Herbert MK2 released

[GMH]

Man I love my Herbert. I can't imagine it could sound any better than the way it is now.
I'm happy to see Peter continually trying to make a better product though..
This makes me so happy to be a Diezel owner. I will be one for life....

The only thing I would like to be able to do is change the +/- via midi on the 2 channel..

Thanks Peter for building such great amps.

Agreed +- by midi would be a real nice addition. It would essentially make herbie a 4 channel!

 

[glowe]

Dear guys, dear customers.

Today I built the first Mk2 Herbert. Of course You want to know
what´s different or not different.

First let me say that I´m very happy about the performance I could
increase concerncing the small complaints I heard from a few customers.
I´m searching always for better design and development and the MK2
is the last step in the name of Herbert.

We have new transformers mounted in the old way standing on
the metal housing, no more lay down design. These transformers
have a bigger iron core and have more headroom while producing
less heat. I designed 12 different prototypes of the output transformer
to be sure that they sound very, very close to the original ones.
The bad news: You have to carry two more pounds

We had customers hammering with 30k pickups into the clean channel
and were complaining about distortion. On the MK2 we decreased the sensivity
of the input stage to avoid early distortion using high gain PU´s. This
don´t effects the distortion channels.

Now I´m pretty sure that the discussion will start which version sounds better.
But believe me, every amp is feed by Your own tone.

Hey Peter,
You have mention of changing the the transformers ,and how they will be mounted different, therefore producing less heat.... The rear grill on my Herbert gets extremely hot ( hot enough to burn your hand if held on there for more than 5 seconds) I realize 6 Power tubes can be hot, but ...... I do have rack fans for my heads that cool this heat down immensely , but without it , it's like a hot plate (not THD hehe) Any other Herbert owners experiencing this type of heat on their back grills ? Nevertheless, amp sounds awesome and no other issues .....Thanx all

 

[RJF]

Dear guys, dear customers.

Today I built the first Mk2 Herbert. Of course You want to know
what´s different or not different.

First let me say that I´m very happy about the performance I could
increase concerncing the small complaints I heard from a few customers.
I´m searching always for better design and development and the MK2
is the last step in the name of Herbert.

We have new transformers mounted in the old way standing on
the metal housing, no more lay down design. These transformers
have a bigger iron core and have more headroom while producing
less heat. I designed 12 different prototypes of the output transformer
to be sure that they sound very, very close to the original ones.
The bad news: You have to carry two more pounds

We had customers hammering with 30k pickups into the clean channel
and were complaining about distortion. On the MK2 we decreased the sensivity
of the input stage to avoid early distortion using high gain PU´s. This
don´t effects the distortion channels.

Now I´m pretty sure that the discussion will start which version sounds better.
But believe me, every amp is feed by Your own tone.

Hey Peter,
You have mention of changing the the transformers ,and how they will be mounted different, therefore producing less heat.... The rear grill on my Herbert gets extremely hot ( hot enough to burn your hand if held on there for more than 5 seconds) I realize 6 Power tubes can be hot, but ...... I do have rack fans for my heads that cool this heat down immensely , but without it , it's like a hot plate (not THD hehe) Any other Herbert owners experiencing this type of heat on their back grills ? Nevertheless, amp sounds awesome and no other issues .....Thanx all

Yeah, I notice my grills getting pretty hot, but I have all KT88's too.

 

[Tvd]

I've had the opportunity to play a blue face years ago without really knowing what it was or who it was or what it represented. Right now, I'm so stoked with the latest versions of the V's that are out - I don't think even if a blue face did come out I'd be that jazzed about it.

I'm just sayin'....
V.

I myself have held off on pulling the trigger on a new vh4 because I'm way to confuzed over these revisions to know what is going to be worth my hard earned 4500. I am a big tool fan and I do love the sounds Adam Jones gets out of his but at the same time his is jumped into an old Marshall super bass. I'm no fanboy after all my favorite artists gear but that's a lot of money for me to let go of without having more of an idea of what is up. I realize amp shopping is a helluva drug and you don't always get it right, right off the bat, but for me I need to try and get close. Most youtube clips aren't very comparable for these two amps. From what I hear the blueface revisions sound a little "darker". If that we're the case I do believe I'd be interested in tracking one down. That being said every mesa fanboy raves that the pre-500 recto's sound a million times better than the new issues but once again the clips around don't do that a whole lot of justice. Is all this bs really just a nostalgia thing or is it the real deal? Everyone's likes/wants/needs are different but it'd be great to hear some side by sides of a blueface from 95 and a silver from 2010. It's not that I think one looks "cooler" than the other I'm just curious as to what I ought to be spreading that cheese on. As far as the thread goes, the herbert looks and sounds like a sick amp, from clips, once again, I doubt I could hear the diff between a transformer switch. But that's just me!

Just a note about what you wrote here...about the pre-500 mesa recto.

I have owned - a 3ch. Triple Recto, 3ch. dual recto, 2ch. dual recto, recto pre, triaxis with recto board, a Tremoverb combo, and a Pre-500 Recto.
I have sold ALL except the pre-500 and the tremoverb, simply because it is my only combo.

my take on this is, i don't think it is apparent enough of a difference unless you are definitely in the room with different amps to go through.
there is a certain buzziness to the modern recto tone that is NOT in the old amps. This clarity of tone is really what sets them apart.
It is also quite a bit more of an aggressive amp. Especially with EL34L's.
thrown in an MXR eq in the loop and just plain forget it.
I've also compared the new 2010 to the old and no comparison.
There is a difference. It may be minor to some.
However, even at a recent amp-fest at my place, where we have tons of the highest quality amps...I saved the pre-500 for last...just to show what am amp-killer in tone it really is.
You can't really hear it too well on recordings, but trust me, there really is something to it that just puts a smile on your face when you hear it.
call it mojo, or what have you. It's not just a myth.
I won't speak for all of them, but mine definitely has it.

Well this is still only fueling my predicament. I am interested in a pre-500 recto just because of all the chatter i hear about it. Also because the clips I do hear sound great. But any amp can sound great if the right guy is dialing it in... Anywho, it'd be nice to hear a blueface vh4 clip because the only one I can find is a vh4s that some dude has that he's testing his blackmachine 8 with on youtube...He is not a bad player, but not really the way i'd like to see an amp tested. I am still ass backwards as to which I really do want to blow the dough on but I do find myself leaning towards the older revisions in both of these amps. Until I can hear more about them, unfortunately in internet clips because nobody I know has anything like that around Edmonton, I'm going to save my money. I hope to be a diezel or pre-500 owner or maybe both in the near future...Who knows.

 

[kronos]

I want to ask you something Mr. Diezel...

The MK2 herbert has external bias test points like the MK1 ?????

 

[Peter Diezel]

As I stated before some months that the German government
don´t allows us to have serviceable parts outside the
chassis. The bias adjustment is easy to do inside by a tech.

 

[Deleted member 10619]

Will the MK2 Herbert have the same price?

 

[Peter Diezel]

Yes

 

[King Crimson]

You got to wait until the "best tube for the mk2" starts.

Steve

That's easy (Ruby EL34B-STR) - >

 

[killertone]

One of the things I loved so much about my Herbert was the clean channel. I know, I know...but it was really something special, especially in such a high gain amp. I used 22k BKP Warpigs with it and never heard it distort once.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Reigniting old thread because I can.
I don't really know how you could make this amp any better! It needs nothing. I could not be happier with the Herbert. Fine job.....fantastic job, indeed. Phenomenal amplifier.

 

[King Guitar]

If you want the new Herbert MK2 get in touch, I have them!

 

[PaulyPanacea]

If you want the new Herbert MK2 get in touch, I have them!

you bastard!!!

 

[steve_k]

No golden years till now, Steve.

Are You honest with the VH4 blueface version ?

See, I was totally honest Peter!

 

[Peter Diezel]

Thank You so much, Steve !

 

[Nialzzz]

I want a midi switchable -/+ on channel 2. apart from that, a blueface VH4 would make me so happy i could cry.

 

[Me]

I could sometimes get it to break up a little with my Parker (that has an active or passive output depending which lead i use). Never seemed *quite* as likely on the first herbie I had (that got swapped for this one, but appeared to just be terrible luck with loads of duff power tubes). Maybe it's my imagination or down to component tolerances?

Peter, is it just component value changes in Ch 1 input or is it been laid out differently or anything?

Btw, hello again everyone, I haven't been here for ages as I haven't been playing much recently. Hopefully that's gonna be changing, and I'll be out rockin my herbie again soon though!

 

[steve_k]

Thank You so much, Steve !

You totally surprised me with these limited Blue Faces. And, thank you guys once again for another awesome amp. Nobody mentions the assemblers either. So, big for Lars too!

Steve

 

[eddyrox]

We have new transformers mounted in the old way standing on
the metal housing, no more lay down design. These transformers
have a bigger iron core and have more headroom while producing
less heat. I designed 12 different prototypes of the output transformer
to be sure that they sound very, very close to the original ones.
The bad news: You have to carry two more pounds

Papa, if we have a Mk1 Herbert (S/N# before 1506), can we swap out our old trannies for the new ones? Will the old chassis fit the new stand-up ones? Talk with Brad?
Best regards from LA!
Mike.

 

[Bato]

No it will not.

I asked him a few days ago.