Yeah, between 3 and 4 on the Master is about where I like it. It is really gainy. What pickups are you using? I'm nowhere near 11 on the Preamp, but not that low, either, maybe 5-7, as low as 3 sometimes.
I've found I had better luck when not dialing in the tone stack like I would other amps. Sometimes, I've got everything really low, like 0-2, then dialing in with the Presence and Depth. Also, I didn't like it at all with T75s. The mids just didn't ever sit right. They're not my favorite speaker for any amp, although the earlier versions are better to my ears.
Yep, completely agree about the mid cut. I usually have mine on but love it either way. I was really surprised by the clean channel, too. I think it's unfortunate that it seems to get pigeonholed as a metal amp. It can do so much more.
For a long time, the SLO was one of my dream amps, too, along with the XTC and VHT Ultralead. When I was finally able to get one, that's when I discovered Diezel. They're all very different from each other, but I get how you can get spoiled by them. I hope you have some more time to spend with the SLO, it's a really great amp, I think, but it's not ever going to sound like a Diezel. Try the Normal channel in Crunch mode. That's where I think it really shines.
For that particular recording I had a DiMarzio Transition. It’s high output, but not the highest ever — less than a Super Distortion, more like a Tone Zone or JB. To me, the SLO on the overdrive channel with gain set at 1.5 is something like the Herbert CH2+ set at noon, maybe slightly less (that’s my go-to setting).
As far as the speaker situation, my number one cabinet is a Diezel FL with an Eminence Governor speaker, but Diezel FL cabs have a very specific sound, so I thought I’d start from something more “average.” T75s are cool as long as they’re miked properly. To me, they’re on a lot more records than people give them credit for. I kind of like them for an ’80s hard rock sound; the Diezel cab is more like a KSE-type metalcore sound.
I also borrowed a Fryette Ultra Lead from a friend of mine, and this one is a lot more to my liking. It can be dialed very similarly to the Herbert. There are some differences, but with the UL I feel a lot more at home. Maybe it’s just a matter of habit, as I spent 10 years playing the Herbert, and in contrast the SLO just feels too dirty and overrated.
Over the years I’ve tried a lot of stuff: Diezel VH4, Herbert, Soldano SLO, Fryette Ultra Lead, Bogner Ecstasy, Uberschall, Peavey 5150, Mesa Rectifier, Mark IV, Mark V, JP2C, Triaxis, various Marshall JCM800s (modded and not), JVM410, Friedman SS100, SL68, and some ENGL. Out of this bunch, Diezels, the Fryette Ultra Lead, and the SL68 are where I feel at home. I still have a lot of respect and occasional GAS for the JP2C, Friedman SS100, 5150, and PRS MT100.
So far, stuff I wouldn’t buy: any ENGL, Mesa Mark V, triaxis and any of those Mark V:25 mini amps. I didn’t care for the Bogner Ecstasy either (the anniversary was cool, the regular one not so much). Oddly enough, I always liked it when other people played the JVM410, but hated it when I played it myself.
Anyway, I wouldn’t pay attention to that Herbert vs. SLO video comparison. It was rushed — I should have taken more time and effort to play and record it better.
As for the Diezel, I really like to set it with, surprise surprise, all channel EQ knobs at max, with presence and deep at noon, and then tweak from there. The idea is that with a passive analog EQ (like on the Herbert), if you have everything at max you essentially take the EQ circuit out of the path, or at least minimize its influence.
Passive EQ works on the principle that when we cut a frequency, we route it through a capacitor network, so the signal arrives ever so slightly late compared to the rest of the signal, which we perceive as EQ adjustment. This introduces some phase smearing. So if you max out the EQ and tweak from there, you get less smearing in the tone. Try it.
Also, with the Herbert I found there are two ways to set it. With the channel volumes high, it’s more saturated and mid-focused. Try it the other way around — channel volumes low and master high — and it’s more clear and lean sounding. If I had to mimic the SLO sound on a Herbert, I’d absolutely run the channel volumes high.
One thing nobody can really beat Diezel at is gig readiness, functionality, and simplicity: completely separate channels, MIDI, two master volumes, all controls located on the front panel, a combination of switchable, non-switchable, and parallel loops, tube fuses, external bias points (MK1), and easy to revire a multi-tap transformer that handles all types of voltages (240V is super important to me, as I usually have 236–237V at the wall, so I’m not overcooking the amp on the 230V tap). Hell, I even modded mine so now CH2 +/- modes are switchable via footswitch or MIDI to a TRS-type controller like a Voodoo Lab GCX or Amp Commander.
I don't think I could choose. They're both Diezels and have that in common, but they're also both very different amps.
