Genz Benz El Diablo 100 head

Bought new. I don't know manufacturing year.
It's a 100 Watts valve head with 2 channels (warm = clean, hot = distorted). Both channel have some switches that enable some tonal variation. These switches are foot-controllable, so you can actually get a multichannel amp.

It has 3 effects loops: one per channel, plus one global. These ones are not footswitchable.

Each channel has individual tone and reverb controls.
There is also a master section with a "global attack" knob (footswitchable), master volume and master reverb.

Wonderful blu leds inside the head is litting this amp! Very cool.

A solid footswtich is included, even if not exploiting standard MIDI plugs, so if worn out can be a problem.

On the back, a big switch to control whether the head spits out 100 or 60 Watts.

Reverb can be set on or off with a standard tip/sleeve footswitch (not included).

I'm using this guitar with my signature model guitar, a BassLab with Seymour Duncan custom hambuckers, so quite powerful stuff.
I play death metal mainly, but prog metal too, so I needed something that can accomodate both and be the most simple as possible.
I plug the head into a Peavey 4x12 straight cab with Jensen speakers.

Well, the Diablo does its job.

I can play death metal with gain on 3, and it can shake the ground and provide an infinite amount of distortion and sustain.
With all the footswitches combinations this amp is very versatile and can go from crystal clean to brutal and everything in between.
For the solo, I engage the global attack functions.

Maybe the clean channel it's more difficult to manage, if you want to use it to change from clean to crunch.
This amp is born for distortion. The other guy playing with me uses a Mesa Single Rect and he cannot compete in power and clarity.

Reverb sounds very good and enough muddy to create a background for pumping up the lead parts.

Tone controls are very effective and really change the sound. Most amps doesn't, you tweak but few things happen. Here a single flick of a know can make big differences.

Also, this head has really NO background noise. I tried a lot of other stuff when I bought it and a lot of well known heads were having a constant "Siberian wind" along when using the distortion sounds. This istead is completely silent.

Too early to say.
The head is very weighty, and seems build very solid.

So far everything was ok, so no contact with GB.

I'm coming from years of digital stuff, PODs, and various artifacts. However I tried almost every amp around and I can say that this is one of the best I've heard.
I think it will be a long lasting companion. You can really go around with it, your guitar and a cable... and you won't miss anything.

This is a 100/50 watt switchable head. I almost bought the 60 watt, but I'm glad I stuck it out for the big guy, cause the 50 watt mode sounds great for certain applications, but the 100 watt mode can get as loud and powerful as you want it to.

Footswitchable features:
On the clean channel, you can boost the gain and volume a bit with the vintage switch or leave it on normal. Gain, Level, Bass, Treble, Mids. No particular bells and whistles, pretty straight foward. The distortion side, however, has the same controls as mentioned before, with the addition of a compression switch and a higher gain switch. These features come in handy like you wouldn't believe. On top of that, you have a contour knob (non-footswitchable switchable) which brings you from a more mid-based tone to a screeching bass-treble oriented sound. On top of that is a global attack knob, which serves as a lead boost sort of sound, bumping the high mids and producing a more cut-thru sound.

I don't really use the reverb, as it's not very present, and with the drummer in my band as loud as he is, with his 24" bass drum, you can hear the springs more than the actual effect.

I'm sure you can read all the site-listed features in other people's reviews.

I'm using this amp with fender telecasters. My main one being a '72 deluxe re-issue with a seymour duncan phat cat p-90 in the bridge. I also have a MIM tele standard with a seymour duncan quarter pounder in the bridge. My current cab is a marshall 2x12.

Even with just a 2x12, this cab gets as loud as you need it to. The EQ is active, and with each knob movement is a click, so you have more of a feel for getting that exact setting you're looking for. With the extensive list of tonal features via the distortion channel, you can go from completely scooped, demonic sound, to a british sound, to a pushed twin reverb. The main way I'd describe it in a nutshell, is perhaps a cross between a mesa and a marshall sound. It's thicker, with more bottom end and low mids than a jcm800, but clearer and less raspy than a mesa dual rectifier. As mentioned, you can get sounds way outside of those spectrums if that's what you're going for. The clean is more of a cross between a fender bassman and a marshall. Very full, rich sound, with mids that break up rather early, and sparkling highs.

I use it in a screamy, southern metaly, punky, 90's screamo type of hardcore band, a blend of say, Superjoint Ritual, At the Drive-In, The Jesus Lizard. People tell us we kind of sound like Refused. If you're going for that big, bombastic guitar sound, whether you're more into indie or metal, this amp is bombastic.

*Note: I've seen alot of metal guys on here complaining that you can get as much gain as sometimes needed out of it. I assure you, if you experiment with the countour, global control, compression, and high gain settings, you'll find what you're looking for.

I haven't had any major problems with this amp this far. I do hear some microphonics going down here and there about 30-45 seconds after i turn the amp on, but it haven't become and issue. Also, the footswitch started giving me problems about 2 or so months after purchase, but after contacting Genz Benz, they immediately agreed to fix it for no cost.

I didn't even fill out my warranty. I called in with any problems I had, and always the same guy answers the phone. Very calm, helpful, and persistent. I'm not afraid of any problems I may encounter with this amp because I know they'll be there to help me out. Great service.

I have owned/borrowed for short and long periods of time several amps.
A fender bassman 70 head (love it and own it to this day), a fender deville 2x12 combo (piece of crap, IMO), a marshall jcm 800 lead series head (loved it, belonged to a friend of mine), and i also own my beloved fender vibrosonic reverb combo.

This amp can get the sparkling clean sound of a fender, and it can achieve the meatier, distorted sounds of a marshall, a mesa, and plenty of other amps i've heard. I love this amp.

To be fair, it may not get as bR00tAl as some cats like, and the distortion features outweigh the clean features, but there's not a whole lot of ground this amp can't cover. If you're willing to spend the money, go for it.