Diezel VH4 opinions and advice

Jonathanthomas83

Looking at a VH4 to possibly tick a few of my boxes. I've tried the Plugin Alliance plugin and it seems to do what I need it to, however, it could be wildly different to the real thing for all I know.

I've heard that the real thing is massively compressed across the board and I don't really want that.

But I'm eager to hear people's thoughts on it, have you owned one, still own one, like them, dislike them and the reasons etc, please :-) Thank you

guitargeek62

I won't lie, the stupidly small VH Micro gets you amazingly close to the VH4 Ch.3 tones when you run it into a nice cab.  It's the VH4 pedal with a class-D power-amp, so you could also keep things simple and just grab the pedal too.

Grumpyrocker

I've got the mini too. It sounds incredible. Far better than it has any right to be at that price. 

DPC

I own one and I wouldn't describe it as massively compressed. Its very loud (of course!) and the bass response is huge (I usually roll it all the way off) but channels 3 and 4 provide some iconic rock and metal tones. You'd likely need an attenuator if you want to run it at bedroom levels but I would say that there's still a great gain response at low volumes.

For me its a modern classic. Channels 1 and 2 don't do much for me but if it only came with Channel 4 I'd still consider it value for money. 

 

octatonic

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Looking at a VH4 to possibly tick a few of my boxes. I've tried the Plugin Alliance plugin and it seems to do what I need it to, however, it could be wildly different to the real thing for all I know.

I've heard that the real thing is massively compressed across the board and I don't really want that.

But I'm eager to hear people's thoughts on it, have you owned one, still own one, like them, dislike them and the reasons etc, please :-) Thank you

Had one, and a DMoll.
Sold them a few months ago.

I love them both but 100w is just too loud for anything I am doing at the moment.

VH4 Ch 3 is an awesome sound but I actually prefer the DMoll over the VH4 for most things.
It is tighter and easier to get sounds out of.
Also a lot lighter.

I'd like to see Diezel do a 30-35w tube 3 channel amp, like the Bogner 3534, SLO 30, Mesa Mark V 35 etc.
I bought a 3534 a few days ago and it is awesome and easier to use in any gigging situation I can think of.

guitargeek62

A MkV:25 would be on my comparison list too - hardly the same thing, but I'm sure it could cover very similar ground plus a whole lot more.

Nerine

Find a used Einstein and profit. 

spirit7

Classic responses here: "buy a £100 solid state and it'll be close!".   "buy a different Diezel amp!"

I had a VH4 for 5 years.  Fantastic amp, but subject to a few caveats:

1. Clean channel is nice but rather sterile.  You're not buying it for that.

2. Channel 2 is underrated.  If you EQ with your ears not eyes, it can get close to a slightly more compressed angry plexi.

3. Channel 3 is where this amp delivers.  Huge bass, massive, crushing wall of sound - even better boosted with a TS (assuming you're playing heavy stuff).  Among the best gain channels of any amp, IMO.

4. Channel 4 has an absurd amount of compression and gain, but is a fun and fluid lead channel.

I'd say go for it.  As ever with 100w amps, this has a great master and sounds very good at bedroom volume, but comes alive when cranked.  Good luck!

Jonathanthomas83

Thank you for the feedback. @octatonic and @spirit7 and @DPC I’ll be using this at home only in my makeshift studio, into a Suhr Reactive Load box, so I can get the best out of the amp, short of plugging it into a real cab.

I know it’s not the tightest, I know it’s not a JCM 800 or a Dual Rectifier, but I want to go from that open crunch of a JCM to an iteration of the type of saturation that the Dual Rec offers. And yes @spirit7 , I am actually very grateful for your advice, but yep, definitely interested in the cleans too, tbh. To be able to switch instantly from clean to huge is a requirement. I’m not after any particular character of clean, just high enough headroom so that my humbuckers don’t crap it out.

So I’m not after particular tones, just the versatility to fulfil the above requirements from clean to open (non-compressed) crunch to boosted crunch (with a TS) and then over the top saturation (both as open as possible AND saturation with compression for lead work).

Any advice and to draw upon your experience of that sort of thing with the VH4 would be greatly appreciated. And thanks for your input thus far.

Jonathanthomas83

…also, concerned that I don’t really want to sound like a Tool fanboy…I won’t, right? Every clip I hear on YouTube has that distinct flavour to it and that worries me a little.

Nerine

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Thank you for the feedback. @octatonic and @spirit7 and @DPC I’ll be using this at home only in my makeshift studio, into a Suhr Reactive Load box, so I can get the best out of the amp, short of plugging it into a real cab.

I know it’s not the tightest, I know it’s not a JCM 800 or a Dual Rectifier, but I want to go from that open crunch of a JCM to an iteration of the type of saturation that the Dual Rec offers. And yes @spirit7 , I am actually very grateful for your advice, but yep, definitely interested in the cleans too, tbh. To be able to switch instantly from clean to huge is a requirement. I’m not after any particular character of clean, just high enough headroom so that my humbuckers don’t crap it out.

So I’m not after particular tones, just the versatility to fulfil the above requirements from clean to open (non-compressed) crunch to boosted crunch (with a TS) and then over the top saturation (both as open as possible AND saturation with compression for lead work).

Any advice and to draw upon your experience of that sort of thing with the VH4 would be greatly appreciated. And thanks for your input thus far.

Honestly, you should look at an Einstein just as a thought exercise. 

Everyone knows channel 3 on the VH4 is basically the money shot on that amp and they do sound great, but I found the Einstein was an absolute monster in its own right. 

Jonathanthomas83

Thank you, mate. Didn’t mean to sound dismissive of your initial post. An Einstein hadn’t factored into the equation before you mentioned it. I shall take a look, thank you.

spirit7

Einstein is great but IMO completely different to a VH4. Much more of a classic sound with Marshall DNA.

Catthan

Cannot comment about the amp but I had great results with a VH4 pedal through the FX return of a JCM800.
Studio rig so it didn't bother me changing a few cables around when I needed this tone. 
I got the idea from a Dan Hawkins rig rundown and really liked it. 
Preferred it to the Hagen I had and to the UA VH4 plugin. 

I do remember I got one sound out of this rig at somewhat extreme settings but it was a good sound, so good that I briefly considered getting the VH2 but in the end it's not the type of tone I'd tie full amp money to. 

I understand the pedal is ch3 which is what amp is famous so if you want that sound, I don't think you can go wrong plus all other 3 channels won't be bad either. 

PolarityMan

I have one and it's the tits. The clean channel isn't as nice as a fender twin I guess but it kicks the ass off anything you'll find on a marshall (or prob mist other multichannel high gain amps)

rockmonster

I have a VH4 pedal. My god what a monster!

guitargeek62

rockmonster said:

I have a VH4 pedal. My god what a monster!

It really is - they took the same circuit and hooked it up to a class D power amp to make the VH Micro, it's ridiculously fun and full of decent tones in there!




*edit* Heh - just realised I'd already said pretty much the same thing up-thread!