NAD: The Genz Benz El Diablo 100 head

Bob Zaod

Bob Zaod

Rock Star
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2,872
Will do a full write up later but scored this in absolute mint shape, with the footswitch for 300 smackers.

Having researched it first I had a head start on how to dial it. Very sparkly almost Vox like cleans and with the pre gain on CH 2 kept at 9'oclock and master up, very similar to post 80's AC/DC. Everything at noon for now.

Footswitch is instant with no pops. Amp is pretty quiet as far as noise goes. Built like a Sherman tank but not as heavy as I was expecting. I live that all the knobs have a nice fine detent to them. Everything about the build screams high quality.


More testing and review to come.

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300? Wow. This is so the opposite of your recent acquisitions! 🤯

You continue to delight and surprise, sir
 
Such a strange thing, how that company seemingly doesn't get it's "due". You don't see much talk about them, and I've never known anyone to own one, so I've never heard one.
 
JiveTurkey said:
How are the tones, though? Better than expected?
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The gain channel reminds me of the RT2100 I used to have by Tubeworks. A little splatty above 9'oclock on the pre-amp dial. The clean channel is fantastic. Sparkly and chimey like a combination of Vox and Fender cleans. havent tried any pedals through it yet. Thats next.
jellodog said:
Fortunately, decent long pan MOD reverb tanks are $30. I bought one recently.
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I have an accutronics I could throw in there if I keep it. Luckily even though I got it through a buddy, it was a retail purchase and returnable.
 
Baba said:
Such a strange thing, how that company seemingly doesn't get it's "due". You don't see much talk about them, and I've never known anyone to own one, so I've never heard one.
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Yeah they didnt sell well because they marketed them wrong. It's not a metal amp at all. At least not in it's native state. The high gain switch puts it in more of a Stoner Rock fuzzdoom type region not tight at all. Very loose and fuzzy. it's got decent dirt if I keep the pre-amp dial at 9'oclock or lower and bump the channel volume up.
 
Whether I keep this or not it's really just going to be my main backline head for the Tribute shows I am doing. Was going to just use my Katana MKII head but not only did I agree to have a 100w tube head but talked with some of the other guitarists and they are all tube freaks so I promised a 100w tube head. I didn't promise anything other than that. The other choice I had to get my buddies employee discount for that price was a Jet City JCA100H. I may just return this El Diablo for that but going to put it through it's paces first unlike what I did with this amp. I didnt try the reverb at all when I demo'd it quick. It works it's just tons of hum if you turn it up at all. I cleaned and reseated the RCA cables and jacks and same issue. The hum is almost as loud as the dry signal at 10 o'clock on the reverb master dial.
 
JiveTurkey said:
I always thought this would be a cool one for @KyleBull to have on his channel. In the same spirit as the Blue Voodoo.
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I can tell you right now Kyle would hate it LOL. I mean maybe with that OD he likes to use he could get some tightness out of the high gain switch but I dunno.
 
Bob Zaod said:
Whether I keep this or not it's really just going to be my main backline head for the Tribute shows I am doing. Was going to just use my Katana MKII head but not only did I agree to have a 100w tube head but talked with some of the other guitarists and they are all tube freaks so I promised a 100w tube head. I didn't promise anything other than that. The other choice I had to get my buddies employee discount for that price was a Jet City JCA100H. I may just return this El Diablo for that but going to put it through it's paces first unlike what I did with this amp. I didnt try the reverb at all when I demo'd it quick. It works it's just tons of hum if you turn it up at all. I cleaned and reseated the RCA cables and jacks and same issue. The hum is almost as loud as the dry signal at 10 o'clock on the reverb master dial.
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you cant have this amp as a backline amp dude, no ones gonna want to play or book with you again.
 
RaceU4her said:
you cant have this amp as a backline amp dude, no ones gonna want to play or book with you again.
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If they were strangers I'd agree. However they have all agreed to bring their own pedalboards and modelers so they just need a clean channel or a return jack.
 
RaceU4her said:
you cant have this amp as a backline amp dude, no ones gonna want to play or book with you again.
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I have to agree. If that amp doesn't fail I'd be shocked. Has it ever been ran and cooking for a
3 or 4 hour show in its entire life??

Things are cheap for a reason.
 
la szum said:
I have to agree. If that amp doesn't fail I'd be shocked. Has it ever been ran and cooking for a
3 or 4 hour show in its entire life??

Things are cheap for a reason.
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Oh whatever I end up with is being gone through and tested heavily before the first show. Most like completely re-tubed to boot. I have been doing light duty amp repair for many years. I used to flip them for profit when it was easier to do. I am no stranger to a soldering iron and a digital multi meter.
 
la szum said:
I have to agree. If that amp doesn't fail I'd be shocked. Has it ever been ran and cooking for a
3 or 4 hour show in its entire life??

Things are cheap for a reason.
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I thought they were reputed to sound like shit, not be built like shit?
 
JiveTurkey said:
I thought they were reputed to sound like s**t, not be built like s**t?
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The build is very sturdy indeed. As sturdy or maybe more than any Mesa Boogie I have ever owned. I like how it sounds. I'm not blown away though. The clean channel is like I said fantastic and I suppose it'd be a great pedal platform amp. The fact that I paid money for it whether it's 300 or 3k makes me want to return it because it doesn't work fully. That reverb tank is cooked.
 
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