I want to buy a Herbert

stringsibanez

New member
So I've owned an Einstein now for ~8 years and I love it. Diezel amps are definitely the sound I imagine when I think of great tone.. and my ultimate prize has always been the Herbert.

Anyway, I'm seriously looking at buying one (finally), but I'm not sure a brand new one is within my budget as they cost ~$5000 (in Canadian dollars).

So here are the questions:
- What price point or range should I expect/aim for if I can find one used?
- Are there any recommendations on where to look? (Reputable/trustworthy sources .. safe for buyers/etc)
- Is there anything that would be good to know or that I should take into consideration regarding versions/revisions/production-dates/tonal-differences while looking?
- Does anyone want to sell me their Herbert at a good price? (Probably best if in North America for correct mains power?)


Any help, leads, or advice would be super appreciated.
Thanks.
 
Some answers...
- Prices are all over the place due to the slow market and over-reaching sellers. Somewhere between $2500-$3000 is the going rate.
- Ebay, Forum Classifieds, Craigslist... I think you have kajiji or something there in Canada too.
- Mark II is the current version... you can spot them as they say MKII right on the front panel. There have been some minor changes along the way such as external bias adjustment, tube fault indicators, etc. The MKII has a larger output transformer, the clean channel stays cleaner, and a little less compression on the gain channels. It has a fuller sound than the MKII. Both MKI/MKII sound similar.
- Nope. I'm keeping mine. :no: :yes:

There is a Diezel Herbert for sale currently in the Classifieds section here for a good price. :yes:
 
Hey, thanks for the reply!

-I think that's at least around the ballpark I'm hoping for in terms of price point.
-I've definitely been searching those sources on a daily basis.. hoping!
-Thanks for that clarification. I'd read the odd conflicting thing about versions.. Definitely keep this in mind while looking.
-Understandable. (I wouldn't want to sell either, but there's always the hope that someone not feeling the Diezel sound might offer/want to part with one)

-I've tried searching the Classifieds on this forum, but the only Herbert listing I've seen is from Russia and needs 100V mains power. (Which I assumed wouldn't work with the 120V mains power in Canada?.. Also, would buying from Russia be trustworthy.. I have no comparable experience?)
 
stringsibanez":1wfz5z2h said:
Hey, thanks for the reply!

-I think that's at least closer to the ballpark I'm hoping for in terms of price point.
-I've definitely been searching those sources on a daily basis.. hoping!
-Thanks for that clarification. I'd read the odd conflicting thing about versions.. Definitely keep this in mind while looking.
-Understandable. (I wouldn't want to sell either, but there's always the hope that someone not feeling the Diezel sound might offer/want to part with one)

-I've tried searching the Classifieds on this forum, but the only Herbert listing I've seen is from Russia and needs 100V mains power. (Which I assumed wouldn't work with the 120V mains power in Canada?.. Also, would buying from Russia be trustworthy.. I have no comparable experience?)

Yeah... I just looked at the one in Classifieds section, and it is set to 100V... not 120V. Looks like it was purchased thru the Diezel Japan distributor as that is their sticker on the back panel. Not sure how big or how small/easy a job it would be to switch the voltage to 120V. Might consider emailing Peter D. direct to ask about that. Seller is reputable/legit though. So no worries there.

Don't be put off by the versions... I've owned both MKI and now the MKII... they both sound great.

I think eBay might be your best bet as it's the biggest used gear site still. Just keep checking until one pops up. The classifieds section here too is probably the second best bet. Good Luck! Killer amp.
 
Can't imagine having trouble finding a used Herbert for a decent price; there have been quite a few here in the classifieds in recent past as well as on Reverb and other sites. A short while back I walked into a local pawn shop here in Las Cruces, and there sat a mint MKI Herbert. Rare find in a town like this to say the least, but there it was for $2300 if I remember right. You'll find a decent one at a decent price if your seriously looking.

Good luck, its a beast of an amp! Really liked the one I had.
 
I just bid on a mint MKII Herbert on ebay. It also came with a Columbus. My max bid was $2500. It sold for $2,525. The Columbus is worth about $200 used IMO. People will ask for more on a used Herbert, they just aren't selling for that much. I would target the $2300 to $2500 range. Barty is selling a MKI for $2300 shipped (from Russia). He's a reputable guy so I wouldn't worry about the Russia shipping. I've dealt with him in the past. He has it listed here and other forums as well as Reverb.

EDIT - I see you already saw Barty's Herbert. He is definitely trustworthy and has done tons of deals here on RT and other forums.
 
mhenson42":846mlmu8 said:
I just bid on a mint MKII Herbert on ebay. It also came with a Columbus. My max bid was $2500. It sold for $2,525. The Columbus is worth about $200 used IMO. People will ask for more on a used Herbert, they just aren't selling for that much. I would target the $2300 to $2500 range. Barty is selling a MKI for $2300 shipped (from Russia). He's a reputable guy so I wouldn't worry about the Russia shipping. I've dealt with him in the past. He has it listed here and other forums as well as Reverb.

EDIT - I see you already saw Barty's Herbert. He is definitely trustworthy and has done tons of deals here on RT and other forums.

124dht.jpg


I never believed any of that talk of open/uncompressed tone... Welcome home! :LOL: :LOL: :yes:
 
Wizard of Ozz":dgm8gnn5 said:
mhenson42":dgm8gnn5 said:
I just bid on a mint MKII Herbert on ebay. It also came with a Columbus. My max bid was $2500. It sold for $2,525. The Columbus is worth about $200 used IMO. People will ask for more on a used Herbert, they just aren't selling for that much. I would target the $2300 to $2500 range. Barty is selling a MKI for $2300 shipped (from Russia). He's a reputable guy so I wouldn't worry about the Russia shipping. I've dealt with him in the past. He has it listed here and other forums as well as Reverb.

EDIT - I see you already saw Barty's Herbert. He is definitely trustworthy and has done tons of deals here on RT and other forums.

I never believed any of that talk of open/uncompressed tone... Welcome home! :LOL: :LOL: :yes:

No I didn't buy it. I got outbid by $25. It was a spur of the moment thing as I saw the auction was ending :LOL: :LOL: I'm only buying another Herbert if I can get a MKII at a good price. I still have my BE and Uber for compressed tones. :D
 
Well, something about reading through the responses here jogged my memory and I remember that searching the US version of ebay (.com instead of .ca) often yields better results.. I just have to message the sellers to ask if they'll also ship to Canada (most are willing if asked). Not sure why I often forget that particular option.. Anyway..


Boom!!

I just bought a Herbert!! Pumped!!


Appears to be a MKI version.
120V mains power.. from the US. (Maryland.. so shipping isn't terribly far to where I am in Canada).

Can't wait to put it up against (and perhaps alongside?) the Einstein.
 
stringsibanez":1erykk4k said:
Well, something about reading through the responses here jogged my memory and I remember that searching the US version of ebay (.com instead of .ca) often yields better results.. I just have to message the sellers to ask if they'll also ship to Canada (most are willing if asked). Not sure why I often forget that particular option.. Anyway..


Boom!!

I just bought a Herbert!! Pumped!!


Appears to be a MKI version.
120V mains power.. from the US. (Maryland.. so shipping isn't terribly far to where I am in Canada).

Can't wait to put it up against (and perhaps alongside?) the Einstein.

Congrats! Its one hell of an amp :rock:
 
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