guitarobert
Member
I wanted to share part of an email I wrote to the Peters with all of you. I recently brought my VH4 to Jens and I couldn't be more impressed in so many ways. First, the amp sounds amazing. I can't emphasize that enough. It sounds phenomenal! Jens and Peter talked over the phone to figure out how to make it sound better and Jens did the work on it here in the USA. Second, Jens is a world class guy to deal with. Not only is he technically strong and has a great ear for tone, but he takes the time to make sure you walk away more than satisfied.
More comments later. To preface this, throughout the years of owning this amp I tried many different kinds of tubes to get the amp to sound good and personally changed and biased them. I tried different cabs. I later gave up on the VH4 and bought another amp new. Recently, after hearing he's the new support guy in the USA, I contacted Jens as one last attempt to see if something could be done to make it sound the way I was hoping it would sound. I didn't realize it had this much tone potential with the magic Jens/Peter did. Here's the email I'd like to share:
If you are in the USA and are frustrated with the sound of your VH4, contact Jens. The amp is amazing now and far beyond what I ever expected. And I'm happily surprised that Peter was involved as well. With other amp companies I can't get the attention of a tech support guy on the phone. With Diezel, we have Peter himself willing to help. Absolutely amazing.. Thank you Peter.
I'm lucky enough to be within driving distance of Jens. I've visited him 3 times now! I can tell you guys that he will take great care of your amp if you need anything done to it. For you guys that live far outside driving distance of him, have no fear in sending your amp to him. More specifically, if you have any complaints about your VH4 get in touch with him. It should sound phenomenal - something I didn't realize until now. And he and Peter can make it sound phenomenal.
Off topic, at his place I had the rare opportunity to try all 5 Diezel models through 3 different cabs (V30 rearloaded, K100 frontloaded, hempcone rearloaded). All the amps sounded great and had their own character. The cab makes a big difference as well. With my guitar and playing style I preferred the V30 rearloaded, but it depends on your tone goals and playing style.
The basic conclusion I came to is that everyone should buy a Hagen. It slaps you! That's the best way I can describe it. If you have a VH4, the character is in a similar family, but the definition of notes on the Hagen is really amazing. As I said - it SLAPS you! I've never heard (and felt) transients like this. And if you have a Herbert, the Hagen opens up a different world of sounds. After trying them all, I'd consider the Herbert and VH4 to be a slightly different take on tones. If anything the Hagen is more related to the VH4 than the Herbert. They are all family but the Hagen and VH4 seem more like brothers with Herbert being a cousin.
All the amps sounded great and I can appreciate each one. The Schmidt was a big surprise because there was a lot of great tone coming out of that smaller head. It was able to get a much heavier tone than I expected on the higher gain settings.
And if you try any of these amps, use your guitar volume knob. The dynamics in tone are phenomenal depending on how hard you attack and where the guitar's volume is set. Each channel takes on a different character as you lower your volume on your guitar. I don't yearn for any effects when playing these amps. The only effect I might enjoy is a volume pedal in front of the amp, to use that with my foot instead of the guitar's volume knob while playing. That would make for some great extra dynamics in tone, almost like a smooth channel fade option. You can get an amazing range out of these channels. If I have ch4 (high gain channel) set with the gain at 9:00 and play with my guitar's volume it can go from almost pristine clean through growling overdrive into full blown metal. One channel alone does the work of 3 or 4 channels on any other amp, and with phenomenal tone and responsiveness along the way.
Back on topic, my VH4 sounds fantastic now. I used to use only ch1 and ch3. Now ch2 and ch4 are probably my favorite channels. All of them were improved after he worked on the amp, but ch2/4 is where I see the biggest jump. And in case you are considering a new VH4 I encourage you to get one. What he did was make mine sound similar to the new ones. Peter has clearly improved the VH4 over the years (sorry Peter, I know you say all VH4s are all good, but I think through the years you have improved it now that I've heard the newest ones) and out of the box the new ones will sound the way mine does now.
And since the amp has been worked on, I A/B'd it with the competing amp I bought. The VH4 wins on every channel, and for almost all the channels it is not only the winner but is dramatically better. That's saying a lot, because I used to think the other non-Diezel amp I bought sounded good on its own merits. Now I can't enjoy its sound much at all. So Peter, you turned that other purchase into a waste of money. Thanks..
Thanks again Peter and Jens. You guys not only make the best amps in the world, but you also provide the best support. This is all unheard of and far above and beyond anything else I've experienced in all my years of buying music gear.
More comments later. To preface this, throughout the years of owning this amp I tried many different kinds of tubes to get the amp to sound good and personally changed and biased them. I tried different cabs. I later gave up on the VH4 and bought another amp new. Recently, after hearing he's the new support guy in the USA, I contacted Jens as one last attempt to see if something could be done to make it sound the way I was hoping it would sound. I didn't realize it had this much tone potential with the magic Jens/Peter did. Here's the email I'd like to share:
Peter and Peter,
I have many thanks I'd like to send your way. First is for anyone at Diezel communicating at all with me and providing support to someone such as myself who wasn't even the original customer. I bought my VH4, a 1997 model, secondhand from somebody. It's amazing and impressive to me that you guys even respond to people that haven't yet given you a single dollar. But it also makes me consider Diezel most for any future new amp purchase.
Thanks also to Peter for the time you spent with Jens to figure out how to make my amp sound better. I contacted Jens after hearing he is the new support guy in the USA, to see if he has any ideas to make my amp sound better. I had frustration with it over the years I owned it after trying many different types of tubes and a few different cabs. Eventually I bought a different amp from a competitor new, and sadly set the VH4 aside. The VH4 certainly didn't sound bad. I just couldn't get it to sound the way I wanted. I never had the chance to try a VH4 made within the past 5 years, so I figured that's the way the new ones sounded as well.
But what you and Jens did blew me away! This amp sounds fantastic! Wow. I've instantly forgotten about the other amp I purchased new from the competitor, and now I kind of regret making that purchase (partly because it has a terrible resale value compared to the new selling price).
The new sound of this VH4 indeed satisfied what I was looking for, but honestly I was equally impressed with the support provided to me directly. In this case Jens was the person I was talking to face-to-face and through email. I was really impressed with the way he handled everything. His communication was excellent, and he treated me with respect. It's even more amazing because I'm not a celebrity musician or even a direct customer. But this kind of red carpet treatment solidifies my loyalty to the Diezel brand, and makes the new amps like the Hagen look even more attractive than it already does! That's because I know if I make such an investment, I will get the best support in the industry. I will go on to recommend Diezel amps to my friends - now not only because the amp will sound good, but because I know they will get professional and courteous help if it's needed.
There's no doubt you have a world class product. With Jens on the team you also have a world class person for us to go to.
Thanks again for making my amp sound great. It's absolutely brilliant, and I'll certainly be looking to Diezel first for my next new amp purchase. I had always dreamed of owning a Diezel, and this has far exceeded my expectations both for how it sounds as well as the type of interaction I'd ever receive from the company. I'll recommend your amps highly to all my friends, and I'm positive you will hear from me again in the future regarding buying a new amp. Peter, thanks so much for your help. It's an honor that you spent your time to do that.
If you are in the USA and are frustrated with the sound of your VH4, contact Jens. The amp is amazing now and far beyond what I ever expected. And I'm happily surprised that Peter was involved as well. With other amp companies I can't get the attention of a tech support guy on the phone. With Diezel, we have Peter himself willing to help. Absolutely amazing.. Thank you Peter.
I'm lucky enough to be within driving distance of Jens. I've visited him 3 times now! I can tell you guys that he will take great care of your amp if you need anything done to it. For you guys that live far outside driving distance of him, have no fear in sending your amp to him. More specifically, if you have any complaints about your VH4 get in touch with him. It should sound phenomenal - something I didn't realize until now. And he and Peter can make it sound phenomenal.
Off topic, at his place I had the rare opportunity to try all 5 Diezel models through 3 different cabs (V30 rearloaded, K100 frontloaded, hempcone rearloaded). All the amps sounded great and had their own character. The cab makes a big difference as well. With my guitar and playing style I preferred the V30 rearloaded, but it depends on your tone goals and playing style.
The basic conclusion I came to is that everyone should buy a Hagen. It slaps you! That's the best way I can describe it. If you have a VH4, the character is in a similar family, but the definition of notes on the Hagen is really amazing. As I said - it SLAPS you! I've never heard (and felt) transients like this. And if you have a Herbert, the Hagen opens up a different world of sounds. After trying them all, I'd consider the Herbert and VH4 to be a slightly different take on tones. If anything the Hagen is more related to the VH4 than the Herbert. They are all family but the Hagen and VH4 seem more like brothers with Herbert being a cousin.
All the amps sounded great and I can appreciate each one. The Schmidt was a big surprise because there was a lot of great tone coming out of that smaller head. It was able to get a much heavier tone than I expected on the higher gain settings.
And if you try any of these amps, use your guitar volume knob. The dynamics in tone are phenomenal depending on how hard you attack and where the guitar's volume is set. Each channel takes on a different character as you lower your volume on your guitar. I don't yearn for any effects when playing these amps. The only effect I might enjoy is a volume pedal in front of the amp, to use that with my foot instead of the guitar's volume knob while playing. That would make for some great extra dynamics in tone, almost like a smooth channel fade option. You can get an amazing range out of these channels. If I have ch4 (high gain channel) set with the gain at 9:00 and play with my guitar's volume it can go from almost pristine clean through growling overdrive into full blown metal. One channel alone does the work of 3 or 4 channels on any other amp, and with phenomenal tone and responsiveness along the way.
Back on topic, my VH4 sounds fantastic now. I used to use only ch1 and ch3. Now ch2 and ch4 are probably my favorite channels. All of them were improved after he worked on the amp, but ch2/4 is where I see the biggest jump. And in case you are considering a new VH4 I encourage you to get one. What he did was make mine sound similar to the new ones. Peter has clearly improved the VH4 over the years (sorry Peter, I know you say all VH4s are all good, but I think through the years you have improved it now that I've heard the newest ones) and out of the box the new ones will sound the way mine does now.
And since the amp has been worked on, I A/B'd it with the competing amp I bought. The VH4 wins on every channel, and for almost all the channels it is not only the winner but is dramatically better. That's saying a lot, because I used to think the other non-Diezel amp I bought sounded good on its own merits. Now I can't enjoy its sound much at all. So Peter, you turned that other purchase into a waste of money. Thanks..
Thanks again Peter and Jens. You guys not only make the best amps in the world, but you also provide the best support. This is all unheard of and far above and beyond anything else I've experienced in all my years of buying music gear.
