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!

TONS of features. Active EQ, compression button, attack, clean vintage crunch and lead channels...reverb. It has everything

Okay, sound quality was my issue. The cleans were amazing. Fender-esque, and very full. The eq could take you anywhere, and when switchting to the "vintage channel" you get even more. Vintage is just clean with easier breakup. Cranking it loud got me sweet bluesy tones. Now...the distorion channel. First off, let me tell you this: ITS NOT MEANT FOR METAL. You can get oldies rock, rock, and hard rock very nicely. But if you are expecting crushing distorion with nice precise muting, you will be horribly dissapointed. The compression and high gain buttons on the amp add more gain, but its not enough. You can tweak it and fool yourself into thinking its more gain, but it just scoops it. It is also very messy sounding. IM a very clean player, but the distorion is a bit out of control and fuzzy. Hard to explain. Lets just put it this way: it's no 6505. If you arent into metal, youre fine. But seriously, an amp named "El Diablo" should have a better metal vibe.

It seems sturdy. I dont own it, just played it several hours at a store.

n/a

I've been playing a good while, play shred and solo stuff ala Satriani, and play in a metal band with Bodom like riffs. This amp cant keep up and is meant for those who listen to music from 85 and earlier. Its great at that stuff though. And man, that clean channel was tasty. Pity I can't have that clean on my 6505. Also, for reference, I played my Ibanez RG with evolutions though it, as well as a LP. Sounded weak either way.

10 I have had this amp for 4 years now. I play metal. I tried and owned the mesa boogies and they suck!!! This amp delivers a way better sound for low end play. The built in compression is great.

The low end is great. It is not the best amp for mid players. If you like mid scoops and low end it is awesome. change the pre-amp tubes with tung sol 12Ax7's.

I have had it 4 years never a problem, just now having to change tubes.

never needed it.

I played every amp possible and I made the choice to get this one. It has a killer tone witout having to pay over 2000. I tried everything and nothing could convince me to buy something more than this. Even if you are not a fan of the distortion you can buy a good pedal for 200, and it is still cheeper than buying a more exspensive amp. But you will be brillianty supprised with the sound of this amp.

i have try this amps twice

at music store el diablo head and cab genz benz

at a band pratice with my band with marshall MFcab

beautiful amps blue led are cool :)

i using a jackson dkmg with emg 81 and 85 i have compare my guitar for a lot of other and she give me very good sounds!

i play mostly melodic metal...death metal..black metal(with good sound)

not very noisy with my guitar

ok theres the begining of my sound opinion

i have try this amps at music store with genz benz cab the boy of the shop say...thats the amp we have to compare with mesa boogie...
the sound dont give me amazing feeling...sound loud...but for the price im not surprise...thats sound ok for me

i tried the same head at a band pratice of death metal in a marshall MF cab supose to be a good cab but i have never try before..when i put the switch on and see how the sound has horrible i say...its impossible...i try a lot of seting but with this marshall cab the amps was always muddy sound i cant cut...try to push down gain...try to push down high frequency no result..to much muddy and no low end sound..this amps sound very dry with that cab

remember that cant be a good amps WITH THE GENZ BENZ CAB!!!!
if youre player cant play always in your own cabs in live never buy it

the good sound of the amps dont come from the heads he come from the genz cab....i have marshall 1960 lead loaded with celetion v30...i have try my peavey triple xxx in this genz benz cab and be very suprise of the low end and attack of that cab thats very nice...but more midle and definiton in my marshall can be a good complement cab to mix with marshall cabs

other point i want to say...some people here says this sound like rock amps...mostly tube amps need to be overdriving with pedals to get the best sound of it...thats what a lot of studio producer says to me....configure your disto gain at very low volume and put the overdrive

in fact for the price...you can get a better amps for metal like peavey 5150...peavey triple xxx...mesa dual rectifier(more expenssive but not a lot more)if youre sure to play always in benz cab that can be ok but not more than ok

remember a sound good in the store dont make you sound good with a band ...thats what some people dont keep in mind...

Go for a ENGL if you have the money dont loss your time

3 chanel a lot of buton seting +

genz benz cab work great to get more low end in your seting +

not a good amps to play with a band-

head dont work with other cab than genz benz cab -

I???m hesitant on listing the features since there are so many but I???ll hit the highlights. All tube (comes with EL34 and 12ax7). It has two channels, ???Warm??? and ???Hot???. Each channel has Gain, Volume, Low, Mid and High EQ and Reverb level. The hot channel also contains gain type select, texture control and tube contour. There is also a global section that contains master stuff and an attack control. The warm channel covers super clean to vintage pushed that responds well with picking attack. The hot channel covers everything from punchy overdrive to high gain saturation. There is a separate FX loop for both channels and a global FX loop.

It comes with a 5 button footswitch that covers everything switchable on the amp. It is very versatile and allows for switching from clean to high gain and everything in between. I bought this amp mainly for the high gain feature but was blown away with all the rest of the tones you can get out of it.

As mentioned, this amp covers clean to high gain. I demo???d the amp for about 45 min before buying it. Within about 30 minutes of use at home, I had almost all my tones dialed in. Sure there are tones it doesn???t do, but no amp does it all. The distortion is sweet. It has very nice high gain and vintage distortion. I was looking at getting a Mesa recto but the cost was more than I wanted to pay. The Genz-Benz easily covers Mesa ground. I was looking for distortion similar to Hoobastank, 3 Doors Down, etc; not a problem for the Genz-Benz. This amp covers all of the tones I have been searching for.

The amp is built solidly. It features smooth detent position pots for the controls and the switches are all high quality. There was a problem with the global Attack button on the footswitch when I bought the amp, but I was able to fix it within10 minutes after getting it home. The most likely cause was a year???s worth of demoing on the showroom floor where I got the amp.

Never dealt with them.

This is a great amp; it is what I have been looking for for many years. I have been playing for about 25 years and have played throguh numerous amps. Currently, I play it through a Trutone Custom 2x12 with Vintage 30s and it sounds great. Main guitars are an Edenhaus custom and a Yamaha AES620. I would definitely buy this amp again. I looked at Mesa, Carvin, Peavey, etc. this blows away all of them.

skip all that shit. if you want this amp you'd have known all the features already.

This is a 'features' amp. It's flexible and you can get many different sounds out of it. It has the handlebars for carrying the thing around, which really helps. And unlike normal amps, when you turn the dials, they click like some dental hardware or something. its cool.

the blue glow is just fun, it adds a little mood to a show or practice in a dark room. my drummer cut out a paper cross and taped it to the amp so it would show and upside-down cross in the blue light.

Another cool feature is the 50/100 watt selector in the back. if you arent turning up super-loud, leave it on 50.

i dont have the footpedal. its functional, but unless youre going to be doing solos every five seconds and have to make 3 or 4 sound changes, the texture and global attack buttons are useless.

it can cover a lot of ground with so many fancy tools and gadgets, but for some that makes it difficult. I see people giving a lot of bad reviews for this amp and thats total bs. you just have to work with it for a while and once you get used to it you'll find the sound(s) you need.

The 'warm' channel does kind of suck, and when the gain is high it doesnt give in like normal amps. I can get a really good poppy rock sound out of it, but i cant get a good true clean.

okay so the 'hot' channel has two little buttons under the category 'gain texture.' I dont use the dynamic texture, i think it's just raspy mid and high tone. Everything else is pretty easy to fix up as long as you dont use too much global attack. Though it does absolutely make your sound cut through the mix, it tends to sound like a rusting rake after you hit half or so on the dial. Also watch out for the tube contour dial. I'm not sure if it's just my tubes, but this is a very sound-defining dial. It can make your sound deep and fat, or tight and crispy, and i find myself at a perfect sound right at half.

The low end is good, very tight and responsive, but through this amp you can easily make a muddy sound if you dont know what you are doing. If you get that sound, try something else, turn everything to half and start over or buy a new cab.

I play high gain punchy metal and this amp delivers. I replaced the original ruby tubes or whatever they were with 6L6's and they sound amazing.

This amp is not noisy, with active pickups its absolutely silent when i'm not playing.

I've played this amp without active pickups and on the same settings that i would play actives with, i got a little squeal when i muted the strings but that is all. if youre going to play high gain music then get better pickups.

yes, this is a very durable amp. it seems to wear in tubes very quickly though. if the amp you are buying is used, get new tubes for it.

i've been playing guitar for 4 years.
i own another marshall head that sucks.

i wouldnt buy another one of these if i lost mine, i'd get a madison, which ironically, has a red light in the amp.

This amp is very versatile, and it can deliver lots of good sounds, not just crappy versions of all of them.

I hate getting used to it. When i first bought this amp i thought i made the worst move in my life, but it just takes time to learn how to manipulate the interface.

I have to hand it to Genz-Benz. This amp is feature stricken. With the effects loops, watt selector, compression, handy foot switch, side handles, direct out, tube selection, and very usable front panel, Benzler really did his homework. There are many practical features that would be embraced by many more pros if they only yielded better tone.

I am a studio engineer/musician and I play every style. Usually, I record with a wide selection of amps and emulators. In the studio, El Diablo's clean was very unpleasant and did not distort the way most tube amps do. It was almost reminiscent of digital clipping, like older solid state amps. On the distortion side, I was actually stumped. I couldn't figure out how an amplifier could sound muddy, yet I could hear every little mistake in my playing. Some amps give, others don't. Even though I play professionally, I still like an amp that gives a little. This probably won't make sense to everyone. Next order of business was to check the direct out. I was impressed. It actually sounded very similar to the cabinet in terms of how it responded (dare I say better?). I did notice that 3 Doors Down uses these amps and in actuality, I found one tone on both sides that would cover their style just fine. I could live with THAT tone, but as far as tonal versatility...if you spend your life looking for an amp that will cover every style perfectly, you'll come up empty handed. It's best to find an amp that suites your playing style and accomplishes the task at hand. The El Diablo is not a bad amp if you need some top 40 rock/pop distortion, but it's not for everyone. I've heard better stories about the black pearl, and I'm very interested to try one. As for El Diablo, I think a six is fair. Benzler makes good products and I don't think this reflects all of them.

I hear it's great.

I'll just talk about the features that I found interesting... you can read the other bits on their website:

The two-handle setup for transporting it is AWESOME. It's such a pain to cart heads around; the two steel handles on this thing make carrying SO much more comfortable.

The ability to switch between 3 power tube types is also very cool (6L6, EL34, and 5881). It also has a power selector.

It's got an active EQ, which is different than alot of tube amps, and it helps a good bit. It also has 3 effects loops: one for each channel and a "global" loop.

I'll make this "disclaimer" up front: I'm into a full-on metal sound for fast, rich, articulate, but brutal technical death metal. That's what I was looking for in this amp, because they had such a good sounding "metal" clip on their site.

Well, I fell for it and can say, without reservation, this amp *SUCKS* for metal. You want killer metal tone, stay away from this amp. Best you'll get is AC/DC type hard rock.

In fact, to my ears, it sounds like a cross b/t a pale imitation of a Marshall JCM900 and one of those little tiny Crate PowerBlock units. I'm no fan of a JCM900, but if you want that sound, buy a Marshall.

The distortion, slight as it was, was not crisp, nor was it articulate, nor refined. It sounded more like a crappy stomp box... thin and screechy on one end, dull and farty on the other.

I have 5 different guitars with all manner of pickups, and none of them sounded good through this amp. My current cabinets are Marshall Mode Fours with 2 of the speakers in each replaced with Eminence. These cabs sound great with anything put through them... except this amp.

But, on the brighter side, this amp's active EQ gives it plenty of low end.

Oh, and another thing... this damn thing is kinda noisy. Lots of pops and clicks... could be the tubes, though.

My ENGL Fireball destroys this head, hands down, for this style music.

I don't know and don't care, as it won't be in my possession long enough to worry about. Seems solid enough, though. Haven't seen the inside to see how things are mounted.

don't know.

I've been playing close to 20 years and have been through all manner of amp gear (Peavey, Marshall, Mesa, ENGL, VHT, Rocktron... heads, cabs, power amps, pre amps from them all...).

It really bothers me when people talk about Metal Tone, but don't REALLY know what they're talking about. Real Metal is not just fuzz-faced, inarticulate, non-sensical garbage-gain... it's focused, tight, articulate, has much depth/layering, and is actually quite dynamic if you take the time to listen. If they all sound like this one, to say this amp can produce metal tones is disgraceful.

This amp, like so many others (particularly the Marshalls) has been a huge disappointment.

2007 model - This amp roars, side by side with a dual rect. it puts it to shame. I play everything from Metal - Hard Rock - Ambient Clean Tones and it does it all. I wish it's FX loops were arranged differently but maybe i just haven't perfected them yet since there are 3 one for each channel even the boost. the glowing blue tubes rock, i know its not important to sound but its got a nasty look to it glowing blue behind and to the celling. I has these side handles that make it great for moving. It's knobs click and lock not a smooth roll so they stay in place better than other models making a consistent tone easy without the hassle of marking them with tape or such.

This sound can do tones, i got rectifier tones, old mesa Carlos Santana tones,Texas blues and so on. so far if i want it I just dial it in. The Distortion tears and with the ported g-flex has a low end that outmatches anything I have seen. I use a an American Strat with standard pickups and a seymor duncan in the bridge, great tones but my LTD with seymore duncans unleashes the beast. not noisy at all, the classic tube buzz but breathe and its louder than that.

seems sturdy, haven't had it long enough yet

great go get it you wont be disappointed, sounds good on any cab but get the g-flex and bring the beast to life!

I think the amp is 2005 or 6

I play SRV, ACDC, Jimi I guess old school. More of a hobbyist than a performer. OK fine, I suck but I still rock out in my spare time.

If you want the specs look it up. Find a music store that has one and try it out. You might be pleasantly surprised how flexible this thing is. It is absolutely stocked with different dimensions of tone control.

It was a floor demo and had replacement Electro harmonix EL34s. I'm not touching them. I love it.

I has too much power for my living room. On the 50W setting I can get it up to about 5 before getting the cops called.

Number one, it's quiet even with a ton of gain. I've tried the big names and it's as good or better.

The clean is a tad sterile If I switch to the center PU of my strat it improves. The reverb is not classical souding but it's different and can lead to some interetsting effects. Can't turn up the reverb toom much or it loses the harmonics.

The hot blues is great.
The ACDC sound just makes me want to play until my fingers bleed. Oh yea I use a Marshall 1960 CAB, that helps.

I tried some Eddie VH tones and it was sounding really good -no BS.
The muted crunch is freaking fun. Makes me want to try some of the newer stuff.

The Genz Benz cab I tried was totally punchy, that's a good thing sometimes. I was tempted. I bet it would crush Doritos with some d tuned crunch. Don't hesitate to go with a Marshall cab though. You won't be disappointed.

I have a POD XT LIve and I have not even been tempted to plug it in. That's how much flexibility this thing has.

who knows? I've had it for three weeks.

Ive heard great things but you never know.

If it burns in a fire, I'll buy the exact same thing with the insurance money.

I swear you can get both Marshall and Mesa sounds out of it, not fender though. If you are looking for something a little different get a benz cabinet and you'll be blowing people away.

My seymor duncan texas special humbucker isn't even that hot. Get a hot PU and you'll be in crunch heaven.

This great amp have all features what you can imagine. Most important for me is how easily you can switch tubes from EL34 to 6L6 or how I use, with Tung-Sol 5881.

I??ve used earlier Marshall like 30th anniversary cab and head and old JMP. But from this amp you can get so much more varieties.

No problems this far, I have had it now about year. I have gigs about once in a month or so, but using it at least twice a week.

Excellent! Jeff Genzler himself have replyed for all of my questions.

I??ve been playing now about 20 years, mostly rock and stoner kind of things. This is just best I have tried. And price is half than other similar amps. At least here in Finland.

Made 2006. Very versatile it has 2 channels warm channel and hot channel. The warm channel is like two cahnnels when you switch from normal to vintage there is a huge difference in the sounds both very good. Hot channel is like 4 channels there is classic and modern gain switch and a dynamic and compressed switch. All of the combos of the switches sound good and with these 2 switches you can go from classic rock to classic metal to nu metal and any where in between.
The amp can run 50 or 100 watts both good. 3-12ax7s 4-el-34s 3 effect loops one fro the warm one for the hot and one global.

Warm channel on normal good cleans on vintage good bright cleans and with the gain up a pretty good crunch. The hot channel is a beast great tones stones to sabbath. Will do the scooped thing like no other amp. Like single coils and humbuckers hot pickups and not so hot pickups all sound good with this amp. I play anything from jazz, rock,funk, country and soul with this. I have it paired with a genz benz g-flex 212 nice open sound massive low end you cant make this cab fart. The amp is nice and quiet for such a high gain monster. Records well and pisses off my band mates with its hugh sound.

So far all is good I think it should hold up wellI really baby my gear anyway.Take care of your gear it will take care of you. I always have a back up because tubes may go at any time. If you are a pro you have a backup.

Havent had to deal with them but from what ive heard they are tops.

I been playing for a long time. I have several amps. Groove tubes solo 150,peavey classic 50, fender blues deluxe,mesa boogie subway rocket,I would buy this again. This amp is well thought out and has its own sound. If you cant find a tone you like with this amp you shouldnt be playing.

I love the versatility of this amp. Great tone shaping control, the EQ sections ae great.

Killer!!! Great clean tone. I recently had a 67 Fender Twin, Blackface, it doesn't get that tone exactly but is by far the best sounding clean channel I have heard. I have had many amps Mesa Rectifier, Quad preamp, Triaxis, Rivera, Soldano Sp77, Fender Twin, Marshall Lead 100 and 25th Anv head, PV 5150. I have run all these through a 74 Marsahll 412 with Celestion T1281's. The lead or gain channel has a likeness of a lot of these amp tones. No amp will give you the exact tone unless you buy that amp. So if you are looking from that Marshall tone, get a Marshall etc. This amp does have it "Own Tone" which I love. Great crunch from a slight overdrive to shred. The compression setting really focuses the tone, which I found Metallica-like.

I have an old G&L Legacy, Kramer Pacer and Barretta (W/ EMG's)and all sound good. The amp has a strong input stage.

I have only owned it a few months. Great so far

Have not called or emailed yet, but other peoples feedback looks positive.

Give this amp a listen. You may want to try it through different cabs and speakers. I have found over the past 24 years of playing that the cab plays an equally important in your tone and most people just buy a cab. This amp has the features I needed with the versitiality in tone I wanted.

This ampis my first head unit, was using a Laney vc100 until now. This amp has just about everything i need. 2 Channels, The eq is active and the knobs are notched to help prevent accidental movement. 50 or 100 watts with footswitch. go to genzbenz.com for the details. the only problem i have with this amp is that the reverb is not footswitchable with the footswitch that comes with the amp, you have to buy another single function switch to do this.

this amp does not feedback when the gain and channel volume are maxed, might when master volume is p a bit but the volume is incredibly sensitive, i play on three with earplugs in. I can get 80's mid scoop metllica tones or fiddle the tube contour and get nice sabbath. switchable compressor adds to the metal tone. Nice cleanbut you can get way TOO much reverb on this amp, each channel has a knob and ther is a master reverb.

you can call the company and the owner will talk to you. need i say more.

My friend has been bulshittered around by mesa becase his roadking and triple rectifier keep overheating. (you do NOT need 17 tubes)

have not contacted myself, just other reviews say what i did abouve

awsome amp, the led's make it look awsome and it will stad out against everything else.

The one I got was one of the first runs of the head. The most versatile tone controls EVER!

By now, you might have read a lot of reviews on this amp, or might be about to, but this is the official scoop on the amp. True or false? The amp has no gain, despite Genz Benz's claims. False! The amp does have a considerable amount, but what a lot of people don't understand is that most amps sound like crap when they're completely saturated on the preamp. True or false? On its own, the amp has no versatility and the modes don't do much of anything. False! The amp's versatility, though reasonably good on its own, is fully maximized when combined with different pedals. The Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde is a very stong personal recommendation, by the way. Best damn distortion pedal ever!

Works just fine.

I hear Jeff Genzler himself answers the phone all the time.

Like anything, it's a matter of personal taste. I strongly recommend it, because you can get any sound you want out of it, and that's just what I'm into. It makes a tremendous difference, though, what guitar, pedals and cabinet you use. My advice? Run whatever guitar you want through a Jekyll and Hyde and then the El Diablo and then the G-Flex 412. That cab is amazing!

all the features have been covered but my favorite by far is the tube contour, which should be included on all amps from this day forward! this amp, for me, covers all of these styles without changing any EQ or anything, with it's switching options. however it gets a 9 because nothing is perfect.

I play everything from blues, rock to metal, and have experienced tones appropriate for nearly any application in these styles. the clean can go from a near acoustic sound with the right pickups (I have and EMG 81 in the bridge and 2 SA's single coils in mid and neck), to a full bodied, jangly jazz tone, moving into SRV breakup with my TS-808. Probably the most lively and variable clean channel in any High Gain amplifier. The hot channel has a very warm crunch to it, and with the gain low enough can emulate an overdriven plexi with near perfect accuracy. Taking it up a notch the amp's excellent EQ can produce tones in the likeness of Clapton, Page, and Van Halen all on the first stage of gain. Delving into the realm of hard rock and metal, this amp, paired with a G Flex cab can dish out serious bottom end ranging from a hot rodded Marshall growl to a Framus or Soldano punishing low end punch with the ease of twisting the tube contour. If you're looking for an amp to cover all bases, this is the best amp out there in my opinion, especially for it's price! It's only competitors are hand-wired amps that go for upwards of 2000. I recommend running a Ibanez TS-808 pedal with this amp to maximize it's capabilities.

I haven't ever had a problem with this amp, and even if you have a minor problem with it, such as say a loose knob or switch, you get a brand spankin new amp because the warrantee on these things rocks tits.

I've personally met Jeff Genzler at a clinic in my area (Vancouver, WA) and the man is incredibly knowledgeable, courteous and is really out there for the customer. He personally addresses all emails and will answer any question, take care of any problem, and give suggestions. He shipped me out a new JJ tesla tube based on my description of the music I play. Can you depend on that from Mesa? no, I don't think so.

Overall this amp is the best piece of equipment I own, it has never given me problems and is the key to me souding great. If you're looking for truly extraordinary tone then this amp can produce it.