Diezel VH2 Amp Head Review
Review Summary
The VH2 makes all the power and tone of the VH4 accessible at a much lower cost. In its sub-$3000 price range, the VH2 is one of our favorite recommendations for metal, modern rock, and all types of high-gain.
BEST FOR: Diezel fans on a budget. Heavy gain, modern distortion, metal, and hard rock.
TONE
98
CONTROL
96
BUILD
98
COST/VALUE
90
- $1500 cheaper than the VH4
- High gain sounds AMAZING
- Two footswitchable channels
- Gain levels on each channel dovetail well together
- If you like bass in your guitar's EQ...
- Simple control scheme still provides tons of flexibility
- None, unless $2900 is too expensive for you
The Diezel VH2 is a stripped down and simplified version of the Diezel VH4, which is the boutique amp company's most popular amplifier to date. We've reviewed the Diezel VH4 here, for those interested.
The primary difference (as the names would suggest), is that the Diezel VH2 has only two channels while the VH4 has four channels. However, for an amp of Diezel's quality standards, we're happy with two channels and think that the discount you get compared to other Diezel amplifiers is a great deal.
This is our full Diezel VH2 review, covering the tone, features, and overall value of the high-end boutique amp head.
If you have questions, feel free to reach out via the comments section below and we'll chat.
Let's start with a simple comparison.
Compare the VH2 to Other Amp Heads
Amps | Name | Rate | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Diezel VH2 | 95.5 | |
 | Mesa Dual Rectifier | 98.7 | |
 | Blackstar HT Club 50 | 88.8 | |
 | Marshall DSL100HR | 95.2 |
Tone of the VH2
The Diezel VH2 has two channels, both of which can put out substantial amounts of gain. However, the first channel is the designated "clean" channel, while the second one is for higher gain levels and heavy distortion. Yet, even on the clean channel you can get a lot of distortion and some aggressive tones. Here's the demo by Peter Diezel and Peter Stapfer at Diezel headquarters:
The cleans on channel one sound great, though can easily be distorted by moving the gain knob up. It's the second channel where you'll get the most mileage out of the Diezel VH2. On high gain settings the thing is just an absolute monster.
Riffs sound thick and heavy, while palm muted power chords have a ton of percussive "thud" and thickness.
It's not as much a searing amp as it is a bass-heavy power chord amp, perfect for heavy rhythm riffs and following thick bass lines.
As you go up through the gain levels, you can basically hear the second channel picking up its gain level where the first channel leaves off.
It's heavy and sounds good even with full saturation.
Whether it's clean or metal, you get a lot of sustain in the mix and a nice balance of frequency which leads you to avoid tinkering much with the EQ.
For an amp that has so few tweaking features, it still sounds better than nearly anything we've tested.
You don't need to tweak it.
What controls does Diezel add?
The control scheme on the front panel of the VH2 is quite simple. Here's a look at both channels and the power amp controls:
Control panel for the Diezel VH2.
You have the following controls for both the first and second channel:
- Gain
- Volume
- Treble
- Middle
- Bass
Clearly this is an exceedingly simple control scheme. All of the control for those two channels is set at the preamp level. Moving right - to the power amp - you have the following universal controls:
- Master 1
- Master 2
- Presence
- Deep
There's no reverb, but you don't really miss it once you start using the amp. The "Deep" knob is nice to have since the amp is already so heavy. This allows you to add or reduce bass in the EQ depending on the sound you're going for.
While it has less control than most amps in its price range, it's hard to complain about it since we didn't feel like any additional control was even necessary.
Note the switch in the middle is the channel selector, though channels can also be selected through an included footswitch.
A fairly basic - though included - VH2 footswitch for external channel control.
Value of the Diezel VH2
The VH2 retails for about $2900 which is around $1500 less than the larger VH4. If you're okay with just the two channels and the limited control scheme, the VH2 is a fantastic alternative to the high Diezel prices.
Not only does it get you the same Diezel tone that we like about the VH4, but it gives you all the same bones and the basic control.
Aside from the additional flexibility of more channels, there aren't any downsides to saving the money and going with the VH2.
In its price range, it's one of our absolute favorite amplifiers
Buy confidently.
Final Thoughts & Questions
With a simple reduction in the number of channels, Diezel has made the VH series accessible to far more people than they could with just the VH4. It's still expensive, but under $3000 is a big boost for semi-pros, and professional musicians that want an amp designed for heavy gain and modern guitar tones. The VH2 embodies this sound almost perfectly, and is one of our top recommendations if you're willing to spend north of $2500 on your amplifier. There's little - to nothing - worth complaining about here.
Related Diezel and Guitar Amp Pages
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Amps & Roundups
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Amps & Settings
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