Genz Benz El Diablo Head

They've been listed enough.

First of all, to all these "metal heads" out here than know absolutely nothing about tone, go buy a 6505+, crank your gain all the way up, and play whatever you want, no one will hear a single note you play. This is an amp for an actually talented guitar player. I'm using a Schecter C-1 Classic, and I play metal, death metal, metalcore, rock, blues, jazz, pretty much everything under the sun, and this amp performs like no other. I have a triple rectifier that can not tonally compete with this amp. The bass response when you get the volume up there is just thunderous, not to mention the G-Flex cab can handle a huge amount of volume and push out a ton of bass. I never turn my gain to full, it's unnecessary, you can get an amazing smooth, powerful, distorted tone without having to do so. I bought this back in February 09 and still love changing up the settings to see if I can find something even better, this amp is virtually limitless. I've heard terrible complaints about it, but when you actually own one and actually want your own tone, you'll find they're all bull ***t. If you want to sound like every other mediocre guitarist, get some turbo charged gain head, if you want your own unique sound and want to be able to hear every note and every dynamic of your picking, go with the El Diablo.

As with any tube amp head, never go to a gig without a spare power amp and a fuse. You never know if you're going to blow one out. However, other than that, neither I nor one of my acquaintances who also owns one have never had an issue. It is build like a tank, and though I still don't let other people move the head, the handles on it make me alot less worried if someone were to try and move it.

Never had to deal with them. From what I hear, they seem to be the best in the business. Then again, smaller companies usually care far more about your business than let's say, Peavey or Marshall.

Like I said, it bests my triple recto, it has a powerful, tight low end, and it's all about finding your own sound, not about getting something with one programmed sound and being a clone of everyone else out there.

Just about all the things your going to need for any style of music.

FIRST OFF, I'm going to clarify some stuff in here right not. There are lots of people in here who say this amp does not have enough gain. Or that this amp sounds like s***. Let me start off by saying, that the people who post these things are either A) haters or B) rookie guitar players who got into metal last week and want massive gain to cover up bad playing. A bad guitar player is a bad guitar player. No matter what amp or guitar. This amp has GREAT distortion and has LOTS of gain. You can play any style of music on this amp. From Coroner thrash metal to Skid Row to Jerry Reed. The cleans are what you would expect. It's not the most amazing clean, but sure as hell is a lot smoother and open than the Marshalls I got. But this amp is made to be played loud and with heavy music. I dont drop tune to C or anything like that. I play in Eb and this is a amp that I really work well with. Unlike other amps, the knobs actually do something. You have to realllly sit and tweak this amp. I am sure anyone will get a really great sound. And really, I found this amp for $700 almost mint. You cant find an amp like this for that price. PERIOD. THE ONLY THING I DID NOT LIKE, was the stock tubes. Honestly, they have to go. If you get this amp, before you start playing it, change the tubes. I changed them to special tubes and they are amazing.

still works great.

This is a players amp. You can play great metal music with this amp. You have to be a good player to play this amp. Or else your going to sound like crap. I have a modded Crate that has more gain than 100 marshalls combined and I am not kidding. I have so much gain on this amp that I modded, that the gain knob on 9 O'clcok is just useless...no one needs that kind of amp. The El Diablo is a solid working amp that can easily cover extreme music to rock to blues. If you get a good deal like I did. grab it and change ur tubes.

reviewing this amp for the second time. i didnt know what i was talking about the first time so here goes.

2005 or 2006 model. i put JJ 6l6 tubes in it for more gain and a better metal sound. fortunately this didnt take away from the clean channel at all.

I use this amp on 100 watt setting 100% of the time now, 50 sounds washy and half ass.

9/10 because of the time it takes to find the sound.
sensitive dials make for a articulate sound, dont just turn them and get pissed because it doesnt sound good. trust me, i did that for almost a year.

Dont be fooled. This amp has tons of gain, especially with the tubes i put in it. let it warm up. turn it on standby, make some coffee or walk your dog, start playing and you'll know the true sound of the amp.

channel 1: warm. it's like two channels in one. engage the vintage button and it makes a natural jangle clean baby spanking sound into a balls to the wall crunch. best clean i've ever heard, period. Clearest crunch i've ever heard, too. throw some reverb on there, and you've got yourself a clean that is unequaled...the on-board reverb is one of my favorite features.

channel 2: hot. Woah. someone ******** with my dials at band practice one day and i could tell, but it was still a brutal sound. Watch out for the 'tube contour' dial, i advise never turning it past 1 o'clock. It adds a lot of hair and makes any chord sound like a 100 square foot window being shattered. My settings, with the above listed tubes are somewhers around BASS 8 o'clock, MID 7 o'clock, and TREBLE 4 o'clock. seems very typical, but the sound is unique and can be changed with a single click of any of hte other dials. The mids are too much on this amp. I had to turn them way down to not sound crispy, but thats for a good chunky hard rock/metal tone.

Global attack: never use this. no opinion, no idea how to make it sound decent at all.


ever all, this amp does everything. better than a dual rec in some aspects, especially the clean channel and being able to cut through the mix. I want an engl fireball, but then again i dont want to part with this amp because i'll probably regret it when i start playing more mellow stuff to get chicks or something.

yea, just yesterday i was playing really loud and the amp went half-power or something, i pounded the top with my fist and it came back, i think a tube or wire came loose because it was so hot. this amp is reliable, it wont break, you wont ever drop it because of the handles, i just htink mine is old, and very used.

one day i called genz benz, their headquarters is in texas or something. Got a voicemail the first time because it wasnt during office hours. Next day, guess who picks up...Jeff genzler himself haha. he answers my question about biasing tubes and even offers me a footpedal at 20 percent off.

no warranty, no repairs done under warranty, no authorized dealers nearby. not in wenatchee washington, its a miracle we even have a music store.

i've been playing for 6 years, i pick up a guitar almost every day. i own a little vox vt30 or whatever with the preamp tube in it, and i use that when i'm not stage-volume, then i use my one and only half cab setup. genz benz el diablo 100 on a oversized mesa cab.

i love that i've finally found the sounds i've always wanted out of this amp, and they are better than i couldve ever imagined. i hate that it took me almost two years and 200 dollars in repairs to get that.

i compare it to a mesa dual rec, i've jammed with a guy who had the whole mesa half stack deal and a awesome les paul, and my setup was neck and neck with his, and this was before i had my whole sonic epiphany and found the holy grail sound of the amp.

i wish it had...oh wait it does have everything, nevermind.

buy this amp, replace the tubes immediately. be satisfied, because its not the amp, its you not being patient and letting it warm up long enough and not taking your time, moving the knobs one click at a time.

Tube Amp Head
switchable between El34 and 6L6 (although the EL34 is recommended in the manual)

Two channels with two choices each. Basically there are Four total tones selections. There is a boost switch (global attack) and the compression switch (which is awesome might i add)

100/50 watt switch for a different more grunty distortion.

I've had this amp for several years now and Ive been through almost every possible setting. This amp is a dream to fiddle with and come up with tones.

I have quite the variety of guitars. Schecter with EMG's, AMerican Strat with Hot gold Lace, P-90 Sidejack, Epiphone Sheraton II and several Baritones. running the gamut tonally here. High quality guitars to mid level champs.

I play alot of rock based music, everything from actual punk not that fallout boy crap, instrumental rock, shoegaze, a bit of metal etc...

at times the amp can be a tad noisy but that really seems to stem from the guitar your using. With one of my nicer guitars its practically silent.

Tones:
im going to break the tones down as such
A1 the standard clean sound, not over gained. I actually dont use it too much as it is pretty standard for a clean EL34 sound. It needs a bit of pushing to really shine. So use you boost pedals on a low gain boost or simple turn the gain knob and add some of that sparkle.
A2 This is main personal main clean sound. Its alot more touch responsive than A1 as it is further up on the gain ladder and the tone really shines here.


Distortion: i want to explain something here before moving on. This amp is not for your standard rediculous high gain sludge fest. This amp has something called...TONE...say it with me. TONE. goooood. Ok im not saying marshalls and mesas are no good but this amp is designed to give you tone that fills the room not overgained sludge that splits the ear. If you want a marshall...get a marshall..i have one too.
B1 Medium gain, very full. I love that the controls are based on + and - not 1-10. This means 12 o clock is a flat EQ and 1 o clock is added EQ etc..I like a nice middy distortion here, sounds very natural and is great for all around rocking. Also takes nicely to boost pedals and light overdrives.
B2 Love this channel, as i said before, its NOT super high gain, its just more full. When i played with my baritones on this channel people would come up to me after the show and just ask "what the f**k....that was awesome" Best description is FULL and POWERFUL.

this thing is a brute.

A BRUTE I SAY!

Jeff Genzler is the man and responded to my emails personally and within a few hours of me sending it.

I've been playing music for over 10 years. I have had a variety of amps and guitars. Currently my set up is a Vox AC30 CC2X and the El Diablo. And i have no plans on ever changing it. I wouldnt mind having Four individual channels to tweak but thats me basically wishing i could afford some boutique **** like a Diezel. This is a working mans amp

Two channel amp, reverb, contour knob, attack knob, 5 button footswitch, Svetlana EL34 tubes and switchable to 6L6's, and a TON of other features.

I would like to clear some things up that have pissed me off reading a lot of these other reviews. THIS AMP IS MADE FOR METAL. I simply cannot believe the people that say it isn't made for playing heavy styles. Obviously, these people played it for 10 minutes in a music store with the volume on half of one, without knowing how to turn the knobs properly, and then come home and write a review saying it's not a metal amp.

What I like about this amp is that is does NOT sound like a Marshall or a Mesa at all. It doesn't have any British vibes and it's worlds away from that hollow Dual Rectifier sounds everyone loves. It definitely has that boutique amp flavor without being horribly overpriced like a Bogner or Diezel.

I play Death Metal tuned down to B (real Death Metal like Asphyx, Bolt Thrower, Grave, Necros Christos, Winter, Mythic, etc) and the El Diablo sounds like a tank. It's also absurdly loud with the volume on 2. It's also MUCH quieter than most other amps if you have a decent pickup and don't stand right in front of it.

The clean channel is also very good and the reverb is plenty unlike a lot of amps where you wish it went up a couple notches more on the dial.

I would like to mention, if you plan to play HEAVY stuff with this, that you NEED a good cab. I'm playing it through a 400 watt Celestion Fender MH cab and it sounds great. If you try to play it through a Peavey type cab (which I have) it just eats the speakers alive. I would like to try the matching G-Flex cab someday, but I don't want to spend that much on a cab, so I'm happy with my Fender cab now.

I bought it used and have had no problems. It seems very solid and I don't picture any problems more than maybe blowing a fuse here and there.

Never had to deal with them, but I've read they are quite helpful. If I ever have problems, it's nice to know I can call them up and ask questions.

I have waaaaay more amps and guitars than anyone needs, but this is one of the best purchases I've ever made. If you bought it for the new price of $1400 it might not have been an amazing deal, but the fact you can get them used on eBay or Craigslist for less than $700 makes this a STEAL as far as boutique quality amps go.

I recently picked up a used B-52 AT-100 head which is also a very good head for the money.. But, after getting this Genz Benz, I'm going to sell it and grab another El Diablo. I really like the sound, character, and sonic destruction the amp puts out, and although I buy lots of gear and sell almost as much, I plan on keeping this one around for a looooooooong time.

As an owner of this amp for a number of years, I would like to give some advice about this amp. I always felt something was missing from the sound, as it had a crackly/ fizzy sound mixed in with the distortion, which always left me unsatisified. However, I finally figured out what was wrong.

1) CHECK YOUR AMP BIAS! My bias was way (read: WAYYYYYY) out of bias range (and was ever since I first got it). If yours is in range, adjust it to other mA values in tube range until you eliminate the fizzy/ brittle distortion. This finally took this amp to a new level for me. Also: YOU CANNOT SIMPLY FLIP THE EL34/ 6L6 SWITCH TO GET CORRECT BIAS when changing tube type (accompanying trim pot must be ajusted). I tried that earlier today with a multimeter to check, and it is not that straight forward. Though my bias was WAYYY off since I first bought the amp, so have things checked, even if you've never flipped the bias switch.

2) Have your guitars set up correctly. This amp is VERY sensitive to guitar setup. Pickup height, etc...

Hope this helps some people who have the same issues as I did. Now the high ratings for this amp make sense to me.

I'm lazy and they have been listed time and again.

This is why im writing this.

i hated this amp with the stock tubes...but i got an awesome deal.

change V1 to a lower output and the cleans are amazing.

my clean channels would break up at any setting and sound harsh and just plain hurt my ears...i put a groovetubes 12aU7 in V1 jj 12ax7 in v2 and a groovetubes 12ax7r-2 in v-3... i still want to change to 6L6 powertubes but i really like this amp now

seems to be good

customer support has been good..i still need the footswitch.

This amp was made in 2006.

The great thing about the El Diablo is that it is like having 4 amps in one. It's probably one of the most versatile amps I have ever encountered.

It has more features on it than I can list.

It is switchable from 50 to 100 watts so you can adjust the power level to your liking.

Mine came with EL-34 tubes. However with it has a switch so you can easily put in 6L6 tubes.

I use many types of guitars, Strats, Les Pauls, Hollowbodys, and a Gretsch. I play any and all types of Rock.

This amp can be used for just about any style due to its versatility.

If you read all the previous posts/ reviews about this amp you will see that peoples' opinions are all over the place. As someone who worked in a music shop that was a Genz Benz dealer, and who owns an El Diablo, I think I have found the problem. The problem is not the amp itself, but the G-Flex cabinet. The first time I ever played this amp I thought it was the biggest waste of money ever made. All I could hear was the mids, even when they were turned all the way down. If I had of written a review of this amp back then, I would have ripped it a new one. I'm glad I didn't. When I matched this amp with my Marshall 1960A cabinet with the standard Celestion G12-75 watt speakers, the El Diablo came alive. I couldn't believe it was the same amp. I also tried it with Warehouse Guitar Speakers Veteran 30's (Celestion Vintage 30 copies) and it sounded just as great. If you test drive this amp, make sure you use a Marshall or Laney type cabinet.

Also remember when test driving one to see what types of tubes are in it. With a flip of a switch you can change the tubes from EL-34's to 6L6's. My came equiped with EL-34's. When reading someone elses review of the El Diablo check what tubes where in the model they were playing. It might explain the differences in opinion.

The first thing I learned about this amp is that, the tone controls are the most sensitive of any amp I have ever played. You really have to dial in your tone. I personally like that. My Marshall JCM 900 SL-X's tone controls are totally useless. You have to take what it gives you. The El Diablo on the other hand has a huge (and I mean huge) wide range of adjustment on the tone controls.



There are two channels, warm and hot. However each channel has 2 channels within it for a total of 4 channels. On the warm side is clean and vintage. The clean reminds me a an old Silvertone amp. Not an exact copy, but that kind of smooth clean. The vintage reminds me of an older Marshall amp from the 60's. On the hot side is the classic gain, which is just about identical to a Marshall JCM 900 SL-X. The High Gain channel combined with the compression switch is close to Mesa type distortion. If you put the tone controls like the death metal dudes (highs and lows all the way to 10, mids all the way down to 0) you can get into some serious Pantera territory. I don't know how anyone could say this amp doesn't have enough distortion (I'm referring to another players previous review). Maybe they had an impedance mismatch, but play one for yourself, and you'll see that it's got more than enough distortion.

The clean channel stay's clean (from the amp.) Remember a lot of your clean tones come from the speakers not overdriving so quick.

The distortion can be brutal, but with the help of the compression switch it isn't muddy.

The only strike I can give is that my amp had an issue with blowing out fuses. I took it in, and the pro audio repairman said that it wasn't the amp so much as it was the tubes that came in it. They had a problem with not being as matched up as they should have been. It was an easy fix. The tubes were changed, and the amps bias was checked. It has worked fine ever since. Oh, and the warrenty covered the work and parts 100%.

I have to give them a 10 based on Genz Benz standing behind their warrenty 100%. Genz Benz has always been a good company for helping customers. They have a lot of authorized service centers so finding one was no problem. In fact the place that worked on it was 1/4 of a mile from where I bought it.

I have been playing music 20 years, and guitar 10 years. I own more gear than I really should.

I would definately replace this amp with another El Diablo head if mine quit working.

One of the neat perks of this amp is the blue color that it glows. It's just a nice touch.

There are two things on this amp that I don't particually hate, but I don't feel they are need to be on it. I'm referring to the attack control and tube contour control. I think they could do without both. Another thing that isn't really an issue, but I think I should mention is that that mids are a little strong. You can turn down the mids, and it will be fine. However, I thought I should mention it.

This amp has everything and more on it. I don't know if there's anything else that can be put on it.

I know I said it before, but if you test drive this amp, skip the G-Flex cabinet. Go with a Marshall, Laney, or Celestion loaded cabinet. It will make a world of difference.

this amp has a **** load of features
clean channel with classic/vintage settings
dirty channel with dynamic/compressed, high gain settings along with a tube countour knob
global attack switch for a boost
blue LEDs that look siiick!

my axe of choice is a Charvel AK for hard rock/metal/and jazzy bluesy things. the genz has a very warm and gentle clean tone..very delicate with the right eq settings. i love it honestly, and it breaks up superbly when things get rough. the dirty channel....well i found to realize the true tone of this amp you need to play it LOUD. yes at a low volume, it sounds muddy, mediocre, almost *****y. i actually don't mind it at low volumes, you gotta play with the eq, and have the right guitar if you're looking for a metal tone. that's what seems to be the problem most reviewers are complaining about. with my setup(which is guitar straight into the amp) its punchy, tight, hot and heavy. very pleasing to my ears. the only thing minor problem with them amp...is the treble. it's very hard to get a screaming pinch harmonic. this amp makes p.h.s sound like dog whistles...greg howe like which is kinda cool(greg howe is the **** go listen to him right now)

seems like it. the handles help me sleep at night cuz i know that there isn't a strip in the middle that might give out next time i pick it up.

never dealt with them but i hear they're excellent. and that jeff genzler will give you a new amp if yours is having trouble. that sounds good to me

i've read the reviews and it appears that players either love it or hate it. i've had this amp for 2 years before i was happy with the way it sounded. i absolutely love it. i found my tone. i'll admit i was unhappy with the way it sounded for the longest time, but i tweaked and tweaked and tweaked(the amp) and i finally got it. i've been playing for almost 8 years and i've gone to every music store and played other amps for hours and hours. i knew there was something special about this amp, it's very unique, not mainstream and you can find your true colors through it. give it a try, just remember to blast that **** all over the punks at guitar center

Alot of features including reverb and compression

Good for cleans, fairly good for old rock, TERRIBLE for new metal tones. Hardly any gain, quite noisy, terrible bass response - I had to turn the bass down to 0.5 so that my sound wouldnt resonate and sound so muddy. Generally not a good amp for metal AT ALL - the opposite of smooth!

Im not sure, but it looks fairly reliable

It looks appealing to the metal heads out there, but in this case, looks are deceiving!