All Things ENGL!

One thing I loved about every ENGL amp I had is that they are super quiet. They have an integrated noise gate (which I don't love because it closes super hard) but most of the time I didn't really need it, even with high gain tones.
You have to pay a little attention to which generation of ENGL amps you buy. The newer models (such as Fireball 100, Powerball II, Savage II) have significantly more mids and sound less dry and sharp than the earlier amps (Savage Mk I, Powerball Mk I, Artist, Blackmore etc.).
I'm still a huge fan of the Powerball II. It has really good clean and crunch channels, lead gain 3 sounds very similar to the Fireball, lead gain 4 on the other hand is even tighter and comes closest to the Savage. It is just extremely versatile.
One thing I don't like about ENGL amps is the frequency of the mid boost, which is 400-500 Hz on most models, and this tends to sound very boxy with high gain sounds.
 
My only Engl experience is my Fireball 25. I bought it for the saturated modern metal chugga chugged thing, but it’s really super versatile and can cover just about anything. The clean channel is freaking killer, which I totally did not expect. I’m usually not a fan of amps that have a shared eq for both channels, but the voicings work well together and it never feels like a compromise.
 
TheTrueZoltan! said:
One thing I loved about every ENGL amp I had is that they are super quiet. They have an integrated noise gate (which I don't love because it closes super hard) but most of the time I didn't really need it, even with high gain tones.
You have to pay a little attention to which generation of ENGL amps you buy. The newer models (such as Fireball 100, Powerball II, Savage II) have significantly more mids and sound less dry and sharp than the earlier amps (Savage Mk I, Powerball Mk I, Artist, Blackmore etc.).
I'm still a huge fan of the Powerball II. It has really good clean and crunch channels, lead gain 3 sounds very similar to the Fireball, lead gain 4 on the other hand is even tighter and comes closest to the Savage. It is just extremely versatile.
One thing I don't like about ENGL amps is the frequency of the mid boost, which is 400-500 Hz on most models, and this tends to sound very boxy with high gain sounds.
Click to expand...

I was hoping you'd chime in on these, TTZ! :cheers
 
Build quality comments are more to do with the design than reliability. Quite often lots of hot snot, PCB’s the wrong way up (so techs have to remove everything to be able to work on them), small transformers, so-so components. This kind of thing:

1737226170284.jpeg


1737226207896.jpeg

The SE is a good amp, the others are a bit so so for me. I can’t really think of many albums that used engl’s than knock my socks off tonally - they’re kind of a “sensible” amp in a lot of ways where they offer a lot of features and sound ok for not a lot of money.
 
I pretty much have most of my bases covered on the amp front---vintage Fenders, Bogners,
Marks, Rectumfriers, Vox-inspired chime, Marshall-inspired crunch and kerrang.

Diezels are too dark and tubby for me. Great for other people. :idk

Really like something super tight and dry for down-tuned Metal. 6505. Pitbull. Engl. Brand X? :unsure:
 
la szum said:
I pretty much have most of my bases covered on the amp front---vintage Fenders, Bogners,
Marks, Rectumfriers, Vox-inspired chime, Marshall-inspired crunch and kerrang.

Diezels are too dark and tubby for me. Great for other people. :idk

Really like something super tight and dry for down-tuned Metal. 6505. Pitbull. Engl. Brand X? :unsure:
Click to expand...
Dave you Need some Beano ??

1737227578442.png
 
la szum said:
I am smitten. That super dry, tight, percussive thing is a thing. :chef

Any real world experience out there? Lovers? Haters? Mehers? :idk

I had a Fireball 60 once upon a time and it kind of did nothing
for me. Traded it straight up for a Fryette Deliverance 60.

Been mucking about with the Engl Models on the Fractal and
really dig the Savage.

Thoughts? Experiences? Thanks! :beer
Click to expand...
they are good amps and somewhat different , kind of dry and tight like a Splawn .

The reason they respond. different is they are plate driven instead of Cathode ,that might be what you are liking . the Cornford, Wizard , Marshall Silver Jubilee, Spawn, Bogner Snorkler ae other examples of that design , they are just a bit punchier and my open IMO
 
I see someone like Vivian Campbell using the Engl Artist live with Last In Line and it
sounds great.

My wheelhouse is in that less compressed and more open thing it seems like the
Artist/Blackmore does well. But I kind of have that territory covered and am more
intrigued by the Savage 120 (6550s!!!!) or the Steve Morse.

At the moment! :bonk


:LOL:
 
TheTrueZoltan! said:
ENGL Savage II (or PB II Ch. 4). Or a boosted Artist Edition, which is drier, less compressed and more scooped. One of the best amps I ever played for old school Thrash.
Click to expand...
the artist If I recall is a Blackmore but with El34 instead of 5881 , and a bit more gain it was to be Doug Aldrichs sig . so its probably more Suhr, Cameron modded voiced
 
Nope, IMHO the AE is not marshally at all, even though that‘s what a lot of people claim. EL34s don‘t make every amp sound like a Marshall. When I had the amp it reminded me much more of that old school IIC+ Thrash sound. It has a much more percussive low end than the other ENGLs I‘ve tried and it‘s definitely more scooped than their newer models. AFAIK both the Blackmore and the AE are more or less stripped down and slightly tweaked versions of the 1st gen Savage.
 
man id love a 60 watt deliverance (per the initial post- i know its a VHT/fryette). would absolutely play one- but have never met an engl in the wild. they similar, or no?
 
la szum said:
Steve Morse is whispering in my ear dammit! And I don't even like his Chicken Fried Jazz schtick. :stirthepot


:sofa
Click to expand...


One of the coolest features of the Morse (the full sized version) is the variable “mid matrix” controls low mids and hi mids are separate knobs and they’re duplicated and switchable :love

I would typically scoop one and crank the other, best of both worlds!!! :LOL:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top