Diezel VH4 or VHX? Herbert?

  • Thread starter Thread starter nightlight
  • Start date Start date
OP, sounds like you're gonna have to buy all 3. Sorry bud :ROFLMAO:

I'll be happy if I can just buy one ;)

Hey, anyone have the skinny on the Herbert Mark II vs Mark III? I have an option to get a used Mark II, but is it worth spending more for a Mark III new?
 
I'll be happy if I can just buy one ;)

Hey, anyone have the skinny on the Herbert Mark II vs Mark III? I have an option to get a used Mark II, but is it worth spending more for a Mark III new?
I had herbert mk2 and mk3. Mk3 was tighter and more in your face. But, still they had too much low-end. So, I sold them. Maybe I dialed them wrong. If you are going choose between herbert mk2 and mk3, mk3 is the way IMHO.
 
Last edited:
I've had a Herbert Mk I and II and now have a VH4.

The best way I could describe it is similar to the difference in style between a Mark and a Recto. They both do heavy, but the VH4 is more musical like a Mark and the Herbert is more aggressive like a Recto.
 
I'll be happy if I can just buy one ;)

Hey, anyone have the skinny on the Herbert Mark II vs Mark III? I have an option to get a used Mark II, but is it worth spending more for a Mark III new?
You can also find a used mk3! Northerner guitars had one- don’t know if it sold- but they give solid prices and also give really good trades if you want something like that
 
Yaaaaaaaaaaaa, can't speak on the MkIII but it does pique my curiosity. That said, I'm a Hagen fan and those seem to be a particular niche unto themselves, so... Like I said, really hard for us to tell you what's right for your ears. They're all amazing amps.
 
You can also find a used mk3! Northerner guitars had one- don’t know if it sold- but they give solid prices and also give really good trades if you want something like that
Absolutely. Joel at Northerner is awesome to deal with!
 
I love VHX blue channel with modern shape0 setting!
It’s not a classical Diezel voicing and I actually prefer it to the supposed VH4/Hagen/herbert settings.
It has a bit more high end edge/scream than the classical diezel voicing and a bit less stuffy in the mids?

???
Nothing digital sounding with that amp!
 
Agsin I say
Herbert’s king
One trick pony?.
At least compared to the VHX.

I have a Herbert but I played it only once since I got the VHX.
I prefer what shape 0 does and herbie has more bass in the early gain stages. You get some more rasp in the distortion characteristics which i don’t like too much. Herbie is ok, Hagen is too much for me. Want to like it but still don’t. But yeah the punchy big lowend of the Herbert is killer.
 
Last edited:
One trick pony?.
At least compared to the VHX.

I have a Herbert but I played it only once since I got the VHX.
I prefer what shape 0 does and herbie has more bass in the early gain stages. You get some more rasp in the distortion characteristics which i don’t like too much. Herbie is ok, Hagen is too much for me. Want to like it but still don’t. But yeah the punchy big lowend of the Herbert is killer.
I absolutely disagree. It can do anything . Even country . It’s all about the user .
 
I think if you want one Diezel you want a VH4 or a VH2 (I have owned both). If you want a more modern or produced sounding Diezel that’s simple to operate then buy the VH2. If you want that classic Diezel sound then buy a pre-2007 VH4. I had a VHX and it did not impress me at all. It didn’t feel or respond like other Diezels I have owned, and its technology felt very dated compared to tech in stuff like the AxeFX or QC. IMO the VHX would have been very cutting edge if it had come out in 2010 instead of 2020.
 
It helps that the VH4 is cheaper than the VHX. Still, I'm just wondering whether the ability to have multiple amps in a box isn't worth it.

Of course, it well might not be if it doesn't sound as good as the amps it was based on.

I don't see too many videos of the VHX online sadly. Really wanted to see some really high gain clips and some mix tests, but they are few and far between.

I used to own a VH4 and wish I hadn't sold it. Maybe I should just go that route.

Never tried a Herbert though. I play In dropped tunings a lot, so there is that. I keep wondering if I should go for a MKII instead of a MKIII, because I found one cheaper.

Of course, this might all be a hypothetical situation.
 
Last edited:
On the topic- I love and now own both the Herbert and VH4. They're both very versatile but both also have their own character. If I had to choose just one it's Herbert for me. They're both phenomenal though.
 
I own(ed) a VH4, Einstein, D-Moll and now the Diezel VHX.
I really didnt like the VH4, too sterile and i always judge an amp by the rhytmic percussive feel (being primarely a rhythm guitarplayer in a sludge band).
All 3 modes on the Einstein channel 1 were actual my second favorite! The Dmoll has decent cleans and a decent gain voicing more suited to my playing style.
The VHX to me is the ultimate beast! It’s so easy to dial it in exactly to your taste, from tight, loose to more big and full and in between with all these voicing options..
What nobody is saying here is that u can alter poweramp settings like ‘Deep’ ‘presence’ and the (in)famous deepcut etc.. very precise on any preset..
So with a press on a midi footswitch you can go from ultraclean fat with reverb tot ultrabig gain to light crunch etc.. instantaneously whitout a sound gap and fully analog (except the fx)..
No other amp can do this.
The built in noisegate makes this amp superquiet and even tighter if u want to play meshuggah style stuff with very high gain.
This amp is so so good.
The only thing i really would like to try is the Herbert just for the 180watt poweramp since i play mainly in G- to F baritone tuning.
 
I am a long time diezel user, i own a VH4 and Herbert, you cant go wrong with either amp, both are great, 2 of my favorite amps.
The guys whos already posted in this thread did a great job describing both amps.
 
I have Herbert and vh4. Herbert is better imo . Boost it like a recto
 
Back
Top