The Vh4 it's here!

[Joeytpg]

Alright! this bad boy is here.... love it! the clean channel is AMAZING, same with ch. 2 and 4. Ch. 3 I LOVE the voicing, but I know something's wrong.... it doesn't have enough gain.

With the gain set to 12:00 sounds like the Einstein at 11:00 if you know what I mean. According to BERNI, the head is setup, so the bias is ok...... maybe I should check the Bias again, or check the tubes......

out of the top of your head, Olaf, and Vh4 gurus, does it sound like a tube problem or a cold/bias problem?

for example the bass notes in ch.2 sound very flubby, whereas in my Einstein they sound tight and full with the same guitar.

ideas?


but other than that, I can already tell I'm gonna love this head, and I'll keep the Einstein too, after playing all afternoon with the Vh4, I hooked up the Einstein and man, I love it too.

some pics of the fam. (btw I sold the Mesa F-50 to help fund the Vh4)

 

[nbarts]

I don't think these is anything wrong with your VH4, especially looking at the volume your master is set. Like I've said before, that thing needs to get pretty loud to sound right. Try to turn up the master & back down channel volumes & see if it helps.

It's time for a Bogner OS 2x12

 

[Joeytpg]

hmmm.... I know if I crank it, it'll sound good..but the amount of gain, should be the same even if it's not cranked, right? at least in my Einstein and Little Joe's like that (some with my F-50)

 

[nbarts]

CH3 VH4 is not really that gainy, it's more like boosted cranked plexi kind of sound. It's not going to be saturated like your mesa F50, not even close.
I will have to hear a clip to determine whether there is something wrong or it's just not what you expected it to be.

 

[Joeytpg]

I'm in the process of uploading a youtube vid. I'll post it here.

I love it, I love the voicing and everything, it's just that I though it was a more "saturated" sound.


I'm also pretty sure the amp is running 6L6, which make the low end "looser"

can I use a pair a 6L6 and a pair of EL34?

 

[Anonymous]

Congradulations Joey!
Wow! What a stack of great amps you now have.
Try this when you have time for something different. (This has nothing to do with your questions in this thread)
Turn up the global volume to about 3 oc'clock to full up and set the channel volumes low and only use a touch of the gain.
The amp should give you power tube saturation. Then blend that to taste with the channel pre-amp gain settings to see the different tones you should be getting.
Enjoy it.
Stephen

 

[MARK2C]

On my two older VH4's I would have to crank the gain full up for channel 3. My new one goes silly crazy at 1:00.
Turn the gain fully up and see.

 

[Joeytpg]

I wanted to know if my amp was an "old vh4" or a "new" (it's a 2005 model) I'll post the serial no. later.


btw, it's definitely a tube problem..... I was playing it right now and the tone goes and crackles (like when a Cable is f-up) but my cables are new and I also tested with other cables.......

now, it seems to be on ch.3 only.....so it could be a preamp tube right? which one?

 

[nbarts]

If it crackles it's probably a power tube. Try slightly hitting the tubes with a glove or something when the amp is on, when you hear a crackle that should be the one.

 

[Joeytpg]

alright, I'll do that..... btw... can I mix tubes? I have a few EL34 here and I believe the Vh4 has 6L6.

also, once I change the tube, it need a re-bias right?

got any pictures of the process, like in the Diezel website, but LARGER? I can't really see in those pics

 

[shampoch]

Ok...First of all Congrats on an amazing amp!

The VH4 tube layout goes like this:

Tube 1 - All Channels ( input stage)
tube 2 - Channel 4 only
tube 3 - channel 2/3/4
tube 4 - all channels
tube 5 - all channels mix/buffer
tube 6 - effects driver mono
tube 7 - phase/driver

Make sure you do not have any bum tubes first.

What pickups are you using?

Dude ~ plug into 4x12 w/V30's! (if you can) I had a Soldano V30 2x12 that sounded fantastic w/ VH4 until I plugged into my Bogner 4x12. I have come to the conclusion that, big and heavy or not, a 4x12 rules

Master is way too low IMO for a good gain tone

I would suggest starting everything at 12:00, presence and deep too (master volume at 10:00 - don't want to hurt anyone)
then make adjustments starting with the mid (cutting it)

...you can run 6L6's OR EL34's in the VH4, properly biased and switched. I have biased matched quad of 6L6's and EL34's so all I have to do is pop them out and flick the "6L6/EL34" switch and go! Gotta thank Gene at Ultrasound NYC for that!

After many comparo's I like the 6L6's for a slightly better clean and gainier Ch4 and the EL34's for grindier and deeper tone.

CH4 has more gain than anything I have ever heard with retaining amazing string definition

Hope My opinions help

 

[MARK2C]

It could be a loose tube from shipping.


It would be unlikely that you will be able to bias a duet of EL34's and 6L6's with the proper balance.
Those integrated quads ( Eurotubes) are matched to bias the same.

 

[Joeytpg]

I'll see if one of em is loose (same with preamp tubes), if not, I'll order 2 more EL34 tp match the two I already have layig around here.

anyone got bigger pics showing to bias the vh4

 

[MARK2C]

Here are some bigger pics. Please follow the Diezel site for the how to.

 

[Joeytpg]

THANK YOU MARC! uff you have no idea how this helps....

so where do each probe of the mutimeter go? (the red and the black)

 

[Joeytpg]

oopss, sorry, it's in the pic.....

but what does red lead set #1 and #1? ) for the tube sets right?

so I do one at a time I asume.... black where it should be, and one red at a time. ?

 

[MARK2C]

One at a time. One is for the inner set of tubes and the other is for the outer. The black stays the same.
Check your bias switch on top for the proper tube set, zero your masters, be sure there is a load and your meter is set to ma DC.
Turn the amp on and give it a good amount of time to warm up, flip the standby and look at the numbers on the meter.
Adjust the trim pot left or right to 60ma and let it stabilize and keep adjusting to 60ma. When it stabilizes, turn the standby off, let the amp cool a bit
and turn it off. Switch the red clip to the other primary and check to see it matches 60ma, or is at least is close.
Remove the clips and play test. After the play test, you can decide to go a bit warmer at 70ma. I usually set the bias, play test, readjust
and then let the amp stay on for an hour with no signal to burn in. I then re-check the bias and adjust if necessary and button the whole thing back up.
Do not play test with the meter hooked up. It will freak you out with the fuzzy tone and yu will get spooked watching the bias shoot up from the playing.

Good Luck and remember to only use one hand to make your connections. Keep your other one in your pocket.

 

[Joeytpg]

thank you very much.

Why the hand in the pocket?

 

[Sam L.]

to look cool while biasing ..for safety reason i guess
my 08 vh4 channel 3 have enough gain at 1.00(pre) 9.00-10.00(master)..Channel 4 is just crazy.
maybe you can check with Peter for an update.and congrats..its a rocking amp

thanks for the info Mark2C.your bias instruction is much more clearer.

 

[Joeytpg]

yeah, that's what I've heard, the "earlier" Vh4 needs to have the gain knob way higher (another forumite from the HCAF said he sets the gain know on ch.3 to 4:00, and I tried that, and WOW.... THAT's what I'm talking about!