ENGL Appreciation Thread

[spawnofthesith]

Tones were sweet so you chose correctly!

Thank you sir!! At my drummers behest (of all things taking tone advice from a drummer rofl) I had my mids basically dimed and was running the LP with the pups out of phase. Sounded like an ass sandwhich isolated but cut something fierce in the mix

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

If I ever buy an amp again - it would be the Savage 110%.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I’ve recorded a couple songs with a Blackmore on one side. Really need my own m


In other news got sloshed at a work outing tonight, rawdogging this set up as we speak

Recordings I sent to my bass player were described as “ drunken sublime meets primus”

 

[spawnofthesith]

Yeah, that almost put me off the Engl Powerball module for the Synergy only to find when I did get it that it might be the best module in the entire line up. The PB was like the metal flavor of the month and then everyone did a 180 on it with the 'doesn't cut' complaint. Engl responded with rev 2 of the amp but apparently the damage was done because the poor PB is largely ignored now, it seems.

Honestly I think this narrative along with what @JiveTurkey heard was largely horse shit. Never played a V1 powerball but I saw enough bands using them live back in the day that I think it was internet noob/heard mentality bull

 

[headcrash]

Had the Blackmore in the late 90s and switched to a mid 90s Savage 120 in 2001.
I liked both. Coming mostly from Marshalls the Blackmore did a good job.
The Savage is more refined and of course more flexible and suited me better then. I also tend to believe that the early Savage 120s from the mid 90s to maybe late 90s were voiced a little more tradionally, because years ago I read, that they changed some details in the circuit to adapt to the nu metal craze around 2000/2001.
ENGL's reputation being purely for Metal might result from being quite higainy since the mid 80s, and later on, focusing their marketing on metal artists. The looks speak for themselves.
Also with the Powerball and Fireball amps introduced in the early 2000s, which to me ARE Metal amps, I kinda lost interest.

I found their Artist Edition amps quite appealing, but having played one of those side by side with a Savage Mk II, the Artist Edition is definitely not a modded Marshall. It's still an ENGL, maybe with a little less gain and a slightly more traditional overall EQ curve, I'd say.

Most ENGLs are pretty tight and defined, which is a good thing to me.

They are actually very well built, but they're a PITA to service, at least the old(er?) ones. Had one on the bench several months ago, was an old early 90s Savage 60. Had to replace a tube socket. I had to get out all PCBs, since the interconnecting ribbon cables are soldered...

 

[JT]

I’ve recorded a couple songs with a Blackmore on one side. Really need my own m


In other news got sloshed at a work outing tonight, rawdogging this set up as we speak
View attachment 3833

Recordings I sent to my bass player were described as “ drunken sublime meets primus”

I love everything about this pic! That strat finish speaks to me!

Honestly I think this narrative along with what @JiveTurkey heard was largely horse s**t. Never played a V1 powerball but I saw enough bands using them live back in the day that I think it was internet noob/heard mentality bull

I do not doubt it. The only place you could get them back in the day was through that Derek guy at HC and there was some weirdness surrounding that situation if I recall? I was too poor back then to do any mythbusting

 

[MirrorProfiles]

They are actually very well built, but they're a PITA to service, at least the old(er?) ones. Had one on the bench several months ago, was an old early 90s Savage 60. Had to replace a tube socket. I had to get out all PCBs, since the interconnecting ribbon cables are soldered...

They do some odd/annoying stuff, like upside down PCB's and LOADS of components and connections glued into place with hotsnot. I think their construction is OK for cheaper amps but for the price ENGL charge I'd expect a little better in that regard. Build quality aside, I think they can sound great and I love that they have a distinct voicing to them. Usually have lots of useful features and are well designed in that regard.

They also have a reputation for puny output transformers, which doesn't really bother me as I think so much of what people write about transformers online isn't really based on anything beyond what they think a transformer does. I believe the SE670 has bigger ones than most of the other ENGL stuff.

 

[ptb1]

My first Engl (I switched from a JCM900 combo) was this Ironball combo:

After a short time i switched it for a head w/separate cab instead:

Then I added up with the Fireball 25:

Just before Christmas last year (it actually was delivered 23th Dec) I switched the Ironball with the SE:

 

[headcrash]

They do some odd/annoying stuff, like upside down PCB's and LOADS of components and connections glued into place with hotsnot. I think their construction is OK for cheaper amps but for the price ENGL charge I'd expect a little better in that regard. Build quality aside, I think they can sound great and I love that they have a distinct voicing to them. Usually have lots of useful features and are well designed in that regard.

They also have a reputation for puny output transformers, which doesn't really bother me as I think so much of what people write about transformers online isn't really based on anything beyond what they think a transformer does. I believe the SE670 has bigger ones than most of the other ENGL stuff.

Yeah that hotsnot thing is really annoying. I find it ok (and it is common practice with many other, and high-end amp manufacturers) for preventing components such as large capacitors being exposed to rattling, but NOT to fix cables. I remember most if not all cables in my Blackmore and Savage - be it ribbon or not - were soldered to solder pads, and not stuck through a via. Thus the hot glueing of the cables.

Actually the PCBs are not mounted upside down, when the amp is placed "normally". But it makes it also virtually impossible to find any bad components or, impossible to measure anything inside, when you have the amp opne and placed upside down with the open chassis facing you. Even more if you don't have a schematic.

Apart from that, I consider the construction as "industry standard" as many others.

As far as the trannies go, years ago I remember reading something about the Savage 120 having more like 80..90 Watts power stage. Maybe the OTs are designed to already distort quite a bit at the rated power...

 

[JT]

My first Engl (I switched from a JCM900 combo) was this Ironball combo:

View attachment 3838
After a short time i switched it for a head w/separate cab instead:

View attachment 3840

Then I added up with the Fireball 25:

View attachment 3839

Just before Christmas last year (it actually was delivered 23th Dec) I switched the Ironball with the SE:

View attachment 3837

I love ALL of these! Nice!

 

[headcrash]

Yeah that hotsnot thing is really annoying. I find it ok (and it is common practice with many other, and high-end amp manufacturers) for preventing components such as large capacitors being exposed to rattling, but NOT to fix cables. I remember most if not all cables in my Blackmore and Savage - be it ribbon or not - were soldered to solder pads, and not stuck through a via. Thus the hot glueing of the cables.

Actually the PCBs are not mounted upside down, when the amp is placed "normally". But it makes it also virtually impossible to find any bad components or, impossible to measure anything inside, when you have the amp opne and placed upside down with the open chassis facing you. Even more if you don't have a schematic.

Apart from that, I consider the construction as "industry standard" as many others.

As far as the trannies go, years ago I remember reading something about the Savage 120 having more like 80..90 Watts power stage. Maybe the OTs are designed to already distort quite a bit at the rated power...

They seem to do some things a little different now. This is the Ironball SE.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I love everything about this pic! That strat finish speaks to me!

I do not doubt it. The only place you could get them back in the day was through that Derek guy at HC and there was some weirdness surrounding that situation if I recall? I was too poor back then to do any mythbusting

Miami bluiuuuu


Yeah there was at least 3 weird things going on with Derek I recall something about "original owner" and maybe him meeting up with wizzard of ozz to have a fist fight?

Strange times lol

 

[Elric]

Honestly I think this narrative along with what @JiveTurkey heard was largely horse s**t. Never played a V1 powerball but I saw enough bands using them live back in the day that I think it was internet noob/heard mentality bull

Yeah, my only direct Engl experience is the Synergy Savage/PB and various digital emulations. But I am a definite believer, based on those... I like the high end voice on them vs like say Recto-esque amps.

Most of my impression was from the old HCAF days... when the PB dropped it seemed like a ton of folks got them all at once and then suddenly they were no longer in vogue. HCAF was like that back in the day.

 

[JT]

Yeah, my only direct Engl experience is the Synergy Savage/PB and various digital emulations. But I am a definite believer, based on those... I like the high end voice on them vs like say Recto-esque amps.

I'm going to have to investigate now

 

[AFKAEjay]

My experience with Engl has been great so far. A bit unexpected cause I’m by no means a high gain player. My gain knob probably stops around the same spot Andy Timmons does…for reference.

Owned their preamp ..580 if I’m correct. Sounds very very good. Sold it cause I abandoned the rack format..else I’d probably be using it.

For my home rig I have a 530/50 stereo poweramp from the brand. Sounds great. (handy at home..modelers, preamps..all go in a mixer feeding this poweramp)

Seems all quality builds.
and…super cheap in the EU…i paid 200,- for the poweramp…you can pick up their 50w combo around 350,- used.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Ancient video of that Morse when I was 17 .





Definitely miss that thing. The separate high and lo mid controls were a really cool feature that I wish more amps had. I enjoyed the Mark V I traded it for immensely as well so I can't get too bummed I guess

 

[Aynirar27]

New to Engls, but I am really digging the e606se I just got. I knew the gain would rip, but I am very surprised by the low gain/crunch in there.
Color me impressed

 

[JerEvil]

I got this guy about 6 months ago. Fucking love it!

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I am not someone who is particularly struck on ENGL.

HOWEVER

an E530 came up quite cheap and i’m tempted - it’s cheap enough that I think it’ll be cool to hear in my own time and with my own gear/environment. I’m also curious to hear it paired with other poweramps and chunkier output transformers than ENGL amps typically have.

Anyone dig them? where can I hear cool (well recorded) examples of a E530 in action?

 

[aivoryuk]

I bought an Engl Ironball based on playing the Mercuriall U530 plugin - I did eventually sell it on mainly because it was very loud for my environment but it was a great amp.