Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
Stand blended vh4 with jmp1 on my fav tones of theirs . So good
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
See I’m just easy going . Almost all these amps we all talk about I loved them in different ways . Has fun dialing them in . Wether Diezel wizard 2203 you name it I can did them for what they are . Not too many that’s I done right dislike
C0UNT3RP01NT
Member
Totally! I don't see any reason why people should hate on other's gear, in the same way I don't think you should ever fully buy into your stuff as being the ultimate in regards to tone.
The same way you did, I tried to offer an honest fair perspective that was more nuanced than "This amp is the best thing I have ever played!" It is the best amp I've ever played, but my experience is limited. The "best" (at least most expensive) amp I had before this was a 5150iii. So the high end boutique market was totally foreign. I never could find any to play, and I never knew anyone who had one. This forum self-selects for gearheads who seek out the high end stuff, that's why I'm here, and I'm sure a lot of others are. This high end stuff isn't anywhere near as common as rig-talk members make it seem like it is.
Adam Jones made me fall in love with that dark, heavy, clear, articulate distortion that he developed on Lateralus. My EVH was exactly the kind of amp you were talking about. It was just too bright for me, and it was kind of muddy if the low end got too high. So I wanted a high-end amp. I went with the amp that inspired me, but if I had a fair chance to compare it to others, I wasn't definitely sold on it.
Which is why I'll be honest about it. What it does, I think it does incredibly well. I love it. But it's dark and kind of dull. A lot of what I thought was the VH4 was the Marshall. I like darker amps, but Diezel's are really dark. If I find an amp that is still dark but not as dark, with the same kind of Hi Fi clarity the Diezel has, I'd trade for it. But that could be impossible? I'm not going to sell what I'm already very happy with for a chance that I could see a tiny improvement with another amp I've never played. How do I know I won't get that one and then it's not good enough and I end up wishing I had back the amp that inspired the gear hunt in the first place?
Jugghaid
Member
Not my sound. For the $$$$ there are a lot of other amps I would go for.....and I think the Herbert sounds even worse honestly.
RaceU4her
Well-known member
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
The OP messsged me before that his vh4 was perfect to him . So wondering if he’s still loving it or the honeymoon is over ?
saxxamafone
Well-known member
and live I think he's sending 1 amp left and the other right.
He talks about using 2 different amps to create a wide stereo sound.
Live you won't get that blending over the top but you will sending each amp to each side ?
ZEN Amps
Well-known member
Agree that the VH4 alone doesn't get very convincing Tool tones.
His tone is actually fairly bright, presumably that's the Marshall (or Uber, Recto, Rivera) blended in. Along with the sculpting done via speaker selection, miking and outboard EQ by exceptional producers like Bottrill and Barresi - it's no wonder studio tone is difficult to emulate.
From our experience, guys that like aggressive 2203 / modded Marshall tones don't gel with the VH4. It's fat, kinda slow and doesn't sizzle. But when it works, it really works, and of course makes a great blending amp.
His tone is actually fairly bright, presumably that's the Marshall (or Uber, Recto, Rivera) blended in. Along with the sculpting done via speaker selection, miking and outboard EQ by exceptional producers like Bottrill and Barresi - it's no wonder studio tone is difficult to emulate.
From our experience, guys that like aggressive 2203 / modded Marshall tones don't gel with the VH4. It's fat, kinda slow and doesn't sizzle. But when it works, it really works, and of course makes a great blending amp.
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
That’s how o do it live also blend them on the albums on top of each other .
C0UNT3RP01NT
Member
Totally!
I love the amp. Tool was a huge influence for me. No shit the first amp I picked up after college was gonna be his staple amp. But I don’t live and die by the sound.
Every amp has their own flavor. The “digital” grind sound that people love about it is the same reason why other people hate it. It lives in the low end. It’s kind of hard to find an amp that has the bright soaring solo tones with the same kind of low end presence. People have told me they’re out there, but point me to where I can try one first. *CoughcoughWizard fans
I’ll probably just end up picking up a DSL Marshall to cover the high end.
ZEN Amps
Well-known member
The DSL would probably work great with the VH4 \w/
thegame
Well-known member
It's important to note that the portion of Adam Jones's tone that can be attributed to the VH4 is the resulting blend of two of them, purposely out of phase with each other. Running out of phase amps usually come across as thin, lacking low end, distant, etc. Since the VH4 is such a fat, dark, even dull kind of tone, these normally undesirable characteristics may surprisingly work really well in his blended, unusual, out of phase amp recipe. I can't imagine anyone else being able to manage such a complex, 3 amp rig (vintage Marshall SuperBass is the other one, of course) unless you have a team of world class engineers, soundmen, etc working for you. I'm pretty sure AJ has long said the Marshall is always the main core of his tone.
C0UNT3RP01NT
Member
I’m sure he has. But you know I, and most Tool fans, don’t know how to read, so there’s no way we could have figured that out.
D
Dyllheaven88
Well-known member
I’m still really enjoying the vh4 !! Fwiw I think this amp is so far beyond the “Adam Jones thing” for an amp that has this much versatility I think it gets boxed into the tool thing . Ch 1 has an amazing clean channel I can get fender y clean tones all day . Takes pedals extremely well . Ch 2 can do convincing edge of breakup blues to ac dc no problem . Ch3 can do that late 90s early 2000s hard rock metal in spades , ie tool , deftones , etc ch 4 can do awesome leads or if eq “d differently I can get convincing death metal stuff with it boosted . All while having an amazing MV a awesome fx loop and still being punchy but clear . I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect amp because I haven’t found that nor do I think it exists . But it’s damn good 4 me ?
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
Sorry about bad grammar. Been staying in the hospital and phone is going crazy . So I type fast lol
thegame
Well-known member
Hope everything is ok man.
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
Thanks bro ! My dad had a stroke . I’m stdyyjh with him and helping him . Literally reading RT is my entertainment. Been waiting for German Caterpillar talks and stuff lol . Hopefully tomorrow I move him in and be jamming for him . Thanks again bro
Metlupass2
Well-known member
Go for it. If you don't like it you should have zero problems getting rid of it.
VH4_BigRig
Active member
As someone who had one for a few years before going the Kemper route for simplicity, I think one of the most important things that I learned, only after getting it, was that liking how an amp sounds in the room, versus liking how it sounds recorded, versus how it FEELS under your hands, are all different things, and perspectives can vary wildly from person to person.
I chased the Lateralus tone myself. While I always enjoyed how the VH4 sounded in the room, it never FELT the way I was hoping, and my recordings skills sucked, so that big room sound never translated to my recordings.
I like having my palm mutes having a bit more saturation and "squish" to them, and overall my feeling of the amp was that it was "dry." Tons of gain, but it didn't feel saturated. It's kind of hard to describe. However I think that knowing what kind of feel you're going for, as much as what kind of sound you're going far, before throwing a bunch of money at something is key. In hindsight, something Bogner-ish seems more up my alley, but I know for a lot of guys on here it might not be tight enough for them in comparison. So if you're doing research, check out people's impressions of how something feels as much as sounds clips. Hopefully it saves you some cash in the long run!
Happy Friday y'all! Cheers
I chased the Lateralus tone myself. While I always enjoyed how the VH4 sounded in the room, it never FELT the way I was hoping, and my recordings skills sucked, so that big room sound never translated to my recordings.
I like having my palm mutes having a bit more saturation and "squish" to them, and overall my feeling of the amp was that it was "dry." Tons of gain, but it didn't feel saturated. It's kind of hard to describe. However I think that knowing what kind of feel you're going for, as much as what kind of sound you're going far, before throwing a bunch of money at something is key. In hindsight, something Bogner-ish seems more up my alley, but I know for a lot of guys on here it might not be tight enough for them in comparison. So if you're doing research, check out people's impressions of how something feels as much as sounds clips. Hopefully it saves you some cash in the long run!
Happy Friday y'all! Cheers
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
I knew you are enjoying it .it’s cool af