Any Diezel VH4 owners in SC, NC or GA? I NEED YOUR HELP!

[raymitchell]

Hey gang!
Just bought a used Diezel VH4-S (not gonna get into where from) and it turns out that the amp has been modded (in a bad way). Channels 3 & 4 are a mess, the amp's bias trimmier was literraly set to zero and so the reading on the power tubes was only 9ma! Eww!!!! So, I set the bias properly and that definitely seemed to help BUT, that still leaves the nasty mod job that's been done on the amp. After taking detailed pictures of the circuit board and speaking with Peter Diezel on the phone, the first step is going to be sending the amp to Diezel U.S. support out in Hollywood to get it un-modded, replace some obviously incorrect/one leaking capacitor, re-tube and bias. Well, suddenly I find myself looking at another $500.00 expense in addition to the cost of buying the amp in the first place ($3,300..!) which is making me sick to my stomach to say the least. I'm not a person who just happens to have this kind of coin laying around. As a matter of fact, all the planets had to align, mountains had to be moved, drowning puppies had to be saved and I had to pledge my soul to the devil to get this amp!

My point in reaching out here, is to hopefully find someone in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia or even Alabama that has a current (no more than two years old - preferably 1 year or less old) VH4 or VH4-S that I could come and play. I want to hear a VH4 in proper working order before I shell out another $500.00 to get my VH4-S straightened out. The thing that sucks is that there aren't any Diezel dealers within 500 miles of me (well, there's Rebel Amps in MS BUT, I can't get them to answer their phone! Err!!!) so, the only way I was ever going to hear a VH4 in person was just buy one. Well, we see what that got me! Anyways, fellow Diezel owners, HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your time and help in advance!
Ray Mitchell
Anderson, SC

 

[glip22]

Can you not return it? Thats a bad deal. Why on earth would anyone mod a VH4.

 

[raymitchell]

I wish I could return it. I bough it from an individual on a forum, not from a store. There again, this is one of the frustrations of not having a Diezel dealer within 500 miles of me to go and play one or buy one. I can tell you definitively that channels 3 & 4 in this amp are utterly horrible because of whatever the hell was done to it. I'm trying to calm down and not reveal any details as to whom or fwhere I bought the amp. I just wanted to try and find someone within 400 miles of me that has a current-ish production VH4 that I could drive over and try. I think it may be the only way I'll ever really know what a VH4 in person is supposed to sound like. Hopefully someone will see my thread here and let me come play a VH4 that's working properly.

Southeastern VH4 owners... HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Ray

 

[shadowfax29]

Damn sorry to hear all that. I really don't get why somebody would want to have that amp modded. For that kind of money, an amp shouldn't need a mod for somebody to be happy with it

You say:

I want to hear a VH4 in proper working order before I shell out another $500.00 to get my VH4-S straightened out.

I understand it would seriously suck to send it out for repair just to get it back and not dig the amp, but I'd say getting the repairs done is your best option regardless of whether or not you end up keeping it. Even if somebody in your area steps up with an offer to check one out in person, what if you don't dig it at that point? You're going to take take a huge hit on reselling it with the known issues.

I hope you can at least recoup some money from the seller. Best of luck.

 

[glip22]

I wish I could return it. I bough it from an individual on a forum, not from a store. There again, this is one of the frustrations of not having a Diezel dealer within 500 miles of me to go and play one or buy one. I can tell you definitively that channels 3 & 4 in this amp are utterly horrible because of whatever the hell was done to it. I'm trying to calm down and not reveal any details as to whom or fwhere I bought the amp. I just wanted to try and find someone within 400 miles of me that has a current-ish production VH4 that I could drive over and try. I think it may be the only way I'll ever really know what a VH4 in person is supposed to sound like. Hopefully someone will see my thread here and let me come play a VH4 that's working properly.

Southeastern VH4 owners... HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Ray

I feel bad for you. I've been through things and it sucks. Did you not pay through PayPal?

 

[RedRider]

Dude you need to hit the seller up for cost to repair if he didnt disclose that he modded the amp!!! (or a refund) What forum did you buy it on??

 

[PaulyPanacea]

Id make that seller pay for the freaking repair. Or get my $$ back & get another one. I know if i sold anything on here like that & it needed repair i would reimburse the buyer. Only the proper thing to do. That really sucks. Shit..with another $500 your close to buying a brand new one....thats madness man!!

I certainly know if it happened on this forum shit would hit the fan!! Peeps round here dont roll like that!! Thats BS!!


and if u feel like driving to PA ill let you play mine for as long as you like!!

 

[mchn13]

Dude you need to hit the seller up for cost to repair if he didnt disclose that he modded the amp!!! (or a refund) What forum did you buy it on??

This. He should make good on the repair at least, or fuckin out him. Sorry bro, if I knew anyone here in columbia with one, it would be a done deal. Ill ask around, but for the most part were all a poor collective here in town playing older amps.

 

[mchn13]

You're in anderson.. that's by greenville right? Ill ask around and see if anyone knows if someone has one up there...

 

[raymitchell]

Ok gang, here's an update. I've just shot an email to the person I bought this amp from and laid everything out that I've gone through. Know this, I will do everything that I can to NOT reveal who I bought it from or on which forum. Excuse my French but I cannot stand it when people act so suspicious of each other and the instant something goes wrong in a transaction they go off on some pathetic, shit talking smear campaign on an internet forum. That is for pussies, period, FULL STOP! Unless I am utterly FORCED, I will not reveal details about this purchase because I believe the first thing people should do is be gentlemen and work things out in private if at all possible. Know this, should I ever do business with anyone here on Rig-Talk and there's a problem, you will hear from me directly and I will not partake in mindless smearing of a fellow Rig-Talk member. One of the things I detest about the internet is that it gives people courage in digital. People say things to each other on forums that they would NEVER have the audacity to say to them in person.

Whew...... Now that I've stepped down from my soapbox!!!!

In my email to the seller, I offered two options:
1. A full refund of $3,300 or
2. A partial refund of $500.00 to cover the cost of the repairs to be made by Diezel USA.

I personally would like to just do the partial refund of $500.00 and get the thing fixed.

Look at it this way, there's a very good chance that the seller didn't know that the amp was screwed up. Lots of people can come up with the money to buy a 3-5k amp and not have the experience under their belt required to determine of the amp is working correctly.

Of course, I'm not naive. There's also the possiblity that this amp was someone's lab rat and the experiment went horribly wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

My belief is that someone didn't know what they were doing and screwed the circuit/tone up and, possibly even before the person I bought it from even owned it. Who knows?

Anyway, that's the picture down my way at the moment. Let's hope for a nice outcome!

In the meantime, if there are any VH4 owners within 400 miles of me (Anderson, SC) .... HELP!!!!


Later my Rig-Talk Taterz!

Ray

 

[Neeklaus]

good luck Ray!

 

[RedRider]

Good luck man. If i was the seller and was unaware that it was modded I just couldn't see myself not giving you the cabbage to fix it.....especially when you have unequivocal proof that it's not correct. Helll it may be thats why the guy sold it in the first place....ie he bought it thinking it would be better than it currently stands and figured it was time to sell it


Hopefully you get it fixed and enjoy it