Hagen, end of tone chasing?

[jemzax]

Used to owned TwinJet, awesome lead and aggressive OD, but don't like the master at all, sounded too LOUD for my ear!!

OD3, sweetest OD with fenderish clean, but not the tone I love.

Sold both them and got Hagen, WOWO.... great clean, Ch2 I like the gain up more than 2 c'olock, sound massive and open. CH3 and Ch4 are just great for chords and lead, even when the gain low, it still screams!!

But after my friend brought his 5153mini to my home, I found 5153mini and SLO are much more fun to play and joyable.

Anything wrong with my EQ'ing or CAB?? It sounds good but friends tend to like SLO more.

Need some advice.. thank you!!

 

[Ventura]

The Hagen's incredible. But it does take time to learn the EQ and how it responds. It's not the VH4, nor was it ever meant to be.

What music are you playing with these amps?
What tunings?

Peace,
Uncle Mo

 

[jemzax]

all standard turning, I play more 80's music.. but I love listening to COB types of death metal but currently don't have any 7 strings guitar. maybe I should try one??

I have tried Herbert around 2004 and was great sounding then, may I ask how much deep were on your Hagen I turn it way off like the Depth on SLO, 412 can deliver enough low, but with the presence it set around 10 c'olock!!

Cheers,

Davey

 

[Ventura]

Well, if 80s is what you play and groove to, the SLO is exactly what you want and need, IMHO.

Diezel is contemporary - and granted - it can pull off great tones for all genres, the Hagen is definitely geared more towards today's thumpier/chunkier lower tuned playing. The VH4 is versatile as all hell, and will get you 80s, 90s, hell, even 70s, but will do so with the signature Diezel tone. Herbert is an awesome amp - 6 power tubes means earthquake level volumes.

But if 80s is your schtick?? SLO baby, you can't beat it.

Uncle Mo

 

[1meanplexi]

Well, if 80s is what you play and groove to, the SLO is exactly what you want and need, IMHO.

Diezel is contemporary - and granted - it can pull off great tones for all genres, the Hagen is definitely geared more towards today's thumpier/chunkier lower tuned playing. The VH4 is versatile as all hell, and will get you 80s, 90s, hell, even 70s, but will do so with the signature Diezel tone. Herbert is an awesome amp - 6 power tubes means earthquake level volumes.

But if 80s is your schtick?? SLO baby, you can't beat it.

Uncle Mo

+1!!!! I bought a VH4 and really had to spend a lot of time with it. Truly the Diezel line has a voice of it's own. I am not familiar with the hagen but I know for that 80's type stuff, i call on Channel 2 of the VH and hit an OD pedal and it works perfect. Maybe mess around with something on the front end and see what it yields. Good Luck.

 

[jemzax]

Thank you for both your kindly help~ I will spend more time tweaking the EQ~

 

[Ventura]

Ya man, Channel 2 with an 808 or TS style stomp will definitely get you into that 80s territory. But that said, most of the anthemic 80s hits were all played on an SLO or damn close to it. Diezel's its own thing.

Good luck, but regardless, if you have a Diezel, you're in DAMN fine company!!

Uncle Mo

 

[Reiep]

Channel 4 with lower gain is not bad too for 80's tone.

 

[ProgFree]

The Hagen is just too good to sound like 80's


Joking aside... The Hagen is a bit too 3 dimensional and has too much transients and dynamics to sound 80's like - flatter and smoother in terms of transients, if this makes sense. Like Mo said, you can get the 80's vibe using either a booster or overdrive, another option that can get you there and doesn't change the voicing of the amp as much is to use a compressor with the right settings. Let us know how your tone chase with the Hagen turned out.

 

[kahawe]

You could always throw a Wampler SLO at it

 

[t-rex22]

You could always throw a Wampler SLO at it

Agreed. The SLO is great but the price to # of great tones, functionality, and flexibility ratio is kinda low IMO (if thats a factor in your calculations)...and you'll still want a Hagen, cuz hey, Diezel

Also, for the same price as the Wamp/Slo, you can get a PODHD500 on CL which has excellent clean/crunch/OD SLO models on it. I have one in my bdrm closet practice space and the slo models are some of my favorite patches.

At the end of the day the SLO might be a better fit. No perfect answers in the pursuit of grail tone.

 

[MacOSatch]

I really need to post, that I am extremely satisfied with the Hagen!
In an actual project I play Punk/Metalcore, but I like some classic- & hardrock too.
Hagen delivers all the tones. All channels are very good and versatile.
That is the first amp (I owned several amps in the price category 1500-3000 euro), that I do not feel like it restrict my playing and I need to make some compromise.
I play it with Diezel-Cab 2x12 with V30 in it and have it few weeks ago. Thanks, fits perfect for me!

 

[psbhachu]

I love the Hagen so much that I ended up buying another as a spare.

The amp is way too tight to be used for standard tuning. Its when you tune down a half step or full step that you unleash the full potential of the Hagen's over all tone.

That said, I did stick a MXR 10 Band EQ on the board and I now have a killer tone that can really capture old school metal in a nutshell!!!

Experiment. Don't worry about what other people like. We are 'Tone Chasers'. You know when you will have the 'Tone' you hear in your head!!!

 

[Ventura]

Ya, Hagen does love anything just a touch under standard tuning right now to Deftones 8 string style.

GREAT amp!

 

[scruffydoo]

I really need to post, that I am extremely satisfied with the Hagen!

+1, been my favourite amp so far, out of a lot, I'm all classic/hard rock too and low to mid gain thru an old marshall 1960A, sounds stunning.

 

[psbhachu]

Ya, Hagen does love anything just a touch under standard tuning right now to Deftones 8 string style.

GREAT amp!

Sure does!!!

Hagen with a Axe FX (W/ MFC101) and a Maxon OD-808 = A Rig that can do it all!!! And that's no BS!!!

 

[slyvren]

I do not feel like it restrict my playing and I need to make some compromise.

That right there. That's exactly how I feel about Diezel amps. They free you up to play and enjoy it. You don't have to fiddle with this or that or compromise your playing or change it. They really allow you to get lost in expressing yourself. They react to everything you do just as you would expect them to do and do it without fuss. They're quiet when they're supposed to be. They clean up when they're supposed to. They knock down walls with the flick of your wrist. They get buttery when it's solo time and remove the panties when it's time to play soft. They get you a beer when... ok maybe I went a little too far, but you know what I'm saying? It's too bad papa doesn't build girlfriends.

 

[ProgFree]

I will have to disagree that the Hagen sounds better with low tunings. I think that down to lets say C it sounds good, lower than that starts to lack the necessary higher mids and bite to make the sound cut through the mix.
When playing alone, yes it sounds massive but in a mix contest I think that the VH4 and Herbie beats it for really low tunings. But maybe its just me and my poor extended range guitars skills

I love my Hagen. In standard tuning too!

I also really like it in standard. Additionally I find that the Diezel amps shine the most with lower gain pickups. Hagen included. So much tonal richness which is lost when hammering those preamps with huge output pickups IMHO/YMMV

 

[Ventura]

Additionally I find that the Diezel amps shine the most with lower gain pickups. Hagen included. So much tonal richness which is lost when hammering those preamps with huge output pickups IMHO/YMMV

Amen

 

[Taylord]

Awesome amp man!