Diezel VH4

2002 Diezel VH4. 4 channel amp: clean, crunch, hi-gain, and lead. Separate eq and volume for each channel and bright switch on channel 1&2. Midi switchable and super-ez to assign channels to any midi footswitch. Serial and parallel effect loop, with two send channels which gives great flexability to turn on/off f/x's from your midi pedal board. There is a general presence and deep knob to help zero in your sound and the handy "send 2" mix control (dry/wet) for the parallel f/x loop. Each channel also has a dedicated channel insert for f/x's, tuners, etc....and yes you can easily assign the insert on/off via your midi pedal board. Example, on my clean channel I like to use my vintage MXR phaser, so I set it up on channel one, channel two I set up a guitar tuner (as recommended in the manual) which is active only when I enable the channel insert control, in other words I can go from channel to crunch, then hit a button to mute the channel and tune the guitar. For channel 3 no f/x's (when you hear it you won't want to color that tone) and I have my favorite delay pedal set up through channel 4...this set up is simple and sweet and works perfect for me, but remember if you like multi-f/x's processors they work well to. Also, the amp accepts virtually any type of tube you can think of, it comes with 6l6's and can be easily switched to el34's and others. Check the Diezel website. The bottom line is total flexability to accomodate any guitarist.

I play mostly humbucker guitars, les paul classic and PRS Custom 22. My amp cam with el34's and I love it. The channel eq's are very responsive and the tonal intergity is simply amazing. The amp also sounds great at low volumes, which is rare in hi-gain amps. The clean sparkles and has so much harmonic girth, you'll swear there's reverb built in, and the gain channels are in a word fantastic,v ery rich with lush overtones. Virtually any level of gain can be accomplished to satisfy the mildest to heaviest players out there. The only slightly disapointing thing is the lead channel it a bit more midrangey than channel 3..cool, but the gain doesn't inspire that effortless finger flying lead style, I found channel 3 actually feels better for lead playing, however I put a slight delay on channel 4 and it works very well. I feel when I play with the band that the lead channel should be set at a slightly higher volume than the rhythm 'channel 3' in order to really cut through. This is why I use channel 4 for leads 'live', however when I record with this amp I will likely use channel 3 for leads, it just feels better to me. I acutually tried using channel 4 for rhythm and 3 for leads but ultimately channel 3 works much better for rhythm. I have ownerd Marshalls, Bogners, Soldano's, and even line 6, and this amp sounds better than the best of each of those others. Overall, this amp truly out-performs any amp out there in the bang for your buck catagory. I

I have had the amp for a bit over a month, so there have been no problems. The construction of the amp is very sturdy. I'm giving this amp a 10 for dependability despite not having it very long because there is another factor to consider under reliability...that is the sound from day to day. I play this amp 4-5 times a week for aprx. 3-4 hours each day and from day to day the sound is consistent. I turn it on with the previous days settings and the amp sounds like it did the day before, not kinda like or close enough, it sounds exactly the same! Try that with other amps, "not gonna happen. " Reliable? you bet!

Customer support: Great! called Uwe in California on some tube questions and biasing info and he was generous with his time and totally helpful and patient towards me. Also, email reponse time is very quick. Diezel stands behind their amps. The warranty is 5 years.

Don't buy an amp then complain about the price, that just not right. Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. A BMW costs more than a Toyota and they will both get you from point A to point B, but it's 'HOW' you get there, certain refinements that are desirable to those that can appreciate them. There are good amps out there, that mostly specialize in one sound. This amp has 4 channels of very tweakable sounds that sound great at any volume. Each channel has special qualities and don't under-estimate the value of separate eq's for each channel. I've been playing for 25 years and have never played a better amp period.

I bought a used VH4 through a friend who knew a friend who got into some financial difficulties. I had heard much about this amp and salivated at the thought of just trying one out. When I finally tried it, I bought it at the spot and have been in amp bliss for about 4 months now. I was told that this amp was made in 2001 by the guy selling it. He had obviously taken really good care of it although he gigged a lot. It was in a nice broken-in shape.

Features-wise, I don't know what else could possibly be crammed into an amp head. I play all kinds of styles and really love the way this amp covers all the stylistic bases. I mainly play pop-rock and classic-rock for my cover gigs four nights a week, but on my own, I'm a closet shredder and fusion-head. I have a trio I play with for the fun, progressive stuff, but we'd be lucky to get a gig more than once every other month.

From the Stones to SRV to Journey to Metallica to Def Leppard to Bryan Adams to Creed, this amp allows me to cover a variety of popular guitar sounds in a very authentic kind of way. Personally, I love listening to fusion music and players such as Holdsworth, Shawn Lane, Scott Henderson, Greg Howe, etc. I like to use the 3rd channel with a different EQ setting for the hyper-speed fusion sounds. For Yngwie-like shred, the 4th channel is great with the bass turned down to about 3 or 4, mid at around 12 o'clock, and the treble turned up to about 7 or 8.

It's great having separate, independent EQ's for each of the amp's four channels. It means more knobs, but it actually simplifies my life quite a bit. I never have to worry about how EQ tweaks for one channel is going to affect another channel. I hate worrying about that. I like to just focus in on one channel at a time. The VH4 provides that and in spades.

I use this amp at a local club that caters to the classic guitar rock crowd. It depends on the evening. Some nights we'll be more blues-oriented and some nights it will be more metallic. The club's main hall and stage area is about 50' by 50' and can accommodate about 200 people. This amp has more than enough power to pummel the crowd into submission. Having the master at 4 is enough to have the club owner to come over screaming, "Turn that thing down!!!" It is a friggin' LOUD amp!

Currently, I play a John Suhr Custom with an HSH pup configuration. That is my main guitar for the cover gigs. It is very versatile and is a perfect match for the VH4. From molten metal to down-to-earth blues to spanky clean to dirty classic rock, this guitar and amp combo kicks it all out in a convincing fashion. My other guitars include a PRS Custom 24, a Fender '62 Vintage Reissue Strat, and an old Les Paul Custom. All these guitars sound fine through the VH4, imparting their own distinct characteristics.

As already explained, this amp covers a variety of styles in a very convincing manner, but it also has its own distinct sound, which is what makes this amp so awesome. It allows me to get all the sounds I need for the cover stuff and also for me to dial in what I feel are my very own tones. I keep this thing busy all the time!

This is the most quiet amp I've ever heard. Even at loud stage volumes in the high-gain channel, when I have the guitar volume turned down, there's nary a hiss out of the amp. This amp is truly an engineering marvel.

The clean channel can get ridiculously loud without distorting. I haven't tested to see how hard I need to push to make the clean channel distort. Let's say that it's got the headroom! As for the distortion, what can I say? I can't imagine it being any more "brutal". The thing is that all the sounds are usable. It could sound less-than-good if the knobs aren't set properly, but overall, I found it hard to coax bad sounds out of it.

I've used it on gigs for about 4 months now, 4 nights a week. It hasn't failed once. My backup is a Boogie Mark IV which I've owned for over 7 years now. I rarely use it now and will probably end up selling it. Still, I may decide that I should have a backup around since my living depends on good amp performance night after night. The VH4 seems rock solid and extremely reliable. I'm not sure if 4 months of 4-nights-a-week is enough of a time to judge its reliability, but I think it's pretty good.

I haven't had to deal with Salwender. The guy who sold me the amp told me that they're really easy to deal with and that they'd take care of me real good. That's good to know, but since I haven't had any experience, I won't give any rating here.

I've been playing about 20 years now. My other amps include the Boogie Mark IV, a Fender Princeton Chorus, a Fender Bassman Reissue, a Marshall JCM800, and a Line6 POD. The Boogie Mark IV has been my workhorse for many years, but now it's relegated to backup status and I may find that I need to move it and get something a little less high-end to have as a backup. I feel the VH4 is going to be a pretty reliable amp.

I got a decent deal on the used VH4, but if it got lost or stolen, I'll definitely get another one. I don't see how another amp is going to replace this amp. I've tried the Bogner Ecstasy and the VHT Pitbull, but I feel the VH4 is a much more versatile and better sounding amp.

The Diezel VH4 is a monster of an amp. I can't really imagine what else I'd want in an amp. As someone already mentioned, it's a weird looking amp and a lot of my friends also comment on the same thing, but I don't care. It sounds awesome and that's all that really matters in the end. I'm even beginning to like the look of it now.

I recommend this amp highly to anyone who wants a no-compromise all-out amp that delivers four distinct great sounds. It's like having 4 great amps in one. Considering that, $4250 doesn't seem all that much. I was lucky to pick one up used at a lot lower price, so I feel pretty lucky. If I had only been able to hear it and not buy it used, I would definitely picked up a new one. It's a great amp. To my ears, it's the best I've ever heard or played.

It was made in 2002 and came with EL34's. I'm not a fan of lead playing and i had Peter change the fourth channel into a dark sounding, heavy crunch channel. It has all the features you'll ever need.
And it goes incredibly loud. This allows me to keep the channel volumes around 1 and crank the poweramp, what gives a different type of distortion. And even with the volumes on 1, it goes loud enough for practice and gigs.
I never missed a built-in spring reverb, I have a G-Force for that. Although I don't use the channel inserts now, it's a very handy feature, as well as the thru jack and the serial/parallel loop.
Poweramps that can be used are (so far): EL34, 6L6, KT88, KT66, 6550 and 5881.

I use a Les Paul Standard, a Diezel 4x12 cabinet, a Morley wah and a TC electronic G-Force. With this setup, I can get every sound I want, although a nice Tele would be a welcome addition.
The diezel is the only amp I know that is market leader on EVERY channel. It sounds very fat, and has the best low-end response I've ever experienced. From very clean to ultra high-gain, everything is possible. The 6L6 version has more low in the sound, but is also a bit looser in the bottom end. It still is tight, but not as tight as with EL34's.
The signal-to-noise ratio is, due to the state-of-the-art parts, incredibly low.

this is the only amp that is completely reliable. If a poweramp tube breakes down, the amp continuous with no significent loss in fidelity. Even if you put it on with no speakers connected, it doesn't break down. Try that with another amp.
The inside of the amp reveils the craftmanship that lies behind the great tones and reliability. Only the best parts are good enough.

The best you can get. Making customers completely satisfied is a quest for these guys. I wish I could give them an "11" for this

I play for 9 years now. My past amps were a Marshall anniversary, Crate Blue Voodoo and An Engl sagvage SE. The Diezel annihilates all other amps I've ever heard or played, including the most expensive Boogie, soldano, VHT, rivera and other gear.
I'm a Diezelfan and I'm willing to help everyone interested in The greatest guitaramps on this planet.

I won't repeat what's already been described by other reviewers here. All I can say is that it's got everything I could ever want in a head.

I'm a hard rock/metal player but I like to absorb all kinds of styles and play them on my own when I get the chance: blues, jazz, Bossa Nova, funk, country, New Age, you-name-it. So, my main thing is an awesome high-gain and main-gain thing, but for my own use, I want a beautiful clean sound as well as a good medium gain sound. The Diezel VH4 delivered well beyond my greatest expectations. That was a real treat.

My main guitar is an Anderson Drop-Top Classic in a HSH configuration. Other guitars include a PRS Custom 24, a Steinberger GS with EMG 89-SA-89 pickup configuration with their SPC and EXG controls, an ESP Horizon with a pair of EMG-81s, a Gibson ES-175 Reissue and a Fender '62 Vintage Reissue Strat. For my metal band, I mainly use the Anderson and the ESP. I also like to play fusion kind of stuff and for that, it's the Steinberger. The ES-175 keeps the jazzy side of me happy and the Strat is for my closet blues and funk side of me which I keep hidden from my metal bandmates.

I've owned various Marshall JCM800s, Boogie Mark IIs, Mesa Dual Rectifiers, an Engl Savage 120, a Bogner Ecstasy 100B, a Soldano SLO100, a VHT Pitbull Ultra Lead and a Marshall 30th Anniversary 6100 head (the one with the blue covering). I used to think the Ecstasy 100B and the SLO100 were unbeatable. I thought the Engl was like a great compromise between the XTC and the SLO. Then I tried the VH4. Well, it blew everything else away. It just annahilated anything else I've owned and tried. I couldn't believe it!

It's a very quiet amp. I can honestly say that I've never heard a more quiet amp with so much amount of gain. I play in a metal band that would resemble a cross between Pantera, Megadeth and some Dream Theater. I also like listening to and playing along with Slayer, Anthrax and even Korn. The VH4 could easily cover these bands and still have some gain left over.

Channel 1 is great for the closet Nile Rodgers and the Jim Hall in me. I'd dare to say the clean channel on this amp is as good as any Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Dual Professional, Polytone Mini-Brute, and the Roland JC-120. The headroom is sky high. The channel one on this amp is worth as much as Fender's Dual Professional, which I considered the benchmark for great clean sounds with mega amound of headroom. The VH4 matches the Dual Professional easily. I never thought that was possible from a high-gain head.

Channel two was comparable to the best Matchless, Top Hat, and Diaz amps I have tried. It's not quite a Dumble, but those amps go into 5 figures. It does the SRV thing real good and when you crank the gain and the volume, it does the 70's classic rock thing to perfection. It's not exactly a Plexi or a Bassman in heat, but it does both admiringly well.

Channel 3 starts off in Free territory and ends up in early Van Halen. Brown sound? I'd say it's damn close. The clarity and the solid bottom end of this channel has to be heard to be believed. It's the ultimate hot-rodded JCM800 as far as I'm concerned. Arredondo-modified Marshall. Fuggedah bout it! This one smokes my hot-rodded JCM800s if yore.

Channel 4 picks up where the 3 left off. This channel alone, in my opinion, is worth the cost of the amp. After listening to the first 3 channels, I figured that Diezel couldn't possibly have this one right as well. As some people have mentioned, I thought: "Man, I bet it's muddy. I bet it's loose and floppy. I bet it just doesn't have the tone with the amount of gain it's supposed to have." Man, was I wrong. It sounded like the best of the SLO100, the XTC 100B, and the VHT UL all rolled into one. It had the cutting edge but it wasn't shrill. It had a sweet midrange but it wasn't squishy. It had the fast attack but it wasn't like a friggin' bass amp. It was smooth yet articulate and sweet. It was aggressive and thumping, but controlled and sensitive. Sound too good to be true. To my ears, it really was and I still marvel at the incredible balance it keeps at hyper-loud so

I've had it for about 3 months now, so the jury's still out. The thing is built like a fortress, not just a tank! But I feel I need more time to really offer my opinion about its versatility.

So far, I haven't had to deal with 'em. I keep hearing about how nice these guys are to deal with. The amp's been perfect, so I just haven't had to deal with them.

This amp ain't cheap by a long shot, but I feel it's worth every penny. If it was only about $700~1000 cheaper it'd get an easy 10.

The only other amps that I'd rate up there with the VH4 are the SLO100, the XTC 100B, and the VHT UL. As far as I'm concerned, the VH4 beats all these amps with one hand tied behind its back. It destroyed the Engl Savage 120 and the Mesa Triple Rectifier. They shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence with the VH4.

What do I love about it? I love all the sounds and the features. What do I NOT like about it? It's a weird looking amp. I don't particulary like the slanted knobs, but I see that they needed to save some space.

I wish it had a Class A/AB switch and a built-in Variac like my Bogner 100B. I wish I could assign the presence and deep controls to each channel. This is the only area where a certain amount of compromise comes into focus.

I feel I've tried it all and this is by far the best amp I've ever played. It's the most versatile and it's the best-sounding by far. It gets the brutal, intense over-the-top metal sounds that have a ton of character to 'em, which is what I need for my metal band, but it also satisfies this very personal and mellow side of me that I never thought was possible from an amp with so much loads of gain. From Albert Lee and Wes Montgomery to SRV and Keith Richards to Van Halen and Satriani to Slayer and Korn, this amp TRULY covers it all. Mine's already insured, so if it got lost or stolen, I'll replace it with another one right away.

I realize my gushing and raving may sound like hype, but to me, it's anything but hype. For me anyway, the VH4 is the ultimate amp. I wish it had been a little cheaper, but I have no regrets. It's simply the best sounding guitar amp as far as I'm concerned. I knew the moment thta I plugged in that this one was going to attain Classic status real soon. I guarantee that the Line6's and the Roland's of the world will have Diezel models in the not-too-distant future. It really is THAT good!

This is a follow up to my other review (I was the guy who replaced the Dual Rect. stack with this monster). Anyway I just finished cutting tracks in the studio with this amp. All I can say is this amp is nothing short of AMAZING. I was blown away with the tone, as was the studio engineer, and everyone else who has heard it. Here's the scary part, I left the eq's exactly how I practice and play out and all he did was mic the cab. He didn't have to do any eqing on the board. For the record I was using a Diezel Vintage 4x12 cab. I play mainly heavy music with many tone changes and very, very precise rythm parts. I recorded with all 4 channels with a Korina wood Jackson King V with Seymor Duncans. All of them sounded killer. My main heavy rythm tracks were recorded on channel three with 2 separate tracks. The soundwith only two tracks is "HUGE!" Sounds like a freight train, but still very tight and defined. I've never heard a tone like. I can't even begin to imagine what it'll sound like when it's done getting mixed and mastered. Later.

mine was made in 2001 i think....
this thing is the best amp out there(side by side with the SLO)...
you can play almost anything with it.not suited for blues because of the 1st channel.its very sofisticated for recording but not punchy enough for srv style playing...four channels enough to satisfy whoever dares to challenge this amp.
1st channel)crystal clean ideal for using with a good chorus or whatever you feel like.it'll never peak like those damn treble tones from the past.switch for bright tone...
2nd channel)blues with a twist!!thats my best way to discribe that channel.same switch for bright tone...
3rd channel)oh brown sound at last.amazing sound at every setting i've tried so far...slightly compressed and ideal for rhythm playing.
great string to string definition and clear,round sounding at full gain.
4th channel)the gift from god to peter diezel delivered to us...
its a dream.perfect harmonics,incredible sustain,massive power easy controled to your taste...lead sounds to infinity or rhythmic madness ala petrucci or korn.
i play something between blues rock and progressive metal.this thing is perfect for me.had a rack set up but gave it all away.
now i'm only using this amp with a tc effects processor.it sounds better than a 10U rack.believe me i've tried that...
its fully equiped with midi very easy in programming.2 inserts for each channel,two sends(the one programable to switch by midi),two returns,seriel and parallel loop with mix control,bass-treble-mid-gain and volume knobs for each channel,a master volume,presence and a deep knob.
it has everything i could demand from a perfect amp.
it is very loud though so if you want to experiment a lot go bye a THD hot plate to make more versatile to practise without loosing an ear.this amp also is ideal for loud performing.it sounds better at half volume(12 o'clock) but then you'll probably hear the police siren outside your house.use 7 12ax7 jj's i think for preamp,input,buffering etc. and 4 6L6 power tubes.

i'm using a custom guitar with warmoth woods and tom anderson pickups.this amp,the guitar and the processor is all i need,at least for now...its the most quiet hi gain amp i've ever heared.even sold my super c hush gate.

it looks like a military vehicle.i cant wait to gig with.that's what it was made for...looks solid as a rock..

i cant tell yet because i've never had a problem with it but everyone speaks the best words about peter diezel.
time will tell...

i've been playing for almost 13 years.
if it were stolen i would sell a kidney or something to bye one back.
i personaly like it more than the vht amps but they're great also.
its far better than the boogie rectifier or the marshall shit...

This is an update from a past review done earlier in November of 2001
concerning a new VH4 amp. Please read my other review of this amp and you will see all the details I mentioned initially. This review is to let everyone reading this know what kind of people and company you would be dealing with, should you need any further encouragement to make up your mind concerning the purchase of a Diezel amp.
Uwe Salwender has gone way out of his way in seeing that those who have a Diezel amp, new, or used, are completely satisfied with the amp. He has provided very quick return e-mails, phone calls, and service on Diezel amps that I have not seen in my 46+ years of dealing with people who manufacture amps or guitars. I sent my amp out to have a resistor fixed, which I had taken out of the amp, to experiment with the voicing. I am not a good soldered, not even a bad soldered, I am probably someone who should be arrested if seen with a soldering iron in my hand. I had really done quite a horrific job of botching the amp board up trying to solder, which I blame myself for, and finally had to send the amp out for repair. All I asked for was to put the amp back to stock, as it sounded fine that way. My experimenting was done out of curiosity, not from dissatisfaction with the tones I was already getting from the amp. Uwe took the amp and replaced the entire board. Not only did he replace the board, but Peter, who was in Los Angeles attending the NAMM show, went over the entire amp to insure that it was correct. They re-biased the amp, and at no charge to me, even made it sound better then it originally did! I thought it sounded absolutely unbelievable before, but it sounded even better upon getting it back! Peter, and Uwe were only interested in seeing that I was personally satisfied with the sound and tones of the amp. Their attention to detail and customer support is beyond anything I have ever experienced before. Why? Because Uwe and Peter are both only interested in seeing that tone and customer satisfaction is not only met, but surpassed by your past experiences with other companies and their products! The amp is built like a finely tuned racing machine, with no bad sounds in it.
Peter Diezel and his staff have been so thoroughly dedicated to seeing that a super high quality product is made for his customers, that he spares no expense in getting only the finest parts and does the most amazing work in hand making his amps to last several liftimes. When you buy a Diezel, you can rest assured that it will outlive you, if given the same care a reasonable person would give themselves. A flight case will also insure that transporting this amp will save it from unnecessary dinging and save it from damage which it otherwise would not have to endure. These simple precautions, just like having a case for a guitar, will allow the user decades of quality tones and workmanship that will stand up to the test of time. You can see and feel the quality as soon as you touch the amp and twist the dials. It is built far more ruggedly then other amps in it's price range. It delivers so many usable tones quickly, without having to hunt them down through a lot of extra switches and internal wiring that would add extra circuitry and strangle the tones, which this amp can easily deliver without these extra tone-consuming devices.
Peter Diezel responds personally to his e-mails, and phone calls and gives the personalized service to his customers that make him and Uwe stand apart from all other amp manufacturers that I have dealt with. Peter has come out with a new amp called "The Herbert", which is specifically designed for the "Metal" players, but from reports I have received from NAMM visitors, The Herbert will deliver far more then just the desires of metal guitarists. They also have introduced a VH2 for those wishing to get the amazing Diezel tones but may not wish to go for the larger VH4.
My experiences

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Diezel VH4 (2001) I''ve had it for a while and have really tried it out.
this is a very versitile amp and can do almost any sound you cound want (I like all the channels). I play a lot of rock, metal but also blue and whatever. It does it all very well but i would have to say that there are a lot of amps that sound very good as well. I got this amp because of the reviews and versatility. It is one of the best for sure. I have owned Matchless (also great for it's tone), fenders, marshalls, boogies, top hats, bogners( great amps) and many rack mounted amps/effects. I don't like pedals as they color the sound way to much (all of them do it, I've owned or tried em all!) the Diezel is great as no pedals or other noise makers needed! I can't say enough about this amp as it is close to the perfect sound (but not quite) there is always room for improvement!

I use mostly pauls and strats, all different pickups emgs, fralin, and buckers. All sound great with this amp. It is a very quiet amp but as all, makes some noise when turned up some. The distortion is fantastic but again, not perfect ( I still can get tired of the sound as it too is voiced in it's own way). Still pretty hard to beat but I have owned amps that also sounded this good (old 60's marshall, bogner shiva, and matchless also have great sound). I have to take it down a little here because of the hype (nothing is a 10 people). I'd give it a perfect 8 though. But also would give an 8 to a matchless or bogner as well. This amp is very over priced but I liked the versatility so I bought it. It also has it's own voice that is great and shines but not 4k brightness! They need to get this amp in the 2k range because that's an appropriate price for these kind of amps.

The amp is made so well I doubt I will ever have a problem with it. Seems that it would be easy to fix though ( I don't know I'm not an amp tec).

Way to expensive! hope I dont have to get it fixed!!

I have been playing for 30 years, all styles. I stolen I would be upset but dont think I would buy another one (to many other things to try, and a lot of great amps out there!!) No it's not the be all end all, sorry, It does have great tone and versitility but there are a lot of amps it can't do (Matchless, Vox, and the great old marshall tones) does the over top stuff great and the clean is as good as a twin. I think I'll check out a UV hear they are great too. I give the VH4 a solid 8 overall but that price is sad so knock off a point for that so we give it a solid 7. Still, an amazing amp!

I bought the amp used. I think the amp was made in 1998. I'm playing rock - blues and heavy stuff. The amp has four from each other completely independent channels. Channel switching by Midi foot controller. It has prallel and serial effect loops. Parallel loop can be contolled by a mix section on the front panel. (Sorry for my poor English).

I'm using a Gibson Les Paul Custom and a Hamer Chaparral. The amp is very quite. To get out a Marshall, Boogie, Fender... Sound no Problem so far. It is really the best amp I've ever played.

Never had any problem. Also not the guy who owned the amp before me.

I'm living very close to Munich. Peter made some maintenance for my Marshalls, Engl.. at Music Shop in Munich in the past. He's a very polite guy and his service was always perfect.

I'm playing guitar for more than 10 years. I still have my Marshall 6100 Anniversary but I don't use it anymore. If the amp were stolen or lost I would buy it again. I am shure that I'll never have use for another amp than a VH4.

The amp purchased is a new Diezel VH4, hand made in 2001. It is a 4 channel, 4 preamp/one power amp mono 100 watt version of the VH4S stereo amp head. The amp has four independent channels, each with it's own set of gain, volume, treble, middle, and bass dials. Channel one and two each have a bright toggle as well. The amp has 2 separate effects loops(series, and parallel) as well as separate channel inserts to assign specific effects to specific channels as desired, AND is fully MIDI to allow use with any MIDI product. I play all styles of music from classical to heavy metal, with 46 years of playing time and many years of session time. Oh how I wish I had this amp a long, long time ago, say about 1955! I will be using this amp for session work, and live playing. Although, the rating for this catagory goes only to ten, I give it a 20 on a scale of 1 to 10.

I am using one Custom Shop Fender Strat, and one Masterbuilt Fender Strat. One guitar has Lace Sensor Gold pickups and the other has Lace Sensor Chrome Domes, although with a Diezel amp, a broomstick would sound fantastic! The amp is cabable( an understatement) of playing any style of music one might wish to play. Guitars of all kinds would sound better then anyone could imagine coming through a VH4. A Tele could be made to sound as ferocious as a Les Paul, and a Les Paul could sound as thin, or as big, fat and radical as the player could stand to be subjected too. Let me start by saying that every dial on this amp really works the way I feel an amp dial should react when twisted. Think how certain amps, or guitar volume dials have reacted to your turn, with a smooth, continuous graduation in change from one end of the dial to the other, and you have the idea of how each knob on the VH4 reacts. No adjustment is all on one side of the knob and the rest of the knob showing no real change in character, as say the way a tone control responds on a Les Paul, with all the change taking place on the lower dial settings. When you turn the dials on a VH4, both volume and tone dials, alike they have a really great reaction to them. There is no overly-active, or under-responding action on any dial on this amp. They all feel very natural to the ear and may be compared to test-driving a Mercedes-Benz, then getting back into your 8 year old American compact when you go back to your old amp.
Channel One gave me the feeling that I was playing on the best '65 Twin Reverb I ever played; one that was not too thin, not to boomy, not too harsh, but just perfect. The tone controls only added to my amazement, and the bass response was not to be believed! It did not cover up the tone of the channel as I added more bass, or subtracted bass, it enhanced the tone without making it boomy, or causing the bottom to fart out. The middle and treble controls also were fantastic in the way they enhanced the tone. The amp became more responsive to finger-style, and picking attack and allowed the best attributes of the guitar to be released. I was able to get from a strat; Tele tones, amazing Strat tones( Clapton/Knofler fans will be totally blown away!)PRS tones, 335 tones, Ricky tones, Gretch 6120 tones to die for, and the most fluid, alive arch-top jazz(think Johnny Smith)tones one might hope for. These were the most immediate tones I searched for, but channel one was barely given a chance, before my excitement caused me to proceed to channel two!
Channel two has the ability to simulate channel one if the tone controls are rolled off, but as they are applied, the sound became more aggressive, yet articulate and lush with detail. This channel can be clean, or when pushed take the blues into a totally new territory. Roll back the guitar's volume and it cleans up beautifully. Crank the guitar's volume and the amp can do AC/DC till the cows come home! This channel is a single channel boutique amp lovers dream. If all you want is a one channel high-end boutique amp, look no further. The VH4 has it in spades for you right there!
Channel three starts off like a SLP in the clean territory. As the gain is brought up to about 10 0'clock, Eddie Van Halen's famed and much-desired Brown Sound came right out of the amp! No buzzy, fizzy tones here. This was as good as I THOUGHT it would get, and I was so satisfied at this point that I started laughing from the pleasure the sounds I heard so far were giving me. As I twisted the gain up, the tone never got muddy, never got boomy, never got fizzy, it just blossomed into the most amazingly aggressive, brown sounds I have ever thought were possible to come from any amp, modded, souped up or otherwise! Try to imagine a dragon of enormous size uncurling itself higher and higher right above your head, then letting out the most ferociously terrifying ROAR you ever thought possible and

When I ordered this amp, Mr Uwe Salwender of Salwender International, the US distributor for Diezel asked me to send him any tubes I wanted other then what the amp comes with(6L6). I preferred El-34's and sent him 8 matched tubes for him to try. He measured each tube one to the next and separated the top four from the least-matched four, re-biased my amp and checked it out for six hours prior to sending it FED-EX 2nd day. I ordered a flight case for it as well which Mr. Salwender got for me. The amp was magnificently packed with the power tubes removed, marked 1 through 4, wrapped in bubble-wrap, then in cloth and inside the amp housing for the tubes. FED-Ex must have been very rough in handling the amp as when it arrived, a valve had lost it's vaccuum and needed replacement. The amp fired right up and was absolutely perfect in all channel modes. It is built as well as a Mercedes, in true German fashion and will be around long after I am dust, and probably long after the next person who gets it when I'm gone is dust as well. MR. Peter Diezel, and Mr. Salwender both contacted me to insure that I was satisfied with the amp, and that there were no complaints, or other problems they could help me with. The manual is extrememly well written and is very user friendly in it's approach and understanding. They are the most professional, polite, helpful and concerned amp maker and dealer I have ever had business dealing with. They are both very fine gentlemen, and have made me two new and wonderful friends.

The people of Diezel and Salwender International are top shelf individuals who know their business and conduct it in a totally professional manner. As the amp is so new, it needs no repair at this time, but I have been informed that if I wanted a channel changed in it's tonal structure, that it could be done for me. I will use Salwender International as my service center.

If this amp were stolen, I would get another one without even considering other options. I love every detail about the amp, it's design, and the fact that it does what everybody else wished their company's amps would do...IT DOES IT ALL!
One other thing I would like to share about this amp. I have owned many other amps over the 46 years I have played. I read on different forums how owners of Double and Triple Rectofiers and similar other amps have to "find" their sound, have to spend time locating the "sweet spot" on their amp, etc. You know the amps I am referring too. The Diezel amp was designed, built and reacts so naturally to the touch that you won't have a problem finding "your sound", but you may have a problem deciding on all the available sounds that make you sound better then you have ever in your life heard yourself play. You'll be able to do things with this amp that you have here-to-fore only dreamed about with other amps. It will totally surpass even the most picky, demanding players amongst you, without question. It is the standard by which all other amps on this planet are judged, and fall short of. And no , I don't work for the company, I'm just a guitarist telling you the truth about the only amp I can consider using from now on!

Hey Jorg ! Here is an excerpt from the VH4 owners manual that might help you find what you are looking for.


5.1.1 The Master Volume
The master controls the final volume of the power amplifiers. The layout of the controls is such that full volume ia achieved at the 1:00 o'clock knob setting. Turning the knob further will overdrive the power amp to create power amp distortion for those of you who prefer this sort of thing. We added this feature to round out the distortion sound pallette an the extreme end. So you friends of all things vintage can get clorations and textures that only power amp tubes can deliver. Bring your ear plugs , please.


This is an actual section of the owners manual. It is by far the most amusing owners manual i have ever read. Great Vibe !!

Later it discusses the Deep Knob and how Diezel Co. is not responsible for amp handles popping out. Bring on the bass boost.

I will review mine in a few weeks. I am expecting delivery on Monday
11/12

Call Uwe or E-Mail Peter. It's like having an amp builder in the family.

Bought it from Lark Street Music in Teaneck, NJ. Buzzy is an honorable man. Very easy to deal with.

I have been on the Waiting list for a pre-owned VH4 for 5 months and no luck. I grew tired of pestering Uwe and E-mailing Peter. They were very helpful but i bit the bullet and bought a new VH4.

I'll let you guys know in a few weeks.
I just wanted to help Jorg.

This is the follow-up report to my review below. Still a great amp. This amp is seriously LOUD! I play the master volume at ~9 o'clock and the preamp gain and volume between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. There is sooooo much headroom with this amp. Very impressive.

Read the support. Now the amp sounds as good as it can possible sound for me. Channel 1 and 2 are bit more balanced now. Channel 3 and 4 are a bit more aggressive now, as they were a bit moderate and too warm before. Fantastic sounds. But dont be fooled, the distortion is mostly pre-amp distortion. You cannot dial in the Boogie Rectifier sound. Regarding the parrallel effects loop: I have played around this the effects loop. And it is so great that the wet signal is only added to the dry sound. Unlike the Boogie Rectifier, using effects through the parrallel loop does not decrease volume nor sound of the dry signal. Regarding the distortion of the amp: The distortion has a rather high frequency compared to that grungy sound of an Boogie Rectifier. Think of Steve Vai sound. Creamy and sweet, yet aggressive in the highs, if needed. Compared to that grungy lower distortion frequency of the Recto. Just be shure what you want before you buy it. Due to the architecture of this amp, you can hardly get power amp distortion. That's the way the amp is designed. Personally, I like power amp distortion a lot, but still - fantastic sounds.

Seems very dependable. After a brakedown of a tube the fist night during practicing, it never stopped working ever since. But I am also a caring person, when it comes to women or amplifiers...

This should get a '12'. I went down to Munich to Peter Diezel and he customized my amp balancing channel 1 and 2 and making channel 3 and 4 a bit hot and giving channel 3 and 4 a bit more attack. They were very tame. Peter is a very friendly and helpful guy. What a fantastic support. Absolutely outstanding. Have never experienced anything like this with any of the other 10 or so amplifiers I own. Wow!

For that large amoung of money you get 4 channels with all these great features and great sounds. Great versatility, perfect with MIDI. If it got stolen, I would not buy it again very soon, because it is expensive. Thanks God I live in Germany, so I can get the cheapest rates. Im sorry for you folks in the U.S. who have to buy a totally overpriced VH4 due to exchange rates and shipping etc. But for me this is best available value for the money. Full stop. I wouldnt buy this amp, if you are playing hardcore stuff or New Metal.

This amp has a ton of features. It's a 100 watt mono head that is fully midi controllable. It has four channels: Clean, Clean/Blues, Rythm, & Lead. Each channel has its' own preamp with bass, mids, highs, gain, & volume. The Clean and the Clean/Blues channels have a bright switch. Each channel also has its' own channel insert that puts fx in between the preamp in and the preamp out (kind of like a separate fx loop for each channel). These can be turned on & off by push button or midi control. There are also two fx loops. One loop is a paralel loop with a mix control and its turned off and on by push button or midi control also. The other loop stays on constantly. I wish this loop was switchable also, but the channel inserts make up for that. The power amp has a master volume, presense, and deep control. The power tubes are 6L6's and the preamp tubes are 12AX7's. There are a bunch of speaker outputs as well. The power section can be biased for different power tubes. This last feature is sweet. There are lights on the back the amp that light up when a tube goes bad. When this happens the amp takes the tube out of the sequence. Very professional feature for obvious reasons.

All I'm using right know is a Jackson KV1 korina wood V with a Seymour Duncan in the bridge and a stock pickup in the neck, a phaser pedal, and a cord (I had to sell a bunch of stuff to get this head). This amp's sound in a word is simply AMAZING! Before I played it I had heard the clean channel was in a class of its' own. It really is. It has so much life and feel. Very punchy, dynamic, & crisp. I really don't know what to say about this channel other than it is second to none (I can't wait to play a Strat through this channel!). Channel two goes from clean to a bluesy crunch. I love the responsiveness of this channel. I can have the gain all the way up and not only does it clean up nice with the guitar volume, you really only have lighten you're picking to lighten the gain. Pick hard and it bites hard. Very versitile channel. Channel three is my favorite! This is what I use for my main rythm sound. This channel has more cut through than a Marshall and a bigger sound with even more depth than a Boogie. It doesn't sound like either but that's how I would compare. I used to have a Marshall but not enough gain of course, it needed a distortion pedal over the Marshall gain. Then I went to a Dual Rect. It had the gain but it needed and eq unit because of the lack of tone shapping ability. Plus, I don't care what anyone says, the clean is only ok. Both the Marshall and Dual Rect. were noisy. Especially the Dual Rect. You MUST have a noise gate for a Dual Rect. The Diezel on channel three with the gain all the way up is completely quiet. No unnessassary feedback. That is important to me becase I play heavy, high gain music with precise chops. All the notes come out perfectly crisp and clear on the highest gain settings. This channel has sweet dynamics, very responsive to your pick attack. I never thought I would find an amp that has the cruchy, dynamic, high gain sound straight through. So many other amps claim they have that metal crunch right out the box, but you and I know that is crap. This amp is it. I found my sound. Channel four has even more gain. Scary! At 2/3 gain setting it has more gain than channel 3 maxed out. This channel is definely geared toward lead work. It is a little noisy but not like a Boogie. The channel feels and sounds slightly compressed. This channel doesn't have the individual note clarity that channel 3 has, but it isn't muddy. To put it plainly, channel 3 feels better when play rythm than 4, but 4 feels oh so nice when playing leads. Even with all the gain the channel still has this smooth feel. This amp is unbelievable! I don't know what that one guy who said he couldn't get a tight, crunchy metal sound out of this amp is thinking. Yes channel 3 and 4 will make you sound like crap if your chops aren't there. On channel 3, with the note clarity and depth, not only do all of your nuances of playing come through loud and proud so does every little mistake. You will sound muddy on channel 4 if you aren't tight. If you have tight chops you can't beat this amp. I personally have never played an amp more suited for very tight, crunchy, high gain metal (and it can everything else too)! Don't play this amp if you can't buy it. Once you play an amp that feels like this you can't go back.

I haven't had it long enough to say, but it is builty rock solid.

I went through Gene at Ultra Sound Studios. This guy gets an A++ on help and knowledge. He spent plenty of time explaining and discussing everything about this amp and speaker cabs to me. And I ask alot of questions too. Uwe at Salwender International is great too. I didn't talk directly to him, but was always very quick to respond to my emails with very infomative answers. I will do business with these guys again.

I've been playing 11 years and played many different amps. If lost I would buy again. You can't go back after you play an amp that feels like this. If stolen and I found the guy I'd probably serve some jail time for putting him in the hospital, but when I got out I would still stick with the Diezel. I love how versatile this amp is. It does everything, and does it second to none. The first time I played live with this thing all the other band members and even a few people in the audience commented on how amazing my amp sounded. The guitarist were blwwn away. I just wish it wasn't so expensive. But to get the all the sounds that this amp has you would end up spending just as much on separate amps, rack stuff, and amp switching units. Plus it's all in one. I also wish that both the fx loops were switchable, but that really is not a big deal at all. Even though this amp is expensive it makes up that cost in features, tone, and feel. Buy this amp!

The Diezel VH4 is a 100 watt mono version of the now famous Stereo VH4S amp that many signed bands are now using. It is a 4 channel amp with independent tone controls on each channel and is set up with midi standard that allows channel switching and many other functions. What amazed me was the quantity and quality of the features. Both a parallel and series effect loop and both can be use at the same time, mute function, independent channel inserts for each of the 4 channels, midi store functions, and much more. Another great feature is the independent power tube fuses and fail lights which tell you at a glance which power tube went bad if one fails. No more hassle trouble shooting and finding the bad tube with this amp - If a tube goes bad just put in a new tube that is matched to the others in the socket that has the led lit and a new fuse and you are ready to go. What a great feature (I get 6 power tubes matched and keep the 2 matched spares in my gig bag so I never run into a problem. It will also run on almost any type of power tubes and has a bias switch for 6L6 or EL34s. The only thing missing is reverb but with the way built in reverb degrades the tone of many amps, and with all the effect loops,I think not building in reverb was a good call.

I use both humbuckers and single coil guitars with a bias toward older Gibson and Fenders that are original and unaltered. I am from the old school of great guitar / great amp and a good cable - thats it. I feel many of the effect boxes and rack units rob tone. Before the Diezel I had never found a multichannel amp that sounded anywhere near as good as a single channel hand wired amp. I always wished for the versitility of multichannel but was not willing to sacrifice tone to get it. I play in a very popular cover band and while that is looked down on by many players it pays the bills quite well. Needless to say I need to cover many musical styles and the Diezel is the first amp I found to have killer clean tones, great crunch, metal gain, and crazy over the top high gain all with gobs of tone and harmonic complexity.

I have only owned it for a few months now - long enough to be comfortable in speaking about the amps tone but not long enough to give an opinion on reliability. I will post another listing in a year or so.

So far customer support has been very good although I have not really needed any. The dealer was well informed and knew all the functions of the amp which I found quite refreshing after shopping at Guitar Center or Sam Ash in the past.

I can't call this a fantastic value because it is expensive. What I can say is every channel sounds good and with so many features it is worth every penny. Seperate amps that would cover the tonal ground of this one amp would cost much more and the setup would be much more trouble. I would buy this amp again in a heartbeat for it's unique combination of features, tone, and simplicity of use.

This amp does it all.Not a bad sound in the head,and if you don't like
something about it,Peter Diezel himself will will make it sound the way you want it to.

I use it with mostly Strats.I play everything from Merle Haggard
to Metallica,it covers all styles

Seems bulletproof

The best. Uwe Salwender has bend over backwards to make sure that I am happy.I have been a pro musician for all of my adult life(I'm 43
now)and this is the best service I have ever had,and I used to getting good service most of the time,but,this is exceptional.

the best costs money,but it replaces mt twin,Bogner 101B and SLO 100

same as descibed in other reviews

I tried it out in a music music store with my otherwise thight and crunchy sounding gibson SG , but with the diezel it was pure mud , he amp had a lot of bass for shure ,but it wasn't tight, and I could see bands like Korn,or other so called nu-metal bands like Limp Biskit use an amp like this since they have a bassy muddy tone. this amp is absolutely not suited for fast speedmetal ala megadeth , or judas priest tones , early metallica. I'll stick with my steavens poundcake 100 for that , still the best amp for metal (real metal)
I still like the concept of the amp thought , if it only had a tight crunchy metal rithm tone in it ,where you can still hear seperate notes , and not blur .

I don't own the amp but it looked very reliable

it's not a bad amp in general , just not suited for my style of music

I am BLOWN AWY!! It's has 4 independent channels, 4 being loudest! It's power ranges from 80watts to 160watts (wow!). I had this amp for 2 years, built in 1999. I just recently found out that Adam Jones, from Tool, uses this amp, and I don't blame the guy. Anyway, no hissing here, or noise while channel switching. The first TRUE 4 channel amp.

Amazing, I personally use the 3rd, and 4th channel. It's not real muddy like the marshalls, and is has depth beyond a boogie.

I would rate it top 3, in the best sounding amp in the world = Diezel/VHT/Soldano

This think is bult stronger than a TANK! I have more than abused it, and it sounds better each time I play. When I recieved it from germany, I gave it to a good friend who knows alot about amps, and also makes custom boutique amps, that sound amazing (but he sells them for over 5 grand). He opened it and juiced it up a little, and was amazed at the craftmenship. I bet if I shot this thing it will still sound great, let alone work!

Never Need it! Peter Diezel, has one diamond here. It's to bad I paid an arm and a leg. Anyway I live in NYC, so if I did, i would bring it to UltraSound, they are a direct dealer, and know inside out about diezel amps.

What more can I say. This has to be one of the greatest amps made! I mainly now play with this amp, with VHT 4x12 cabinets. I also have a Mesa/boogie triple rectifier, Marshall JCM 800, a Soldano SLO-100, and a VHT Pitbull, but this is becoming my fav. next to my soldano and vht.

I use this amp with a custom Les Paul, and a custom Telecaster, with a Lexicon MPX G2 with MPX R1, and it sounds great! With out a doubt your best bang for your buck.

If stolen, I would hunt own the fucker and beat him over the head with this amp, and it would still sound good. One turn-off is the look of the amp, it's not that appealing, but just wait untill you hear this baby...you wouldn't care if it had opra's picture on it!

This VH4 amplifier was shipped to me in October of 2000. After 6 months of DAILY use, I am truly in awe! The amp has four completely discrete preamp channels. This covers every style of music you could imagine. The channel switching is midi and works with any midi controller.(ch. switching also on front of amp) Two global effects loops.. one parallel and one series. Also, the amp has 4 separate channel inserts so you can put your favourite pedals in and call them up via midi whenever you want. Amazing! ONE tap on the footswitch and you've changed channels and effects... very simple to program. I had it up and running in about 25 minutes after opening the box, with channels and effects programmed on my midi cotroller. The amp has more power than you will ever need...period. The channel switching is completely silent as well as the amp itself, even at the highest gain settings, this thing is VERY, VERY quiet. Mine was shipped with 6L6 tubes (4) and 7 12AX7's in the preamp. I have since tried a number of different tube combinations and have stuck with the Seimens EL34's and the Chinese 12AX7's in the preamp. You can use EL34's, 6L6's, 6550's, KT66's or 6V6's ....I've chosen the German Seimens. Each channel has it's OWN TONE CONTROLS which work very well, meaning they actually do something! No more compromising the blue and red channel on the Bogner with the shared EQ!! The presence and deep controls work well together(in the power section) Some amps are feature heavy and tone light. This thing has BOTH!

I am currently using a Wojick handmade guitar with a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover in the neck and a JB in the bridge. I play all kinds of styles from Van Morrison to Van Halen and the amp does each style better than four amps put together.
Channel one is like the sweetest '65 Fender Twin you've ever heard...only better, with much more headroom. The loudest clean channel on any amp I've played. You can push it to a slight breakup but it stays pretty clean. You can tailor your tone further with the bright switch to really bring out some rich, sweet sparkle on top.
Channel two is the SRV...ACDC...Stones channel with a great crunch and tons of balls. I don't quite understand how Peter Diezel designed it but this is the most versatile crunch channel... sounds incredible with single coils or humbuckers, neck... bridge, whatever you give it turns to pure tone!
Channel three is "VAN HALEN 1"... with more bottom. Take your best Marshall, any year, any model.. Ch 3 will put it to shame! Very dynamic with lots of gain and sustainnnnnnnnn. This channel sold me on the amp. I realize "brown" is such an overused term in amps but this is really it!! ...THE BROWN SOUND.
Channel four will sustain for days but is not that "Soldano brittle tone" at all. Full bodied gain even at 4 or 5, it really sings. You can get an Eric Johnson singing tone or the most brutal death metal tone imaginable...and everything in between with the excellent tone shaping available. The gain on this amp is truly in a class of its own...like I say, whatever you want, its there!

Built like a Brick Shit House!! Very well designed with all top notch electronics inside. The reason why this amp is worth the bucks is what's inside... Just take a look, and you'll agree! This is not some cheap mass produced amp. Its hand made to last a lifetime!

Uwe Salwender in CA is the most professional gentleman you could ever think of as a Distributer. Peter Diezel is VERY interested in his client's needs and concerns. I've spoken with him and he is very caring and sincere. Both of these guys are friendly and have been quite helpful with my questions. VERY PROFESSIONAL!! Thanx guys!

I've been playing guitar for 10 years. I've owned Bogners, Soldano 100's, Boogies, Fenders, '65 Marshall plexi 100's... This thing does all the best tones from each of these. Until you plug in and try one out, don't whine about the price. Mnay people laugh at what I paid for a guitar amp... until they hear it! Go ahead...Try one and I guarantee you'll wet yourself. The best guitar amp...PERIOD.

OK, I haven't bought it yet, but tried it in the store for several hours today. The features are clearly explained in the other reviews so check 'em out, or visit www.salwender.com. I don't think that an amp in this categorie should have a crappy spring reverb, so I'm glad it isn't there. All unnecessary features are absent, so the amp remains very clear and easy to use, and still it has all the features you'll ever need. That diagonal setting of the knobs is pretty genial. The cab has a removable front, a handy feature in the studio.
Stock, the VH4 comes with a bias switch for five different types of poweramp tubes. It is modelled to use it both at 220V/50Hz AND 110V/60Hz.

I tried a lot of guitars on this amp; the better the guitar, the better the sound. This amp really has 4 excellent channels, try it out to hear it yourself or visit http://www.proguitar.de/ProGuitarPreisliste/Amps/AmpPreisliste.html. This site has some audio samples of a strat & LP-type guitar played through a VH4. I'm sure it would have been better if they used the diezel cabinet. But it gives an indication.
This thing deserves a 10. Believe me!

The VH4 is completely handmade. Inside, it's a piece of art. If you like to throw amps from the stage, regret what you did, and decide to keep it anyway, this one's for you.

How many amp manufacturers read this reviews and mail you to help you? Peter Diezel does. Read one of the other reviews on this site; it's all in there. It is so well-built that I don't think you'll need customer support afterwards.

I play since '93. I'm 21 now and not a great player, but I have a good pair of ears. The Diezel company makes 100 amps a year so they're really exclusive. I heard Limp Bizkit, Guns 'n Roses and Korn also bought a VH4. Now me. I may be wrong, but I think the VH4 is the best amp in the world.
I know giving 10's in all categorys affects your believe in the accuracy of my review, but this really deserves it.
Excusez-moi my English BTW.

This is only the first part of my review. I have played this beauty for a couple of hours now. I have to admit I havent played it in my band yet. So I will give you comments on the "Real World" later. How it cuts through the overall sound...

Oh my god, so many useful features.
You can read all the features below. My favourites are: MIDI-switchable parallel Send/Return. Great for boosting the signal. MIDI-switchable (I guess serial) effects Send/Return, one per channel! "Deep" knob for pushing bass @80Hz like on the 5150 (Peavey). This fantastic amp only gets 9, because it doesn't have a reverb. The reason I am going for amp heads instead of Pre/Power-amp is because I like to have everything in one box.
With the standard 6L6GC equipment, this guy has way too much power for practicing. Oh my god! And you can even go higher in power, putting in some KT88. That will probably crush the walls of that air-raid shelter, where my practicing room is in.
The tube fault detection is a nice feature. I am also technician, who likes this extra information.

Ok, there is no big discussion on that. It seems to be a clear 10! Custom Shop '58 with Custom Shop single Coils is my main guitar. The other guitar is a Mexiko Strat with HSS pickups. I like to play Rock, Hardrock, Blues Rock sometimes and I also like to play some really funky tunes every now and then. Wow, what a sound. I played it through 2x12" Vintage 30 and 4X12" GT12-75. Channel 1: The Clean Channel. Goes from very, very sparkling clean with a rather hard "edge" in the sound to a nice and warm clean. Can be overdriven, but just a bit. This really is a classic clean tone. Even without using the bright switch, this is almost too bright.But then you can always use your guitar's tone control to bring the brightness down. The Gain1 does control the total character of the Clean channel. Channel 2: I call it the Raw Channel. Think of "Highway to Hell" sound. That comes into my mind when played with humbucker. Very dynamic low to medium gain distortion. Can produce a very warm and round clean sound when using the guitar's volume control. I think the intention was to create a great rock'n'roll sound. Channel 3: Hard as a rock. Great for Hard/Heavy riffs and chords. Again great dynamics. I love to play with the "Deep" control to get a wall of sound. I am getting a bit enthusiastic here. Channel 4: The Juice. I think is what people would call "liquid". You can play a super-overdriven Mega leadsound. But still some cool dynamics and no fuzz when playing brutal palm-muted chords. I hope this channel does have enough treble when played in the band. But I will give you more information later on that as I said. Playing some tappings in this channel feels like being in heaven for me. Sound Conclusion: You have 4 VERY usable sounds with a very different character. And you have it in one box!!! I was so impressed, when I played it at Beyer's Music in Bochum (I dont get paid for that statement!) that I didnt bother comparing it to ENGL, Boogie, Marshall, etc. Before this Diezel amp, it took me a good amount of effort and time before I had finally decided to buy/not to buy one of these not really cheap amps like the Dual Rectifier. But when I heard the VH-4, I didnt need any more comparison.
Another important feature for the overdriven channels: Unlike the Dual Rectifier, you don't have to crank the power amp in order to get a decent distortion and some "balls". Diezel has managed to produce great overdrive/distortion/lead killer tone at reasonable band practicing level! My drummer is sometimes very unhappy about the band being too loud. I was always sad to turn down the power amp of the Recto, because I lost quite an amount of sound. But not with the VH-4!

Can't say. Still brandnew. But it looks very, very stable and reliable. We will see how long the MIDI interface can handle the tube heat inside the amp. That seemed to be a weak spot with MIDI-fied amps.

I am 31 years old, and I have a decent job, which gives me the money for buying this VH-4. It is very expensive, but even cheaper than an Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (the new 3-channel will cost about 5000DM?). Compared to any American brand amplifier I only pay for quality and not for currency conversion offset! I play for 15 years and I have had some amps. I have to admit that I am a Tube Amp addict. I have had the Framus Dragon, which was also MIDI-switchable, but the Dragon cannot remotely compare to the sound, even though it is a good amp. I cannot get rid of a certain brutaliy and harshness in the sound of the Dual Rectifier, I am please with the VH-4 sound. The clean sound of the ENGL Savage S.E. is thinner and just not as flexible as on this amp. On the other hand the S.E. features Triode/Pentode switching and switching between two different speakers. But to be honest with you readers, that's chickenfeed! I dont unterstand why Diezel dont deliver a simple footboard with 4 switches with this amp. But that's the supercritical bad things. I am really extra-picky now.

I love to be able to switch so many different features/channels/sounds through the built-in MIDI interface. Unlike ENGL, here it is built in! Fantastic. I would like to have some reverb. Then I could go out, take the VH-4 and my 2x12" and rock without fiddling with other gear. Due to the incredible gain I probably wont need the TS9 TubeScreamer anymore.

Damn, still one week before I can play this baby in the band.

4 independent channels all with its own eq.Midi switching.4 insert points for pedals etc.Silent switching including mute,series/parallel effects loops.

Very serious indeed,I own Bogners soldano's and steavens amps and this amp eats them all for breakfast/dinner and tea.....
A mega claen channel,2 great rhytham channels and a serious lead channel.

Only 2 weeks old can't comment.But built like a brick shithouse !!

Can't comment

To sum up, a monster of an amp , I own a Bogner 101 b , Steavens poundcake,and Soldano slo100,and it has all the sounds of these amps.
4 independent channels,great eq midi switching and it looks fantastic.
End of story

New totally discrete four channel layout. Will eat a Bogner or VHT for lunch. A real clean channel, a middle grit channel, a hard rocking channel and a insane overdrive channel. Midi, several effects loops, everything imaginable.

This is the BEST amp ever made. I have always used rack gear to get multiple sounds, this amp does it like no other. I NEVER thought I'd say someone makes a better amp than Bogner, but this is just awesome.

Don't know yet, mine doesn't even come in until next week.

Gene at Ultra Sound in NYC was the best person I have ever bought from. He spent three hours w/ me to make sure I was buying the right product. We used 6 different types of 4x12's to try the amp through. You can crank it up there as well. Death to Guitar Center!

If you want the best, this is it. I have owned everything under the sun and this is twice as good as the next best amp I have owned. While vintage Marshalls, vintage Fenders, Brunos, VHTs or Bogners all do one or two things great, the Diezel does FOUR channels perfectly.

Got this amp a couple weeks ago and it is amazing. I am an amp freak and have several great amps but this thing is incredible. 4 channels with independant gain,volume,treble, middle and bass for each channel.Bright switches for channel 1&2,Master effects loops in parallel or series for each side if running stereo, 10 speaker out jacks, 5 for each side with different ohm settings so you can run any config. Channel insert loops for adding individual effects to any channel and assigning them via midi. Master Volume,Effects mix,Presence and deep for each side if stereo or either side if mono and more. This amp is as versatile as they come and has super high quality tones! Midi switching!! Very cool!!!

Features some of the best clean tones I have ever heard! Sparkling, loud and can have a little grit if desired, via the Ch 1 gain control. With the bright switch on the clean tones are absolutely the finest I have encountered and can be as clean as you want. The 2ond and third channels can be set up to sound like anything you want from blues to heavy rock,fusion etc. Again great tones!!!! The 4th channel is your basic, in your face high gain channel and can do anything you want and as nasty or liquidy sweet as you could imagine. The amp is the quietest amp I have ever played through and would be a great recording amp.I play an Anderson among other guitars and a few styles. This amp is the best swiss army amp I have ever played. My Bogner Ecstasy, Egnater TOL, and other amps I own or have owned, are not even in the same league although I still love them. This is an incredible amp and after spending a couple weeks playing it I am amazed just how good it is! I would gladly give up every amp I own except maybe, my Two Rock Amethyst 50, which is a different beast all together, and be completely content with just the Diezel.

Seems to be built really well. Too new to rate.

Uwe at www.salwender.com has been nothing but a pleasure to deal with.I am sure he would take care of any problems.

Yep it is damn expensive but it does what a lot of other amps try to do, but better.Is it worth the money?? YES!!! If a Bogner Ecstasy is worth $2500, this amp is definitely $1500 better. If great tone is important to you and you play clean stuff to ultra gain stuff this is the ultimate amp. If this was my only amp I would be content as it does so much, so well.

The amp I have was manufactured in August 1999. The unit is loaded in terms of features. It has 4 discrete preamp channels, all with input Gain, Vol, Treble, Mid & Bass controls. Channel 1 & 2 also feature a Normal/Bright toggle switch. Channel 1 EQ controls are active the rest of the channel EQ"s (2,3&4) are passive. Channel 1 is clean and very sparkly in a "Fender Twin" kind of way. Channel 2 is chunky with an aggressive mid-range. Channel 3 is a moderate gain "Marshall" tone with a lot of sustain and dynamics. Channel 4 is full on high gain, not much in the way of dynamics but sings. The overall noise floor of the unit is well refined and under control even at high volume. The unit has a Global master section which is comprised of a Master volume over the output section, a Mix control for the Parallel effect loop, a Presence control and Deep control both of which are highly effective. All switching is via Midi and very easy to program. It also has a master mute button on the face of the unit which can be Midi controlled. Every preamp channel has a series loop and there are both series and parallel global loops. The unit has Tons of power and can be tubed with a variety of output tubes (IE: 6l6, EL34, 6550) by switching an internal 3 way toggle switch located near the output tubes on the inner chassis. Each power tube is individually fused and an LED indicator is located at each one which illuminates in the event of a tube blowout. The product is German Made and built like a Mercedes Benz. The interior wire routing and PCB layout is Killer. All switching is via gold contact relays and the chassis is heavy duty. The head is quite heavy, I havent weighed it but it is a brute. I play a variety of styles from R & B to Blues to Fusion. I am currently using it with a Tele with Bardens in it which quite frankly may not be the best match for it as it can be quite bright. I am still searching out the best cab for this monster.

Sorry I kind of covered this in the Features section.

By the looks of the interior layout and construction of the unit I feel confident that it will prove to be quite reliable even with the amount of technology and features the thing is packed with. But I cannot give a rating until it has proved the test of time.

Support in terms of the sale has been exemplary, Uwe Salwender even offered to come to San Diego and deliver the amp (he's located in Orange county about an hour and a half away from me) which I declined but did take the time to come to his shop on his day off to show me that amp and ultimately make the sale. This is an example of the way he does his business, very European, quite refreshing in this American "Hose em close em" music store world. I have not had to deal with any warranty claims. The warranty is 1 year but have also been assured that the manufacturing company (Which is quite small) is very professional and stands behind their product.

I started playing when I was 15 I'm now 46. Played professionally for many years. Graduated from GIT back in 79. Have played all kinds of gigs over the years. The sad thing is that when I was playing for a living I would not have been able to afford a head like this, always had to buy used gear to be able to pay the rent. Now that I'm out of that grind I can afford gear like this. This is one impressive piece of hardware capable of just about any style of music except maybe Hard Core straight Jazz/Bebop.

The Diezel amp is a very versitale head. It can cover a wide range of styles. The Diezel has four seperate channels. A series and parallel effects loop and inserts for each channel and a mute function (All of these are midi switchable). Also the VH4 has a thru jack that you could use to route your signal to another amp. It has a phantom powered midi jack for midi footcontrollers. One feature that I wish it had would be an adjustable level boost for each channel. But that isn't that important since it already has four seperate channels. The Diezel has plenty of power (up to approx. 180 watts) depending on what power tubes one uses. It will accept about five or six different tubes(6L6. 5881. EL34. etc.). Each of the four power tubes has a fuse (if a tube blows the amp allows you to continue with the remaining tubes). The Diezel also offers a stereo power amp version.

The Diezel is very quite and has little idle hiss on the highest gain settings. The amp can make a variety of sounds anywhere from a Fender Twin type sound to a high gain Boogie Rectifier type tone. But don't get me wrong this amp has very much so its own sound and tone. The first channel gets very clean to a slight breakup and is very crisp. The Second channel can be clean to a medium distortion(very bluesy). The Third channel you can achieve a mild distortion to a heavy rock tone (ala TOOL). The fourth channel has the highest gain of all the channels. It probably matches the Boogie Rectifier in the gain category! The Distortion is very filthy or it can be tight and bluesy. I'm currently using Les Pauls and a Paul Reed Smith. Those guitars seem to blend well with the amp. The deep control in the power amp section allows the player to add a sub bass feel to all channels allowing you to use less bass on individual channels keeping the sound from getting muddy. Each channel has volume. gain. treble. middle. and bass controls. The power amp section has a Master volume. effects loop mix. presence. and deep controls.

So far I've had no problems with the amp. But I've only had it for a few months. So far so good! It is built like a tank!

The company that distributes the amp from Germany is Salwender International. The main guy is Uwe Salwender and he is very friendly and wants to keep the customer satisfied. I think it has a year warranty.

Yes I would definately buy it again. It is a lot of more money than the average person likes to spend on an amp. You get what you pay for. So it's worth it! I'm able to sell alot of my other amps because the Diezel is so versitale.