I used my Diezel herbert for a show over the weekend :(

[Jimmie]

This is an honest question not meant to deminish anyone, but has anyone who played/plays live with the Herbert, tried standing out where your audience will be critiquing your performance and had a tech back at your amp dial in your tone during sound check? I don't know of any other way to accomplish this with all of the given acoustical dynamics of the venue, ect.

At 180 watts, you're tone can either kill or fail in epic proportions.

 

[Les Zombie]

This is an honest question not meant to deminish anyone, but has anyone who played/plays live with the Herbert, tried standing out where your audience will be critiquing your performance and had a tech back at your amp dial in your tone during sound check? I don't know of any other way to accomplish this with all of the given acoustical dynamics of the venue, ect.

At 180 watts, you're tone can either kill or fail in epic proportions.

I did, i posted earlier that i had somebody else playing my guitar while i stood where the audience would be and dialed it in according to that. Then later on in the night i let another band use it and i stood in the crowd to hear how it sounded.

 

[thegame]

Any amp can be set to not cut well if dialed improperly. Thats not the OP's problem here. The Herbert has this strange inherent compression that makes notes very vague. This quality cannot be dialed out. Its been out for almost 10 years now and I've never seen so many people complain about not cutting through as with the Herbert. That is no coincidence.

I sold mine after a few disastrous jam sessions. Never had a problem before or after with other amps.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Just to clarify, I didn't have trouble finding a good sound and mix with the Herbert, but in my band situation it had to compete with a very mid focused amp so I was very limited on how my eq could be set. When I was the only guitar player in the band the Herbert was godly, and fucking huge sounding. I would rather have the guitar harmonies with 2 guitarists and 2 amps that cut than what I had before, so in the end the Herbert just didn't turn out to be the best choice for the situation.

I still however think it's one of the best amps on the planet, and I will have a Mark II Herbert sometime soon.

 

[155]

get SLO and be done with it!

 

[Ventura]

V, does the MkII of Herbert fare better in live situations?

This I cannot comment on with any first hand experience. Apologies.

V.

 

[RedB4Black]

I still however think it's one of the best amps on the planet, and I will have a Mark II Herbert sometime soon.

I don't think you'll find the II to be drastically different. Different yes, but it's still a Herbert....

The best tones I've had with my Diezels is blended with another amp with more mids - like my Nitro or a UL or 5150 or JVM.

...fortunately for me, I'm a bedroom hobbiest .....problems like Tom's are exactly the reason I don't play my Herbert live..... I can't have my mids not cutting....

 

[SwampDonkey]

I don't think you'll find the II to be drastically different. Different yes, but it's still a Herbert....

The best tones I've had with my Diezels is blended with another amp with more mids - like my Nitro or a UL or 5150 or JVM.

...fortunately for me, I'm a bedroom hobbiest .....problems like Tom's are exactly the reason I don't play my Herbert live..... I can't have my mids not cutting....

Hmm... Nitro/Herbert run together might just be a deadly combination live... though I really don't need any more shit to carry to and from shows...

 

[DeezDemos]

My Herbie cuts through just fine live........of course I use a S/S/S Strat and keep the gains at about 10-11.....oh, & you need to be able to "Turn That Fucker Up"!

 

[Even Bigger D]

I've played gigs with two people who used Herberts with humbucker guitars, and they got lost behind my CAE, Soldano & Splawn stuff for mid to high gain. They always sounded sort of thin, scooped, and compressed. Sort of like the tone was folded in on itself for lack of a better explanation. With one band I actually scooped my SE3+ to make more space for the Herbert which sort of helped.

To be perfectly honest I question the merits of having more than one high gain rhythm part in a band though.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

I battled with this issue for a few too. The speaker cab makes the biggest difference IMO. My Herbert sounds best through my Engl XXL pro cab, front load and V30 equipped. I have a Diezel cab with V30's and the Engl just cuts better. I really like the Diezel cab though, it's 3D ish less of a direct beam at your noodle. I play mostly Alder guitars so that probably helps too.
It was still just a hair off of the SE and the Hydra and preamp tubes made the difference for me. Very pleased with it's cutting ability know.

I let my buddy play a show with the Herbert a few weeks back. From an audience perspective it was handing the other guitarist in the band his ass. Kind of not fair really, it was dominating.......of course it really wasn't that hard considering the other guy had a crate something or other SS.

So many variables to this scenario. I really like the diezel tone so working at it cutting through a mix was worth the hassle to me.

Yes, the Herbert is not a mid heavy amp but it can cut. Oh, and the G12T-75 is probably the worst speaker for that amp even though it wasn't miced up it was probably contributing to what you were hearing from a stage perspective.

 

[supersonic]

I could never gel with my Herbert , it just sounded to polite and clear, not rock n roll dirty enough.

 

[van hellion]

love my herbie tones, especially on g12-65 celestions. hope you find a solution to your tonal woes i think it should be noted that guitar and pickups play a massive role as well. i have done lots of trial and error, for me the suhr+diezel+65 watt celestion style speakers just work with my attack and natural finger tone. i have a very strong natural pick attack and finger snap so darker voiced gear works better for me. I think that attack came from years of playing mandolin, so when i sit behind a bright amp like an SLO for instance it kinda sounds like paul gilberts drill For what its worth Kyle Rhodes new amp and the herbert combined will be the backbone of my live tone. Again i have heard players on my rig and it sounds super muddy, its all in what is the very first thing in the equation, for that matter i have darker body woods in my suhrs, dark pickups (the DSH+) through a darker amp through really dark speakers, yet when i play its just the right amount of snap and fluidity. My rhythm tone is ch 2+ mid cut on and set fairly high, i have been favoring the old school type of crunch tones of late, also been diggin on the avenged sevenfold recorded tones just as a reference. When the new rig is built the herbie will cover scoop and the colossus will cover fat mids, kinda like Myles Kennedys approach in alter bridge. My B rig will be based around the hagen that im patiently awaiting, it will be a single head rig for clinics and sideman gigs etc.

hope i can help in anyway my friend, hate you dont get along with one of my favorite amps

A Wood

 

[Les Zombie]

Thanks andy, i appreciate it.
I will talk to you on fb about it. I was bummed i wasnt able to see you in baltimore recently.

 

[racerevlon]

Love the Herbert for at home noodling but...finally took it to a band rehearsal and ....couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Like I've said before...World best and most expensive bedroom amp

I basically just had this same experience. In a band setting (think Metallica/Slayer) the amp was just too compressed, not enough mids, and just plain couldn't get through the mix. I'm auditioning all my amps with a new band and so far their favorite is the Splawn Quick Rod. Left to audition are:

Diezel VH4 (6550)
Splawn Nitro (KT88)
Hughes & Kettner Triamp MK II

Will report results--FYI the other guitar player is playing a Mesa Metallica Mod MK IV through a Marshall 1960BV. I'm using a Crate Blue Voodoo cab retrofitted with Mesa 16-ohm V30's.