F - Genz Benz

GEAR BOX
Genz Benz El Diablo 60-TS
Hotter Than Hell
By Douglas Baldwin
or over two decades, Genz Benz cabinets have been a magic ingredient of
sorts, able to make almost any rig come
alive. So it was a logical step for the company
to develop a line of amps to place atop those
brilliant speaker boxes. Two years ago, guitarists raved about the El Diablo 100 head; the El
Diablo 60 now puts this roaring demon into
a smaller package while delivering the same
sinfully wide range of tones as the original.
F
DEVIL OR ANGEL?
The El Diablo 60-TS head runs two channels
through a pair of EL34 tubes in either the 60W
(pentode) or the 30W(triode) mode. The triode mode is not simply a “volume reduction”
switch—it really turns the El Diablo into a
warm, juicy vintage amp with gobs of sag. In
either mode, the warm channel handles the
clean chores, while the gain control commands bell-like clarity or naughty graininess. The value of either channel’s active tone
controls (+/-15 dB) can’t be overstated: you
don’t need to roll every knob to the right to
see what the devil is going on; the El Diablo
shines with the tone controls
centered. What’s more, increThe El
mental boosts or cuts generate
Diablo
rages
markedly different sounds—
like a biblical
you can even add another gain
stage by pushing beyond the +6
classic or high gain, dynamic
beast.
dB range.
or compressed texture, global
The aptly named hot chanattack on/off)
on/off ) can be set on
nel begins where the warm channel ends.
the front panel or chosen remotely with
In just its first quarter-turn of rotation, the
the sturdy four-button footswitch (supgain control provides a seductive range of
plied). And speaking of hardware, the El
mildly overdriven tones. Further clockwise
Diablo boasts highly textured metal knobs
exploration leads to molten distortion,
that connect to multiple-détente potentitaking you right into death-metal territory.
ometers, adding a reassuring feel to the
A host of useful switches (channel select,
dialing-in process.
“
Track 40
”
THE VOICE OF BEEZELBUB
Frankly, there is not much that the El Diablo
won’t do. It chimes with clear-voiced glee,
gets dirty and blackfaced, grunts with pleasure at humbucker-fueled rock riffs, and
rages like a biblical beast. I favored the the
amp’s tequila-soaked Texican vibe for riffs
like the one below; you could almost smell
the barbecue sauce hitting the coals as the
single-coil pickups sizzled. Massive props
also go to the Genz Benz TS-212 cabinet used
for review. Loaded with Eminence Private
Jack speakers, this cab can be played with
an open or closed back, and its caloric resonance perfectly complemented the El Diablo
60-TS. And at only 45 pounds, it’s a gigging
musician’s delight. If you’re in the market for
a versatile and professional amp, you’d better
give the El Diablo a spin—it’d be a sin not to.
CONTACT Genz Benz, 480-941-0705,
genzbenz.com
GEAR
FEATURES POWER Two EL34 tubes, 60 watts (pentode), 30 watts (triode) FRONT PANEL Gain, volume, active bass, mid, treble, reverb (warm and hot channels); tube
BOX contour (hot channel only); global attack level, master reverb, master volume SWITCHES Channel select, classic/high gain, dynamic/compressed texture, attack on/off, power
and standby BACK PANEL Multipin footswitch connector, effects in/out, line out, dual speaker outputs, speaker impedance switch, pentode/triode power mode, tube bias switch, bias
adjust test points PRICE $1,299 (TS-212 cabinet with 12" Eminence Private Jack speakers: $699)
62 GUITAR ONE << guitaronemag.com << JUNE 2005