Long time Herbert User. new amp suggestions

[valve]

enjoying my fresh tubes and most what i disliked is gone!

still using ch2 to 95%, but switching a lot between -/+.
for all PUs with a lil heat i am using the "-"setting since 2+ on 9:30 is too much and with less gain on 2+ it get's kinda muddy.

with low output PUs i like 2+ for a high gain sound and leads and sometimes 2- for a crunch sounds. Still the amp doesn't excel here...

but for all the -/+ switching i use different EQ and gain settings which is kind of annoying.

i decided i will give the VHX a go.
i bet hagen or VH4 would also be great, but i use very different guitars and i would be easier to have a preset for each than to remember the knob setting for each guitar, especially on stage.
also my teles would benefit from a individual neck and bridge setting since the necks are very low in output and i like a beafier bridge...

 

[Me]

I find using more or less channel volume in conjunction with more or less master volume can change some of my Herbert channel sounds quite a lot.

But I bought a Hagen, which I now play a lot more than the Herbie, and it sounds like maybe for what you'd want. It's still that big lovely Diezel sound, but more flexible and more "raw rock" than "thumping metal". Someone borrowed the Herbie though and from the audience it still made the other amp sound shite, but I did have to show them to change channel vs master to get the kinda clean they wanted from their guitar/pedals.

Much as I was happy with the Herbert for many many years, I then got a Bogner XTC 20th anniversary. Kinda showed me what was missing, but also just wouldn't do what I was doing with the Herbie in the same way. While no amp can do everything in every way, the Hagen does a slightly less punishing version of the Herbert, but with a lot more of what the Bogner did. I can't really bring myself to sell the Herbie or XTC because they still slightly outdo the Herbert at specific things, but for what I'm playing I find the Hagen the best all-covering middle-ground single amp for a gig. I don't think about it at all while playing that, it just sounds great, but if I play one of the other 2 I wish it did more of the opposite on one channel or the other!

 

[valve]

I find using more or less channel volume in conjunction with more or less master volume can change some of my Herbert channel sounds quite a lot.

But I bought a Hagen, which I now play a lot more than the Herbie, and it sounds like maybe for what you'd want. It's still that big lovely Diezel sound, but more flexible and more "raw rock" than "thumping metal". Someone borrowed the Herbie though and from the audience it still made the other amp sound shite, but I did have to show them to change channel vs master to get the kinda clean they wanted from their guitar/pedals.

Much as I was happy with the Herbert for many many years, I then got a Bogner XTC 20th anniversary. Kinda showed me what was missing, but also just wouldn't do what I was doing with the Herbie in the same way. While no amp can do everything in every way, the Hagen does a slightly less punishing version of the Herbert, but with a lot more of what the Bogner did. I can't really bring myself to sell the Herbie or XTC because they still slightly outdo the Herbert at specific things, but for what I'm playing I find the Hagen the best all-covering middle-ground single amp for a gig. I don't think about it at all while playing that, it just sounds great, but if I play one of the other 2 I wish it did more of the opposite on one channel or the other!

yes, channel vs master vol. matters but haven’t played around with it lately.

totally get your great XTC, herbie, hagen comparison. Thanks for that.

i loved that deep thumping herbert sound for years, but i grew out of it.
still, depending on the mood/song it’s great.
but like like you said, i think the hagen will be much more versatile and i like to play totally different styles from slight distortions to thumping metal.
got different guitars with singles, filtertrons and humbuckers in all output levels.
i set my focus on the hagen several times, but now i think the VHX will be a better fit.
maybe a preset for each guitar which will mean less knob fiddling in the long run…

will try them as soon as the amp is available again.
by the way, what settings on the vhx will come closet to the hagens ch2 and ch3?
what settings for herbie ch2-, ch2+
what for vh4 ch2 and ch3?
or are there predefined presets for their flag ships readily available from factory???

 

[Leo Diezel]

will try them as soon as the amp is available again.
by the way, what settings on the vhx will come closet to the hagens ch2 and ch3?
what settings for herbie ch2-, ch2+
what for vh4 ch2 and ch3?

VH4 Silverface is VHX shape 0 Classic
VH4 Blueface is VHX shape 0 Early
Herbert is VHX shape 1 classic
Hagen is VHX shape 2 classic

Green is CH1, yellow is CH2/Herb CH2-, blue is CH3/Herb CH2+, red is CH4/Herb CH3

On Green and Yellow you have the Bright option, while the shape number is only on Blue and Red.

All other VHX combinations are not really representative of any other existing Diezel.

 

[valve]

VH4 Silverface is VHX shape 0 Classic
VH4 Blueface is VHX shape 0 Early
Herbert is VHX shape 1 classic
Hagen is VHX shape 2 classic

Green is CH1, yellow is CH2/Herb CH2-, blue is CH3/Herb CH2+, red is CH4/Herb CH3

On Green and Yellow you have the Bright option, while the shape number is only on Blue and Red.

All other VHX combinations are not really representative of any other existing Diezel.

great, thanks a lot!

 

[valve]

did it and it‘s finally here.
first impression:
the bright option and vintage voicing is what i really missed on my herbert for lowgain.
the gain pot on clean is what i really missed on the herbert.
shape 0 is awsome for dirty neck rhythm playing.
totally love it!!!

 

[valve]

VH4 Silverface is VHX shape 0 Classic
VH4 Blueface is VHX shape 0 Early
Herbert is VHX shape 1 classic
Hagen is VHX shape 2 classic

Green is CH1, yellow is CH2/Herb CH2-, blue is CH3/Herb CH2+, red is CH4/Herb CH3

On Green and Yellow you have the Bright option, while the shape number is only on Blue and Red.

All other VHX combinations are not really representative of any other existing Diezel.

got to say, i though i would like the hagen (mode) best, but as it turns out, so far the VH4 (mode) rules for me, with the herbert coming in 2nd.

Glad i went with the VHX, because it was between a hagen and the vhx.
would have taken month or years to accept that the hagen is not my thing, if i went the other way, still having a hard time of thinking selling my herbert.

i love how you don‘t have to compromise the amp setting for neck and bridge PU anymore. i definitely like less bass and more mids on the neck.
also my weak tele necks don’t bother me anymore because i have a special preset for them. totally hated the sound when you dialed it in perfectly for the neck and then switched to the bridge or vice versa

 

[Leo Diezel]

got to say, i though i would like the hagen (mode) best, but as it turns out, so far the VH4 (mode) rules for me, with the herbert coming in 2nd.

Glad i went with the VHX, because it was between a hagen and the vhx.
would have taken month or years to accept that the hagen is not my thing, if i went the other way, still having a hard time of thinking selling my herbert.

i love how you don‘t have to compromise the amp setting for neck and bridge PU anymore. i definitely like less bass and more mids on the neck.
also my weak tele necks don’t bother me anymore because i have a special preset for them. totally hated the sound when you dialed it in perfectly for the neck and then switched to the bridge or vice versa

I'm glad you are happy with it!! Thank you

 

[valve]

did i mention how great that amp (VHX) is?