Diezel VH-4S

(Originally written by tubart/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
I bought this amp head to a dishonest Audiofanzine member who sold it broken to me.

I've been owning it for almost one month.

UTILIZATION

Rather easy to use. Four channels and ideal rear connections. Check them all before connecting speaker(s). Comprehensive but not so complex like a Mesa amp for example.

SOUNDS

Diezel has a strong identity and a very unique gain, which is difficult to explain in words. The four EQs are effective but extremely versatile. The amp faithfully reproduces what your playing... I play a Les Paul Custom Orville By Gibson with Gibson HB-L and HB-R pickups. I get a vintage full sound. I played it with an Epiphone Les Paul Custom and it sounded different. It's a high-quality amp because I tested both guitars with another system (Marshall JMP1 + Mesa 20/20) and it wasn't as easy to tell the difference. Wide dynamic response (I connect the VH4S to a 16 ohm, 2 x 12" ENGL speaker cabinet with V30 speakers). The stereo effect is really good, the sound is rich, thick and wide (perfect if your band has only one guitar). The attack is incredibly well-defined regardless of the gain setting and the channel you use... Even the fourth channel reproduces every note of shred licks accurately.

_ Channel 1: the clean sound is wonderful, certainly the best among current amp heads (although my best experience was with the clean channel of a tube Koch combo). You can give it a modern touch with a brilliance switch. It's perfect! The guitar sings like with a Fender amp. With a Les Paul, set the gain to 9 o'clock to get a mellow sound. At 12 o'clock, the sound gets very punchy (funky licks become powerful...). With higher settings, you get a nice blues rock distortion perfect for blues, rock or even punk rock, depending on the guitar. As a summary, with this channel and the volume control of your guitar you'll have lots of sounds...

_ Channel 2: With low gain settings this channel sounds a bit fatter than channel 1, and it crunches with humbuckers. The sound reminds me of old Marshall amps (see Plexi...) and it is very warm. With higher gain settings you get a boosted JCM800 distortion... A bit more violent than AC/DC. Once again, this channel opens a vast field of experimentation!

_ Channel 3: Even with the gain set to the minimum you'll hardly get a clean sound except (maybe) with single-coil pickups. Depending on your playing the sound varies from clean to crunch. When the gain control is set to 12 o'clock (I don't turn it beyond one o'clock) the amp provides an excellent distortion for power rock and 80's heavy metal with much brilliance and a strong character. This channel is currently my favorite.

_ Channel 4: The "mega" channel! Amazingly powerful! Huge gain headroom: you won't need to turn beyond one o'clock. This channel is conceived for people who feel limited with channel 3... It's a delight for hi-gain fans.

Update from 03/08/2009: I've been playing the VH4S one week with a Fender Telecaster Baja. This mid-range guitar sounds great with this amp... The clean channel sounds wonderful with single-coil pickups, channel 2 is made for blues and channel 3 is great for rock'n'roll rhythm and solos. I also want a Tele...

OVERALL OPINION

I've owned many amps (15 watt solid-state Fender, Marshall Valvestate 265R stereo, JCM2000TSL100 head, Marshall JMP1/Brunetti Mille/Tech21 Sansamp PSA1, Peavey Classic 50-50, VHT 2/50/2) and I've tried out lots of gear. I was looking for an amp head that combined the vintage Marshall sound with modern sounds. I thought about buying a Bogner Ubershall but I'm used to playing with a stereo setup so I don't like mono heads anymore...

The VH4-S provides all features I was looking for (including Midi control) and it has a strong sound character. You'll love or hate this amp! The sound "sings" more than the Mesa rectifier Series (I also thought about buying a Dual Roadster) but the sound character is so exciting... If I ever buy another amp it would be because I want another sound character (not a better one, only a different one) and less output power –if you want to use this amp to its full capabilities you have to overdrive the power tubes, which means you must play at loud volumes (when I play in an apartment, the sound is very different...).

It's just an premium amp, try it...

I mailed the notice of the head aprsrvision bought a secondhand Afien unscrupulous, it will recognize (rancor inside).
I possde this head now for almost a month.

USE

Relatively simple, the 4 channels rglent easily, the rear connection is Idale, we must lean on carefully especially before connecting (s) speaker (s). It's complete, but not as complicated as in Mesa for example.

SONORITS

Diezel possde a strong identity, a very personal grain always difficult thing to explain with words. Manire Gnrale of the 4 galisations are effective without being too versatile. Is it worth prciser this kind of amp only return what you send it ... I play a Gibson LP Custom By Orville (HB-L microphones and Gibson HB-R) and the sound is Vintage and full, I tried with an Epiphone LP Custom is ... something else. This difference between instruments is less sensitive to forcment amps infrieures ranges (I test the same guitars recently on a Marshall JMP1 + poweramp Mesa 20/20, the difference n'tait not as obvious). The dynamic is the VH4S I plug in a 2x12 Mount ENGL V30 @ 16 ohms. The stro really full, the sound is rich, thick, take space (nickel if your your only guitarist in a group). Note also the incredible definition of the attack remains whatever the gain level used channel ... Mrs channel 4, the notes of a plane shred remain very noticeable.

_The Clear channel 1 is beautiful, certainly the very best on the market of the current amp heads (my best memory in this modern GRADE amp was the clear channel of a combo Koch lamps), little is tle "modernize" len operating a brightness switch, impeccable. really sing, think Fender. gain around 9am with an LP sound is soft, noon began snapping svre (hola..les casseroles are shaking my own jeans ...), pushing it even comes a distortion rock / cool blues, which according to the guitar can be perfect for blues, rock, punk rock look with humbucker. In short, with this simple channel and a volume knob on the guitar, it is already a lot of things ...

_canal 2: low gain, it's a little more fat than channel 1, and slightly crunch with double coils, it sounds Marshall in his heyday, to turn pale plexi ... mamamia that the sound chaloreu! pushing the gain, you get a distortion JCM800 boosts ... a little more wicked than the AC / DC for example, again, this channel is itself a land of experimentation tr s wide.

_canal. 3: difficult to maintain a clear gain her down, but can be with single coils (test not performed Start with a light crunch sound that easy to reach, pass gain 12pm (I arr 1h you and it is already excellent) powerrock a distortion / metal 80's excellent, very bright and grainy. It is the channel that I use for the most time.

_Canal 4: The "mega" channel. As the name suggests, spits hard. The gain only feature is standard, not worth dpasser 1h. This channel is above all to reassure users that would feel limits on channel 3 ... Happiness for addicts Hi Gain.

edit the 08/03/2009: I play for one week on the VH4S Fender Telecaster Baja with a friend. Mid-range guitar (but very very honorale even when ...), yet what is a bitch in this amp ... The clean channel is really wonderful with single coils, the channel 2 DETAILEDREPORT for blues, and 3 gnial channel for good rock'n'roll rhythms and solos. Mamamia quickly a TV me ...

NOTICE GLOBAL

I possd lot of amps (Fender 15watts Transistor, Marshall Valvestate 265R stro, head JCM2000TSL100 Marshall JMP1 / Brunetti Mille / Tech21 Sansamp PSA1, Peavey Classic 50-50 / VHT 2 / 50/2) and tried a lot of stuff I was looking for a head amp mlangeant his vintage Marshall and modernity I have long thought Bogner (Ubershall), but having used a config stro for several years, I had trouble with the heads mono ...

The VH4-S responds all the characteristics I was looking for (MIDI controllable, nickel), she is kind, the kind of amp you love or dteste. The grain is singing the correct sries Mesa (yet I hesitated with Dual Roadster), but this grain tempted me so much ... If I change into a more or less near future, ie, is another grain (not better, not worse, just something else), and less power to operate because the possibilities of VH4S, we must seek the lamps and thereby play a dj volume consquent (I play in an apartment right in Lyon, passes, but the sound has nothing to do low volume ...).
What more ... excellence among others, try ...

Amp lamps
2x50 w

UTILIZATION

4 channels with qualo indpendant
effects loop (series and parallle)

SOUNDS

This is the problem I have with this amp one that I kept 2 years but I was not fully satisfied.
I find it really dry the grain either in clear or crunch satu.De more I can not find the super qualisation fficace.J got a BOGNER the fish with a peavey 50/50 that I find much warmer, I ssay a Carvin Legacy is a head trs qualitj'ai had a good head KOCH IMMEDIATE MultiTone I sent back because it sounded too much like the Diezel, the BOGNER Shiva is very well galement.J 'I finally fell for a head FENDER SUPERSONIC command.J I' ve also a head VOX has a great sound.
Everything that we need to really SSAI and the gear does not rely on the advice of autres.Quand I Achey in 2003 c'tait supposedly the best in the world and head j confess that the DMOS taient convincing.
That said it's still the same high-end gear apparently trs making metal, but like me, Gave me a mtal ....

OVERALL OPINION

Most
Power Mad
indpendance of 4 channels
DEFINITIONS comprssion and imprssionnante (scrambler on your way!)

the -
Power Mad
head baffles or baffle stroncessitant 2 Bridge (1 stanby only)
the grain (this is only my opinion)
weight.
The misspelling in the name. (Sometimes I laugh alone, but this is rare)

Objective analysis:
Tube amp, a true stereo 2x50W
Section faders complete settings for each channel
Bright mode selector on channel 1 and 2
Available controls: gain, treble, mid, bass, volume per channel
Insert FX - Loop per channel
6L6 power tubes
28 kg
5350 Swiss francs
Footswitch twelve o'clock

Objective analysis:
Polished finish, but lumberjack. the 28 kilos are still portable. Good overall quality.

(10) All we want and more, lack of integrated effects, but users of this kind of stuff they know why.

UTILIZATION

Floor must be a time to have "the best" effort, a lot of knobs, lots of options, many settings. But the head has everything that the heart has to offer.

The effects loop selectable channel is already established.
Being able to set a channel as desired and the store is another highlight
The controls are there in a reasonable and are effective.

(10) demand that the people

SOUNDS

I loved the clean channel is exactly the kind of sounds I like to clean. Sounds this rich, warm once set. Note that we can give different characters are all very good.

Then when it came to crunch and overdrive I was disappointed. I thought the sound was too built around a buzz .... the transients sounded a bit muffled and the head extends rapidly in the bass. The transition from clean to crunch was not as good, with its too tortured for me.

Have a vibrant saturations confusing and a high degree of gain.

By-cons, the head is beautiful with various overdrives and distos, the effects loop is super efficient, harmonics are transcribed, the dynamic is very faithful to what is played ... we feel that it's all good quality amp, it's just not my thing in terms of sound.

(4) blah ...

OVERALL OPINION

Good head, but that's a really special and it will appreciate.

(8)