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.

Cool- Tuner out (get it out of line),Serial,Parallel and Switchable! FX Loops, Midi (more on this later), Footswitch option (No Footswitches available!) Compensated out (wish it were a slave out). Has the ability to take many different types of tubes and combinations. 3 channels with Midboost/Cut option so really 6 sounds settings can be saved. (although it's an overall Midboost/Cut) Also has a Mute feature and 2 Master Volumes (Midi controllable!) Hit the website for more details.

I'm using a Gibson Les Paul Historic w/ 57 Classics. I play Modern Rock, Classic Rock and Progressive Instrumental.
I use the amp mainly on Channel 2 without the mid cut feature. It punches thru the mix better. And on Heavy tunes I'll Use the Mid Cut feature. (Or change to Channel 3 and use the mid cut.)
Basically Channel 2 and 3 are very similar (at least the way I have them set) Channel 3 being a little more modern sounding. But I think that Channel 2 has the best overall tone.
Channel Ones clean tone is excellent as well. I am using an SIB Fatdrive in front of this channel and it's the best clean tone I have ever had.
But I'm a High Gain guy and Channel 2 is phenomenal. I have gigged steadily with the amp for 6 months and it always sounds KILLER.
I don't think a regular Shure 57 or 609 mic gets the real tone to the audience though, so I'm looking for a mic that brings the killing tone to the audience as well.
It's extremely LOUD being 180 watts. In fact I play fairly loud and it's rare that I get over 1 on the master volume! When you can get this amp that loud it comes alive and is a beast! INSANE!
My most used Channels are the clean, Channel two and Channel 3 with the Mid Cut.
I think this amp shines on the lower 3 or 4 strings The Lead tone on both the VH4 and Herbert can be a little "doggy" on the the unwound strings. I usually bump it with an overdrive to take care of that though when soloing.

I've owned a VH4 that gave me midi switching problems. At first I wasn't sure if it was my Midi switcher or the amp, cable etc. But it was consistent where I would have to hit the switch twice on the controller in order to get to the desired Channel. (A real bummer when you go from a clean sound to a high gain sound and your stuck playing rhythm on the clean tone until you try to switch again!)
I wish Peter Diezel would include (amongst the many features this amp already has!) an "old fashioned" channel switching set up on the amp similar to what other amps have. (Mesa, Soldano, Bogner) Just in case the Midi is goofing up or you don't want to get a Midi Switcher. I have a friend that sold the amp due to the unavailable footswitch.(the amp can be switched on the amp itself of course)
I'm not saying that I don't like the MIDI feature, it works great for me. I think other amps should include this feature!! It would be great to save actual channel setting presets though and not just point to which channel you want. (although you can save a channel with the MUTE button open to tune! which is really cool.)
I have had NO problems with this Herbert though. So it MUST have been something with the VH4 I owned. Where are the Diezel Herbert Footswitches?

Diezel looked at my VH4 and gave it a check FREE of charge! (shipping these amps are expensive though) Although it still came back with the same MIDI problem! UWE is great at responding to emails and very polite.

This is the best amp on the market. Killer guitar Rock tones! I like the VH4 just as much maybe even more. Get a Diezel if you can you will NOT be dissapointed!

Herbert MkII head. Not going to bother with features...

Extremely versatile amp. I XTC beats it in the swiss army type category in terms of non-foot-switchable features. I think soundwise, it is a little less versatile then the VH4. Although with foot-switching, you have more sounds immediately available.

The second MV is a really nice feature for boosting. I don't use pedals for that anyway.

Channel 1 - fantastic FAT clean. Very 3D sounding. I also have a VH4S and think that that clean is more versatile and nicer then the Herbert's.

Channel 2 - Incredible distortion sounds from slightly dirty to very heavy. It's a wall of sound in one channel. Just plain monsterous. Bigger sounding then my VH4S, or the VHT UL, XTC, Uberschall, you name it.

Channel 3 - A bit disappointing. I didn't think that there was enough of a difference in the voicing between this channel and channel two. It also seems that this channel is a bit thinner sounding then channel two. I also preferred the mid voicing of the VH4S channel four for lead tones.

MidCut - What an awesome feature! I absolutely love it. Makes the amp sound meaner but also more present.

This amp is LOUD. However, it is THE BEST SOUNDING amp when playing at bedroom volumes. Peter Diezel is a genius.. no doubt about it.

Built like a tank.

I've e-mailed with Uwe and Peter. They've always been great!

This amp is phenominal. I would hunt down whoever stole it. I also have a VH4S and a Tremoverb.

I guess it would have been nice if the +/- was foot-switchable as well as a foot-switchable bright switch.

You know'em allready...

I play Gretsch 6128(mod. bridge pu), Carvin, Fender Strat and like Grunge and Numetal.

Channel 1: Very good clean for a high gain amp. Has more headroom and bass response than my VH4s, but more over, very rich and warm sounding in comparison! Amazing!!

Channel 2 (-) : The low distortion section of this amp really makes my guitars ring!!! Incredible, very dark, deep, bright and sparkling all at the same time - there is areal danger in getting addicted to this sound! Every little articulation shines through, very transparent! Its hard to describe!!!

Channel 2+
BOooooooooooooooommmmmm - it's a blast, just imagine a B52 bomber coming down on you!!! Once you let this beast out of it's cage there will be no one left alive in your neighborhood!! Disaster Area!!!
Its absolutlely crazy...Turn up the "deep" level and dial in the "mid cut" and this channel will cut you into pieces.

Channel 3: Sorry, but to some point I am dissapointed with the results, especially when you listen to channel 2 and switch over to No.3. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect Peter to copy his own designs, but it would have been a far better idea to give this channel some of the VH4 channel 4 characteristics.
My point of criticism: It has far too much compression even at moderat levels of gain (for this channel) i.e. at 11 o'clock it starts to be flubby and muddy on the lower notes and because of the compression the high frequencies are damped far too much and this flattens the sound dramatically! Lowering gain solves the problem but then there is no difference in gain between ch2 and ch3, so ch.3 would be obsolete!!

Don't blame it on my cab, cause unfortunately I own a VH4s and therefore I am in the lucky position to do a real A/B testing on the same cab. And I came to the conclusion that channel 4 on the VH4 is my personal, ultimate lead sound, cause even at higher gain it stays alive!!

Lately I had a problem with a small caps near the power supply. When I turned on my amp, one of these bloody english caps was blown away because of a quality problem! Not that funny...see Customer Support!

Peter is always kind and is does an excellent job! He gave me instructions to fix the cap problem with some real old school methods: "Just cut out the caps!". After that, it didn't work but it was my fault cause I forgot to take a look at the main fuse. Shame on me!! So Peter had to do it...Sorry Peter, but I would have sent it over to you anyway, I don't trust myself ;-))

I like the "Herbert" very much, except the ch3 character. Ch1 and 2 are a real deal for rythm gutiar players and I found nothing comparable so far. Ch2 was the reason why I bought it! The lead first sounded ok but not too overwhelming...after buying my VH4s I know that this was the right impression and I won't change my mind. I think I'll have to have a mod from Peter! But finally decide for yourself....

Finally, if I had a wish for the future: the parallel fx loop should be switchable,too.

My amp is a 2004 Diezel Herbert (version II) with Ruby EL34 STRs. I play through a Mesa 4x12 Recto Cab with V30s. This amp has the best features I've personally seen in an amp. You can program the head to change its channels etc. at the same time you switch your rack effects with the touch of a button on your midi pedal. Very cool if you?re playing live gigs. One of the biggest selling features for me.

Three great sounding independent channels. Again very useful in a live situation where you need to dial up a sweet clean and then jump to a massive distorted tone at the touch of a button, Herbert goes from super clean, to dirty, to super overdrive. I play mostly METAL so channel three is usually what I use. I've found a great happy medium on this channel for a great heavy rhythm sound to a sweet lead. It did take me a while to dial in a tone I was happy with, I feel this is due to the great tonal range of the Herbert?s controls, which is a good thing. Most amps tone controls - that I've owned, like the Dual Recto, only color the sound slightly, where Herbert's make big changes. So rather than having an amp where basically everyone that owns one sounds the same, with Herbert you can dial in your sound.

Since I've had it several months and have not had a problem I will give it a 10 here, not that I doubt I would have to change this rating in the future, based on the top-notch construction of this amp.

I've received quick responses to my e-mails directly from both Peter Diezel himself and from Uwe Salwender (US distributor) which were definitely helpful. I was also able to meet Peter during his visit to Orange County, California this month, very friendly guy. Also met Uwe on the same occasion, cool guy as well.

I think the Herbert is a damn fine amplifier. You can tell that Peter Diezel is a perfectionist by the construction of this amplifier, everything appears to be of the highest quality components. Definitely give it a spin if you?re in the market for a high gain amplifier of this caliber.

Made in 2004. 180 watt all tube design. Features 3 independant channels. Versatility is really not that great since channel 2 and 3 are so very similar. Channel 1 is ultra clean, but very "Hard/stiff" sounding and feeling. Similar to a 2 channel Dual Rectifier's clean. Not very useful in my opinion. Channel 2 is old school raw Marshall up to modern Boogie sounding. Channel 3 is Heavy like Korn and Limp Bizkit style. It features 3 effects loops. One is footswitchable. Has a depth and midcut feature for brutal scooped tones.

HUGE disappointment. I purchased this amp based on all the hype. Please don't make the same mistake! The best way that I can describe the tone of this amp is thin hi gain lacking character. PLAY THE AMP BEFORE YOU BUY ONE. I was disgusted with the fact that I paid 4,100 dollars for an amp that I did not like. I have played MANY Dual Rectifiers that had more character in their tone than this amp. Try a 5150, Dual Rec, Marshall DSL 100, Bogner Ecstacy, Soldano, or Guytron BEFORE you decide on one of these. I was never more disappointed than with the purchase of this amp, and I have owned all the above. I played this amp with Humbuckers only. In my opinion single coils would probably not do very well with this amp. Very little noise floor or background hum considering an amp of this gain potential. It generally sounded thin compared to all the amps I listed and very "Generic" to my ears. Plus the amp weighs a metric ton. Once again, I cannot stress this enough. Play it before you even think about buying it especially at any where close to this price point.

The amp is very well constructed, but with that comes alot of weight to carry around. It is the HEAVIEST amp I have ever owned. I would gig without a backup if I took it to gigs which I would not because I did not like the way it sounded. One time it did not work in one of the channels because a 12AX7 came loose. I would expect to have tube retainers at the price I paid for the amp.

Even with my very bad experience, I have heard and read EXCELLENT things about Diezel's customer support. I have never had to use the customer support with Diezel myself. Lifetime warranty to the original owner and a 5 year transferrable warranty to the second owner.

I have been playing for 17 years and have owned or played about every hi gain amp out there. If it were stolen I would be upset about the loss of money, but my revenge would be when the thief turned it on only to be as disappointed with the sound of the amp as I was. I loved the look of the amp and the build quality. I HATED the overdrive and clean tones. This amp is way over-rated. I have always disliked Marshall DSL 100s, but after my experience with the Herbert, the Marshall is now acceptable. I actuall prefer ANY Single, Dual or Triple Rectifier over this amp. The Boogies and Marshalls are a way better value for the money in my opinion. If you really want to top the Herbert, get a Soldano of any type, or a Bogner Uberschall or even an Ecstacy. I am really hoping that Diezel goes back to the drawing board on this amp and that Diezel lowers the price to better suit the amp. It really needs some work. The potential is there, but it has a long way to go. I lost 1,000 on this amp and had it for a month. Needless to say I am not happy. Even if the amp was much more affordable I would NEVER buy another one.

My Diezel Herbert is a 2004 version 2.1 model. The features include: 180W output; 3 totally independent footswitchable channels each with it's own: volume, gain, middle, treble, and bass controls (channel 1 has no gain control); 2 assignable global master volume controls, mid-cut option with level & intensity controls, master presence & depth controls over all 3 channels; 3 seperate FX loops (series/parallel/switched); tuner out; compensated out; mute switch; MIDI in & thru jacks; and the ability to mix-n-match different pairs of power tubes, due to the 3 independent bias pots. For example, you could run 2 KT88s + 2 6L6GC + 2 EL34s or 4 EL34s + 2 KT88s, and so on. Finally, the Diezel Herbert also features a 100% all tube signal path. My Herbert was equipped with 6 SED 6L6GC power tubes and 6 Chinese 12AX7C9 preamp tubes.

Channel one, the Herbert?s clean channel, is much more than just useable, and can easily hold it?s own with most of the current stock ?clean-only? amps out there. The clean channel is very ?Fendery? with plenty of warmth, bounce, and chime to it. It's one of the best clean tone you'll find on any high-gain tube amp. The independent channel volumes & 2 global masters work great for giving you that ?cranked? sound at low volumes (no attenuator needed). A big part of getting that cranked to ?10? overdriven sound at low volumes is due to the 180W+ power section, which allows you to hear all the thick/beefy lows & harmonic highs without going deaf. The master volume on the Herbert is one of the best master volume designs out there. I also own a Bogner Uberschall and have demoed the Bogner XTC 101b/Classic extensively which all have very good master volume designs, but the master volume design of the Herbert is much more effective and more transparent sounding to my ears. If you like tight, articulate tones and enjoy hearing each and every note you pick, without having notes running together, this is your amp. The Presence & Deep masters are like global hi-end & low-end controls (both are very touch sensitive) and can alter your tone drastically with just a small twist. Depending on where you set the Depth knob, you have access to more bass then you?ll ever need (we?re talking Uberschall/Dual Recto low-end levels here).

The second channel is the most versatile of the three with its +/- switch. In (-) mode with the gain at around 9:00 you get a nice warm blues tone (think SRV, Clapton, Ford), then by bumping up the gain on the second channel to around 1:00 you can pretty much handle all the ?70s classic rock tones you can think of (think Hendrix, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Zepplin) just by adjusting the gain knob. In the (+) mode, you get all the classic hi-gain modified Marshall tones of the 1980s (think Maiden, Whitesnake, Dokken, Scorpions) with the gain set at around 2:00. If you dig the modified JCM800 2203 Marshall tones of the ?80s, then this is your sound. By engaging the mid-cut option and upping the gain a bit, you just entered the classic thrash metal world (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer).

The third channel has more useable gain than any other high gain amp I?ve used to date. The key here, being the term ?useable gain?. Most of the styles of music I play require a good deal of gain, and this channel at 12:00 has more than I?ll probably ever need. But even with the boatload of gain on tap, your tone is always clear, defined, and articulate- no matter how hard you drive it. The Herbert never becomes too oversaturated, flubby, fuzzy, flabby, or muddy (which is symptomatic of many other high gain tube amps on the market). The third channel is where you?ll find your liquid lead & ultra heavy modern metal rhythm tones (depending on how you set the EQ & deep knob). On the third channel with the mid-cut off and the gain set around 10:00, you have your classic liquid lead tone (ala Petrucci, Romeo) and then by engaging the mid-cut, upping the bass a bit, and setting the gain to 1:00 you have you?re ultra heavy modern metal rhythm tones (ala Tool, Meshugga, Arch Enemy, COB).

I?d like to stress for the record, this is not a high-gain only or metal only amp. Yes, it does those tones amazingly well, but the Herbert is much more than that. A friend of mine, who also owns a Herbert, plays mostly blues/classic rock (he considers Led Zepplin heavy) and loves the Herbert. So this amp is no one trick pony by any means. It is quite possibly the single most versatile amp on the market right now. Its appeal to all types of players is a true testament to its capabilities and its well thought out design. The Herbert is also amazingly responsive to both preamp/power tubes; so do experiment. Swapping a few tubes will yield big changes in the tone. Compared to the first version, the Herbert 2.1 sounds like a totally different amp a

The Diezel Herbert, as with all of Peter's products, is a design masterpiece and is built like a tank. It is clearly overbuilt to the hilt. Both the output and power tranformers are oversized, it has ceramic tube sockets, all metal in/out jacks, and magnified channel LEDs, which are just some of the examples of Diezel's build quality. One thing you'll never have to worry about with a Diezel is reliability. The Herbert has a lifetime warranty for the record.

Diezel's customer support has been great. I had a question and e-mailed them and recieved a reply the next day from Peter Diezel himself. How's that for service?

The Herbert delivers eveything it advertises and more. So basically, if you want a super versatile amp, with tons of killer tones from clean to mean, like having the option of running rack FX with MIDI switching, and want an amp designed and built like a battleship with top quality components throughout, the Herbert would be for you. As always, it?s best to judge an amp with your own ears and not based on the opinion of others. Also, there is no such thing as the ultimate amp, but after owning a VHT Ultralead, Bogner Uberschall, numerous Mesa Dual Rectifiers, almost every model of Marshall made and having played just about every other channel switching hi-gain tube amp on the market (including the Bogner XTC 101b & Classic, Soldano SLO, and Engl Powerball & SE) the Herbert comes darn close to perfect for my needs.

This is a brandnew Herbert head, #108.
The features were already described in detail (three channels, ch2 with +/- switch, mid-cut section, pres., deep, two masters, midi-switchable, three loops (one midi-switchable, serial, parallel with pot), mute, tuner out and a very very good compensated out for recordings. Five speaker outs (4, 8 or 16 Ohm - or 2x8 (=4) or 2x16 (=8) Ohm. Footswitch jack.

The touch-switches on the aluminium frontpanel are a piece of art - and the looks of these and those ultra-bright LEDs is incredible. The pots are smooth and very precise.

The amp has 6 Rudy STR EL34 from China (excellent) and 6 9th generation ECC83/12AX7 (also perfect). Three bias-pots allow to use three matched duets of whatever you want (EL34, 6L6, KT66, KT88, 6550) - you can even mix them. Tube sockets are ceramic and all parts are overbuilt and overprocessed and overmanufactured quality - as always with all Diezel products (I do own a VH4 halfstack too).
The loops (and the reviewer down there who has prolems with them seems to take some lesson and then rethink his review here) are the best available in the industry. I know at least three other brands of so called boutique manufaturers that are not able to offer such high quality loops like Peter Diezel does. Amazing, simply amazing and tone-neutral.
All Diezel amps should get a "12" here, cause no other brand offers those with quality standards like Diezel does.

Where to start?
Channel 1, although compared to a VH4 without a bright switch, has extremely effective tone-pots. It does Fender as well as Hiwatt or Sound-City, depending on your settings - which include the high effectiveness of Herberts Mastersection. From sparkling and shimmering to deep powerful cleans - its all there. Amazing. I`ve never heard a better clean coming from a high gain amp.

Channel 2 (I`m still amazed everytime I touch these channel-switches on the frontpanel) goes from ACDC to Zep to Lizzy to Sykes to dark metal, depending how the "-/+" switch and the pots for gain/volume are used. The amp breathes here like very very few. So organic when played with light crunch and so powerful when doing darker metal riffing.
As the previous reviewer said: the setting on the tone-merchants site are very very helpful - start with all pots at noon and go from there.
Ch2 also provides (of course) the typical and looked after Diezel trademark crunch, used by so many artists of today. In the "+" setting with gain and volume at 60% its there - just add then the unbelieveable breath of this power-section.
That doesn`t meant that this amp has to be played at stadium levels to sound excellent. Even at bedroomlevels its brilliant - just use the
same settings as for bandvolume, drop the master and find your settings by adding deep and presence - thats all.

Channel three is like a chamaelion too - depeding on your settings it can go from screaming, creamy and lovely smooth leads to an evil DM rythm. Again - the power-section lifts the amp to where it should go. It has the sonic abilities of the VH4 - plus the "evil" side, if you are after that.

Using the mid-cut section turns the amp into a different beast. For more moderate people like myself its cool to change the channels voicing just a bit and helps to find every sound-nuance available on this planet - for the DM and HM players it helps to "evilize" the sound. Set the intensity to zero and put the level to 70 - voila, another master-volume. (but there`s already a second MV) - of course everything midi-controlled.

What else?

Attack? lightning fast
Bottom End? TNT :-)


I gave the VH4 a 10 - Herbert, due to its a bit more breathing power-section, should also get a 11 here.

This amphead is built as if it should survive a nuclear attack.

Overmanufactured, overbuilt, the biggest Powertranny in the industry. only highest quality parts with "technical elegance" - a masterpiece.
Everything inside (I`m building my own amps, so I know what I`m talking about) is multiple protected: Several fuses internally to protect for worst cases, which normally are user caused - don`t worry, the amp is idiot-prooved.
Built like a tank, 27 kilograms, full-sized, oversized PT and OT . . . a masterpiece of engineering and craftmanship.
I`ve used my VH4 without backups - I will use this Herbert too without backup - not necessary - of course - its a Diezel.
Tube-fault while gigging? No problem: an internal fuse (but easy to locate on the board) takes one duett of the circuit and you`ll continue the gig with a 100 Watter.

This is where I get really angry about that previous poster: No other company has a customer support like Diezel. Peter is always reachable over the phone, mail or personally. You want more mids? You want a modification for a coffe-machine-interface (or whatever) - no problem.
The most helpful and the nicest guy in the whole industry.

This customer support is simply outstanding.

Playing since 25 years (Les Pauls mostly) and Sykes/Lizzy stuff - I was sceptical after owning Marshalls and Soldanos before I went with Diezels - I`ll never look back (take a look at my VH4 review).

Now Herbert - again I was sceptical if I would love it as much as my VH4.

I do, if not even more, cause it does what the VH4 does with excellence and more - the "evil" side.

Is it a metal amp? Definitely. Is it a classic rocker`s amp? Definitely. Hard Rock? No problem.
I`m using this with a G-Major in the loop and at home/for recordings with a brandnew 2x12" Diezel cab - with the band thru a Diezel 4x12" with V30s/G75T. It rocks every place - from bedroom volume to the bigger venues. Its fun to play it, and its a serious recording, gigging and touring amp.
Would I buy it again: without a doubt.
Comparison? Impossible - the only amp thats comparable is the VH4 - I don`t care about other brands anymore, because its either their sonic abilities that I don`t like or their built-qualities. Diezels are THE SHIT for high quality sounds and reliability. Where else do you get independant (no "fake" channels here, where a "channel" consists just of a volume pot f.i.) preamps, brilliant stage features (tuner-out, midiswitching), excellent tools (loops, comp. out), a breathing power-section and a look of technical elegance.

Check Diezels out - they are worth every hard earned money.

More infos about this amp, the VH4, the cabs - www.thinlizzy.de

My amp is a Herbert Mark II purchased last fall. We can all look at the specs on the website. I purchased mine new from Tone Merchants. I find it interesting that the last reviewer couldn't get support for his amp issues. I don't think Diezel should be blamed for user incompetence. The loops are the best I've ever used and the amp is GREAT with most pedals.

I really dig all three channels. Most people don't really change the settings enough to get an idea of all the capabilities of the amp. You really need to use the volume knob on the guitar to get an idea of the range of sounds available. I have a mix of guitars including: a Suhr Classic (P90,single,'bucker), G&L Comanche, 335, Reverends and a Les Paul. I've never played one amp that really gets along with all my guitars.
As far as noise, 60 cycle hum can be a little annoying with single coils in high gain mode--like any high gain amp. Noise on the power line can also be an issue. This is pretty typical of most amps.
The clean channel has a lot of headroom and really works well with overdrive pedals to add a bit of crunch. It will do that Hiwatt thing quite a bit. The second channel is an easy favorite. The -/+ switch really gives a lot of range. You can get tones from SRV, to Soldano SLO 100, Marshall and beyond.
The third channel is pretty wicked and can be unforgiving when playing sloppy. Attack is immediate and very punchy. I think that this channel needs to be experimented with to be fully appreciated. Don't just go for the really high gain dial in--roll the gain back a bit and see what you can get.
I've sold all of my other amps because I'm totally satisfied with the Herbert. I like everything from blues to Nu metal and I think it handles all those genres well.

I think the amp is extremely well built. I'm kind of picky when it comes to design quality. It's built like a tank. Tubes are always the tricky part when it comes to amps. All than glowing glass needs to be treated right (standby/shutdown). Tubes are usually the problem in the few Herbert problems I've heard.

I've spoken with Peter a number of times. He's a really brilliant guy and a lot of fun to hang out with--Uwe Salwender (the US importer) has great ears and really stands behind the product he sells. I've never had a problem getting a hold of him. He's always "Johnny on the spot" with anything you require.
Ed Yoon at Tone Merchants has a great relationship with Diezel. He can answer pretty much any question you have. A number of guys have bought Herberts and were disatissfied because they didn't get the results they wanted. Ed has helped them and even come up with setting charts for the Herbert. He also knows a ton about tube possibilties.

I would rate the combination of Peter, Uwe and Ed an "11" if I could.

I don't think that there is a perfect amp for everyone. I've had Boogies, Top Hats, Bad Cats, and have access to just about everything out there. I think that the Herbert is one of the most versatile amps out there. The tones are incredible. I love a lot of different amps and will likely own others down the road, but I will never sell the Herbert.

It is a lot of money to spend on an amp--but everytime I fire it up I get a smile on my face. There are a lot of haters out there. (That Boyd guy must have had a bad hair day when he posted his review, because he thought the amp was the sh!t back in February.)

Play a Herbert if you get a chance to--and really work the knobs. No hype--just quality!!!

Tons of features, check out the site.

I was mainly using this head with a mesa traditional recto slant 4x12 cab, and various guitars fitted with emg's and duncans. Personally I think this amp is noisy, particularly when the master is anything over 4-5. I mainly play modern metal along the lines of nevermore, meshuggah, fear factory etc, but also an avid fan of instrumental music both in a jazz and rock vein. This amp is *not* designed for metal period!!
It does the lead sounds very well and the clean is *okay*, not overwhelming though.
But as far as tight, defined, and heavy/puchy dist rhythm sounds? no way!!!
The bass response is very loose (slightly looser than a recto, and we all know they aren't that tight)
Channel 2 is the tightest but is better suited to 80's rock type of sounds (think van halen, extreme etc)
channel 3 is totally unsuitable for anything other than slow, open power chord type songs, or lead playing.

As far as brutality this amp just doesn't hold a candle to even very cheap amps like the 5150 series and many others.

It's voicing is really impractical (I mean come on the presence is set at 2k)

The amp is all lows and highs, if you want defined,tight, and pucny rhythm sounds you need to have that mid/upper mid bite to cut through like the mark4, 5150's, powerball, etc etc.

Another really disspointing thing is how porly this amp records, because of it's impractical voicing (I mean come on peter the guitar is a mid based instrument) it just doesn't cut *at all*
it's not as though it's totally unusable but when I experienced first hand amps like the line6vetta, 5150, and various mesa amps recorded twice as well as the herbert I knew it had to go.

don't buy into the hype, if your into lead playing and that's about it give it a go, but if your a metal rhythm player don't waste your time!!

this amp broke down within the first 1-2 months of owning it, a tech moved around the tubes a bit and gave the sockets a bit of a clean and it came right, it was a total fluke, he had no idea what the problem was. Peter said it was a bad tube but all the tubes were in perfect working condition (yes they were checked thoroughly)

for this I would have to say that it is not that realible, if it can just compltely not work, and then magically be fine again.

it's a german country so if your not from germany it's pain in the ass getting any support, peter is a nice guy but well english is his second language so that will always be a bit of an issue.

I found the customer support to be okay (they won't give you the schematics so your fucked if anything serious ever goes wrong, unless you want to ship it all the way back to germany)

not as amazing as one would expect.

I know have a mark4 mesa head(which is just as versatile and records a million times better) and am looking at getting a powerball or framus cobra in the near future.

honestly try before you buy, and go on what you like rather than falling for the utter hype and bullshit associated with amps of this nature.

This is an addition to my review below. The Herbert has been modded to Mk-2. It's not a new amp, the difference is not THAT great, but it is there. With a bit of tweaking, I can get much closer to that Bogner XTC Classic crunch sound I mentioned in my review. I wanted to state that due to the fact that this was the only "negative" thing I had to say about Mk-1.

As I mentioned in my review, Peters customer support is absolutely stunning. When I arrived, he took his time to modify it himself and talk a bit about his plans for the future etc. He didn't hurry and even had the time to explain some technical stuff and answer the questions I had. Very cool. Thanks again, Peter!

My Herbert is #001/024. I assume you know what features this head has to offer. It has not that many options to shape the sound, but the ones it has are very usable (+/-, MidCut, Vol2). This head is DAMN heavy. I play that amp only at home since I have no time to play in a band.

I use an Ibanez JPM90HAM and a custom made guitar built to my specifications (mahogany/maple/P90 zero noise pu's). I had various amps before and made my decision after playing almost everything good that is out there (almost every Soldano and Bogner, a few Marshall, Laney and Mesa/Boogie, Steavens, Hughes&Kettner, Engl, Fender...). I wanted an amp that could do metal (Dual Recto/Uberschall), that smooth, creamy Soldano type of sound and a nice clean. The Herbert can do it. Everything from Rammstein/Metallic to Brian May/John Petrucci/BonJovi/Whitesnake etc. is no problem, although the 2nd channel has not that much mids, I had to turn them up quite far. Sometimes I switch to the 3rd channel, turn the gain/bass knobs to the right, engage the MidCut and deep knob and start shaking my neighbours. This sound is frightening. Even at low volumes it has a bass punch... unbelievable. I always wanted an amp capable of that but not limited to it (imo like the Uberschall). It makes a great difference which guitar is connected. The sound changes with the kind of pu's and so on.

But there's one thing I really miss: the blue channel of the Ecstasy Classic with 6550. I once had that amp, maybe I'll have Peter modify it soon. The best crunch sound I have ever heard.

If I played in a band, I'd gig with it with no hesitation. No problems yet, I have it since 6 months.

I have talked to Peter as well as Philipp several times, they are VERY helpful. I have never experienced such a nice customer support with any product I have ever purchased (not only guitar amps). I live only 90 km away from Peter, so every modification will be not a problem. That was one of the (many) reasons for me to choose Diezel.

I've been playing since 7 years. The Herbert is connected to a 4x12 recto cab, a g-major and the fcb1010 to control it.
If I lost my Herbert, I'd definately buy another Diezel head, the VH-4 is also very tempting...
I love the kind of service Peter has to offer and the flexibility of his products.
The price is another point. You may know that a Bogner Ecstasy Classic is about 5000? here, a SLO100 about 3500? (if you are lucky enough to find one), a RoadKing 4500?... So Diezel is a real alternative here in Germany.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I'm always glad to help.

ALL Tube NUCLEAR WEAPON! I want to stae that I've had the amp over a month so that I could make an honest assessment. Can take any power tubes, 3 channels..Every type of loop imagineable..The incomparable MIDCUT. 180 insane watts of power!

I use a plethora of gibson and prs guitars..Fernandes sustainers this amp makes anything sound great! Whisper quiet..From crystal clean to the heaviest sounds ever produced by man kind. You CAN"T make this amp muddy. There is or ever has been an amp this heavy! It smokes boogie(waste of time even comparing) Soldano sounds like shit period..especially compared to the best amp on the planet. egnater whatever? for refernce the 2nd channel has a bit more gain than a boogie mark 4!!!!!!!!!!

Handmade brick shithouse

Handmade quality and support..This is a rolls royce not a Yugo

This amp cast awe on the faces of lifetime musicians...There is simply nothing like it..Even 40 percent better than the vh4..My only regret is that its not stereo.

I have already reviewed my herbert, but recently, i had it modded to the current specs after hearing some stellar reviews from friends so i thought id post my thoughts on the new model. I am still running the same Marshall 1960AV cab, with vintage 30s, although i plan to get a front loaded Diezel 4x12 or Bogner Uberkabinet. For those of you too lazy to check down the page, im running a USA BC Rich Warlock WHS Deluxe (DiMarzio Super Dist and PAF), a USA Jackson Soloist SL-1 (Duncan SH-13 dimebucker and 2 J-100 singles) and an Import BC Rich Mockingbird with EMGs (81 and 89).

Channel 1 -

As you will know, channel 1 consists of an EQ and a volume control, theres no gain control here, so this is supposed to be cleaner than clean right the way up. In the MkI herbie, this was very nice, the cleans had a bouncy feel and they had a great shimmer to them. In the new version, it has the same great feel, but to my ears it sounds bigger. Its not as if this is a whole new channel, and i wouldnt want it to be as it was great before, but now, it has this super depth to it and im really liking it. Its also brighter than before, so im having to rein back the treble control here, but i did run it pretty high before. I can do some nice clean jazzy runs on it that are defined and clear as well as complex chording that rings out and every note is audible.

Channel 2 -

Channel 2 seems to have been the main focus of the mod, correct me if im wrong peter, but this is where i notice the most difference. Before, it had a certain compressed character to the sound, but now i can distinguish more of a grain in the tone, but you can get the compression back by adding more gain. This channel now has an even bigger range and my musical style doesnt do it justice. Luckily my dads does and he loves this channel for his low gain blues tones and to add a bit of grain to his country (he uses 3 different teles through it which all sound great). Hes now afraid to play it too much so he doesnt start to hate his Fender Twin.

In the plus mode, this thing is a beast, you can get some tones very reminicent of VH, but i wouldnt quote me on that as i am by no means an expert on his sound. Its still not capable of the squishy fuzzy feel his tone had, but this was obviously not peters intention. Also, my guitars are not exactly set up for his kinda sound. I think with a band you could get pretty damn close and the audience wouldnt be able to tell the difference. Turning up the gain brings more compression and well... gain, suprisingly enough, and as before its all totally useable! I can get all sorts of crazy 80s tones from the realms of Ozzy and Priest through to megadeth and anthrax (Anthrax - spreading the disease is one of my favorite tones of all time and now i have it!). These kinda tones were here before, but the EQ structure and grain to the sound make them a little closer IMO. If i have the gain at about 3 oclock and above i easily have enough for my Death metal rhythms and by using the mid cut and backing off the intensity and increasing the level you can get an absolutely huge sound from it without losing mids.

Channel 3 -

There is also a noticeable difference in the EQ curve this channel has naturally. The mids are much more prominent than before, so i can afford to back them off now as i running them pretty high before. There is also a very obvious increase in the high mids and top end, so much so that i no longer have the presence at 2:00 or 3:00m but now its around 11:00 or 12:00. As usual, this channel has a pretty punishing sound and is showing the limitations of my cab now. It has the same huge sound as it did before but it projects even better, it certainly cuts more with more normal settings, where previously i would have had to run the mids and treble higher.

There is also a little less compression than before at lower gain settings, so more of the amps natural character breathes through, but fans of the highly compressed ultra gain tones wont be disapointed as all the gain is useable and you just gotta whack it up to get that sound. It also seems to decern between the guitars i own more than before too. My SL-1 and USA Rich always sounded great, but on the higher gain settings they were pretty similar, but now its like a whole different world. The amps now natural brightness helps the Warlocks fairly dark tone (with a mahongany body and a super distortion it can sound quite dark) at standard and low tunings. It has also made me realise that i must change the Dimebucker that came in my SL-1 when i bought it as

As before, i would use it without a backup. It has been broken but this was only after UPS did gave it the usual special treatment. So special infact that it gave a massive dent to the flight case and although there was no damage to the chassis, something inside wasnt right. Peter was gracious enough to go through phone calls and tube swaps with tubes he sent me before asking for it back to fix it, cant say fairer than that right?

I still say its a very dependable amp simply becuase, jusdging by my flight case, UPS really did try to hurt it and it must have gone through a lot

Peter will always get top marks here! He modded it for free and went through a lot of crap to get it back to me even though it wasnt his fault that it went wrong, try getting Marshall or Mesa to do that!

His aftersale service cant be beaten, on top of running a very busy company he always finds time for his customers.

Its hard to write a review like this without sounding like im over hyping it, but i promise im only describing what i hear. Im sure there are some guys who may not like the herbert, in any of its incarnations, as with any amp on the market, but to me its perfect. Peter has made the whole amp sound bigger and brighter as a whole, but has left all the things that i fell in love with on here unaltered.

Dont get me wrong, this mod wasnt sorely needed as i still stand by everything i said about the MK I version, which is jaw dropping, but its simply made it even better than before, something i didnt think possible.

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.