Genz-Benz EL DIABLO 60 User Manual

OWNERS MANUAL

Head and Combo Versions:

El Diablo 60 (Head)

El Diablo 60-TS (Head – Tribal Series)

El Diablo 60-C (Combo)

CONGRATULATIONS!

Thank you for your purchase of the GENZ BENZ EL DIABLO 60. I believe you will fi nd that this tube amp will immediately
become an invaluable tool in your quest for the best possible guitar tone. EL DIABLO’s versatile features will certainly en­hance the feel and character of your individual playing style.

Our engineers and resident “tone staffers” have worked extremely hard to develop and build this world-class guitar amplifi er
for you. Please take time to read through this manual and familiarize yourself with the features and design of your new EL
DIABLO 60.

We are proud that you’ve chosen this professional and attractive tone machine and we trust that you will discover all that it
offers.

Have fun and take it to the limit!!!

Respectfully,

Jeff Genzler
Founder/Builder/Player

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FEATURES:

• Pentode 60 Watt/Triode 30 Watt Output Section

• Two Versatile Tube Channels

• Four Button Footswitch Included

• Master Effects Loop

• Frequency Compensated D.I. Section

• Accutronics® Long Pan Reverb

• GBE 1240-V75 Loudspeaker (combo version)

• Six Triode Preamp Stages (3-12AX7’s)

• Two Power Tubes (w/Ruby Tubes™ EL 34’s)

• Military Spec. Double-sided Glass Epoxy Circuit Boards

• All Custom Wound Transformers

• Transformer Based Phase Inverter for Optimum Power Tube
Grid Drive

• Heavy-duty Steel Chassis, Mounted within a Sturdy Birch
Plywood Cabinet

CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS:

• Tube amplifi ers, especially high-powered tube amps, generate heat. Allow at least 4 inches (60mm) of clearance
around the back of the amplifi er cabinet. Keep clear of curtains and other fl ammable materials. Avoid contact with
hot tubes.

• Do not expose amplifi er to moisture, rain, splashed water, beverages, etc.

• Be sure that a speaker load is connected to the amplifi er before applying power; otherwise damage to the amplifi er
could result.

• Be sure that the amplifi er is properly grounded. Do not defeat the ground pin on the AC power input plug. The
ground is there to protect the user from the possibility of shock.

• Be sure that the AC power (mains) voltage selector switch is confi gured for the proper voltage (115 volts or 230
volts) for the area you are located before connecting the amplifi er to the power source. In the event of a
thunderstorm, remove the power plug from the wall socket to prevent damage due to the possibility of lightening
strikes.

• Turn off power to the amplifi er (or place in standby) when changing wiring connections to prevent damage to
speakers from possible (and unexpected) loud noises.

• WARNING: This amplifi er is capable of extreme high decibel output. Always protect your hearing. Your hearing is
an invaluable tool in appreciating the tone of EL DIABLO 60.

• There are no user-serviceable parts inside the chassis. Refer all service to qualifi ed service personnel.

• Always unplug the amp when changing the power or preamp tubes. Never touch the tubes if they are still hot.

• Always wait to move the amp after use until the tubes have cooled. This will prevent tube damage and extend
tube life. A few minutes should be suffi cient.

• While we have made every attempt to outline all general cautions, the ultimate responsibility for safe operation of
this or any amplifi er product rests with the consumer. Common sense should be practiced at all times when using
the amplifi er.

AMPLIFIER OVERVIEW:

The GENZ BENZ EL DIABLO 60 contains a unique combination of circuits, including vintage tube circuits, carefully
engineered “hot-rod” tube circuits and advanced tone shaping techniques. EL DIABLO 60 delivers unique tone, drive
and versatility, which is exemplifi ed by the 10 distinctive tone variations easily accessible through the four button
footswitch (included). This fl exibility allows endless possibilities to craft your own personal repertoire of tone and
expression.

The unique PENTODE / TRIODE design of the tube amplifi er adds to the versatility of the EL DIABLO 60—
essentially 2 different amps in one!! In the 60-watt PENTODE MODE the amp responds with its bold, “spanky”,
rich clean tone and classic overdrive sustain, all the way into aggressive Hi Gain brutality and all points in between.
With the 30-watt TRIODE MODE the El Diablo 60 produces a more vintage, fuller, fatter tone with a more dynamic
response and increased power tube break-up with a darker complexity. Experimentation with all of this fl exibility will
reward you with a tremendous tonal pallet for your specifi c playing style or song selection.

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The WARM CHANNEL offers full, round pristine clean response cascading up to pushed vintage gain with warm
upper mid break-up, rich bass and abundant sustain.

The HOT CHANNEL takes you from rich classic tube break-up to full-bodied hi gain splendor. The option of a
dynamic or compressed setting insures the amplifi er responds to your every touch; no squashed tone or harsh
buzziness here!!

Both channels utilize our ACTIVE TONE NETWORK for signal shaping of the guitar signal to the tube power amp.
This unique tone network is an incredible tool for enhancing your guitar tone. Each frequency offers a true +/- 15
db of cut or boost and will provide dramatic changes with just some minor adjustments. It may be very different from
your previous amps, so experiment with some moderate settings at fi rst to gain a “feel” for how versatile a tool this
network can be.

Our GLOBAL section offers master controls of the internal Accutronics® reverb, amplifi er output volume and our
unique Attack circuit that provides a wide range of variable upper mid frequency boost that enhances pick attack and
bite which is extremely effective as a lead boost and cutting through the mix.

Overall, we ask you to take some time and experiment with the many options and tonal variations that you will
discover at your fi ngertips within the EL DIABLO 60. Reading through the OWNER’S MANUAL will give you an
excellent baseline of knowledge and insight as to the tone you can accomplish and harness for your individual
playing style.

FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW:

1. ¼” INPUT JACK - This jack is unbalanced and high impedance to allow for the correct matching of the

instrument’s pick-ups with the input circuitry of the amplifi er. The input circuitry has been carefully engineered to
minimize pick-up loading and maximize tone and sustain. This is a tube buffered input stage. This is a premium

12AX7 tube specifi cally selected for its low micro-phonics and high gain characteristics.

2. GAIN CONTROL – The warm channel gain control provides a variety of gain settings, from “spanky clean”
to “pushed” vintage sustain.

3. VOLUME CONTROL – This preamp volume controls the overall volume of the warm channel. Use this
control together with the gain control to balance out the overall output of this channel. If your channel Gain control

is set very high, we do not recommend running this control “all the way up”. Due to the tremendous gain potential in
our Tone section this may cause some unwanted distortion.

4-6. TONE SECTION – Three tone circuits are included for the Warm channel. The bass, mid and treble
frequencies have been pre-selected in order to provide articulate, full-range tone shaping response specifi cally
tailored to the design of the EL DIABLO 60. As you can see, these circuits provide a huge cut or boost of 15db,
offering untold fl exibility in tone shaping. Use this section with subtle changes—click by click--at fi rst so that you can
gain a “feel” for the versatility of our tone network. We do not recommend running all tone controls at the full +15db

position. Due to the extreme gain this could cause some unwanted distortion of the network.

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7. REVERB CONTROL – This control pot adjusts the signal send level to the on-board ACCUTRONICS® long
pan reverb. This control works in conjunction with the global reverb control and different styles of lush, or “splashy”
warm analog reverbs are possible by running the channel reverb high and the global control low and also vise versa.
Experiment with these settings to fi nd the sound that best suits your style.

8-10. CHANNEL SELECTOR SWITCH AND INDICATOR LIGHTS – This is your channel selector switch for the
Warm or Hot channels. The placement of this switch between the channels and the bright marker LED’s clearly il­lustrates which channel is active. This switch should be in the out position when the footswitch is used.

11. GAIN SWITCH / CLASSIC or HIGH – This gain switch sets the gain structure for the Hot channel. Use this
switch in conjunction with the Hot channel gain control. With a little experimentation it will be easy to hear that driving
the gain control in the maximum position is not as critical as on other amps. Articulate high gain splendor can be
achieved without cranking the gain to 10. When using the footswitch this switch should be in the out position.

12. TEXTURE SWITCH / DYNAMIC or COMPRESSED – This switch changes the character of this tube
channel. Changing from Dynamic to Compressed provides another tonal variation for the guitarist. The compressed
setting offers additional compression of the signal along with a more aggressive, overdriven character, ideal for tight
and punchy bass response. This feature is more distinctive depending upon the setting of the gain control. When
using the footswitch this switch should be in the out position.

13. GAIN CONTROL – The Hot channel gain control provides a variety of gain settings; from a richly saturated
clean tone to fully overdriven high gain nirvana. Use this control in conjunction with the gain switch for this channel.
Lower settings will provide a less overdriven tone.

14. VOLUME CONTROL - This preamp volume controls the overall volume of the Hot channel. Use this control
together with the gain control and gain switch to set the overall volume of this channel. If your channel Gain control

is set very high, we do not recommend running this control “all the way up”. Due to the tremendous potential gain of
the El Diablo 60 this may cause some unwanted feedback or squeal from the preamp tubes becoming micro-phonic.

15. TUBE CONTOUR CONTROL – This is a unique circuit to the EL DIABLO design. This Contour control
adds an additional “tone stack” within the tube preamp, which interacts with and changes the loading of the tube
as the control knob is turned. When the control is left of center it produces a more midrange tone and adds a more
“vintage” character to the tone. When used from the center position to the far right it produces a more modern tone
with more bass and highs. This circuit will also interact with the Classic and High gain settings and the Dynamic and
Compressed settings.

16-18. TONE SECTION – Three tone circuits are included for the Hot channel. The bass, mid and treble
frequencies have been pre-selected in order to provide articulate, full-range tone shaping response specifi cally
tailored to the design of the EL DIABLO 60. As you can see these circuits provide a huge cut or boost of 15db
offering untold fl exibility in tone shaping. We do not recommend running all tone controls at the full +15db position.

To avoid having the preamp tubes becoming micro-phonic and producing feedback or squeal, keep the treble and
attack features to moderate (below 2:00) settings, when using maximum gain settings at high volumes.

19. REVERB CONTROL – This control pot adjusts the signal send level to the on-board ACCUTRONICS® long
pan reverb. This control works in conjunction with the global reverb control, and different styles of lush or “splashy”
warm analog reverbs are possible by running the channel reverb high and the global control low and also vise versa.
Experiment with these settings to fi nd the sound that best suits your style.

20. GLOBAL ATTACK SWITCH – Different than a presence, this unique circuit boosts a specifi c range of upper
mid frequencies which enhances pick attack and bite. This “frequency multiplier” circuit is extremely effective as a
lead boost and helps to cut through the mix. This circuit can be engaged in either preamp channel or gain setting
and can add a more aggressive attack to any tone setting on the amp. When the footswitch is used, this switch
should be in the out position.

21. GLOBAL ATTACK LEVEL CONTROL – This level control provides a variable amount of Attack ”boost” to
the amp.

22. GLOBAL REVERB CONTROL – This control adjusts the level of the reverb return signal from the on board
ACCUTRONICS® long pan reverb pan. This control works in conjunction with the channel reverb send controls to
provide different styles of warm, lush analog reverb.

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