Questions On Diezel Hagen

angelspade

angelspade

Well-known member
I've been offered a mint Hagen at a reasonable price. I've been digging back through the forums to get a general feel for how it's tonal characteristics fair against other Diezel amps (I own a VH4 and previously a Herbert MKI). A few things I read concerned me a bit:

- Several owners described the Hagen as pretty "dark" sounding overall. Is this generally true? ( I know "dark" is a broad and subjective term and it confuses me as it is also occasionally described as more "Marshall and 5150 like - which are both fairly bright amps )

- A few comments stated that channel 4 of the Hagen was far too compressed and chewy in the low end to be used as a metal rhythm sound, only applicable for leads. Do you guys feel that this is accurate? (I do not use a boost and am not looking for surgical precision - For context - Herbert was plenty tight enough for me - and the VH4 is very "tight" in my opinion)

- Finally, it was stated by a few that the Hagen really needed to be turned up pretty loud to sound good (I know ALL amps typically sound better pushed). This surprised me as I have been able to get great tones out of my VH4 and previous Herbert at very manageable living room volumes. What are your thoughts on this?

I'm going to make a decision on Monday...Any thoughts on these concerns would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.
 
I owned one for about 8 years and completely regret selling. I did not think it was a dark amp. It sizzled a good tough growl. I always use a pedal to tighten things up though.

I’ve been keeping an eye out for one for a while but hard to find at a good price.
 
stratjacket said:
I owned one for about 8 years and completely regret selling. I did not think it was a dark amp. It sizzled a good tough growl. I always use a pedal to tighten things up though.

I’ve been keeping an eye out for one for a while but hard to find at a good price.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that feedback! I am being offered one at $2,700...2022 model, mint condition. Would you consider that a good price?
 
I just did a video comparing the Hagen to a VH4 a week ago.
No. It is not dark sounding. It sounds brighter than the VH4.

Yes, channel 4 is bit over the top but not unusable for rhythm tones. However, I find the VH4s channel 4 much easier to use/dial.

No, it's easier to dial quietly than the VH4. It's more like the Herbert mk II in that way as the master volume taper allows you to set the volume more quietly easier.

The Hagen is dope! If you have the funds and like the Diezel sound, I'd get it if I were you!
 
Last edited:
the other John Browne said:
I just did a video comparing the Hagen to a VH4 a week ago.
No. It is not dark sounding. It sounds brighter than the VH4.

Yes, channel 4 is bit over the top but not unusable for rhythm tones. However, I find the VH4s channel 4 much easier to use/dial.

No, it's easier to dial quietly than the VH4. It's more like the Herbert mk II in that way as the master volume taper allows you to set the volume more quitely easier.

The Hagen is dope! If you have the funds and like the Diezel sound, I'd get it if I were you!
Click to expand...
This is very helpful...and your video was great. Thank you sir!
 
I agree with the other John Browne's comments.
Compared to the VH4 I find it overall more open and less compressed. I found it easier to dial in on all channels straight away. It has more bass available overall and I find I run the Deep lower than on the VH4, but you can thump it up if you want.
I prefer the ch4 on the Hagen over the VH4's, both are still pretty compressed though so I sometimes run a 12AT7/5751 in that slot anyway and also leave the gain level down around 10-11 o'clock.
I love the Master Volumes on the Hagen and find them better than the VH4, plus having two masters is great.
 
Philhouse said:
I agree with the other John Browne's comments.
Compared to the VH4 I find it overall more open and less compressed. I found it easier to dial in on all channels straight away. It has more bass available overall and I find I run the Deep lower than on the VH4, but you can thump it up if you want.
I prefer the ch4 on the Hagen over the VH4's, both are still pretty compressed though so I sometimes run a 12AT7/5751 in that slot anyway and also leave the gain level down around 10-11 o'clock.
I love the Master Volumes on the Hagen and find them better than the VH4, plus having two masters is great.
Click to expand...
Thanks Philhouse...Well I pulled the trigger. Will be plugged into the Hagen tomorrow, I appreciate the feedback, ad will report back with a general review.
 
Well regarding the Hagen and VH4 that I acquired in the last week, I was REALLY hoping that there was going to be:
A. a clear overall winner for my tastes so I could sell one
Or
B. they were too similar in overall nature to justify keeping both
After a couple hours back and forth, I don't think either is going to be the case. After I spend some more time and try a few different guitars I will write a full review of the Hagen, and a comparison of the two.

Thanks again for all the feedback.
 

Attachments

  • 20230227_091534.jpg
    20230227_091534.jpg
    1.8 MB · Views: 16
angelspade said:
Well regarding the Hagen and VH4 that I acquired in the last week, I was REALLY hoping that there was going to be:
A. a clear overall winner for my tastes so I could sell one
Or
B. they were too similar in overall nature to justify keeping both
After a couple hours back and forth, I don't think either is going to be the case. After I spend some more time and try a few different guitars I will write a full review of the Hagen, and a comparison of the two.

Thanks again for all the feedback.
Click to expand...
I came to the same conclusion. Financially painful but tonally gainful
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top