is FAR MORE than a simple minded metalamp, look no further! (oh, you might check you wallet first :D)

Hell yeah I'd use it without a backup (can't afford myself to buy a second one anyway). Never had any problems at all. It looks very (!) well build. I tought it was like 27 or 29 kilo's or so, so it's a heavy baby!

Never dealt with them.

It just IS a great amp with more than enough features, period.
No questions about that. I have been playing it for a year and still getting new, inspiring sounds. If it were stolen I'd get a new one right away. I compared it to a lot of other high end gear and prefered the Herbert, but offcourse that all a matter of personal taste and style.