The Deluxe 40 has a more "hi fi" timbre to its saturated tones and to my ear, it's a more pleasing difference. I think that difference is significant enough to justify it over the earlier incarnate 36 if you like that clarity. Finally, note in the ultra demo (13:01) the position of the treble and mid knobs (2:00 and 10:00) of the 40 compared to the 36 (3:00 and 9:00). As responsive as the eq is on these, I think that had much to do with the difference between the two in that segment.
Dear Henning, Thank you for doing a quick comparison and announcing future video's regarding this amp. I have bought the GrandMeister 40 deluxe with the TM112 cab, the fsm footswitch, the WMI controller and I also swapped the stock chinese tubes for a Tube Amp Doctor set. I haven't played the amp as much as I would like to but sofar I do totally love it!!! I love the low end and it sounds amazing with my schecter JL-7, it's just huge sounding! Noticed you were fiddling with the knobs for your comparison and I would suggest to maybe use the ipad controller app to take out subtle nuances, its really a big inprovement in controlling the amp. If you are going to make a more in depth review I would really like to know how the ultra channel compares with other hi-gain amps. It would also be interesting to see how the amp takes overdrive pedals in comparison to the boost switch. Would love to see that if you are up to that! Thanks!
To sum it up...the 36 to me is MUCH cleaner & distinct on the clean channels and about the same on the metal/crunch/overdrive channels with the 36 having a superior overall sound ! The 40 has the edge when that metal overdrive sound is preferred, but not by much. Anyone hear the same thing??
The 36 to me sounded more pleasant, less brittle and overcooked, with more depth to it. Overall I call a big BS over the "huge improvement" of the amp that HK claims.
Wow....wow! Thanks for that comparison, because it absolutely made me choose the 36 INSTEAD of the 40! The 40 seemed more presence and seemed to have a lot less headroom on the clean channel. The gain tones seemed a little harsher on the 40 as well. I'm glad I found this before I made the purchase! Thanks for the comparison video!! :-D
Not a lot of big differences, but differences they are. Agreed with most of your assumptions/observations Henn. I still thought the 36 sounded sweeter and more organic than the 40! The 40 on ultra had more presence, BUT also sounded more compressed and a bit more brittle. Good comparison tho!
Just purchased the GM 36, thank you for the great review/comparison. Tried to order the GM Deluxe 40 but there was a 3 month waiting list here in Canada.
Great vid, seriously. I agree and thought while watching that the 36 had cleaner cleans, but the 40 had a better middle EQ feel to it which I would suspect will sound better in a mix. I would love to see each of the 4 channels compared to your other amps that own that particular sound, like the vox for the clean sound. Great job in your presentation, the amp switcher is so cool and helpful
The effects on the Deluxe 40 seemed more natural. Tonewise, it seemed that they were pretty close, but the Deluxe 40 seemed like it was slightly less brittle and had some more low end then the 36 did. Would definitely buy the Deluxe 40 over the 36.
preferred the 40 seemed to low harmonics and saturated nice even on the clean settings (less headroom but thats whar the gain knob is for) and rolled of some of the harsh highs that seems to be common across h&k stuff replacing them with more mids
Sometimes, I get really lucky on youtube. Can't thank you enough Henning - those 2 are exactly the amps I have been considering. This A-B vid is absolutely tailor made for me - bespoke amp comparison on youtube! Whooda thunk it?? Trusting totally that you exactly matched the settings on both amps, even here on youtube, to my ear, the Deluxe 40 definitely sounds more alive, present and organic - definitely seems to have more low end punch and in a tighter manner. The GM 36 still sounds great but for my money I think the Deluxe 40 is the clear "winner" here.. Again, thank you SO MUCH Henning - your vid has resolved the last 10% of indecision I had been having. Please let me ask you one final question: my plan is to build a new rig with the GM Deluxe 40 as my core, but running an AX8 into it, mostly for the superior effects and signal chain options, but also likely to take advantage of the myriad amp/cab models included. What's your guess on how this rig will turn out? Fantastic Xmas gift for me Henning - I owe you one! cheers!
I'm very basic when it comes to my guitar tone, all I really use is delay and reverb rarely I'll add a little bit of chorus but nothing else so I've been looking into getting one of these amps (either the tubemeister deluxe 40 or the grandmeister deluxe 40) I really like the idea of the FXs built into the Grandmeister but my main concern is the volume level stored on the patches, If I were to use pedals it would be with the Tubemeister and it wouldn't be a big deal since it would really be only 4 or 5 pedals (tuner, chorus, delay, reverb, and maybe a noise gate). But the point is to downsize on the amount of gear being carried around. In my past experience when using any gear whether directly connected to the main board of the house or having the sound captured by a microphone I always had to readjust the volume level and having to do that on programed patches is quite annoying since you have to keep going back and forth to compare them and even so it may not be coherent when the band starts playing, so because of that the Tubemeister (although I would need to add a few pedals to it) seems to be a more coherent choice but I would like to know what you have to say in regards to that, is the volume difference in the patches so drastic that the player would have to go through readjusting it constantly or not?! Thanks!!!
You know what, apart from the tube control and the DI improvement this grandmeister 40 seems exceedingly similar to the grandmeister 36. Personally if you own a grandmeister 36 don't waste time effort and money changing - its simply not worth the aggro or the difference. I've looked at the 40 and own the 36 and honestly these are no longer that 'low cost' that they appear listing for the 40 (at least in the UK) for around £1300 (ouch). I got my 36 for around £850 from Thomann a few years ago and it fits the bill perfectly. Never failed but I would recommend taking those tubes and fitting decent extensively tested tubes that to my ears change the top end a little for the better. Both of these amps in the tradition of H&K are 'toppy'. You can dial that out of course also. My inside and out review of the GM36 can be seen here: ruclips.net/video/I7UxJ8Rb19A/видео.html and this guy should also be commended for his video work.
The 40 sounded noticeably more "open" to me as the terminology goes. I mean, jesus the 40 had more bite and top end with the treble set at 9 o'clock than the 36 did with the treble set at 1 with matching presence (10:22). I just bought a used 36 I was able to pick up for just over 600...do you have any tubes you'd recommend to open it up more (quote, unquote)?
I've done a lot of preamp, tube swapping with my Coreblade, and you can get some drastic changes doing this.I wonder if they didn't just put some different tubes in the 36, slap a different name on it, and walla you make the people that were not liking the sound of the 36 happy. I would love to see him swap all the tubes between both versions then compare before, and after. With the amps being auto biasing it would be a easy thing to do.
Read and watched Tony's reviews and would go along with anything he says. To me the only difference is on clean the 40 sounded like it had more gain so I preferred the cleaner 36.
These amps have a ton of great features. That being said, I think they're just a little over priced considering they aren't built in Germany but instead in China. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with things made in China but the reason for manufacturing being outsourced there is for cheaper labor and it would be nice to see those savings passed along to the customers. Same goes for the far less feature packed EVH III Mini heads. They were for a time being built in Fender's Mexican factory but from my understanding they are now being built in China, yet they still cost $999. Seems like some of these companies are benefiting from the cheaper labor but still keeping prices pretty high. I also worry about these mini heads with tons of features packed into them being difficult to repair if something is to go wrong with them. They do sound great and tick off a lot of boxes guitarist want/need though.
They are made in Germany. Not sure where you got that they are made in China, but I own the Grandmeister Deluxe 40 and it clearly states that it's made in Germany, which these amps have been since 1984.
While the amps are very similar, there seems to be a quality I don't like about the 40. I'm assuming same tubes in both. The 40 seems overbearing somehow, maybe in the high to high mids. I prefer the 36. But that being said, these Grandmeister amps are absolutely stunning in their abilities. Coupled with the FSM footswitch, not much you can't do with them.
I Purchased both a GRANDMEISTER 36, And TUBEMEISTER 36 to Run In A Stereo Set-Up. That Being Said. I Still Like The 36 Watt Versions Better For My Ears. The DELUXE Series Do Not Sound Bad. But I 100% Agree With A Previous Opinion. The Deluxe 40 Sounded Compressed, And A Bit Digitally Sounding. The 36 Sounded A Bit More In Your Face Sounding, As Well As More Natural Sounding. Then Again, I Like To Experiment, And Use A Lot Of Pedals. The 36's Suit Me Better For That. PS, If It Isn't Broken, Then Why Fix It.
Thanks for the video! I got the opposite result from what you explained at the end. Perfect for what I needed, and I'm a rock and metal guy. Was considering the Deluxe 40 over the GM36, but after this video, I found the Deluxe 40 a bit over saturated and 'overcooked' as someone else put it. The GM36 was much smoother, and more natural. The tone on the 40 was too bright and fuzzy for my taste. Even the clean examples sounded like they had a crunch to them. And not in a nice way.
@@MusicTechHelpGuy Mega. The only difference I can see is the Redbox D.I. Output. I have a Blubox IR by Thomas Blug, so I think that will suffice for the output to the DAW. Thanks for the reply and info, hope you are well in all this chaos of 2020, what a year this is so far...
I played the 36. It's tighter than my 6505mh in the bottom end but i can't say which one sounds better loud because i was at Guitar Center so i kept it low. Both amps sound good low...
40 definitely has more depth to it in the sound and you can hear those transients pop out. 36 is a little muddier and less dynamic (necessarily in a bad way either strangely) but damn they both sound amazing
I liked the 36 a bit better. Its like they went too far with the changes. The 36 has been loved for years and there's a reason, it just sounds great in a band setting.
I was looking to see if you had reviewed the Grandmeister 40 a few days ago... now you're doing it! I'm figuring out if I want to stick with the Line 6 Helix, Axe-FX II XL+ (both of which I have) or if I should grab the Grandmeister 40.
I am not a fan of the modelers, but I think the Axe FX is probably better than the Grandmeister. It is a great amp with many features for the money, but the Axe FX is in a different league. If you want to replace it, you'll have to buy a boutique amp and a Torpedo.
EytschPi42 Awesome, thanks! I've been trying to get great tone without disturbing my kid in the next room, so my options are limited. The Axe-FX sounds a little better than the Helix but the Helix is way easier to use.
The 36 sounded darker and the 40 much brighter. I liked the clean better on the 36 but overall both sounded good and it's just a pick your flavor comparison. The one big difference I noticed is the 40 had a much better sounding reverb.
Greetings from America......Great A/B comparison video... thank you for posting this... I started seeing the new GM40 for sale and was very curious at what the differences were going to be between the GM36 and the GM40.... nice job highlighting them... and just as I was thinking yeah but how does the GM40 stack up against other amps you started talking about that.... can't wait to see those comparison vids... once again great job and thank you for posting.... and in reference to the second to last sentence .... YES .. we know what your trying to say... lol... PEACE✌😁
Seems like they did a similar thing as with the tubemeister 18/deluxe 20. They took the "ice pickiness" out of the clean channel and gave the distortion channels some more high end and took lots of mud out of it. I used to have the TM 18 and was very frustrated about how it took pedals and the general voicing balance between the two channels. I have had the Deluxe 20 for a while and am very very happy with it. Also, the Redbox AE is great. We rehearse silently so this is a great update. They have to make it a stand alone product.
hey Man, I like your videos a lot. The details give a lot of perspective for an upcoming musicians like me to know what to buy and what not so we don't end up having gear we are not passionate about. The other day, a friend of mine showed me his Jet city 20Hv amp and it was really cool. In fact i am thinking of buying one as a back up to my marshall. If you could do a review on one of these it would be awesome. They are supposed to be designed by Soldano. .. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Mich würde mal interessieren was passiert wenn man die Röhren zwischen den Amps tauscht. Also wieviel Prozent vom Klangunterschied vielleicht einfach an den Röhren liegt? I would like to know, what happens if you would change the tubes between the two amps. How much of the sound difference is caused by the tubes itself?
Awesome video! Thanks for posting this up. I wonder which one holds up better in a band setting...? I assume the 40, but with "digital/tube hybrids", it can sometimes be hard to tell.
Hi Henning, I want to get one of these GM40D's and currently use a Boss es-8 switching unit, will I be able to send midi commands from the ES-8 to the amp to select various presets?
I don't know anything about amps. What makes them good? What sound is best? I have no idea. To me, I preferred the tone from the 40. It just sounded much more of a "full tone" than anything else. Perhaps, I haven't had enough experience with amps. I've only ever inputted my instrument directly into my PC via an interface, as I've never had an opportunity to try anything else. I've yet to find anyone that would be willing for me to try my instrument with their gear, unless I purchase the equipment before trying it.
Hi Henning I'm loving my gm40 deluxe but I'm moving from a Mesa lss with an es-8 and lots of pedals. Finding the amp can't take pedals that well. Loads of sounds in this amp so my wamplers and xotic pedals appear redundant. What's your own experiences? Also can I use the line out to feed another amp for a stereo set up?
Ich spiele live gerne den GM36...direkt in die PA und jeder Mischer ist happy. Grandioser Amp. Danke für das Video...hätte ich nicht schon einen hätte ich hiernach einen gekauft.
You can definitely improve the sound of your amp with a tube upgrade. Lately I've been using Tungsram 12ax7 preamp, and some KT88 power tubes in my Coreblade, which are not officially supported, but they will work. I'm not sure they will drop the tubes out of the circuit properly like they will with the supported El34, and 6l6GC's do.
@EytschPi42 Henning - I'm not familiar with the Torpedo products but what are your thoughts on running my Grandmeister 40 Red Box out (with its emulation turned off) to my Line 6 PowerCab Plus (speaker modeler with the ability to add more IR's). P.S. Love your support for animals - pound dogs are always the best!
Thoughts on Grandmeister Deluxe40 vs Tubemeister Deluxe 40? I'm talking pure tone since i dont have much need/use for built in effects.And I could live without the programmability/presets if that saves me some cash :D
Webgkil honestly they appear to be the same from a tone standpoint. the extra value is the built in effects and tech in the GMS. I think a better question would be generational tone differences between the deluxe and non-deluxe models of each
I have a 36 and swapped out the tube with JJ Electronics and it made a big difference. Richer sound and much less fizzy at higher gains. Apparently H&K puts some cheap tubes in to keep costs down expecting that they will be swapped out to the guitarist liking.
Tubemeister 36 for me all the way! The Deluxe 40 has some nasty clipping in the highs to my ears, almost digital sounding :/ I'm normally not a fan of using subjective terms but the 36 sounds more "analog" to me...
FANTASTIC review, thank you! Is it me, or does that Grandmeister 36 sound MUCH cleaner than the deluxe 40!? I own the 36 and was seriously about to jump up to the deluxe 40, but am now having second thoughts. T'would appear that my 36 is actually sound BETTER than the 40! Out of the box stock, anyways? Plus, I'm going to upgrade the tubes in my 36 from the cheaper CHINA rubes to all JJ's and from what I've read, that will make it sound even better...if that's possible!
I think it is funny how easy it is to make a amp sound better, or the way you want, just buy getting some different preamp tubes, yet people don't do it. The type of speaker you use is pretty important too.
Is AX8 better than the grandmeister deluxe 40? This is important to me because i'm not sure of my future choice: AX8, grandmeister deluxe 40, Helix or Tubemeister deluxe 20. Mi idea es, si tengo deluxe 20, conectar pedalera actual ( GT8) o nueva (AX8 o Helix) con método 4 cables, o bien, conectarme siempre de forma directa y así ahorrarme el cabinete y transportar solo mi pedalera o solo mi cabezal.
Fractal or H&K... VERY different approaches... the Fractal is going to give you tons of sounds, but they are modeled, the H&K solution will give you basic effects and H&K sounds... if you like those sounds, then you are getting a real all in one solution with real tubes... you'll have to try both and then decide.
I will always take the tube amp over the modeler. I've heard the ax FX used by one of my favorite guitarists and it cut through the mix horribly. Had he been using a real tube amp, it would have sounded a LOT better.
uhh...how come the deluxe 40 seems to have lower headroom on the clean channel, or a hotter input? How can that be possible? Anyway, the crunch and lead sound better to me on the 40, the 36 "ultra" sounds better, muddy but better mids...how can that be? All the other distorted tones on the 40 seemed more articulate and more open w/o being a lot fizzier.
You can't compare these amps just based on the Redbox bro😂 as an owner of the 40 deluxe, I can say that even on 1 watt with a 2x12 the amp is still really loud and has a lot of head room. To be honest using the amp with the FSM432 mkiii makes everything way much easier because you can just so easily save a sound you feel is great and even compare a sound you though was great with a new one to know which is really better. I've not tried the 36 yet but the 40 is spot on.
暗黒騎士 Ankokukishi Yeah I'd be positive on that with a three band eq and resonance and presence control. lowering the resonance sounds like the right Idea if it sounds too saturated.
暗黒騎士 Ankokukishi nope. the ultra doesn't cut throught live well. lead channel does on both amps. lead channel is tighter with treble pretty low. with scooped and upped mids. i have the grandmeister and love it, it's a loveable amp when you get the hang of it.
Fuck yeah! Great video as always. Personally I struggled to hear the difference between the two heads, certainly not enough to 'upgrade'. I have the tubemeister 18 going through a vintage 30 12" and it's a beast. Bigger gigs the DI box helps fill out the sound rather than micing up. Thanks for another great video Henning 👍🎸🐙🍗
I had playef the 36w Tubemeister previously (as well as owning an ENGL Ironball as an everyday main amp for a while to replace the 3ch Dual Rectifier and Framus Cobra I had sold like an idiotm) and had a friend with the recto mini 25w and 5150III 50w etc.. So I was pretty far from a rookie with liw-watt lunchbox and practice amps etc.. but just trying th is 40w Grandmeister Deluxe in a GC hooked to a random Peavey 4x12 blew both me and my other guitarist away literally The sheer articulation and metal tone this thing could display was unreal. I heard NONE of the "wimpiness" and conspicuous lack of low end balls etc.. that basically every other low watt amp id tried suffered from even plugged into various 4x12s (Tried marshall avt 4x12, recto standard 4x12, Seismic 2x12 in a "3/4 stack" config with the previous 4x12s as a final desperate attempt to make my Ironball etc.. hit puberty so to speak) I was pretty much CERTAIN that this problem was an unavoidable side effect of the EL84/6V6 etc.. "baby-tubes" these amps strangely choose in 2x or 4x pairing rather tha opting for a single full-size EL34, 6L6, KT66 etc.. that seemed obvious in my mind as the better choice. But this GM-Deluxe uses the same setup yet was right up there with the ENGL Savage 60/Fireball 60/5150III in low-end ballsiness utterly thrashing the Ironball 20, Mini-Rec 25, and Tubemeister 18 etc.. in fact even on my 2x12 Rectifier vertical cab it out-ballses these others when they were on a 4x12. I honestly have NO complaint about this, in fact even my Triamp MK3 has LESS of a tonal jump over this GM 40 than the GM 40 has over every other 15-50w amp ive tried bar the 50w 5150III which still only ties imo and even then i never budge my EVH 5150III without an H&K Gen3 or Cobra paired to it as Im a hige proponent of the Adam D. Parkway Drive horizons/KsE Heartache tone (which basically always consists of a 6L6 based 5150/6505/Roadster stuck like glue to the back of a raw-n-nasty eL34/KT77 amp like the Cobra/Diezel/ H&K GM-TA gen3)
tommygw1 nein... aber da kann der nicht mithalten.... er hat sehr viele Features und das ist seine Stärke. Wenn man ihn nur mach Klang beurteilt, dann kann er mit anderen Amps nicht konkurrieren.
Das ist ein vernichtendes Urteil ;). Das er nicht an die Klangfülle eines JVM oder Plexi rankommt oder an die Klarheit eines Twin Reverbs ist auch irgendwie klar. Ist der Rest nicht Geschmacksache?! Ich spiele das Baldringer Zeug in Verbindung mit alten Marshalls mit Drake Transformatoren. Aber dieses Setup kann auch nicht alles. Ich hatte vorher den Tubemeister 36 und warcauch zufrieden damit. Ich finde das HK Zeug hat einen speziellen Sound der sehr gut mit Fender Gitarren matched. Ich bin mit dem Deluxe 40 wieder zu HK zurückgekehrt weil ich ein flexibleres System mit weniger Schlepperei ohne Stepptänzchen gesucht habe und daran eeinnerte wie zufrieden ich mit dem TM36 war. Vielleicht mache ich ein Vergleichsvideo meiner beiden Systeme. Schade - Du hast ein paar geile Amps dort. Ich hätte mich über einen Vergleich gefreut... Interessant auch, wie unterschiedlich die Leute hier bei deunem Veegleich hier die beiden Amps wahrnehem. Vielleicht kannst Du Dich ja doch noch dazu überwinden ;) Würde mich freuen! LG Tom
Completely different concepts! SOUND? Diezel Mobility? H&K Features? H&K DI Out? H&K Effects? H&K Price? H&K But if you need a killer tone, the Diezel is probably the better amp, but you can't go direct int he board, have no effects, it is heavy etc etc...
Except for saved patches being saved on all soak levels (40/20/10/5/1...) on the 40 & having to duplicate all patches for every soak level on the 36 !!? Not much difference . I've put Svetlanas in my 36.
The Grandmeister 36 seems to have a little less high end in general. And because of that it sounds better to my ears when clean or crunch. On lead and the high-gain riff I prefer the Grandmeister Deluxe 40 as it sounds more defined to my ears. BTW: That riff you played on the Ultra-Channel sounds awesome! \m/
A bit of a FAIL in comparison despite the switcher - You have to set the EQ the same on both amps in EVERY a/b clip Henning, otherwise the comparison is a waste of time ! !
The Deluxe 40 has a more "hi fi" timbre to its saturated tones and to my ear, it's a more pleasing difference. I think that difference is significant enough to justify it over the earlier incarnate 36 if you like that clarity. Finally, note in the ultra demo (13:01) the position of the treble and mid knobs (2:00 and 10:00) of the 40 compared to the 36 (3:00 and 9:00). As responsive as the eq is on these, I think that had much to do with the difference between the two in that segment.
Dear Henning,
Thank you for doing a quick comparison and announcing future video's regarding this amp.
I have bought the GrandMeister 40 deluxe with the TM112 cab, the fsm footswitch, the WMI controller and I also swapped the stock chinese tubes for a Tube Amp Doctor set. I haven't played the amp as much as I would like to but sofar I do totally love it!!! I love the low end and it sounds amazing with my schecter JL-7, it's just huge sounding!
Noticed you were fiddling with the knobs for your comparison and I would suggest to maybe use the ipad controller app to take out subtle nuances, its really a big inprovement in controlling the amp.
If you are going to make a more in depth review I would really like to know how the ultra channel compares with other hi-gain amps. It would also be interesting to see how the amp takes overdrive pedals in comparison to the boost switch. Would love to see that if you are up to that!
Thanks!
Sure, this will all be part of the review!
Great comparison. you definitely helped me make my mind up in favor of the Grand Meister 40. Thanks for the vid and your view point.
To sum it up...the 36 to me is MUCH cleaner & distinct on the clean channels and about the same on the metal/crunch/overdrive channels with the 36 having a superior overall sound ! The 40 has the edge when that metal overdrive sound is preferred, but not by much. Anyone hear the same thing??
The 36 to me sounded more pleasant, less brittle and overcooked, with more depth to it. Overall I call a big BS over the "huge improvement" of the amp that HK claims.
I just played my first show with the GM36 and I'm never buying a different amp unless it's another GM36. I had comments all night about the sound.
Thank you for the comparison, can't wait for a full review!
Wow....wow! Thanks for that comparison, because it absolutely made me choose the 36 INSTEAD of the 40! The 40 seemed more presence and seemed to have a lot less headroom on the clean channel. The gain tones seemed a little harsher on the 40 as well. I'm glad I found this before I made the purchase! Thanks for the comparison video!! :-D
Not a lot of big differences, but differences they are.
Agreed with most of your assumptions/observations Henn.
I still thought the 36 sounded sweeter and more organic than the 40!
The 40 on ultra had more presence, BUT also sounded more compressed and a bit more brittle.
Good comparison tho!
Agreed! Sticking with my 36...)
What does organic sound like?
Just purchased the GM 36, thank you for the great review/comparison. Tried to order the GM Deluxe 40 but there was a 3 month waiting list here in Canada.
Great vid, seriously. I agree and thought while watching that the 36 had cleaner cleans, but the 40 had a better middle EQ feel to it which I would suspect will sound better in a mix. I would love to see each of the 4 channels compared to your other amps that own that particular sound, like the vox for the clean sound. Great job in your presentation, the amp switcher is so cool and helpful
The effects on the Deluxe 40 seemed more natural. Tonewise, it seemed that they were pretty close, but the Deluxe 40 seemed like it was slightly less brittle and had some more low end then the 36 did. Would definitely buy the Deluxe 40 over the 36.
Never owned any tube amps now I’m changing my mind thanks!
my initial impressions are that the deluxe sounds less natural. I'll give it a few more listens.
preferred the 40 seemed to low harmonics and saturated nice even on the clean settings (less headroom but thats whar the gain knob is for) and rolled of some of the harsh highs that seems to be common across h&k stuff replacing them with more mids
Sometimes, I get really lucky on youtube. Can't thank you enough Henning - those 2 are exactly the amps I have been considering. This A-B vid is absolutely tailor made for me - bespoke amp comparison on youtube! Whooda thunk it??
Trusting totally that you exactly matched the settings on both amps, even here on youtube, to my ear, the Deluxe 40 definitely sounds more alive, present and organic - definitely seems to have more low end punch and in a tighter manner. The GM 36 still sounds great but for my money I think the Deluxe 40 is the clear "winner" here..
Again, thank you SO MUCH Henning - your vid has resolved the last 10% of indecision I had been having.
Please let me ask you one final question: my plan is to build a new rig with the GM Deluxe 40 as my core, but running an AX8 into it, mostly for the superior effects and signal chain options, but also likely to take advantage of the myriad amp/cab models included.
What's your guess on how this rig will turn out?
Fantastic Xmas gift for me Henning - I owe you one!
cheers!
I'm very basic when it comes to my guitar tone, all I really use is delay and reverb rarely I'll add a little bit of chorus but nothing else so I've been looking into getting one of these amps (either the tubemeister deluxe 40 or the grandmeister deluxe 40) I really like the idea of the FXs built into the Grandmeister but my main concern is the volume level stored on the patches, If I were to use pedals it would be with the Tubemeister and it wouldn't be a big deal since it would really be only 4 or 5 pedals (tuner, chorus, delay, reverb, and maybe a noise gate). But the point is to downsize on the amount of gear being carried around. In my past experience when using any gear whether directly connected to the main board of the house or having the sound captured by a microphone I always had to readjust the volume level and having to do that on programed patches is quite annoying since you have to keep going back and forth to compare them and even so it may not be coherent when the band starts playing, so because of that the Tubemeister (although I would need to add a few pedals to it) seems to be a more coherent choice but I would like to know what you have to say in regards to that, is the volume difference in the patches so drastic that the player would have to go through readjusting it constantly or not?! Thanks!!!
You know what, apart from the tube control and the DI improvement this grandmeister 40 seems exceedingly similar to the grandmeister 36. Personally if you own a grandmeister 36 don't waste time effort and money changing - its simply not worth the aggro or the difference. I've looked at the 40 and own the 36 and honestly these are no longer that 'low cost' that they appear listing for the 40 (at least in the UK) for around £1300 (ouch). I got my 36 for around £850 from Thomann a few years ago and it fits the bill perfectly. Never failed but I would recommend taking those tubes and fitting decent extensively tested tubes that to my ears change the top end a little for the better. Both of these amps in the tradition of H&K are 'toppy'. You can dial that out of course also. My inside and out review of the GM36 can be seen here: ruclips.net/video/I7UxJ8Rb19A/видео.html and this guy should also be commended for his video work.
The 40 sounded noticeably more "open" to me as the terminology goes. I mean, jesus the 40 had more bite and top end with the treble set at 9 o'clock than the 36 did with the treble set at 1 with matching presence (10:22). I just bought a used 36 I was able to pick up for just over 600...do you have any tubes you'd recommend to open it up more (quote, unquote)?
I've done a lot of preamp, tube swapping with my Coreblade, and you can get some drastic changes doing this.I wonder if they didn't just put some different tubes in the 36, slap a different name on it, and walla you make the people that were not liking the sound of the 36 happy. I would love to see him swap all the tubes between both versions then compare before, and after. With the amps being auto biasing it would be a easy thing to do.
What tubes did you swap in yours?
Read and watched Tony's reviews and would go along with anything he says. To me the only difference is on clean the 40 sounded like it had more gain so I preferred the cleaner 36.
Awesome run-down. I bought a 40, love it.
Just bought a new tube set from JJ's Eurotubes:.
Putting them in tonight.
The gold-Pins.
These amps have a ton of great features. That being said, I think they're just a little over priced considering they aren't built in Germany but instead in China. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with things made in China but the reason for manufacturing being outsourced there is for cheaper labor and it would be nice to see those savings passed along to the customers. Same goes for the far less feature packed EVH III Mini heads. They were for a time being built in Fender's Mexican factory but from my understanding they are now being built in China, yet they still cost $999. Seems like some of these companies are benefiting from the cheaper labor but still keeping prices pretty high. I also worry about these mini heads with tons of features packed into them being difficult to repair if something is to go wrong with them. They do sound great and tick off a lot of boxes guitarist want/need though.
They are made in Germany. Not sure where you got that they are made in China, but I own the Grandmeister Deluxe 40 and it clearly states that it's made in Germany, which these amps have been since 1984.
@@acousticontherocks8107They say designed and engineered in Germany. Made in China.
While the amps are very similar, there seems to be a quality I don't like about the 40. I'm assuming same tubes in both. The 40 seems overbearing somehow, maybe in the high to high mids. I prefer the 36. But that being said, these Grandmeister amps are absolutely stunning in their abilities. Coupled with the FSM footswitch, not much you can't do with them.
I Purchased both a GRANDMEISTER 36, And TUBEMEISTER 36 to Run In A Stereo Set-Up. That Being Said. I Still Like The 36 Watt Versions Better For My Ears. The DELUXE Series Do Not Sound Bad. But I 100% Agree With A Previous Opinion. The Deluxe 40 Sounded Compressed, And A Bit Digitally Sounding. The 36 Sounded A Bit More In Your Face Sounding, As Well As More Natural Sounding. Then Again, I Like To Experiment, And Use A Lot Of Pedals. The 36's Suit Me Better For That. PS, If It Isn't Broken, Then Why Fix It.
Thanks for this video ! Helped me a ton choosing the right Grandmeister which for me without a doubt was deluxe 40.
Thanks for the video! I got the opposite result from what you explained at the end. Perfect for what I needed, and I'm a rock and metal guy. Was considering the Deluxe 40 over the GM36, but after this video, I found the Deluxe 40 a bit over saturated and 'overcooked' as someone else put it. The GM36 was much smoother, and more natural. The tone on the 40 was too bright and fuzzy for my taste. Even the clean examples sounded like they had a crunch to them. And not in a nice way.
Have you bought the GM36? Is it any good?
@@mickdebergerac1143 Yes, I bought it used from someone based on this video's audio examples. I love it!
@@MusicTechHelpGuy Mega. The only difference I can see is the Redbox D.I. Output.
I have a Blubox IR by Thomas Blug, so I think that will suffice for the output to the DAW.
Thanks for the reply and info, hope you are well in all this chaos of 2020, what a year this is so far...
Good vid & nuthin’ a programmable EQ couldn’t fix. The GMD-40 seemed to mush out on the heavy metal rhythms.
I still want one.
I played the 36. It's tighter than my 6505mh in the bottom end but i can't say which one sounds better loud because i was at Guitar Center so i kept it low. Both amps sound good low...
Hands down the deluxe 40 sounds so much better. Glad I have one on order!
40 definitely has more depth to it in the sound and you can hear those transients pop out. 36 is a little muddier and less dynamic (necessarily in a bad way either strangely) but damn they both sound amazing
I'm not sure if it sounds better, definitely different
They are both very capable tools
p.s...agree with your overall assessment at the end of the vid. Excellent job, really helped me keep my 36!
I liked the 36 a bit better. Its like they went too far with the changes. The 36 has been loved for years and there's a reason, it just sounds great in a band setting.
I was looking to see if you had reviewed the Grandmeister 40 a few days ago... now you're doing it! I'm figuring out if I want to stick with the Line 6 Helix, Axe-FX II XL+ (both of which I have) or if I should grab the Grandmeister 40.
I am not a fan of the modelers, but I think the Axe FX is probably better than the Grandmeister. It is a great amp with many features for the money, but the Axe FX is in a different league. If you want to replace it, you'll have to buy a boutique amp and a Torpedo.
EytschPi42 Awesome, thanks! I've been trying to get great tone without disturbing my kid in the next room, so my options are limited. The Axe-FX sounds a little better than the Helix but the Helix is way easier to use.
The 36 sounded darker and the 40 much brighter. I liked the clean better on the 36 but overall both sounded good and it's just a pick your flavor comparison.
The one big difference I noticed is the 40 had a much better sounding reverb.
Greetings from America......Great A/B comparison video... thank you for posting this... I started seeing the new GM40 for sale and was very curious at what the differences were going to be between the GM36 and the GM40.... nice job highlighting them... and just as I was thinking yeah but how does the GM40 stack up against other amps you started talking about that.... can't wait to see those comparison vids... once again great job and thank you for posting.... and in reference to the second to last sentence .... YES .. we know what your trying to say... lol... PEACE✌😁
Seems like they did a similar thing as with the tubemeister 18/deluxe 20. They took the "ice pickiness" out of the clean channel and gave the distortion channels some more high end and took lots of mud out of it. I used to have the TM 18 and was very frustrated about how it took pedals and the general voicing balance between the two channels. I have had the Deluxe 20 for a while and am very very happy with it.
Also, the Redbox AE is great. We rehearse silently so this is a great update. They have to make it a stand alone product.
hey Man, I like your videos a lot. The details give a lot of perspective for an upcoming musicians like me to know what to buy and what not so we don't end up having gear we are not passionate about.
The other day, a friend of mine showed me his Jet city 20Hv amp and it was really cool. In fact i am thinking of buying one as a back up to my marshall.
If you could do a review on one of these it would be awesome. They are supposed to be designed by Soldano. ..
Thanks and keep up the good work.
In your future GMD40 video, can you demonstrate live midi switching between channels both with and without effects?
The 40 lead sounded fuller esp around the 10 minute mark. With the boost on and Ultra, the 40 it sounded better to me.
Mich würde mal interessieren was passiert wenn man die Röhren zwischen den Amps tauscht. Also wieviel Prozent vom Klangunterschied vielleicht einfach an den Röhren liegt?
I would like to know, what happens if you would change the tubes between the two amps. How much of the sound difference is caused by the tubes itself?
Awesome video! Thanks for posting this up. I wonder which one holds up better in a band setting...? I assume the 40, but with "digital/tube hybrids", it can sometimes be hard to tell.
36 is warmer, cleaner and less harsh at the high mids.
36 is the one i would go for.
Hi Henning, I want to get one of these GM40D's and currently use a Boss es-8 switching unit, will I be able to send midi commands from the ES-8 to the amp to select various presets?
yes, you'll be able top control everything... I have a video about MIDI on the GM36... watch it!
"Boostable" 😂
send you love and baguettes from Frankreich !
I don't know anything about amps. What makes them good? What sound is best? I have no idea. To me, I preferred the tone from the 40. It just sounded much more of a "full tone" than anything else.
Perhaps, I haven't had enough experience with amps. I've only ever inputted my instrument directly into my PC via an interface, as I've never had an opportunity to try anything else. I've yet to find anyone that would be willing for me to try my instrument with their gear, unless I purchase the equipment before trying it.
I purchased the 40 and it sounded great until 3 months later board failure and obstacles only a 3 month warranty for the USA
Dear Master,
please give us the review of the DV Mark 250M!
thank you
Asked him already too he said it's probably not happening before namm.
I can actually hear the 40 being a little more suited for my taste. Very cool vid.
Can you show how loud the clean channel gets with 0 breakup on the 40. Very important in my purchase of the amp.
Hi Henning I'm loving my gm40 deluxe but I'm moving from a Mesa lss with an es-8 and lots of pedals. Finding the amp can't take pedals that well. Loads of sounds in this amp so my wamplers and xotic pedals appear redundant. What's your own experiences? Also can I use the line out to feed another amp for a stereo set up?
Deluxe 40 sounds that little bit richer/fuller in general, very close though!
I have a Tubemeister 36. Just wondering what tubes you would recommend to replace the stock tubes?
Ich spiele live gerne den GM36...direkt in die PA und jeder Mischer ist happy. Grandioser Amp. Danke für das Video...hätte ich nicht schon einen hätte ich hiernach einen gekauft.
The 40 Deluxe was much better, seemed to have much more clarity. Loved it... I may buy it now based on this video.
Did you change the tubes in any of these amps? I've heard the stock tubes are trash.
Tanner Slice the stock tubes aren't very good. I put in a set of mullards and the amp now sings.
You can definitely improve the sound of your amp with a tube upgrade. Lately I've been using Tungsram 12ax7 preamp, and some KT88 power tubes in my Coreblade, which are not officially supported, but they will work. I'm not sure they will drop the tubes out of the circuit properly like they will with the supported El34, and 6l6GC's do.
@EytschPi42 Henning - I'm not familiar with the Torpedo products but what are your thoughts on running my Grandmeister 40 Red Box out (with its emulation turned off) to my Line 6 PowerCab Plus (speaker modeler with the ability to add more IR's). P.S. Love your support for animals - pound dogs are always the best!
I definitely wouldn’t use a Power Cab... had one here... it sounds pretty bad
@@EytschPi42 I just ordered a 2x12 with Celestions - from Thomann (because of one of your reviews). Thanks for your support for animal adoption!
Definitely the 36.
Sounds way better to my ears.
Hey Henning, a great comparison. When are you plan to do depth review on this product? I really like your channel, keep on doing a great job.
happy new year! So what is your opinion ...is this amp a keeper? does it sound good apart from it's features?
40...more clarity. Great comparison.
Thoughts on Grandmeister Deluxe40 vs Tubemeister Deluxe 40?
I'm talking pure tone since i dont have much need/use for built in effects.And I could live without the programmability/presets if that saves me some cash :D
Webgkil honestly they appear to be the same from a tone standpoint. the extra value is the built in effects and tech in the GMS. I think a better question would be generational tone differences between the deluxe and non-deluxe models of each
I have a 36 and swapped out the tube with JJ Electronics and it made a big difference. Richer sound and much less fizzy at higher gains. Apparently H&K puts some cheap tubes in to keep costs down expecting that they will be swapped out to the guitarist liking.
Pb123456100 I have the 36 and did the same immediately
Great review! I ve changed the tubes on my 36 and it sounds much better than this. Worth the money!
Tubemeister 36 for me all the way! The Deluxe 40 has some nasty clipping in the highs to my ears, almost digital sounding :/ I'm normally not a fan of using subjective terms but the 36 sounds more "analog" to me...
FANTASTIC review, thank you! Is it me, or does that Grandmeister 36 sound MUCH cleaner than the deluxe 40!? I own the 36 and was seriously about to jump up to the deluxe 40, but am now having second thoughts. T'would appear that my 36 is actually sound BETTER than the 40! Out of the box stock, anyways? Plus, I'm going to upgrade the tubes in my 36 from the cheaper CHINA rubes to all JJ's and from what I've read, that will make it sound even better...if that's possible!
Jon Bassett get the JJs that's what I did on my 36
I think it is funny how easy it is to make a amp sound better, or the way you want, just buy getting some different preamp tubes, yet people don't do it. The type of speaker you use is pretty important too.
Nice review!!!
I wish to know if the delay leaves trail after changing, lets say, lead to clean?
Thanks for the comparison!!
Nuno Mouronho i' ll let you know in a couple of days!
ill be waiting!! 😉😉
Nuno Mouronho the answer is no...
As I suspected ... damm... Thank you very much!! ;) ;)
Is AX8 better than the grandmeister deluxe 40? This is important to me because i'm not sure of my future choice: AX8, grandmeister deluxe 40, Helix or Tubemeister deluxe 20. Mi idea es, si tengo deluxe 20, conectar pedalera actual ( GT8) o nueva (AX8 o Helix) con método 4 cables, o bien, conectarme siempre de forma directa y así ahorrarme el cabinete y transportar solo mi pedalera o solo mi cabezal.
Fractal or H&K... VERY different approaches... the Fractal is going to give you tons of sounds, but they are modeled, the H&K solution will give you basic effects and H&K sounds... if you like those sounds, then you are getting a real all in one solution with real tubes... you'll have to try both and then decide.
I will always take the tube amp over the modeler. I've heard the ax FX used by one of my favorite guitarists and it cut through the mix horribly. Had he been using a real tube amp, it would have sounded a LOT better.
Ok, thanks for your video, opinion and words. Happy new year!!
Thanks for your opinion. Happy 2017!!
uhh...how come the deluxe 40 seems to have lower headroom on the clean channel, or a hotter input? How can that be possible? Anyway, the crunch and lead sound better to me on the 40, the 36 "ultra" sounds better, muddy but better mids...how can that be? All the other distorted tones on the 40 seemed more articulate and more open w/o being a lot fizzier.
You can't compare these amps just based on the Redbox bro😂 as an owner of the 40 deluxe, I can say that even on 1 watt with a 2x12 the amp is still really loud and has a lot of head room. To be honest using the amp with the FSM432 mkiii makes everything way much easier because you can just so easily save a sound you feel is great and even compare a sound you though was great with a new one to know which is really better. I've not tried the 36 yet but the 40 is spot on.
36 for me on every sound, cleaner, clearer, better crunch and I prefer the eq. Both seem harsh and too bright, but if I had to choose it's the 36.
interesting for me it's the 40 sounds way more open I'd take the new one actually I loved the breakup of the clean sound.
The only thing about the 40 I dont like is the ultra channel. It's way too saturated. Maybe lowering the resonance might help.
暗黒騎士 Ankokukishi Yeah I'd be positive on that with a three band eq and resonance and presence control. lowering the resonance sounds like the right Idea if it sounds too saturated.
暗黒騎士 Ankokukishi nope. the ultra doesn't cut throught live well. lead channel does on both amps. lead channel is tighter with treble pretty low. with scooped and upped mids. i have the grandmeister and love it, it's a loveable amp when you get the hang of it.
ArielsSmartyPants yet both aren't when dailed in good. have to search for that spot and the stock tubes are more then fine.
Awesome comparo thx! Can you do the EVH5150 III vs the GM40 next?
Fuck yeah! Great video as always.
Personally I struggled to hear the difference between the two heads, certainly not enough to 'upgrade'.
I have the tubemeister 18 going through a vintage 30 12" and it's a beast. Bigger gigs the DI box helps fill out the sound rather than micing up.
Thanks for another great video Henning 👍🎸🐙🍗
Dude, awesome vid, as usual. I like both, but I think the 40 sounded a little better to my ears.
BoostAble in french ! ! you won a sub for it !
I had playef the 36w Tubemeister previously (as well as owning an ENGL Ironball as an everyday main amp for a while to replace the 3ch Dual Rectifier and Framus Cobra I had sold like an idiotm) and had a friend with the recto mini 25w and 5150III 50w etc.. So I was pretty far from a rookie with liw-watt lunchbox and practice amps etc.. but just trying th is 40w Grandmeister Deluxe in a GC hooked to a random Peavey 4x12 blew both me and my other guitarist away literally The sheer articulation and metal tone this thing could display was unreal. I heard NONE of the "wimpiness" and conspicuous lack of low end balls etc.. that basically every other low watt amp id tried suffered from even plugged into various 4x12s (Tried marshall avt 4x12, recto standard 4x12, Seismic 2x12 in a "3/4 stack" config with the previous 4x12s as a final desperate attempt to make my Ironball etc.. hit puberty so to speak) I was pretty much CERTAIN that this problem was an unavoidable side effect of the EL84/6V6 etc.. "baby-tubes" these amps strangely choose in 2x or 4x pairing rather tha opting for a single full-size EL34, 6L6, KT66 etc.. that seemed obvious in my mind as the better choice. But this GM-Deluxe uses the same setup yet was right up there with the ENGL Savage 60/Fireball 60/5150III in low-end ballsiness utterly thrashing the Ironball 20, Mini-Rec 25, and Tubemeister 18 etc.. in fact even on my 2x12 Rectifier vertical cab it out-ballses these others when they were on a 4x12. I honestly have NO complaint about this, in fact even my Triamp MK3 has LESS of a tonal jump over this GM 40 than the GM 40 has over every other 15-50w amp ive tried bar the 50w 5150III which still only ties imo and even then i never budge my EVH 5150III without an H&K Gen3 or Cobra paired to it as Im a hige proponent of the Adam D. Parkway Drive horizons/KsE Heartache tone (which basically always consists of a 6L6 based 5150/6505/Roadster stuck like glue to the back of a raw-n-nasty eL34/KT77 amp like the Cobra/Diezel/ H&K GM-TA gen3)
Hast Du schon ein Video wo Du den deluxe 40 mit anderen guten amps vergleichst?!
tommygw1 nein... aber da kann der nicht mithalten.... er hat sehr viele Features und das ist seine Stärke. Wenn man ihn nur mach Klang beurteilt, dann kann er mit anderen Amps nicht konkurrieren.
Das ist ein vernichtendes Urteil ;). Das er nicht an die Klangfülle eines JVM oder Plexi rankommt oder an die Klarheit eines Twin Reverbs ist auch irgendwie klar. Ist der Rest nicht Geschmacksache?! Ich spiele das Baldringer Zeug in Verbindung mit alten Marshalls mit Drake Transformatoren. Aber dieses Setup kann auch nicht alles. Ich hatte vorher den Tubemeister 36 und warcauch zufrieden damit. Ich finde das HK Zeug hat einen speziellen Sound der sehr gut mit Fender Gitarren matched. Ich bin mit dem Deluxe 40 wieder zu HK zurückgekehrt weil ich ein flexibleres System mit weniger Schlepperei ohne Stepptänzchen gesucht habe und daran eeinnerte wie zufrieden ich mit dem TM36 war. Vielleicht mache ich ein Vergleichsvideo meiner beiden Systeme. Schade - Du hast ein paar geile Amps dort. Ich hätte mich über einen Vergleich gefreut... Interessant auch, wie unterschiedlich die Leute hier bei deunem Veegleich hier die beiden Amps wahrnehem. Vielleicht kannst Du Dich ja doch noch dazu überwinden ;) Würde mich freuen!
LG Tom
I really wish they would release a windows controller or android controller for those of us who dont have any apple devices.
David Nouis there is an android app now.
Weirdly I prefer the 36 perhaps something with me and my taste but both beasts and the 36 being the cheaper of the 2 now all day long ❤
more mid for deluxe 40 I think. Great Comparison..
40 will focus and punch in a mix with drums clarity is always better thick chewy yes
H & K Grandmeister VS DIEZEL d-moll? which is better?
Completely different concepts!
SOUND? Diezel
Mobility? H&K
Features? H&K
DI Out? H&K
Effects? H&K
Price? H&K
But if you need a killer tone, the Diezel is probably the better amp, but you can't go direct int he board, have no effects, it is heavy etc etc...
just have chance to buy used dmoll cheaper then new H&K , thats why i am wondering :) but thnx for advice
The Ultra Channel is much improved over the 36. I have the Grandmeister I use with my Helix and its amazing!
amazing sound
How good is the Redbox. Is it good enough that you could gig without a cab and not embarrass yourself/
+Eric Fisher absolutely... the only DI box in an amp that I would recommend
Eric Fisher I have a gm36 and have gigged without a cab a bunch of times. It sounds great
The 40 eats the 36 alive ...just a more defined sound and far better to my ears .
36 sounds great to me
The deluxe does sound better to me! a little "runder", fetter, a little punshier if you know what i mean :D
Except for saved patches being saved on all soak levels (40/20/10/5/1...) on the 40 & having to duplicate all patches for every soak level on the 36 !!? Not much difference . I've put Svetlanas in my 36.
Great vid
The Grandmeister 36 seems to have a little less high end in general. And because of that it sounds better to my ears when clean or crunch.
On lead and the high-gain riff I prefer the Grandmeister Deluxe 40 as it sounds more defined to my ears.
BTW: That riff you played on the Ultra-Channel sounds awesome! \m/
They should make a Mistermeister Grand Deluxemeister. Because Hughes & Kettner...
"I don't know why you want that, BUT you can" XD XD XD BWAHAHA
The 36 is much cleaner, think you may have pushed the 40 to much
A bit of a FAIL in comparison despite the switcher - You have to set the EQ the same on both amps in EVERY a/b clip Henning, otherwise the comparison is a waste of time ! !
it WAS set the same... but the knobs don't show the current settings on these amps
Gm36 all the way. The 40 is just louder and muddier. 36 wounds more balanced
Wow the grandmeister deluxe 40 Sounds so much worse :o
it‘s one louder…
der alte 36 klingt im Ultra Modus echt pappig, der 40 dagegen aufgeräumter und direkter!
H&K sounds too glassy to me
ooooh, Das HOOGus UND Kettner! Giggity, Giggity, Giggity!...
36 sound better to me
damn.. watching this video costed to me 350 box more .. cause know I whish to buy the 40 .. instead of 36 (@_@)
How is this thing SOOOOOO savage lol