A
andyg_prs
New member
Hi there,
Here goes my first Diezel forum post. I have played guitar (but not practised enough) for ages. I play in a semi-pro reggae band (Glastonbury last summer) but also play funk/indie/reggae/prog/rock and most stuff in between. I currently have a Marshall TSL 122 - all valve 100w 3 channel 2 x 12" combo. Does me pretty well for the clean and crunch channels but doesn't work for the high gain stuff for me.
I have tried pushing it with a DS-1, MI Audio crunch box, AT BB pre amp.....or just using a Sans Amp GT-2 but it just doesn't give what I want.
I have had some reasonable sounds from a POD 2 through the PA.....but live it doesn't cut through the mix or give the dynamics I want and it's very harsh on clean sounds.....
I have tried many Mesas and Marshalls, HK Triamp and various others, Bogner Ecstacy (nice but too American), Shiva - great clean not enough balls, Shiva Anniversary KT88 valves....more drive but not there....Uberschall - massive drive but clean channel like dragging your nails down a black board. Engl - hated most of them (thought I'd like the Victor Smolski model) but quite like the Engl Invader 100. Amazing flexibility (dual master volume, extra crunch, bright switches, noise gates, midi to store different channels with differnt settings etc.....but the lead channel.....just couldn't really fly on that one.
Would love to be able to try the Engl and Diezels in one room but life's not like that......Engl was in Liverpool.....Diezels in London....as you'll see further down my verbose post!
So I just tried out the VH4, Hagen and Herbert courtesy of James Leader in London. First thing I have to do is to say thank you (I don't know if he is on this forum) - he is a top bloke and very patient with someone like me who seems to have some form of aural OCD! He also tolerated me playing extremely badly for a couple of hours (I get very nervous and finger-tied playing in front of someone....when not in a band context).
Anyhow, I have time to write as I took too long to tear myself away from the amps and even though James drove me 2 station stops down my journey I missed my train so now I won't get home till 00:30
But for the important stuff.....it quickly became obvious that the Hagen was the amp for me. I play a variety of styles (badly) and the Hagen had a beautiful, warm and responsive clean channel (1) for that kind of stuff that I could have played all day and would have sworn had reverb on.
Channel 2 was great for a little bit of dirt....with plenty of body....fantastic.
Channel 3 - played with a through-neck but single coil tele-type guitar.....gave me the most awesome prog rock riffing and drop D growl.
Channel 4 - damn......amazing, articulate, responsive.....but it had some kind of fizz / tizz when playing lead, almost like a Mesa. Now James said immediately that a couple of days ago something went in the amp (most likely a tube) and something had gone off with that channel. We didn't have time to change it. James inspires confidence and I do trust him....but oh lord I wish I could have tried the amp without the 'issue' in order to know how Channel 4 should sound.
To be fair James managed to dial out a fair bit of the fizz and with his (very good) playing, I couldn't really hear the fizz....there you go....I bring out the bad even with an awesome amp.
Anyhow, I would be really grateful if you guys could comment on your experience of Hagens and Channel 4 in particular because at this kind of money it has to be pretty much perfect.
Also, James mentioned there might be a 7 way non-midi switch coming out soon. Does anyone know more about that?
Cheers,
Andy
Here goes my first Diezel forum post. I have played guitar (but not practised enough) for ages. I play in a semi-pro reggae band (Glastonbury last summer) but also play funk/indie/reggae/prog/rock and most stuff in between. I currently have a Marshall TSL 122 - all valve 100w 3 channel 2 x 12" combo. Does me pretty well for the clean and crunch channels but doesn't work for the high gain stuff for me.
I have tried pushing it with a DS-1, MI Audio crunch box, AT BB pre amp.....or just using a Sans Amp GT-2 but it just doesn't give what I want.
I have had some reasonable sounds from a POD 2 through the PA.....but live it doesn't cut through the mix or give the dynamics I want and it's very harsh on clean sounds.....
I have tried many Mesas and Marshalls, HK Triamp and various others, Bogner Ecstacy (nice but too American), Shiva - great clean not enough balls, Shiva Anniversary KT88 valves....more drive but not there....Uberschall - massive drive but clean channel like dragging your nails down a black board. Engl - hated most of them (thought I'd like the Victor Smolski model) but quite like the Engl Invader 100. Amazing flexibility (dual master volume, extra crunch, bright switches, noise gates, midi to store different channels with differnt settings etc.....but the lead channel.....just couldn't really fly on that one.
Would love to be able to try the Engl and Diezels in one room but life's not like that......Engl was in Liverpool.....Diezels in London....as you'll see further down my verbose post!
So I just tried out the VH4, Hagen and Herbert courtesy of James Leader in London. First thing I have to do is to say thank you (I don't know if he is on this forum) - he is a top bloke and very patient with someone like me who seems to have some form of aural OCD! He also tolerated me playing extremely badly for a couple of hours (I get very nervous and finger-tied playing in front of someone....when not in a band context).
Anyhow, I have time to write as I took too long to tear myself away from the amps and even though James drove me 2 station stops down my journey I missed my train so now I won't get home till 00:30
But for the important stuff.....it quickly became obvious that the Hagen was the amp for me. I play a variety of styles (badly) and the Hagen had a beautiful, warm and responsive clean channel (1) for that kind of stuff that I could have played all day and would have sworn had reverb on.
Channel 2 was great for a little bit of dirt....with plenty of body....fantastic.
Channel 3 - played with a through-neck but single coil tele-type guitar.....gave me the most awesome prog rock riffing and drop D growl.
Channel 4 - damn......amazing, articulate, responsive.....but it had some kind of fizz / tizz when playing lead, almost like a Mesa. Now James said immediately that a couple of days ago something went in the amp (most likely a tube) and something had gone off with that channel. We didn't have time to change it. James inspires confidence and I do trust him....but oh lord I wish I could have tried the amp without the 'issue' in order to know how Channel 4 should sound.
To be fair James managed to dial out a fair bit of the fizz and with his (very good) playing, I couldn't really hear the fizz....there you go....I bring out the bad even with an awesome amp.
Anyhow, I would be really grateful if you guys could comment on your experience of Hagens and Channel 4 in particular because at this kind of money it has to be pretty much perfect.
Also, James mentioned there might be a 7 way non-midi switch coming out soon. Does anyone know more about that?
Cheers,
Andy
