[Lozek]

Hello mate. OK, I've been using my 2112 for about 5/6 years now, I was originally using it as a main pre-amp through my 2:90, moved to an original JCM800 for a year then moved back to the rack and got the Engl.

The 2112 is a really good unit, especially for the price you can pick them up for. In all honesty, the 2101 is slightly better but you need a degree in computer programming to use that thing, the interface for the 2112 is very simple and self explanatory. In fact, so much so that i still control all my Midi switching with the 2112. The effects on it are simple & powerful and pretty transparent.

The pre-amp section of it is really good value, you've got multi-mode solid-state gain and the valve gain both with their own EQ section and blendable/phase reversable. When you're dialling in your tone, be sure to not go too far with the EQ because you can quickly screw things up. I found I got the biggest tone leap when I made sure that I wasn't boosting a frequency in the solid state EQ, the valve EQ and then a master EQ layed across the blended sound, you can see how that might totally skew your sound without you even realising why.

The other thing that i did with my 2112 was to change the pre-amp valves. In the front left corner there is a pair of Sovtek 12ax7's (presuming your unit is still stock). I changed mine out for a set of NOS Mullards and it made a huge difference. (nb, the allen bolts on the unit are American Metric rather than European Imperial, make sure you've got a set of keys to cover it if you do it).

In terms of the tight, solid sound that you are looking for, it's definitely achievable with a 2112 if you're willing to spend a little time setting it up, I just used trial & error and slowly developed the sound over a few years.

The only two criticisms I have of the unit, and the reason that i looked elsewhere, is that there is a 'distance' to the sound which you can never quite dial out, it's not quite a 'present' as i wanted it to be if that makes any sense. There was also an ever so slight harsh fizz in the upper mids which ,again, i could never quite dial out. But for both of those we're talking Mr Fussybollocks Guitarist levels of geekdom.

Stacking it up against the Engl, well we're comparing a couple of hundred pound 'all singing all dancing effect/pre-amp' unit against a couple of grands worth of dedicated pre-amp, so of course it's never gonna match up, but i would say that the sound you're looking for is definitely achievable from the 2112. With some tweaking and the set-up you're talking about, you can definitely have something that puts most other guitarists you play with to shame.