The horrific Genz Benz El Diablo

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ZEEGLER

ZEEGLER

Well-known member
Many years ago, I tried one of these out in a local store. It was pretty bad from what I remember, but maybe I'm wrong. I can't remember hearing anything but negative comments about this amp. Who here has actually played one and given it an honest try? Just how bad are they? Are they Blue Voodoo BV120 bad?

I had a similar opinion of the Krank Revolution and Krankenstein. I must have tried them both out on multiple occasions at music stores, and every damn time I thought they sounded terrible. Then I acquired a Rev 1 in a sort of package deal for super cheap. Once I actually had time to mess around with it, I liked it quite a bit. It was definitely different to dial in, and VERY picky with speakers, but would make a great, tight thrash/metal amp.
 
I had the combo a long time ago and didnt think it was bad at all but...
The tone stack was weird which I think contributed to a lot of the bashing.
I think the bmt controls were shared with clean channel so couldnt get good tones from both
 
I don't know if I'd say I've given it an "honest" try as I haven't played it at length, but I also tried a Diablo at a guitar store once and I still remember being surprised at how awful it was. Just all the elements of the worst high gain amps I've played rolled into one package. Next to no articulation, it was flubby and honky and harsh all at once, and overall it had narrow bandwidth and just in general a very small sound. I almost thought something was wrong with it. It sounded like a broken radio with muffled high end, basically.
 
I used to gig one exclusively for a good while. It was tricky to dial in and the tones were very solid State sounding, but it was a fun amp for sure. I don’t know if I would enjoy it right now.
 
People used to speak highly of the Genz Benz cabs all the time years ago. Never seen one in Australia.
 
I didn't think those were bad they had that and the Black Pearl. The Black Pearl was a let down IMO but the Diablo was banging. Great cleans and crunch and gain too.


Reminded me of a XXX but better and more boutiqey. They can be had for a song too used, very versatile and very balanced all around great sound IMO. Active EQ is great too and makes for a very flexible platform that can do a lot with a little.
 
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Each channel starts with a couple of tube gain stages, a cathode follower, and then the amp is full of operational amps until the power tubes. The hot channel has almost a traditional FMV tone stack, but it's wired up with a dual gang pot and labeled contour. Then comes the active tone controls, no surprise why it's not liked. It's just weird.
 
I bet they sound amazing with a James Tyler super strat plugged into them but shit, what doesn't? :LOL:
 
My friend was a huge Lynch fan and got a genz benz cab, and he had very high hopes, he said it was different than other cabs, something special about it, blah, blah, blah. I plugged into it and it was the single most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard. It was just atrocious, it sounded flabby and muffled, and whatever amp we plugged into it became the worst amp I’d ever heard.
 
mooncobra said:
My friend was a huge Lynch fan and got a genz benz cab
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It's like gore-tex. Guys buys the stuff just so they can say "Genz-Benz" when you ask them what kind of cab they have, or in the case of clothing, so they can say "Gore-Tex" when asked what fabric their wife's boyfriend knitted it from.
 
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