I'm Blue

[slyvren]

Steve-

How would you describe the voicing of this revision of the VH4 (with the EL34BHTs) to your last VH4?

This one sounds as good as the last one. I usually look for reasons to change the tubes out, but can't find any reason to change the Ruby's, I will leave them for now. Running channel 3 with the gain about noon, they hold together well. I did check them out and see they have a really high rating of 56m which is a later distortion, rather than earlier and will produce more head room. I am such a fan of SED's and know how they react and only have to buy one type of tube. But, I don't see any reasons to change these.

Steve

Interesting. Papa told me he changed a few things starting this year.

 

[steve_k]

Steve-

How would you describe the voicing of this revision of the VH4 (with the EL34BHTs) to your last VH4?

This one sounds as good as the last one. I usually look for reasons to change the tubes out, but can't find any reason to change the Ruby's, I will leave them for now. Running channel 3 with the gain about noon, they hold together well. I did check them out and see they have a really high rating of 56m which is a later distortion, rather than earlier and will produce more head room. I am such a fan of SED's and know how they react and only have to buy one type of tube. But, I don't see any reasons to change these.

Steve

Interesting. Papa told me he changed a few things starting this year.

Don't know. I was sort of hoping the amp was the same as the old one--just blue! If there have been any EQ shifts, they are minute changes and can certainly be dialed in or out. As before, I always said the VH4 could be a VH1 for me...a single channel amp with channel 3.....this is the bread and butter of Diezel tone.

 

[slyvren]

Steve-

How would you describe the voicing of this revision of the VH4 (with the EL34BHTs) to your last VH4?

This one sounds as good as the last one. I usually look for reasons to change the tubes out, but can't find any reason to change the Ruby's, I will leave them for now. Running channel 3 with the gain about noon, they hold together well. I did check them out and see they have a really high rating of 56m which is a later distortion, rather than earlier and will produce more head room. I am such a fan of SED's and know how they react and only have to buy one type of tube. But, I don't see any reasons to change these.

Steve

Interesting. Papa told me he changed a few things starting this year.

Don't know. I was sort of hoping the amp was the same as the old one--just blue! If there have been any EQ shifts, they are minute changes and can certainly be dialed in or out. As before, I always said the VH4 could be a VH1 for me...a single channel amp with channel 3.....this is the bread and butter of Diezel tone.

Me too to be honest. I can't imagine anything being better than my '08. What he mentioned to me was a little less compression on the gain channels and a less sterile clean channel. Small changes and nothing to be of concern. I've been dying to get my blueface to pit them against each other. Not that I don't trust papa sometimes he down plays things like the 07' shift. I take full comfort in what you're telling me and I still can't wait for mine.

 

[steve_k]

Finally got around to digging into the new Blue and went back with a new quad of SED's, because I love SED's and only have to buy one type of tube. It fits all...and they sound great in everything. A little bigger bottom and tend not to fall apart in the mids and on top.

I usually don't channel surf on the VH4, but thought I would and made a few preamp changes. I found channel 4 to be a little too compressed and less articulate to set up as a lead channel or metal channel. Replaced the HG+ in V2 with a nice NOS Ei Yugi and it really opened up channel 4 to another dimension. Replaced V3 with an HG+ (matched and balanced) and channel 3 sounds even better. Tried several in V1 but went back to the TAD 7025 that Peter shipped in the amp. That is an extremely nice input driver tube and won over several NOS selections I had. The only other change was the PI tube and went back with a balanced Sovtek LPS. Everything else stayed the same.

The VH4 is certainly my sonic temple and extremely happy to have another one in my possession. It is the one amp fits all needs with a very organic and satisfying structure and tone and no shared EQ makes it easy to dial in and mark your settings.

Steve

 

[Superunknown]

Congrats Steve! I think that I now own your old VH4....I love this amp

 

[steve_k]

Congrats Steve! I think that I now own your old VH4....I love this amp

I was looking for that! Thought I had snagged it back at one point and missed it....at least it is in the right hands.

Steve

 

[Capulin Overdrive]

Finally got around to digging into the new Blue and went back with a new quad of SED's, because I love SED's and only have to buy one type of tube. It fits all...and they sound great in everything. A little bigger bottom and tend not to fall apart in the mids and on top.

I usually don't channel surf on the VH4, but thought I would and made a few preamp changes. I found channel 4 to be a little too compressed and less articulate to set up as a lead channel or metal channel. Replaced the HG+ in V2 with a nice NOS Ei Yugi and it really opened up channel 4 to another dimension. Replaced V3 with an HG+ (matched and balanced) and channel 3 sounds even better. Tried several in V1 but went back to the TAD 7025 that Peter shipped in the amp. That is an extremely nice input driver tube and won over several NOS selections I had. The only other change was the PI tube and went back with a balanced Sovtek LPS. Everything else stayed the same.

The VH4 is certainly my sonic temple and extremely happy to have another one in my possession. It is the one amp fits all needs with a very organic and satisfying structure and tone and no shared EQ makes it easy to dial in and mark your settings.

Steve

i'm scared to try SED's yet, as i didn't care at all for a friends with SED's, but the next time he had Tung-sol power tubes and it night and day better. i'm a dyed in the wool SED guy and don't understand it, but that's how it went with that amp.


i swapped the 7025 V1 last night for a Tung-sol and like that better. near as i can tell, all the rest are Chinese HG+.

i swap around channels and all are great, but think i'm gonna be a 2 and 4 guy with the tubes as is.

 

[steve_k]

Finally got around to digging into the new Blue and went back with a new quad of SED's, because I love SED's and only have to buy one type of tube. It fits all...and they sound great in everything. A little bigger bottom and tend not to fall apart in the mids and on top.

I usually don't channel surf on the VH4, but thought I would and made a few preamp changes. I found channel 4 to be a little too compressed and less articulate to set up as a lead channel or metal channel. Replaced the HG+ in V2 with a nice NOS Ei Yugi and it really opened up channel 4 to another dimension. Replaced V3 with an HG+ (matched and balanced) and channel 3 sounds even better. Tried several in V1 but went back to the TAD 7025 that Peter shipped in the amp. That is an extremely nice input driver tube and won over several NOS selections I had. The only other change was the PI tube and went back with a balanced Sovtek LPS. Everything else stayed the same.

The VH4 is certainly my sonic temple and extremely happy to have another one in my possession. It is the one amp fits all needs with a very organic and satisfying structure and tone and no shared EQ makes it easy to dial in and mark your settings.

Steve

i'm scared to try SED's yet, as i didn't care at all for a friends with SED's, but the next time he had Tung-sol power tubes and it night and day better. i'm a dyed in the wool SED guy and don't understand it, but that's how it went with that amp.


i swapped the 7025 V1 last night for a Tung-sol and like that better. near as i can tell, all the rest are Chinese HG+.

i swap around channels and all are great, but think i'm gonna be a 2 and 4 guy with the tubes as is.

which just goes to show, its all in the ears of the beholder. i tried a tung sol as well in V1, but maybe i missed something with it. as for the SED's or any other tube in the VH4, I think you need to stay with something with a high PC, later distortion rating. the amp has plenty of it and taming it a little bit to be able to drive the volume with less gain and have it make more gain on the power side rather than the preamp side bodes well for the amp.

either way though, the VH4 is just an ass kicking amp, anyway you set it up.

steve

 

[slyvren]

I use tung sol in v1 for the simple fact that it tames the high end. The ruby hg+ is just way too bright for my guitar and orange 412. I tried to go back to a hg+ a few times and my band members kept bitching about bleeding ears. Pansies! The tung sol does work better for me though. YMMV

 

[steve_k]

I use tung sol in v1 for the simple fact that it tames the high end. The ruby hg+ is just way too bright for my guitar and orange 412. I tried to go back to a hg+ a few times and my band members kept bitching about bleeding ears. Pansies! The tung sol does work better for me though. YMMV

I found the TS seemed to have put a damper on the amp and seemed to not let it open up, especially in V1. As you say, could be other factors involved. After going in a big circle, the other changes and leaving V1 alone was the ticket. I liked the TAD 7025 High Grade so much that I bought some more of them off ebay to try in some of the other amps.

Steve

 

[Peter Diezel]

Steve,

it was a brand new TAD 7025 silver plate copy
of the 12AX7WB. We use this tube because it
has a minimum of micro phonics and is medium
gain. Be carefull because some of them are noisy
or starts crackling. You got a Papa selection

The tube will have grey plates next time.
Disadvantage is less high midrange vs the
12AX7A-C in the distortion channels which
results in a better clean.

The new TAD 7025 is also from the Shuguang
factory. Reason for the design was that there
are no more enough low micro phonic ones and
highgrades out of the 12AX7A-C. I assume the
7025 has about 80% to 90% gain of the 12AX7A-C.

 

[Capulin Overdrive]

Blue on Black!

 

[faceforward_007]

Gawd... that picture is killing me!

 

[steve_k]

Steve,

it was a brand new TAD 7025 silver plate copy
of the 12AX7WB. We use this tube because it
has a minimum of micro phonics and is medium
gain. Be carefull because some of them are noisy
or starts crackling. You got a Papa selection

The tube will have grey plates next time.
Disadvantage is less high midrange vs the
12AX7A-C in the distortion channels which
results in a better clean.

The new TAD 7025 is also from the Shuguang
factory. Reason for the design was that there
are no more enough low micro phonic ones and
highgrades out of the 12AX7A-C. I assume the
7025 has about 80% to 90% gain of the 12AX7A-C.

I did notice that too, with the silver plates. Papa Special's are good and I like. It is a real nice choice in V1. I found some TAD 7025 High Grades on ebay and bought 3 of them to try in V1 of some other amps too for taming the shrews!

Thanks,
Steve

 

[meuro]

hi steve!!!!
what the difference between el34 ruby and el34 sed?
thanks

 

[steve_k]

I find the SED's less bright, more girth and more bottom end.

Steve

 

[slyvren]

... less bright, more girth and more bottom end.

We are still talking about tubes right?

 

[Oz Hofstatter]

I find the SED's less bright, more girth and more bottom end.

Steve

I'm also big fan of SED 34', but I never tried the Ruby.
Cheers,
Oz

 

[steve_k]

... less bright, more girth and more bottom end.

We are still talking about tubes right?

yes, but this could hit the gutter really quick!

 

[slyvren]

... less bright, more girth and more bottom end.

We are still talking about tubes right?

yes, but this could hit the gutter really quick!

Gutter? I just wanted to make sure you weren't making fun of my friend.